Unit of Study

Timeline

Continuous Threads – Social Studies Skills

Integrated throughout the school year

Citizenship and Government in our Community

9 weeks

Cultures of Our Community

9 weeks

Our World

9 weeks

Changes in Our World

9 weeks

Time Frame: Year Long Integration
Throughout the year as students learn social studies content they are expected to master certain skills that are required by the TEKS.  Although some these skills may also be taught in language arts or mathematics, their mastery is essential for mastery of social studies content.  Teachers should plan appropriate activities that incorporate social studies skills each nine weeks.

TEKS
1.3 The student understands the concepts of time and chronology.
1.3A distinguish among past, present, and future
1.3C use vocabulary related to chronology including yesterday, today and tomorrow
1.4 The student understands the relative location of places.
1.4A locate places using the four cardinal directions [North, South, East, West]
1.4B describe the location of self and objects relative to other locations in the classroom and school  [using phrases such as to the left, in front of, to the right, near and far, behind, etc.]
1.5 The student understands the purpose of maps and globes.
1.5A create and use simple maps to identify the location of places in the classroom. School, community, and beyond
1.6 The student understands various physical and human characteristics of the environment.
1.6A identify and describe the physical characteristics of places such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather [define and describe terms related to weather including sunny, warm, hot, cloudy, cold and stormy, etc]
1.17 The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology.
1.17A obtain information about a topic using a variety of oral sources such as conversations, interviews, and music
1.17B obtain information about a topic using a variety of visual sources such as pictures, graphics, television, maps, computer images, literature, and artifacts
1.17C sequence and categorize information
1.17D identify main ideas from oral, visual, and print sources
1.18 The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.
1.18A express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences
1.18B create visual and written material including pictures, maps, timelines, and graphs
1.19 The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings.
1.19A use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
1.19B use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision
1.15 The student understands the importance of family beliefs, customs, language, and traditions.
1.15B describe various beliefs, customs, and traditions of families and explain their importance

Holiday/Theme Dates
September—Labor Day, Citizenship Day/Celebrate Freedom Week, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15- Oct 15)

October—Columbus Day, Geography Awareness Week, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15- Oct 15)

November—Election Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving

January—Martin Luther King Day

February—President’s Day, Black History Month

March—Texas Independence Month (March 2, 1836), Women’s History Month
May—Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS
1.10 The student understands the purpose of rules and laws
1.10A explain the need for rules and laws in the home, school, and community [establish order, provide security, and manage conflict]
1.10B give examples of rules or laws that establish order, provide security, and manage conflict
1.11 The student understands the role of authority figures and public officials
1.11C identify the responsibility of authority figures in the home, school, and community [such as parents, principals, police officers,  and public officials]
1.12 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures and ordinary people
1.12A identify characteristics of good citizenship such as a belief in justice, truth, equality, and responsibility for the common good
1.12B identify historic figures such as Clara Barton, Nathan Hale,  and  Eleanor Roosevelt  who have exemplified good citizenship
1.12C identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship and exhibit a love of individualism and inventiveness
1.13 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.
1.13C use voting as a way of making choices and decisions [such as choosing an activity to do at recess]
1.13B recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Texas Flag
1.6 The student understands various physical and human characteristics of the environment.
1.6C identify and describe the human characteristics of places such as types of houses and ways of earning a living
1.9 The student understands the value of work.
1.9A describe the requirements of various jobs and the characteristics of a job well- performed
1.11 The student understands the role of authority figures and public officials.
1.11A identify leaders in the community, state, and nation
1.11B  describe the roles of public officials including mayor, governor, and president

Language/Vocabulary

authority
belief
beside
calendar
celebration
citizenship

culture
custom
decision
equality
future
jobs

justice
laws
legends
neighborhood
public officials

rules
shelter
timeline
truth
vote

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS

1.2 The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations.

1.2A describe the origins of selected customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day

1.2B compare the observance of holidays and celebrations past and present

1.3 The student understands the concepts of time and chronology.

1.3A distinguish among past, present, and future

1.3B  create a calendar or timeline

1.3C use vocabulary related to chronology including yesterday, today and tomorrow

1.1 The student understands how historical figures helped to shape our community, state, and nation.

1.12 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified y historic figures and ordinary people.

