Standards Based Unit of Study

 

Unit Planning Template

 

Teacher:  Jennifer Nelson

 

Subject(s)/Course(s): Social Studies                                                Grade/Level:  5

 

Unit Topic/Focus:

Salem Witch Trials

 

Integration with other content areas: American History, Drama, Language Arts (Reading and Writing)

 

 

Estimated time for implementation:  1-2 hours per day for 5 days

 

Connections to previous/future learning: Part of a total unit on Colonial History

 

Standards:

 

Academic Expectations

Program of Studies

Core Content for Assessment

2.20     Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective

 

 

SS-5-HP-U-2

Students will understand that the history of the United States can be analyzed by examining significant eras to develop a chronological understanding and recognize cause and effect relationships and multiple causation, tying past to present..

SS-05-5.1.1

Students will use a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries, maps, timelines) to describe significant events in the history of the U.S. and interpret different perspectives.

 

 

 

Interdisciplinary, Meaningful and Authentic Connections

 

Big Idea: Historical Perspective

History is an account of events, people, ideas, and their interaction over time that can be interpreted through multiple perspectives. In order for students to understand the present and plan for the future, they must understand the past. Studying history engages students in the lives, aspirations, struggles, accomplishments, and failures of real people. Students need to think in an historical context in order to understand significant ideas, beliefs, themes, patterns and events, and how individuals and societies have changed over time in Kentucky, the United States, and the World.

 

 

 

Context (Unit Organizer): A narrative that

 

Throughout this semester, our Research class has addressed the issue of teachers feeling that there is not enough time to teach Social Studies in addition to other skill and content areas that are considered to be of higher priority.  My proposal to rectify this issue is to integrate Social Studies into other content area.  In this unit, I plan to use the portions of the day dedicated to Language Arts and Cultural Arts to focus on our Social Studies content.  Since this would be part of my standard method of teaching American History throughout the school year, this approach will be normal to my students.  Furthermore, doing so helps to make Social Studies content more engaging for students by taking it out of the realm in which this content area is usually taught (text books and tests) and placing it within more actively participatory content areas.  Throughout the school year, I will teach American History chronologically using timelines as organizers.  This week-long unit on the Salem Witch Trials, therefore, will be accessible to the students as part of a logical historical progression which they are already embedded in learning, and which we will continue to build on throughout the year.

 

 

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

 

·         How can studying the Salem Witch Trials help us to understand the values of the Puritan Colonists?

·         How do the trials of the alleged witches compare with what we know about our American system of justice?

·         Do the witch trials remind you of a time that you were accused of doing something that you were innocent of?

 

Culminating Activity/Assessment, A product or performance that:

 

The culminating activity for this unit will take the form of a brief (5-10 minute) dramatic recreation of a portion of one of the actual witch trials, based on the transcripts available in our primary sources.  The children will have the opportunity to build this activity throughout this unit.  The week-long unit will involve formative assessment in the form of journal entries and an online quiz in order to ensure that the children have enough grasp of this subject matter to produce the recreation.  Children will choose roles in the reenactment based on their individual interests and strengths.  A rubric for this activity is included with this SBUS. 

 

Resources / Technology:

 

 

Outline of Daily Plans

 

·         Monday:  Introduce the topic of the Salem Witch Trials by building on students’ prior knowledge of Colonial History.   Factual introduction; locate the time period and sequence of events on timelines.  Watch the Discovery School video.  Teacher begins reading aloud The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  Students begin reading individually I Walk in Dread.   After reading for a half hour, the students will break into their multi-ability Literature Circle groups and determine discussion roles for the texts based on individual student interest and ability.  They will finish the first 40 pages of the book for homework.  To conclude the lesson, students will record their thoughts regarding what they’ve read and learned in their literature journals.  Additional writing prompts will be given to children for whom they are necessary.  For example, children may be asked to write a description of the characters in one of the texts that they are reading, or to empathize with the Witch Trial victims by reflecting on a time when they were accused of doing something that they were innocent of. 

 

·         Tuesday:  Our class will take a virtual field trip of the Salem Village.  The children will then be introduced to primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials.  Children will begin, in a teacher-guided format, to review first person accounts and trial transcripts.  Culminating project will be explained, and children will group-off based on which trial (from a selected number) they would like to recreate.  Continue teacher read aloud text.  Children will meet with their Literature Circle groups to discuss first 40 pages of I walk in Dread, and begin reading second 40 pages.  Children will conclude by writing in their journals, in which they will be asked to give their opinion on the value and challenges of working with primary sources.  These responses will be reviewed by the teacher.

 

·         Wednesday:  We will begin with a round-table class discussion on the challenges of using primary sources, based on the children’s journal responses from the previous day.  After clearing any confusion, children will more thoroughly study the trial transcript they have chosen for their recreation.  Groups will make collective decisions regarding individual roles and jobs in the dramatic production and will begin rehearsing.  Teacher will assist with decision-making if necessary, and will review group notes on these plans.  Continue teacher read aloud text.  Students will break into Literature Circle groups to discuss the second 40 pages of I Walk in Dread, and begin reading third 40 pages.  Children will conclude by writing in their journals.

 

·         Thursday:  Children will be given a substantial amount of time to continue rehearsing and polishing their dramatic production, as teacher works individually with each group.  Students will take turns at the computer, completing the online quiz.  Continue teacher read aloud text.  Students will break into Literature Circle groups to discuss the third 40 pages of I Walk in Dread, and begin reading the fourth 40 pages.

 

·         Friday:  Students will have group time to finish preparing their dramatic recreations before presenting them to the class. Continue teacher read aloud text.  Students will finish reading I Walk in Dread, and have a wrap-up discussion in their Literature Circle groups.  We will have a whole-class round table wrap-up of the unit, and the children will write a concluding entry in their journals.  Children will be asked to write not only about what they’ve learned regarding the content of the unit, but also about the process of putting on the dramatic recreation.  These responses will be reviewed by the teacher.         

 

 

 

 

 

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