Time Frame

Big Idea or
Essential
Question

Content

Weeks 1-2

Weeks 3-4

What is the geography?

Identity - where I come from, what Where do people live? Why do
is my community
they live there?
Where do I live?
Students will understand that:
- their community is special and
unique by studying some of its
characteristics.
- all individuals belong to one or
more cultures, including
themselves.
- they are members of various
world communities.
- their community has changed
over time and will continue to
change.
- their community plays a role of
influencing the culture of the city
as a whole.
- they themselves contribute to
their own neighborhood cultures,
and the ways in which they do so.
Geographic Skills:
- ask geographic questions about
where places are located and why
they are located there, using
geographic representations, such
as maps and models
- using Google maps

Students will understand that:

- people of similar and different
cultural groups often live together
in world communities.
- world communities are situated
in space (geographically using
maps and globes)
- human needs and wants differ
from place to place.
- human needs and wants differ
from place to place
- natural resources differ by
location and are used differently

Weeks 5-6
How do communities change
over time?
Students will understand that:
- community is located in time
- people in world communities
may have different interpretations
and perspectives about important
issues and historic events.
- their community has changed
over time and will continue to
change.
- individuals can gain meaning
from historical documents
(speeches, written texts, and
other artifacts) that can be
applied to problem solving in
todays world.

Geographic Skills:
Geographic Skills:
- what latitude and longitude
- Describe how the environment
mean and how they are used
of a world community affects the
- how to identify various
human activities in that
landforms and geographic
community
features that influence community - Describe how human activities
development
alter places and regions
Geographic
- distinguish human activities
- Recognize continuity and
Skills
and human-made features from change over periods of time
"environment"
- Recognize and identify patterns
- Describe how the environment of continuity and change in world
of a world community affects the communities
human activities in that
community
- Describe how human activities
alter places and regions
Research Skills:
Reseach Skills:
Research Skills:
- develop questions about a world - develop questions about a
- develop questions about a
community
world community
world community
- recognize different forms of
- recognize different forms of
- recognize different forms of
evidence used to make meaning evidence used to make meaning evidence used to make meaning
in social studies (specifically
in social studies (specifically,
in social studies (specifically
nonfiction texts, primary and
maps and graphs)
photographs)
secondary sources)
- Ask and answer questions to
- describe a historical event in a
- Use information gained from
demonstrate the understanding of world community
illustrations (i.e. maps and
a text, referring explicitly to the
- describe a historical
photographs) and the words in a text as the basis for the answers development in a world
text to demonstrate understanding - Determine the main idea of a
community, using specific details,
Research Skills of a text
text, recount the key details and including time and place
explain how they support the
- Use text features to locate
main idea
information related to a given
- work collaboratively with others topic efficiently
to achieve a goal (project,
- work collaboratively with others
research, etc.)
to achieve a goal (project,
research, etc.)

Weeks 7-8
What binds a community
together?
What is culture?
Students will understand that:
- the development of beliefs,
customs, and traditions in world
communities is influenced by
social, environmental and
geographic factors
- Students will understand that
individuals can gain meaning from
a variety of mediums (art, music,
food, theater, dance, clothing,
holidays)

Weeks 9-10

Weeks 11-12

What is the culture?

What do these communities have How do communities
in common?
communicate and co-exist?

Week 13
Application
Project Wrap-Up
Presentation

Students will understand that:

- societal norms vary based on the
culture and values of a
community.
- world communities have social,
political, economic, and cultural
similarities.

-bullying
-safety practices

Geographic Skills:
-identify a world region by
describing a characteristic that
places within it have in common
-ask geographic questions about
where places are located and why
they are located there

Geographic Skills:
-identify a world region by
describing a characteristic that
places within it have in common
-identify multiple perspectives by
comparing and contrasting points
of view in differing world
communities

Geographic Skills:
Geographic Skills:
-identify multiple perspectives by -application of all skills
comparing and contrasting points
of view in differing world
communities

Research Skills:
- develop questions about a
world community
- recognize different forms of
evidence used to make meaning
in social studies (specifically art
and artifacts)
- Compare and contrast the most
important points and key details
presented in two texts on the
same topic
- work collaboratively with others
to achieve a goal (project,
research, etc.)

