Gretchen Ellwood

EDC 273

Signature Assignment

Part 1: M7A1

UNIT OUTLINE:

Unit title: Culture/Early Civilizations (China, India, and Japan)

Grade level: 2

Standard(s)

1)

Strand 2: World History

Concept 2: Early Civilizations

P.O. 4: Describe elements of culture (e.g., food, clothing, housing, sports, customs, beliefs)

2)

Strand 4: Geography

Concept 2: Places and Regions

P.O. 1: Identify through images of content studied (e.g., Japan, China, United States) how places

have distinct characteristics

3)

Strand 2: World History

Concept 2: Early Civilizations

P.O. 1: Recognize that civilizations developed in China, India, and Japan.

Key terms (what vocabulary will students need?)

 • Culture: tradition, custom, ancestors, heritage, compare, contrast

• World Map: 4 Oceans (Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian) & 7 Continents

• Japan: Globe, Geographical Features

• China: festival, Chinese New Year

• India: civilization, architecture, invention

Requisite knowledge (what prior knowledge do students need?)

• Understanding of maps serving different purposes

• Ability to recognize different features on a map

• Knowledge of the difference between physical and human features on a map

• Background knowledge of civilizations influencing the modern world

• Knowledge of organizing ideas using a Venn Diagram

Goals/Knowledge gained from the unit

• An understanding of culture and how location influences customs.

• Ability to identify with one’s own culture through study of one’s cultural

heritage/ancestry

• Understanding of cultural differences among peers/classmates

• Ability to name and identify the seven continents on a world map

• Ability to name and identify the four oceans on a map

• Knowledge of Japan, China, and India in terms of cultural differences

• Understanding that early civilizations influenced the modern world through inventions,

architecture, food, art, etc.

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE

Children will be exposed to aspects of culture and tradition through a literary unit on folktales.

This will build a foundation for a social studies unit on culture and early civilizations/influences

to the modern world. As an instructional strategy, I will be intentional about sharing objectives

and helping students make the connection across the curriculum. This will serve as a wonderful

opportunity to introduce some key vocabulary.

Engagement + Exploration: Students will learn about culture and be able to define what it means.

To help children understand culture, I will provide an opportunity for students to learn about

themselves and about each other in the realm of culture through a series of activities. Students

will discuss what influences their culture based on where they live and where their families are

from. Students will interview their own families asking questions about their ancestry and

exploring their own heritage. Students will share about their cultures in small groups learn about

each other’s’ differences. Connecting objectives to students’ personal lives will both motivate

and engage students in the unit.

Explanation: In the process, students will develop higher order thinking skills. I will ask lots of

stimulating questions and allow enough wait time for students to develop ideas and respond. For

example, “Why are there different cultures in the world?” and “How are people

different/similar?” I will use a graphic organizer to help students compare and contrast aspects of

cultures. This will allow students and myself to have a visual representation of what is learned

(Evaluation).

Students will learn about the geography related to the unit through exploration as well. I will

help make naming and labeling the world’s continents and oceans fun by offering songs and

games as a strategy to hold student engagement. We will sing the continents song, the oceans
song, and play “Slap the Map” during this part of the unit. Students will also create/color their

own world maps as an additional way to enhance/monitor learning (Evaluation).

Elaboration will occur during the study of Japan, China, and India. Students will have the

opportunity to be in the role of researcher and share what they think, know, want to know, and

what they learned. Students will be able to experience a Chinese Multicultural Festival though a

field trip and share about their experience through writing. Different centers will help create

multisensory, interdisciplinary, and creative learning. For example, eating rice with chopsticks,

making a fish banner, researching world explorers, smartboard activities, making moon cakes,

vocabulary expansion word searches, and making Rakhi bracelets (India).

Informal evaluation will occur throughout the unit as I assess learning though graphic

organizers, writing, and labeling activities.

LESSON PLANS

1)

Title: INTRODUCTION—WHAT IS CULTURE? Grade Level: 2 Estimated Duration of Lesson: 50 MIN.

# of
Components Description of Plan mins

1. Content Standards Strand 2: World History

Choose ONE standard. Be Concept 2: Early Civilizations
sure to write out the entire
standard, not just the number. PO 4. Describe elements of culture (e.g., food, clothing,
housing, sports, customs, beliefs)

2. Learning Objectives Children will define culture and discuss how our individual
• Choose ONE objective that cultures make us different from one another.
leads toward mastery of the
standard
• Must be specific, measurable,
and realistic.
• Must have at least two parts:
learning and behavior

3. Anticipatory Set: Remind students that they have been comparing the characters 5
• Sometimes called a "hook" to and events from different folktales. The folktales they have been
grab the student's attention studying are from a variety of different cultures.
• Focuses student attention on
the objective and the purpose Prompt discussion…” What is culture? “
of the lesson
• Activates prior knowledge
(The way of life for a group of people that includes their traditions,
• Requires ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION from ALL
food, clothing, etc.)
learners
Open a discussion and allow children to share their previous ideas
about what the word culture means.

