Elementary Social Studies Sample Lesson

Title/topic of unit (I suggest but do not require that this title be the same as the compelling
question noted in a box below): Why is it important to be an active participant in the
communities to which I belong?

Grade level unit is written for:1st Grade

*Curricular context (what relevant content have students learned before, during, or after this
unit takes place; make a separate bullet point for each author/lesson, describing relevant
information for each of your settings relevant to the lesson you designed); if you are taking
the course in the first block and do not know any relevant context, write “do not know”:

My lesson is about students mapping their school community. In the previous lessons
students will gain prior knowledge about what a community is and what communities they are
a part of. Students will also have knowledge of what a map is, how to read it and its
components. After completing those prior lessons, students should be able to put their school
communities on a map.

Compelling question(s) addressed. [See the new CT frameworks either for compelling
questions you could use or models of such questions to help you write your own; it is OK to
use questions right from the Frameworks. This question may also be the title of the unit.]

Why is it important to be an active participant in the communities to which I belong?

UNIT Content Objective. [2-4 required…more is not necessarily better, as it can be a lot to
focus on]
Students will be able to…
1. Identify different communities and which ones students belong to.
2. Evaluate and identify ways to take action in their community.
3. Construct and justify an argument.

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Lesson # within the unit, Lesson Title: Lesson 3: What do maps tell us about our communities?
Grade Level: 1st Grade

Central Focus (probably a supporting question or key skill/topic)

Students will practice their map skills by placing different communities on map of school
What are some of the physical features of my community?
What are the key features of any map?
What features do you include when creating a map, graph, or other representation of a
community you belong to? How are these features chosen?

Instructional Context

What do I know about my students that will inform this lesson?

Currently most of the students are at a point where forming complete sentences is not an
easy task to complete. Depending on how students comprehended the previous lessons, a
brief overview may be needed. Since my class has two students that receive extra help
outside the class and two English language learners, I will need to check in with those
students more frequently.

How does this lesson connect with and build on the previous lesson(s)? [be brief]

My lesson is about students mapping their school community. In the previous lessons
students will gain prior knowledge about what a community is and what communities they are
a part of. Students will also have knowledge of what a map is, how to read it and its
components. After completing those prior lessons, students should be able to put their school
communities on a map.

How do you expect to build on this lesson in subsequent lessons? [be brief]

After the students complete their maps, students will be able to reflect on them during later
lessons. By creating a map containing the communities within their school it will help them
frame ideas for later lessons. They will learn how to become more active in their
communities. It will also give a visual representation of places they belong individually and
as a whole class.

Standards or Question Addressed [or adapted from] the CT Social Studies Framework

Standard or element of the State SS Framework

GEO 1.1 Construct maps, graphs and other representations of familiar places.

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Learning Objectives

Content Objective (s) Assessment

1. Students will be able to use various terminologies to - Read aloud a Book

describe their community on a map. called Mapping
Penny’s World.
- After book we’ll
have a whole class
discussion
reviewing the key
components of a
map

2. Students will be able to use their knowledge on map - Before completing

components to place their school communities on a the map worksheet,
map. we will have a
discussion about
the communities
within our school we
previously talked
about and new ones
they thought about.
- Map worksheet

3. Students will be able to describe where a community - Map worksheet

they belong to is on a map. They will also write a brief - Writing Worksheet
paragraph about that community.

Language Objective (s) Assessment

- Implementing key terms of map components. - Discussion

- Our room is north of … - Map Worksheet
- If you go down south from our room you pass
the…
- I belong to the … community
- Title, Legend, Symbol, Landmark, Routes,
Compass (North, South, West and East)

Academic Language Supports in your plan

Language Function: - Book will be read

- Describe, explain, plan aloud to class in the
beginning to refresh

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 Language demand of one or more activities in your knowledge of map
lessons or one or more sources: components.
- Referring back to their communities - A map of school will
- Making use of vocabulary when talking and writing be projected on the
about their communities board in the front of
Vocabulary students need to help with so all can access class.
content and activities: - ELL students will
have the option of
- Map components
Korean translation
- Ex: legend, symbol, landmark, title, routes and
for key vocabulary
compass
and directions
Discourse:
- Visual
- Use of direction and various landmarks when representations will
describing the location of a certain community. be projected on the
board of different
communities
- Spelling assistance
will be provided for
students on a need
basis.
- Sentences started
will be provided with
the help of the whole
class.

