Grade 4
Social Studies
Grade 4
Social Studies
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World .......................1
Unit 2: Geographic and Cultural Characteristics of Regions ......................................15
Unit 3: The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective ........................................28
Unit 4: The Movement of Ideas: Scientific Contributions and Culture .....................38
Unit 5: The Movement of Goods and Resources ...........................................................47
Unit 6: Our Government .................................................................................................59
Unit 7: Growth of a Nation .............................................................................................68
Unit 8: Making Economic Choices .................................................................................82
Unit 9: Producers and Consumers .................................................................................89
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Course Introduction
The Louisiana Department of Education issued the Comprehensive Curriculum in 2005. The
curriculum has been revised based on teacher feedback, an external review by a team of content
experts from outside the state, and input from course writers. As in the first edition, the
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, revised 2008 is aligned with state content standards, as
defined by Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units
with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The order of
the units ensures that all GLEs to be tested are addressed prior to the administration of iLEAP
assessments.
District Implementation Guidelines
Local districts are responsible for implementation and monitoring of the Louisiana
Comprehensive Curriculum and have been delegated the responsibility to decide if
 units are to be taught in the order presented
 substitutions of equivalent activities are allowed
 GLES can be adequately addressed using fewer activities than presented
 permitted changes are to be made at the district, school, or teacher level
Districts have been requested to inform teachers of decisions made.
Implementation of Activities in the Classroom
Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. Lesson plans should be designed to introduce students to
one or more of the activities, to provide background information and follow-up, and to prepare
students for success in mastering the Grade-Level Expectations associated with the activities.
Lesson plans should address individual needs of students and should include processes for reteaching concepts or skills for students who need additional instruction. Appropriate
accommodations must be made for students with disabilities.
New Features
Content Area Literacy Strategies are an integral part of approximately one-third of the activities.
Strategy names are italicized. The link (view literacy strategy descriptions) opens a document
containing detailed descriptions and examples of the literacy strategies. This document can also
be accessed directly at http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11056.doc.
A Materials List is provided for each activity and Blackline Masters (BLMs) are provided to
assist in the delivery of activities or to assess student learning. A separate Blackline Master
document is provided for each course.
The Access Guide to the Comprehensive Curriculum is an online database of
suggested strategies, accommodations, assistive technology, and assessment
options that may provide greater access to the curriculum activities. The Access
Guide will be piloted during the 2008-2009 school year in Grades 4 and 8, with
other grades to be added over time. Click on the Access Guide icon found on the first page of
each unit or by going directly to the url http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/AccessGuide.
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on a review of map skills. Historical and geographical analysis skills
are used to examine a history of the United States. Fundamental concepts in geography
are explored.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the characteristics and uses of various maps as they locate nations,
states, and communities. They should be able to compare characteristics of different areas by
using geographic tools, such as grid lines and the compass rose, to locate places around the
world.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify and interpret various types of maps?
2. Can students locate and label locations on a map or globe using lines of latitude and
longitude?
3. Can students explain what causes the Earth’s surface to change?
4. Can students discuss how people impact their environment and in what way people
depend on the environment?
5. Can students explain what influences patterns of land use and settlement?
6. Can students identify the differences among countries, states, parishes, and
cities?
Unit 1 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks
Geography
1.
Interpret different kinds of maps using a map key/legend, compass rose,
cardinal and intermediate directions, and distance scale (G-1A-E1)
2.
Use a variety of images or other spatial graphics (e.g., aerial photographs,
satellite images) to locate major physical and human characteristics (G-1AE1)
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GLE #
3.
4.
5.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Locate and label places on a map or globe: the seven continents, the United
States and its major land forms, major bodies of water and waterways,
referring to the poles, the equator, latitude, longitude and meridians (G-1AE2)
Identify all U.S. states by shapes and position on map (G-1A-E2)
Draw, complete, and add features to a map (including such map elements as a
title, compass rose, legend, and scale), based on given information (G-1A-E3)
Places and Regions
6.
Describe and compare the distinguishing characteristics of various land
forms, bodies of water, climates, and forms of vegetation in the United States
(G-1B-E1)
Physical and Human Systems
10.
Identify physical processes that change Earth’s surface and create physical
features suddenly or over time (e.g., what physical process created the Grand
Canyon, Great Lakes, and Hawaiian Islands) (G-1C-E1)
11.
Identify geographical/physical reasons for regional variations that influence
patterns of settlement and land use in the United States and the world, past
and present (G-1C-E2)
15.
Differentiate between countries, states, parishes, and cities (G-1C-E6)
Environment and Society
16.
Identify ways in which people in the United States depend upon and modify
the physical environment (G-1D-E1)
Sample Activities
Students should use a social studies journal or composition as a learning log (view
literacy strategy descriptions). This is a notebook that students keep to record ideas,
questions, reactions, and new understandings. Documenting ideas in a log about content
being studied forces students to “put into words” what they know or do not know. This
process offers a reflection of understanding that can lead to further study and alternative
learning paths. It combines writing and reading with content learning.
Activity 1: Assessment of Prior General Social Studies Knowledge
Materials List: journal/composition, charts/posters
While this activity does not meet a specific GLE, it is necessary as an opening activity to
assess prior knowledge and to get students ready for new information. Put students in
groups of four. Students open their social studies journals to the first page and date it.
Have students make a brainstorming web (view literacy strategy descriptions) in their
journals with the term Social Studies in the middle. Explain to students that social studies
material can be grouped into four categories: geography, history, economics and civics.
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Give students about eight minutes to record anything they can remember about what they
have learned in social studies in the past years. They will be working in a group to
brainstorm, and all members of the group should record this information in their
journals/compositions. When time is called, gather the group together to discuss findings
and to sort the information into the four strands of social studies: economics, history,
geography, and civics. Generate a list for each strand and provide a definition for each
strand. Display the lists on charts/posters. Then students will begin to sort the information
from their webs into one of those four categories. As volunteers from each group share
their ideas, the class decides in what strand(s) the information belongs. This process
should continue until each group has shared and categorized their prior learning. These
charts/posters should be posted for reference by the students/teacher.
Activity 2: Assessment of Prior Geographic Knowledge (GLEs: 3, 5)
Materials List: crayons/colored pencils, outline world map
As in Activity 1, this activity is necessary to assess prior knowledge from previous
grades. It is important for the teacher to know the knowledge base of the students in this
area before beginning this unit. Put the following terms on the board: Africa, Australia,
Antarctica, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, North Pole, South Pole, Pacific
Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Equator, and the United States.
Have students color and label each of the above locations on their outline world maps.
For an outline map of the world, refer to:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/world/world-d.pdf.
Require students to assign specific colors for continents, oceans, poles and equator.
Students should include on their maps a title, compass rose, and legend. Collect these
maps as students finish. Review these as a way of assessing students’ prior geographic
knowledge. These maps will be used by students in later lessons to compare their prior
knowledge with their new knowledge.
Activity 3: Map Elements (GLE: 1)
Materials List: journal/composition; Map Elements Word Grid BLM; collection of
world, state, parish and city maps; timer; chart paper
Ask students to describe some elements or parts of books. List these as students
contribute. Expect some of the following elements: table of contents, page numbers,
chapter numbers, index, title page, etc. Tell students that just as those parts of books help
with comprehension, maps have elements or parts to them that assist in understanding
them better. Even though maps are thought of as mostly pictures or spatial images, people
have to be able to read a map and the elements help to do that effectively. Tell students
that this activity will help them to discover some of the elements of maps.
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Place students in cooperative groups. Provide each group with a world map, state map,
parish map and city map. Various types of maps can be found at:
http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp. Students will use the maps to complete a
word grid (view literacy strategy descriptions). Provide students with the Map Elements
Word Grid BLM (see sample below.) (Elements may be added to the word grid
depending on the maps used.) As a group, students are to fill in the word grid by placing
a “+” in the space corresponding to the element that is present on each particular map. If
the element is not present on the map, a “—” should be put in the space.
Types of
Maps
Title
Key /
Legend
Distance
Scale
Compass
Rose
Intermediate
Directions
Highways/
Roads
Political
Borders
Landforms
World Map
State Map
When each group has had time to explore maps and record elements from each set, gather
students and compile a master list titled Elements of Maps on chart paper. Students share
elements that are common to all types of maps. Provide students with an opportunity to
add other elements they found on their maps. Have students record the master list in their
social studies journals/compositions to be referred to later. Students should respond to the
following statements or questions in their social studies journals/compositions:
 Choose the top five map elements that you feel are most important to successfully
reading a map. With 1 being the most important and 5 being the least, prioritize
them by putting a numeral beside each element. Justify or defend your choices. In
other words, why did you prioritize them the way that you did?
 Describe one map element that you just learned about today.
 What are two important ways a parish map is different from a world map?
 Which map elements can be found on a globe?
Activity 4: Latitude and Longitude (GLE: 3)
Materials List: grid paper, globe, various maps showing the four hemispheres, United
States map with latitude and longitude, index cards, document camera or overhead
projector
Model for students how to use ordered pairs (a numeral and letter that are used together)
to locate points on a coordinate grid. Distribute grid paper to students and have them
follow teacher instructions on how to label each horizontal line (beginning at the first line
after the first space on the bottom left side of the paper) with a numeral beginning with 1
and each vertical line (beginning at the first line after the first space on the bottom left
side of the paper) beginning with the letter A. Direct students to read the ordered pair (a
number and letter that are used together to locate a point on a coordinate grid) and to
draw a dot at the intersection of the ordered pair. For example, have them find (B, 5) and
draw a dot or (C, 1) and draw a dot. Once students are comfortable with the plotting of
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ordered pairs have them create a picture by connecting dots on a sheet of grid paper that
they will label using the same lettering and numbering system. Then have them label
each ordered pair. Have them create a written set of directions for creating the design
using the ordered pairs they have recorded. Students will exchange written directions and
follow them using another sheet of grid paper that they will label with numbers and
letters. Explain to students that reading maps using latitude and longitude numbers is
much like working with coordinate grids.
Using globes and maps, review with students the location of North America in relation to
the four hemispheres. Elicit from students that North America is in the northern and
western hemispheres. Refer to this when exploring the latitude and longitude numbering
system on a world map.
Provide students with a United States map labeled with latitude and longitude lines. For
a map of the United States with latitude and longitude lines identified, refer to:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/usofam/usofam-dw.pdf.
Model how to read latitude and longitude for students using a map on a document camera
or on an overhead transparency. Then give students several coordinates and have them
locate them on their maps and identify the closest city to the given coordinate. Once
students are comfortable with this task, have students work in pairs to practice this skill
by playing a form of Concentration®. Put students in pairs. Have each student locate five
cities on the map. Using index cards, have the students list the coordinates of the city on
one card and the name of the city on another. Then have students put the ten coordinate
cards turned upside down and spread out on one area of the floor or desk and the ten city
cards turned upside down and spread out on another area. Then have one student turn
over a coordinate card and identify a city on the map that is closest to the coordinate.
Then that student turns over a city card to see if it matches the city he or she found. If
they match, the player puts them together and makes a pair. If it does not match, the
player puts both cards back where they were. Then the next person gets a turn. Play
continues until all of the cards have been paired. The player with the most matches at the
end of the game is the winner. Another variation of this game may be played on a world
map, using names of countries and coordinates for them.
Activity 5: Types of Maps (GLEs: 1, 3, 5)
Materials List: journals/compositions, various maps (physical, political, topographical,
population, natural resources, and precipitation), United States map, Comparing Maps
Venn Diagram BLM
Give students several different kinds of maps (physical, political, topographical,
population, natural resources, and precipitation) and have them identify the type of map
by interpreting the map symbols. Various types of theme maps can be found at
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/. Define each type of map, while
students will record the type of map and the definition in their social studies
journals/compositions. Ask them to explain the purpose of each map. Then have students
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state the importance of the title, key/legend, scale, and compass rose. They should record
this in their social studies journals/compositions as well. Have them locate and label
places using meridians of longitude and the parallels of latitude.
Distribute an outline map of the United States or one of its geographic regions. For an
outline map of the United States, refer to:
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf.
Have students in pairs decide what type of map they will create—a physical, political,
topographical, population, natural resources, or precipitation map. Provide students with
a model of the particular map that they will replicate. Ask students to be certain to use the
list of elements generated in Activity 3 to make certain their map is complete. Ask them
to add a title, compass rose, key/legend, and scale to complete their maps. Then, using the
Comparing Maps Venn Diagram BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions), have
students in each partnership compare their maps with maps from another partnership.
Activity 6: The United States: A Diverse Landscape (GLEs: 3, 5, 6)
Materials List: physical, land use, climate, vegetation, natural resources and outline maps
of United States; modeling clay; United States atlas; journals/compositions
Display a physical map of the United States. For a physical map of the United States,
refer to: http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/satellite/Landsat_18.pdf.
Elicit from students the specific names of particular mountain ranges, bodies of water,
deserts, plateaus, rivers, and other landforms. (Possible features include: Rocky
Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Mississippi River,
Grand Canyon, etc.) Divide students into pairs and assign each pair one of the physical
features generated on the list by the students.
Provide each pair of students with an outline map of the United States. For an outline
map of the United States, refer to:
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf. Ask the students to
locate the assigned landform on their map. Working in pairs and using modeling clay,
students are to add the assigned physical feature to their map. The students’ work with
the modeling clay should reflect the landform being represented. Students should also
add a compass rose with cardinal and intermediate directions, title, key/legend, and a
scale to complete their map.
After identifying and labeling the map, students should use the land use, climate,
vegetation, and natural resources maps and atlases to locate information specific to their
assigned landform, body of water, or waterway. For various theme maps (land use,
weather, farming, natural resources, etc), refer to:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/. Students should collect specific
information about their landform (e.g., the distance covered by the Rocky Mountain
range, the height of the highest peak in the Rocky Mountain range, the depth of each of
the Great Lakes, the length of the Mississippi River). Additionally, they should identify
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the type of climate, the vegetation, natural resources, and the land use surrounding the
physical feature.
Have each pair of students share its information using the visual aid that they have
constructed. Be sure that students include key information such as the type of vegetation,
resources and climate found in the area of the landforms, bodies of water, or waterways
researched. Have students make comparisons of each of these places based on vegetation,
climate, and natural resources located in or surrounding these areas.
To conclude the activity, have students respond to the following questions/statements in
their social studies journals/compositions:
 Describe the differences between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky
Mountains. How are they drawn differently on a physical map to show these
differences?
 Using cardinal and intermediate directions, describe the location of three of the
following landforms in the United States: the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade
Range, the Coast Ranges, the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains, the
Coastal Plains, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River.
 What country shares the northern boundary of the United States? What country
shares the southern boundary of the United States?
Activity 7: Our Location in the World (GLE: 15)
Materials List: journals/compositions; outline map of the world; United States, state, and
parish maps; crayons/color pencils; chart/poster; atlases
Provide students with outline maps of the world. Have students locate and color the
United States. Provide students with an outline map of the United States. Have students
locate and color Louisiana. Provide students with an outline map of Louisiana. Have
students locate and color their parish. Provide students with a parish map. Have students
locate and place a star on the city or town where they live.
Internet Resources:
 Outline Map of the World:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/world/world-d.pdf
 Outline Map of the United States:
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf
 Outline Map of Louisiana:
http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/counties/pagecnty_la2.pdf
 Outline Parish Maps (Click on the parish where you live):
http://enlou.com/maps/lastate_map.htm
Next, ask the students to brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) a list of all of
the cities, parishes, states, countries, and continents that they know. This can be done as a
whole class activity by posting chart paper around the room (make one chart for each
category: city, parish/county, state/province, country, and continent) and allow students
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to brainstorm a list for each category. Define each category for the students, writing the
definitions on the charts.
 City - a very large or important town
 Parish/County - a division or part of a state with its own local government
 State/Province - a political unit that is a part of a country
 Country - a part of the world with its own borders and government
 Continent - one of the seven large divisions of land on the earth
Prior to doing this activity, students will need to research the population of their city,
which can usually be found on that city’s official website or they can go to
http://www.census.gov and on the homepage go to population finders and type in the
name of their city and get population data. As of July 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau
estimates Louisiana’s population at 4.2 million, the population of the U.S. at 298 million,
the population of North America is estimated to be 875 million, and the population of the
world at 6.5 billion. Have students try to estimate the populations of their city, parish,
state, country, and continent and then give them the actual data. Also point out to students
the number of parishes in Louisiana (64), states in the U.S. (50), and countries in the
world (estimated at 193). Students can record these facts in their social studies
journals/compositions.
After taking notes, explain to students that they are going to play a game where they try
to figure out if a location is a city, parish, state, country, or continent. Provide all students
with an atlas. Suggest that students use the index to look up what page of the atlas to find
each location. They can then determine what each place is by looking at the map legend
and figuring out what different font types and symbols represent different entities. As
students determine the status of each location, they can add them to their brainstorm lists.
The following locations may be used for the game: Africa, Georgia, Cincinnati,
Antarctica, Idaho, Nigeria, Argentina, Illinois, North America, Asia, India, Ohio,
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Beijing, Japan, Pennsylvania, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Rio
de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Russia, Cairo, Los Angeles, South America, California,
Mexico City, St. Paul, Canada, Michigan, Sudan, China, Minneapolis, Texas, Europe,
Missouri, Tokyo, Florida, United States, France, New Jersey, Vermilion, Plaquemines.
Activity 8: Parts of a Whole (GLEs: 3, 15)
Materials List: journals/compositions, set of measuring cups, world outline maps, parish
map of Louisiana
Show students a set of nesting measuring cups. Ask students what they notice about
them. (Students should note that the larger one is on the bottom and that each cup
decreases in size as they stack into each other.) Relate the division of the world and the
United States to these cups. Ask if one of the cups represented the world, which would it
be? (The largest) Continue with this through continents, countries (specifically the U.S.),
regions, states, parishes (counties in other states), cities, and neighborhoods. Pass out a
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world outline map. For an outline map of the world, refer to:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/world/world-d.pdf. Have students
label the continents and outline North America. Next, have them draw in the northern and
southern boundaries. Then have students put a triangle where they think Louisiana is
located. Although part of this activity is review, it should help students to conceptualize
the relationship of Louisiana to the rest of the world. Finally, ask students to sketch in the
Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range, the
Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, the Central Lowlands, the Great Plains, and the
Coastal Plains.
Provide students with a map of Louisiana divided into parishes. For an outline parish map
of Louisiana, refer to:
http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/counties/pagecnty_la2.pdf. Have them
interact with this map by responding to the following in their social studies
journals/compositions:
 How many parishes are in Louisiana?
 What is the name of the parish where you live?
 What is the name of the parish where our state capital is located?
 Look at the cities and towns located in your parish. Classify them by their
sizes. How can you use the maps to determine the sizes of the cities and towns
within the parish?
Activity 9: Spatial Graphics (GLE: 2, 11)
Materials List: journals/compositions, physical maps created in Activity 6, physical and
political maps of Louisiana, aerial view of Louisiana
Review the physical maps created and the landforms that we have in our country. Ask
students if they have ever had the experience to fly in an airplane and to see these
landforms from the sky. Share experiences. Show students an aerial view of an area in
Louisiana. For an aerial view of Louisiana, refer to:
http://geology.com/satellite/louisiana-satellite-image.shtml. Have students identify the
landforms from the previous lesson on this aerial map. Compare this map with a physical
and political map of the same area of Louisiana. For various maps of Louisiana, refer to:
http://geology.com/state-map/louisiana.shtml. Model for students how to locate a city on
the political map and then find it on the aerial map. Have students explain the relationship
between the geography and the population. In other words, why do you think large cities
developed where they did?
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Activity 10: Mapping Review (GLE: 4)
Materials List: transparency of United States political outline map (no state names),
overhead projector
Review the locations of states by playing “State Bingo”. To play, have students divide a
piece of white paper into nine sections. In each section they will write the name of one of
the states from the regions being studied. Put a transparency of the United States (no state
names) on the overhead. Place a dot in a state. If students have that state listed, they will
mark their cards. Continue play until someone has called “Bingo.” Different versions of
the game may be played. For instance, students may have to cover four corners, make an
“L” or they may have to cover all spaces on the card. A more difficult version may be
played by changing the transparency to show outlines of states, allowing students to
identify the state by the outline only and not its location in the context of other states.
Activity 11: Physical Processes of Earth (GLE: 10)
Materials List: journals/compositions, one Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM per
student, cut-outs of the continents, index cards, modeling clay, physical maps, research
information, photographs of various landforms
Teacher Note: The following activity may need to be modified to better match the
information with students’ prior knowledge.
Begin this activity by providing students with this list of words: terra firma, continental
drift, folding and faulting, earthquake, and volcanism. Have them complete a selfassessment of their knowledge of the words using the Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart
BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions) (See BLM and sample below). Do not give
students definitions or examples at this stage. Ask students to rate their understanding of
each word with either a “+” (understand well), a “√” (limited understanding or unsure), or
a “—” (don’t know). Teachers and students should use the vocabulary chart as an
indicator of their knowledge of critical content vocabulary, so if gaps in understanding
still exist after the words are initially taught, the teacher should be prepared to provide
extra instruction or other vocabulary learning activities for those students. Over the
course of the activity students will return to the chart and add new information to it. The
goal is to replace all the check marks and minus signs with a plus sign.
Word
+
√
-
Example
Definition
terra firma
continental drift
After completing the vocabulary self-awareness chart, review these words briefly and
discuss them, explaining that each of our landforms and bodies of water was created by a
movement or shift in the Earth’s crust. Begin with the term terra firma and explain that
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this is the term in Latin for “firm ground.” Provoke discussion about the firm nature of
the Earth. Record the students’ hypotheses about the Earth’s crust. Introduce continental
drift—the theory that the continents are the result of a single landmass that was broken
into pieces. Provide cutouts of the world’s continents that students can use to reconstruct
the original world island—Pangaea. Distribute two index cards to each student. These
will be used to represent the plates on the Earth’s crust. Explain folding and faulting and
model with large index cards by bending them so the students can see the resulting folds
that represent mountains and valleys. Explain that folding is when the Earth’s crust bends
and folds occur. This happens when forces are acting against each other such as when
plates collide. Have students model folding with their index cards. Explain that faulting
occurs when rocks break and move or are moved along a crack in the Earth’s crust. Use
the index cards to illustrate the physical process of faulting. Discuss earthquakes with
students explaining that an earthquake occurs when the plates that make up the Earth’s
crust slide past one another or when one plate slides beneath another plate. Continue the
use of the index cards to model what happens during an earthquake. Discuss volcanism
and have students model this process using modeling clay. Remember to refer students
back to the self-awareness chart as they’re learning key terminology to revise their
original marks and understandings.
Write the following on a storyboard or present them in a PowerPoint® presentation:
Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes, Grand Canyon, and Hawaiian
Islands. Include photographs of these places. Then have students locate these on a
physical map and label them. Divide the class into five cooperative learning groups, one
representing each landform or body of water listed. Distribute a research packet to each
group and have them find out what physical process created each one. Students will share
their research with each other, and should write in their social studies
journals/compositions the landform as well as the physical process that created it. Also,
have them illustrate each of the bodies of water or landforms listed.
Activity 12: Erosion and its Effect on the Environment (GLE: 10)
Materials List: research material on wind, water, and glacial erosion
Provide students with information on the physical processes impacting the Earth. Have
students form small groups to create lists of physical processes that change the Earth’s
surface. Ask them to share their lists and identify which physical processes happen over
time and which occur suddenly. Discuss with students the issue of the vanishing wetlands
off the coast of Louisiana.
Explain to the students that they will be studying erosion, which may happen suddenly or
over time. Divide the class into three teams, each representing one of the following: wind
erosion, water erosion, and glacial erosion. Have each team research and explain the
impact of their form of erosion, including the costs and benefits to people and to the
environment. Direct questions or activities such as these to the three groups:
 How can erosion be controlled?
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

