Amanda Cox Spring 2000 Designed for Third Grade Students

I hope to provide evidence for each of the six strands of the ODE SS model. With the material described on this presentation, I hope to provide my students with quality educational resources. Students will learn the history of the Native Americans, the First Thanksgiving, and the westward travels of the pioneers. They will become familiar with their roles in society. Students will develop an awareness of the world around them. They will learn about the fate of valuable natural resources. They will grasp the concept of a democracy. Students will become aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of their community and their country.

Activities After learning history of Native Americans, create a totem pole as a class. Carvings on totem poles tell about the people who made them. Characters and images on the pole will represent the students, the teacher, and the school. Re-create the First Thanksgiving as a class. Each student has the role of either a Native American or a Pilgrim. Bring an offering similar to what was offered long ago. Enjoy a feast to celebrate peace despite differences.

Activities As a class, create a mock trading center modeled after those that the pioneers traveled through. Practice the “buying and selling” of goods. Compete in an “Oregon Trail” tournament using the educational game on CD ROM.

Compare and contrast useful items of today with those in the time of the pioneers. Complete a chart describing whether items such as covered wagons, schools, milk in cartons, and candles made from animal fat are used today, were used long ago, or are used both today and long ago. Activities

Web Sites edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec

Activities Complete a chart showing who provides three of your basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter. Place different occupations under each column such as: farmer, shoemaker, and carpenter. Take a field trip to a unique landmark in your community. While on location, learn the history of this landmark.

Activities In a group of four of five students,use your map skills to create a map of your community on a large sheet of bulletin board paper. Listen to a guest speaker from the community talk about his or her role as a member of society.

Write a short paper after learning about different types of transportation. Write which type of transportation you would prefer to use when traveling to a far away destination. Support your choice with valid reasons. Activities

Web Sites

Activities Develop group projects on one of five countries. Cover the aspects of food, resources, landmarks, and location on the globe. Compare life in Ancient Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world, to life in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S. Compete in a team tournament of “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” using the CD ROM.

Take a field trip to an automobile manufacturer. Learn how its parts are made in other countries and are imported to the U.S. In groups, report on the history of the Statue of Liberty and how we acquired it from France. Activities

Web Sites

Activities Take a field trip to a wheat farm and learn how bread is made. Learn the many steps of the process, from the harvesting of wheat to the shipping of bread to the grocery store. Create illustrations showing how natural resources such as coal, iron, oil, and wood are used.

Activities On a map of the U.S., students label which crops should be farmed in certain areas based on climate. Create a “Danger” sign about the pollution of your choice.

Design the cover page of a newspaper describing the depletion of the natural resource of your choice. Include facts and an editorial column stating your opinion on how to stop or slow down the process of depletion. Activities

Web Sites

Activities Using a community government as a model, create a class democracy. Include council members, a mayor, and citizens. Positions are to be chosen through an election. Write a letter to the mayor with comments or concerns you have about something in the community. Create a mock petition for something in the school you wish to see changed or ratified.

Activities Learn about the election process by voting for a new class mayor and new class council members each week. Take a field trip to the county courthouse and learn how things are run.

Web Sites

Activities Create your own individual set of class rules. An alternative set of class rules will be made using one rule from each student’s list. Create a sign (think of a traffic sign) illustrating a law that is important to you. On a poster, create your own punishments for breaking certain laws.

Activities Take a field trip and act as volunteers for a day somewhere help is needed in your community. Bring in candy to trade with one another, charging a “tax” for each “purchase”.

Web Sites

This project was helpful to me in many ways. I am now confident in producing a Power Point presentation. I was also able to put my creativity to use when creating activities that met the criteria of the ODE SS model. Furthermore, I was once again reminded that the internet is a valuable resource for those of us in education.