4. Teaching-Input:
Using effective and varied
strategies, provide information
for students to gain the
knowledge, strategy, or skill.
15
Read the World Turns Round and Round and discuss the items
that were sent from each place in the world and how that
represents part of their culture.
Prompt students:

What is something that represents our culture in Arizona?

What about your own family?

5. Teaching-Modeling:
Demonstrate and show
examples of what students are
expected to do (how to solve
the problem, answer the
question, do the activity etc.).
6. Check for Understanding:
• Various strategies that are
ongoing throughout the entire
lesson.
• Enables teacher to determine
whether ALL students have
"gotten it."
7. Guided Practice:
• An opportunity for each
student to demonstrate
new learning by working
through an activity or
exercise with the teacher’s
guidance.
8. Closure:
• Actions or statements
made by teachers AND
students that summarize
lesson objectives.
• Essential for helping
students integrate ideas,
make sense out of what
has just been taught, and
to improve their chances
of retention and transfer.
9. Independent Practice:
AFTER proper closure, it is
important to provide time for
additional practice. It may
be group or individual work
in class or it might be
homework.
10. Assessment:
The formative and/or
summative assessments
Share a poster or collage of some pictures and symbols that 5
represent your own culture (the place you live, the food you eat,
your family, traditions, personal beliefs). Explain why you chose
the pictures/symbols that you did.
Do a TPS (Think, Pair, Share) so that students can share with a 5
partner near them about what they might draw to symbolize or
depict pieces from their own culture.
Open up a group discussion. Prompt students to share aloud
ideas about the following:
- Why are there so many different cultures in the world?
- How are people different/similar?
Invite everyone to draw a poster to show some things about their 15
own culture. Leave some time for sharing. Make a class culture book
by putting all the posters together and binder-clipping them. Invite
students to take turns looking through the book to learn about their
classmates during silent reading time.
Redefine culture for students. 5
Culture is the way of life for a group of people that includes their
traditions, food, clothing, etc.
You all shared some wonderful things about your own cultures.
I bet there are some things about your culture you still want to know!
When you get home, ask your families where your ancestors lived
before coming to America.
Homework- Heritage Paper Doll
Send home a paper doll for students to decorate to represent their
culture heritage/ancestry.
Later, students will read Friends Around the World in partners. They
will complete the Venn Diagram to compare themselves to another
child in the class. They will compare where they live, where they’re
from, type of home, what they like, etc.
Students will turn in their Venn Diagrams to show knowledge of the
term ‘culture’ and to show an understanding of diversity amongst the
 that are aligned with the children in his/her own classroom as well as the diversity that exists
objective. around the world!

11. Differentiation: Diverse learners will be grouped appropriately during sharing time
How you will reach diverse and pairing time. Diverse learners will have extra time if needed and
learners by varying the: an opportunity to work ahead if necessary. Lots of discussion time
• Content and lots of flexibility.
• Process
• Product

12. 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking: Children are making connections between other
Includes technology as cultures and their own. Children are asked to think about…
well as the 4 Cs: Critical - Why are there so many different cultures in the world?
Thinking, Creativity, - How are people different/similar?
Collaboration, and
Communication.
Creativity: Children are able to express themselves through creative
drawings and symbols that represent their own cultures. Children
create Heritage Paper Doll at home for homework.

Collaboration: Children are encouraged to collaborate in partners

and small groups, talking about what culture means and learning
about what makes other people different.

Communication: Students are asked to interview their families to

learn about their own cultures and ancestry.
2)

Title: Geography Map of Continents and Oceans Grade Level: 2 Estimated Duration of Lesson: 55 min.

# of
Components Description of Plan mins

1. Content Standards Strand 4: Geography

Choose ONE standard. Be
sure to write out the entire Concept 2: Places and Regions
standard, not just the number.
P.O. 1: Identify through images of content studied (e.g.,

Japan, China, United States) how places have distinct

characteristics.

2. Learning Objectives Children will name and label the seven continents of the
• Choose ONE objective that world and the four oceans.
leads toward mastery of the
standard
• Must be specific, measurable,
and realistic.
• Must have at least two parts:
learning and behavior

3. Anticipatory Set: Yesterday we talked a lot about culture and how where we live 5
• Sometimes called a "hook" to and/or come from contributes to our own culture.
grab the student's attention
• Focuses student attention on Ask students to turn to their neighbor and share about the peer
the objective and the purpose they interviewed and how location contributed to his/her culture.
of the lesson
• Activates prior knowledge
Today, we are going to look at a map of the world. Understanding
• Requires ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION from ALL
geography (places/regions) will help us have a clearer idea when
learners we talk about characteristic of different cultures.