1.12A identify contributions of historical figures such as Sam Houston and Abraham Lincoln who have influenced the community, state, and nation

1.12C identify ordinary people who exemplify good citizenship and exhibit a love of individualism and inventiveness

1.13 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

1.13D explain how selected customs, symbols, and celebrations reflect an American love of individualism, inventiveness, and freedom

1.15 The student understands the importance of family beliefs, customs, language, and traditions.

1.15A describe various beliefs, customs, and traditions of families and explain their importance

1.15B retell stories from selected folktales and legends such as Aesop’s Fables

Language/Vocabulary

beliefs

calendar

celebration

Christmas

Cinco de Mayo

Citizenship Day

Columbus Day

customs

Election Day

Fiesta

Freedom Week

Hanukkah

holidays

Independence Day

Kwanzaa

Labor Day

legends

Martin Luther King Day

Memorial Day

New Year’s Day

President’s Day

Ramadan

St. Patrick’s Day

Thanksgiving

timeline

traditions

Valentine’s Day

Veteran’s Day

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS

1.5 The student understands the purpose of maps and globes.

1.5B locate place of significance on maps and globes such as the local community, Texas and the United States

1.6 The student understands various physical and human characteristics of the environment.

1.6A identify and describe the physical characteristics of places such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather [continents, islands, peninsulas, hills, mountains, and plains as landforms; oceans, lakes and rivers as bodies of water; oil, lumber, air, water, plants, animals, and soil as natural resources]

1.6B identify examples of and uses for natural resources in the community, state, and nation

1.1 The student understands how historical figures helped to shape our community, state, and nation.

1.1C compare the similarities and differences among the lives and activities of historical figures who have influenced the community, state, and nation

1.2 The student understands the origins of custom, holidays, and celebrations.

1.2C identify anthems and mottoes of the United States and Texas

1.13 The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity.

1.13A explain selected national and state patriotic symbols such as the United States and Texas flags, the Liberty Bell, and the Alamo

Language/Vocabulary

Alamo

anthems

bodies of water

continents

desert

Equator

forest

hills

island

lakes

land

landforms

lumber

mottoes

mountains

natural resources

North Pole

oceans

oil

patriotic

peninsulas

plains

plants

rivers

soil

South Pole

Statue of Liberty

streams

symbols

Texas

United States of America

Literature Connections

Levette, Sarah. (1999). Closer Look at Rivers and Lakes. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech Books.

Marzollo, Jean. (1996).  I Am Water. New York: Scholastic.

Branley, Franklyn. (1986). Air is All Around You. New York: Harper and Row.

Cobb, Vicki. (2002). I Get Wet. New York: Harper Collins.

Fowler, Allan. (1998).  Let’s Visit Some Islands. Allan Fowler.

Bial, Raymond. (2000). A Handful of Dirt. New York: Walker.

Tomecek, Steve. (2002). Dirt. Washington DC: National Geographic.

Hooper, Meredith. (2000). River Story. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Zoehfeld, Kathleen. (1995). How Mountains Are Made. New York: Harper Collins.

Wermund, Jerry. (2003). Earthscapes: Landforms Sculpted by Water, Wind, and Ice. Hong Kong: Creative Printing USA.

Locker, Thomas. (2001). Mountain Dance. San Diego: Harcourt.

Lourie, Peter. (1999). Rio Grande From the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Honesdale, PA: Boyd Mills Press.

Time Frame: 9 Weeks

TEKS

1.3 The student understands the concepts of time and chronology

1.3A  distinguish among past, present, and future

1.14 The student understands how families meet basic human needs.

1.14A  describe ways that families meet basic human needs

1.14B describe similarities and differences in ways families meet basic human needs

1.8 The student understands the condition of not being able to have all the goods and services one wants.

1.8C identify examples of choices families make when buying goods and services

1.8A identify examples of people wanting more than they can have

1.8B explain why wanting more than they can have requires that people make choices

1.7 The student understands the concepts of goods and services.

1.7C identify the role of markets in the exchange of goods and services

1.7A identify examples of goods and services in the home, school, and community

1.7B identify ways people exchange goods and services

1.16 The student understands how technology has affected daily life, past and present.

1.16A describe how household tools and appliances have changed the ways families live [such as the washer, dryer, refrigerator, microwave, etc.]

1.16B describe how technology has changed communication, transportation, and recreation

1.1 The student understands how historical figures helped to shape our community, state, and nation.

1.1B identify historic figures such as Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison who have exhibited a love of individualism and inventiveness

1.16 The student understands how technology has affected daily life, past and present.

1.16C describe how technology has changed the way people work [such as the development of the typewriter and later the computer for word processing]

1.9 The student understands the value of work.

1.9A describe the requirements of various jobs and the characteristics of a job well-performed

1.9B describe how specialized job contribute to the production of goods and services

Language/Vocabulary

barter

basic human needs

choices

communication

computer

computer images

exchange

goods

invention

inventors

markets

services

technology

television

transportation

wants