New York City

Overtime

Grade: 2nd Grade

Duration: 3 weeks
Kelly Murray
Spring 2014

Table of Contents
1

Essential
Question3
Description of Schools and
Student.
3
Rationale..
3
Standards.
...3
Content Overview.
4
Goals of the Unit.
4
Five Lesson
Plans..4-8
Resources.
8
Final Evaluation
..8
2

Culminating
Activity..8

Essential Question: How and why did New York City Change overtime?
Description of School: New York City Public School D.75 in a 12:1:1 setting. There are
12 students with Autism and secondary emotional behavior disorders. Each student has
an IEP with at least 2 related services, one being speech therapy. All students receive
adapted physical education. Most of the students benefit from a token economy behavior
plan.
Rationale: The students completed unit 1, our communitys geography. They know all
about their own community within New York City. They have begun to learn important
skills they need when having a conversation with their peer. They know where they live
and what makes up a community. The students are now ready to learn more about what
surrounds their small community, New York City.
Common Core Learning Standards:
Reading
2. RL. 1 Make connections between self, text, and the world around them (text, media,
social interaction).
Writing
2.8 Recall information from an experience or gather information from provided sources
to answer a question.
Speaking and Listening
2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics
and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
b. Build on others talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks
of others.
c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and
texts under discussion.
d. Seek to understand and communicate with individuals from different cultural
backgrounds
Social Studies
3

* Features of New York City include sky- scrapers, apartment buildings, factories,
offices, houses, etc. 3.1e
* New York City has a rich and diverse cultural heritage 1.2b, 1.4b
* People in New York City travel in a variety of ways (subway, bus, car, ferry, tram, etc.)
3.1e
* New York City communities are connected by a system of bridges and tunnels 3.1d,
3.1e
Content Overview: Welcome to New York Cities bright lights! Come along for the ride
to learn about the subway, trains, ferries, different cultures, heritages, features, and
excitement New York City has to offer. Once you learn all about New York Cities special
features and travels you will be able to make your own big and bright version of the Big
Apple! You will get to learn about all of your classmates culture and family history. All
of your needs will be met by being provided with visuals, hands-on activities that will
meet your individual needs. Lets go for the ride!
Goals:
1. As a result of the unit, students will write at least 4 facts they learned about New York
Citys special features.
2. As a result of the unit, students will speak and listen in a group appropriately for
second grade standards.
3. As a result of the unit, students will identify key similarities and differences between
people of different cultures and heritages.
4.As a result of this unit, students will make connections between themselves, the world,
and other cultures.
Five Lesson Plans (Summary)
1. Title- What makes up New York City?
PurposeObjective- Students will write 4 new facts about New York Citys
features. (sky- scrapers, apartment buildings, factories, offices, houses, etc.)
Materials: Smart Board anticipation guide and schedule slides, New York
City by Paula Hannigar, art materials for feature, and conversation fact worksheet.
Procedure
Using an anticipation guide with 4 statements about New York
City the students will be assessed.
Show 4 pictures of features in new york city (time square
buildings, apartments, sky-scrapers and subway)- ask the students
what they have in common. Have the students write it on a post-it
and put it up on the board when they are done writing.
Read the book New York City by Paula Hannigar.
After reading 2 pages, stop to model by thinking out loud a fact
that you learned as you were reading. Then, halfway through the

book, stop to have the students help you write a fact then have
them write one on their own.
When the book is completed, explain activity.

L- First all the students will make a feature of New York

City using art materials. Next, they will be given a facts graphic
organizer and a copy of the book, the students will write on their
feature of New York City at least 4 different facts they learned
from the book.

M- First all the students will make a feature of New York

City using art materials. Next, given a facts graphic organizer and
word bank of the features, the students will write at least 4 facts
they learned from the book.

H- First all the students will make a feature of New York

City using art materials. Next, given a graphic organizer, the
students will write at least 4 facts they learned about new york
citys
Closure The students will share their feature with a partner and the
partner will write what they liked about their partners share.
Assessment- The anticipation guide will be reviewed and checked. The
facts activity will be used as a second assessment and for conversation (speaking &
listening) the partner share will be used.
2. Title- Interviewing each others culture
Purpose The purpose of this lesson will be for students to learn about
each others cultures and to understand every one is different and unique in their own
way.
Objective- Students will ask , using correct questioning skills, the their
partner specific questions about their heritage and culture(food, holidays etc.), they will
write the answers down.
Materials- Conversation prompts, answer sheet, steps to having a good
conversation social visual.
Procedure The teacher and para-professional will model how to interview
each other.
The teacher will then ask if anyone knows what it is called when
you ask a list of questions to another persons life or opinion and
they respond.
The teacher will have them write their answer on a post-it and they
will tally how many people know what it is call versus dont.
Then, the teacher will introduce the new vocabulary words
(interview, different, culture and heritage) with a visual and a short
clip about heritage and culture.
Together, the class will write on the smart board what the words
mean again and what makes a good conversation or interview.

