Download Grade Level: Four Unit: 1 Topic/Content: Maps and Globes Time

Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Maps and Globes
Unit: 1
Time Frame:
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
Essential Question for Unit: How can maps and globes be used to determine directions, distances
and locations?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of the world, locate North America; geography.
Interpret a map using information from its title, compass rose, scale, and legend. Identify 7
continents of the world.
On a map of North America, locate the United States; geography.
Interpret a map using information from its title, compass rose, scale, and legend.
On a map locate the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and Gulf of Mexico; geography.
Interpret a map using information from its title, compass rose, scale, and legend.
Identify major water bodies of the world, Compare and contrast.
Use map and globe skills to determine absolute locations (latitude and longitude) of places
studied; geography skills.
Interpret a map using longitude and latitude.
Interpret location using a grid system.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
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Use a classroom globe or world map and have students identify the continent North America,
United States, the four oceans (Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Pacific).
Compare a globe to a map and discuss the differences. Have students construct a
topographical map using clay or papier mâché.
Connect the teaching of longitude and latitude to Everyday Math curriculum.
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
• Classroom maps and globes;
• Scholastic maps and globes.
• McGraw-Hill: Reviewing
Geography skills, p.11- T E
H11-H18
• Houghton Mifflin
• McGraw-Hill, p. 62-65
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.8
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Regions of the United States
Unit: 2
Time Frame: 15 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
What are the different regions that exist in the United States? Where are they located, what are their
capital and major cities, what are their climates, major physical features and major natural resources?
How do natural resources and geographic location impact a region's growth and development?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of North America, locate the current boundaries of the United States (including
Alaska and Hawaii).
Identify the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and West Regions; geography.
Use map and globe skills to determine absolute locations (latitude and longitude) of places
studied.
Interpret a map using information from its title, compass rose, scale, and legend.
Observe and describe national historic sites and describe their function and significance.
Identify the states, state capitals, and major cities in the northeast, southeast, southwest,
midwest, and west; geography.
Use map and globe skills to determine absolute locations (latitude and longitude) of places
studied.
Describe the climate, major physical features, and major natural resources of the Northeast,
Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and West; geography.
Identify and describe the unique features, and major natural resources in the Northeast,
Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and West; economics.
Define and give examples of natural resources in the United States.
Give examples of limited and unlimited resources and explain how scarcity compels people
and communities to make choices about goods and services, giving up some things to get other
things. Give examples of how the interaction of buyers and sellers influences the prices of
goods and services in markets.
Identify major monuments and historical sites in and around Washington, D.C. (e.g., Jefferson
and Lincoln Memorials, Smithsonian Museum, Library of Congress, The White House,
Capital, Washington Monument, National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery, Vietnam
Veteran Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial Monument, and Mount Vernon); history and
geography. Observe and describe national historic sites and describe their function and
significance.
Describe the diverse nature of the American people by identifying the distinctive contributions
to American culture of: a) at least three indigenous people in different areas of the country
(e.g., Navajo, Seminoles, Sioux, Hawaiians, and Inuits); b) African-Americans, including an
explanation of their early concentration in the South because of slavery and the Great
Migration to northern cities in the 20th century and recent African immigrant groups (e.g.,
Ethiopians) and where they tended to settle in large numbers; economics.
Define and give examples of natural resources in the United States. Give examples of limited
and unlimited resources and explain how scarcity compels people and communities to make
choices about goods and services, giving up some things.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
• Mystery State Series from Mailbox
• Hyper studio project from Town Library
• United Learning Videos
• Connect to Everyday Math Curriculum
• Discovery Magazine
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
• Northeast/Houghton Mifflin; p.
34- 124 Southeast and 126-182,
Midwest p.188-238, West p. 244300
• McGraw-Hill, Northeast p.178242.
• Houghton Mifflin
• McGraw-Hill
• Everyday Math
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.9, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.15
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Immigration
Unit: 3
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
In what ways has European immigration and the more recent immigration influenced the
development of the United States and influenced American culture?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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Identify the five different European countries (France, Spain, England, Russia, and the
Netherlands) that influenced different regions of the present United States at the time the New
World was being explored and describe how their influence can be traced to places names,
architectural features and languages.
Describe the diverse nature of the American people by identifying the distinctive contributions
to American culture of: c) major European immigrant groups who have come to America,
locating their countries of origin and where they tended to settle in large numbers (e.g.,
English, Germans, Italians, Scots, Irish, Jews, Poles, and Scandinavians); d) major Spanishspeaking (e.g., Cubans, Mexicans) and Asian (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese)
immigrant groups who have come to America in the 19th and 20th centuries, locating their
countries of origin and where they tended to settle in large numbers; civics and government.
Give examples of the major rights that immigrants have acquired as citizens of the United
States (e.g., the right to vote, and freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and petition).
Give examples of the different ways immigrant become citizens of the United States.
Identify major immigrant groups that live in Massachusetts and where they now live in large
numbers (e.g., English, Irish, Italians, French Canadians, Armenians, Greeks, Portuguese,
Haitians, and Vietnamese.)
