We Are World Travellers!

 
An Integrated Unit Plan for Grade 2 
Social Studies, Writing, and Media Literacy 
  
OVERALL GOALS FOR THE UNIT 

Integrated  SOCIAL STUDIES (2B)  LANGUAGE: MEDIA AND  LANGUAGE: WRITING 

Subjects  LITERACY 

KNOW  - That various global  - That a variety of media  - Know that editing and 
communities have  texts are important in  proofreading are necessary to 
similar and different  conveying ideas  present your work effectively 
physical features and 
ways of living 
- That various global 
communities have 
adapted to their natural 
environment for 
particular reasons  

DO  - Compare different  - Identify media forms  - Gather, generate, and 

communities from all  - Creating a variety of  organize ideas and information 
over the world   media texts for multiple  to write for an intended purpose 
audiences  and audience 
- Reflect on and identify  - Revise their own work 
their strengths as media 
interpreters and 
creators 

BE  - Curious  - A digital citizen  - Critical of their own writing 

- Inquisitive   - Independent  - Able to communicate 
- Active citizens    - Open-minded and  feedback with a peer 
  adaptive to using 
various media texts 
 Unit Title: ​We Are World Travellers! 
Theme/Essential Question: ​How to do physical features and climate contribute to differences in the ways 
people around the world live? 

Culminating Activity: ​Students will work in pairs to research a global community and use their research to 
create their own book about a global community outside of Canada. Their book will include information 
about their community’s climate, physical features, food, clothing, school days, animals/wildlife, and homes. 
Students will be required to draw a picture and write some facts about each heading for their community. 
Students will present their findings to their peers. During presentations students will be given prompt sheets, 
they will have to write one similarity and one difference for each presentation they watch. This will help them 
make sense of the communities by relating it to the one they researched and feel confident about.  
 
(Students will engage in self and peer editing of their writing and make appropriate revisions)  

Sub-Themes  Inquiry Question  Process 

Communities  What makes a community?  - Class brainstorm about what makes a 

community (tell them to think about 
what they already know about the 
communities they are a part of), this 
can be done on a smartboard, taking 
all answers as valid contributions to the 
mind-map ​(in a Knowledge Building 
Circle teacher takes anecdotal notes) 
(FOR)  
- Read aloud book (“Look Where We 
Live”) to introduce concepts about a 
community. Stopping at necessary 
points in the book to generate 
questions and inquires about 
communities.  
- Map the global communities we are 
looking at (hang a big world map up 
on our “We Are World Travellers” 
bulletin board and pin point the 
different global communities we will be 
looking at). This is a great interactive 
activity, one student can read the 
community and another student can 
come up and pin the communities 
themselves.  
- ​KWL chart (AS) a​ bout communities 
(allow students to share what they 
already know about communities, 
what they want to know about 
communities, and then we will leave 
this chart hung up in class and we will 
fill in what we learned about 
communities at the end of the unit/as 
we are learning). Leaving this hung up 
in the classroom will remind students 
 about our inquiry process and where 
we started in the unit. It serves as a 
great consolidation at the end as well.  

Physical Features   How do the physical features  - Show videos of examples of different 
of a community affect how  physical features. Prompt students with 
people live?  question about what resources we 
might get from this type of land, what 
might they need to survive, where 
could this be etc.  
Students will write on an entry slip a 
physical feature we are looking at and 
something they know about the feature 
that relates to the community (FOR) 
- Show a topographic map and discuss 
different physical features around the 
world. Prompt students to notice any 
patterns or trends they see among 
various regions.  
- Teacher models how to investigate a 
community’s physical features using 
Ontario as an example (what kinds of 
physical features does Ontario have?). 
What do these physical features mean 
for our community? What might they 
do for us? What obstacles might they 
create? 
- Show pictures around the room of 
different examples of physical features 
(eg. lakes, mountains, fields etc) and 
have student do a gallery walk and 
reflection exit slip (two things learned 
this class/ big ideas) (AS) 

Climate  How does the climate of a  - Show students a thermal map and 
community affect how  discuss how temperature can affect 
people live?  how people live their lives (eg. what 
they wear, what they do for fun, where 
they work etc.) ​Anecdotal notes will be 
taken on student discussion (FOR) 
- Divide students into small groupings 
and give each group a climate and 
chart paper. As a group students will 
reflect how this climate might affect 
people living within the community. 
What are the benefits? What obstacles 
might they face? What resources do 
they need?(ex. Rain Boots, snow shoes, 
sunglasses). Students will be given a 
specific colour to write in, they will write 
both their name and notes in this 
colour (to make assessment of 
contribution easier and clear) 
 Students will be assessed on 
contributions to the chart paper (AS) 
Followed by a class consolidation 
discussion.   
- Add to teacher modelled chart 
paper of an Ontario community’s 
climate 

