Social Studies Strands (for a 6th grade study of World Cultures) by Donna Martin Kara Bredemeyer

Social Studies Strands for ED 608 The following presentation consists of activity ideas and websites relating to each of the seven Social Studies Strands for the State of Ohio. The activities and websites that we have chosen are appropriate for sixth grade students. THEME: World Cultures

TABLE OF CONTENTS Descriptions, Activities, and Websites for: STRAND I: American Heritage STRAND II: People in Societies STRAND III: World Interactions STRAND IV: Decision Making & Resources STRAND V: Democratic Processes STRAND VI: Citizenship Rights & Responsibilities STRAND VII: Science, Technology, and Society

American Heritage This strand focuses on the following:  Identifying significant individuals from different regions  Group significant individuals into historical eras  Analyze cause and effect relationships within different cultures

Activities: Create a timeline of the significant events of the Renaissance. Compile a report on Harriet Tubman and analyze her impact people then and now. Create a collage of Beethoven’s influence on society.

Activities (Cont’d): Write a letter to a relative in America as if you were in Ireland during the Great Potato Famine. Constrict a multi-tiered timeline of the kings of England during the Medieval period.

Websites: Renaissance Faire Beethoven Harriet Tubman

Websites (Cont’d): Great Potato Famine Medieval Kings of England

People In Societies This strand focuses on the following:  The role of women in society throughout the world  The differences in world religions  The organization of societies including economics and class structures

Activities: Create a chart to compare the role of Harriet Tubman and Mother Teresa. Prepare a report of the Caste System of India. Chart natural resources on a map of the Middle East.

Activities (Cont’d): Prepare a chart on similarities and differences between Christianity & Islam. Act out a wedding custom from another country.

Websites: Tribute to Mother Teresa Caste System in Hindu

Websites (Cont’d): Middle East Virtual Library The History of Islam Wedding Details – Worldwide Traditions s/ s/ cfm

World Interactions This strand focuses on the following:  Utilizing map skills  Interpreting and analyzing charts, maps, and graphs  Examining the spread of major philosophies and religious ideas

Activities: Students will design a map of their neighborhood. Students will map the time zones around the world. Students will trace the migration of the U.S. population during the Gold Rush.

Activities (Cont’d): Students will create a new idea and map and explain how your idea will spread through your own culture and other cultures. Students will prepare a report analyzing the spread of Buddhism.

Websites: Exploring Maps s. s. html World Time Server Gold Rush Fever! gold.html

Websites (Cont’d): Cultural Diffusion Buddhism History

Decision Making and Resources This strand focuses on the following:  Exploring the issues of resource distribution  Relating issues of resources distribution to international trade  Examining what occurs when two or more regions or nations specialize and trade goods and services to satisfy their wants

Activities: Students will list the imports and exports of France. Students will learn the idea of trade by completing puzzles that are missing pieces. Students will classify the resources of China as natural or produced.

Activities (Cont’d): Students will list the goods that the United States must import. Students will list the chief exports of the United States.

Websites: France Exports, Imports, and Economics China – China Dimensions Imports and Exports U.S. Imports and Exports Trade Information Center

Democratic Processes This strand focuses on the following:  Distinguishing among the characteristics and priorities of monarchies, democracies and dictatorships  Discussing how policies and actions of government can promote the common good

Activities: Students will create Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the characteristics of monarchies, democracies and dictatorships. Students will choose a Jacob Riis photograph from the internet to use as the basis for a student-authored story in which one of FDR’s public works programs improves the life of one of Riis’s subjects. Students will hold a debate on whether or not Britain is a true monarchy.

Activities (cont’d): Students will compare the United States with another constitutional government in the world. Students will create their own newspapers illustrating the type of printed press one would find in a 1) democracy, 2) monarchy, and 3) dictatorship.

Websites: Jacob Riis Exhibit Government of the United Kingdom House of Windsor Constitutional Monarchies Cuba’s official Newspaper - Granma

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities This strand focuses on the following:  Citizen participation around the world  Acquiring, interpreting and analyzing information regarding civic issues  Identifying ways to resolve conflicts based on principles of fairness and justice  Alternative routes for attaining civic goals  Voluntary and community services

Activities (cont’d): Student groups will research issues in an up- coming election and will present oral reports on the pros and cons of their respective issue. The class will officially vote on the issues through the Kids Voting Ohio project. Students will create a bar graph illustrating the voting turnout in the U.S. and five other countries on the occasions of their most recent national elections.

Activities (cont’d): Students will create a multi-tiered timeline which compares the history (last 100 years) of voting rights for women in the U.S., Afghanistan, Switzerland, and South Africa. Students will brainstorm ideas for resolving classroom conflicts. They will live by their own rules for a minimum of 2 weeks after which, the class can revisit the subject and make changes l l l l l l l l l 2001

Activities (cont’d): Students will draw a comparison chart of military responsibilities for males and females in the U.S., Israel, Germany and Russia. Students will volunteer 2 hours a week in the school - for 6 weeks - to help keep the library shelves clean and in order, to pick up trash on the school grounds, or to assist with younger or disabled students.

Websites (cont’d): Project Vote Smart (facts & figures) League of Women Voters (issues) Election Day voting for students Kids Guide to U.S. government Women’s Suffrage html

Science, Technology and Society This strand focuses on the following:  Scientific and technological advances and their influences on the cultural makeup of the world.  World and local history as it is affected by scientific and technological innovations.

Activities: Students will take a class trip to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio to tour Progress Ally. Students will make a collage of major scientific and technological advances from various cultures throughout world history. Students will research Sputnik’s affect on internal and foreign American policies of the late 1950’s and 1960’s.

Activities (cont’d): Students will write skits comparing the delivery of mail by horse, rail, fax and modem to show how communication technology reduces the barriers of space and time. Students will read current newspapers to establish how modern science and technological advancements affect the level of power one country can have over another.

Websites: JFK Library Sputnik begins space race sputnik/ Center of Science and Industry Pony Express xp1. htm xp1. htm

Websites (cont’d): Impact of Railroad Expansion in late 1800’s

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