Interdisciplinary LA, Math, Science, Social Studies – Units of Inquiry
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in Time
and Place?
Friendship Our Families
Idea: Friendship is Idea: Learning about our
important in creating past helps us understand
a peaceful classroom our present lives
community
Essential Question:
Essential Question: How does my family help
How do we create a me grow?
K classroom that is safe
for all students? Sample Project:
Students create a picture
Sample Project: family tree where they
Students create a show their family
friendship wall in the members demonstrating
classroom that one of their abilities.
contains ideas on
how to handle * Family Partnership
conflict and make
friends.
Social Studies/Science Standards
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in Time
and Place?
Social Studies Social Studies
K1.1 Follow rules, K1.2 Learn examples of
such as sharing and honesty, courage,
taking turns, and determination, individual
know the responsibility, and
consequences of patriotism in American
breaking them. and world history from
K1.3 Know beliefs stories and folklore.
K and related behaviors K1.3 Know beliefs and
of characters in related behaviors of
stories from times characters in stories from
past and understand times past and understand
the consequences of the consequences of the
the characters’ characters’ actions.
actions. K.61 Identify the
purposes of, and the
people and events
honored in,
commemorative holidays,
including the human
struggles that were the
basis for the events (e.g.,
Thanksgiving,
Independence Day,
Washington’s and
Lincoln’s Birthdays,
Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, Memorial Day,
Labor Day, Columbus
Day, Veterans Day).
How We Express How the World How We Organize
Ourselves Works Ourselves
Let’s Make Art Dark and Light Our School
Community
Idea: Art is a means Idea: The Earth
of creative expression rotates and rotates Idea: People learn ways
to help themselves figure
Essential Question: Essential Question: out new environment
What is art? How does Earth’s
rotation and weather Essential Question: How
Sample Project: affect people? do people adjust to
Each student will get change?
a word and then Sample Project:
create different types Students create a Sample Project:
of art (drawing, compare/contrast Students will create a
painting, sculpture, picture collage with picture line that shows
etc…) around the one side being things different places they go
word and put them on that thrive in the sun (restaurants, grandma’s
display. and things that thrive house, store, church,
in the night. school, etc…) and
* J.U.i.C.E underneath each picture
Partnership they write down one-
word descriptions of
things they can do there.
For example, underneath
school they write the
words LEARN, SHARE,
BEHAVE or any other
words they associate with
school.
How We Express How the World Works How We Organize
Ourselves Ourselves
Social Studies Science Standards Social Studies
K.2 Students K3.b Students K1.3 Know beliefs and
recognize national know changes in related behaviors of
and state symbols weather occur from characters in stories from
and icons such as the day to day and across times past and understand
national and state seasons, affecting the consequences of the
flags, the bald eagle, Earth and its characters’ actions.
and the Statue of inhabitants. K.3 Students match
Liberty. simple descriptions of
work that people do and
the names of related jobs
at the school, in the local
community, and from
historical accounts.
K4.4 Construct maps and
models of neighborhoods,
incorporating such
structures as police and
fire stations, airports,
banks, hospitals,
supermarkets, harbors,
schools, homes, places of
worship, and
transportation lines.
K4.5 Demonstrate
familiarity with the
school’s layout, environs,
and the jobs people do
there.
How We Share the
Planet
Plants
Idea: Plants are
essential to life on Earth
Essential Question:
How do plants affect our
lives?
Sample Project:
Students will create a
plant scrapbook. They
will find samples of 5
different types of plants
and place them in a
scrapbook. They will
include the name, a
picture of the fully
grown plant, a live
sample, and some
simple one word
descriptors of the plant.
* Cesar Chavez
Partnership
How We Share the
Planet
Science Standards
K1.c Students know
water left in an open
container evaporates
(goes into the air) but
water in a closed
container does not.
K2.a Students know
how to observe and
describe similarities and
differences in the
appearance and behavior
of plants and animals
(e.g., seed-bearing
plants, birds, fish,
insects).
K2.b Students know
stories sometimes give
plants and animals
attributes they do not
really have.
K2.c Students know
how to identify major
structures of common
plants and animals (e.g.,
stems, leaves, roots,
arms, wings, legs).
K3.c Students know
how to identify
resources from Earth
that are used in
everyday life and
understand that many
resources can be
conserved.
 K.4.d Compare and sort
common objects by one
K6.3 Understand how physical attribute (e.g.,
people lived in earlier color, shape, texture,
times and how their lives size, weight).
would be different today
(e.g., getting water from a
well, growing food,
making clothing, having
fun, forming
organizations, living by
rules and laws).

Standard fits the theme very well.

Standard fits the theme on a partial basis.

