Valkyrie Progar

EDC 363
Dr. Findley
12 November, 2015
Basic/Background Information
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Number of Students: 24
Time allotted: 30 minute lessons, 3x per week, x6 weeks
Curriculum Overview:
Community: Alaska
Guiding Question: What would it be like to live in Alaska?
On-going Project: Communit-opoly will be the on-going project for the Social
Studies: (Alaskan) community curriculum. At the beginning of the year, the
class will have a blank 8ft x 8ft poster hanging on the wall; students will be
turning the poster into a giant Monopoly game. I will be drawing the
boundaries on the game-board, but the rest will be completed by the
students. Each side of the Monopoly board will be devoted to one of the four
disciplines of Social Studies: Geography, Economics, Civics, and History. As
we cover each discipline, throughout the year, students (in small groups) will
create spaces for the board that include a question (to be answered correctly)
or an activity (to be performed) in order to move forward. Student will also be
drawing illustrations on the game-board based on what they learn about the
community (Alaska).
Culminating Activity: The culminating activity for this curriculum will be
playing the completed Communit-opoly as a class; I will be making smaller,
individual boards of the finished product for students to have and be able to
play with classmates. Students will have the opportunity to review what they
learned throughout the year and will be able to learn even more.
Unit Plan Overview:
a. Compelling Question: What would it be like to live in Alaska?

b. S c. d. Key e. Key f. D
upportin D concepts skills and ata found
g ata and strategies
Question Sour conceptual
s ce understandi
ngs

1. W Maps; World Absolute location; Map-reading; Northwest of the

here is it Atlas; relative location; previous awareness North American
and how Almanac; US longitude; latitude; of North America continent;
many Census population; land (in states/regions/counti 663,267 square
people Bureau sq. miles); distance es/cities; interpret miles; 736,732
live measured as an data/ people; Latitude:
 there? estimate; census charts/graphs/statisti 5120N to 71
cs Longitude: 130
to 172E

2. W Weather Weather; climate; Reading bar graphs; Mid-latitude

hat is the reports; precipitation; global graphing oceanic climate;
climate Almanac; warming information; oceanic climate;
like? climate interpreting sub-Arctic oceanic
maps; World weather/climate climate; Arctic
Atlas maps climate

3. W Topographica Landscape types; Interpreting Mountains;

hat is the l maps; affects of climate; maps/photos; glaciers;
land like? photos; mountains; glaciers identifying/distinguis volcanoes;
Google hing/describing the heavily forested
Earth; virtual difference between land; surrounded
tours; World mountains/glaciers/h by water;
Atlas ills/volcanoes/etc. snow/ice covered;
hundreds of
rivers; nearly 3
million lakes;

Evidence-based Alaska is a very environmentally diverse state with an abundance of natural

Claims resources. Alaska is located in the northwestern-most edge of the United States
(attached to Canada) from 5120N to 71 and 130 to 172E. Alaskas
geography is known for its oceanic and arctic climates, mountain heights,
pure/fresh water sources, record for longest coastline, and for being the largest
state in the USA. The extreme climates mean that the weather is below average
for cold weather throughout the year. The wildlife inhabitants of Alaska are
ones in which can withstand the climate: brown bear, black bear, polar bear,
caribou, moose, mountain goat, bison, dall sheep, orca, a variety of fish (trout,
salmon, char, grayling, halibut, lampreys, lingcod, pike, whitefish, etc.), a variety
of birds (bald eagles, snowy owls, osprey, raven, Canada goose, horned puffin,
etc.), Columbia spotted frog, wood frog, western toad, leatherback sea turtle,
green sea turtle, garter snake, and endangered species (eskimo curlew,
humpback whale, fin whale, leatherback turtle, short-tailed albatross, etc.).

Goals/Rationale
Student Learning Goals:
Students will understand how location can be relative or absolute.
Students will create and use maps of their surrounding area.
Students will understand the distance is not always measured in a
straight line.
Students will recognize different climates, and can identify
requirements for such climates to be present in a given area.
Students will differentiate various landforms.
Students will recognize features of wildlife in different areas.
Students will understand that communities can be within other
communities.
Rationale: Through the education of Geographic topics, students will become
geographers, explorers, researchers, map-makers, and travelers who are
knowledgeable about their community. Students will develop life-long skills such as
spatial awareness, compare/contrast skills, map-making and map-reading skills,
socialization skills, and a stronger environmental awareness (among others).
Students should realize how large and complex the world is, and want to learn more
about it.

