1. Using Maps / Pre-engagement: Class Brainstorm- Students brainstorm ways maps are used, where we see maps, and a map’s purpose. Students share answers with class as teacher adds to list on board or butcher paper.
Read: How I Learned Geography, Uri Shulevitzand Me on the Map, Joan Sweeney
Teacher asks questions that help explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information.
Teacher and students discuss how maps are being used by authors/characters in stories and how we use maps in our daily lives.
Teachers can use blank maps to expose students to different maps.
Anchor Chart: Author’s Purpose- How are authors using maps for different purposes?
Formative Assessments: Literature Response Journal- Students will respond to question, “How do the characters in the story use maps?”
Sentence Stems:
“The girl uses maps to _____”
“The boy uses maps to____”
Buddy Buzz: Where on the map would you choose to go?
2. Going to School Around the World / Turn and Tell a Partner: How do you get to school?
Read: This is the Way We Go to School, Edith Baer
Teacher helps students compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
Teacher Led Discussion- Teachers guide conversation and ask questions to help students understand the physical and environmental differences and similarities of our different global communities.
How do you get to school?
Compare and contrast the different ways the kids in the story get to school.
Anchor Chart: As a class, students and teacher are comparing and contrasting the ways kids get to school. Students can use class anchor chart as a guide to complete their journal entry. Relate ideas to essential question: Who lives in our global community and how are we connected?
Formative Assessments: Literature Response Journal (with illustration) - Why do students go to school different ways?
3. Looking At Houses / Personal Connection- Houses in Tucson, Southwest (Google or bring in pictures). Student’s look at houses in this area. Are they familiar? Pictures can be used to compare to houses in other areas of the world. Relate to essential question: What does your community look like?
Extended/Short Texts:
At Home Around the World, Lucy Floyd
Homes Around the World, Max Moore
Houses and Homes, Ann Morris
Additional texts chosen by teacher from Quarter 3 Maps
Electronic Resources and Alternative Media:
Homes Around the World Website To view homes outside of the Southwest
Houses Around the World PDF
Photo Library- Traditional Homes Website- Traditional homes around the world
Shared Research Project: As a class, students will develop research skills by reading/listening to texts or websites from the unit to gather information about different types of homes people have in their community. Teachers will lead students in organizing information about the differences and similarities of homes throughout world communities, creating a Class Research Chart.
Students will use Class Research Chart to write an informative/explanatory essay on the differences and similarities of the homes throughout the world.
OR
Continue to add to chart as other books in unit are used. At the end of the unit, students will write essay.
Teaching Notes: Ideas to help guide Class Research Chart
Name the types of houses found in book/website.
Using photos, what can you tell about the environment?
How are houses similar/different?
Do the houses in the photos represent typical houses in that community?
Class Research Chart: Use teaching note questions to create chart.
Writing: Model of writing with topic, facts, and closure to help students write their own informative/explanatory essay on the differences and similarities of the homes throughout the world.
4. A Community / Vocabulary Chart: Teacher and students add words to a vocabulary chart that they find important in the unit“Global Communities”. Vocabulary can be added throughout the unit and revisited to strengthen usage.
Read: All the World, Liz Garton Scanlon
Brainstorm: How is this community similar to ours?
Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram -As a class, students and teacher add similarities and differences they found while reading text. How is the community in the book similar or different than our own? (Word Document)
Formative Assessments: Literature Response Journal (with illustration) - What do the characters in the story “All the World” do in their community?
5. Neighborhoods / Pre-engagement: Have you ever been in a blackout? What did you do? How did you feel?
Read Aloud and Class Discussion: Blackout, John Rocco
Teacher and students discuss book, describing characters, settings, and major events in story, using key details.
Examples of discussion questions:
- What did the characters do when the lights went out?
- What did other people in their neighborhood do?
- What would you do in a blackout?
- How would you feel?
- Do all communities have families?
T-Chart: Similarities and differences between the community in the book and students’ community.
Physical
People in community
Activities
Feelings
Writing: Model of writing with topic, facts, and closure to help students write their own informative/explanatory essay on how their community is similar or different from that of another community.
Summative Assessments:
Students will write an informative/explanatory essay on how their community is similar or different from that of another community.
6. My Community / Heads Together: Discuss what you do or see in Tucson.
Read: Uptown, Brian Collier
Teacher Led Discussion:Teacher and students ask and answer questions about key details in text. Create a web for student use on T-Chart.
What is important about Harlem to the main character?
What do people do in Harlem?
Buddy Buzz- How is Tucson special to you?
Formative Assessments:T-Chart- Student will compare the Harlem community to the Tucson community.
Harlem is special because…/Tucson is special because…
7. All of Us / Buddy Buzz: How are kids around the world like you?
Classroom Brainstorm: Use prior knowledge to brainstorm the similarities and differences in the world. Students share answers with class as teacher adds to list on board or butcher paper.
Read: Whoever You Are, Mem Fox
Teacher Led Discussion:Teacher helps students compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
How do the characters in the story feel?
How do you know?
Do we feel the same way?
Relate discussion questions to essential question: Who lives in our global community and how are we connected? Develop a connection between children in different communities of the world and our own community. Add new similarities and differences from information gained after reading text to Classroom Brainstorm.
Formative Assessments:Students will complete “Heart” sentence starter, “All around the world we_____”
8. Around the World / Read: Somewhere in the World Right Now, Stacey Schuett
Use this book to link ideas of global communities (physical/environmental, people, cultures).
Students should be able to answer essential questions from unit.
Anchor Chart: “In the World, Right Now…”
Create a list of differences and similarities around the world.
Discussion: -Where is your special place in the world?
Summative Assessments: Students will write a narrative about their home, classroom, or a special place in their community. Students will tell why that place is important to them.
Share: Students share illustration and writing on their special place in the world.
ELA, Office of Curriculum Development ©Page 1 of 5
Short, Kathy Gnagey, and Jerome C. Harste.Creating Classrooms for Authors and Inquirers. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996. Print