Second Grade – Unit 2 - History/Culture
Standards
2.H.1 Understand how
various sources provide
information about the
past.
Correction to Clarifying objective- November 2013, Rev. Timeline tool – Jan 2014
2.H.1 Understand how various sources provide information about the past.
2.C.1 Understand how various cultures influence communities.
Essential
Activity- planned for one activity per day
Question
NOTE: An object of your own should be used as an example before the
What can we
students bring in their own object and/or examine each other’s objects.
learn about
Ask students to bring an object to school from their life.
the past from
Explain that it should be an object that they think expresses a lot something
objects?
about them. It can be something that they use every day or something they
use only every now and then. It is probably best to discourage them from
bringing in something valuable.
Place these items on an empty table for display.
Building teacher background knowledge for unit,
from Smithsonian Education site: Essay on “Looking at Artifacts, Thinking
About History”
Resources
Empty table or empty boxes
Unit Vocabulary – artifact,
historian, primary source,
multiple perspectives
(see glossary at the end of unit)
These books are examples that
share ideas about the
importance of artifacts in
understanding history.

The Museum Book: A Guide
to Strange and Wonderful
Collections by Jan Mark and
Richard Holland

What Do Historians Do?
Sundance/Newbridge

We Remember Our Past
Sundance/Newbridge
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/idealabs/ap/essays/looking.htm
Possible questions to consider that facilitate conversations in unit.
What was the occasion?
When and where was it made?
Did the artifact change over time?
What events or conditions might have affected it?
What was the early use of the artifact? Or did it commemorate a specific
event?
What is the purpose of the artifact?
Why was the artifact made?
Was there an implicit purpose (hidden agenda)?
Who would benefit or be harmed by the artifact?
How was the artifact actually used?
Who was the audience?
Who were the intended users?
Did people outside the intended group use the artifact?
How might the users have reacted to the artifact?
How did different users interpret the artifact?
Last unit revision August 2012
What
characteristics
give us clues
about an
object’s age?
Ask students to place their objects in table or in boxes.
Have your students sit in a circle. Pass your object around the circle allowing
each student to make one comment about the object’s appearance while it’s
in his/her hands. Comments might include ideas about its size, shape, color,
texture, etc.
After the object has traveled around the circle and each student has
commented, encourage discussion about what the object might have been
used for and if we could learn anything about the person or people who used
it. This is especially fun if it’s an historical object that the students may not
have seen before.
If it’s a personal object your students will be surprised at what they found out
about you.
Explain to your students that historians use objects to find out information
about people who lived in the past. Actually, even small objects left behind
can tell you a lot about a person – their background, their type of work, how
they dressed, what they did for fun or a hobby, etc.
Possible web resource to
explore/share with students
about understanding history
through artifacts.
Today, we have the chance to find out more about our classmates based on
the object they brought into class.
Ask each student to pick an object from the table or boxes (not their own)
and return to their area.
Have students pair/share with a partner. They should discuss the object’s
appearance, what it is made of, what it might be used for, and what this
possibly says about the person who brought the object into class.
http://americanhistory.si.ed
u/onthemove/
After they have shared with their partners, bring the group back together.
Depending on the amount of time you have, each student can share his/her
discoveries.
If time allows, let the student(s) guess who the object belongs to after talking
about it to the class. They can also guess the reason why the person might
have picked the object.
Next, allow the student who brought in the object explain to whole group or
in small groups, why they chose to bring in the particular object and what the
object “says” about him/her.
After they have explained their objects to the class, tell them they just did the
work of historians – interpreting objects.
Last unit revision August 2012
Formative
Assessment
What are
some of the
ways primary
source
documents
help us
understand
the past?
Observational - evaluation should be based on student’s understanding of
how objects are used by historians to learn about people from the past. This
can be based on if the students were able to say something about their
classmates from the objects they brought.
Another option is to respond to the following prompt from the first essential
question, either in oral or written form, “What can we learn about the past
from objects?”
Today we will have a chance to do historical research using primary
documents. These primary documents will help you learn about a young girl
named, Victoria.
Primary source documents are one of the best ways to find out information
about people you’ve never met. Primary source documents are written
records like government reports, diary or journal entries, and letters and
postcards.
Historians use these documents to find information about specific people,
places, and events.
Primary Document – The Post Card
Primary Document – Mr. Confino’s Passport
All of these online resources
are from the Website
Tenement Museum.
http://www.tenement.org/
Link for Post Card
Discussion questions for Post
Card found within the
lesson plan document.
Link for Passport
Discussion questions for Mr.
Confino’s Passport found
within the lesson plan
document.
Primary Document – Victoria’s Report Card
Link for Report Card
Discussion questions for
Report Card found within
the lesson plan
document.
Primary Document – Family Photograph
Link for Family Photograph
Discussion questions for
Family Photograph found
within the lesson plan
document.
Last unit revision August 2012
2.H.1.3 Compare
various interpretations
of the same time
period using evidence
such as photographs
and interviews.
How does
understanding
different
perspectives
deepen our
understanding
of history?
Extension
Emphasize to your students that they have just done the work of real
historians.
Historians use primary documents and sources in all of their work. They piece
together information about a time, place, event, or person based on recorded
information.
Primary sources are essential to the work historians do.
Next, ask your students to write about Victoria Confino’s life.
Compare Victoria’s life to what they have learned in general about
immigrants from her time period. Things to consider:
