1st+Grade+Unit+Plan+-+Citizenship


 * Unit Topic:** Good Citizenship

**Summary Description of Unit:** The focus of this unit is government, leaders, and being good citizens and neighbors. Students are guided to learn about and/or understand:

 * People have responsibilities or duties.
 * The United States government makes laws that citizens must follow.
 * The roles of the modern-day mayors, governors, and the President of the United States.
 * Past Presidents.
 * Elections and the election process.
 * Character traits of a hero and background information.
 * important United States symbols and why they stand for our country.

**Content Standards:**

 * HSS 1.1 Students describe the rights and individual responsibilities of citizens.**
 * 1.1.1 Understand the rule-making process in a direct democracy (everyone votes on the rules) and in a representative democracy (an elected group people make the rules), giving examples of both systems in their classroom, school and community.
 * 1.1.2 Understand the elements of fair play and good sportsmanship, respect for the rights and opinions of others, and respect for the rules by which we live, including the meaning of the Golden Rule.”


 * HSS 1.3 Students know and understand the symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States that provide continuity and a sense of community across time.**
 * 1.3.1 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing songs that express American ideals (e.g., “America”).
 * 1.3.2 Understand the significance of our national holidays and the heroism and achiecement of the people associated with them.
 * 1.3.3 Identify American symbols, landmarks, and essential documents, such as the flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, U.S. Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, and how the people and events associated with them.


 * HSS 1.4 Students compare and contrast everyday life in different times and places around the world and recognize that some aspects of people, places, and things change over time while others stay the same.**
 * 1.4.3 Recognize similarities and differences of earlier generations in such areas as work (inside and outside the home), dress, manners, stories, games, and festivals, drawing from biographies, oral histories, and folklore.
 * 1.5.3 Compare the beliefs, customs, ceremonies, traditions, and social practices of the varied cultures, drawing folklore.


 * What Eduring Understanding are Desired and What Misunderstaning will be Addressed?**
 * Effective communities have rules and those rules are developed in rule-making democracy.
 * Effective governance of rules requires responsible participation from diverse individuals who understand the elements of rules, respects the rights and opinions of others.
 * Effective communities know and understand the relationship between America and its symbols, icons, and traditions.

**What Essential Questions will Guide this Unit and Focus Teaching/Learning:**

 * 1) What do good citizens do? What are the rights and responsibility of a citizen?
 * 2) What is a law? Why do communities need laws?
 * 3) Who makes the laws in a community? How do people and the government work together to make laws?
 * 4) What work does a mayor, a governor, and the President do?
 * 5) What is an election?
 * 6) Who are some American heroes? What are their achievements? What are some character traits of heroes?
 * 7) What is the symbol of our country? (Name other important symbols) Why are the United States symbols importan

__**//Students will know://**__

 * How to explain why communities need laws.
 * Identify who makes the laws in a community.
 * Recognize some government leaders throughout history.
 * Identify the governor of your state and the President of the United States.
 * Describe the work of a mayor, a governor, and the President.
 * Name the rights and responisibilities of a citizen.
 * Explain what an election is and how the voting process works.
 * Identify American heroes and explain their achievements.
 * Identify character traits of some heroes.
 * Identify the American flag as a symbol of our country.
 * Identify and know the imortance of United States symbols.

__**//Students will be able to://**__

 * Predict, classify, draw conclusions and infer.
 * How to write about a rule and why it is important.
 * Decide if a book is fact or fiction and explain reasoning.
 * Have and run a local class election.
 * Identify their rights and responsibilities as citizens now.

**Performance Tasks*:**
Task 1: Part 1) Classroom Laws Project; Part 2) Classroom Law Election

Task 2: Part 1) If I were the President, I would… (Silhouette of President); 2) Hero Presentation

Task 3: Symbols of our Country (Flip Book)

**Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work samples, etc.):**

 * Collaborative group Poster of Purposed Laws (minimum of five)
 * George Washington Silhouette (Descriptor of what they will do for the people of the United States and why).
 * Students participate in the election progress by voting to determine the classroom laws.
 * Group Hero Presentation/Dramatization
 * Student create flip book with US symbols and descriptors.