How do humans contribute to the erosion process?
What are some places that have been impacted by the three types of erosion?
Inform the students that they will have to present their findings to the class using the
Professor Know It All strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions). Tell them that their
group will be called on to come to the front of the room to be a team of “Professor KnowIt-Alls” about erosion. Have groups prepare by thinking up questions about each type of
erosion. Call on a group of students to come to the front of the room. To add novelty to
the strategy, let the “know-it-alls” put on a tie, a graduation cap and gown, a lab coat,
clipboard, or other symbol of professional expertise. Ask students to stand shoulder to
shoulder. Invite questions from the other groups and have the know-it-alls answer each
question. First, they should huddle as a team to talk about the answer, then return to their
positions and give answers in complete sentences. This can be done by each student’s
supplying one word of the sentence and rotating around until the sentence is completed.
Then the final student in the rotations says “period.” After five minutes or so, ask a new
group of “Professor Know-It-Alls” to take their place in front of the class, don their
professional props, and continue the process of students questioning students. This
should be done until all groups have had a chance to serve as know-it-alls. The teacher
should ask his/her own questions of each of the groups.
Activity 13: Hurricanes (GLE: 10, 11)
Materials List: research material on hurricanes
Prepare a scenario describing the impact of hurricanes at a particular location (e.g., New
Orleans, Gulf Coast, and Atlantic Coast). Assign pairs of students to report on the activity
and the impact it has on residents. Have one member of each pair assume the identity of a
reporter, while the other plays the role of a resident displaced by the hurricane. Both
members should work together to prepare the questions and answers. Possible questions
could be:
1. How did the hurricane impact your life and the lives of other people near its
landfall?
2. Where were you when the hurricane made landfall?
3. How has the land changed after the hurricane’s landfall?
4. What is the prognosis for future land use in the area hit by the hurricane?
Ask several pairs of students to re-enact their role-play before the class.
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Activity 14: Modification of Landforms (GLEs: 10, 11, 16)
Materials List: research materials on land and water modification, map of the United
States, poster paper (optional)
Review with students landforms and bodies of water located in the United States. Discuss
ways and reasons why people modify land and bodies of water. Give examples of each
(e.g. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Mississippi River, the Western Grand Canyon, the
Tennessee River Valley Dam, the Grand Coulee Dam, irrigation in California’s Central
Valley, mining in mountainous areas, grazing by cattle). Assign students an example to
study. Have the students research the text and other references to report to the class about
an example of a land and body of water modification, either in the past or in the present.
Students may report their discoveries through oral presentations, posters, or mock
interviews of people knowledgeable about the modifications. Ask students to label the
locations of their land and water modifications on a U.S. map. For a map of the United
States with bodies of water, refer to:
http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/outline/rivers_lakes(u).pdf.
Explain that these are examples of how humans change the environment. Other examples
of land use should include settlement patterns, housing materials, agricultural activity,
types of recreation, and transportation patterns.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



Provide students with a blank outline map of the world. Have students identify
continents and various other places on the map.
Provide students with a blank outline map of the United States and have students
draw in and label the following: states already mastered in the study of regions,
and various physical features studied in this unit.
Provide students with a separate map of a fictitious area that includes latitude and
longitude lines, a compass rose, and distance scale. Have them use the directions
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given to plot designated symbols on the map and have them create a legend to
accompany this map. Provide a compass rose with the north direction stated and
have students complete the compass rose with cardinal and intermediate
directions. Then they should use the compass rose to describe the location of
given items.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 8: Ask students to put the following locations in order from largest to
smallest: (a) North America; (b) World; (c) Louisiana; (d) Lincoln Parish (insert
local parish here); (e) United States; (f) Ruston (insert local town/city here).

Activity 11: Have students illustrate two ways physical processes have changed
the earth’s surface.

Activity 14: Have students provide two examples of the motive of humans to
modify the environment and the results of these modifications.
Resources
Books
The Amazing Pop-up Geography Book by Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels
Don’t Know Much About Geography by Kenneth C. Davis
Geography from A-Z by Jack Knowlton
If the World Were a Village by David Smith
Mapping the U.S. by Heart by David Smith
The New York Public Library Amazing World Geography: A Book of Answers for
Kids by Andrea Sutcliffe
Nystrom World Atlas from Nystrom
Scholastic Atlas of the United States by David Rubel
Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States by Judy Bock and Rachel Kranz
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 2: Geographic and Cultural Characteristics of Regions
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the location of major regions of the United States and the cultures
within those regions. A focus will be on the location of the important regions of the
country, people who inhabited them in the past, and those who live there today.
Historical and geographical analysis skills will be used to explore the economy, history,
and cultures of the United States.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the geographic and cultural characteristics of various regions of
the United States. They will compare geographic characteristics of different areas by
using geographic tools, such as grid lines and the compass rose. Also, they will explore
how natural events affect people in the various regions.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students understand various maps and attributes in locating United States
regions?
2. Can students use geographic tools to compare characteristics of various areas?
3. Can students explain the effects of natural events on people in regions?
4. Can students discuss the cultural identities of various people in the U.S. and
the impact on their cultural heritage?
5. Can students identify physical and human characteristics of regions?
Unit 2 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Geography
3.
Locate and label places on a map or globe: the seven continents, the United
States and its major land forms, major bodies of water and waterways, referring
to the poles, the equator, latitude, longitude and meridians (G-1A-E2)
5.
Draw, complete, and add features to a map (including such map elements as a
title, compass rose, legend, and a scale), based on given information (G-1A-E3)
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GLE#
GLE Text and Benchmark
Places and Regions
8.
Explain physical and human developments in a region of the United States since
it was first settled, based on given information (G-1B-E3)
9.
Identify, define, and compare regions of the United States using physical and
human characteristics (e.g., land forms and use, cultural diversity) (G-1B-E4)
Physical and Human Systems
12.
Describe characteristics of the human population in a given area (e.g., cultural
diversity, population size or growth) (G-1C-E3)
13.
Explain and compare the cultural identities of various U.S. regions and how a
region is influenced by past events and the heritage of its people (G-1C-E4)
14.
Locate economic activities that use natural resources in the local region, state,
and nation and describe the importance of the activities to these areas (G-1C-E5)
Environment and Society
17.
Identify natural disasters, their causes, areas prone to them, and how those
disasters affect people and the environment (G-1D-E3)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: What Are Regions? (GLE: 9)
Materials List: various items from a grocery store; chart paper; regional, physical, and
various theme maps of the United States; journals/compositions; Physical and Human
Characteristics Quiz BLM
In this activity, teachers will connect the concept of regions to a grocery store that is
familiar to the students. Have available various items from a grocery store (dairy
products, canned vegetables, fruits, canned tuna, boxed foods, etc.).
Introduce the lesson using the SQPL (Student Questions for Purposeful Learning)
strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions). Propose a statement to the students that
will cause them to wonder, challenge, and question the concept of regions. State the
following: The regions of the United States can be compared to the layout of a grocery
store. Write it on the board or on a piece of chart paper as it is presented. Repeat it as
necessary. Next, ask the students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they
have about this statement. When all student pairs have decided on their questions, the
teacher will ask someone from each team to share their questions with the whole class.
As students respond, write their questions on the chart paper or board. Eventually,
similar questions will be asked by more than one pair. These should be starred or
highlighted in some way, indicating that it is an important question. When students finish
adding questions, the teacher should contribute his/her own questions to the list.
Throughout the activity, the teacher should stop periodically and have students discuss
with their partners which questions could be answered, then ask for volunteers to share.
Mark questions that are answered.
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Tell the students to listen carefully as they participate in an activity that will explain what
a region is. They should be listening for answers to their questions as the material is
presented. Stop periodically to allow students to determine which questions have been
answered by the content presented. Explain to the students that the term region is another
way to say area. In the United States there are different regions or areas because
locations often share common characteristics. Countries, states, and cities can be grouped
together to form a region because they may have the same landscape, climate, economic
factors, culture, or vegetation.
Prepare the students for learning by explaining that the classroom is going to be
converted into a “grocery store.” Students are going to “stock” the “grocery store” with
products by categorizing items into regions.
Ask the students: What are the different sections of a grocery store? List their
responses in a chart similar to the one below. (Charts will vary depending on students’
responses.) Once the students have generated a list of sections/regions within a grocery
store, designate sections of the classroom that correspond to “regions” of a grocery store.
Give each region a name that corresponds to one of the identified United States Regions.
For example, the frozen food section can be called the Northeast region, the dairy section
can be the Southern region, canned vegetables can be the Midwest, etc. For a regional
map of the United States, refer to: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf.
Proceed to hold up the items one at a time and have the students decide which region it
should belong to. Place the item in the correct region of the classroom and list the item in
the chart.
Dairy
Areas/Regions of a Grocery Store
Canned vegetables
Frozen food
Produce
Meat
After categorizing all of the grocery items, students should then analyze why they placed
items into the regions that they did. Ask the following:
 Which region has the most products?
 Which region has the fewest products?
 Could some items be classified into two types of regions? For example, bagged
spinach could be in the frozen food region and the produce region.
Relate the concept of grocery store regions to regions of the United States. Remind
students that countries, states, and cities can be grouped together to form a region because
they may have the same landscape, climate, economic factors, culture, or the same
vegetation. Explain to students that locations can be grouped by their physical
characteristics or their human characteristics. Define physical characteristics for
students as natural characteristics of a region including climate, landforms, soil,
vegetation, and animal life. Explain that human characteristics include languages,
religions, political systems, economic systems, settlement patterns and transportation.
Students should record these definitions in their journals/compositions.
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Have students classify terms as either physical characteristics or human characteristics of
a region in their journals/compositions. Students should make two columns in their
journal: one labeled “Physical Characteristics,” the other labeled “Human
Characteristics.” Present students with the following terms to classify: language,
mountain, culture, precipitation, river, holiday, food, lake, music, seasons, art, hill,
weather, plateau, plain, tradition, natural resource, religion, accent, forest, festivals,
deserts, temperature.
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions. Tell students
that throughout the study of regions, they will refer back to the list often to answer any
questions that were not covered by this activity. Keep this SQPL posted throughout the
unit. Activity 1 can be assessed using the Physical and Human Characteristics Quiz
BLM. Refer to Activity-Specific Assessments, Activity 1.
Activity 2: Physical Characteristics of Regions (GLE: 9)
Materials List: Physical Characteristics of Regions Chart BLM; regional, physical, and
various theme maps of the United States; Comparing Regions Venn Diagram BLM
Use a graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to organize information
collected on regions. Using the Physical Characteristics of Regions Chart BLM (see
sample below), have students analyze the maps below, looking for characteristics that are
common within a region. List the common elements of each region on the chart. Include
features such as climate, vegetation, landforms/landscape, bodies of water, land use, and
natural resources. See BLM and sample below.
Name of Region
Climate
Vegetation
Landforms /
Landscape
Major Bodies
of Water
Land
Use
Natural
Resources
Northeast
Midwest
Provide students with the following maps of the United States:
 United States map divided into regions:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf
 Physical map of the United States:
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/satellite/Landsat_18.pdf
 Various theme maps (population, land use, weather, farming, natural resources, etc):
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
Have students respond to the following questions/statements independently in their social
studies journal/composition:
 Identify the best place for human settlement based on the information in the chart.
 Based on the natural resources identified, what inferences can be made about the
economy of each region?
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