Learning Tasks/Activities - Number and describes with enough clarity that others could implement.

1. Initiation: Teacher: Good morning class, for our social studies lesson today we are going
to continue working on our ideas we learned in our previous lessons. Last class we
discussed maps and the components that make up a map. Today we will use those skills
to create a map of our very own school containing the communities we brainstormed a
couple days ago. We are going to start out class with a quick review from those lessons.
First we’re going to listen to a book called Mapping Penny’s World, then we’ll discuss and
write down the different components on our class map. {Students will move to the rug to
listen and discuss the book} After listening to the book, can anyone tell me what
components make up a map.
a. Expected student response: Students will answer with title, compass, legend,
landmarks etc..
b. Teacher: Those are all great ideas! Where would the title go on the map? {I will
ask about each component.} Students will come and point to where they think it
will belong {Once finished students will have a diagram they can follow when
completing their own; the components on diagram will not reveal any answers}

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 2. Teacher: Now that our diagram is completed, please return to your desks and take out
the worksheet we completed a few days ago, about the communities you belong to in
school and place that at the top of your desk. We will use those communities we
brainstormed and put them on our maps later! Does anyone have any new communities
they would like to share and add to our class list?
a. Students will volunteer answers if they have any
3. Teacher: Before we add our communities to our map, the first thing we have to do is
add the map components to our worksheet. Up on the board we have a diagram of
what you need to add to your map. Since we are talking about the communities within
our school, what would you title our map?
a. Possible student response: 1. Our school communities 2. Communities in our
school 3. My community in school
b. Teacher: Those are all great ideas, they will stay on the board for the lesson for
you to reflect back to. If you want to create your own, your more than welcome
too! Just remember it has to stay on topic to our lesson!
c. Students will work individually on mapping components, and teachers will
walk around providing any assistance.
4. Teacher: I noticed a majority of us are done with mapping components, if your not
finished you will be able to continue in a moment. Our next step for creating our map is
to create our landmarks. We’re going to work together to create a few main landmarks
and then you’ll be able to add more of your own after. Our first and most important
landmark should be what?
a. Expected student response: Classroom, gym, cafeteria etc.
b. Teacher: I heard most of us say classroom, so we're gonna start there. On our
maps everyone can put their finger on our classroom. Can I have one volunteer
come up to the board and point to our classroom. Now that everyone has their
finger on our classroom, choose one of the symbols from our legend that you
will use to represent our class room. Once you do that you can map the other
communities you are a part of in our school and then come to the front to grab
the writing worksheet. We are only putting the communities on our map, you will
be able to color your map once you finish the writing assignment.
5. Students will work independently on mapping their communities. Once they are
complete they will come up and grab a writing worksheet.
6. Teacher: Everyone put their pencils down and look up at the board. For this brief writing
assignment, you are going to pick one community you put on your map that is not our
classroom. On your paper you are going to write “I belong to the ___ community. This
community is ____ of my classroom community.”
a. Teachers will walk around answering questions and assisting students.
7. Closure Teacher: That's all the time we have for today,if you didn't finish your map you
can come back to it when we have free time. We will be able to reference our maps in
the future when we begin to talk more about becoming active in our communities!

COMMENTARY.

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 Selected SIOP Features Checklist

Preparation: Strategies [H.O.T. covered in math

_X_ Content objectives methods]:
_X_ Language objectives __ Questions & tasks to promote
_X_ Adaptation of content H.O.T.

Comprehensible Input [covered in our Building Background [tentative,

course]:
_X_ Clear explanation of academic tasks
_X_ Variety of techniques
to be introduced in class 9/8:
__ Links to Background Experience
_X_ Links to Past Learning
__ Provision of needed background
knowledge
_X_ Key vocabulary

Additional strategies, only if appropriate:

Examples and sentence starters are

provided for students, since they have
not yet mastered writing complete
sentences.
Translations are provided on map for
english and korean comparison.
Lines are provided for writing to help with
grammar and sentence structure.

Supporting Materials

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Video Read aloud: Mapping Penny’s World
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/hhZu0vs2FQA?playlist=hhZu0vs2FQA&autoplay=1&
iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&modestbranding=1&start=

Blank map of school:

Writing Worksheet:
English ↓ English/Korean↓