Research Skills:
- develop questions about a world
community
- recognize different forms of
evidence used to make meaning
in social studies (specifically oral
histories)
- identify and explain creation
and/or authorship, purpose, and
format of evidence; where
appropriate, identify point of view
- identify arguments of others
- create an understanding of the
past by using primary and
secondary sources
- describe a historical
development in a world
community, using specific details,
including time and place
- work collaboratively with others
to achieve a goal (project,
research, etc.)

Research Skills:
- develop questions about a world
community
- use different forms of evidence
used to make meaning in social
studies (including primary and
secondary sources, art,
photographs, artifacts, oral
histories, maps, and graphs)
- identify and explain creation
and/or authorship, purpose, and
format of evidence; where
appropriate, identify point of view
- identify arguments of others
- identify inferences
- create and understanding of the
past by using primary and
secondary sources
- describe a historical
development in a world
community, using specific details,
including time and place
- work collaboratively with others
to achieve a goal (project,
research, etc.)

Students will understand that:

- openness to new ideas and
practices may contribute to an
increased understanding and
sense of community among
individuals.
- people in different world
communities face different
situations, realities, and issues
which impact the way they
experience global events.
- world communities have social,
political, economic, and cultural
differences.

Research Skills:
- Organization, production,
planning
- Peer assessment
- work collaboratively with others
to achieve a goal (project,
research, etc)

Art Skills:

Art Skills

Art Skills:
Art Skills:
- Demonstrate appropriate
audience behavior
- Experiment and create art
works, in a variety of mediums
(drawing, painting, sculpture,
ceramics, printmaking, video, and
computer graphics), based on a
range of individual and collective
experiences
- Develop their own ideas and
images through the exploration
and creation of art works based
on themes, symbols, and events
- Understand and use the
elements and principles of art
(line, color, texture, shape) in
order to communicate their ideas
- Identify and use, in individual
and group experiences, some of
the roles and means for
designing, producing, and
exhibiting art works

Art Skills
Art Skills:
-Demonstrate appropriate
audience behavior
-Be able to indentify and explain
elements in art (form, texture,
color, movment, sounds, timbre,
shape, etc)
-Identify elements of art from
different cultural backgrounds and
understand the historical and
geographical influences that
shaped that art.
-Identify various venues to see art
and performances

Art Skills:
Art Skills:
-Demonstrate appropriate
-Demonstrate appropriate
audience behavior
audience behavior
-Be able to indentify and explain -Be able to indentify and explain
elements in art (form, texture,
elements in art (form, texture,
color, movment, sounds, timbre, color, movment, sounds, timbre,
shape, etc)
shape, etc)
-Experiment and create art works, -Identify elements of art from
in a variety of mediums (drawing, different cultural backgrounds
painting, sculpture, ceramics,
and understand the historical and
printmaking, video, and computer geographical influences that
graphics), based on a range of
shaped that art
individual and collective
-Identify various venues to see
experiences
art and performances
-Develop their own ideas and
images through the exploration
Dance
and creation of art works based on -Identify and demonstrate
themes, symbols, and events
movement elements and skills
-Understand and use the elements (such as bend, twist, slide, skip,
and principles of art (line, color,
hop)
texture, shape) in order to
-Demonstrate ways of moving in
communicate their ideas
relation to people, objects, and
-Identify and use, in individual and environments in set dance forms
group experiences, some of the
roles and means for designing,
Music
producing, and exhibiting art
-Sing songs and play
works
instruments, maintaining tone
-Use creative drama to
quality, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and
communicate ideas and feelings dynamics; perform the music
-Use language, voice, gesture,
expressively; and sing or play
movement, and observation to
simple repeated patterns
express their experiences and
(ostinatos) with familiar songs,
communicate ideas and feelings rounds, partner songs, and
-Identify and use in individual and harmonizing parts
group experiences some of the
-Identify and use, in individual
roles, processes, and actions for and group experiences, some of
performing and creating theatre
the roles, processes, and actions
pieces and improvisational drama used in performing
Theatre
-Use creative drama to
communicate ideas and feelings
-Identify and use in individual and
group experiences some of the
roles, processes, and actions for
performing and creating theatre
pieces and improvisational drama
Visual Arts
-Experiment and create art
works, in a variety of mediums
(drawing, painting, sculpture,
ceramics, printmaking, video, and
computer graphics), based on a
range of individual and collective
experiences
-Develop their own ideas and
images through the exploration
and creation of art works based
on themes, symbols, and events
-Understand and use the
elements and principles of art
(line, color, texture, shape) in
order to communicate their ideas
-Identify and use, in individual
and group experiences, some of
the roles and means for
designing, producing, and
exhibiting art works

