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Women Changing History: Social Studies Unit 4th Grade

Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and Content Standards, and Anti-Bias
Standards:
Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science:
● Participation and Deliberation: Applying Civic Virtues and Democratic Processes
SS.CV.3.4: Identify core civic virtues (such as honesty, mutual respect, cooperation, and
attentiveness to multiple perspectives) and democratic principles (such as equality,
freedom, liberty, and respect for individual rights) that guide our state and nation.
● Processes, Rules, and Laws
SS.CV.4.4: Explain how rules and laws change society and how people change rules
and laws in Illinois.
● Causation and Argumentation
SS.H.3.4: Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments in Illinois
history.
● Determining Helpful Sources
SS.IS.3.3-5: Determine sources representing multiple points of view that will assist in
answering essential questions.
Anti-Bias Standards:
● Diversity 10: DI.3-5.10: I know that the way groups of people are treated today, and the
way they have been treated in the past, is a part of what makes them who they are.
● Justice 12: JU.3-5.12: I know when people are treated unfairly, and I can give examples
of prejudice words, pictures, and rules.
● Justice 13: JU.3-5.13: I know that words, behaviors, rules and laws that treat people
unfairly based on their group identities cause real harm.
● Justice 15: JU.3-5.15: I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked
throughout history to bring more justice and fairness to the world.

Big Powerful Ideas:

1. Individuals work together with their communities to change and create new laws.
2. New laws are created in order to make sure that all groups of people are treated fairly in
society.
3. There are groups of people who may look different than you, act different than you, and
talk different than you, and they all deserve to be treated equally.

Essential Questions:

1. How has the way women have been treated in American society changed over time?
2. How have people worked together to change laws that impact women’s rights?
3. What are the qualities of a person who is a role model?
4. Are men and women treated equally today in society?
Unit Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify six female figures who have impacted Women’s History
in America.
2. Students will be able to explain how these six female figures impacted Women’s History
and what they did to affect it.
3. Students will be able to identify characteristics of what makes someone a role-model.
4. Students will be able to develop interview questions for a woman they look up to in their
lives.
5. Students will be able to discuss the significance of Women’s History Month.
6. Students will be able to discuss the impact of having more than one population
represented in a voting process.
7. Students will be able to discuss the difference between primary and secondary sources.
8. Students will be able to discuss how obtaining information from primary and secondary
sources can affect the way history is being told.

End of Unit Rubrics:


A (100-90)  I fully completed the research guide for both the woman I studied
AND the other 5 women during the jigsaw activity.
 I used evidence to support my research and character traits
claims.
 I restated the question and my explanation answers the question
that was asked.
 My writing is neat, I checked for spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I actively participated in my group by sharing and communicating
ideas and information with my group members in a respectful way.
B (89-80)  I completed the research guide for the woman I studied OR the
other 5 women during the jigsaw activity.
 I used evidence to support my research and character traits
claims.
 My explanation answers the question that was asked.
 My writing is neat, I might have spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I participated in my group my sharing ideas and information
respectfully.
C (79-70)  I completed most, but not all of my research for both research
guides.
 I used some evidence to support my research and character traits
claims.
 My explanation mostly answers the question that was asked.
 My writing is mostly neat, I have some spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I shared some ideas with my group.
D (69-60)  My research guides are incorrect.
 I did not use evidence to support my research and character traits
claims.
 My explanation kind of answers the question that was asked.
 Most of my writing is not neat, I have spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I did not share many ideas/help my group a lot.
F (below 60)  I did not complete either research guide.
 I did not use evidence to support my research and character traits
claims/did not make any claims.
 My explanation does not answer the question that was asked.
 This is not my best work.
 I did not work well or respectfully with my group.

