THE 5 REGIONS OF WISCONSIN 4 th Grade Social Studies Unit By Sonja Von Frank

TABLE OF CONTENTS  Objectives  Resources  Process  Assessments  Wisconsin Educator Standards  Constructivist Standards

OBJECTIVES  A.4.5 Use atlases, databases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to gather information about the local community, Wisconsin, the United States, and the world  A.4.7 Identify connections between the local community and other places in Wisconsin, the United States, and the world  D.4.3 Identify local goods and services that are part of the global economy and explain their use in Wisconsin  E.4.10 Give examples and explain how the media may influence opinions, choices, and decisions.

RESOURCES  Video: Exploring Wisconsin Our Home: A Place Called Wisconsin  Wisconsin Map  Textbook: Wisconsin Journey  Book: Our Wisconsin: A School History of the Badger State by EG Dounda  Magazine: Our Wisconsin

PROCESS  The Unit should take 2 weeks

DAY 1  Discussion on where we live (Speak, Listen) What does it look like? What kind of plants and animals can we find there? Is Ashland known for anything?  Extended discussion (Speak, Listen) Have you ever traveled anywhere else in Wisconsin? How did it compare to Ashland?  Introduce 5 Wisconsin Regions (Listen, Speak) Why would we break it up into different regions?

DAY 2  Watch Exploring Wisconsin Our Home: A Place Called Wisconsin (View, Listen)  View Wisconsin Map of 5 Regions (View, Speak, Listen) Discuss several cities in each region Ask students what regions they have visited before  Charting (Speak, Listen, View) Place 5 pieces of chart paper on the board, each labeled with a different region. Have students recall information from the video for each region

DAY 3  Read Our Wisconsin: A School History of the Badger State by EG Dounda (Listen)  Have students add to the charts from Day 2 (Speak, Listen, View)  Jigsaw (Read, Speak, Listen, Write, View) Break class into 5 groups Assign each group a region to read about in the textbook, Wisconsin Journey Have each group present their information to the class as they add to the charts

DAY  Assignment (Read, Write, Produce, Listen) Your team works for the Visitor’s Bureau in your prospective region. You have been asked to create a campaign to attract visitors to your area. Create a short commercial about your region, as well as a printed resource. i.e. article for Wisconsin Magazine, brochure, poster… Discuss rubric  Research & Design

DAY 9 & 10  Presentations (Speak, View, Listen)

ASSESSMENTS  Commercial Record commercials and present to class Graded based on rubric  Printed Resource Graded based on rubric  Class Assessment (checklist)  Group Assessment (rubric)

WISCONSIN EDUCATOR STANDARDS 1.Teachers know the subjects they are teaching 2.Teachers know how children grow 3.Teachers understand that children learn differently 4.Teachers know how to teach 5.Teachers know how to manage a classroom 6.Teachers communicate well 7.Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons 8.Teachers know how to test for student progress

CONSTRUCTIVIST STANDARDS  Allows for personal perception of the world  Provides opportunities for invention  Provides for active involvement in the learning process  Creates opportunities for transferring learning  Creates meaning from experience  Accommodates individual and social construction in the learning process  Provides opportunities to defend ideas

CONSTRUCTIVIST STANDARDS  Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted  Emphasizes process over produce  Makes learners problem solvers and efficient thinkers  Teacher serves as a facilitator rather than director  Is a hands on activity  Does not require extensive memorization  Involves students in authentic tasks

CONSTRUCTIVIST STANDARDS  Encourages use of dialogue  Cooperation/collaboration are valued as opposed to competition  Requires patience  Provides multiple perspectives on reality  Provides for constructing relationships and creating metaphors  Is a multi-step process  Has open-ended activities

CONSTRUCTIVIST STANDARDS  Students play a larger role in evaluating or assessing their own progress  Prior knowledge is accessed/evaluated  Encourages independent research  Scaffolding is present  Requires connection to real world activities  Emphasizes importance of social and cultural contexts  Technology is useful

CONSTRUCTIVIST STANDARDS  Unique experiences aid in learning processes  Allows for self reflection  Involves student in language-rich activities