Library Services: Elementary Units
Page Navigation
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Inquiry Units
- Kindergarten - 1st grade Inquiry - Jobs
- Kindergarten Inquiry - Where in the World Are We?
- 1st Grade Inquiry - Colonial Times
- 1st Grade Inquiry - Discovering Where We Live
- 2nd Grade Inquiry - American Symbols
- 2nd Grade Inquiry - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- 3rd Grade Inquiry - Rapid Changes to the Earth's Surface
- 3rd Grade Inquiry - Scientific Breakthroughs
- 4th Grade Inquiry - Native Texas
- 4th Grade: Notable Texans
- 4th Grade Inquiry - Slow Changes to Earth's Surface
- 5th Grade Inquiry - Energize
Investigate and Gather- Where in the World Are We?
Video
Activities
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Activities - Day 1
Shared Reading - Share aloud a story about maps (see lesson plans for suggested resources or use Walk On Maps)
Before reading, take a picture walk to get students wondering what is happening in the story and what the story is going to be about. Use the sentence stem, “I wonder…”
Read the story. During and after reading, ask questions:
What are some examples of ways _________ found his/her/ way?
How were some of these ways similar to how you find your way to the cafeteria, office, or library?
How have you seen your parents find their way somewhere?
What do you wonder about maps?
Asking Questions - Group Work
Have students work at tables to write/draw a wonder they have about maps.
After, bring students together to share questions. Record students questions on chart paper. Guide the students toward questions such as: How are maps made? Who draws maps? Why do we use maps? How do we use maps?
Activities - Day 2
Stations - Students will rotate through both print and electronic resource stations to answer their "I wonders"
Before starting, ask students, “Where do we get information from?” Once they share, explain they will be using both print resources and electronic resources. Explain the expectations. Each station will have chart paper and markers/crayons for students to draw what they learned.
Extension
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Coding Unplugged Lesson to Build Spacial Awareness: Divide the class into two teams. Each team will have a “robot” (teacher) to control. Tell students it is their job to get the “robot” from one place in the library to an end goal (maybe have a fun toy at the end). Students will use Direction Cards to build a code for the robots to follow (have students place direction cards on the floor for you to follow)

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This phase is intended to:
Allow students to develop question/s of personal interest and have time to gather relevant information to answer the question/s.
Key ideas:
- Encourage authentic questions (connected to real life, real world problems)
- Assist students in refining/revising questions (6th-12th)
- Encourage use of primary and secondary sources
- Note taking
- Cite sources
Stations for Day 2
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Videos
- Brainpop Jr: Reading Maps Video (first 1:05 only)
- Learn 360: Maps
Print (with Teacher to assist)
Spanish Print Resources
PebbleGo (English)
- In My World
- What is a Map (Tabs-A Useful Tool and Using A Map)
- Globes
PebbleGo (Spanish)