4. Teaching-Input: Ask students: “What are the 7 continents of the world?” 15

Using effective and varied
strategies, provide information
for students to gain the
knowledge, strategy, or skill.
Show the large world map and talk about each of the seven
continents.
Sing the “Continents Song”.

Show the large world map and talk about the 4 oceans.

Sing the “Oceans Song”.

5. Teaching-Modeling:
Demonstrate and show
examples of what students are
expected to do (how to solve
the problem, answer the
question, do the activity etc.).
Next, I will put a world map handout on the Elmo projector. 10
Students will have the opportunity to volunteer to come up to the
front of the room individually and help point and label a continent
or ocean. I will model labeling correct answers on the map as we
go along.

6. Check for Understanding: I will teach students the game “slap the map”. I will check for 10
• Various strategies that are understanding by splitting the class into teams and rotating
ongoing throughout the entire through students to compete with fly swatters to “slap” the correct
lesson. continent/ocean on the map as I call them out.
• Enables teacher to determine
whether ALL students have
"gotten it."

7. Guided Practice: Students will color a world map and label it using a word bank. 10
• An opportunity for each Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with table mates
student to demonstrate during this activity.
new learning by working
through an activity or
exercise with the teacher’s
guidance.

8. Closure: You all worked so hard on your maps. They look beautiful! 5
• Actions or statements
made by teachers AND We will be using our maps for reference when we talk about early
students that summarize civilizations (China, Japan, and India) next week. This will help us
lesson objectives.
understand location/geography when we talk about other cultures.
• Essential for helping
students integrate ideas,
make sense out of what
Close by singing the ocean and continent songs again for extra
has just been taught, and practice!
to improve their chances
of retention and transfer.

9. Independent Practice:
AFTER proper closure, it is
important to provide time for
additional practice. It may
be group or individual work
in class or it might be
homework.
For homework, take your map home and use the internet to properly
label Japan, China, and India on your world map.
Answer these questions on the back of your map:
What continent is Japan in?
What continent is China in?
What continent is India in?

Research and write down one distinct characteristic of each

civilization.

10. Assessment: Children will turn in maps with homework questions on back.
The formative and/or Teacher will use maps and responses to guide lesson planning for
summative assessments the introduction of the next section of the unit.
 that are aligned with the
objective.

11. Differentiation: Content: I will vary the content for learners who need extra
How you will reach diverse assistance by giving them a labeled map to have at their desk during
learners by varying the: instruction. Students will be able to reference the map during
• Content labeling.
• Process
• Product Process: Students who struggle with behavior during games/songs
will have an additional activity prepared in the case of constant
disruption to others’ learning.

Product: If it appears that students are still confused about the

relationship of culture and geographic location, I will be vigilant in the
next section of the unit to emphasize this point and continue to
reference maps throughout learning.

*If children do not have access to internet at home, I will allow time to
go to the library during choice time/centers.

12. 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking: Students are asked to think about the relationship
Includes technology as between culture and geographical location.
well as the 4 Cs: Critical
Thinking, Creativity, Creativity: Students will label and color world maps.
Collaboration, and
Communication.
Collaboration: Students will TPS during instructional time and
collaborate in groups as they work on labeling their maps.

Communication & Technology: Students will use the internet to find

the answers to their homework. Students will communicate their
finding via writing.
3)

Title JAPAN Grade Level 2 Estimated Duration of Lesson 50

# of
Components Description of Plan mins

1. Content Standards Strand 2: World History

Choose ONE standard. Be
sure to write out the entire Concept 2: Early Civilizations
standard, not just the number.
P.O. 1: Recognize that civilizations developed in China, India,

and Japan.

2. Learning Objectives Students will research a country/civilization and

• Choose ONE objective that report/record findings using a graphic organizer.
leads toward mastery of the
standard
• Must be specific, measurable,
and realistic.
• Must have at least two parts:
learning and behavior

3. Anticipatory Set: Thank you for doing some independent research at home about 5
• Sometimes called a "hook" to Japan, China, and India.
grab the student's attention
• Focuses student attention on Today, we will focus on Japan.
the objective and the purpose
of the lesson
Turn to your neighbor and share the distinct characteristic you
• Activates prior knowledge
learned about Japan.
• Requires ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION from ALL
learners Ask a few students to share aloud.

