Part I: Unit Overview and Instructor Background Knowledge

Unit Title: How Do We Learn About Places?

Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings
Maps give us an aerial perspective (birds eye view) of a location and use symbols to
represent things
Places have an absolute location/address and can be found using relative location
Places have human and physical characteristics
Peoples actions change the environment
People adapt to the environment to survive
Essential Questions:
In what ways do maps help us?
Do places stay the same all of the time or do they change over time?
If places start to change, do people have to change what they do to live there?
Key Concepts
Aerial perspective (birds eye view): a general view from high above as if seen by a bird
in flight
Location: a particular place or position
Map: a representation of an area of land or water showing physical features, cities, roads,
etc.
Globe: A sphere shaped object that shows a map of the earth
Landmass: a large body of land
Absolute location: a point on the earth that can be found using an address
Address: The exact place where someone lives or where a business/place can be found
Direction: the line along which anything lies, faces, or moves (ex. left, right, north, south,
east, west)
Relative location: a point or place in relation to a different point or place (the door is in
front of me)
Region: an area that has definable characteristics
Adapt: makes changes in order to live in a new place/environment
Rationale:
The unit on places is important to the social studies curriculum because it helps children
understand the relationship between people and the places they populate. Students will learn to
use absolute location, relative location, and direction in order to describe where to find a house,
building, city, etc. The students will also learn how the human population and physical
environments influence one another to help them understand the impact of human activities on
our environment. Understanding how our actions directly affect our physical world will help the
students make more informed, responsible decisions during their lifetime.

Unit Objectives:
I can create maps to depict the location of familiar places
o I can create symbols to represent various things on a map (i.e. triangles for
classroom desks)
o I can use color to distinguish between land and water on a map
I can use an address to locate specific places (i.e. house, school)
I can use personal direction to describe the relative location of another thing or location
I can identify physical characteristics of a place
I can identify human characteristics of a place
I can describe ways to help our environment
I can identify each of the seasons and the appropriate clothing for each
Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs), Content Standards, and Anti-Bias Standards:
GLCEs
1 G1.0.1: Construct simple maps of the classroom to demonstrate aerial perspective
1 G1.0.4: Distinguish between landmasses and bodies of water using maps and globes
1 G1.0.2: Give examples of places that have absolute locations (homes, address, school
address)
1 G1.0.3: Use personal directions (left, right, front, back) to describe the relative location
of significant places in the school environment
1 G2.0.2: Describe the unifying characteristics and/or boundaries of different school
regions (playground, reading corner, library, restroom)
1 G2.0.1: Distinguish between physical (clouds, trees, weather) and human (buildings,
playgrounds, sidewalks) characteristics of places
1 G5.0.1: Describe ways in which people modify (cutting down trees, building roads) and
adapt to the environment (clothing, housing, transportation)
Art Standards
ART.VA.II.1.1: Explore and experiment with materials and processes while creating artwork
based on personal routines, activities, or environments.
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more
appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened,
use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure
NGSS
E.ES.01.22: Describe and compare weather related to the four seasons in terms of
temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, and wind
Anti-Bias Standards
DIVERSITY DI.K-2.8: I want to know about other people and how our lives and
experiences are the same and different.

Part II: Resources

Planning Resources:
(2002). National standards for social studies teachers. Retrieved on January 19, 2016 from
http://downloads.ncss.org/NCSSTeacherStandardsVol1-rev2004.pdf
(2008). Toolkit resource: Grade one social studies unit outline example. Retrieved on January
19, 2016 from http://mi.gov/documents/mde/Grade1UnitOutline_229512_7.pdf
(2011). Michigan merit curriculum: Standards, benchmarks and grade level content expectations
for visual art, music, dance, and theater. Retrieved on January 19, 2016 from
http://mi.gov/documents/mde/Complete_VPAA_Expectations_June_2011_356110_7.pdf
(2014). Introducing the teaching tolerance anti-bias framework. Retrieved on January 19, 2016
http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/Anti%20bias%20framework%20pam
phlet.pdf
Heap, T. (2015, May 1). Five reasons why we should still read maps. BBC News. Retrieved on
January 22, 2016 from http://www.bbc.com/news/education-32551090
Martonas, J. (2016). Effect of human activities on the environment. Hearst Newspapers.
Retrieved on January 22, 2016 from http://education.seattlepi.com/effect-humanactivities-environment-3653.html
Classroom Resources:
Books

Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney

People Change the Land by David Bauer
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton

United Streaming Videos

Understanding Maps
Globe
Landforms
Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, and Streams Water Smart: Water on Earth
Equipment/Materials
Chart paper
Markers/crayons/colored pencils
Pencils
Glue sticks
Drawing paper
Globe
White boards/markers

