Standards Based Unit of Study

 

Unit Planning Template

 

Teacher(s)              _Shirley L. Palmer___________________________________________________________

 

Subject(s)/Course(s):_Social Studies____________________ Grade/Level:  __2^nd grade_________________________

 

Unit Topic/Focus:

__Rules and Responsibilities_________________________________________________________

 

Integration with other content areas (if applicable)___________________________________________________________

 

 

Estimated time for implementation:__5-Day Unit__40 minutes_________________________________

 

Connections to previous/future learning: ___________________________________________________________________

 

Standards Visit the KDE Website for quick access to the Academic Expectations, Program of Studies (Revised April 2006), and Core Content for Assessment (Version 4.1). The documents on the KDE web site makes it easier to copy and paste the standards you are addressing into your standards-based unit of study and lessons plans.

 

Academic Expectations	Program of Studies	Core Content for Assessment
AE 2.14 Students understand the democratic principles of justice, equality, responsibility, and freedom and apply them to real-life situations.     AE 2.15 Students can accurately describe various forms of government and analyze issues that relate to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.	Primary Enduring Knowledge – Understandings Students will understand that • local governments are formed to establish order, provide security and accomplish common goals. • citizens of local communities have certain rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. • local communities promote the basic principles (e.g., liberty, justice, equality, rights, responsibilities) of a democratic form of government. Primary Skills and Concepts Students will • demonstrate (e.g., speak, draw, write) an understanding of the nature of government: o explain basic functions (to establish order, to provide security and accomplish common goals) of local government o explain the reasons for rules in the home and at school; and compare rules (e.g., home, school) and laws in the local community o investigate the importance of rules and laws and give examples of what life would be like without rules and laws (home, school, community) • explore personal rights and responsibilities: o explain, demonstrate, give examples of ways to show good citizenship at school and in the community (e.g., recycling, picking up trash)	SS-EP-1.1.2 Students will identify and explain the purpose of rules within organizations (e.g., school, clubs, teams) and compare rules with laws. DOK 2

 

 

Interdisciplinary, Meaningful and Authentic Connections

Big Idea: Government and Civics

The study of government and civics equips students to understand the nature of government and the

unique characteristics of American representative democracy, including its fundamental principles,

structure and the role of citizens. Understanding the historical development of structures of power,

authority and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary U.S. society and other parts of the

world is essential for developing civic competence. An understanding of civic ideals and practices of

citizenship is critical to full participation in society and is a central purpose of the social studies.

 

Students need to have an understanding of community life and how to get along within a community or group.  This community may be at home, school, or neighborhood.  The Program of Studies requires that students know and understand rights and responsibilities in a society.  They need to be able to explain rules, tell why we have rules, and compare rules with laws.  The Core Content requires that students be able to identify and explain the purpose of rules.  The social studies curriculum and assessment map requires that students study building community/rules and responsibilities for the first four weeks of school.

This unit will address rules and responsibilities that help to establish safety and community building in the classroom.

Context (Unit Organizer): A narrative that

 

This unit is designed for 2^nd graders who, according to Kentucky Core Content, are required to know how rules work in an organization.  Also, they must be able to compare rules with laws.  This unit has been designed so that students will be able to meet this requirement, but it also goes beyond the requirement.  When teaching about laws, the students will be introduced to a simplified version of government.  The students will be introduced to the three branches and how a bill becomes a law.  This unit will work if most of the students are on or above reading level and are able to comprehend the information.  This will be a decision of the teacher after meeting her students.

Students will have some prior knowledge about rules and responsibilities from 1^st grade and from having been to school a few years. Some responsibility should have been developed at home by this age.

The goals and objectives of this unit involve hands-on activities.  Students will be keeping journals, reading, writing, visualizing, and using technology.  Students will have the opportunity to work alone, work with a partner, and work in groups.  Students will be gaining ownership of the classroom by being involved in the creating of the classroom rules, which will become the classroom laws.

Essential Questions (3-5 questions that guide lesson planning/focus and demonstrate):

 

·         What are rules?

·         How are rules different from laws?

·         Why is it important to have rules and laws?

·         What would it be like not to have any rules and laws?

·         What rules do we need to establish as a community of learners?

 

 

Culminating Activity/Assessment, A product or performance that:

During the week, students will be completing activities that will address the essential questions.  Students will be demonstrating their knowledge of the subject through writing activities, reading, visualization, technology, group and individual work.  Students who are low readers will have the opportunity to view a video and/or hear the song on the computer with the lyrics printed out.