A (100-90)  I chose a woman to interview and completed the interview


questions on time.
 I restated the question and my explanation answers the question
that was asked.
 I formed a complete opinion statement on why this woman is an
excellent role model.
 My writing is neat, I checked for spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I completed the project neatly.
B (89-80)  I chose a woman to interview and might have completed the
interview questions on time.
 My explanation answers the question that was asked.
 My writing is neat, I might have spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I completed the project.
C (79-70)  I chose a woman to interview, but did not complete the interview
questions on time.
 My explanation mostly answers the question that was asked.
 My writing is mostly neat, I have some spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I completed the project.
D (69-60)  My interview questions are either incomplete or not turned in on
time.
 My explanation kind of answers the question that was asked.
 Most of my writing is not neat, I have spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation errors.
 I completed the project, but not on time.
F (below 60)  My interview questions are incomplete.
 My explanation does not answer the question that was asked.
 This is not my best work.
 My project is incomplete.
Women Changing History: Day 1
Date: 3/12/18
Title: What is Women’s History?
Time: 50 minutes

Standard(s):
Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science:
● Participation and Deliberation: Applying Civic Virtues and Democratic Processes
SS.CV.3.4: Identify core civic virtues (such as honesty, mutual respect, cooperation, and
attentiveness to multiple perspectives) and democratic principles (such as equality, freedom,
liberty, and respect for individual rights) that guide our state and nation.
Anti-Bias Standards:
● Diversity 10: DI.3-5.10: I know that the way groups of people are treated today, and the way
they have been treated in the past, is a part of what makes them who they are.

Big Powerful Idea(s):


● There are groups of people who may look different than you, act different than you, and talk
different than you, and they all deserve to be treated equally.

Essential Question(s):
● Are men and women treated equally today in society?

Lesson Objective(s):
● Students will be able to discuss the significance of Women’s History Month.
● Students will be able to discuss the impact of having more than one population represented in a
voting process.

Materials Needed: paper, computer to show video, 19th Amendment image, women’s march image,
image of women’s population vs. voting turnout

Introduction: (15 minutes)


● The teacher will show an image of a Women’s March from 2018
○ The teacher will ask the students if they know what the image is of and introduce the
fact that March is Women’s History Month
● The teacher will then ask the students to brainstorm and write down on a scrap piece of paper
names of women in history and where women are found in their communities
■ Repeat activity, but this time have the students write down names of historical
figures who are male (compare/contrast the two lists)
● Discuss whether it was more difficult/or not to make one list vs. the other
list
○ Then, the class will discuss the roles that they see women having in their communities
and where women are found in their communities
Transition: explain to students that we will be learning about Women’s History Month for the next two
weeks by researching various women who have impacted the world’s history, and women who have
impacted our own lives.
Detailed Activities:
● Activity 1 (10 minutes): The teacher will conduct a class vote for who would rather get to watch
a movie and eat popcorn on Friday or get to play video games for an hour on Friday.
○ First the teacher will pass out cards that are in the shape of a circle or in the shape of a
triangle (there will be 20 circle cards and 10 triangle cards) students will be randomly
assigned either a circle or triangle
○ Then the teacher will conduct a class vote where the students with the triangle cards
get to vote and the circle cards don’t get to vote
■ Take a tally of which Friday activity wins
■ Ask the students with circle cards to turn to a person with a triangle card and do
a pair-share of how they felt during the activity
○ Conduct the vote again, this time the whole class can participate
■ Now, ask the students to turn to a new partner with the opposite card as them
and they should do a pair-share in order tol compare the two different voting
results and how it changed or didn’t change by allowing the students with the
circle cards to vote
○ Share out with whole class
● Activity 2 (25 minutes): The teacher will explain to the students that women did not used to
have to right to vote.
○ In 1920 the 19th Amendment of the Constitution granted women the right to vote in the
United States (known as women’s suffrage)
■ Refer to visual chart (women’s population vs. voting numbers in the US
○ Introduce the vocabulary word of suffrage (add to Women’s History Month vocabulary
anchor chart)
■ Have a student look up the definition of the word in the dictionary
○ Show an image of the 19th amendment
○ Show Flocabulary video: https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/womens-rights/video/
■ First viewing: having students just watch
■ Second viewing: have students write down what they notice/learn about women
gaining the right to vote
Closure:
● Debrief video, have students share in pairs what they wrote down about what they
noticed/learned from the video
● Have students turn to a new partner and discuss whether or not women are the only group of
people who have been treated unequally throughout history? If not, which other groups have
been treated unfairly too?
● Wrap up the lesson by explaining to the students that we will continue discussing Women’s
History, how women gained different rights, and the women who have impacted Women’s
History for the next few weeks.

