TitleIII Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use

OVERVIEW

  The students will learn the importance of citizenship and the rights and responsibilities of a United States citizen. They will understand the difference between a citizen by birth and a naturalized citizen. The students will research some symbols of the United States and learn what they mean. As a culminating project, they will create a symbol of their choice and give an oral report to the class. Hopefully the students will understand and appreciate the freedoms and opportunities of being an American Citizen.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What is Citizenship?

-What is a Naturalized Citizen?

-What are the rights of a United States Citizen?

-What are the responsibilities of a United States Citizen?

-What are the symbols and writings of the United States?

-Why do we have them and what do they mean?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

SS Standard 5

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Benchmark:

Central to civics and citizenship is an understanding of the roles of the citizen with in American constitutional democracy and the scope of a citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

MST Standard 2 Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technology.

Benchmark

Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

ELA Standard 1

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Benchmark:

Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations: and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

ELA Standard 3

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Benchmark:

Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

 (Day1) List-Group-Label

Students will each be given an index card with a vocabulary word from the unit written on it. A piece of masking tape is handed out to each student. Large cards with four main categories (labels) are placed on the board using the magnets. These headings are Responsibilities, Citizenship, Documents, Symbols.

Students will: Take two minutes, look at their cards and choose what category they think their card should be placed under. They should be prepared to give a reason for their choice.

Cooperatively, with a partner share their decision about their vocabulary word card and give their reason.

Then whole group, the students one at a time place their cards using the masking tape under the heading they feel that their vocabulary card fits. Once all the cards are on the board, students are given the opportunity to ask questions or share reasons as to why cards are placed where they are. Once viewpoints are shared, students are given the opportunity to change where they placed their card.

Vocabulary Word List

property recycle volunteer rights

residence Declaration of Independence

constitution Bill of Rights Pledge of Allegiance

Star Spangled Banner citizen

flag Liberty Bell naturalized

Oath of American  bald eagle Great Seal

LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order including acquisition experiences and extending/refining
experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.

(Day 2) Show the movie "Molly’s Pilgrim"

(Day 3) Read chapter 8, Lesson 1 "Rights and Responsibilities" Pgs. 167-175 (Silver Burdett and Ginn).

Collaborative activity: Think- Pair- Share

-What contributions can you make or do you make to your community?

List contributions in your notebook

(Day 4)

With your partner fill out the graphic organizer (Frayer Model). Use the information from your notebooks. The main topic Rights and Responsibilities.

Distribute check list and Rubric for answering essay questions.

Essay question 1: What are some of your responsibilities at home or at school?

Answer whole group using essay writing checklist and rubric. Student records answer in their notebook.

(Day 5)

Introduce Culminating project.

(Day 6)

Read Chapter 8, Lesson 3 "Citizenship" Pgs. 176-179

Students will organize information from chapter using a Venn Diagram. With a partner, they will compare and contrast a naturalized citizen and citizen by birth.

-They must include the rights and responsibilities each type of citizenship has.

-Requirements of both forms citizenship.

Essay question 2: What right belongs to United States citizens but not to others who live in the United States?

Answer whole group using previously distributed check list and rubric.

-Read the story When Jessie Came Across the Sea, Amy Hest

(Day 7)

Using a large poster with the words of "The Pledge of Allegiance" posted on the black board. The words Allegiance, Republic, Indivisible, Liberty and Justice should be posted separately on the black board. With their partner the students write these words in their notebooks using their textbook (pgs. 180-185) and dictionaries write meanings of the words.

Allegiance-Promise

Republic-Nation

Indivisable-Not able to be divided

Liberty-Freedom

Justice-Fairness

Using the information the students gathered from their textbooks and dictionaries, these one word meanings should be posted on the board. The students then repeat the "Pledge of Allegiance" and include the meaning of the word when it is stated. This will be practiced each day when stating the Pledge during morning announcements.