The final assessment will be done in a class activity.  Students will be divided into two groups that represent the Senate and the House of Representatives.  Each student will have a responsibility within the group.  Students will take the information that they have learned from the daily lessons and will role-play the making of Laws.  These Laws will become the classroom Laws for the school year.  The groups will use the rubric to evaluate their participation as a group and then each student will evaluate himself/herself.

Formative assessments include reflections and visuals in journal, and spreadsheet.  Summative assessment will be a multiple choice test.

Resources / Technology

 

• Computer and printer
• Teacher Web Page
• Student Journals
• Books – “Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books” by Diane deGroat

                               “Know and Follow Rules” by Cheri J. Meiners

                               “Respect and Take Care of Things” by Cheri J. Meiners 

• School House Rock Video (American History)
• Television and VCR
• Virtual Field Trip
• Assessment Rubric
• Curriculum Page
• Assessment – Multiple Choice Test
• Web sites – http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/government/index.html

                                   http://clerkkids.house.gov/laws/index.html

                                   http://www.school-house-rock.com?Bill.html

                                   http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/tours/#

                                   http://clerkkids.house.gov/trip/index.html

                                   http://www.oyez.org/tour/

                                   http://www.libraryspot.com/features/fieldtripfeature.htm

                List of rules –  http://gigglepotz.com/expectations.htm

                                       http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/misc/back/rules/elem/

                 

              

 

                      

           

 

 

Outline of Daily Plans

 

 

Day 1 –

Objective:  Students will define rules and responsibility.

Teacher will read a book to the students that introduce rules (“Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books” or “Know and Follow Rules”).

Students will define rules and responsibility using prior knowledge. 

Teacher will introduce students to web page and explain activity.

Using web page, students will work in groups of two and will look up the definitions for rule, directions, responsibility, and laws.  Students will write the definitions in their journals.

Assessment – Students will draw two pictures in their journals.  The first picture will demonstrate a rule and the second picture will demonstrate a responsibility.

 

Day 2 –

Objective:  Students will identify the difference between rules and responsibilities.

Teacher will lead class discussion on rules and laws.

Using journal assignment from day 1, students will discuss the definitions of the following words:  rule, directions, responsibility, and laws.

Teacher will create a web for each word.  Students will give examples of each.

 

Assessment – Students will identify the difference between rules and responsibilities by creating a spreadsheet.

Students will make up a spreadsheet to show rules and responsibilities that they have at home and at school.  They will paste this page in their journals.

Example:  HOME                                                     SCHOOL

              

               Responsibility – Feed the dog.                Being the line leader

               Rule – Ask before borrowing                    Listen when someone else is talking.

               someone’s things.    

 

Day 3 –

Objective:  Students will explain how rules and laws are different.

Teacher will introduce essential question “How are rules and laws different?” during the morning meeting.

Throughout the day, students will do the Virtual Field Trip.

(Some students may watch the School-House Rock Video for “I’m Just a Bill.”)

After all students have had the opportunity to take the field trip, the class will meet as a group to discuss the essential question.

Students will create a t-chart in their journals and record the information.

Teacher will lead class discussion on how laws are made.

Assessment – What would the world be like if we did not have any rules or laws?  Write a reflection in your journal.

 

Day 4-

Objective:  Students will create a list of classroom rules.

Students will be given the opportunity to share their reflections to the question “What would the world be like if we did not have any rules or laws?” 

Introduce the question, “What rules do we need to establish here in our classroom so that we can be successful learners?”

Students will work in groups to discuss and create a list of rules to present.

Suggested rules will be posted on the web page for students to look at for ideas.

Teacher will review, using a simplified version, how a bill becomes a law.

Teacher will explain the project that the students will participate in on day 5.

 Project Introduction - Students will be divided into two groups, representing the Senate and the House.  In each group, students   

 will be assigned responsibilities in the process of law making.  The teacher will represent the President. 

The class will take the list of rules that they presented on day 4 and go through the process of choosing which should become the classroom laws.  Once they have reached their decision, the teacher will either sign or veto.

 

 

Day 5 –

Objective: Students will create laws from the classroom rules.

Students will perform the responsibilities of the Senate and House in making bills into laws.

Teacher will review process and answer any questions before groups break up to work. 

This activity will take longer than the scheduled 40 minutes. This project could be a day activity with debriefing

 and discussion at the end.

Assessment - Students will take a short multiple choice test.