 To what age children are required to attend school?
 What types of places people immigrated from – rural, urban?
 How people entered the United States and how the U.S. kept records
of them?
 What types of barriers immigrants would need to overcome –
language, finding work, finding a place to live?
Discuss with your class the idea of oral history and oral history interview. Tell
them how historians, when researching events that happened not too far in
the past, will often talk to people to see what they remember about a specific
event.
Possible interview questions.
Talk about interviews and the different types of interviews, such as
interviewing for information on a topic versus interviewing for information
about a person.
Discuss what type of interview your students will be conducting. Each student
may interview a school leader, community leader, neighbor, or family
member.
Discuss what kinds of information they should be looking for in the interview.
Discuss possible interview questions. (Publicize this activity for parents and
share the list of questions with them on a class website).
Students write
responses/answers to the
questions. Parents might
need to help their child
record the responses.
Ask students to write two of their own questions and add them to the
possible list of questions.
Last unit revision August 2012
2.H.1.1 Use timelines to What are
show sequencing of
possible
events.
events that
shape
identity?
Students should be prepared to share their findings with their classmates.
What did you learn about the person, the time period, etc. that you did not
know prior to the interview?
Students should create a timeline about the individual they interviewed.
Many options are available for students to create their timelines from paper
to VoiceThread, Padlet or Poplet, Discovery Ed Board Builder, as well as TikiToki or TimeToast
Adding major events in that individual’s life with the dates (years are really
important).
Students should create a personal timeline about themselves, including major
events and the dates (years are important).
Timeline – Can be paper or
Padlet or online tool such as
Tiki-Toki or TimeToast
Creating a Classroom
Rubric
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Timeline
Students should compare their timeline with their interviewee’s timeline.
Ask students to write their thoughts down as they compare the two timelines.
What do they notice?
Students create a timeline about a historical figure and how that individual’s
contributions influenced the state, or nation, or world.
2.H.1.2 Identify
contributions of historical
figures (community, state,
nation and world)
through various genres.
Share the list with students of possible historical figures and then let each
student choose a person to research. After researching they should create a
timeline about the important events in that person’s life and any connections
found with cultural traditions.
2.C.1.2 Recognize the key
historical figures and
events that are associated
with various cultural
traditions.
How do we
compare
information
from more
than one
source?
Remember that historic events can be viewed through the eyes of those who
were there, as shown in their art, their writings, their music, and other
artifacts.
Include online and print resources (at least 3 different sources) for students
to use.
Also various genres such as autobiographies, biographies and some history
texts will be helpful.
Students can record their research information on a data bank or graphic
organizer or web 2.0 tool.
List of historical figures –
See possible book choices for
names at end of unit.
Generic data bank or
graphic organizer i.e.,
“Read-Draw-Talk-Write” or
Web 2.0 tools – i.e., Popplithttp://popplet.com/ ,
Bubbl.us - https://bubbl.us/
Free App- ITouch/IPad
“Popplit Lite”, “Show Me”
Last unit revision August 2012
Assessment
The class as a whole can organize their information using the web tool –
museum box – to showcase their research. Student choice and input is crucial
when constructing the museum box and it is a creative way to present their
information to the rest of the class.
Museum Box Website http://museumbox.e2bn.org
/index.php
Creating a Classroom
Rubric
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Please note many websites require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open documents. Please make sure you have it loaded on your
laptop.
Last unit revision August 2012
Read-Draw-Talk-Write
Topic:
_________________________________________________________________
Complete on your own DURING and AFTER the activity or reading.
My Picture(s)
Complete with a partner AFTER the activity or reading.
My Partner’s Ideas
Compare your thoughts, notes, and picture(s) in order to write a summary with you partner.
Our Ideas
Last unit revision August 2012
Vocabulary Word
artifact
historian
primary source
multiple perspectives
Definition
1. any object made by human beings, especially with a view to subsequent use.
2. a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time
or cultural stage, especially such an object found at an archaeological excavation.
3. any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society or popular culture:
artifacts of the pop rock generation. www.dictionary.com
An expert in or student of history, esp. that of a particular period, region, or social phenomenon.
www.dictionary.com
Primary sources provide a first-hand account or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are
created by witnesses or recorders who actually experienced the events or conditions being documented. While
these sources are often created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, primary sources may
also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Some other examples of primary
sources are letters, diaries, maps, drawings, laws, and statutes.
DPI Support Doc http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/acre/standards/support-tools/glossary/social.pdf
http://www.yale.edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources.html
http://www.primarysource.org/what-is-a-primary-source
http://library.ucsc.edu/help/howto/distinguish-between-primary-and-secondary-sources
Multiple perspectives, in historical analysis and interpretation, entails viewing history through the lens of many
different viewpoints, representations and roles in order to create the most accurate historical narrative that
encompasses differing and sometimes heterogeneous points of view.
DPI Support Doc http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/acre/standards/support-tools/glossary/social.pdf
http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/Standards/historical-thinking-standards-1/3.-historical-analysis-and-interpretation
Last unit revision August 2012
Possible Books to Use for Research:
Heinemann/Raintree
Sundance/Newbridge
Heinemann/Raintree
Sundance/Newbridge
Heinemann/Raintree
Last unit revision August 2012
Heinemann/Raintree
Heinemann/Raintree
Heinemann/Raintree
Last unit revision August 2012