- Students work well

independently, but ask for help
when they need it
- Students care about the quality
of their work and put in extra effort
to do things well
- Students listen to and
incorporate feedback and ideas
from others

- Students enjoy and seek out

learning on their own and with
others
- Students collaborate with
others to complete tasks and
solve problems
successfully
- Students participate in a team
to plan problem-solving steps and
identify
resources necessary to meet
group goals.
- Students communicate and
incorporate multiple points of
view to meet group
goals.

- 'Me on the Map' book and

written response
- Creating a Community Symbol
- Venn diagrams (compare and
contrast types of maps)
- Mapping My Community
- Neighborhood walk
- Highlighting nonfiction text
- Non-fiction read alouds

- Writing captions for images

- Learning about different
landforms
- Creating the legend of a map
- Mapping different geographic
features of selected parts of the
world, and mapping the
community locations

Deeper
Learning
Competencies

Learning
Experiences

Assessment
Options Reading
Assessment
Options Writing
Assessment
Options Speaking
/Listening
Assessment
Options - Social
Studies
Practices

- Students enjoy and seek out

learning on their own and with
others
- Students collaborate with others
to complete tasks and solve
problems
successfully
- Students participate in a team
to plan problem-solving steps and
identify
resources necessary to meet
group goals.
- Students communicate and
incorporate multiple points of view
to meet group
goals.

- Students enjoy and seek out

learning on their own and with
others
- Students collaborate with others
to complete tasks and solve
problems
successfully
- Students participate in a team to
plan problem-solving steps and
identify
resources necessary to meet
group goals.
- Students communicate and
incorporate multiple points of view
to meet group
goals.
- Students communicate complex
concepts to others in both written
and oral presentations

- Class blog about global

- parent visits or teachers
- Literature circles start (read NF
communities research/ Google
- Make a web of their community books on various global
Classroom/ Wikispaces (space
(popplet?)
communities)
for students to share resources,
- Thinkmarks for NF texts
successes/challenges as they go
about the process)
- Library visit
- Creating a timeline of a
community
-

- Reading informational text

about why cities/towns sprung up
near bodies of water; highlighting
main idea and 2-3 key details

- Public Service Announcement

- Literature circles continue

- quiz on elements of a nonfiction Compare and contrast fact vs.

text (i.e. index, table of contents, opinion pieces on the same topic
glossary) [end of this period]
-nonfiction assessment:
synthesize timeline into a
nonfiction narrative

-oral explanation of community

symbol and peer discussion
quiz on map elements
Timeline
quiz on landforms
- Creating a salt-dough map of a
continent or region with large
cities marked

- Informal Writing prompt about

Cultural Showcases (compare
and contrast)
Cultural Showcase - present a
cultural artifact
Cultural Showcase - present a
cultural artifact

Thinkmarks ask for students to

respond to compare/contrast the
communities they read about in
the literature circles

- Students enjoy and seek out

learning on their own and with
others
- Students collaborate with
others to complete tasks and
solve problems successfully
- Students participate in a team
to plan problem-solving steps and
identify resources necessary to
meet group goals.
- Students communicate and
incorporate multiple points of
view to meet group goals.
- Students tailor their message
for the intended audience.
- Students communicate
complex concepts to others in
both written and oral
presentations.
- Students provide constructive
and appropriate feedback to their
peers
- Students listen to and
incorporate feedback and ideas
from others.
- Students learn, remember, and
recall facts relevant to a content
area.
- Peer Assessment
- Literature circles continue

-summative assessment
presentation
Write the script of PSA

Summative nonfiction writing on

global community

Present PSA

Present Global Community to

audience (first peers, then
community members)

PSA content