Assessments:
● Collect paper of students’ observations from the video, use this as a check for understanding to
see if the students understood how women gained the right to vote
Linguistic, social, and academic differentiation and accommodations:
● Ms. Catagan (special ed push in teacher during science/social studies) will sit with N., D., and J.
to ensure their understanding of the video and observations that they are to write down while
the video is occurring
● A handout will be provided to the students so that they have a guide of what they are supposed
to be writing down, Ms. C will guide the students in filling this out while watching the video
● S. (emergent bilingual) will have an article in Spanish of what women’s suffrage is so she can
read it before the class watches the video so she has some background knowledge on the
topic, then S. will be paired with J.F. to discuss the video and their findings
○ S. will also have Spanish translation available throughout the lesson by Ms. Gonzalez
○ S. will have the opportunity to look up the word “suffrage” in her Spanish dictionary and
the teacher will write the Spanish translation on the vocabulary anchor chart (sufragio)
○ S. will be paired with F.S. in the think-pair-share during the voting activity at the
beginning of the lesson, F.S. will provide language support for S. and she will have the
opportunity to partake in the discussion in a small-group setting
Women Changing History: Day 2
Date: 3/13/18
Title: Looking at History through Primary and Secondary Sources
Time: 50 minutes

Standard(s):
Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science:
● Determining Helpful Sources
SS.IS.3.3-5: Determine sources representing multiple points of view that will assist in
answering essential questions.

Big Powerful Idea(s):


 History is impacted by how it is told and who tells it.

Essential Question(s):
 How is the way history is passed along impacted by the sources we obtain it from?

Lesson Objective(s):
 Students will be able to discuss the difference between primary and secondary sources.
 Students will be able to discuss how obtaining information from primary and secondary sources
can affect the way history is being told.

Materials Needed: Teacher’s copy of the scenario to read to the whole class, chart paper for
vocabulary chart, 5 primary/secondary sources for each table group to look at, paper for exit slip

Introduction: (20 min)


● Review of what the unit is about: Students, what is the significance of the month of March?
What did we start learning about in yesterday’s lesson? (quick check for understanding)
● The teacher will read the primary/secondary sources activity scenario to set the scene for the
introduction activity
○ “Students we have found a woman wandering Montgomery, Alabama, claiming she is
the first lady of the civil rights movement that occurred in the 1960s. Medical
examinations prove that she is 105 years old. How could we go about discovering if
what she says is true about being a leader of the civil rights movement back in the
60’s?”
■ Students will brainstorm ideas of how we can prove what she says is true (think,
pair, share), then the teacher will create a whole class list on the board
■ Possible answers: textbooks, encyclopedias, the internet, library books,
magazines, court records, diaries, letters, newspapers from the time, videos,
photographs, etc.
○ Teacher will prompt the students to take another look at their brainstorming list
○ “Which of these items actually existed in the 1960’s?
○ Go through the list with the students and take out items that did not exist at the time of
the event such as the internet, history textbooks, encyclopedias about the event, etc.
○ Ask students (in their table groups) to see if they can tell the difference between the two
lists of sources (primary and secondary sources)
Detailed Activities: (include transitions)
● Transition: “This is how historians used to figure out what happened in the past. History is a
mystery that historians need to solve, and they used artifacts, documents, and oral stories from
that time period. Today you are the historians and you need to decide which sources can help
us decide whether or not this event really happened.”
● Activity 1: (20 min) Provide definition of primary and secondary sources (write it down on an
anchor chart to collect vocabulary from this unit
○ Primary Sources: original works in various media formats such as photographs,
drawings, letters, diaries, documents, films, speeches, songs, and first-person accounts
that are recorded at the time of an event
○ Secondary Sources: source created by someone either not present when the event
took place or removed by time from the event: textbooks, journal articles, encyclopedias
○ The teacher will pass out 5 primary/secondary sources to each table group, the table
groups are to work together in order to separate the sources into the two categories:
primary and secondary
■ Students will then share out their table group findings with the whole class and
we will have a discussion/compare contrast what other table groups thought of
the sources