**Student Self-Assessment:**
Student will maintain individual portfolio’s containing student notes, graphs, charts; works samples, etc., and take a part in self-assessing their work. Students will benefit from the use of individual portfolios by enhancing their.

Students critical thinking skills will result in the need for them to:
 * Develop their own judgment for performance expectations
 * Use this criteria to evaluate their work
 * Engage in self-reflection about their progress
 * Students will be able to observe their personal growth overtime
 * With this observation they will have better attitudes toward their work
 * They will share the responsibility for setting their own learning goals and for evaluating progress towards meeting those goals
 * They are more likely think of themselves as active learners

In addtion, the use of student portfolios will facilitate cooperative learning for cooperative learning groups, peer evaluation and peer conferences. It will also enable the teacher to measure multiple aspects of student progress by including different types of data and materials in their overall evaluation of student performance. By measuring student performance based on genuine samples of student work. Thus, providing flexibility in measuring how student accomplish their learning goals.

__**Performance Task Blueprint 1:**__

 * Task Title:** Classroom Laws Project and Classroom Election


 * Approximate time frame:** 3.5 hrs. over the course of 5 days.

**What desired understandings/content standards will be assessed through this task?**

 * Social Studies Standards**
 * 1.1** **Students describe the rights and individual responsibilities of citizens.**
 * 1.1.1 Understand the rule-making process in a direct democracy (every on the rules) and in a represented democracy (an elected group of people make the rules), giving examples of both systems in their classroom, school and community.
 * 1.1.2 Understanding the elements of fair play and good sportsmanship, respect for the rights and opinions of others, and respect for the rules by which we live, including the meaning of the “Golden Rule”.

**Language Arts Standards ~ Listening and Speaking**
====**1.0 Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, modulation.**====
 * Comprehension**
 * 1.1 Listen Attentively
 * 1.2 Ask questions for clarification and understanding
 * 1.4 Stay on the topic when speaking

**Language Arts Standards ~ Writing**
====**1.0 Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students’ progress through the stages of the writing process**====
 * Organization and Focus**
 * 1.1 Select a focus when writing
 * 1.2 Use descriptive words when writing

**What criteria are implied in the standard(s)/understanding(s) //regardless// of the task specifics?**

 * Students will understand and explain what a law is, why communities need laws, and who makes the laws.
 * Students will understand that they need to treat and respect others the way they would like to be respected and treated.
 * Students will explain some of the rights and responsibilities that citizens have.
 * Students will understand and apply the full election process.

**Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?**

 * //Task Overview (include G.R.A.S.P.S. – goal, role, audience, scenario, purpose, and standards)://**

1) Students synthesize and construct workable classroom laws in a group format. 2) Students will present their proposals to group via a constructed poster and oral presentation. 3) Students will fully participate in the voting process to select their classroom laws.
 * Goal:**
 * They will do this by collaborative and constructing a well-organized poster identifying the laws they are purposing for their classroom environment.

**What student products/performances will provide evidence of desired understands?**

 * Students will be evaluated via two rubrics with identified criteria.

**Social Studies Standards**

 * 1.1** **Students describe the rights and individual responsibilities of citizens.**
 * 1.1.1 Understand the rule-making process in a direct democracy (every on the rules) and in a represented democracy (an elected group of people make the rules), giving examples of both systems in their classroom, school and community.
 * 1.3.3 Identify American symbols, landmarks, and essential documents, such as the flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, U.S. Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, and know the people and events associated with them.
 * 1.3.2 Understand the significance of our national holidays and the heroism and achievements of the people associated with them.
 * 1.5.2 Understand the ways in which American Indians and immigrants have helped define California and American culture.