Based on the information gathered, categorize these regions two different ways.
Compare and contrast the northern and southern regions in terms of climate and
vegetation, using the Comparing Regions Venn Diagram BLM (view literacy
strategy descriptions). (See BLM.)
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1.
Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
Activity 3: Impact of Settlement on Regions (GLEs: 3, 5, 8)
Materials List: outline map of the United States, markers, Settlement of Regions Pros
and Cons Chart BLM
Provide students with an outline map of the United States. For this map, refer to:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/us_nl.pdf. Have students use markers to section
off the regions on their outline maps and then label, locate and plot the major physical
features of each region (e.g., mountains, hills, plains, rivers, deserts, swamps, wetlands,
etc.). Students should also add a title, compass rose, key/legend, and scale to their maps.
Using the information generated in Activity 1, discuss with students the reasons why
people may have settled in a particular region (e.g., water sources, fertile farm land,
vegetation, timber, wildlife, and climate). Share with students information on early
settlements in America. For information on early settlements, refer to:
 Plimoth Village
http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html
 Settling the West
http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?content_spotlight/lewis_and_clark/settling_p
lains
 Historical Maps of the United States
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/historical.html
 Interactive Exploration Maps
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/la/books/bke/imaps/index.html
Have the students create a class graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions)
listing the pros and cons of settling in each region. Refer to the Settlement of Regions
Pros and Cons Chart BLM. (See BLM and sample below). Discuss with students how
settlement of a region changed the natural landscape.
Regions
Northeast
Midwest
Pros
Cons
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1.
Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
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Activity 4: Human Characteristics of Regions (GLEs: 9, 12, 13)
Materials List: reference materials on cultural aspects of the United States, Human
Characteristics of Regions BLM, poster board or chart paper
Engage students in a discussion of how migration and living in new areas caused people
to adapt old customs to their new environment. Have them identify the customs and
beliefs that their ancestors brought with them to America. Provide students with research
packets of information from the Internet or resource books, or have applicable websites
bookmarked on the Internet for them to explore. For reference materials on cultural
aspects of the United States, refer to the following websites:
 American Recipes and History by Region
http://whatscookingamerica.net/AmericanRegionalFoods/RegionalAmericanIndex.htm
 Geography and Regional Characteristics: From Sea to Shining Sea
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/ch2.htm
 Holidays in the United States
http://stockholm.usembassy.gov/Holidays/celebrate/other.html
Assign students to work in teams of two to four students. Assign each team one of the
four regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Working as a team, have them
research the customs and beliefs of people living in the various regions of the United
States. Ask students to explain how the cultural identities of people living in regions of
the United States have been influenced by past events and their cultural heritage. In
addition, have students research characteristics of human populations within each region.
Provide teams with a graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to collect the
information. Refer to the Human Characteristics of Regions BLM. (See BLM and
sample below).
Population
(Ancestry)
Food
Music
Language
Customs /
Celebrations
Art
Religion
Folklore
Once students have completed their research, utilize the professor know-it-all strategy
(view literacy strategy descriptions) to have students present to the class their findings.
Teams are to come to the front of the class and stand shoulder to shoulder. Invite the rest
of the class to ask questions of the “know-it-alls.” When a question is posed, the team
should huddle to talk about the answer, then return to their positions and give answers in
complete sentences. This can be done by each student supplying one word of the
sentence and rotating around until the sentence is completed. The final student in the
rotation says “period.” Other students should listen for accurate answers and challenge
the know-it-alls if their responses are unclear or incorrect. As the information is
presented, the teacher should lead the class in constructing a master chart of the regions
(see sample below). This chart should be displayed on large chart paper or poster board.
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Region
Population
(Ancestry)
Food
Music
Language
Customs /
Celebrations
Art
Religion
Folklore
Northeast
Midwest
South
West
Note: All of the above features make up the culture of a region.
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1.
Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
Activity 5: Research Skills (GLEs: 9, 12, 13, 14)
Materials List: outline and regional map of the United States, reference information on
United States regions, sticky notes
Review with students the division of the regions of the United States. Show a map of
each region. For a map of the United States divided into regions, refer to:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf. Divide students into four groups:
Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
Use the “Jigsaw” cooperative learning strategy for this activity. Put students in groups
with four members in each group. Assign students in each group a number from 1-4.
Have students record this number. Each group will have a student representing 1, 2, 3,
and 4 (“home” groups). Use the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle to explain to students what
will be accomplished through this activity. Just as a jigsaw puzzle fits together piece by
piece, so will their group. In order to fit, each puzzle piece has a different shape. In order
for this activity to “fit”, each person in the group must learn a little something different to
bring back to the group so that the whole topic makes sense.
Inform the students that they will be researching different regions and that it will be each
person’s responsibility to complete a research guide to answer questions about the region
he/she is researching. Allow students to take a role in writing the questions to be included
on the research guide. In their “home” groups, ask students to generate a list of particular
questions about regions that they feel they may be able to locate in the research. Using
the computer and a presentation monitor, type the questions as students suggest them.
Once students have offered all of their questions, print a copy of the questions for each
student to be used in “expert” groups. (Make sure questions include topics such as
geography, economics, history, and natural resources. If students do not suggest these on
their own, guide them to include such questions in addition to their own ideas.)
Instruct the students that each student in their “home” group will move to a different
location. All of the #1’s will go to one region of the room, all of the #2’s will go to a
different region of the room, etc. These will become the “expert” groups (one expert
group for each region). Provide the “expert” groups with a folder, packet, or access to the
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 2Geographic and Cultural Characteristics
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internet for information on their region. They should also refer to their textbooks as a
resource for this activity. For reference information on regions, refer to the following
websites:
 Education Place: States and Regions Interactive Map
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/la/books/bkd/imaps/index.html
 Travel & Geography: The Regions of the United States
http://usa.usembassy.de/travel-regions.htm#south
 United States Regions Think Quest
http://library.thinkquest.org/4552/
 Life in the USA: US Regions and US States
http://www.usastudyguide.com/regionaldifferences.htm
 Cultural, Climatic, and Physical Regions Chart
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/Attachments/Regions%20Chart.doc
 Various Theme Maps of the United States
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
With the questions guiding their research, students should complete the printed research
guide, working as an “expert” team. They should use sticky notes to mark visuals they
want to remember and use again. They should also write a title for the visual on the sticky
note that can be seen when the material is closed. This organization will make the use of
these visuals more efficient. Each “expert” group member should make visual aids based
on the research to take back to share with the “home” groups. Students should create a
physical map to depict landforms, etc., complete with a title, scale, legend and a compass
rose. They should also create a resource map to show the locations of natural resources of
the region. For an outline map of the United States, refer to:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/us_nl.pdf. Any other visuals that would support
the delivery of the information on the region should be made as well.
*Reminder: Each student will need to make a set of visual aids to take back to his or her
“home” group. If there are more than one members per home group, they only need one
set to share with their group.*
Next, students will take their materials (written and visual) back to their “home” groups.
At this time, each student should make a presentation to their “home” group on the
information they collected in their “expert” groups. Each person should have an
opportunity to share his/her information from the research guide with the group. By
doing this, each person in the “home” group will gain information on each of the regions
being studied.
Finally, in each “home” group, students are to culminate their learning experience by
completing a RAFT writing activity (view literacy strategy descriptions). This form of
writing gives students the freedom to project themselves into unique roles and look at
content from unique perspectives. From these roles and perspectives, RAFT writing
allows students to respond to learning by being creative and informative. (Refer to
Activity 5 - Specific Assessment for a grading rubric.)
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RAFT is an acronym that stands for:
R – Role (role of the writer)
A – Audience (to whom or what the RAFT is being written)
F – Form (the form the writing will take, as in letter, song, etc.)
T – Topic (the subject focus of the writing)
Note: It is crucial that the teacher provide a model of this exercise for the students.
Provide students with the following RAFT assignment:
R – A landform from one of the five regions (canyon, mountain, river, lake, etc.)
A – A star
F – A postcard
T – The human and physical characteristics of the area around the landform.
Activity 6: Natural Resources (GLE: 14)
Materials List: journals/compositions, grocery store sale circulars, various resource
maps, poster board
Define the term natural resource. Have students record the definition in their social
studies journals/compositions. Explain to students that they will be identifying goods
from around the United States and will need to categorize available goods into the
regions from which they come. Present students with the following problem: Use your
imagination and pretend that the states of Florida and California do not exist, and that
the rest of the United States has a very cold climate. What type of food would not be
available? Provide clues such as: It’s a fruit. It makes juice. It has vitamin C. They
should eventually answer “oranges.” Then give the next scenario: Suppose the states of
Arkansas, North Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee did not exist. Does anyone know
what these states mainly produce? (Cotton) If people did not have cotton, they would not
have many of the clothes and other materials that they use on a daily basis. Explain that
these two scenarios are two examples of how people rely on different regions of the U.S.
to produce the things that everyone needs. Regions can specialize in producing certain
resources which make people depend on each other to provide for what others don’t have.
Ahead of time, the teacher will need to collect grocery store sale circulars found in a local
newspaper. Divide students into pairs and distribute these grocery store circulars, various
resource maps, and a poster board. For resource maps of the United States, refer to:
 Main Agriculture Atlas (Use this website to align the maps presented to the students
with the products from the sale circulars. Choose the products from the circular and
print the appropriate maps.)
http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census97/atlas97/index.htm#CROPHARVES
 Natural Resource Interactive Maps
http://eduplace.com/kids/socsci/la/books/bkd/imaps/index.html
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Students will divide their posters into four columns: Northeast, South, Midwest, and
West. Students will cut out the products from the sales circulars and glue them onto the
poster board in the appropriate columns after researching where the product or the
ingredients to make the product come from. For example, it’s easy to determine that
potatoes come from Idaho, the West region, but students will need to know that crackers
are made from wheat, which comes from the Midwest region. (Be sure to include
products that are produced from resources here in Louisiana, for example: sugar cane,
trees, oil, cotton, rice, soybeans). Explain to the students that natural resources are used to
make common goods, such as:
- Trees/forests  lumber, paper
- Fresh water  drinking water
- Seawater  salt
- Coal, natural gas, oil  electricity, heat
- Minerals in Earth  aluminum, steel
- Plants, roots, herbs  food, medicine, dye
The students will divide all of their pictures of goods into different regions. Some of the
resources will fall into several different regions, as they will observe from their maps.
Students can glue the pictures in one region (the region with the largest production of a
certain type of good), but then write the name of the good in the appropriate other
regions.
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1.
Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
Activity 7: Impact of Natural Disasters on Regions (GLE: 17)
Materials List: pictures of natural disasters, outline map of the United States, list of
prevention and safety steps for various natural disasters, Natural Disasters in the United
States BLM
This lesson identifies natural disasters, their causes, areas prone to them, and how those
disasters affect people and the environment. Students will learn where tornadoes,
hurricanes, floods, forest fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, or severe thunderstorms are likely
to occur and will find out which type of event is most likely to happen near their homes.
At the beginning of the lesson, have students identify which natural disaster is most likely
to occur in the local area: tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, earthquakes,
volcanoes, or severe thunderstorms.
Have students look at pictures of various natural disasters. For pictures of natural
disasters, refer to:
 National Geographic: Eye in the Sky – Nature’s Fury
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/natures.html
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 2Geographic and Cultural Characteristics
24
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
 NASA: Hurricane Image Catalog
http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rsd/images/images.html
 Pictures of Natural Disasters and Landforms
http://www.suelebeau.com/picsofland.htm
 FEMA Photo Library
http://www.fema.gov/kids/p_lib.htm
Show students a United States map and point out some of the areas where the natural
disasters are most likely to occur (e.g., tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes on the Gulf
of Mexico and Atlantic coasts, earthquakes along the West coast, and volcanoes in the
West or Pacific region.) For a map of the United States, refer to:
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf.
Discuss why one type of natural event is more likely to occur in each region than in other
regions. If someone lived in earthquake country, explain that there are cracks on the
Earth’s surface that make the ground move from time to time. If someone lived in the
“hurricane alley” of the South, explain that many of these large storms begin off the west
coast of Africa and travel across the Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico, gathering force
along the way.
Ask students if they have ever experienced the type of natural disaster that’s most
common in their area. What was it like? What did they do to protect themselves? Was it
scary? What did their parents do? Share with students a list of prevention and safety
steps for this type of disaster. For a list of prevention and safety steps for various
disasters, refer to: http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizarea.htm.
At the conclusion of the activity, have students complete a graphic organizer (view
literacy strategy descriptions) to explain the cause and effect of the various natural
disasters of our country. Use the Natural Disasters in the United States BLM to record
the information. (See sample below)
Natural Disaster
CAUSE
EFFECT
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 2Geographic and Cultural Characteristics
25
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be observed and monitored throughout the work on all
activities via teacher observation, log/data entries, report writing, group
discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed projects and student investigations should be evaluated
as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student
comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



Generate a class list of concepts and terms that have been used during this
unit. Reproduce this list for students and distribute. Students then cut these
terms or concepts into separate cards called “concept cards.” Using these
cards they connect one concept to others. Then they construct a sentence using
the words and showing their connections to one another. For instance, if they
had migration, region, and culture as three of the concepts, they may connect
those three and write the following: The migration of people helped to create
the cultures of the regions of the United States.
Post six pieces of chart paper around the room. On each piece of paper have
letters from the alphabet listed in order on each. Have students travel to each
chart and write unit-specific phrases or sentences that contain words with the
particular letter(s) that are on the chart. For instance, below the letter P they
may write, “Physical characteristics of a region include its landscape, climate,
natural resources, and population.” Rotate the groups to all of the charts. Cut
apart the charts and pass out a letter to each student. Have students illustrate
the letters they receive.
Provide students with a blank United States map. Have them identify and
color each region a different color. Students should create a key for the map
naming each region. Using the information collected throughout the unit, have
students write the characteristics of the region. Assign an amount of required
characteristics per region. These may be assessed for the number of required
characteristics and the accuracy of these descriptions.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 2Geographic and Cultural Characteristics
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 1: Provide students with terms that describe physical characteristics
and human characteristics. Have students categorize the terms into each
category. Refer to the Physical and Human Characteristics Quiz BLM. An
answer key is also available.

Activity 2: Have students choose two regions to compare and contrast based
on the physical features of the region. Students should write an essay
explaining the similarities and differences of the two regions they chose.

Activity 5: Have students create a brochure for the region they researched
using the information they collected. The brochure should include
illustrations, captions, and maps and should address the questions generated
for the research guide or discussed during their presentations. Once these are
completed, collect the brochures and put students into groups of four. Then
distribute one brochure from each region to the groups and provide them with
a graphic organizer so they may compare and contrast two regions. Refer to
the Comparing Regions Venn Diagram BLM used in Activity 2. The graphic
organizer should be assessed for accuracy. To assess the brochure, refer to the
Rubric for Grading the Brochure BLM.

Activity 5: Use the RAFT Writing Assignment Rubric to assess the accuracy,
perspective, focus, and mechanics of the RAFT essay.
Resources
Books
Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
Scholastic Atlas of the United States by David Rubel
The United States of America: A State by State Guide by Millie Miller and Cyndi
Nelson
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 2Geographic and Cultural Characteristics
27
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 3: The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the human settlement within the major regions of the United States.
The unit examines the groups of people who inhabited the regions in the past, as well as
the people who live there today. This unit includes skills in historical and geographical
analysis to explore the history and culture of the United States.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the characteristics of people living in various regions of the
United States. They can compare beliefs, customs, and traditions within regions, as well
as how people might have changed over time. They can present the causes and effects of
the major historical events and migrations within the regions.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students compare the beliefs, customs, and traditions of various cultures
and how they may have changed over time?
2. Can students identify and discuss early explorers and explorations in North
America?
3. Can students recognize the causes and effects of voluntary and involuntary
migrations to and within the United States?
4. Can students locate the best place for human settlement based on a map and
given information?
5. Can students construct and interpret a timeline, as well as compare and
contrast primary and secondary sources?
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 28
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Unit 3 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Places and Regions
7.
Identify the best place for human settlement based on a map showing physical
characteristics of an area (G-1B-E1)
History
50.
Interpret data presented in a timeline or construct a historical timeline (e.g.,
events in history, historical figure’s life and accomplishments) (H-1A-E1)
51.
Compare how a person today might view an issue or event differently from a
person living in an earlier time (H-1A-E2)
52.
Describe the point of view of an historical figure or group, drawing on given
stimulus material (e.g., views expressed in the “I Have a Dream” speech)
53.
Interpret historical information in a map, table, or graph (H-1A-E3)
54.
Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources (H-1A-E3)
55.
Describe beliefs, customs, and traditions of family life in the past and present
(H-1B-E1)
56.
Identify and describe major early explorers and explorations in North America
(H-1C-E1)
Louisiana and United States History
61.
Identify the causes and effects of the major historical (voluntary and
involuntary) migrations to and within America (H-1C-E3) (G-1C-E3)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Map Skills (GLEs: 7, 53)
Materials List: various landscape art prints, modeling clay, ten small cubes, such as
sugar cubes, per student, journals/compositions, physical and population maps
Show students various landscape art prints. For photos of landscape artwork, refer to:
http://www.ronschlorffart.com/index.html. Have students imagine they could actually go
inside these paintings and live somewhere in the landscape. Ask them where they feel
would be the best place for them to settle and why. Record the responses using the
computer and presentation monitor or a chart. Working in groups of two-to-four, have
students build landscapes from modeling clay. In the landscapes, have them include the
following: trees, rivers, lakes, oceans, beaches, mountains, and desert areas. Pass out ten
cubes. Tell each student that these cubes represent human settlements. Ask students to
add their cubes to the landscapes where they feel that humans would most likely settle. In
their social studies journals/compositions, students will individually sketch their
landscapes including the symbols for human settlement. Have students create a key, and
then respond to the following in their journals:
 How many cubes did you put in the desert area? Why?
 How many cubes did you put in the mountains? Why?
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 29
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008


How many cubes did you put on the beach along the ocean? Why?
Where did you put most of the cubes? What caused you to put most of them in
that area?
Then distribute physical maps and population maps to students. For various maps of the
United States, refer to:
 Physical Map:
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/satellite/Landsat_18.pdf
 Political Map:
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf
 Population Theme Map:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
Have them locate major cities on the population maps and compare their locations to the
physical maps. Have students determine the reason for settlement in certain areas based
on various landforms and bodies of water.
Activity 2: Background/Chronology (GLE: 50)
Materials List: list of important events in United States history
Have students generate a list of major events of their lives. Students should begin with
the dates of their births and include events such as the births of siblings, starting school,
starting a youth sports team, going on vacation, etc. Have them construct a timeline
showing all their events appropriately spaced. Then have them explain information
provided on the timeline.
Follow the previous activity by giving students a list of important historical events from
the history of the United States and ask them to construct a class timeline showing these
events with accurate spacing. The following events could be included in the timeline:
Christopher Columbus’s exploration, Hernando de Soto’s exploration, LaSalle’s
exploration, Pilgrims’ Mayflower voyage, Lewis and Clark Expedition, Revolutionary
War, Signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Louisiana Purchase. For a
timeline of exploration refer to: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0902416.html. The
purpose of this activity is to provide a historical perspective for students. In the
following activities, students will encounter many events throughout history and should
use the timeline to provide a frame of reference. It may be beneficial to include current
events in the timeline as well.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 30
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Activity 3: Exploration to America (GLEs: 56, 61)
Materials List: maps of the world in 1482 and 1500, chart paper, puzzle maze, one
Exploration Process Guide BLM per student, index cards
Ask students to define an explorer or to tell what they know about explorers. Post this
definition on a chart.
Share with the class a world map of 1482. For a world map of 1482, refer to:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/images/gm004001.jpg. Ask the students to compare
the map to a contemporary world map. Students could note such points as: There are no
North or South American continents on the 1482 map, and the Indian Ocean is shown
surrounded by land. Then lead the class in a discussion about the maps. Does the 1482
map indicate that people knew the world was round? (Yes, the rounded portions of the
map are a result of the attempt to show a round, three-dimensional object on a flat map.)
What makes the date of this map significant? (Columbus's first voyage, only ten years
later, would change the map of the world forever.)
Show students a map reflective of the world in 1520. For a map of the world in 1520,
refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PietroCoppo.jpg. Help students locate the
countries of England, Spain, France, Africa, and Portugal on the maps and label them.
Explain to the students that many of the early explorers of North and South America
traveled from these countries for different reasons. Provide each student with a puzzle
maze. For a puzzle maze, refer to:
http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes/006_2SmallMazes_10x10.html. Give students time
to complete the maze. Explain that this was what it was like for early explorers setting
out on their own in a boat. They had very limited resources and maps, and simple
navigational instruments which made their explorations very challenging. On the timeline
created in Activity 2, show the students where the dates of exploration of the Americas
began.
Explain to students that they will be researching various explorers using a process guide
(view literacy strategy descriptions). Refer to the Explorer Process Guide BLM. Even
though the students are working in pairs, each student should complete his/her own
process guide. As students progress through information sources learning about world
explorers, their processing of the information should be guided. Process guides scaffold
students’ comprehension in a unique format. The guide is designed to stimulate students’
thinking during or after their reading. The guide will also help students focus on the
important information, making their discovery more efficient. By completing the guide,
students will process the new information at a higher level. Also, the completed guide
may be used as a study aid for quizzes and other class activities.
Assign pairs of students an explorer to research. The following are possible explorers to
be assigned to students: Christopher Columbus, Robert Cavalier Sieur de la Salle,
Hernando de Soto, Amerigo Vespucci, Ferdinand Magellan, Henry Hudson, John Cabot,
John C. Fremont, John Smith, Leif Erikson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Juan
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 31
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Ponce de Leon, Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, Sir Francis Drake, Samuel de
Champlain, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet. Ask students to work with their partners
to fill in the Exploration Process Guide BLM for their assigned explorer.
Students are to use information from reference materials to complete the process guides.
The following websites may be used for reference materials on early exploration:
 Explorers:
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/explorers/explorers.htm
 Why Explorers Explored the World:
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002678F/why.htm
 Discoverers Alphabetically:
http://www.win.tue.nl/cs/fm/engels/discovery/alpha.html
 Explorers Database:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C001692/english/index.php3?subject=explorers/database&
type=name
 Exploration of North America Interactive Map:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/books/applications/imaps/maps/g5s_u2/index.ht
ml
At the conclusion of the activity above, have students present their findings to the class.
They should also document their research on an index card and post their cards in the
appropriate place on the class timeline.
Activity 4: Interview an Explorer (GLE: 51)
Materials List: completed Exploration Process Guide BLMs from Activity 3, one
Explorer Interview BLM per student, one Explorer and I Venn Diagram BLM per student
Explain to the students that they will be using their process guides from Activity 3 for
information as they pretend to be explorers. Assign students a partner, different from the
pairs created in Activity 3. One student will pretend to be the “interviewer” and the other
will be the “explorer.” Distribute the Explorer Interview BLM. The “interviewer” will
pose each question to the “explorer.” The "explorer" should use the information from the
process guide to generate reasonable answers to the questions. As he/she answers, the
interviewer will fill in the Explorer Interview BLM. Once the interview is over, the
students will switch roles. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to put
themselves in the shoes of early explorers. The questions on the Explorer Interview
BLM are designed to make students infer how early explorers might view the modern
world and current technologies.
Once each student has participated in both roles, explorer and interviewer, he/she is to
complete a Venn Diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to
compare his/her life to the life of their explorer. Refer to the Explorer and I Venn
Diagram BLM.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 32
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Activity 5: What They Brought With Them (GLE: 55)
Materials List: transparency of What They Brought With Them Split-Page Notes BLM
Culture is learned behavior communicated through language, religion, social
organizations, and diffused information. Review that culture is the language, food, music,
customs/celebrations, art, religion, and folklore of a group of people in an area. Regions
may be defined by cultural characteristics. Historical events (e.g., invasion and conquest)
alter regional culture and regional landscapes, causing inhabitants to view events and
their importance differently. Beginning with Columbus's first landing in the New World,
European nations laid claim to what would become the United States. Thus, regional
landscapes reflect the values and cultural characteristics of their inhabitants. This activity
will help students make connections between European voyages of discovery and the
various aspects of American culture.
With textbook resources, Internet sources, and lectures for this topic, guide students in
the process of recording important information in a split-page notetaking format (view
literacy strategy descriptions). Present a transparency of the What They Brought With
Them Split-Page Notes BLM. Explain the value of taking notes in this format by saying
it logically organizes information and ideas from multiple sources; it helps separate big
ideas from supporting details; it promotes active reading and listening; and it allows
inductive and deductive prompting for rehearsing and remembering the information.
Model and guide students throughout the split-page notetaking process and provide a
brief lecture on the topic of the cultural contributions of exploration. Tell students to
draw a line from top to bottom approximately two-to-three inches from the left edge on a
sheet of notepaper. They should try to split the page into one-third and two-thirds. After
modeling, allow students to document the information independently. Allow students to
compare their notes with a partner, and then answer questions and provide clarification
using the prepared model notes as a guide. Show them how they can prompt recall by
bending the sheet of notes so that information in the right or left columns is covered.
Continue to periodically model and guide students as they take split-page notes and
increase their effectiveness with this technique. Assessments should sample information
that students should record in their split-page notes. In this way, they will see the
connection between taking notes in this format and achievement on quizzes and tests.
Reference materials for the lecture can be located at:
 Explorers of North America:
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/explorers/explorers.htm
 Colonial America 1600 – 1775:
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colonial.htm#M
 Spanish Contributions to America:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/Circa1804/Heritage/SpanishInfluence/Sp
anishInfluence.htm
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 33
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
 Migration: the Human Journey:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/09/gapacket05.pdf
 Culture Quest World Tour:
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/europe/europe.html
Activity 6: Migrations (GLEs: 50, 55, 61)
Materials List: social studies journals, chart or bulletin board paper
Have students share ideas about why people move or relocate from one area to another
(e.g., loss of job, lack of opportunity, overcrowding, famine, war). What aspects of an
area do people consider when moving (e.g., better jobs, better climate, lower taxes, more
room, professional opportunity)? Discuss historical events that may have forced groups
of people to move from one area to another within or to the United States (e.g., slavery,
religious persecution, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, etc.). Discuss events that led to people
moving voluntarily (e.g., Oregon Trail, Industrial Revolution, etc.). Divide students into
cooperative learning groups, with each group designated a topic of study. Suggested
topics may include the Jamestown settlement, the Cherokee Trail of Tears, the routes of
slave ships, the Underground Railroad, the settlement of Plymouth, the Oregon Trail, and
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Have students determine the push and pull factors, as well
as the cause and effects of the migration. Then have the groups present their information
by taking on the role of individuals of the time period. The students in these groups could
write journal entries or letters in the roles of the immigrants to express how they may
have been feeling or to explain issues that they would have faced. In conclusion, create a
collaborative class chart illustrating the migratory groups, the push and pull factors, and
cause and effects of the migration. Add these events to the class timeline.
Activity 7: Words That Built a Nation (GLEs: 50, 52, 54)
Materials List: video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, various
primary and secondary source documents, butcher paper, construction paper, markers,
pictures of various speechmakers, Life-Sized Speaker Project Rubric BLM
Introduce the concept of a primary source document by asking the students to describe in
their social studies journals what they ate for supper the night before. Have a few students
share their descriptions. Explain to students that they are the primary sources on their
suppers because the students were there. If someone in the class tried to describe what
someone else ate for supper, it would not be quite the same because he/she would be
retelling what was described. This would be a secondary source. Explain that many
history books are secondary sources, although they may include some primary source
information. Illustrate this with a textbook. Have students discover that the primary
source text is usually set apart in some way from the secondary source material. For
primary and secondary sources, refer to:
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 34
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
 http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/la/books/bkd/sources/index.html
 http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/la/books/bke/sources/index.html
If possible, show a video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, I Have a Dream speech. For a
video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, refer to:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm. Discuss how Dr.
King’s tone, voice, and emotion might have affected people who were listening to the
speech at that time. Have students use primary and secondary sources to explore the
various points of view people had of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the speech. Divide
students into groups of four. Distribute to each group copies of speeches made by famous
Americans such as Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, I
Have a Dream. For a collection of famous speeches (audio, video and text) refer to:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/.
Ask students to identify what type of source these would be (primary) and why (because
these were actual words spoken by these people). Have the students read the speeches
silently, then have one group member read it aloud to the others. Have students highlight
key words in the speech and locate the main idea. Then have them respond to the speech
in their social studies logs by explaining what the speech was about and why it helped to
build the country.
Provide groups with an illustration of the speaker. Have students work in groups to create
a life-sized character of the speaker. This may be created from butcher paper. Have them
dress the characters in clothes (made of construction paper or drawn on with markers)
reflective of the time period. Students should create five symbols to represent ideas from
the speech and should attach the symbols to one hand of the character. In the other hand,
students should attach a copy of the speech. Have students orally record the speeches.
Place the characters around the room and, in their groups of four, have students move to
each one and listen to the tape of his speech. Students should record in their social studies
journals the name of the speaker, the year of the speech, and the main idea of the speech.
Have the students make note of the five symbols used on the character and have them
describe in their journals the significance of each one. Use a rubric to assess the project
as well as the notes taken by the students in their social studies journals as they learned
about each speaker and the speech he/she delivered. (See Life-Sized Speaker Project
Rubric BLM.)
Once students have listened and responded to each speech, have them gather back as a
whole class, refer to their notes, and discuss any common themes shared in the speeches.
Next, hang connected sentence strips on a wall in the room (or use the Timeliner®
software) and plot on the timeline the names of the famous Americans as well as the
dates and titles of their speeches. Discuss any events occurring in the world or in the U.S.
at the time of these speeches that may have influenced the speech. Have students
construct a timeline using adding machine tape to replicate the model. These should be
stapled in the students’ social studies journals. Finally, have students write short speeches
that begin with “I have a dream ...” with a focus on how they envision their futures in
America.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 35
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