*This is not a complete list of the K social studies and science standards as not all
standards fit the theme.
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in How We Express How the World How We Organize How We Share the
Time and Place? Ourselves Works Ourselves Planet

Same or Different Celebrations Feelings Weather All Together Animals With Us

Idea: In a community, Idea: Families Idea: Understanding Idea: Weather has an Idea: People share Idea: Animals have a
some things change recognize important our feelings, thoughts effect on the daily responsibility in a universal need for a
over time and some personal and cultural and ideas help us to lives of people community safe habitat providing
things stay the same events through know more about them with food and
celebrations and ourselves and others Essential Question: Essential Question: shelter. Humans have
Essential Question: traditions that may How does weather Who are the members a responsibility toward
How does a change over time. Essential Question: affect the daily lives of my community and them
community change Sharing celebrations How can of people? what are their roles?
over time? enhances our understanding my own Essential Question:
appreciation and feelings, thoughts and Sample Project: Sample Project: What responsibilities
1 Sample Project: understandings of ideas improve my life? Students will create a Students will create an do people have to the
Students will do a then other cultures weather magazine. On emergency list of animals of the world?
and now project. Sample Project: each page will be a phone numbers of
They will find 5 Essential Question: Students will create an different word that people in the Sample Project:
places or objects that How do family and ongoing feeling describes the weather community who can Students will visit
have changed over cultural traditions thesaurus. They will like a hurricane. They help them in different some type of animal
time like police cars, affect our lives? begin with simple will then put a picture situations. They will rescue facility, dog
designs of buildings, words like happy, sad, of a hurricane with a then list some of the shelter, wildlife
etc...and put the Sample Project: mad, etc…and then as one-sentence situations that these reserve, Sea World,
pictures next to each Students will bring in they learn new words description of what a people could help etc… They will then
other with a one a few family that are synonyms of hurricane is. They with. For example, take pictures of their
sentence description heirlooms or objects these beginning words will then show animal control 805- experience there.
of each picture. that represent some of they will add them to pictures of the effects 555-2345 Call them if Also, throughout their
their cultural or family the thesaurus. Also, of the hurricane with there is a big scary pictures they will
traditions and share they will be writing one-sentence dog in the street, a sprinkle facts about
them with the rest of down one-sentence descriptions of that. rattlesnake on my how to help some of
the class in a 1-2 descriptions of events porch, etc… the animals they
minute presentation. that invoke these learned about there.
feelings. They should * Cesar Chavez
* Family Partnership also draw pictures of Partnership * Cesar Chavez
things they do that Partnership
invoke these feelings.

* J.U.i.C.E Partnership
 Social Studies/Science Standards
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in Time How We Express How the World Works How We Organize How We Share the
and Place? Ourselves Ourselves Planet
Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Science Standards
1.4.1 Examine the 1.5.1 Recognize the 1.1.2 Understand the 1.2.4 Describe how 1.1.1 Understand the 1.2.a Students know
structure of schools and ways in which they are elements of fair play location, weather, and rule-making process in different plants and
communities in the all part of the same and good physical environment a direct democracy animals inhabit
past. community, sharing sportsmanship, respect affect the way people (everyone votes on the different kinds of
1.4.2 Study principles, goals, and for the rights and live, including the rules) and in a environments and have
transportation methods traditions despite their opinions of others, and effects on their food, representative external features that
of earlier days. varied ancestry; the respect for rules by clothing, shelter, democracy (an elected help them thrive in
1.4.3 Recognize forms of diversity in which we live, transportation, and group of people make different kinds of
1 similarities and their school and including the meaning recreation. the rules), giving places.
differences of earlier community; and the of the “Golden Rule.” examples of both 1.2.b Students know
generations in such benefits and challenges Science Standards systems in their both plants and animals
areas as work (inside of a diverse population. 1.3.a Students know classroom, school, and need water, animals
and outside the home), 1.5.2 Understand the how to use simple tools community. need food, and plants
dress, manners, stories, ways in which (e.g., thermometer, 1.6.2 Identify the need light.
games, and festivals, American Indians and wind vane) to measure specialized work that 1.2.c Students know
drawing from immigrants have helped weather conditions and people do to animals eat plants or
biographies, oral define Californian and record changes from manufacture, transport, other animals for food
histories, and folklore. American culture. day to day and across and market goods and and may also use plants
1.5.3 Compare the the seasons. services and the or even other animals
beliefs, customs, 1.3.b Students know contributions of those for shelter and nesting.
ceremonies, traditions, that the weather who work in the home. 1.2.d. Students know
and social practices of changes from day to how to infer what
the varied cultures, day but that trends in animals eat from the
drawing from folklore. temperature or rain (or shape of their teeth
snow) tend to be (e.g., sharp teeth: eats
predictable during a meat; flat teeth: eats
season. plants).
1.3.c Students know 1.4.b Record
the sun warms the land, observations and data
air, and water. with pictures, numbers,
1.4.b Record or written
observations and data statements.
with pictures, numbers,
or written
statements.
Standard fits the theme very well.
Standard fits the theme on a partial basis.