**Language Arts Standards ~ Listening and Speaking**

 * 1.0 Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, modulation.**


 * Comprehension**
 * 1.1 Listen Attentively
 * 1.2 Ask questions for clarification and understanding


 * Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication**
 * 1.4 Stay on the topic when speaking
 * 1.5 Use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things, and events

**Language Arts Standards ~ Writing**

 * 1.0 Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students’ progress through the stages of the writing process.**


 * Organization and Focus**
 * 1.1 Select a focus when writing
 * 1.2 Use descriptive words when writing

**What criteria are implied in the standard(s)/understanding(s) //regardless// of the task specifics?**

 * Students will recognize some government leaders throughout history.
 * Students will identify the governor of California and the President of the United States.
 * Students will describe the work of a mayor, a governor, and the President.
 * Students will identify American heroes and explain their achievements and character traits.


 * //Task Overview (include G.R.A.S.P.S. – goal, role, audience, scenario, purpose, and standards)://**


 * Goal:**

1) Students will be provided with the following prompt: “If I were the president, I would ___.” They will then construct a well-organized and descriptive paragraph of what they would do as President of the United States and why.


 * They will independently work on this, and neatly write it onto a silhouette of George

Washington.

2) Students will be placed in groups of five, and each group will be given pictures with descriptors of an American hero (group formation and designated American heroes will be predetermined by the teacher based on prior knowledge of students interests).


 * Each group will collaborate on working together to conduct research about their American hero. They must first decide what type of information they are going to research. They must go through the decision process, determining which group member is in charge of what information.

3) Students will then prepare a group presentation. The elements of this presentation will include:

a) What their hero has done b) Why he/she inspired them c) What their hero did before becoming an American hero (what was this individual like as an ordinary person) d) Who is a modern day hero in their daily lives (i.e. parent, teacher, doctor, fireman, police officer, coach, etc.)


 * They will choose someone who has done something courageous or out of the ordinary, in order to help people they know of, or even possible a stranger.

4) Students will now present their group presentations to the entire class. They will be in costumes (provided by the teacher). In the attempt of dramatizing it, the students will act out/perform their American hero presentations.


 * Students will be evaluated via two rubrics with identified criterion.

**What desired understandings/content standards will be assessed through this task.**

 * Social Studies Standards**
 * 1.3 Students know and understand the symbols, icons, and traditions of the United States that provide continuity and a sense of community across time.
 * 1.3.3 Identify American symbols, landmarks, and essential documents, such as the flag, bald eagle, U.S. Constitution, and Declaration of Independence, and know the people and events associated with them.

**Language Arts- Listening and Speaking Strategies**
1.0 Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, and modulation.

//Comprehension//

 * 1.1 Listen Attentively
 * 1.2 Ask questions for clarification and understanding//Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication//
 * 1.5 Use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things, and events.

** Visual and Performing Arts **
Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original works of art.
 * 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION **
 * 2.8 Create artwork based on observations of actual objects and everyday scenes.

**What criteria are implied in the standard(s)/understanding(s) //regardless// of the task specifics?**

 * Students will be able to identify the different symbols or the United States and theirmeanings.
 * Students will understand the significance of these symbols and how they helprepresent our current country.
 * Students will understand who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and thethe significance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to our current country.

**Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?**

 * Students create and replicate the critical symbols and icons for America in a flipbookand synthesize their meanings in such book.
 * Students will then have to present these flipbooks, in their own words, demonstratingthey understand these and their significances, with a focus towards demonstrating they understand the general history of them as well as what they mean to our current country.

**Goal:**
Students will create and explain such flipbooks, demonstrating the above understandings, resulting in them understanding the meaning of these important icons and symbols, their importance to our American culture.

**What student products/performances will provide evidence of desired understandings?**
Students will be evaluated based on their flipbooks and their verbal explanations of what each symbol means.

