Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Title of Unit
Subject
Time, Continuity, and Change
Grade Level
3rd Grade
Social Studies
Time Frame
3/30/14- 5/15/15
Developed By
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
In this unit students will learn about important historical figures and the impact they had in their
country’s history. As well as, the important traditions, holidays, music and art that influenced
their cultures.
Big Idea: There are many factors that impact culture throughout time.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning
points in the history of the United States and New York.
Standard 2: World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning
points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired?
Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
How do cultures commemorate or transmit their cultural history?
How can a culture’s past influence its present?
How do aspects of a culture change or remain the same over time?
3.8 Each community or culture has a unique history, including heroic figures,
traditions, and holidays.
3.8.a People in world communities use legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies,
and historical narratives to transmit cultural histories from one generation to the next.
3.8b Arts, music, dance, and literature develop through a community’s history.
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit?
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
Students will be able to…
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Important historical events and figures that are particular to their
communities of study
Famous memorials or monuments that are symbols for their
communities of study
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Students will examine legends, folktales, oral histories, biographies,
and historical narratives to learn about the important individuals and
events of each selected world community.

Students will explore the arts, music, dance, and literature for each
selected world community.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Ongoing assessment- quizzes, student notes and classroom discussion.
Students can complete biography report on an important historical figure PebGo-BioReport-Lesson-Plan.pdf
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate
achievement of the desired results?
Teacher Notes: Important Historical figures (IHF)
The United States: Martin Luther King Jr.
Teacher’s IHF: Martin Luther King Quiz.docx Student’s IHF: personal choice (pebble go)
The United Kingdom: Teacher IHF: Queen Elizabeth (Brainpop) Student’s IHF: Florence Nightingale (pebble go)
http://www.pebblego.com/content/biographies/pgo_player.php (teachers/helpers/heroes) Pebblego.com login: ps105 pswd: school
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/grade3/geograph.html#diffusion
Objective(s)
Listed Aim or Learning Intention
Related to knowledge, skills or both?
of Each Lesson.
Week 1:
United States Holidays and Traditions
What holidays and traditions are
celebrated in the United States?
-Kwanzaa
-Passover
Assessment
Resources
United States Traditions
Thanksgiving Traditions
United Kingdom Holidays and
Traditions
Week 2:
History of Jazz and Blues (United
States)
-Martin Luther King Jr. Day
-Fourth of July (Independence Day)
-Halloween
-Thanksgiving
-Christmas
What holidays and traditions are
celebrated in the United Kingdom?
-Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night)
-Boxing Day
-Maundy Thursday
-Armistice Day (Remembrance Day)
-Christmas
-The Trooping of the Colors (The
Queen’s Birthday)
-Students will learn about jazz and
blues (music from the United States).
-What is Jazz music?
-What is blues?
-Students will listen to different types
of music.
Holidays and Traditions
Traditions in England Game
Jazz Radio
http://pbskids.org/chuck/video_jazz.htm
l
Blues Video
Duke Ellington:
http://www.pebblego.com/content/biog
raphies/pgo_player.php
History of Folk Music (England)
Week 3:
Historical Figures of the United States
Martin Luther King Jr.
Historical Figures of the United
Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth II
-Students will learn about folk music
-What is folk music?
-Where did folk music originate?
History of Folk Music (England).docx
Who was Martin Luther King Jr.?
What is he known for?
What did he do that was important
for the people and country?
Text: National Geographic Kids
Martin Luther King Jr.
(The book covers all sections of Martin
Luther King Jr’s. life)
Who is Queen Elizabeth II?
What is she known for?
What has Queen Elizabeth II and the
Royal family done for the country?
http://www.england.org.za/englandmusic.php
Martin Luther King Jr Video
Student research: pebblego.com
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/
famoushistoricalfigures/queenelizabethii
/
Queen Elizabeth II Quiz.docx
Student:
http://www.pebblego.com/content/biog
raphies/pgo_player.php
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning..
Visual Representation
 video clips
 enlarged text and images
 Brain Pop Jr
 Pebble go
 Discovery Education
Vocabulary
 Explicit teaching-pre-teaching through
content area texts
 Content word walls
Links: above in “Resources”
ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning…
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Collaborative learning
Small group instructions
Shared reading
Independent Reading/writing
Graphic organizers
ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
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Small group instructions
Question and questioning techniques
Modeling
Research stations
Smart board activities
National Geographic
How do I support students to understand
and interact with knowledge and skills and
then demonstrate what they know and
understand in a range of ways?
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Question and questioning
Multimedia
Smart board lessons
Explicit teaching
Modeling
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)