*This is not a complete list of the 1st Grade social studies and science standards as not all
standards fit the theme.
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in How We Express How the World Works How We Organize How We Share the
Time and Place? Ourselves Ourselves Planet

Family History On the Move The Power of the Pen Life Cycle Government Ecosystems

Idea: A family’s Idea: People migrate Idea: Good writers use Idea: All animals have Idea: People work Idea: Ecosystems are
history changes over for different reasons figurative language to life cycles together to create a complex environments
time give the reader a more government
Essential Question: vivid experience Essential Question: Essential Question:
Essential Question: Why do people migrate What is the typical life Essential Question: What are the different
How does a family’s from one country to Essential Question: cycle of animals? Why does each ecosystems of Earth and
history change over another? How does one use community need a how do they affect life
2 time? figurative language to Sample Project: government? there?
Sample Project: describe something Students will be given 5
Sample Project: Students will be asked effectively? paper plates. On each Sample Project: Sample Project:
Students will interview the question if they plate they will be asked Students will create Students will create a
family members and could live in any other Sample Project: to show the life cycle of their own government. 3-D biome of any
ask them about the country which one Students will create a a different type of They will set ecosystem that interests
family’s history. They would it be. They will book of sentence animal. One plate may themselves up as the them. They should
will ask for major then learn a little bit pyramids using random be a type of mammal, president of their include pictures or
events such as big about that country and pictures. A student will another plate may be a fictional government figurines of some
moves, marriages, job create a brochure about choose a picture and reptile, etc… Around and then create the laws animals that live in that
changes, etc… They that country explaining then write a simple the edges of the plate for that country. They ecosystem. They will
will then create a to everyone why they three-word sentence they will have pictures will create their own also write a brief one
timeline that includes should live there. The such as “The dog runs.” that show that animal at flag, name their paragraph description of
these events and, if brochure should contain Directly underneath that various stages of life. country’s flower, their their ecosystem.
possible, include some pictures and solid sentence they then add Next to these pictures country’s animal,
pictures that recorded reasons why living in another word to the will be a brief sentence design their own * Cesar Chavez
them. this country would be a sentence such as “The describing where they currency, and any other Partnership
good thing. dog runs fast.” They are in their life cycle. thing the teacher deems
keep adding words until They will then place educationally worthy.
* Family Partnership they get up to a their paper plates on
coherent eight-word poster board.
sentence with strong
descriptive language.
They will do this for
about five pictures.

* J.U.i.C.E Partnership
 Social Studies/Science Standards
Grade Who Are We? Where Are We in Time How We Express How the World Works How We Organize How We Share the
and Place? Ourselves Ourselves Planet
Social Studies Social Studies ELA Science Standards Social Studies Science Standards
2.1.1 Trace the history 2.2.2 Label from Evaluation and 2.2.a Students know 2.3.1 Explain how the 2.2.e Students know
of a family through the memory a simple map Revision that organisms United States and other light, gravity, touch, or
use of primary and of the North American 2.1.4 Revise original reproduce offspring of countries make laws, environmental stress
secondary sources, continent, including the drafts to improve their own kind and that carry out laws, deter can affect the
including artifacts, countries, oceans, Great sequence and provide the offspring resemble mine whether laws germination, growth,
photographs, Lakes, major rivers, more descriptive detail. their parents and one have been violated, and and development of
interviews, and and mountain ranges. another. punish wrongdoers. plants.
documents. Identify the essential 2.2.b Students know 2.3.2 Describe the 2.2.f Students know
1 2.1.2 Compare and map elements: title, the sequential stages of ways in which groups flowers and fruits are
contrast their daily legend, directional life cycles are different and nations interact associated with
lives with those of their indicator, scale, and for different animals, with one another to try reproduction in plants.
parents, grandparents, date. such as butterflies, to resolve problems in
and/or guardians. 2.2.3 Locate on a map frogs, and mice. such areas as trade,
2.1.3 Place important where their ancestors 2.2.c Students know cultural contacts,
events in their lives in live(d), telling when the many characteristics of treaties, diplomacy, and
the order in which they family moved to the an organism are military force.
occurred (e.g., on a local community and inherited from the
time line or how and why they parents. Some
storyboard). made the trip. characteristics are
caused or influenced by
the environment.
2.2.d Students know
there is variation
among individuals of
one kind within a
population.
2.4.d Write or draw
descriptions of a
sequence of steps,
events, and
observations.
Standard fits the theme very well.
Standard fits the theme on a partial basis.

*This is not a complete list of the 2nd Grade social studies and science standards as not all
standards fit the theme.