**What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understandings?**

 * Consider the W.H.E.R.E. elements, from the //student’s// perspective.**
 * Introducing the video, //We All Contribute and Make a Difference// to introduce students on the contributions members of families, schools, and communities who volunteer make to make these places run smoothly. Students will have the opportunity to activate prior knowledge, make connections, infer, etc.(W.H.E.R.)
 * Introduce the song, //The Star Spangled Banner.// to This will provide them with an opportunity to hear the national anthem of the United States and learn about its significance. They will have the opportunity to hear about why Francis Scott Key wrote the song after witnessing the Battle of Fort McHenry of 1812. They will learn about how he The students will have several of opportunities to rehearse and practice singing //The Star Spangled Banner// before they perform it on the last day of our Unit Celebration. (W.H.E.R.)
 * Teacher read-aloud will be used to activate prior knowledge and stimulate curiosity in the unit. The books read will cover an array of genres (narratives, informational text, picture anthologies, etc.). Students will have the opportunity to talk about personal experiences and make connections with the content. Each book will connect to a specific area of citizenship. (W.H.E)
 * Guided reading will be used to further facilitate students. The books read will cover an array of genres (narratives, informational text, picture anthologies, etc.). While reading, students will hear and use proper intonation, pacing, and pronunciation as they read and build their knowledge of the content. Each book will connect to a specific area of citizenships and focus on specific characteristics of citizens, past and present government officials and heroes, and symbols of the United States that we will be talking about and writing about. (W.H.E)
 * Symbol’s activity will helps students gain hands on experience of research information related to the symbol and replicating the symbol using various art media. (W.H.E.)
 * Writing Activity provide students with an opportunity to articulate what they have learned in written form. Students will use appropriate penmanship, grammar, and concepts of print while writing. Some of the writing activities will be in the form of flip books, postcards, short journal entries, posters, etc. The writing will be complied so that students may review information, present information, dramatize information, etc. within the class. (W.H.E.R.E)
 * Teacher lead discussions will provide students with the opportunity to activate prior knowledge and stimulate curiosity. It will encourage students to actively engage in their learning and challenge themselves to learn more throughout the week. The teacher will ask a variety of questions: open-ended, leading questions, closed-questions, etc., and will guide students through book readings, writing, discussions, and other in class activities. (W.H.R.E)

