Social Studies

Grade 1

LaKeisha Johnson, Beth Ryan, and Jaime Trick

ED 417-01

Fall 2001

Rationale

• It is important for elementary students to know the significance of their family traditions or customs and how their lives would be different without the presence of family governing their actions. They also need to be aware of the various types of family units because each family is unique in its own way.

Objectives• The students will learn of the different

American heritages that are represented through families today. They will also be able to recognize ways that families contribute to our society.

• The students will learn of the various ethics involved with being in a family. They will also be able to view how families depend on resources and come together to make decisions.

• The students will learn about decision making, and the democratic process through role playing and situations related to their families.

The American Heritage Strand shows us the aspects of the past to help us understand the American people and their uniqueness. Through this strand we can learn about families in America, our common experiences, and our culutures.

Activities

• Students will research and compare different families from various time periods throughout history.

• Each student will write a story about their family and share with the class.

• Students will prepare a class graph showing what their nationality/ heritage is.

Activities

• Students will create a picture album in groups of families throughout American Heritage showing different dress, hairstyles, homes, food etc…

• Cooking Time- students will help make and decorate gingerbread houses and people to represent their family unit and heritage

WebPages

• (http://www.pbs.com)

• (http://www.geocites.com)

• (http://www.kidsdomain.com)

• (http://www.scholastic.com)

• (http://www.familiesfirst.org)

Through this strand, we recognize that many different and unique groups make up one society that we all live in. By studying families in perspective of this strand, we will learn how families are a part of society, their functions, and how they work together for good.

Activities

• Students will research and write what/who makes up a society

• Students will make a list of how their family contributes to society

• Students will each write a pretend letter to someone else in society telling how they will help them

Activities

• Students will create a drama showing different families working in society and what they can do

• Students will work in groups and draw a mural that involves a timeline and pictues of people in societies over time (changes, cultural awareness, jobs)

Web Pages

• (http://www.familiesandwork.org)

• (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/FamLit/parent.html)

• (http://www.fema.gov/kids/html)

• (http://www.historykids.org)• (http//:www.americanedu.com)

WORLD INTERACTIONSWORLD INTERACTIONS

This strand This strand explores links explores links people make people make around the world. around the world.

Family is Family is structured the structured the same way. People same way. People make attempts to make attempts to contact relatives contact relatives around the world .around the world .

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES The students will research the various The students will research the various

family lifestyles around the world family lifestyles around the world through books, magazines, and videos, through books, magazines, and videos, then compare their lifestyle to those then compare their lifestyle to those presented to them. presented to them.

With a map or globe, the students will With a map or globe, the students will locate, describe, and name the city and locate, describe, and name the city and state in which at least one of their state in which at least one of their relatives lives with assistance (if relatives lives with assistance (if needed).needed).

The students will design a collage of The students will design a collage of their family members by pasting their their family members by pasting their pictures on a family tree, then writing pictures on a family tree, then writing their names underneath their their names underneath their pictures to identify them. pictures to identify them.

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES CONTINUEDCONTINUED The students will write and illustrate a The students will write and illustrate a

story about a time when their family story about a time when their family lived by the traditions and customs of lived by the traditions and customs of another family. The students will another family. The students will choose a family from one of the choose a family from one of the seven continents. seven continents.

The students will raise some money The students will raise some money through a fundraiser or collect can goods through a fundraiser or collect can goods and give it to a family in extreme need and give it to a family in extreme need of financial assistance. They will send the of financial assistance. They will send the money or can goods and a letter to an money or can goods and a letter to an anonymous family within the school or anonymous family within the school or another country (selected by vote) for a another country (selected by vote) for a Christmas or a Thanksgiving basket. Christmas or a Thanksgiving basket.

WEB SITESWEB SITEShttp://www.thefunplace.comhttp://www.thefunplace.com

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Famlit/http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Famlit/parent.htmlparent.html

http://www.family.go.com/http://www.family.go.com/

http://www.familyeducation.com/home/http://www.familyeducation.com/home/

http://www.familyplay.comhttp://www.familyplay.com

DECISION MAKING DECISION MAKING AND RESOURCESAND RESOURCES

This strand focuses on This strand focuses on potential resources potential resources and decisions people and decisions people and societies make in and societies make in addressing wants.addressing wants.

Families depend on Families depend on resources to satisfy resources to satisfy their wants as well as their wants as well as relying upon one relying upon one another to reach another to reach mutual decisions mutual decisions concerning their concerning their wants and needs. wants and needs.

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES The students will be given the formal The students will be given the formal

definition for a want (unnecessary definition for a want (unnecessary necessity) and a need (necessary necessity) and a need (necessary necessity). They will then design a list necessity). They will then design a list requiring them to to make a column of requiring them to to make a column of wants and a column of needs based on wants and a column of needs based on their family’s lifestyle. They will discuss the their family’s lifestyle. They will discuss the significance of each column.significance of each column.