Teacher Objectives/Standards and Benchmarks

Social Studies Facts, Concepts, Generalizations, and Skills to be learned:
G1.0.1 Construct maps, symbols, labels, legends, human and natural
(physical) characteristics
G1.0.2 Use maps to describe spatial organization, Apply concepts,
relative location, distance, direction, scale
G 2.0.1 Compare physical and human characteristics
G2.0.2 Describe region, county, metropolitan area, state
G4.0.1 Describe land use
G4.0.2 Describe movement of people, goods and ideas
G4.0.3 Use components of culture to describe diversity
G5.0.1 Suggest ways responsible interaction with the environment
G5.0.2 Describe positive and negative consequences
Standards:
2 G1.0.1 Construct maps of the local community that contain
symbols, labels, and legends denoting human and natural characteristics of
place.
2 G1.0.2 Use maps to describe the spatial organization of the local
community by applying concepts including relative location and using
distance, direction, and scale.
2 G2.0.1 Compare the physical and human characteristics of the local
community with those of another community.
2 G2.0.2 Describe how the local community is part of a larger region
(e.g., county, metropolitan area, state).
2 G4.0.1 Describe lands use in the community (e.g., where people
live, where services are provided, where products are made).
2 G4.0.3 Use components of culture (e.g., foods, language, religion,
traditions) to describe diversity in the local community.
2 G5.0.2 Describe positive and negative consequences of changing
the physical environment of the local community.
2 P3.1.2 Use graphic data and other sources to analyze information
about a public issue in the local community and evaluate alternative
resolutions.
2 P4.2.2 Participate in projects to help or inform others.
G.LO.02.07 Find and name locations using simple coordinate systems
such as maps and first quadrant grids.
2.MD.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using
appropriate tools such as rulers, yard sticks, meter sticks, and measuring
tapes.
 2.MD.3 Estimate lengths using unit or inches, feet, centimeters, and
meters.
S.IP.02.11 Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the
appropriate senses.
S.IP.02.12 Generate questions based on observations.
S.IP.02.13 Plan and conduct simple investigations.
S.IP.02.14 Manipulate simple tools (ruler, meter stick, measuring cups,
hand lens, thermometer, balance) that aid observation and data collection.
S.IP.02.15 Make accurate measurements with appropriate units (meter,
centimeter) for the measurement tool.
E.SE.02.21 Describe the major landforms of the surface of the Earth
(mountains, plains, plateaus, valleys, hills).

Teacher Preparation and Resources

Instructional Resource List:
In order for teachers to successfully teach 2 nd grade Social Studies: Geography, they
must (at least) have base knowledge of the community they teach in. It is
important, not only for students to learn about other communities and cultures, but
they should be experts in their own community, first. There is an endless amount of
teaching resources for teachers to use to teach about communities; here is a list of
the top 5 resources that will help me teach my unit:
1. Kids National Geographic (hard-copy or kids.nationalgeographic.com)
Students get accurate, reputable information and brilliant pictures from this
resource.
2. Virtual Tours
(http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml) Students can go
on free field trips anywhere in the world, with this resource.
3. United States Geological Survey (www.usgs.gov) Students receive
scientific, statistical information from this government-run resource.
4. Skype in the Classroom (https://education.microsoft.com/) Students
can communication with people who are unable to visit our classroom.
5. Alaska Board of Tourism (alaska.gov/visitorhome.html) Students are
able to learn more about the tourist side of Alaska which will be helpful
when creating brochures.
Inquiry Resources:
1. Flat Stanley (book): This resource is our introduction piece and leads
into exploration and adventures that are financially reasonable.
2. Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman (PBS kids TV show): This TV show is
extremely popular and shares great values with viewers; the show is staged
as a game-show and it is all about adventure, exploration, experiments, and
communities.
3. Field Trips to the zoo: A field trip to the zoo will teach students about
the different animals in our community, and ones that were imported into our
community; this resource is an all-around educational experience.
4. Neighborhood walks: Students will get physical activity in, and will be
able to be surrounded by their community; my students will be drawing maps
 of our community in order to develop more advanced map-making skills for
when they do not have access to the community they are creating a map for.
5. Different types of maps: Students will be able to look through weather,
climate, topographical, traditional, world, state maps, etc. Maps will help
students view the world as bigger than just them, and should help develop
map-making skills by acting as a template or model.