Lifestyle (food, clothing, homes,  How do physical features and  - Read aloud (“School Days Around 
school, wildlife/ animals)   climate the different aspects  the World”) 
of lifestyle within a  - Guessing Game: Different stations 
community?  that have photos of people wearing 
different clothing and completing 
different activities. Students will work in 
groups to guess what the climate may 
be like ​Anecdotal notes to be taken as 
teacher circulates the room (FOR) 
- Potluck (students bring in different 
kinds of food from their family’s 
background and discuss with family 
about why they use that type of food 
in their cooking, if students are unable 
to bring the food in they can just bring 
a picture and explain) 
- Find pictures in magazines or on the 
internet that provide insight into lifestyle 
of a community. Students can use 
investigation tools to analyse the 
images and reflect on what it tells us 
about the lifestyle of that community. 
This can be done in pairs or groups, 
followed by a think-pair-share so 
students are able to articulate their 
learning and investigation process to 
their peers.  
-​Students complete a journal as an Exit 
Ticket (AS)​, answering the question 
“How do physical features and climate 
the different aspects of lifestyle within a 
community?” (students are able to 
write or type responses or share with 
teacher verbally) 

Research   What makes some forms of  - Students will work in pairs to research 
media more effective for  a global community, students will be 
research than others?  given a community based on learning 
levels (ex. A student who may need 
more prompts can be given a local 
community so more connections can 
be made) - ​students will be assessed 
on their ability to focus, self-regulate, 
and work collaboratively with their 
partner (FOR) 
 - Co-construct a success criteria for 
booklet 
- Teacher models how to research 
(accurate sources versus inaccurate 
sources). This can be demonstrated by 
looking at youtube clips (good vs bad) 
and articles vs blogs.  
- Using different forms of media (i.e., 
books, posters, internet, videos, 
magazines) 
- Their book will include information 
about their community’s climate, 
physical features, food, clothing, 
school days, animals/wildlife, and 
homes.  
-as a exit slip students will explain how 
what they know about literacy skills 
(listening , reading, writing etc.) help 
them make sense of different forms of 
media (AS)  
- ​students will be assessed on their 
individual work (booklet). (OF) 

Editing   Why should students revise  -​entry ticket, students will state one 
their work?  reason they think revising their work is 
important, if they do not understand 
what revision is they can state that 
instead (FOR) 
- Teacher models how to use an 
editing checklist for students, 
demonstrating how to read slowly, 
thoroughly, and ensure students 
understand each element of the 
checklist (rephrasing, punctuation, 
etc.) 
- Teacher models how to give 
constructive feedback of a peer’s 
work. This can be done by looking at a 
sample paragraph, going through the 
checklist and then demonstrating what 
kinds of comments are helpful and 
what would be inappropriate.   
- ​Complete a self editing checklist (AS) 
and make appropriate revisions 
- ​Complete a peer editing checklist 
(AS) ​with a partner and provide 
feedback using “Two Stars and a Wish” 
to each other to make appropriate 
revisions 
*Assessment FOR, AS, and OF learning are indicated in bold.  

Curriculum Expectations Uncovered in this unit: 

Social Studies (2B): 
B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, B2.3, B2.4, B2.5, B2.6, B3.1, B3.2, B3.3, B3.4, B3.5, B3.6, B3.7, B3.8 
 
Writing: 
1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 4.2, 4.3 
 
Media Literacy: 
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, and 4.2 
 
Related Resources (for all three curriculum areas): 
1) “Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building” by Scot Ritchie 
This is a picture book about five friends who explore their community. They walk around and 
learn about the people in their community, their roles, and how they contribute to their 
community.  
 
2)​ “​School Days Around the World” by Margriet Ruurs 
This is a book about fourteen students and a look at their typical school day. It shows students 
how students the same age as them can have a completely different lifestyle dependent on the 
community in which they live. 
 
3) ​http://vlcguides.wcdsb.ca/Gr2SStudies/StrandB 
This website has lots of great videos to show to the class as well as a number of other resources 
that are helpful for this unit.  
 
4) ​http://2ddsc.weebly.com/unit-2-global-communities.html 
This website is made by a Grade 2 teacher teaching the same unit and gives some resources 
and instructional strategies.  
 
5) ​http://www.kidsacrosstheworld.com/ 
This website has lots of great videos, e-books and photos that show various similarities and 
differences between global communities around the world.  
 
 
6) ​https://kids.nationalgeographic.com​. 
This is a website where students can use the search bar to search for the global community they 
are researching and all of the information for that country is contained in one easy-to-read 
webpage for kids to navigate. 
 
7) ​http://www.angelfire.com/ms/MediaLiteracy/index.html 
This website is a resource for teachers to use to implement a variety of different methods of 
teaching students media literacy. It focuses on using media literacy concepts throughout the 
school year.  
 
8) ​http://teachingkidsnews.com/ 
This website is a resource for teachers and students. It provides articles written in student-friendly 
language on global entertainment, science, art, sports, politics, and general news. 
 
9) ​https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/ 
Through this website, teachers and students can access articles on topics such as the earth and 
environment, and humans and society. 
 
10) ​http://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/ 
This website is a resource for teachers and students. It provides student-friendly articles on 
climate and environmental science 
 
11)​http://oessta-teachers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Grade-2-People-_-Environments_-Gl
obal-Communities.pdf 
The Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teacher Association downloadable guide of numerous 
resources directly related to this Grade and Strand.  
 
12) ​https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/mapping/?ar_a=1 
Information on mapping and activity suggestions on how to teach it.  
 
13) ​https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/index.php 
Through this site, teachers can access maps on land surface temperature, sea surface 
temperature, snow cover, and rainfall cover. 
 
14) ​http://geo1.scholarsportal.info/ 
This resource can be used by the teacher to display information about land use, environmental 
factors, society, and topographic information of Ontario.