The students will pick a country, research The students will pick a country, research it, and describe how a particular country it, and describe how a particular country earns a living in order to satisfy the wants earns a living in order to satisfy the wants and/or needs within the family. and/or needs within the family.

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES CONTINUEDCONTINUED The students will bring in two items of The students will bring in two items of

choice from home. They are to get into choice from home. They are to get into groups of four and discuss what groups of four and discuss what resources were needed to produce the resources were needed to produce the items. They will then share their results items. They will then share their results with the class.with the class.

The students will pick three items that The students will pick three items that they really want whether it be for a they really want whether it be for a birthday, holiday, or special occasion birthday, holiday, or special occasion and then choose only one item for their and then choose only one item for their family to buy and explain why that item family to buy and explain why that item was chosen over another. Ask them, was chosen over another. Ask them, “What made you make that decision?”“What made you make that decision?”

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES CONTINUEDCONTINUED

In groups of four, the students will In groups of four, the students will talk about the tragic events of talk about the tragic events of September 11th and come up with a September 11th and come up with a list of items the families may list of items the families may want/need in order to compensate want/need in order to compensate for their loses. They will then share for their loses. They will then share their results with the class. As an their results with the class. As an extension to this activity our class extension to this activity our class will begin a collection within the will begin a collection within the school and send the money to the school and send the money to the September 11th fund.September 11th fund.

WEB SITESWEB SITES http://www.kids-space.org/http://www.kids-space.org/

http://www.fema.gov/kids/http://www.fema.gov/kids/

http://www.htmgv.org/smartfun/http://www.htmgv.org/smartfun/colonial/intro/colonial/intro/

http://www.museum.state.il.us/http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/exhibits/athome/

http://www.edecisiontree.comhttp://www.edecisiontree.com

Strand 5: Democratic Process

..examines the principles of democracy and explores the extent to which governments reflect

those principles

Democratic Process Activities

Have students discuss in pairs what authority is to them and who demonstrates authority within their family, community, state, and country.

Have several guest speakers (city manager, fireman, policeman…) come to the room and talk about their jobs and the authority that they have within their jobs. Have students discuss the reason for authority within their community, country, world and then compare it to their family and the roles in which they take.

Activities Continued As a creative writing assignment have each student

pretend to be the leader of their household, and come up with rules and consequences for the family.

As a class discuss and create rules that could be applied within the classroom. Have the students debate on these suggestions and adopt two new rules. Remind students that at school we are a family just like they have at home.

Have the students role play various settings of family life given by the teacher, and come up with rules and ways to make that situation better. Then vote on these rules.

Democracy Web Sites

http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5760+++TOP:641+cbx_families,00.html

http://parent.net/parents/tips/archive/value.shtml http://www.oas.org/children/menu1.html http://npin.org/library/pre1998/n00282/n00282.html http://www.childrensresources.org/publications.html

Strand 6: Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

…provides a context for examining and engaging in those activities that are part of an adult’s public life

Activities Students are to discuss with their families

what their responsibilities are at home and talk about what being responsible means.

On a letterhead, students will make a list of their responsibilities they have at home and write a paragraph to their family stating that they promise to do their part.

Students will be assigned various jobs within the classroom to help out that relate to their home duties. (feed the rabbit, clean the chalkboards, organize library, keep floor clean)

Activities Continued

Students will keep a daily journal of their responsibilities and include things like: what they did, how long it took, did they do it without being asked, did anyone help….

Students will write a narrative stating what responsibility is to them, and why it helps to be responsible.

Web Sites

http://childrens-justice.org/ http://www.kidlink.org/kie/nls/

english/rights/lesson8.html http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/

childrights/main.html http://members.tripod.com/epweek/ http://www.aifs.org.au/institute/

pubs/fm1/fm37mr.html

Strand 7: Science, Technology and Society

… national standard that says, social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of relationships among science, technology

and society

Activities

Students will discuss what types of technology they use at home.

Students will discuss what it would be like in their homes if technology wasn’t there.

Students will interview their grandparents do see what kind of technology they had growing up and compare it to their lives.

Activities Continued

Students will take a field trip around the school to see what types of technology are available to the school.

As a class students will do research on early forms of technology and write summaries to share with our families.

Web Sites

http://www.crayoncrawler.com/ http://www.brainpop.com/ http://www.thetech.org/robotics/ http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/

msese/explorer.html http://www.amazon.com/exec/

obidos/ASIN/0912517026/ref=ase_thegreatideafind/002-6484454-7320033

Conclusion

– It is important for first grade students to be aware of their families and to recognize the roles in which their families have in society. Students should take away information from this presentation and be able to compare it to their lives at home.