Assessment Plans
Prior Knowledge: Students should have little understanding of how Alaska is a
community; however, I intend on my students having rough understandings of
concepts such as weather, land, relative location, maps, and animals in nature.
Because this is the first unit of the year, I will be asking my students about what
they already know about geographical concepts; from there, I will find out what
misconceptions are lingering, and try to resolve them within the first few weeks of
the school year. I will be open to discussion within my class as we figure out what it
means to be in a community. This discussion will not only help shape my lessons in
the unit, but will make me aware of what my students currently view geography as.
Formative/Summative Assessment: In Appendix A, I have labeled many of my
assessment ideas with (S) for Summative or (F) for Formative.
Differentiation Plan: I plan to differentiate a majority of my lessons and activities
catering to multiple learning styles and varying aptitude levels, although at the Tier
I level. Students will often be offered the opportunity to choose their assessment in
multiple activities (the product will be differentiated). Although I do not believe in
busy work for the sake of students being preoccupied during the school day, I do
like to have extensions for students who finish assignments before their classmates;
options such as crossword puzzles, problem-solving-based maps, measurement
activities, educational iPad applications, or other educational games. Lessons will be
differentiated in more depth lesson-by-lesson.
Curriculum Alignment Summary: See Appendix A

Instructional Sequence of Lessons

Hook/Introduction: The introduction to this Geography unit will involve multiple
steps. First, our class will need to connect with our electronic pen-pal class from
Alaska on Skype; we will be using this class as a resource throughout the year to
learn their perspective on what it is like to live in Alaska. Our class will then be
reading the book, Flat Stanley, and proceed to make our own Flat Stanley people.
Next, we will send our Flat Stanley class on a vacation to Alaska, and they will stay
with our friends who live there. The class in Alaska will be sending us their Flat
Stanley class, and we will be showing our flat friends around our community.
Sequence of Activities: (broken up into respective weeks)
1. Introduction
2. Location/Directions
a. Blind-folded Buddies
 i. Students will be paired off into
buddies and will have to direct each other around the
school using verbal directions and clues as to the blind-folded
students relative location. Students will either thrive or
struggle when using only using verbal cues. Students will be
assessed on completion of the activity (making it back to the
classroom), and will have a reflection at the end of the
activity.
b. Neighborhood Walk
i. Our class with be taking a small field
trip on a walk around our community. The goal of this activity
is to be aware of our surrounding area and take notes that
will help in our next lesson (map-making). The notes taken
will support the maps made (act as an assessment).
3. Maps
a. Draw Your Community (and Alaska)
i. Students will use the notes taken on
our walk to create a map of our community. Students will be
graded on accuracy and whether the required elements of a
map are present. Our class will also be creating and coloring
maps of Alaska as we find out more about it.
b. Create A State
i. Students will be asked to create their
own state, draw in the capital city, provide a legend, and a
compass rose. Students have not yet been taught about
landscapes and landforms, but, they can add them in if
desired. The assessment for this activity is having the
required elements of a map.
4. Distance
a. Measure My Community
i. Our class will be walking around our
school (inside and outside) measuring different objects and
keeping the measurements in a log, acting as practice for the
following activity. This log will be turned in for completion.
b. Calculate the Coastline
i. Students will be estimating the
length/distance of the Alaskan coastline using measuring
techniques learned throughout the week. Students should be
relatively close to the actual estimated distance, and will be
assessed on whether work is shown or not.
5. Climate
a. Ice Cream Glaciers
i. Our class will be creating glaciers
made out of ice cream and will learn the effects global
warming has on (specifically) Alaska, and the world. Students
must think of ways to keep their ice cream from melting, and
reflections will act as assessment. The class will have an ice
cream social afterwards.
6. Land Types/Landforms
a. Paper Mache Mountains
 i. Students will be put into groups and
will be assigned Alaskan mountains to be built out of paper
mache. When the class is finished with the construction, we
will have comparable visual aids to develop better
understandings of mountains. Students will be assessed on
participation and design; the creation should resemble the
assigned mountain.
b. Clay Volcanoes
i. We will be making volcanoes with a
link to science. We will be discussing the difference between
mountains and volcanoes throughout the week, and will learn
about volcano eruptions. This activity can tie back into
climate.
7. Animals/Wildlife/Natural Resources
a. Exploration Booklet
i. Students will have an exploration log
to take notes, draw pictures, and write questions and
inquiries in, that will be turned in at the end of the unit.
Students should be exploring the community around them
and comparing it to the wildlife and natural resources in
Alaska. Because this is the last section of our Geography unit,
students should add a lot of detail and reasoning as to why
there are differences in animals and plant life in our
community and Alaska.
8. Culminating Activity
Culminating Lesson: Our culminating lesson will be a brochure to travel Alaska.
Students may choose which community within the state of Alaska they would like
tourists to venture to, or they can advertise for the whole state. This unit-by-unit
activity will be in addition to the culminating project for the year, but will only be
based solely on the discipline for the respective unit. I view advertisements as a
way to, not only enhance visual learning, but, pique students interests. Through
this brochure creation, students should feel proud of their advertisements because,
after all, this is a persuasion method; if students put effort into their work, they will
most likely buy whatever they are advertising, which means other students will as
well. This brochure will also be able to spiral back to the introduction of the unit by
making our Flat Stanley people part of the brochure; photograph usage is highly
recommended. (Our Flat Stanley friends will also be the game pieces in the year-
culminating activity.)