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
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McGraw Hill
Houghton Mifflin
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.14, 4.15, 4.16
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Mexico
Unit: 4
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
In what ways has the geography of Mexico influenced its development and in what ways is the
development of the Nation similar or different?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of North America, locate Mexico, Mexico City.
Identify northern border of the United States and southern borders of Guatemala and Belize.
Identify water borders of Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico; geography/map skills.
Identifying capital city and bordering countries.
Describe the climate, major physical characteristics, as the Sierra Madre Mountains, Yucatan
Peninsula, Baja Peninsula, volcanoes, the Sonoran Desert, the Rio Grande, Plateau of Mexico,
rain forests and other major natural resources of Mexico and explain their relationship to the
Mexican economy; geography/map skills.
Identify geographic location to the tropics and the effect on climate.
Identify the language; Spanish and the major religion; Catholicism and the various native
peoples of Mexico.
Identify when Mexico became an independent nation and describe how independence was
achieved; history/geography.
Identify when Mexico became an independent nation and describe how independence was
achieved; history.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
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Color a physical map of Mexico and develop a color coded legend that identifies borders and
cities.
Label geographic features on student created map.
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
• Houghton Mifflin: p. 322327 All about Mexico
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4,23, 2.24, 4.25, 4.26
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Canada
Unit: 5
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
In what ways has the development of Canada been influenced by its geographic location and in what
ways is the development of Canada similar or different to the development of the United States?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of North America, locate Canada, its provinces and major cities; geography/map
skills.
Describe the climate, major physical characteristics, and major natural resources of Canada and
explain their relationship to settlement trade, and the Canadian economy; geography and
economics.
Describe the major ethnic and religious groups of modern Canada; geography, history, civics &
economics.
Identify when Canada became an independent nation and explain how independence was
achieved; history and geography.
Identify the location of at least two Native American tribes in Canada (e.g., Kwakiutl and
Micmac) and the Inuit nation and describe their major social features; history and geography.
Identify the major language groups in Canada, their geographic location, and the relations
among them; history and geography.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.17, 4.18, 4.19, 4.20, 4.21, 4.22
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Ancient China (optional)
Unit: 6
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
In what ways did the Ancient Chinese civilization influence the development of technology, writing,
laws and government?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of Asia, locate China, the Huang He (Yellow) River and Chang Jiang (Yangtze)
Rivers, and the Himalayan Mountains; geography and map skills.
Describe the topography and climate of eastern Asia, including the importance of mountain
ranges and deserts, and explain how geography influenced the Chinese civilization; geography
and economy.
Describe the ideographic writing system used by the Chinese (characters, which are symbols
for concepts/ ideas) and how it differs from an alphabetic writing system; history.
Describe important technologies of China such as bronze casting, silk manufacture, and gun
powder; history and economics.
Identify who Confucius was and describe his writings on good government, codes of proper
conduct, and relationships between parent and child, friend and friend, husband and wife, and
the subject and rule; history and civics.
Describe how the First Emperor unified China by subduing warring factions, seizing land,
centralizing government, imposing strict rules, and creating with the use of slave labor for large
state building projects for irrigation, transportation, and defense (e.g., the Great Wall); history,
civics, economics.
After visiting a museum, listening to a museum educator in school, or conducting research in
the library, describe an animal, person, building or design depicted in an ancient Chinese work
of art; history and economics.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
Trade Books such as Jackie Robinson and the Year of the Boar.
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
• Ancient China/Milken
Publishing
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Grade Level: Four
Topic/Content: Central America &
Caribbean Islands (optional)
Unit: 7
Time Frame: 2 weeks
Essential Questions:
What questions point to the identified skills and understandings? What questions provide a
broader intellectual focus to the work?
Where is Central America and the Caribbean Islands and in what ways were their fight for
independence similar or different from the United States?
Skills and Understandings: what should students know and be able to do?
The “Important Understandings” and “Important Skills” you want to leave with your
students:
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On a map of North and South America, locate the Isthmus of Panama which divides North from
South America.
Use a map key to locate islands, countries, and major cities of Central America and the
Caribbean islands; geography and map skills.
Describe the climate and major natural resources of Central America and the Caribbean islands
and explain their relationship to the economy of those regions; geography and economics.
Identify the different languages used in different countries in the Caribbean region today. (e.g.,
Spanish in Cuba, French in Haiti, English in Barbados, and Jamaica); history.
Identify when the countries in the Caribbean and Central America became independent nations
and explain how independence was achieved; history and geography.
Instructional Strategies – to further content understanding, interpretation, application, and
perception
Writing Prompts – to develop writing skills, enhance understanding, and maintain consistent
approach to writing
Assessment: what evidence will show that the students understand the Essential Questions?
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate understanding of this unit’s “Big
Ideas”.
Describe how students will be assessed to demonstrate proficiency in the unit’s target skills.
Resources
Materials
Experts/Colleagues
Technology Options
Framework Standard:
4.27, 4.28, 4.29, 4.3