Communities-Third Grade By Susan Morrissey ED Dr. R. Helms

Table of Contents n American Heritage n People in Societies n World Interactions n Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities n Democratic Process n Decision Making and Resources n Science, Technology, and Society

Rationale In order for students to become active citizens for a lifetime, they must develop skills and awareness of various levels of interests including local, state, national, and international. In addition, students must be able to think critically about issues from the past, present, and future.

Goals n 1. To enable learners to gather and interpret information using perspectives from appropriate fields of social studies, to use methods and skills drawn from the social studies, and to actively engage in learning. n 2. To enable learners to explain how the world’s people cope with the challenges of existence, examine issues from multiple perspectives, and respond to individual and cultural diversity. n To enable learners to work with others, make informed judgments and decisions, and act in accordance with democratic processes and principles.

American Heritage

Objectives n 1.Measure time by years, decades, and centuries n 2.explore local historical developments n 3.investigate narratives and/or documents n 4. Explore sources of information about local history n 5. Investigate the influence of geography on the history of the local community n 6. Observe and record changes in the community

Web Sites n historical Williamsburg n at historical documents and civil war prisoners of war n wright brothers.

More Web Sites n explore the clothing of different time periods. n community events, planning, and other community related information

Activities n 1. Students can visit their government center and meet with the city planner to discuss changes in the community. n 2. Students can design their community using various sizes of containers to learn concepts of size such as between a stadium and a house. n 3. Students can design an accordion book record events to make a story. It would be important to include clothing,music, etc.. n 4. Students can watch the “Colonial Life for Children” series to make their books.

People in Societies

Objectives n 1. Describe the various cultural groups that have settled into the local community and plot on a map their settlement patterns n 2. Determine why various cultural groups settled where they did in the local community n 3. Recognize the diverse nature of society by identifying and describing the characteristics of different groups of people in the community.

Web Sites n vents.htlm-a world a’fair is at the Convention Center 5/25-5/27 n web/-Appalachian magazine with lots of information. n calender-based menu of multicultural celebrations.

More Web Sites n ubois.html-good biographies on famous African Americans. n helps students create a family tree to trace ancestry. n ger-”You Be the Historian”-on-line activity that lets students use clues to learn about a family from the past.

Another Web Site n students learn about Shakers, can tie in with Underground Railroad.

Activities n 1. Students can use their web site to prepare their family tree. Students can talk to their families about the reasons their ancestors moved into this area. n 2. Students can attend the “A World A’Fair” with their families. Students can read and share “Our Global Village” set of books. n 3. Students can use the Odyssey Globe to trace their heritage. n 4. Students can make a pictogram to show the groups they belong to, their roles in the group, and the interests of these groups.

More Activities n 4. Students can visit the Shaker Museum. n 5. Students can use the Internet to learn the Native American tribes that inhabited Ohio.

World Interactions

Objectives n The student will: n 1. Develop map skills n 2. Compare maps showing local communities, speculate as to the physical and human attributes which may have affected their location, and chart the most common attributes. n 3. Use maps and globes to point out the location of the community, state, country, and continent relative to other places n 4. Cite examples of how different cultures satisfy wants through the consumption of goods and services and their use of resources n 5. locate, on national and world maps, areas which provide resources to Ohio and areas which receive resources from Ohio and consider how resources are moved from place to place. n 6. Compare communities of selected cultures around the world with the student’s community n 7. Explore the concept of region by using a map to illustrate the boundaries of a neighborhood and suggesting how it might be defined.

Web Sites n m-students can write post cards. n -kids almanac with maps and flags. n songs and rhymes from all nations n ”Map maker, map maker make me a map” n multiple games and learning experiences.

Activities n 1. Students will practice map making and geography skills with the computer program “Maptastic Vogage:Explore the World of Map Making and Geography. n 2. Students will explore an internet site and plot out a vacation using a map maker site. n 3. Using a map of the United States that is obtained from the Internet, students will identify mountains, deserts, rivers and discuss how climate will be different in these regions. n 4. Student can map products made in the United States and in other countries and tack up a string from product’s origin to the country or city that produced it and the resources (railroad, water, etc.....) that make it possible. n 5. Children will use the Internet to find how other children play, eat, etc and how this affects the type of goods they use.

Citizenship--Rights and Responsibilties

Objectives n The learner will: n 1. Locate sources of news and acquire information regarding local issues n 2. Identify factual statements in sources of news. n 3. Take part in creating rules based on the idea of fair play, selecting persons to serve in positions of authority, and following directions and rules. n 4. Develop citizenship traits n 5. Facilitate a project to improve the physical environment of the school or community

Web Sites n tree for our country, also info about kids voting. n a pole of issues important to youth, students can see how they compare with others. n wwwgatewayva.com/pages/special/nie/less on2a/htm-Bill of Rights in action. n html-teaching citizenship’s five themes (respect, compassion, courage, honest, responsibility) n html-breaking the color barrier.

Activities n 1. Use the Internet to explore and study citizenship’s 5 responsibilities-students can write about how they meet these responsibilities in their journals. n 2. Have students respond with a wish on the Kids Voting web site. n 3. Discuss prejudice and how it affects people with suggestions from The Prejudice Book: Activities for the Classroom. n 4. Create items from household trash. n 5. Check out city web cite for local issues.

Democratic Process

Objectives n The learner will: n 1. Identify the purposes of local government n 2. Link examples of local government actions with the purposes of local government n 3. Examine current issues and determine when her/his interests and the public good are involved. n 4. Discuss how a community group can organize to address the public good.

Web Sites n site tell the latest plans and development for the city. n rame.htm-D.A.R.E. kids n activities to teach kids how to be safe n kid safety on the internet n html-city governmnent of Dayton n crime prevention prevention council resource

Activities n Students can visit the McGruff web site to do safety activities. n Students can visit the McGruff web site to learn ways to be on the Internet safely. n Arrange to have a police officer and his K-9 unit to come into the school and lecture on safety. n Arrange to have a fireman visit to talk to children about fire safety. n Student will read Officer Buckle and Gloria and make up a safety wall. n Students can survey the school or home and suggest way to improve safety.

Decision Making and Resources

Web Sites n simulation n -making money make sense for kids n econopolis, learning about money. n Smart Start, learning to manage money n wealth of connections to valuable social studies sites.-simplified info about starting a business, taxes, etc.

Activities n Students will use the web site on starting a business to start their own business. n Students will take a field trip to a business with a cafeteria to make decisions about what to buy with money they earned with various duties while learning about business. n Students will visit the junior think quest site to learn more about economics. n Student will use a computer program to simulate money spending.

Science

Objectives n Students will: n 1. Locate the world’s rainforests on a map of the world. n 2. Identify products/resources that come from the rainforests n 3. Create/identify an environment that contains the elements of a rainforest n 4. Use technology to make decisions about political aspects of the rain forests. n 5. Discuss the implications of population/technology on the rainforests

Web Sites n about the rain forest and its inhabitants. n ml-more information, activities for rain forests. n out the animals of the rain forest. n ml-what kids can do to save rain forests. n pical/html-lots of activities and information.

Activities n Students will use the web to find how the amount of rainfall in a rain forest compares with the rainfall in the area. n Students will find the world’s rain forests on a world map. n Students will use the web to find the products that come from the rain forests. n Students will use the web to transfer the classroom into a rain forest. n Students will watch the video entitled “Rainforest for Children” video series. n Students will read books about rain forests.