Closure:
● The teacher will explain to the students that they are going to be conducting research on an
impactful woman of women’s history. They will be using a combination of both primary and
secondary sources in order to gather their research and findings about their woman.

Assessments:
● Exit Slip: Do you think primary or secondary sources are more reliable when gathering
evidence about an event that happened in the past?

Linguistic, social, and academic differentiation and accommodations:


 Ms. C. will sit in with N., D., and J.’s groups in order to help ensure their understanding of the
difference between primary and secondary sources, she will also help assist them with reading
the different sources that their groups received
 Ms. C. will also sit with these students and assist them with their exit slips
 S. (emergent bilingual student) will receive an article about primary/secondary sources in
Spanish, she will also review the vocabulary of primary/secondary sources (fuentes primarias y
fuentes secundarias) with Ms. G. in Spanish
 Ms. G. will work with S. to develop a list of possible primary/secondary sources and she will
work with S.’s table group to show her the differences
 S. will also be paired with a student who is fluent in Spanish to help clarify anything throughout
the lesson

Women Changing History: Day 3


Date: 3/14/18
Title: Impactful Women in History Project
Time: 50 minutes

Standard(s):
Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science:
 SS.CV.4.4: Explain how rules and laws change society and how people change rules and
laws in Illinois.

Anti-Bias Standards:
● Justice 15: JU.3-5.15: I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked
throughout history to bring more justice and fairness to the world.

Big Powerful Idea(s):


 Individuals work together with their communities to change and create new laws.

Essential Question(s):
 How has the way women have been treated in American society changed over time?
 How have people worked together to change laws that impact women’s rights?

Lesson Objective(s):
 Students will be able to identify a female figure who has impacted Women’s History in
America.
 Students will be able to explain how their female figure impacted Women’s History and what
they did to affect it.

Materials Needed: research guides for students, access to computer lab, Dolores Huerta book for
read aloud, classroom research website access
Introduction: (20 min)
● The teacher will review with the students what they have been learning about in social studies
this week (women’s history)
● The teacher will read the book Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers
○ Ask the students to think of how Dolores Huerta was impactful to women and what she
was known for while they are listening to the book
○ Ask the students if this book is a primary or secondary source (to review what they
learned in the last lesson)
○ Post-reading questions:
■ What are some of the jobs Dolores has? How does the book describe her?
● The students will think about the question, share their ideas with a
partner, then share with the whole class (think, pair, share)
■ How does Dolores make changes in her community and for the migrant
workers? What strategies does she use? (table talk)
■ Is the story fiction or non-fiction (integration of ELA)
● The teacher will debrief the story by discussing how Dolores is just one of many women who
has stood up for the rights of other women and workers in order to be treated fairly in society

Detailed Activities: (include transitions)


● Activity 1 (30 min): The teacher will introduce the impactful women of history project
○ Each student will be given an impactful woman who has contributed or changed
women’s history in some way
○ The students will conduct research about their woman and then present their findings
to the rest of the class later in the unit
○ The students will be led to the class website and there they will find different links to
different sources about their impactful woman
■ The students will each have a research guide in order to help guide what type
of information they should be looking up about their woman
■ 5 students will have the same woman, so they can work together in small
groups or pairs to help research and fill out the research guide
■ Examples of questions the students will be researching: How did your woman
change history? What did your woman do? Who helped them and who
affected them? What obstacles did they come across? How did they
overcome these obstacles?
○ If available, the students will go to the computer lab and begin their research, if the
lab is unavailable the students will get into small groups and use the classroom
computers to begin their research

Closure:
● Explain to the students that they will continue their research throughout the unit and then as a
class we will become experts on some of the women who have changed history and paved the
way for women’s rights
● The students will also compare and contrast their findings about their woman compared to
other groups’ women
Assessments:
● The teacher will take note of how far the students got in their research in order to plan
sufficient worktime for the upcoming lessons.