Working in groups of four, have students create a scrapbook that targets the
concepts explored throughout this unit. Students should provide illustrations,
captions, and text that reflect what they have learned.
Students should create a timeline to include the dates of exploration and migration
throughout this unit. The timelines should include the names of individuals and
groups associated with the exploration and migration as well as symbols or
pictures to depict each.
Students will participate in a Jeopardy® game based on key concepts in this unit
including settlement, exploration, migration, and key words that built our nation.
For a Jeopardy® PowerPoint® template refer to:
http://teach.fcps.net/trt10/PowerPoint.htm#temp
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 3: Pass out blank outline maps of North and South America to each
student. As the groups of students present their explorer, have them color code the
maps to reflect the settlements of each of the explorers. Have students create a
key and write the abbreviation for each country next to the name of the explorer.

Activity 4: Present students with a blank Venn Diagram and have them compare
the explorer that they researched with the explorer researched by their interview
partner.

Activity 7: Students in each group will create a life-sized character of the person
whose speech they have researched. These may be made of butcher paper and
dressed using construction paper, yarn, bulletin board paper, and markers or
crayons. Provide students with a picture of their famous speaker. Have them
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 36
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
create clothes reflective of the time periods in which they lived. Students should
attach a nametag to each character to identify him or her. Additionally, they
should create five symbols to attach to the characters that represent key concepts
in the speech. A written explanation of each symbol should be attached to the
character. They should also attach a copy of the speech to the life-sized character.
Refer to the Life-Sized Speaker Project Rubric BLM to assess this project.
Resources
Books
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringold
The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln; illustrated by Michael McCurdy
Gold Fever by Rosalyn Schanzer
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
If You Traveled in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris
The Santa Fe Trail by David Lavender
The Ten Mile Day: The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann
Fraser
The United States in the 19th Century from Scholastic Books
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz
What’s the Deal? by Rhoda Blumberg
Who Was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Brindell Fradin
You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Pioneer! by Jacqueline Morley
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 3The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 37
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 4: The Movement of Ideas: Scientific Contributions and Culture
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the national culture of the United States. The unit examines how
dance, music, and arts of various cultures around the world, as well as scientific and
technological advancements, reflect the history of people living in the United States
today. The unit uses skills in historical and geographical analysis to explore the history
and cultures of the United States.
Student Understandings
Students identify cultural elements from around the world, as well as the United States,
and how those cultural elements have contributed to society. They understand significant
historical, scientific, and technological advancements. Students recognize important
historical figures throughout the ages and are able to explain their achievements.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students describe the influence of cultural elements on America’s national
heritage?
2. Can students identify cultural elements, beliefs, and significant historical
achievements of various cultures around the world?
3. Can students identify historical figures and achievements from around the
world and describe the impact of their contributions on society?
Unit 4 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
History
62.
63.
64.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Identify and explain cultural elements that have contributed to our national
heritage (H-1C-E4)
Identify how dance, music, and arts of various cultures around the world reflect
the history, daily life, and beliefs of the people (H-1D-E1)
Identify significant historical achievements of various cultures of the world (e.g.,
building of the pyramids, founding of the Olympics) (H-1D-E1)
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
GLE #
65.
66.
67.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Identify and describe inventions that have affected people’s lives or altered their
view of the world (H-1D-E2)
Identify the chronological order of major scientific or technological advancements
(H-1D-E2)
Identify important historic figures from around the world and explain the impact
of their contributions (e.g., Galileo, Madame Curie, Gutenberg) (H-1D-E3)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Culture and the National Heritage (GLE: 62)
Materials List: American Culture Opinionnaire BLM, one large envelope per student
group, newspapers, magazines
Review that culture is the language, food, music, customs/celebrations, art, religion, and
folklore of a group of people living in an area. Use the American Culture Opinionnaire
BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions) to force students to take a position on a
statement about American culture and to defend their position. The emphasis is on
student points of view and not the “correctness” of their opinions. Have students work in
pairs to read and discuss each statement, then write down reasons for their opinions.
Statements should be written in such a way as to elicit attitudes and feelings, which in
turn should promote language production, activate relevant prior knowledge, and lead to
engaged reading and listening. Afterward, invite students to share their opinions on each
statement. Force each student to take a stand. Separate students into two groups, those
who agree and those who disagree. Then ask the two groups to briefly debate the
statement and allow for any student who changes his/her mind to move to the other
group. By taking a stand on issues related to culture and engaging in critical discussion
about those issues, students will heighten their expectation of the content and make many
new connections from their opinions and ideas to those of their classmates. After
covering content on American culture, students can revisit their opinionnaires to consider
whether their opinions have changed and why.
Introduce the term time capsule to the students. Arrange students in cooperative groups.
Pass out a large envelope to each group and ask them to fill it with drawings or
newspaper/magazine clippings that would reflect items of America’s national culture
during this time period. Students should also provide a caption for each picture
explaining why the particular item was chosen to reflect this time period. Students should
include a picture of an invention, a style of clothing, the title of a song or type of music,
and an important news event of modern times. Have students share their pictures and
captions with another group and compare what was drawn.
With the students’ pictures, create a timeline that highlights life in the United States, from
the years 1960 through the current date. Each group should contribute one illustration for
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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the timeline. Explain that with the students’ help, the class will construct a timeline for
the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and the first decade of the 2000s. Tell
students they will be interviewing a family member, friend, or teacher who lived during
one of these time periods. Through class discussion, have students select the questions
that are most important to ask in the interview. Allow students to include additional
questions if they wish. Sample questions are as follows:
 What kinds of clothes did you wear?
 Which Presidents served during this time period?
 What one event or activity do you remember most?
 Do you think Americans have more or less freedom today than they had then?
Why?
 In your opinion, how has our country changed since then?
 Describe one or two items that were invented during the decade?
 What were the major news events of the decade?
 In your opinion, which event had the biggest impact on our country?
 What types of music were popular?
 What did you do for entertainment?
 How have prices of items changed since then? Provide specific examples.
Have students audiotape their interviews or write answers to interview questions and
write journal entries to summarize answers from their interviews. Have them give oral
summaries of the interviews with accompanying pictures or drawings of some significant
events in these decades. Students will mount pictures and create captions for them so they
can be added to the timeline.
Activity 2: Music and the Arts as Culture (GLEs: 62, 63)
Materials List: research materials on different types of music or visual arts
Have groups of students research different types of music (e.g., jazz, rock and roll, blues)
or some form of visual art, focusing on their origins, diffusion, and impact on American
culture. Have them create some form of artistic representation of each genre to display on
the class timeline. For reference materials on music and visual arts, refer to:
 Instrument Encyclopedia:
http://www.si.umich.edu/chico/instrument/
 History of Jazz:
http://pbskids.org/jazz/
 ThinkQuest Music History:
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/cat_show.html?cat_id=170
 Smithsonian Art:
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/explore_by_topic/everything_art.html
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Activity 3: Historical Achievements (GLE: 64)
Materials List: long strip of art paper, world map
Mount a long strip of art paper along one classroom wall to create an ongoing timeline
for the world. Refer to a world map and have students locate the United States. Remind
students that they have been constructing a timeline of the United States to help them
better understand the heritage of the nation. The world timeline will help illustrate the
important events that shaped the world. Explain to students that this timeline will be used
with the U.S. timeline to give them a perspective of what events were happening in the
world in addition to those occurring in the U.S. Add significant events related to the
topics of study during the school year, as appropriate. On the line, place events and
achievements from ancient Egyptian civilization, the Roman period, the Age of
Exploration, and the present.
Lead a class discussion about ancient Egypt and other civilizations whose
accomplishments are listed on the timeline. Explain that important events will be
recorded on the classroom timeline as they are studied (e.g., building of the pyramids,
founding of the Olympics). Make use of the timeline on a regular basis, adding each
event and person studied. Provide students with personal copies of the class timeline, and
ask them to record events as they are added to the large classroom timeline. For
reference materials on ancient civilizations, refer to:
 Ancient Civilizations:
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/ancientcivilizations.htm
 Ancient History:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/
Activity 4: Culture and Our National Heritage (GLE: 62)
Materials List: research materials on traditions from other countries, poster paper,
PowerPoint®, computers (optional)
Ask students to imagine a salad full of good ingredients. Explain that the culture of our
country is a great deal like a salad full of wonderful items because people in this country
have come here from all over the world. They have brought with them a variety of
traditions including celebrations, food, clothing, and art. Explain that many foods,
celebrations, and sports have their roots in other countries while some began in the
United States.
From student input, create a list of items such as foods, sports, and celebrations. Put
students in partnerships and have each pair research one of the items generated on the list
to determine its country of origin. Each pair of students should create a poster or
PowerPoint® slide that depicts an illustration of the food, sport, or celebration; an outline
of their country; and a world map with their country highlighted in some way to illustrate
its location within the context of the world. Additionally, they should include the time
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
period depicting when the item became part of the United States culture. Have each
partnership present its findings to the class. As presentations are made, each student in
the class should complete a table including the name of the cultural element, the name of
the country of its origin, and the date it became part of American culture.
For research materials on traditions from other countries, refer to:
 Culture Quest World Tour:
http://www.ipl.org/youth/cquest/
 Global Gang:
http://www.globalgang.org.uk/reallife/
Activity 5: Historical Achievements (GLEs: 66, 67)
Materials List: teacher-made PowerPoint® or storyboard on Galileo, Curie, and
Gutenberg; research materials on famous figures in history
Have the students create a Walk of Fame that identifies the contributions of famous
important historic figures from around the world and explain the impact of their
contributions (e.g., Galileo, Madame Curie, Gutenberg).
Show a teacher-made PowerPoint® or storyboard to explain how Galileo, Curie, and
Gutenberg made significant historical contributions and why they are regarded as famous
figures in history. For reference materials on these historic contributions, refer to:
 Galileo Galilei PowerPoint:
http://qoptics.byu.edu/Physics471/Presentations/Galileo.ppt
 Madame Marie Curie PowerPoint:
http://tclauset.org/cpg132/albums/FTPupLoads/PPT_05/MCurie_ClaireG.ppt
 Johannes Gutenberg:
http://www.mainz.de/gutenberg/english/index.htm
Have the students work in pairs to research the life of one of the individuals from the list
below or another significant historical figure of their choosing.
Albert Einstein
Alexander Graham Bell
Alfred Nobel
Amelia Earhart
George Washington
Carver
Andrew Carnegie
Thomas Edison
Bill Gates
James Watt
Christa McAuliffe
Louis Braille
Susan B. Anthony
Eli Whitney
Wright Brothers
Leonardo Da Vinci
Levi Strauss
John J. Audubon
Duke Ellington
Harriet Tubman
Sir Isaac Newton
Refer to the following websites for research material:
 List of Inventions and Inventors:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/
 Cybersleuth Inventors:
http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Science/Inventors/
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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

Bios for Kids:
http://www.biography.com/bio4kids/bio4kids-meet.jsp
America’s Story:
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa
Have the students share the results of their research in class. Their research should
include the following:
 name of the historical figure
 year of birth and year of death
 picture of the historical figure
 country of origin
 summary of their accomplishments
 impact of their contribution to society
Based on the historical figures researched, create a class timeline, sequencing in
chronological order the major cultural contributions made. (Note: Modify the United
States timeline created for the decades, adding more room for the time periods before the
1960s.)
Activity 6: Historical Achievement-Electricity (GLE: 65)
Materials List: chart paper, How Electricity Changed the Day BLM
Ask students to imagine what life was probably like without electricity. Lead the students
in brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions) about the activities of pioneer life
and list them in the How Electricity Changed the Day BLM indicating how daily tasks
have changed with the widespread use of electricity. A sample of the How Electricity
Changed the Day BLM is below.
ACTIVITIES DURING PIONEER LIFE
Maintaining a heating stove
HOW ELECTRICITY CHANGED THE
ACTIVITIES
Electrically operated furnace made heating
automatic
Chopping raw vegetables with knife
Washing dishes in a pan
Sleeping in a cold bed in an unheated room
Activity 7: Historical Achievements-Inventions (GLEs: 65, 66)
Materials List: research materials on different inventions, Archeology Process Guide
BLM
Allow students to choose one item from the list below. It is not necessary that all be used
if the number of items does not match the number of students in the class. Refer to the
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
following website for information on various inventions:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/.
light bulb
oil drill
digital video recorder
television
Levi jeans
cell phone
airplane
automobile
camera
steel plow
telegraph
satellite television
sewing machine
streetcar
telephone
personal computer
combine
elevated electric railroad
bicycle
elevator
alkaline battery
X-ray machine
radio
gaming system (Play Station)
mp3 player
safety pin
icrowave
Ask students to research and report on the inventions to find answers to the following
questions:
 Who invented it?
 When was it invented?
 Where was it invented?
 How does the invention work?
 What need prompted the invention?
 How has the invention evolved today?
 How has the invention impacted life in America?
 What did the original invention look like? (Include diagram, drawing, or
picture.)
Have students put the illustrations and titles of inventions on a timeline after the research
and reports are completed. Students will keep a bulleted chronological list of inventions
and dates in their social studies logs/journals.
After students have completed their research, present students with the Archeology
Process Guide BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions). To complete this process
guide, students must be able to think at an applied level. Instead of requiring literal level
processing, the students must demonstrate that they can manipulate their learning about
scientific achievements. The Archeology Process Guide BLM presents students with an
excavation scenario. Students must place artifacts in order from various periods of
history based on how they would have been deposited in layers of rock over time.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines


Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data collection entries, report writing, group work, and journal
entries.
All student-developed projects and student investigations should be evaluated as
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008


the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



Given a sentence strip or strip of poster paper about a yard long, students will
create a timeline for the United States reflecting major scientific and
technological advancements as well as cultural elements from each time period.
Students will focus on two-to-three consecutive decades. Upon completion of the
timeline, students should write a reflection describing how times changed from
the time period at the beginning of their timeline to the time period at the end.
Students will create picture books of the decades 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990
based on the reports written from the interviews and information from the
timeline. Students will compile the information from their interviews to create the
text. Then students should create illustrations to accompany the text.
Have students work in partnerships to create a collage with ten illustrations and
captions depicting our culture. These may be fashions, popular songs, inventions,
etc. Upon completion of the collage, students justify in writing why they chose
their ten items to best reflect our way of life.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 1: Have students work in partnerships with another student who
researched a decade different from theirs. Have them create a Venn diagram to
compare and contrast the decades. Following this comparison, have students
independently write essays describing similarities and differences between the
two decades.