Appendix A: Curriculum Alignment

Student Learning Evidence of Learning - Instructional activity to

Summative (S) or Formative support learning
(F)
Content (learned from this unit but important beyond this unit): Students will know.
(Include at least 5 content knowledge objectives)
Some common landforms Brochure includes accurate drawings Previous knowledge; arts and
(mountains, volcanoes, glaciers) and descriptions of community crafts activities
landforms (S)

How to distinguish between Brochure (S); Videos; pictures; presentations;

various climates weather maps

How to create their own maps Make maps of own community (S); final Develop map making skills
map of Alaska

What allows animals and other Animal and wildlife booklet (S); Field trip to the zoo;
wildlife to survive in different brochure (S)
climates

How to conduct research Daily list of fun facts (based on Practice efficient research methods
research) (F)

Processes/Skills/Strategies (of social science inquiry): Students will be able to

(Include at least 3 social science skills. Some may be specific to a particular discipline and some
may be more general information-gathering and interpretation.)
Gather (accurate) information from Research log (S/F); sticky notes of Lesson on questions; whole class
Skype Conference and data information from conference (F) conference with class from Alaska;
sources practice efficient research methods

Organize (climate change) data in Show inference through season-change Looking at maps; virtual tours
graphic form drawings and observations

Interpret maps and make
supportive claims
Create their own maps of Alaska (or Looking at maps; class discussion
regions in Alaska) (S); Research log
(S/F); creation of game-board
illustrations based off of maps and
research (S/F); Is this a community?

Additional Skills: interview, observe, analyze photographs, write, speak, blog, make charts

Attitudes: Students will value/believe

(Include at least 2 dispositions, attitudes, values, or beliefs)
They can think like a Perform research in order to contribute Emphasize problem solving skills
geographer/think critically to cumulative project (S); converse with (mathematics/economics); practice
students from the class in Alaska in a efficient research methods
professional fashion; show inference
from observations

They can make informed decisions Informal observation and conversation Emphasize need to have and to
checklist (F) weigh evidence

Action: Students will show active response to learning (in/through/by)

Engaging in research and actively Observation/checklist/participation Presentation of completed

working on the on-going project. during planning (F) and during project Communit-opoly board-game at
(S); students will make suggestion the end of the year; class
 (bonus) questions to add to the involvement in game/small-group
Communit-opoly game at the end on participation; brochure
each week of the unit (as a reflection of advertisements; Flat Stanley
what was learned) via
PollEverywhere.com (F); completed
brochures

Appendix B: Concept and Generalization Development Examples

Concept: Mountain
Definition: a large, rocky, landform that is taller than a hill, and has a peak (usually
snow-covered).
Examples: Mt. Everest Himalayas, Mt. Rushmore, Mouna Kea
Examples in Alaska: Denali (former McKinley), Mount Foraker, Mount Saint Elias,
Mount Blackburn, Mount Sanford, Mount Bona, Mount Fairweather, etc.
Non-Examples: hill, volcano, glacier, cliff, landfill (Mt. Brighton)
Relationships: climate, population, elevation, economy, natural resources, tectonic
plates, valley
Plan to develop: I plan to teach students about mountains and the difference
between them and, very similar, hills, volcanoes, glaciers, and others through
various art projects. Throughout the unit, students will create their own mountain
ranges out of paper mache, glaciers out of ice cream, and volcanoes using clay and
a baking soda mixture.

Generalizations:
1. All mountains have snowcaps.
2. North is the top of a map.
3. If global warming continues to wreak havoc, polar bears will become
extinct.