(Day 8)

Students will create a Flow Chart describing steps to follow when accessing and using the internet in the Macintosh computer lab.

(Day 9)

Internet Activity: "Citizenship" Web Quest.

(Day 10) Read textbook pgs. 180-185. Using textbook and Web Quest information (Day 8) fill in graphic organizer.

(Branching Diagram)

-Classify information about two of the three symbols of the United States that you read about in your textbook.

American Flag

Colors: Red-Courage

White-Truth

Blue-Justice

Stripes: Original 13 states.

Stars: States we have now 50.

Bald Eagle (Great Seal)

Olive Branch: Peace

Arrows: Willingness to fight for our freedom.

Presidential Seal: Represents our government.

Liberty Bell

First Rang: 1776

Why: After the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It’s Meaning Today: It was rung every July from 1776-1835 when it cracked. We can visit the Liberty Bell at the Liberty Pavilion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Day 11)

Review vocabulary, concepts, and essay questions (including DBQ question) taught in unit.

(Day 12)

Unit Test

Day 13)

Class presentations

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE
Include rubric(s)

Students will create one of the three symbols of the United States that was studied in the unit.

They will write an essay that describes the symbol, its components, and their meanings.

They will include in their essay why they chose this particular symbol to write about.

The essays and symbols will be presented to the class.

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

Students will need to have completed the first two chapters (6 and 7) in Unit 3, Government and Citizenship in their Social Studies Textbook. Comparing Communities, Silver Burdett and Ginn.

Students will be familiar with essay rubric. 

MODIFICATIONS

 Individual student’s IEP (Individual Education Plan) will be followed at all times. Pair grouping and whole group instruction will ensure that all information is read to students with learning disabilities. Written responses will be recorded as per IEP.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

The unit should take 15 school days. Most of the activities will take place during the Social Studies period. Trade books listed in both the lessons and the Bibliography will be read during daily scheduled read a loud time. Computer activity will take place during computer period.

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TECHNOLOGY USE

Students will activate the internet following the Macintosh Lab procedure.

Students will complete the Citizenship Web Quest.

Students will research information using the internet for their culminating activity.

Students will type their report using a word processing program.

Essay Questions Rubric

0 points

Completely incorrect, irrelevant, incoherent.

1point

Response is brief, overly general. Understood only part of the question, shows confusion, unfocused, and missed the point.

2 points

Partial understanding of question, superficial, literal attempts to respond with very little detail.

3 points

Demonstrates a clear understanding of the question. It may contain fewer details, less elaborate that a 4 point response. The writer is focused and the response is readable but may contain some minor inaccuracies or irrelevant details.

4 points

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the question. The response is complete, accurate citing several details. The response is logical, focused, and fluent.

Internet Activity Rubric

1 point

One to one assistance was needed. No demonstration of knowledge of the Lab procedures.

Did not locate sight with out assistance

Answered less than three questions on Web quest.

2 points

Needed some assistance. Some Lab procedure skills demonstrated.

Was able to locate sight with guidance.

Answered less than six questions on Web quest.

3 points

Followed internet access procedure independently.

Was able to access information using Web quest.

Answered questions using information from internet sight.

Student Bibliography

Marissa Moss Dutton In America

Seymour Rechize A Boys Journey

Barbara Cohen Molly’s Pilgrim

Amy Hest When Jessie Came Across the Sea

Carol Bierman Journey to Ellis Island

Hereld, Maggie Rugg A Very Important Day

Silver Burdett Ginn Comparing Communities

Internet Links

http://www.siedu/edu/resource/tours/kidsguide/nmah/66.html

http://www.icss,com/usflag/francis.scott.key.html

http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/`etowner/flag.html

http://www.userpages.aug,com/hawire/colors.html

http://www.userpages.aug.com/hawire/ina.html

http://www.teacher.scholastic.com

http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/constitution

http://www.letters.com/`gray/constitution/consulation.preamble

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html