Next, the students will break up into their partners and begin
interviewing each other. The partners will be on the same reading
level, and social/emotional level.
Before this lesson, the teacher sent home an information sheet to
the parents about their childs culture and heritage. The students
will be provided with this sheet for reference during their
interviews.

L- The students will be provided with shorter questions and

simple wh (what and who) questions. They will have 5
questions. Each of them will have a turn interviewing each other.

M- The students will have 7 wh (what, which, where, and

who. Questions to ask each other about their culture and heritage.

H- The students will have 10 questions that pertain of

what, who, when, where, why, which and how. The students will
both ask each other the questions about their culture and write the
answers down.
Closure- The students will share to the class one new fact they learned
about their partners culture and heritage.
Assessment They will be given a conversation checklist to assess the
special skills that should have been completed during their interview. These skills have
been worked on since the beginning of the year. The students will have an exit slip to
match the new vocabulary words to their definition.
3. Title
Purpose- The purpose of this lesson is to take the information from the
previous lesson and use it to further their knowledge about how diverse New York City
is. The diversity makes it a special place.
Objective- students will identify key similarities and differences between
people of different cultures and heritages.
Materials- double bubble map, visuals, highlighters
Procedure Using the interview the teacher and para-professional did in
the previous lesson, the teacher will complete half of a
double bubble map. She will ask what a double bubble map
shows? She will question students about the important of
them having comparisons and difference between their
culture and heritage.

The students will go back with their partner to

complete their double bubble map on a big sheet of white
construction paper. They will work together using their
interviews.

L- The students will have a color-coded

double bubble graph, making at least 2 comparisons and 3

differences. They will have a word bank to help them

organize their thoughts

M- The students will be given a double

bubble graph, making at least 3 comparisons and 4
differences.

H- The students will use the interview to

highlight any comparisons they have in yellow and any
difference they have in blue. Then, they will create a
paragraph explaining the comparisons and difference they
share.
Closure- The partners will share their graphs and paragraphs with a
different pair. The pair will write at least 1 thing they all had in common (if any) and at
least 2 differences they all had.
Assessment- They assessment will be the double bubble maps and their
paragraphs. This will show if they understand compare and contrast. Another assessment
will be a journal prompt the next morning, which will ask, What makes someone unique
and different? What makes New York City special?
4. (1 day) Title- Subways, Trains, Ferries and More
5. (next day)Title- Tunnels and Bridges, Oh My!
Purpose- The purpose of these two lessons is for the students to learn how
transportation and travel is extremely important in New York City. Also, how there are so
many different ways to travel and get around.
Objective: The students will draw and write the definition of subways,
trains, ferries, tunnels and bridges. The students will write why it is important to have so
many ways of transportation in New York City with at least 2 reasons.
Materials- Art materials (crafts), white posters, visuals, video clips
discovery education, brainpopjr.
Procedure Anticipation guide: statements about travel/transportation
in New York City
The teacher will show a quick video clip of new york city,
she/he will ask, how do people in New York City get to
work, school, restaurants etc? What did you see in the
short video? How do you get to school?
The teacher will have pictures on the smartboard of all the
different forms of transportation in New York City,
including the tunnels and bridges.
Next, the students will write the name of what each picture
is.
The teacher will play a song of all the transportation in
New York City, which will lead into a class discussion
about why it is important to have many ways to get around
in New York City. Also, why bridges and tunnels are so
important to the travelers.
7

Next the students will break up into groups to complete

graffiti vocabulary posters.
L- This group will be shown a short clip of their
specific vocabulary words and a cheat sheet of the
definition of the two words. Then, they will complete two
graffiti posters within the 2 days.
M- This group will be given a cheat sheet with the
definition of the vocabulary words to help them complete
their graffiti posters
H- This group will independently complete their
graffiti posters and on the back write what the two words
have in common.

Closure- The groups will share their posters and in their own words, verbally define the
words they had.
Assessment- The students will have an exit slip with matching (word to picture or
definition) for all the new vocabulary words. On the exit slip, it will also ask the students
to write at least 2 reasons why it is important for New York City to have more than one
way of travel.
Resources Discoveryeducation.com
Reading a-z.com
BrainpopJr.com
New York City by Paula Hannigar
Final Evaluation of the Unit- The assessment task will include matching for all
vocabulary, they will draw or write at least 1 fact about each new feature they learned,
transportation, travel, culture and heritage and the diversity within the neighborhoods. If
needed, this will be given in as a multiple-choice test.
Culminating Activity Creating New York City by using 5 different groups and using
all the students unique skills. One student is amazing at making pipe cleaner animals and
people. Another student, knows the entire subway train and mta lines and buses. He
knows all the streets and how to get anywhere in NYC. Two other students can draw
extremely well. Others are great with technology, music and cutting paper. Each of the
students has their own skills and ideas, so within each group they will work together to
make one borough of the city and at the end we will put them all together.