Activity 6: Using their charts from this activity, have students write a diary entry
from the viewpoint of a pioneer student. Have them use key events that would
illustrate what life was like without electricity.

Activity 7: Have students choose ten items from a list of inventions. Students are
to create a timeline depicting the order in which the inventions were discovered or
created.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Resources
Books
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine and Wayne Parmenter
Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman, Laurie McGaw, and Barbara Hehner
Thomas Alva Edison: Young Inventor by Louis Sabin
When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest and P.J. Lynch
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 4The Movement of Ideas
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 5: The Movement of Goods and Resources
Time Frame: Approximately four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the economy. The unit examines how natural resources are used in
the local region, the state, and the nation and how economic activities affect people living
in the United States today. The unit demonstrates how people exchange goods and
services and explores the characteristics of buyers and sellers.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the United States economy. Students will locate economic
activities that use natural resources and describe the importance of the activities to those
areas. They will also describe how markets work.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students demonstrate a basic understanding of the economy, the role of
markets, and ways of transporting goods?
2. Can students identify the significance of natural resources to people and the
economy?
3. Can students differentiate economic activities from the local region, state and
national levels?
4. Can students identify natural, human, and capital resources?
5. Can students identify and use key vocabulary to define basic economic
concepts?
6. Can students demonstrate a basic understanding of the cyclical economic
relationship among individuals, households, businesses, and governments?
Unit 5 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks
Geography
Places and Regions
1.
Interpret different kinds of maps using a map key/legend, compass rose, cardinal
and intermediate directions, and distance scale (G-1A-E1)
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 5The Movement of Goods and Resources
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
14.
Locate economic activities that use natural resources in the local region, state, and
nation and describe the importance of the activities to these areas (G-1C-E5)
Environment and Society
18.
Describe the importance of specific natural resources to human survival and
human endeavors (G-1D-E4)
19.
Describe the use, distribution, and importance of natural resources in different
regions of the United States using geographic tools such as maps (G-1D-E4)
Economics
Fundamental Economic Concepts
36.
Demonstrate that limited resources require choices and decisions (E-1A-E1)
37.
Explain the factors, including trade-offs, involved in a choice or decision (e.g.,
discuss the choices and decisions involved in developing a personal budget) (E1A-E4)
38.
Identify the four basic questions all producers must answer (i.e., What will be
produced? How will it be produced? For whom will it be produced? How much
will be produced?) (E-1A-E5)
39.
Describe the combination of natural, human, and capital resources needed to
produce a given good (e.g., a candy bar) or a given service (e.g., recycling paper)
(E-1A-E6)
40.
Define some effects of division of labor and specialization in a given context, such
as a simple assembly line (e.g., greater labor productivity/output per hour) (E-1AE7)
41.
Describe the benefits of increasing one’s skill/knowledge and various ways to do
so (E-1A-E8)
42.
Describe the basic concept of a market (e.g., exchange of goods/services between
buyers and sellers) and identify ways of transporting goods (E-1A-E9)
43.
Identify the roles of banks, governments, businesses, and households in the
economy (E-1A-E10)
44.
Identify the relationship between money, writing checks, and credit cards (E-1AE11)
45.
Explain why people engage in voluntary exchange/barter/direct trading (E-1AE11)
Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments
46.
Describe how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service in a given
situation (E-1B-E3)
47.
Explain how a rise or fall in prices affects personal, family, and government
budgets (E-1B-E2)
48.
Identify the terms profit and risk and give examples of risks that businesses take to
make a profit (E-1B-E3)
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 5The Movement of Goods and Resources
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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Sample Activities
Activity 1: ABCs of Economy (All GLEs in this Unit)
Materials List: Economics Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM, thirty-eight index
cards with holes punched in the left corner, fastener or string, teacher-created
PowerPoint® on economic terms
Before beginning this unit, have students complete a vocabulary self-awareness (view
literacy strategy descriptions) activity to pre-assess the students’ understanding of key
vocabulary terms introduced in this unit. Refer to the Economics Vocabulary SelfAwareness Chart BLM. (See the BLM.) Do not give students definitions or examples at
this stage. Ask students to rate their understanding of each word with either a “+”
(understand well), a “√” (limited understanding or unsure), or a “—” (don’t know).
Teachers and students should use the vocabulary chart as an indicator of their knowledge
of critical content vocabulary, so if gaps in understanding still exist after the words are
initially taught, the teacher should be prepared to provide extra instruction or other
vocabulary learning activities for those students. Over the course of the unit students are
to return to the chart and add new information to it. The goal is to replace all the check
marks and minus signs with plus signs.
Provide students with thirty-eight index cards with holes punched in the left corner. On
the first card, students should label the booklet “Economics Alphabet Book.” On the
remaining cards, students are to write each word from the Economics Vocabulary SelfAwareness Chart. Have students alphabetize the cards. Then provide students with a
fastener or string to bind the cards together to make a booklet. This will become a
resource for economic concepts and terms discussed throughout the unit. As they are
exposed to the new terms/concepts, have them create a vocabulary card (view literacy
strategy descriptions) for each term in their Economics Alphabet Book. Each card should
resemble and include the information on the following sample card:
Definition:
Something that
occurs in a natural
state and has
economic value
Characteristics:
Renewable
Nonrenewable
natural
resources
Examples:
coal, oil, wood,
water
Term/Concept
Illustration:
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 5The Movement of Goods and Resources
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Use a PowerPoint® slideshow to introduce the economic concepts and terms listed in the
Economics Vocabulary Self Awareness Chart BLM. Present at least two new terms each
day of the unit and have students record them in their Economics Alphabet books. In
addition to the PowerPoint® presentation, create an Economics Word Wall in which
terms and definitions will be posted in alphabetical order for reference. As each word is
introduced, add it with a symbol or picture to represent the economic term to the word
wall. Allow time for students to review their cards and quiz each other with them in
preparation for tests and other class activities.
Activity 2: Economic Activities (GLE: 14)
Materials List: Local, State, and National Economy BLM; computer and presentation
monitor (optional); newspapers and magazines; Economic Activities/Resources of the
United States Chart BLM
Provide students with the Local, State, and National Economy BLM. A sample is below.
National
State
Local
Explain to students that the word economics relates to the way that people use goods and
resources to meet their needs and wants. Have them define this as the first word in their
Economy Alphabet book. Additionally, explain to students that they have been part of the
local, state, and national economy before and may not even realize it. Ask students if they
have ever purchased anything in the community. Elicit student responses. Using a
computer and presentation monitor (if available), display the students’ reactions under the
title Local Economy. Then ask students if they have ever gone on a trip around the state
and stayed in a hotel, eaten at a restaurant, and purchased items while they were there.
Elicit responses from the students and post these in the State Economy section. Finally,
ask students if they have ever gone on a trip through several states either by car or plane.
Elicit responses from the students regarding what expenses were incurred on the trip
including gas, airline tickets, etc. List these in the National Economy section. Have
students write in the appropriate circles at least five economic activities for each level.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 5The Movement of Goods and Resources
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Ask the students to look for pictures of economic activities/resources in newspapers and
magazines and bring them to class. Using about twenty pictures, ask students to sort them
into three categories—Local Economy, State Economy, and National Economy. Using
the pictures of the various economic activities collected, have students complete the
Economic Activities/Resources of the United States Chart BLM. Encourage discussion
about the differences among the three categories of activities. After completion of the
chart, ask students to create a collage of pictures depicting the three categories. Discuss
the importance and overlapping of the activities on three levels.
Activity 3: Natural Resources and Human Survival (GLE: 18)
Materials List: chart paper
Have students generate a list of basic human needs on chart paper. Once the list has been
generated, have the students divide the list into three categories: food, clothing, and
shelter. As a class, come to a consensus on a definition of natural resource. Have
students in teams of two choose two items from two different categories and list the
natural resources needed to produce the items.
Example:
House
Category: shelter
Natural resources: wood (trees), metal, sand, soil
After learning about the concept of natural resources, have the students write a story
chain (view literacy strategy descriptions) about why natural resources are important to
human survival. Creating a story chain will promote writing and reading. Group the
students into teams of five. The first student in the group initiates the story. The next
student adds a second line. The next student will contribute the third line, etc. until the
last student summarizes the situation. All group members should be prepared to revise the
story based on the last student’s input as to whether it was clear or not. Students should
be encouraged to be creative. Encourage students to discuss why natural resources are
important to human endeavors (e.g., they help individuals satisfy their basic needs by
taking natural resources and creating things beyond their original state). When finished,
allow groups to share their stories with the class to stimulate further discussion. See the
sample story from a story chain group below:
It is important
that humans
keep natural
resources
healthy.
Keeping water
quality healthy
cleans the
atmosphere and
environment,
and nourishes
plants and
animals.
Healthy plants
and trees
absorb carbon
from the
atmosphere and
release oxygen.
They supply
food and
medicine, and
provide shelter
for plants and
animals.
A healthy
atmosphere
protects life on
the planet,
shielding it
from harmful
radiation from
the sun. It also
provides a
blanket of
warmth around
the planet.
Grade 4 Social StudiesUnit 5The Movement of Goods and Resources
All natural
resources are
essential
in helping
to keep the
Earth's
processes in
balance
in order to
provide a lifesustaining
environment.
51
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Activity 4: Importance of Natural Resources (GLEs: 1, 19)
Materials List: enlarged map of each region, natural resource map of each region
Have students review the regions of the United States from Unit 2. Remind students that
the United States can be divided into regions. Review information and maps that were
created from each region. Discuss characteristics of each region. Divide students into
groups with each group responsible for one region of the United States. Prior to this
lesson, enlarge regional maps. For regional maps, refer to:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf. Distribute one regional map to each
group. Provide students with resource material including natural resource maps for each
region. For a natural resource map, refer to:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/. Have students construct a natural
resource map for their region creating symbols to depict each resource and have them
show where each resource is located. Have them include a key for the symbols on this
map. Once students have completed this activity, have them share these maps with the
class. Discuss interdependence among states and illustrate using the maps. Students
should notice that in order to satisfy wants and needs of their citizens, states have to work
together.
Have students work in pairs to collect pictures or draw pictures of places that depict the
use and distribution of natural resources. Sources should include print and electronic
media as well as students’ artwork. Have each pair of students create a poster of natural
resources with maps, pictures, and appropriate captions.
Activity 5: Resources and Production (GLE: 39)
Materials List: fifteen large index cards, loaf of bread, chart paper, skein of yarn
Prior to the beginning of this activity, write the following words on large index cards. Put
one word or phrase on each card.
Loaf of bread
Farmer
Grocery
checker
Plastics
factory
manager
Truck driver
Advertising
manager
Tractor
salesperson
Mill worker
Oilfield worker
Gas station
manager
Bread factory
worker
Grocery clerk
Grocery store
manager
Plastics factory
worker
Fertilizer
salesperson
Begin the activity by defining capital and human resources. Students should add these
definitions to their Economics Alphabet Book. After discussing the difference between
capital and human resources, guide students in categorizing the terms on the index cards
as either a capital or human resource.
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Display a loaf of bread. Ask the class what the bread has to do with economics. Elicit
responses and record them on chart paper. Tell the students that the question will be
asked again at the completion of the lesson and record their responses in another color.
This way, they will be able to compare the responses before and after the activity to
illustrate what was learned through this activity.
Distribute the cards to students. Begin by asking where this bread came from right before
it was brought to school. The student with the grocery store should stand. He or she
should be given a skein of yarn. Ask students what had to be done before the bread was
able to leave the store. They should realize that a customer had to buy it. Have a student
with a blank card write the word customer on it. That student should stand and he/she
should be connected, by holding the end of the string given to him or her by the student
holding the grocery store card. Then ask whom the customer paid for the bread. The
student with the card of grocery checker should come forward and connect to the string.
Then ask who put the bread on the shelf. The grocery clerk should stand and connect to
the string. This process continues until all cards are used. If students should think of
additional steps, allow them to write them on a blank index card and connect with the
others. Return to the chart from the beginning of the lesson and add any additional
information learned about the relationship of a loaf of bread to economics.
Have students work in groups to create collages representing natural, human, and capital
resources needed to produce goods and services. The pictures must be samples of life in
Louisiana and the United States.
Activity 6: Markets and Transportation (GLE: 42)
Materials List: Market Concept Map BLM
Have students in teams of two complete a concept map graphic organizer (view literacy
strategy descriptions) with the word market in the center and brainstorm (view literacy
strategy descriptions) terms or phrases that come to mind when they think of the word
market. Refer to the Market Concept Map BLM. Develop a class definition of the term:
“a place in which buyers and sellers make an exchange for goods and services.” Have
students individually generate a list of items or services that they or their families
purchased in the last week (e.g., gasoline for the car, groceries, movie tickets, road tolls,
phone bills, etc.). Next, have them share one or two items from their lists and record
their answers on the board. Next, have students choose one of the goods listed and have
them discuss what mode of transportation may have been used to transport that good or
transport the natural resource to Louisiana. What modes of transportation are most
efficient today? Why? Ask students to hypothesize about whether the type of
transportation used to deliver goods affects the price of the goods. Explain.
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Activity 7: The Economic Cycle (GLEs: 36, 37, 43, 44, 45, 47)
Materials List: chart paper, play money, baseball cards, journals/compositions
Have the students role play the economic cycle to help them to see how this cycle works.
Before they role play, ask students to help create a list of all the things that families may
purchase during an average month. Record the students’ responses on chart paper. Using
the list, students should put a star beside those items that are needs and circle those things
that are wants. Use the list of needs to set up the classroom with “businesses” that would
provide items to meet these needs (e.g., electric company, water district, grocery store,
etc.). Then establish “businesses” that would provide items that would meet the wants
(e.g., malls, specialty stores, video rentals, etc.). Assign students to each business and
have them conduct research on the average monthly expenses in their business for a
family of four. For example, the average monthly utility bill may be $150.00. The utility
company should create a bill made out for the consumer to pay.
Choose a group of students to represent a family of consumers. Identify a family member
to be the worker who receives a monthly paycheck from his or her job. Students could
choose occupations they are interested in and research the average annual salary for that
position. Annual salaries for various occupations can be found at the following website:
http://salary.money.cnn.com/. To calculate a monthly paycheck, divide the yearly income
reported by twelve. Once calculated, they should then take the paycheck to the area of the
room designated as the bank. Here, someone should cash the paycheck and give the
worker play money. The students should decide where the family (consumers) should go
first. The only rule is that all of the needs must be taken care of first before wants. The
consumer will go to each place of business and pay for goods or services. The teacher
should stop the consumer after each transaction and debrief the class. For example, after
the consumer pays the utility bill ask students what could be done to lower the bill for the
next month. Some suggestions might be to turn off the lights and TV when no one is in
the room, wait until the dishwasher is full before running it, etc. Make a list of these
things. Repeat this activity with each stop.
When the consumer is through meeting the family’s needs, the class will have a decision
to make. What should they do with the money left over? Explain to students that some of
the money should go back to the bank to be put into a savings account. The rest may be
spent on the family’s wants. Repeat the simulation considering the suggestions made in
the first round. For instance, if students decided to pass on buying soft drinks at the store,
they may save $20.00 per month and could reduce their bill by that much. At the end of
the second round, have students compare the results of this round with the first.
After the second simulation, discuss the concept of credit. Ask students what they already
know about credit cards. List the responses. Ask students the reason(s) people have credit
cards. Set up a scenario where the consumer wants to purchase something, but he or she
has not gotten paid yet. Ask students to role-play a transaction using a credit card. Use
the following website to simulate a credit card transaction:
http://www.channelone.com/life/2005/11/02/credit/. This website will allow students to
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choose a credit card, make purchases, and simulate a monthly payment. The website will
also show that the consumer will receive a bill with interest calculated. Discuss with
students that the credit card companies make their money off the interest charged on each
monthly bill. Discuss with students the advantages and disadvantages of having a credit
card.
Discuss the terms bartering, voluntary exchange, and direct trading. Ask the consumers
to come up again. This time, instead of using money, they will attempt to barter with
baseball cards at each of the places of business. Discuss why this would not be the most
effective way to make a transaction. Elicit from students the problems with bartering and
why it is more efficient for the consumer to use money.
Have students respond to the following in their social studies journals/compositions:
 Which round of trading was more successful? How can you tell?
 How is economics like a circle?
 What happens at the bank when someone cashes a check?
 What happens when someone purchases a good or a service using a credit card?
 What does making economic choices mean? Give an example of when you have
had to make an economic choice.
 Why do we use money to get the goods and services we need and want?
Activity 8: A Classroom Economic Simulation (GLEs: 38, 40, 41, 43, 46, 48)
Materials List: computer, presentation monitor (optional), chart paper, tangrams, play
money, crayons, scissors, glue, transparency of Company Consequence Cards BLM,
document camera (optional), journals/compositions
Divide students into two teams. Each team will represent a business. Explain to students
that businesses often take risks in an attempt to make a profit. Begin by asking students
what they think makes a business operate successfully. Record these answers on chart
paper or a computer and display them on a presentation monitor. If technology is
unavailable, record these thoughts on chart paper. Revisit this chart after the activity to
add any additional information learned during the simulation.
Tell students that they will be starting a “pretend business” today. The class has been
divided into two groups. One group will represent Company A and the other Company B.
Both companies manufacture tangram animals. (Tangrams are a standard set of polygons
that may be used to form many designs. They may also be put together in a large square.
The basic tangram pattern may be found in many math teacher support packages). Both
companies have been approved for a loan from the “bank.” Give students $300.00 in play
money. This money is the loan from the bank. A loan must be paid back with interest, so
they will owe the bank $325.00. Also give them an additional $100.00. This is from four
investors who each invested $25.00. They don’t mind investing because they believe in
the product, but they are going to expect it to do well and will receive a share of the
businesses’ profits. The companies will have the opportunity to meet to discuss what kind
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of animal or animals they would like to create. They also need to discuss what human,
capital, and natural resources are needed for these creations. The companies will also be
given a price listing for supplies. For example, each sheet of tangram shapes costs $2.00.
Each worker is paid $5.00 per day. Each color of crayons used is $1.00. The scissors cost
$1.00 per pair. The glue is $3.00 per bottle. Each animal will be sold for $3.00.
Have students meet and select a company president. This president will lead the company
workers through the four producer questions:
 What will be produced?
 How will it be produced?
 For whom will it be produced?
 How much will be produced?
Once these decisions are made, the company president will appoint an accountant. The
accountant is responsible for the salary of the workers as well as any expenses on
materials and supplies. Company A will use an assembly line approach, while Company
B should have each worker make an entire tangram animal before beginning another.
Provide students time to work in their “businesses” in the classroom. When time is called
for production to stop, the accountants must make an inventory. On this inventory they
must list the name of each item as well as the quantity of each. Compare the quantity of
the two companies. Elicit from students their feelings on whether or not an assembly line
is worthwhile. Then ask the accountants to “pay the employees” for the number of days
they worked on this project. Have the products displayed in areas designated for each
company.
Tell students that they will model the day-to-day interactions of a business by using
“Company Consequence Cards” that will provide both positive and negative
consequences for the companies. Refer to the Company Consequence Cards BLM. Use
the cards listed in the blackline master. Cut the cards apart and put them into stacks. Use
a document camera, if available, (if not, duplicate these on a transparency) to display the
cards as each is turned over. Turn one card over for Company A and have them respond
to the consequence. Then turn another card over for Company B and have them respond.
Continue until all cards are used. At the end of the simulation, ask students to respond to
the following in their social studies journals/compositions:
 What happened to the price when the demand was high?
 What happened to the price when the demand was low?
 What problems did you face as a company regarding the supply of your product?
 What are some expenses that you had to pay for that you may not have
anticipated?
This activity may be modified to a whole class simulation where only one company is
created and the whole class is employed through that company as the necessary
employees, including the accountant, the president, and the workers.
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Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, journal/composition collection entries, and group discussions.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



“ECONO” is an economic version of Bingo. This activity should be used as an
informal assessment. Refer to the Economic Bingo BLM. Have students look
through their Economic Alphabet books and locate nine economic concepts and
write one in each rectangle on the sheet. Call out the definitions. If students have
the concept that matches the definition, have them mark it. The first person (or
people) with three in a row wins.
Provide students with a copy of all of the economic terms discussed in this unit.
These are the same words that have been defined in their Economics Alphabet
books. Students should sort these words into categories of their choosing. Then
have students label each of these categories. Students should then write a
paragraph for each category explaining why the categories contain the terms and
how the terms are connected.
Divide students into groups with four in each group. Provide each group with a
copy of all the economic terms discussed in this unit. Using this list of concepts,
students will create a game modeled after the game Monopoly®. The groups
should use at least fifteen of these concepts.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 1: Have students cut apart the Economics Concept Cards BLM. (See the
BLM.) Have each student create a concept chain by laying out the concept cards
in an arrangement that could explain the economic cycle. Then have students
write about the arrangement explaining in their writings how these concepts relate
to one another and the interdependence that exists among them.