Linguistic, social, and academic differentiation and accommodations:


 S. will read an article about Dolores Huerta in Spanish while the class is listening to the story
 Ms. C. will help D., J., and N. fill out their research guide and explain the key questions that
they are to be searching for while conducting their research
 S. will be given a research guide in Spanish and will use a Spanish browser in order to look up
facts about her impactful woman
 D., J., and N. will all be paired in groups with students that are above level in reading so that
they can assist them, and work together when researching and filling out the guide about their
woman

Day 4
Standard(s)  SS.CV.4.4: Explain how rules and
laws change society and how people
change rules and laws in Illinois.
 Diversity 10: DI.3-5.10: I know that
the way groups of people are treated
today, and the way they have been
treated in the past, is a part of what
makes them who they are.

Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify a


female figure who has impacted
Women’s History in America.
 Students will be able to explain how
their female figure impacted Women’s
History and what they did to affect it.
Introduction  The teacher will explain to the
students that they will continue to
work on their impactful women in
women’s history project during today’s
lesson
 Students can work with other students
who share the same woman
 Review what character traits are
Activities  Read the story Brave Girl
o Debrief how the girl in the
story changed history
o How did she gain rights for
women?
o Who in her life helped her
accomplish her goals?
o These are some of the
questions the students should
think about when researching
their female historical figure
 Students will continue to fill out their
research guides about their impactful
woman
o Remind students that they will
be presenting their findings
about their historical figure to
the rest of the class, they will
be the “teacher” so they need
to become the “expert” on their
historical figure
Conclusion  Take an exit survey on how much
more work time the students need to
complete their research guides (this
will impact next lesson’s flow)
Materials access to the computer lab, research guides,
Brave Girl read aloud

Day 5
Standard(s)  Justice 15: JU.3-5.15: I know about
the actions of people and groups who
have worked throughout history to
bring more justice and fairness to the
world.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify
characteristics of what makes
someone a role-model.
 Students will be able to develop
interview questions for a woman they
look up to in their lives.
Introduction  The teacher will explain to the
students that not only famous
historical people are worth
recognizing, there are many people
around us that are worth recognizing
too.
 We are going to be interviewing
women in our own lives that are
impactful and important to us
Activities  (Think, pair, share) Take a moment to
think about a woman in your life that
is impactful, and you look up to
(mother, sister, grandma, aunt,
teacher, neighbor, cousin)
 Tell your partner who they are and
why they are important to you
 We are going to recognize these
women in our lives by conducting
interviews with them (10 min)
 Explain to students that we want to
learn who these women are, and why
they are impactful to you and your
communities?
 Example Questions: What is your
proudest accomplishment? What is
your greatest challenge? What is the
most exciting thing you’ve ever done?
 Help students come up with different
questions they can ask who they are
interviewing (teacher will type up an
interview guide) students will conduct
the interviews at home (20 min)
 Discuss important factors when
interviewing someone else, what
should you look like? How should you
speak? Make sure to take notes while
you are interviewing. Practice
interviewing another student (15 min)
Conclusion  Debrief interview prep with students
 Explain to students that they are
going to conduct these interviews at
home for homework
Materials  Interview questions, family interviews
note home