> Have them create a flag for their own native country, to be done or completed at home,as a home assignment, on preferably poster board, with their parents, with an explanationof what their native country’s flag means. If they are born of parents of foreign descentor with strong cultural ties with another background, even if the children were born here,they should do this representing their native culture. For U.S. born citizens and nativespeakers, they can draw and describe the United States’ flag, or one of earlier descent from their ancestry (h.)
 * Introduce students to the essential questions and explain how the final flipbook activity will demonstrate their final understandings. This is the (w.)
 * Introduce a video of the United State’s symbols to orient them to the part of the unitwe’ll be covering. It will also stimulate their minds, get them interested as to what willbe next. [|United States Symbols]. This is the beginning of the to get them interestedand begin being interested in the main section idea (w.e.)
 * Vocabulary—Ask the class if they know what a symbol is. Also ask them about the wordhonor. Discuss these words with them interactively, put the words with their definitions on the board, and have them copy in their journals. By going over the wordsat this point, they can relate these words to their prior knowledge and experiences and give themselves a reference point to fully understanding these terms (h.e.)
 * Now that they understand the term symbol, minimally, create a KWL chart, for American symbols and documents. This is very important since at this grade level, Ianticipate a lot or more of the symbols will be new for a lot. We do want to begin this part of the lesson, though, by accessing prior knowledge, stimulating curiosity by having them originates what they want to discover. In this way, we discover the correctpedagogy entry point by having them relate this topic to their prior knowledge (h.)
 * Read together, as a class, the text//.// This a vital part of the “h” element.
 * Go into a discussion of these symbols, to insure they have a good feeling of whatis meant now by symbols and landmarks (h.)
 * Have students look at a map that includes major cities and landmarks. Have them,with assistance as necessary, locate New York City, where Liberty Island and theStatue of Liberty is, and Philadelphia and where liberty bell is. This is a locationtool, to help solidly orient them, to give them a where (e.)
 * At this point, have them begin constructing their flipbooks, so they can model forthemselves how to make one element of their book, while the information is freshin their minds. We will have them research the internet for pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell and cut those out and paste them. We will also assist them to find brief descriptor of them on the internet, to spur some research. Each group will be at one computer at a time. Consequently, this will incorporate visual, auditory (listening)and kinesthetic elements and will get them to synthesize (in a brief form) the actual|meaning of the symbols just covered, from their actual recent internet research. They’re in heterogeneous groups of four by this point, so people can help each other and ask questions, even though each will make his/her own flip book. Heterogeneous is particularly important in this unit section, as we have to insure ELs have as much support as possible in terms of having all the input comprehensible. Of course, in this exercise, like any other, there is absolutely no reason all learners will end up with having obtained the full //content// objectives, as it is very obtainable (h.e.).
 * Next, a short video of the flag will be presented. It is just over one minute long, butgives a fairly complete and good overview of it. [|U.S. Flag Video]. Pursuant to childrenwatching this video, they will group discuss it, getting clear on its meaning for themselves. Each person in group will get a chance to share to insure each has synthesized the information for him/herself (h.e.).
 * Each group member will now draw the United State’s flag in his/her flipbook, witheach including a brief description of what the starts and strips each represent (e.r.e.)
 * At this point, we’re going to have the students begin group independent research,going to computers for example, and researching together in groups, the remainderof the symbols. This will elicit their independent research and autonomy in discovery.This will be done for the remainder of symbols and landmarks (r.e.)
 * The final product will be completed flip books, with drawn or pasted pictures withaccompanying descriptors, and each child able to explain his/her own flipbook (r.e.)
 * In addition, children will self-evaluate work, with teacher as final overview, reflect,analyze grammar and handwriting, and reflect on any way they may go about adaptingit if they were to redo it (r.e.)
 * Students would also recommend any potential follow activities, to extend their thinking into making this unit connect futuristically, thus enhancing their long-term retention through this synthesizing process (r.e.)

**In what ways will technology be used that will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understandings?**
The technology incorporated into this unit will be implemented in the following ways: web links, internet searches, SmartBoard, audio and video clips.

**CD-ROM Resources**

 * Audio Student’s Books with Primary Sources and Songs MP3 CD-ROM
 * Lesson Planner/Teacher Resources
 * Test Generator: Assessment you can customize
 * GeoNet: Geography Games

**Video Resources**

 * Video: //We All Contribute and Make a Difference//
 * Video: //Community Rules and Laws// (Media Basics)
 * Video: //Martin’s Big Words// (Weston Woods)
 * Video: //American Symbols Movie//
 * Video: //American Minute “History of the American Flag”//

The Library of Congress web link includes a feature that allows you to ask questions to a Library of Congress librarian.
 * Web Link Resources**
 * Web Link: [|www.eduplac.com/ss1]
 * E-Books: Student and Teacher Edition includes Audio Support, Printable Resources, and Interactive Maps
 * Online Support:
 * Unit Biographies: Mohandas Gandhi; Daniel Inouye; Sandra Day O’Connor
 * Primary Sources
 * Writing Support
 * Weekly Reader Current Events Articles: Heroes In The News
 * Teacher Downloads
 * Lesson Summaries
 * Graphic Organizers
 * Bibliographies
 * HandbooksEtc.
 * Web Link: [|www.ioc.gov]
 * Flip Book: Letting them do internet research as a group, each individual heterogeneous group of four to find pictures to cut and paste for their flipbooks as well as relevant information. Consequently, this section is for both discovering information as well as help them demonstrate their final understandings, in the construction of their flipbooks.

**What parental/family involvement activities will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understandings?**
Parental/family involvement will support student learning and their ability to demonstrate the desired understanding through home to school—community connections, homework, and parental/family classroom participation.