Activity 7: Pass out a play money dollar bill to each student. Students should
reflect on the economic cycle and consider all of the places that dollar could have
traveled. Students should write a story about the economic cycle through the eyes
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of the dollar bill. Students should write this as a narrative and should include at
least five transactions in which the dollar bill could be involved.

Activity 8: Provide students with a template for a flow chart. Refer to the
Tangram Animals Flowchart BLM. (See the BLM.) Have students sequence the
steps they went through to “produce” their tangram animals. They should also
write captions explaining the process.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on
Economic Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the
National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National
Center on Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic
Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from www.econ-fun.com
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from www.econ-fun.com
Puppet Economics from www.econ-fun.com
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from www.econ-fun.com
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 6: Our Government
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on government. It examines the basic purposes of government and the
roles United States citizens play in their governance. The unit explores the major
responsibilities of the three branches of governments. It also examines how government
works at the local, state, and national levels.
Student Understandings
Students explain the purpose of taxes and the important roles that people assume in
government. Students will distinguish between limited government and unlimited
government and explain the role of government and the rights of citizens. Students
understand that there are three branches of government and that government exists at the
local, state, and national levels.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify the various roles the government plays in the
community and the rights of the citizens?
2. Can students define the roles of both elected and appointed officials and how
they serve the community on the local, state, and national levels?
3. Can students explain the need for government and identify the three major
branches of government?
4. Can students explain how government uses taxes to pay for goods and
services?
Unit 6 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
Civics
20.
21.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Identify the necessity or basic purposes of government in such terms as
establishing order, providing security, managing conflict, and providing
services (C-1A-E2)
Distinguish between limited government and unlimited government (C-1AE3)
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GLE #
22.
23.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Explain the role of government and the rights of citizens (C-1A-E3)
Identify the three branches of the federal government and describe their
major responsibilities (C-1A-E4)
24.
Identify key government positions at the national level, their respective
powers, and limits on their powers (C-1A-E5)
25.
Distinguish between elected and appointed officials and give examples of
each at the local, state, and national levels (C-1A-E6)
Economics
49.
Define tax and explain how government pays for goods and services through
taxes and fees (E-1B-E4)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Is Government Necessary? (GLE: 20)
Materials List: chart paper (optional), social studies learning logs/journals
Allow students to preview the textbook chapter or informational resource on government.
Encourage them to look at the vocabulary, headings, pictures, and captions throughout
the text. After students have previewed the text, use the SQPL strategy (view literacy
strategy descriptions) to provoke interest and curiosity in the topic of government. Write
the following statement on the chalkboard: “To Be Free, One Must Be Chained.” Allow
students to pair up and generate two or three questions they would like answered. The
questions they generate must be related to the statement. When all student pairs have
thought of their questions, the teacher will ask someone from each team to share their
questions with the whole class. Record the students’ questions on the board or chart
paper. Eventually, similar questions will be asked by more than one pair. These should
be starred or highlighted in some way. Once all questions have been shared, the teacher
should look over the student-generated list and decide whether his/her own questions
need to be added. Such questions may include:
 Would it be possible for all Americans to live as they choose with total freedom
and without a government establishing limits on individual freedoms?
 Do we, as a society, really need rules and regulations to enforce cooperation
among individuals?
At this point, students will be ready for the information presented in the textbook or
informational resource. Their purpose for reading will be to answer the questions they
generated. Lead the students in a discussion that should lead to a resounding "yes" for
the need for governments. As the content is discussed, stop periodically and have
students discuss with their partners which questions could be answered. Students should
record the questions and answers in their social studies learning logs (view literacy
strategy descriptions).
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Activity 2: Three Levels and Purposes of Government (GLE: 20)
Materials List: maps of the United States, Louisiana and parish/city; paper plates; binder
rings; Levels of Government BLM
Provide students with maps of the United States, Louisiana, and their parish or city, and
three paper plates of different sizes. Have them cut out each map and mount it to a paper
plate. The U.S. map should be on the largest plate, the Louisiana map on the middle size,
and the parish/city map on the smallest. Punch a hole in each plate and fasten them
together with a binder ring. These will be used throughout the unit to illustrate the three
levels of government and how they work together to create rules and laws. Refer to the
following websites for maps:
 Map of the United States
http://www.infoplease.com/tv/printables/kt_maps/kt_map_usa.pdf
 Map of Louisiana
http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/counties/pagecnty_la2.pdf
 Maps of Louisiana Parishes/Cities
http://enlou.com/maps/lastate_map.htm
Ask students to think about their day from the time they get up until they go to bed. Have
them make a list of all the rules and laws they have to follow during that time. Ask
students: Who made these rules? What is the purpose of these rules? Then have them
share their lists with the class. Explain to the students that just as families have guidelines
to follow, the local, state, and national governments also provide citizens with rules and
laws to be obeyed. Identify the basic purposes for rules and laws. Then give some
examples of rules and laws for each level of government and have students hold up the
corresponding plate for the level of government that is responsible for the particular
rule/law. For example, to vote, a citizen must be eighteen years old. This is a national
law, so no state can change that. To drive in Louisiana, a citizen must be at least sixteen
years old. The national government allows the state government to decide the minimum
age for a driver’s license. The state government allows the local government to make
some decisions that affect only the local area. For example, the local government has the
right to set speed limits within its jurisdiction. Students should understand that a local
problem generally should be solved locally. Pass out the Levels of Government BLM.
Direct the students to examine each problem and put a check mark by the appropriate
level of government. In those cases where a problem covers multiple levels, have
students identify why different levels are necessary. Discuss their decisions and require
them to justify their answers. Allow students to add to the list of needs and identify which
level is responsible. (See the BLM.)
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Activity 3: Purposes of Government (GLE: 20)
Materials List: chart paper, social studies journals/learning logs
The Constitution sets up a federal system of government by dividing powers among the
national, state, and local governments. Citizens elect officials to serve at each of these
three levels. The separation of powers restricts governmental power and prevents its
abuse. Each governmental level has its own responsibilities, but there are many areas of
overlap among federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
Have the students brainstorm a list of duties and services provided by government.
Record the students’ responses on chart paper. Examples should include activities related
to:
 Federal Responsibilities: Defense, currency regulation, foreign relations, health,
education, welfare, transportation, and housing and urban development
 State Responsibilities: State criminal code, working conditions, internal
communications, and regulations of property, industry, business, and public
utilities
 Local Responsibilities: Police and fire protection, health regulations, education,
public transportation, and housing
Conduct a class discussion of the services students identified and the authorities
responsible for each service. Students should record these in their social studies learning
logs (view literacy strategy descriptions). Students should also record examples of each
of these duties and services. Then have the students fold a piece of paper into nine
sections. Have them write one of the services at the top of each section and then illustrate
each in the space provided.
Activity 4: Taxes and Fees (GLE: 49)
Materials List: posters, chart paper, news articles
Citizens must pay the cost of government activities. Americans have a responsibility to
pay taxes and to oversee government spending. Each level of government raises money
through taxation of its citizens, and each level makes its own decisions about how and
what to tax and how to spend the money. Although most federal revenue comes from
income taxes, state and local revenues may come from sales taxes, which are on the sale
of goods and services; income taxes, which come from taxes on earned and unearned
income; and property taxes, which come from taxes on property. For a PowerPoint© to
introduce the background information on government taxes, refer to:
http://www.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/jsp/ppt4.jsp
Have students name some taxes or fees they or their families have paid recently. Students
may mention sales taxes on food or groceries or on a meal at a restaurant, registration or
license fees for a vehicle, tax on a phone bill, and hunting or fishing licenses. Explain that
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federal revenue comes in large part from income taxes while state and local taxes come
primarily from sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes, and fees.
Invite a local government official to meet with the class to talk about the cost of running
the government and to share with them how the local government gets its money. Have
the students use that information to create a large display (e.g., posters, charts, news
articles, and other publications) depicting local government services such as fire and
police protection, parish or city parks, and local libraries.
Activity 5: Limited and Unlimited Government (GLEs: 21, 22)
Materials List: levels of government paper plates (created in Activity 2); copies of the
following documents: Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights; highlighters
Ask students to locate their national government plate that was created in Activity 2.
Review the concept that each level of government has certain responsibilities for its
citizens. Display the terms limited government and unlimited government and their
definitions. Students will copy these into their social studies journals/logs. Help students
develop their understanding of limited government (e.g., everyone, including people in
authority, must obey the laws) and unlimited government (e.g., a dictatorship in which
there are no effective controls over the powers of the ruler, and the ruler cannot be easily
removed by peaceful means). Then provide students with copies of the following
documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the
Bill of Rights. Place the titles of these documents on a timeline. Give students
background information on each document to illustrate the catalysts for the writing of
each. Provide students with a highlighter and ask them to highlight terms or phrases that
identify how these concepts are addressed in U.S. documents such as the Declaration of
Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. For a copy of these documents, refer
to:
 Declaration of Independence
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration.html
 United States Constitution
http://www.abanet.org/publiced/conversations/constitution/constitution.pdf
 Bill of Rights
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html
Have students work in partnerships to make the Preamble more meaningful to them.
First, have them define unknown words using a dictionary. Then have them rewrite the
Preamble using grade-appropriate vocabulary and illustrate their versions. Provide time
for these to be shared with the class, and help students to see that this sets the vision for
limited government and gives the main idea or theme of what the Constitution is about.
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Activity 6: Rights of Citizens (GLE: 22)
Materials List: one copy of the Bill of Rights per student, Bill of Rights Amendments
BLM
Provide each student with a copy of the Bill of Rights (a document created by a limited
government) that guarantees certain rights to its citizens (e.g., habeas corpus, trial by
jury, equal protection, religious freedom, freedom of speech and assembly, due process,
etc.). For a copy of the Bill of Rights, refer to: http://www.archives.gov/nationalarchives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html. Read the amendments aloud as a group.
Place students into ten cooperative groups (two or three students per group). Assign each
group one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. Provide each group with a Bill of
Rights Amendments BLM. The blackline master uses the vocabulary card strategy (view
literacy strategy descriptions) to help students develop the vocabulary. After fifteen to
twenty minutes, have each group present its card to the rest of the class. These responses
can then be hung in the classroom.
Activity 7: Branches of Government (GLEs: 23, 24)
Materials List: large cutout of a tree, research materials on each branch of government,
PowerPoint®, posters
Use a large cutout of a tree with three branches to illustrate the branches of federal
government. Explain that the U. S. Constitution provides for a basic framework for
government that includes three distinct branches. Label the branches as Executive,
Legislative, and Judicial.
Divide students into three groups and have each represent one branch of the U.S.
government. Assign students in each group to roles found in their branch of government
(e.g., president, vice president, cabinet members for the executive branch; senators and
representatives for the legislative branch; Supreme Court justices and federal judges for
the judicial branch). Ask the students in each group to research the responsibilities,
powers, and limits that apply to their branch and to their individual roles. Each group
should create a presentation— skits, PowerPoint® slides, or posters—that illustrates what
they learned. Each group should also create a tree house to be placed on the
corresponding branch of the tree that houses symbols created by the group to represent
key information researched. The groups can take turns making their presentations to the
rest of the class.
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Activity 8: Elected and Appointed Officials (GLE: 25)
Materials List: chart paper
If possible, prior to beginning this lesson, invite two local officials to visit the class for
this lesson. Invite one elected official and one who has been appointed to office. Inform
the officials that they will be talking about their roles in the city's government and the
differences between appointed and elected officials.
Begin the lesson by asking the students who is in charge of their home. Then follow this
question with similar questions such as: Who is in charge of the school, the nation, the
state, and finally, the local community? List the students’ responses on the board. If they
are available, explain that two officials from the town's local government have come to
speak to them about elected and appointed local officials. Explain that elected officials
are voted on by the people whom they serve, while appointed officials have been chosen
to fill that position by one person or a small group of people.
Introduce the two speakers to the class. Have them talk about their respective positions
and how they were elected or appointed. Then ask the guests to help make two lists on
chart paper—one of elected positions, the other of appointed positions—and write a brief
description of the responsibilities of each beside the word.
After the guests have left, ask each student to think about which position he/she would
like to hold one day. Once students have thought about their desired positions, ask them
to demonstrate their understanding by completing a RAFT writing assignment (view
literacy strategy descriptions). Ask the students to write the following RAFT:
R – Role (role of the writer: Candidate for the elected or appointed position)
A – Audience (to whom the RAFT is being written: Voters or individual making
the appointment)
F – Form (form of writing: Letter)
T – Topic (subject focus of the writing: Explain to the audience why you
deserve the position and how you will assist the community if elected or
appointed.)
Students should present their writings to the class. The class should listen for accuracy
and logic in the RAFTs.
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Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
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Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/journal entries, and group discussion.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments

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Using a publishing program, the students will create a newspaper from the written
notes on government in social studies logs/journals. Students may divide the
paper into sections representing local, state, and national governments. Each of
these may be further divided to define the branches of each level and the roles and
responsibilities of key positions within each branch.
Provide students with key concepts and vocabulary from this unit. Students
should then sort these words and phrases and label each category. The rule that
should be followed is that each category must have at least two words or phrases.
Students should then justify their categories by writing a paragraph explaining
how the phrases and words relate to one another within each category.
Working in pairs, have students construct a board game that reflects what they
have learned about the three levels and the three branches of government. In
addition to creating the board game, each group should write directions and
provide necessary playing pieces (including an answer key if needed).
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 2: Provide students with a list of government responsibilities on all three
levels (national, state, and local). Working with a partner, students should cut
these into strips and sort them according to the level of government that is
responsible. For example, a post office is the responsibility of the national
government, a stoplight is the responsibility of the local government, etc. Students
will then attach these to the back of the appropriate paper plate that corresponds
with the level of government.