Day 6
Standard(s)  SS.CV.4.4: Explain how rules and
laws change society and how people
change rules and laws in Illinois.
 Diversity 10: DI.3-5.10: I know that
the way groups of people are treated
today, and the way they have been
treated in the past, is a part of what
makes them who they are.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify a
female figure who has impacted
Women’s History in America.
 Students will be able to explain how
their female figure impacted Women’s
History and what they did to affect it.
Introduction  Today students will continue to work
on their impactful women in history
project
Activities  Students will get into their small
groups and work together to share
their research/findings on their
specific impactful women
 Students will discuss how they should
share their findings in a jigsaw activity
at the end of the unit
 Students will practice presenting their
research within their small groups (50
min)
Conclusion  Remind students that they need to be
conducting their interviews for their
women in our lives project so that
they can start putting together the
information that they collected and
working on their final project
Materials  Computers for the students to
continue their research

Day 7
Standard(s)  SS.CV.3.4: Identify core civic virtues
(such as honesty, mutual respect,
cooperation, and attentiveness to
multiple perspectives) and democratic
principles (such as equality, freedom,
liberty, and respect for individual
rights) that guide our state and nation.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify
characteristics of what makes
someone a role-model.
 Students will be able to develop
interview questions for a woman they
look up to in their lives.
Introduction  Today students will continue to work
on their women in our lives project
and put together the final product
Activities  If students have not yet conducted
their interview, they will practice their
interview questions on another
student who also has not conducted
their interview
 Students will begin their rough draft of
their writing project Women in our
Lives
Conclusion  Students will be reminded they need
to continue their interviews at home
and the interviews are due tomorrow
so that they can work on the rough
draft/final draft of the writing project
Materials  Final draft writing project paper

Day 8
Standard(s)  SS.CV.3.4: Identify core civic virtues
(such as honesty, mutual respect,
cooperation, and attentiveness to
multiple perspectives) and democratic
principles (such as equality, freedom,
liberty, and respect for individual
rights) that guide our state and nation.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify
characteristics of what makes
someone a role-model.
 Students will be able to develop
interview questions for a woman they
look up to in their lives.
Introduction  Today will be a work day for either
project (impactful women or women in
our lives)
Activities  Students will work on either project
today in order to finish up whatever
they need to work on in order to be
ready for their presentations on Day
10
Materials  Final project paper

Day 9
Standard(s)  SS.CV.3.4: Identify core civic virtues
(such as honesty, mutual respect,
cooperation, and attentiveness to
multiple perspectives) and democratic
principles (such as equality, freedom,
liberty, and respect for individual
rights) that guide our state and nation.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify
characteristics of what makes
someone a role-model.
 Students will be able to develop
interview questions for a woman they
look up to in their lives.
Introduction  Today is the final work day to
complete their interview writing
projects
Activities  Students will complete their final
interview writing project, color their
pictures, and place them on
construction paper to add to our
Impactful Women Wall
Conclusion  Students will prepare for their
impactful women research
presentations tomorrow
Materials  Final project paper, coloring tools,
construction paper

Day 10
Standard(s) ● Diversity 10: DI.3-5.10: I know that
the way groups of people are treated
today, and the way they have been
treated in the past, is a part of what
makes them who they are.
● Justice 12: JU.3-5.12: I know when
people are treated unfairly, and I can
give examples of prejudice words,
pictures, and rules.
Objective(s)  Students will be able to identify six
female figures who have impacted
Women’s History in America.
 Students will be able to explain how
these six female figures impacted
Women’s History and what they did to
affect it.
Introduction  Today will be a presentation day for
the students to share their research
with their peers
Activities  Students will first get into their groups
by who research the same woman
figure
 Then, one student from each group
will move to the next group, creating a
jigsaw. There will be a total of 6
groups and each group will have at
least one representation of a different
historical female figure
 The groups will each have 10 minutes
to discuss their research, and teach
the other group members about their
historical female figure
o While listening, other group
members should be taking
notes on what they learned
about each new historical
female figure
o The class will rotate 6 times so
that each group member gets
to discuss (50 min)
Conclusion  As a whole class we will debrief
commonalities that we found between
the different women
 How are they the same? How are
they different? What did we learn?
 Collect their notes as a formative
assessment on what they learned
about the different female figures
Materials  Students will need their research
guide and notes in order to present
their findings to their peers

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