4. Teaching-Input:
Using effective and varied
strategies, provide information
for students to gain the
knowledge, strategy, or skill.
Show Japan on the globe. Using the RAN strategy/chart, record 10
answers to:
“What do you think you know about Japan?”
“What do you want to know?”

Share a Japan PowerPoint or Video with facts and pictures.

5. Teaching-Modeling: Create a sample list on the board of the four most interesting facts 5
Demonstrate and show you learned about Japan after watching the PowerPoint.
examples of what students are
expected to do (how to solve Use children’s ideas and responses to help you!
the problem, answer the
question, do the activity etc.).

6. Check for Understanding: Children will use informational books about Japan to complete 15
• Various strategies that are their own lists of interesting facts!
ongoing throughout the entire
lesson. Use TPS strategy for children to share ideas.
• Enables teacher to determine
whether ALL students have
"gotten it."

7. Guided Practice:
• An opportunity for each
student to demonstrate
new learning by working
through an activity or
exercise with the teacher’s
guidance.
Next, using their new-learned knowledge of Japan, children will 10
complete a writing activity where they fill out a chart with prompts…
• Foot: How did you go there? (across an ocean… plane or
boat?)
• Eye: What did you see?
• Thought bubble: What did you think?

8. Closure: It’s fun to travel to Japan in our minds! 5

• Actions or statements
made by teachers AND I noticed a lot of differences between Japan and where I live, didn’t
students that summarize you!?
lesson objectives.
• Essential for helping
Japan’s history and geographical location is a part of why Japan is
students integrate ideas,
make sense out of what
what it is today! We learned a lot about a different culture today. I
has just been taught, and can’t wait to learn about China and India!
to improve their chances
of retention and transfer.

9. Independent Practice: Children will take home Japanese Flags and color them for
AFTER proper closure, it is homework. Children will be asked to research the symbolism behind
important to provide time for Japan’s flag for fun!
additional practice. It may
be group or individual work
in class or it might be
homework.

10. Assessment:
The formative and/or
summative assessments
that are aligned with the
objective.
I will be assessing learning by reading over the charts children
worked on during guided practice. I will be looking to see if children
were able to connect geography and culture as a base for developing
further knowledge of early civilizations.
 11. Differentiation: I will differentiate for students who do not have access to internet by
How you will reach diverse allowing them to check out a library book on Japan and completing
learners by varying the: an alternate task.
• Content
• Process I will allow children who have processing difficulty to work with a
• Product partner when creating their lists of facts.

I will allow extra time for students who need time completing the
independent activity.

Students who finish early will have time to put geographical features
of Japan on their student maps.

12. 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking: Children will connect geography and culture
Includes technology as through a series of activities.
well as the 4 Cs: Critical
Thinking, Creativity, Creativity: Children will imagine what it would be like to travel to
Collaboration, and
Japan and will color maps for homework.
Communication.
Collaboration: I will collaborate with other teachers to develop a
PowerPoint or choose a video that encompasses the culture and
geographical location of Japan.

Communication: Children will have the opportunity to share ideas

and see information communicated through books, video, and
PowerPoint presentation.

DAY 4

China

Chinese Festival Experience/ Field Trip

After the festival, children will write an opinion about the Multicultural Festival. Share an
example paragraph. Write the sentence frame for students. Example: “The multicultural festival
was…”. Brainstorm with children to come up with words that described how they felt about the
festival. Students will write an opinion of the festival, adding at least three details, a title, and
illustration. Students will have the opportunity to share aloud on the “author’s chair”.

DAY 5

China

Chinese New Year/Inventions

Locate China on the world map. Discuss what children know about China. Read facts about
China. Put important geographical features on student maps. Color the flag while watching a
video about China.

Read aloud Ms. Frizzle’s Imperial China. Students will work in groups to research important
facts about Ancient Chinese contributions to modern day inventions. Students will use the text to
work together to locate 15 inventions from Imperial China, define the symbolic meanings for
colors in China and illustrate different foods from the Chinese New Year celebration.

DAY 6

India

What do you know about India? Share aloud and post some of their ideas on an RAN chart to
guide research. Locate India on the world map. Read facts. Put important geographical features
on student maps. Color the flag while watching a video about India.

**End of Unit Project Idea:

Students will be placed into groups and assigned a country/topic to research. They will create a
poster as a group to teach what they learned about their topic. Topics include…

• Sports/games/school
• Architecture/places to visit
• Festivals/holidays/food
• Animals/nature
APPENDICES



 Let’s Write!

How will I go?

What will I see?

What will I think?

Other Resources:

“World Turns Round and Round” by:

“Friends Around the World” by:

“Mrs. Frizzles Imperial China” by”

Links:

Japan Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pgCPJSiKoo

China Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7447K9JMbNY

India Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7thQHD81gIA