Activity 3: Ask the students to write an essay indicating which purpose of
government (local, state, and/or national) they think is the most important. Have
them justify their answers. They should illustrate this as well. Then have students
form groups based on their responses and share their thoughts with one another.
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
Activity 6: Have students identify each of the ten amendments to the Bill of
Rights by completing a matching activity. Refer to the Rights of Citizens
Matching Activity BLM.
Resources
Books
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz
The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone
The History of US: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 by Joy Hakim
History Speaks…The Bill of Rights from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Judicial Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning
Company
History Speaks…Legislative Branch of the Government from the Teaching and
Learning Company
History Speaks… Executive Branch of the Government from the Teaching and
Learning Company
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
We the People from the Center for Civic Education
Would You Please Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
U.S. Constitution Thematic Unit from Teacher Created Materials
Videos
American Government for Children: The Federal, State, and Local Government video
from libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: The History of American Government video
from libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: A History of the Presidency video from
libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: The Three Branches of Government video from
video.com
American Government for Children: What is Government? video from
libraryvideo.com
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution video from Scholastic
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 7: Growth of a Nation
Time Frame: Six weeks
Unit Description
The unit explores the concept of leadership and how the ideas of early American leaders
influence people today. It also examines the importance of American historical
documents. This unit stresses the importance of good citizenship in a democracy. It
demonstrates the importance of laws and rules. This unit examines the basic concept of
nation and identifies ways that nations interact. The role of the United Nations is
explored.
Student Understandings
Students will examine the ideas presented in American historical documents and explain
how good citizenship is important to American constitutional democracy. Students
recognize that both people and nations can be leaders. Students understand how nations
interact and the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students explain the importance of events, ideas, and leaders significant
to the nation’s development and American democratic principles?
2. Can students identify leaders and their influence in the early development of
America?
3. Can students explain the important ideas presented in American historical
documents and how they are evidenced in daily lives?
4. Can students list the similarities and differences between the Louisiana
Constitution and the U.S. Constitution?
5. Can students discuss civic responsibilities and traits of good citizenship as it
relates to solving a national issue and the preservation and improvement of
democracy?
6. Can students explain the concept of nation, the role of the United Nations, and
ways nations interact?
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Unit 7 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks
Civics
International Relationships
26.
Identify the purpose and importance of a rule or a law (C-1A-E7)
27.
Describe the significance of the Declaration of Independence, U.S.
Constitution, and Bill of Rights (e.g., basic freedoms) (C-1B-E1)
28.
Explain the similarities between the Louisiana and U.S. Constitutions (C-1BE1)
29.
Explain the concept of nation with reference to countries, governments, and
people (C-1C-E1)
30.
Identify ways nations interact and why interactions are important (e.g.,
treaties, diplomacy) (C-1C-E1)
31.
Identify the United Nations and its role in international peace keeping (C-1CE1)
Roles of the Citizen
32.
Identify the means by which individuals become U.S. citizens (C-1D-E1)
33.
Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in making the nation a
better place to live (C-1D-E2)
34.
Discuss civic traits of good citizenship that are important to the preservation
and improvement of American constitutional democracy, using an excerpt
from a speech, address, or essay which illustrates those traits (C-1D-E3) (C1D-E4)
35.
Identify a national issue and describe how good citizenship can help solve the
problem (C-1D-E5)
History
Louisiana and United States History
57.
Identify leaders and their influence in the early development of America (H1C-E1)
58.
Describe the importance of events and ideas significant to our nation’s
development (H-1C-E1)
59.
Identify a document/speech/address significant to the development of the
nation from an excerpt (e.g., Preamble to the U.S. Constitution), and identify
the author/speaker of a particular document/speech/address (H-1C-E1)
60.
Describe American democratic principles as exemplified by major historic
events, groups of people, and leaders (H-1C-E2)
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Sample Activities
Activity 1: Life before Independence (GLE: 58)
Materials List: map of the thirteen colonies, art print of the Boston Tea Party, Boston
Tea Party Reader’s Theater BLM, social studies learning logs
Review with the students a brief history of the journey to America from Unit 3. Remind
the students that Columbus had found the way to America and soon after, many European
countries sent people to this new world. France, Spain, and Great Britain all sent
individuals called colonists to settle in America. These people crossed the Atlantic Ocean
to start a new life in a new world. Once they reached America, they claimed large areas
of land for their countries.
Explain that Great Britain claimed all of North America along the Atlantic coast and
divided the land on the east coast into thirteen colonies. Show students a map of the
thirteen colonies. For a map of the thirteen colonies, refer to:
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/colonies.pdf. Explain that the colonies were under
England's control from 1607 until 1776. Tell students that the more control King George
III tried to force on the colonies after 1763, the more they wanted to be free of England’s
rule.
Display an art print depicting the Boston Tea Party. For an art print of the Boston Tea
Party, refer to: http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/5600/5624/boston_tea_party_1.htm. Have
students discuss things that they notice in the print. Ask students to look closely at what
is happening and to reflect upon what they see. Explain to students the causes of this “tea
party.” Also, explain to students that the class will have an opportunity to see this event
from several perspectives through a reader’s theater dramatization.
Distribute the Boston Tea Party Reader’s Theater BLM. (See this BLM.) Have students
highlight their assigned part, and read over it at least twice. Tell them that they should use
a great deal of inflection in their voices and that they should bring these characters to life.
After becoming familiar with the script, have the students perform the reader’s theater by
reading from their scripts.
After completing the reader’s theater exercise, have students reflect in their social studies
learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions) on the following questions:
 What do you think the colonists meant by “independence”?
 Why did they want to be free from England and King George?
 If you think of King George and England as the parents, what would that make
the colonists and the colonies?
 How do you think King George will react when the colonists explain that they
want to be free?
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Activity 2: The Path to Revolutionary War (GLE: 58)
Materials List: reference materials on the Revolutionary War, Path to the Revolutionary
War BLM (four copies per student)
Inform the students that they will create a timeline to show events that impacted the
colonists and how each event influenced the American Revolution. Provide students with
reference materials on major events leading up to the American Revolution. Refer to the
following website for information on historic events prior to the American Revolution:
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/passwd/trc/ttools/attach/bckgrnd/jul/roadind.pdf.
Using the information from the website, have students complete the Path to the
Revolutionary War BLM. (See this BLM.) Once the timeline has been completed, have
each student choose one of the events to present to the class.
Activity 3: Early American Leaders (GLE: 57)
Materials List: novels about people and events of the American Revolution, chart paper
(optional)
Have students read novels about people and events during the American Revolution.
Students may read Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes (challenging); The Fighting
Ground, by Avi (on-level); The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson, by Ann
McGovern (easier access); and American Revolution books by Jean Fritz (refer to the
following website for a list of Jean Fritz books and enrichment activities that accompany
them: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/american-revolution/activity/10189.html).
To help students comprehend text that depicts events of the American Revolution, guide
students through a directed reading-thinking activity (view literacy strategy descriptions).
Using a chapter from one of the novels suggested above, take students through the
following steps:
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Introduce background knowledge. Begin the lesson with a discussion about the
American Revolution. Elicit information students may already know, including
previous lessons and/or prior readings. Discuss the title of the chapter or topic
section. Record students’ ideas on the board or chart paper.
Make predictions. Ask questions that invite predictions, such as: What do you
expect to learn from this section? Based on what we’ve learned already, what
information do you think the author will include? Have students write their
predictions in their notebooks.
Read a section of text, stopping at predetermined places to check and revise
predictions. Ask students to re-read their predictions. Let them know they should
change their predictions, if necessary, and cite new evidence for doing so. Repeat
this cycle several times as students read through the text. Key questions students
should consider are:
o What have you learned so far from the text? (Give a summary.)
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
o Can you support your summary with evidence from the text?
o What do you expect to read next?
Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool. Ask
students to reflect on their original predictions and track changes in their thinking and
understanding of the American Revolution as they confirm or revise their predictions.
Students should write statements of overall understanding in their notebooks.
Emphasize to students that they should use this same process when they read other
texts on their own.
Activity 4: Declaration of Independence (GLEs: 27, 58, 59, 60)
Materials List: chart paper, copies of the Declaration of Independence (one per
student), poster paper
Begin the lesson by having students break into groups of three or four students. Have
each group write a list of “school-related improvements” that they might like to see
addressed. Improvements may include new bus rules, improved cafeteria food, new
playground rules, etc. Have students share their lists and record the suggestions on chart
paper. Explain to the students that the colonists were frustrated with the rules forced on
them by King George.
Explain that the Declaration of Independence is a document primarily written by Thomas
Jefferson in 1776. Jefferson was part of a committee assigned by Congress to write this
declaration, which would be sent to King George and parliament, putting England on
notice that the American states would no longer be governed as British colonies. The
group of men selected to write the Declaration of Independence are called the Founding
Fathers. Explain to the students that the Declaration is divided into six basic parts,
including:
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The Preamble
Right of people to govern themselves
A list of grievances against King George III
Attempts at trying to avoid separation from England
Declaration of separation from England
Signatures of the Founding Fathers
Provide each student with a copy of the Declaration of Independence. For a printerfriendly version of the Declaration of Independence, refer to the following website:
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration transcript.
html. Allow time for students to examine the document. Have students label all six parts
of the Declaration.
Finally, allow students to work in groups to choose one of the grievances to illustrate and
explain in their own words. On a poster, students will cooperatively complete the
following task:
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State the grievance as it appears in the Declaration of Independence
Explain what the grievance means in their own words
Illustrate the grievance
Present their grievance to the class
Activity 5: Founding Fathers (GLEs: 27, 57)
Materials List: biographies of signers of the Declaration of Independence, copy of the
Declaration of Independence
Explain to the students that the Founding Fathers were faced with an important
decision in 1776. Should they continue to endure the unfair rules enforced by King
George, or should they declare America’s independence from England and establish a
new nation? Declaring independence from England would be very dangerous for the
Founding Fathers. If caught, American leaders would be tried as traitors and
sentenced to death. In this activity, students will be asked to consider what individual
signers risked by signing the Declaration of Independence.
Have students work in pairs to read the biography of one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. For biographies of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, refer to the following website:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/. Students can choose the Founding
Father to research or the teacher can assign an individual to each student pair. Have
each group write a short paragraph about their assigned Founding Founder and
identify what he risked in choosing to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Next, have the students re-create the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Place a copy of the Declaration on a table in the center of the classroom. For a copy of
the Declaration of Independence, refer to the following website:
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html.
Each pair will choose a member to assume the role of the group’s assigned Founding
Father. One-by-one, students will approach the table and announce who they are and
what they risk by putting their names on this document.
`
Activity 6: Purpose of the U.S. Constitution (GLEs: 26, 27, 59, 60)
Materials List: We the Kids, chart paper, copy of the U.S. Constitution (one per student)
Explain to the students that after the colonists declared their independence from England,
they had to design a new government. Written in 1787, the Constitution was created
because the U.S. was a new country and it needed a plan of government (the laws and
people that run a city, state, or country).
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Read the book, We the Kids, by David Catrow. When finished reading the book, discuss
each page with the students, using the guide in the trade book that generalizes the phrases
of the Preamble. Next, write the word "constitution" on the board and ask students what
comes to mind when they see this word. Record the student’s responses on chart paper.
Explain that the book is actually a version of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and
that the Constitution is America’s law of the land.
Next, have students give examples of rules and laws in the classroom, community, and
state. The teacher will list the examples on the board or on chart paper. Ask the
following questions:
 Why do you think we have rules in the classroom and at home?
 Why do you think we have laws in our city, state, and country?
Finally, have students take out a piece of paper and write two headings at the top of the
paper: “Rules” and “Laws.” Have the students provide five examples of each and tell
why it is necessary to have these rules and laws. Conclude the activity by asking students
to think about the following question: "What would our country be like if there were no
laws or rules to follow?"
Activity 7: Preamble of the U.S. Constitution (GLEs: 27, 58, 59, 60)
Materials List: blank sheets of white paper (three for each student)
Provide each student with a copy of the U.S. Constitution. For a copy of the Constitution,
refer to the following website: http://www.archives.gov/national-archivesexperience/charters/constitution_transcript.html.
Explain to the students that, like the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution
is made up of three parts, the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments (the first ten are
the Bill of Rights).
Provide each student with three blank sheets of white paper. Have the students fold the
pieces of paper into thirds so that they have nine spaces in which to write. Read the
Preamble to the students. Ask the students to illustrate the meaning of each of the
following parts of the Preamble in one of the folded spaces:
1. We the people of the United States
2. In order to form a more perfect union
3. Establish justice
4. Insure domestic tranquility
5. Provide for the common defense
6. Promote the general welfare
7. Secure the blessings of liberty
8. To ourselves and our posterity
9. Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America
Allow students to share their illustrations of the Preamble with the class.
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Activity 8: The Louisiana and United States Constitutions (GLE: 28)
Materials List: copy of the U.S. Constitution, copy of the Louisiana Constitution,
Comparing Constitutions Venn Diagram BLM
Provide each student with a copy of the U.S. Constitution. For a copy of the U.S.
Constitution, refer to the following website: http://www.archives.gov/national-archivesexperience/charters/constitution_transcript.html. Have one-third of the students review
the U.S. Constitution to look for particular provisions that empower the federal
government. Have another third look for limitations on the federal government, including
separation of powers, shared powers, checks and balances, and the Bill of Rights. Have
the remaining third look for rights of the individual that are stated specifically, both in the
Constitution and in the Bill of Rights.
Using the same groups, have students review the Louisiana Constitution. For a copy of
the Louisiana Constitution, refer to the following website:
http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Documents/Constitution/constitution.pdf. Have each group
create a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) comparing
the U.S. and Louisiana constitutions. Refer to the Comparing Constitutions Venn
Diagram BLM.
Activity 9: Citizenship (GLE: 32)
Materials List: What Do You Know About U.S. Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM, copies
of A Guide to Naturalization (one per team of five students), chart paper
Have students complete an opinionnaire (view literacy strategy descriptions) on the steps
in becoming a U.S. citizen. Refer to the What Do You Know About U.S. Citizenship
Opinionnaire BLM. The opinionnaire consists of a list of statements that are related to
citizenship. The statements are either true or false. The opinionnaire will serve as a
method to determine the students’ prior knowledge on the process of becoming a U.S.
citizen. Do not discuss the answers with the students until the end of the activity.
Explain that any person born in this country is a citizen, even if his/her parents are not.
Point out that a person born in a foreign country whose parents are U.S. citizens is also a
U.S. citizen and that, in some circumstances, a person born in a foreign country with only
one parent being a U.S. citizen is also a U.S. citizen. Present the following three steps in
naturalization, the process by which people from foreign countries become U.S. citizens:
 File an application
 Take a naturalization examination
 Appear for a court hearing and take an oath
Have students work in teams of five students. Distribute A Guide to Naturalization and a
large sheet of chart paper to each team. For a copy of this guide, refer to the following
website: http://www.ailc.com/services/natz/English.pdf. Have students examine A Guide
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to Naturalization and determine the qualifications for becoming a naturalized U.S.
citizen. Instruct each group to make a list of the qualifications they find on their chart
paper. Be sure that the students include the following qualifications:
A person must:
 Be at least eighteen years old
 Have lived in the United States as a legal resident for at least five years
 Be of good moral character and loyal to the United States
 Be able to read, write, speak, and understand basic English
 Have a basic knowledge and understanding of the history, government structure,
and Constitution of the United States
 Be willing to take an oath of allegiance to the United States
Have each team present its findings to the class. Once each group has made its
presentation, ask students to refer back to the What Do You Know About U.S.
Citizenship Opinionnaire and compare their answers to their new learning.
Activity 10: ABCs Citizenship (GLE: 34)
Materials List: chart paper, ABCs of Citizenship Template BLM, dictionaries
Begin the activity by writing the following terms on chart paper or on the chalkboard:
 independence
 congress
 election
 representative
 senator
 constitution
 equal rights
Tell students that they are going to create a dictionary entitled "ABCs of Citizenship" by
defining words that are important to good citizenship, such as the ones on the chart paper
or chalkboard. Inform the students that they will also use the events, speeches, or
biographies from U.S. history to locate an example that illustrates the meaning of the
word. For example, in defining "independence," students may include a specific line
from the Declaration of Independence.
Guide the whole class in a brainstorming activity (view literacy strategy descriptions) to
add other words to the list on the board. Encourage students to include words that have
appeared throughout the study of U.S. history. Divide the list among the students so that
each student has no more than two terms to define and locate an example.
Provide each student with the ABCs of Citizenship Template BLM. Students are to use
this template in researching the assigned term(s). Provide students with dictionaries to
locate an official definition of each term. Provide students with access to the following
websites to locate events, speeches, or biographies from U.S. history that represent the
assigned term(s):
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 Declaration of Independence
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives experience/charters/declaration transcript.
html
 Constitution of the United States
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution transcript.
html
 Bill of Rights
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html
 Famous Speeches
http://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/speeches/index.htm
 Biographies of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/
 Biographies of the Signers of the U.S. Constitution
http://www.archives.gov/national-archivesexperience/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html
Create a durable cover for the dictionary pages and then bind all entries together (in
alphabetical order) for the library or classroom.
Activity 11: Citizenship and National Issues (GLEs: 33, 35)
Materials List: Good Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM
Begin this activity with an opinionnaire (view literacy strategy descriptions) to engage
students in critical discussions about good citizenship. Provide students with a copy of
the Good Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM. Allow students to respond to each statement
individually. Afterward, invite students to share their opinions for each statement and
separate supporters from non-supporters. Force each student to take a stand. Then ask the
two groups to briefly debate the statement and allow for any students who have changed
their minds to move to the other group. By taking a stand on issues related to good
citizenship and engaging in critical discussion about those issues, students will heighten
their expectation of the content to follow and make many new connections from their
opinions and ideas to those of their classmates. The discussion the statements inspire will
serve as a bridge to information and ideas in the stories and other class readings about
good citizenship.
Next, ask students to think about and discuss a national issue or problem and to describe
how good citizenship can help solve the problem. What are the qualities, attributes,
characteristics, habits, and practices of good citizens that would help in solving the
problem? Ask students to consider the availability of resources needed to address the
issue or solve the problem. Have them explain how limited resources can impact the
choices and decisions citizens must make when considering the solutions to problems.
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What do good citizens do? Have students draw or create a collage of the characteristics
and qualities of a good citizen and display them in class. They should include examples
of some of the things good citizens do.
Activity 12: The United Nations (GLEs: 29, 30, 31)
Materials List: reference materials on the United Nations, United Nations Split-Page
Notes BLM
Using reference books and the official website of the United Nations, the teacher should
develop a presentation for students on the United Nations. Refer to the following website
on the United Nations: http://cyberschoolbus.un.org. This presentation could either be in
the form of PowerPoint® or transparencies for the overhead. The following information
should be addressed in the presentation:
 What is the United Nations?
 How many countries are members of the United Nations?
 What does the United Nations do?
 How often does it meet?
 Where does it meet?
 When did the United Nations begin?
 Why did it begin?
 What are some of the greatest accomplishments of the United Nations?
 How does the United Nations work as a peacekeeper?
Ask students to use the split-page notetaking strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions)
to take notes on the presentation provided on the topic of the United Nations. Refer to
the United Nations Split-Page Notes BLM.
Have students complete one of the following activities based on their notes and any
additional research completed by the students.
Children’s Book: Write a book at a level appropriate for elementary students, explaining
the purpose of the United Nations and its most important accomplishments. Include color
illustrations. Use plain white paper and take time to create an attractive cover page. Bind
the final product and visit a primary class to share the book.
Press Release: Assume the role of a reporter who has the scoop on the United Nations’
most important accomplishments. Write a front-page lead story that includes answers to
who, what, when, where, why and how? Compose a title for the newspaper and a headline
for the article.
Diary: Assume the role of an employee for the United Nations. Write a minimum of ten
diary entries that highlight important events and accomplishments concerning the United
Nations.
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Oral Report: Outline the most important events and accomplishments of the United
Nations in an oral report lasting three to five minutes. Dress in the style of clothing that a
diplomat would wear, and use appropriate props to make the report more interesting.
Written Report: Write a report with a minimum of two pages, outlining and explaining
the most important events and accomplishments of the United Nations.
Tri-Cornered Card: Use one side of the card to write a full-page summary of the United
Nations’ most important accomplishment(s). On the second side, include a picture of
either the United Nations’ leader or of something related to his or her accomplishment(s).
On the third side, write a significant quote from the United Nations Charter.
Timeline: Create a timeline with significant events and major accomplishments of the
United Nations. Explain and illustrate the entries, using a ruler and markers.
Provide time for students to develop, edit, and practice presentations of their projects.
When they are ready, have them share what they have learned at a “United Nations
General Assembly.”
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data collection entries, report writing, group discussion, and
journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments

Using a topic or concept from this unit, students should create an acronym poem.
For instance, they may choose Framer. Each of the letters in this word would
begin words that would describe what was learned about the Framers of the
Constitution. For example:
Founding Fathers
Really determined
Amazing Americans
Made important decisions
Enthusiastic about possibilities
Respected
Students should add illustrations to accompany these as well.
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

Provide students with a list of concepts and topics that were connected to this
unit. Working in pairs, students should create a concept-linking map using these
topics. Students begin with one concept, then locate another concept that has a
connection to the first one. They then connect the concepts by linking them
together. As they link them, have students write sentences showing how these
words connect (e.g., students may choose to begin with the Declaration of
Independence). They may link this with the Revolutionary War card and write the
following: The Declaration of Independence made the British even angrier and
more determined to win the Revolutionary War. The teacher may assign a number
of concept cards to be used.
Students should create a picture book at a level appropriate for younger students,
describing democracy and citizenship. Have students review what has been
learned during this unit. Students should then organize these concepts into a fiveor six-page book on this topic and should illustrate each page. Finally, have
students share these books with students in younger grades.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 1: Using the Boston Tea Party Reader’s Theater script and notes from
social studies learning logs, students should complete a cause and effect organizer
identifying events that led the colonists to independence. Students should
illustrate these and use captions to describe the process.

Activity 4: Have students complete the Five Ws of the Declaration BLM. (Refer
to this BLM.) Students complete this graphic organizer identifying the who,
what, when, where, and why regarding the Declaration of Independence.

Activity 5: Have students create a life-sized character from mural paper depicting
the Founding Father they researched. Have students add symbols to this life-sized
character that depict his political viewpoints.