 * **School to Home—Community Connections:** 1) Students and parents/family will participate in various out of school learning opportunities that will enhance students learning. Students will be provided a variety of learning opportunities individual fieldtrips to local government offices or visits to local community heroes such as firefighter, etc., community events such as, “Clean your park day” to enhance good citizenship, etc. 2) Students and parents/family will create a poster illustrating a proposed law. The poster will describe the law, what it is needed, and who will benefit from the law. 3) Students and parents/family will be required to make the connection between their cultures native symbols and importance, to help students and families can make the connection of the importance symbols and landmarks important in the United States.


 * **Homework:** 1) Students will be assigned nightly homework assignment to enhance students learning. The homework will entail reading information text about various aspects of citizenship, past and present government officials and heroes, symbols of our country and their significance, etc. 2) Students and parents will put together a bulletin board, a poster, including their native culture’s flag and its meaning(s) to bring in and share with the class.This will really elicit their sense of pride, allow students to relate current United States knowledge to be absorbed in reference to symbols in their own culture, which will make them (the students and parents) much more receptive to valuing United States’ symbols. Moreover, this will tend to more unify the common realities between the students, families, and the school, thus harmonizing the atmosphere.


 * **Parental/family classroom participation:** Parents/family members will participate in classroom activities and classroom presentations/dramatizations.

**Good Citizens Bulletin Board:**
Being good citizens suggest that you have a great character. Character is a set of qualities, or values, that shape our thoughts, actions, reactions and feelings. People who have a strong character:
 * show compassion,
 * are honest and fair,
 * display self-discipline in setting and meeting goals,
 * make good judgments,
 * show respect to others,
 * show courage in standing up for beliefs,
 * have a strong sense of responsibility,
 * are good citizens who are concerned for their community, and
 * maintain self-respect.

To help students develop into good citizens with great character, we will utilize the Three Personal Standards: 1)Show respect, 2)Make Good Decisions, and 3)Problem Solve.

To support good citizenship and the Three Personal Standards, we will create an interactive/ working bulletin board. This bulletin board will be used as a reference and guiding force behind the characteristic of good citizenship. It’s major component will include, T-Graphs for Social Skills as design by the Guided Language Acquisition Design (strategies), student graphic organizers, and pictures of students demonstrating good citizenship.

The purpose of utilizing the T-Graphs (graphic organizer) is to help students identify good behavior, verbalize and internalize appropriate behavior, sets standards for cooperative groups and develops social skills. The T-Graph charts will focus on different social skills such as respect, making good decisions, solving problems, cooperation, responsibility, etc. which are contributing characteristics of good citizenship.

The specific social skills will be written on the T-Graph located at the top of the graphic organizer. I will draw an eye on the left hand of the T-Graph which signifies what that specific social skill looks like and an ear on the other side of the T-Graph which signifies what that specific social skill sounds like. Students will then brainstorm what behaviors you would see if someone were showing respect, making good decisions, problem solving, demonstrating cooperation, or responsibility. I would list the dictated responses on the left hand side of the chart below the eye symbol. Then, students will brainstorm a list of what specific words you would hear if a person were behaving in that manner (showing respect, making good decisions, solving problems, demonstrating cooperation or responsibility). I would list the dictated responses on the right hand side of the chart below the ear symbol.

At the completion of the T-Graph, we will read the T-Graph (Social Skills) and discuss. We will revisit the chart throughout instruction.







**About the American Symbols Bulletin Board:**
Understanding what are the key American symbols and documents are (with the history behind them) gives a child a sense of belonging and understanding within the American culture. It allows them to: To help students develop the role these symbols play in understanding and defining key values in our current democratic culture, we will:
 * Appreciate important aspects of the culture they are a part of, by understanding the symbols this country deem important and why.
 * Better understand the values of our current culture through understanding these symbols and what they represent.
 * Understand our basic documents and how they helped form this democracy and thus ,helping students understand the free-democratic society where they live and are a vital component of.
 * By understanding these symbols, give them a sense of national pride in the values this country holds dear.
 * Have students relate these symbols to their prior knowledge and family culture, by relating to and understanding symbols from their native culture. This will give them a sense of the importance of symbols and allow them to relate this knowledge in relating to the important symbols, icons, and documents in the American culture.
 * Have students develop full understandings, through various learning modalities, including verbal, visual, kinesthetic, technology, and group work and social interaction. Word definition postings, a KWL chart, internet access, research and group discussion,and idea mapping will be included.
 * In the end, students will demonstrate through kinesthetic and visual means, along with synthesized brief descriptors and verbally describing it (more synthesis), to show they have a good understanding of these symbols and what they mean.

Regarding the thinking maps, this will allow them to have a symbol as a center figure and draw lines to represent as many aspects they find or construe for a particular symbol, to spur them to relate to symbols from many aspects. This will be facilitated in group, heterogeneous format, to not only maximize the comprehensible input for ELs and all types of learners, but through this group interaction, expose children to numerous viewpoints they may not have previously considered.

**American Symbols Bulletin Board:**
There will be three bulletin boards designed to equip students to develop and demonstrate their own understandings. The first of these is a vocabulary bulletin board, which defines, in writing, the key vocabulary words for this section, //symbol// and //honor//. Below the word honor and its grade-level appropriate definition, are four pictures of people of high honor and esteem in our society. One is a female, Sally Ride, the first women astronaut in space, one of Martin Luther King, Jr., one of Cesar Chavez, and one of a Caucasian man being decorated with a medal. A good diversity of culture and gender was presented to lower affective filters and present a diverse representation of such people to the children. This was to reinforce these word meanings through these pictorials, so they can refer to them throughout the section. Regarding the word //symbol,// a bald eagle symbol and what that symbol means, with a written definition of above it was included, so children would have a full conceptual reminder, at all times throughout this section, what a symbol actually means. Please see the posters below. Additionally, students had to be exactly aware of their performance expectations, so on the third poster a list of all the items included in their final flip books was put on a board. This would leave no ambiguities as to performance and knowledge expectations. Hence this board also equips them with the research items, which then allows them to develop their final projects to demonstrate their understandings.

**Monday ~**
Direct Instruction: Discuss (Activate Prior Knowledge): Have you ever moved from one place to another? Have students share personsonal experiences. Introduce Key Vocabulary: Election Read Book: //The Good Neighbor// Discussion: What was Tony Vang elected to do? Video Viewing: //We All Contribute and Make a Difference// Form Cooperative Groups and Work on Laws Poster

**T****uesday~ Good Citizenship**
Direct Instruction: Classroom Discussion: Citizenship (Guide students to understand that people have responsibilities or duties.) Discuss examples i.e., classroom jobs that must be done each day~ What would it be like if no one took care of their classroom responsibility. Introduce Vocabulary: Government, President, Vote, Symbol K.W.L. Chart: What do you know, want to know about government and leaders in their city, state, or country. Read: Discussion: Collaborative Groups: Work on Laws Poster

**Wednesday~ People Need Laws**
Direct Instruction: Review Vocabulary: Law, Government Build on What You Know (Discussion): What class rules do you follow? Do you know tha communities have written rules too? Provide examples of some community laws. Read:People Help With Laws Laws Graphic Organizer Quick Act-It-Out: Role-Play Laws Collaborative Groups: Work on Laws Poster

**Thursday ~ Laws Every Day**
Review KWL Chart Connecting to the Standard: American Government~ the United States government makes laws tha citizens must follow. Remind students that some laws such as stopping at a stop sign or wearing seatbelts keep people safe. Read the title of the lesson with students and discuss: What are some everyday laws that you know? Read: //Laws Every Day// Graphic Organizer: Every Day Laws Activity: Collaborative Groups: Complete Laws Poster.
 * Food Laws
 * Bus Laws
 * Toy Laws
 * 1) Make it: Think about toys. Make a labe that tells how to use a toy safely.
 * 2) Write about it: Write a sentence about a law that helps keep you safe.
 * 3) Share

**Friday**
Review Vocabulary and Discuss: clearly Teach the skill: Give and example of clear and unclear speaking and writing: Practice the Skill: Review posters make sure they are clear. Apply the Skill: Present Laws Poster in Groups Vote: Students will participate in voting for classrom laws utilizing ballots, a voting booth, etc.
 * Help students understand that clear speaking and writing often gives more information.
 * Have volunteers read aloud the second paraghe and each step of the Express Ideas while Speaking and in Writing page.