Activity 7: Have students write a classroom constitution. The constitution must
include a preamble introducing the purpose of the document and at least three to
five amendments/rules that would assure that the objectives stated in the preamble
would be attained.
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Resources
Books
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz
The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone
The History of US: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 by Joy Hakim
History Speaks…The Bill of Rights from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Judicial Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning
Company
History Speaks…Legislative Branch of the Government from the Teaching and
Learning Company
History Speaks… Executive Branch of the Government from the Teaching and
Learning Company
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
We the People from the Center for Civic Education
Would You Please Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
U.S. Constitution Thematic Unit from Teacher Created Materials
We the Kids by David Catrow
Videos
American Government for Children: The Federal, State, and Local Government video
from libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: The History of American Government video
from libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: A History of the Presidency video from
libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: The Three Branches of Government video from
libraryvideo.com
American Government for Children: What is Government? video from
libraryvideo.com
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution video from Scholastic
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 8: Making Economic Choices
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the economy and the economic choices people make. The unit
examines the concept of limited resources, the role of economic institutions, and
monetary issues.
Student Understandings
Students will understand that limited resources require individuals to make economic
choices. Students will understand that factors such as trade-offs help a person make
economic decisions. They will understand the roles of businesses, banks, households, and
governments in the economy. Students will identify means of payment for goods and
services (e.g., checks, cash, credit cards) and be able to explain the differences.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify the roles of banks, governments, and businesses in their
daily lives?
2. Can students demonstrate how choices and decisions in using cash, checks or
credit cards affect their lives?
3. Can students identify the trade-offs a person makes in making economic
decisions?
4. Can students explain how the rise and fall of prices affects budgets?
Unit 8 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Economics
Fundamental Economic Concepts
36.
Demonstrate that limited resources require choices and decisions (E-1A-E1)
37.
Explain the factors, including trade-offs, involved in a choice or decision (e.g.,
discuss the choices and decisions involved in developing a personal budget) (E1A-E4)
43.
Identify the roles of banks, governments, businesses, and households in the
economy (E-1A-E10)
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44.
Identify the relationship between money, writing checks, and credit cards (E-1AE11)
Individual, Households, Businesses, and Governments
47.
Explain how a rise or fall in prices affects personal, family, and government
budgets (E-1B-E2)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Limited Resources (GLEs: 36, 37)
Materials List: white paper, colored paper, pencils, colored pencils or markers
Have students list the ways in which their families use gasoline, oil, or electricity. Are
they able to use as much of that resource as they want? Why or why not? What are the
consequences of using more than is needed? Discuss the term scarcity, as the condition of
not being able to have all the goods and services one wants. Scarcity is having unlimited
wants, but limited resources.
Explain to the students that they will use the following supplies to create a greeting card
for a family member or friend: white paper, colored paper, pencils, and colored pencils or
markers. Provide each student with white paper and pencils. However, tell the students
that there are only a few pieces of colored paper, a few colored pencils or markers, and
ten pairs of scissors—not enough for all to have their own, but enough so that each
student may have access to the materials. Have them create their cards. Once they have
created their cards, ask the students what choices and decisions they had to make because
of the limited supply of resources. Have the students explain the factors involved in the
choices they made. Was their end product as good as it could have been if they would
have had unlimited resources to create it?
Activity 2: Trade-Offs and Budgets (GLEs: 37, 47)
Materials List: catalogs and/or newspaper ad circulars, scissors, glue
Write the term trade-offs on the board. Define trade-offs as giving up some of one thing
to get some of another thing. Share the following examples with students:
 Helen has enough money to purchase three new CDs or two new shirts for school.
She can spend it all on CDs, all on shirts, or make a trade-off. She could buy two
CDs and one shirt. Her trade-off is giving up one CD to get one shirt.
 Juan has $10 to spend. He wants to buy five crazy pencils at $1.99 each. He
decides to buy three crazy pencils and save the remaining money. What is Juan's
trade-off? (He gave up some pencils to have some savings.)
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Provide students with catalogs or newspaper ad circulars. Have students locate items
they would like to purchase. Have them cut out the pictures of the items they want, glue
them onto a sheet of paper, and write the cost below each item. Tell students that they
can choose as many items as they would like. Once students have made their selections,
inform them that they have only $100 to spend. Have students circle the items they
would now buy. Then ask them to write a short paragraph explaining the trade-offs they
made in making their decisions.
Activity 3: Types of Budgets (GLEs: 37, 47)
Materials List: computer projector or transparency, A Look at Budgets BLM, Examining
a Personal Budget Process Guide BLM
Remind the students of the definition of budget (a plan that shows what money comes in
and what money goes out). Discuss how a budget helps individuals, families, and even
the country determine whether there is enough money to buy the things wanted and/or
needed. Ask students what any extra money left over is called (savings). Savings is what
individuals, families, or the country puts aside to spend later.
Using a computer projector or transparency, present students with A Look at Budgets
BLM. (See sample below). Examples are provided in the BLM, but allow students to
generate their own ideas and record them on the chart.
Personal Budget
Income
Allowance
Expense
Snacks
Family Budget
Income
Job
Expense
Food
Country/Government Budget
Income
Taxes
Expense
Schools
Next, have students examine a personal budget using a process guide (view literacy
strategy descriptions). Provide each student with Examining a Personal Budget Process
Guide BLM. (See this BLM.) By completing the process guide, students will analyze
the choices and decisions involved in developing a personal budget.
Activity 4: Importance of Banks (GLE: 43)
Materials List: reference materials on banks, chart paper
Before reading reference materials about banks, students will generate questions they
have about the topic based on an SQPL prompt (view literacy strategy descriptions).
Tell students that something will be said about banks before they begin their research.
State the following: Banks are places where we can save our money, keep track of how
much we have, and keep it safe. Write it on the board or on a piece of chart paper as it
is said. Repeat it as necessary.
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Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about
banks based on the statement: Banks are places where we can save our money, keep
track of how much we have, and keep it safe. As students respond, write their questions
on the chart paper or board. A question that is asked more than once should be marked
with a smiley face to signify that it is an important question. When students finish asking
questions, the teacher should contribute additional questions to the list. Some questions
that may be added to the list are:
 When were banks created?
 Why were they created?
 What did people do before there were banks?
 What kinds of services do banks provide?
 How do banks earn money?
 How do banks operate?
 What happens to the money that is put into the bank?
Tell students that they will use reference materials to carefully research answers to their
questions. Provide students with the reference materials. For reference materials on
banks, refer to the following website:
 A Brief History of U.S. Banking
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0801059.html
Divide the students into research teams, assigning each team a set of the questions
generated. Give students time to locate the answers to their questions. Have teams
present their findings to the class, marking questions that are answered. Remind students
that they should always ask questions before they learn something new, then listen or
look for answers to their questions.
Activity 5: Personal Checking Account (GLE: 44)
Materials List: sample checkbook register, newspaper advertisements or catalogs, sample
check
Assign the same amount of money for each student to deposit into a pretend checking
account, and have students enter the deposit in a personal checkbook register. Show
students how to enter their first deposit in a checkbook register. For a checkbook
register, refer to the following website:
http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ws/ws0024.asp.
Have the students look through newspaper advertisements or catalogs and choose one
item they would like to purchase. Limit the maximum purchase amount (for example, to
$20 if the first deposit is $100) so that students do not run out of money after their first
purchase.
Guide the students through writing a check to pay for the item. For a sample check, refer
to the following website: http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ws/wsprintchecks2.asp. The
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check amount and calculated balance should be written on their personal checkbook
register.
Repeat the process until the amount in the students balance is low and they can no longer
purchase any items.
When students run out of money, have a discussion about how money is a limited
resource and the ways they could earn more money. Ask them how they could get more
money and buy more things without earning additional money. The possibility of using a
credit card or taking out a loan should be discussed.
Activity 6: Cash, Check, or Credit? (GLE: 44)
Materials List: items for a classroom store, chart paper
Simulate a small store in the classroom. Explain to the students that $50.00 is going to be
placed in a personal account for each student. Explain that each person has to make a
choice as to how he/she wants access to his/her money. He/she can have his/her money
in cash, use checks, or use a credit card to make purchases from the classroom store.
Have them experiment with using the different payment options to purchase items from
the classroom store.
Lead the class in a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using each type
of payment. On chart paper, make a master list to post in the classroom of the advantages
and disadvantages of using each type of payment. Possible topics to discuss are:
 If students choose cash, the purchase is complete at the time of sale.
 If students choose checks, they must understand that a withdrawal from their
checking account at the bank will be made. If there is no money in their checking
account, the bank will charge a penalty and deny payment of funds on the check.
The person or business to whom the check was given will also charge a penalty.
 If students choose credit, they must understand that interest will be applied to
their purchase and that they actually pay more for the product because of the
interest. They should also understand that the credit company will bill them for
their purchases, and if the bill is not paid, there will be a penalty charged.
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Sample Assessments
General Guidelines




Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments



Have students research the price of a list of given items in the year they were
born. Refer to the following website for a consumer price index:
http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?ap. Next, have students find the average
prices of these same items today. Then have students calculate the difference in
the costs. Have students write about what pattern they noticed with the changes
in prices and what could have contributed to the fluctuation.
Have students create a poster showing the relationship between banks, the
government, and households. Students should make a large triangle on the poster,
putting a picture of a bank at one vertex, a picture of a house on one vertex, and a
symbol for the government on the third vertex. Then using arrows to illustrate the
direction, students should show the relationship of the bank to the household and
the household to the bank; the household to the government and the government
to the household; the government to the bank and the bank to the government.
Provide each pair of students with a bag of play money. Make sure that each pair
gets a different amount of money. Provide students also with a sales circular from
various stores. Remind students that they may choose to save some of their money
as well, but that all needs should be met before any wants are purchased or before
any money is saved. Have students make purchases and find the balances. They
should also provide a written paragraph to justify the expenses.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 3: Provide students with a list of expenses for a month and a “check”
showing earnings for a month. Provide them also with a blank table to organize
their data. Have them sort the expenses into categories and label each. Then have
them total each section of the expenses and subtract them from the amount of the
earnings. Ask students to show a balance or what is left over after the expenses
are paid.
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
Activity 4: Have students create a tri-cornered card depicting what they have
learned about banks and banking. Use one side of the card to write a summary of
banks and banking including the history of banking and the characteristics of
banks today. Use the second side of the card to show what people did before
banks and illustrate why banks were needed. Use the third side of the card to
illustrate what banks do for people today.

Activity 6: Have students complete a three-ring Venn Diagram comparing and
contrasting cash, checks, and credit. Refer to the Cash, Check or Credit ThreeRing Venn Diagram BLM. Students should also write a summary sentence
identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Refer to the Cash,
Check or Credit Advantages and Disadvantages BLM.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on
Economic Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the
National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National
Center on Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic
Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from www.econ-fun.com
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from www.econ-fun.com
Puppet Economics from www.econ-fun.com
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from www.econ-fun.com
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Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 9: Producers and Consumers
Time Frame: Two weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on producers and consumers. It examines the four basic questions that
define the economy and the importance of specialization and division of labor. The role
of supply and demand is stressed. The unit explores profits and risks and how those
economic concepts are important.
Student Understandings
Students will understand that the economy of the United States is structured along the
lines of production and consumption. They will be able to explain the roles people play in
the economy and the benefits of increasing one’s skills and knowledge. They will
understand the concepts of risk, profit, and various media of exchange.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students create a proposal based on the four questions all producers must
answer on a product of interest?
2. Can students explain the various roles careers have on society and the
advantages of training and increasing one’s skills and knowledge?
3. Can students identify what happens to a business when it takes a risk for profit
and how goods are affected by supply and demand?
Unit 9 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks
Economics
38.
Identify the four basic questions all producers must answer (i.e., What will be
produced? How will it be produced? For whom will it be produced? How
much will be produced?) (E-1A-E5)
40.
Define some effects of division of labor and specialization in a given context,
such as a simple assembly line (e.g., greater labor productivity/output per
hour) (E-1A-E7)
41.
Describe the benefits of increasing one’s skill/knowledge and various ways to
do so (E-1A-E8)
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GLE #
45.
GLE Text and Benchmarks
Explain why people engage in voluntary exchange/barter/direct trading (E1A-E11)
Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments
46.
Describe how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service in a
given situation (E-1B-E1)
48.
Identify the terms profit and risk and give examples of risks that businesses
take to make a profit (E-1B-E3)
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Producer Questions (GLE: 38)
Materials List: chart paper, Business Plan Flow Chart BLM
Economics assumes that part of human nature is having economic wants and seeking to
satisfy them. Every economy has producers, who attempt to supply people with goods
and services that satisfy their economic wants. Every economy is also confronted with
scarcity. Since only some economic wants can be met, decision-making is central to all
economic systems. People living within an economy must find answers to four essential
questions. These answers determine the type of economy.
In a whole group activity, have the students participate in a brainstorming activity (view
literacy strategy descriptions) to create a list of products that are important to them.
Record their responses on chart paper. Next, have them identify a consumer need by
conducting a “customer survey” of students and other people in the school about their
preferences in foods, services, supplies, or information. Students can make up a survey
about a product or service that interests them. Explain to the students that the goal of this
part of their study of economics is to make a business plan. Students will complete a flow
chart graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to explore creating a
business plan. Provide students with the Business Plan Flow Chart BLM. (See this
BLM.) Discuss the advantages of making a written plan to do something. Use the
following questions to facilitate the writing of a plan:
 What will be produced? Someone has to decide what will be made with
scarce resources. Who makes that decision? What influences his/her decision?
 How will it be produced? There are several different combinations of factors
of production that allow a product to be made. How will producers decide on
the combination to use?
 For whom will it be produced? Everyone has economic wants, but there are
never enough goods and services to satisfy them all. Facing scarcity, how do
the people in an economy determine how much of their economy’s goods and
services they get?
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
How much will be produced? Someone has to decide how much will be
made with scarce resources. Who makes that decision? What influences
his/her decision?
Activity 2: Division of Labor and Specialization (GLEs: 40, 41)
Materials List: career interest inventory, chart paper
Have students complete an online interest inventory. Refer to the following website for a
career interest inventory: http://www.myfuture.com/toolbox/workinterest.html. The
website will calculate work interests that may be appropriate for each student.
Then ask students to brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) careers that are
important or of interest. Create a class list on chart paper using the careers suggested by
the students. Invite guest speakers to discuss their careers and training required for their
jobs.
Create a “Careers Center” with a display showing the top ten careers and their average
starting salaries, the kinds of training required for these careers, various careers in the
news, various specialized local careers, and “hot” careers of the future. For information
on various careers, refer to the following website: http://www.bls.gov/k12/. Introduce
students to the “Careers Center,” and have them sign up for a career area that interests
them.
Have students research a particular career by finding the following information:
 job description and responsibilities
 information about essential education and training
 the geographic areas where the job is important or needed
 the type of dress required for the job
 the pay range
 the outlook for the future of this job
 other necessary requirements and characteristics.
Have students explain how preparation for a career is an important component of their
study of specialization. Have them add to their research ways that particular subjects
taken in schools help to prepare people for these occupations.
Activity 3: Division of Labor and Specialization (GLEs: 40, 41)
Materials List: posters, Career Listening Guide BLM, computers and computer software
(optional), index cards (optional)
Have students use their research to create posters or collages depicting the occupation
they researched. Additionally, have students promote their researched careers by using
computer software to create business cards or promotional advertisements indicating
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skills and abilities needed to perform tasks related to the researched occupations. If
computer software is not available, students could use index cards. These could be
duplicated and distributed to each member of the class as students present their poster or
collage and explain their research. As the presentations are made, all students should
complete a listening guide. Refer to the Career Listening Guide BLM. Explain to the
students to use a scale of 1-10 with one being the least interested and ten being the most,
to complete the last column of the Career Listening Guide BLM. (See this BLM.)
Activity 4: Jack and the Beanstalk (GLE: 45)
Materials List: version of Jack and the Beanstalk
Ask the students the following questions:
 Do you have a pet?
 Would you trade something for your pet?
 If someone gave you money for your pet, would you trade your pet for money?
 Would you trade your pet for food if you were hungry?
 Would you trade your pet for five beans?
Explain to students that an exchange involves trading goods and services for money.
Barter, however, does not involve the use of money. Barter is the direct trading of goods
and services for other goods and services. Voluntary exchange occurs when all
participating parties expect to gain.
Ask students how they would go about purchasing a new video game at a store. Students
should respond by explaining that they must exchange something for the video game.
Ask students what they would trade with the store clerk for the video game. Students
should say: Money. Ask the students if they could trade a hamburger for the video
game? Students should respond: No.
Next, ask students if they could trade something with their sister, brother or friend for a
video game? Answers should be: Yes. Ask students what they could trade with their
sister, brother or friend, other than money, for the new video game. Explain that this type
of trading is called bartering. Bartering is trading without money. Explain that when
someone makes a trade, both individuals should be satisfied after the trade.
Read the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk." For an online version of Jack and the
Beanstalk, refer to the following website:
http://www.ongoingtales.com/SERIALS/oldtime/ FAIRYTALES/beanstalk.html. Be sure
to emphasize the part where Jack trades his pet cow for beans. Ask the following
questions after reading the story:
 Was the old man satisfied he got the cow?
 Was Jack satisfied that he got the magic beans?
 When making a trade, both parties should be satisfied. Was Jack's mom satisfied?
 What did she want Jack to get in trade for the cow?
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

Do you think Jack's mom was satisfied about the exchange of the cow for beans at
the end of the story?
Do you think Jack got Milky White back from the old man?
Finally, ask students to fold a page in half. On one side, students should draw something
they own that they would be willing to trade. On the other side of the paper, have
students draw something that they would like to trade for.
Activity 5: Voluntary Trading (GLE: 45)
Materials List: research material on bartering, items for bartering
Have students research the history of bartering. Refer to the following website for
information on bartering:
http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/bartering.htm. Have students
answer the following questions through their research:
 What is bartering?
 Who used to barter?
 What kinds of items did people used to barter with?
 Why isn’t bartering used instead of money today?
 What are some benefits of bartering?
 What are some limits to bartering?
Students face three problems in voluntary exchanges, such as bartering:
(1) the problem of matching goods and services wanted with goods and services
offered so that a direct exchange can be made,
(2) the problem of determining a fair and equitable rate of exchange between two
dissimilar items, and
(3) the problem of being able to store valued items for an extended period of time.
Provide students with items that they can use for bartering. Then have them engage in
bartering their items in exchange for other students’ items. Encourage them to consider
advertising their items to make them more attractive to others. When the time is up, ask
students what happened, who got what, and whether they liked trading items back and
forth. Ask students, “What are ways to make trade easier?” The answer may be: money.
Activity 6: Supply, Demand, and Price (GLE: 46)
Materials List: play money, items for a classroom store
To illustrate the law of supply and demand, hold a class silent auction. Provide students
with $100.00 in play money. Give them opportunities to “shop” around the classroom for
items. Make sure there are some items that have a large supply and some that are in short
supply. (These may be donated items or items that students bring in that they no longer
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want. Be sure to get parent/legal guardian permission.) Each item will be placed on a
piece of paper. Set a time limit and allow the students to rotate in groups to shop. The
first person to bid on the item will decide a price he or she is willing to pay and write
his/her name and bid on the white paper. Anyone else wanting that item must bid an
amount higher than the previous bidder, and write his/her name and bid below the
starting bid. When time is up, have students return to their seats and collect the bids.
Announce the winners. Have students come up to pay for and claim their merchandise.
Debrief the class by asking them why the prices of some items were higher than others.
Have them explain why prices fall or increase and what happens when prices go up or
down. Ask them to explain what happens to prices when supply and demand change.
Have students explain their decisions when making their purchases.
Activity 7: Profit and Risk (GLE: 48)
Materials List: social studies learning logs
Have the students create a vocabulary card (view literacy strategy descriptions) for the
terms risk and profit in their social studies learning logs (view literacy strategy
descriptions). (See sample below.) Ask students to explain what happens when a person
takes a risk and wins. What happens when they lose? Ask them to share times that they
took a risk. What happens when a business takes a risk to make a profit? Ask students to
provide examples to support their answers, to come up with synonyms for risk, and to
add an illustration onto the card. Then have students create a similar vocabulary card for
“profit.” Business people from the community could be invited to address the concepts
of risk and profit.
Definition:
The chance that an
investment's actual
return will be different
than expected.
Examples:
Using my allowance to
open a lemonade stand
Synonyms:
chance, gamble
risk
Illustration:
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Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
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Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher
observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as
the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any
rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the
student activities.
General Assessments
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Distribute a blank United States map to each pair of students. Have students add
features to the map depicting different occupations that are found in specific areas
around the country. Have students add at least ten occupations to the map.
Have students interview a parent or family friend to find out about his/her career
choice. Students should inquire about the following: the reason for the career
choice, the training and education involved in this career, the first job the person
had and each subsequent job, the interests of the person that were similar to skills
needed in the job he/she chose, and when he/she realized he/she wanted to choose
this career path. Students will write a paper from their interview.
Have students research several well-known businesses such as McDonald’s, The
Gap, Wal-Mart, KFC, etc. Through their research, they should look for evidence
of the concepts listed in this unit such as risk and profit and the planning of the
business tied to the producer questions. Have students create a flow chart with
pictures and captions illustrating the steps each business had to follow to become
what it is today.
Activity-Specific Assessments

Activity 2: Have students create life-sized career characters. Students should
make one to represent the careers they have researched. This life-size model
should be dressed in attire worn in the particular type of work and should include
five symbols that would depict certain aspects of the job.

Activity 3: Using the listening guides and the business cards distributed on the
researched careers, have students select their top two occupations based on their
interest level and create a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy
descriptions) to compare and contrast information related to each. Refer to the
Comparing Careers BLM.
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
Activity 5: Have students create a comic strip comparing exchanges with
bartering to exchanges with money. In the first strip, students should illustrate an
exchange being made by bartering. This picture will need to be drawn in a comic
strip frame. In the second strip the students should illustrate the same transaction,
except money should be used instead of bartering. Have students reflect on these
strips by writing a paragraph and explaining the benefits of using money over
bartering.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on
Economic
Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the
National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National
Center on
Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic
Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from www.econ-fun.com
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from www.econ-fun.com
Puppet Economics from www.econ-fun.com
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from www.econ-fun.com
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