**Monday ~**
Direct Instruction: Discuss (Activate Prior Knowledge): Who are some leaders you know? What do they do? Have students share their thoughts.Introduce Key Vocabulary: mayor, governor, President

Read Book: //Our Country’s Presidents// Pair Share: Students talk with their partner, recalling the name of one President of their choice and some facts about him.

Whole Group Discussion: Students will be given the chance to share what they talked about with their partners.

**Tuesday~**
Direct Instruction: Classroom Discussion: Review the following vocabulary- mayor, governor, and President; Discuss the roles and duties of the three; Discuss “What would it be like if you were President of the United States”.Written Activity: - Provide students with the following prompt, “If I were the President I would __because___ (ask students to write about what they would do for the people of the United States if they were President). - Students will copy their prompt response onto silhouette handout of George Washington.

**Wednesday~**
Direct Instruction: Review Vocabulary: hero Build on What You Know (Discussion): What does it mean to be a hero? What are some character traits of a hero? Who are some famous American heroes?

Read Book: //Martin’s Big Words//Bubble Map Graphic Organizer: Fill in information with characteristics, actions, etc. of a hero (whole group activity)

**Thursday ~**
Review Hero Bubble MapCollaborative Groups: - Place students into groups of five (based on similar interests) - Give each group an index card with the name of an American hero Activity Instruction: Explain to students that they will now use a variety of resources to conduct research about their American Hero. They will then fill out a bubble map about their hero, and organize an oral presentation about their hero. Activity: Students will use laptops to access the internet and texts found within the classroom to research their American Hero

**Friday ~**
Apply the Skill: Collaborative groups will dress up (costumes provided by teacher) and perform/present their //American Hero// to the class.

**Monday**

 * Watch video of United States’ Symbols to stimulate interest and give students a reference point into section.
 * Vocabulary—Interactively ask class, interact with answers, and insure by endstudents know what the terms //symbol// and //honor// mean. Afterwards, post bulletin board depicting these meanings (both pictorially and descriptively) for future student reference.
 * Create a KWL regarding their knowledge of United States’ symbols and documents.
 * Review with them they will be creating their own native Flag at home to bringin and discuss with class on Tuesday. Talk with them about 5-6 minutes on this,including modeling exercise, so they are very clear what to prepare for thenext day.

**Tuesday**

 * Have students, in heterogeneous groups of four, present their native culture’sflags to group and explain significances.
 * Another short video will be watched, U.S. Flag Video.
 * Read together, as a class, //U.S. Symbols,// by Ann-Marie Kishel
 * Go into a group discussion of these symbols, insuring they have a good feeling of what is now meant of symbols and landmarks.
 * Have students now begin their flipbooks by drawing in the U.S. flag, with a brief adjacent descriptor of its meaning. Students will be working in heterogeneous groups from here on out, particularly for the purpose of assisting ELs with keeping input very comprehensible and for any other student to be scaffolded with group help.
 * Have students locate the location of Liberty Island in New York City and the Statue of Liberty, and the city of Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell. This gives them a where. Have students place these on a blank map.

**Wednesday**

 * Students, in their groups of four, do internet research for all the required and extra-credit (as desired) and continue constructing their flipbooks.

**Thursday**

 * Students will continue working on their flipbooks and finish them, and preparing forFriday’s presentation.

**Friday**

 * Students will be presenting their flipbooks to their groups, some to the class. Teacherwill use these books and interactive questioning to students as assessment for knowledge achieved.
 * This information will then be used to determine and further, more differentiate, or follow-up activites.