Various colors of highlighters

Personal devices
Clothing for various seasons
Picture of each child

Websites and Sheets

Mapquest.com
Googleearth.com
Teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_setup/
Michigan outline map
My Address sheet
School map
Physical/Human Characteristics paper
Part III: Knowing Your Students and their Prior Knowledge
Students Knowledge
The students have completed two social studies units and are working on finishing up the third
unit. First, the students were learning about citizenship. They focused on what it means to be a
good citizen based on the school motto: being respectful, responsible, and safe. Students
discussed ways in which they have or could uphold those characteristics in and out of school.
The second unit they completed introduced the concept of community. Students learned the
many different ways a community could be formed as well as the people and places/buildings
that make up those communities. The class discussed how our classroom in a community, the
school is a community, their own personal neighborhood is a community, etc. They talked about
how citizens work together to make each type of community a fun and safe place. Now they are
completing their unit about needs and wants. Students are learning how to decipher between
what can be categorized as a need and which are wants.
In language arts, the students have done a significant amount of work regarding sequence. They
have studied sequence within a story and being able to tell the events of the beginning, middle,
and end of a story. Students are able to create a list of steps and put things into sequential order.
These skills will help with some of the activities we will be completing in this social studies unit.
Students Preconceptions and Interests
I had a conversation with my class to determine what they knew and did not know about maps
and their purposes. The initial thing that I learned just by starting a conversation about maps was
that the class in its entirety gets excited about the topic of maps. Their eyes lit up and they were
all very eager to be a part of the conversation. I am equally as excited to take that excitement and
foster it and grow it throughout the unit. There are a lot of different types of activities planned to
teach the students the new information, which I believe will help keep their interest level in the
material theyre learning high.
My students work best when lessons and activities are project based. Knowing this, I modified
and added 3-4 lessons to the existing curriculum for this unit. The entire first week of the unit is
centered around a project, creating a personal book of maps. I will take steps to ensure each day

has some type of hands on activity, whether its a project or some type of physical exploration
the children can get involved in. There are some already written into some of the lesson, but I
will be creating and adding activities to those that are lacking.
There were some activities that were in the curriculum as well as some I wanted to add that I
realized may not be developmentally appropriate for all of my students. The way in which I
originally wanted to create the Me on the Map activity was far too complex for the students
that have difficulty with their writing. This became apparent when reviewing an expository
writing assignment the children recently completed. In learning this, I modified the assignment
so it was accessible for all students in the class. They are now creating a full page map book that
allows bigger writing and more drawing/coloring opportunities.
Linguistic, Social and Academic Challenges, Resources and Supports
There is a student in my class that has trouble sitting with the group for the entirety of any whole
group lesson. In order to help him stay engaged, I plan to keep any whole group instruction to a
minimum. There are a lot of activities throughout the whole unit. Rather than keeping the group
together to do most of the activities, there will be a brief introduction, possible story, brief
discussion, and directions given for the activities before children are dismissed to work in small
groups, partner pairs, or individually. While stories are being read, the child has a choice of
where to sit, which include a stool, his chair at the edge of the carpet, on the carpet next to a peer
that helps him stay focused, or on the lap of the person reading as a last resort.
Another student in the classroom not only has a language barrier, he also has a lot of trouble
staying focused and on task whether its in whole group lessons or working individually. He is
still learning the rest of his alphabet, which causes him great difficulty when assignments ask for
things to be written out. Short whole group lessons will also help this student. I will also pair him
with a student that is always on task and has the patience and the ability to help him with writing
tasks. All tasks will have the option to write and draw to explain the students thinking. This will
allow this child multiple ways to communicate his ideas.
Part IV: Overview of Lessons and Assessments
Narrative Overview
Lesson 1: Making a Map of Our Classroom
This lesson begins with a review of maps and globes and how they represent places. A photo of a
playground is displayed showing the playground from a linear and aerial perspective. Students
then close their eyes and imagine they are a bird flying over the school playground. The teacher
poses the following question: What does the playground look like to a bird? With their eyes still
closed, students imagine the bird is now flying over their classroom. Students describe what they
see. The teacher displays the first two pages of the book Me on the Map. The teacher explains
that maps give an overhead picture of a place. The class works in small groups to create an aerial
map of the classroom on large chart paper. During the map project, the teacher explains how
symbols are used in a map key to represent things on a map. For example, a rectangle could be
used to show classroom tables.

Lesson 2: Exploring Maps Further

Using the book Me on the Map, students identify examples of aerial or birds eye view as the
teacher shares the story. When the book is finished, students discuss what their own Me on the
Map would look like. The class shares ideas about their own homes, their school, cities, state,
etc., and look at aerial pictures of some of these areas. While looking at pictures, the teacher
points out where/how to find each city, state, etc., on the map/picture. Students discuss why they
think an aerial view of an area is important and what they think it could be used for. After the
discussion students will create an aerial view drawing/map of their house/bedroom/classroom,
whichever one area the student chooses to draw.
Lesson 3: City Maps
Before the lesson begins, the teacher will display different types of maps of the city of Okemos
around the large group area. The students will take time to observe each of the maps, paying
close attention to the details and different things they can find in each of the maps. Todays
discussion will be centered around the importance/purpose of a city map and comparing and
contrasting the map of a city and the map of a specific building. After the discussion, students
will draw their own version of a map of their city and include the landmarks they believe to be
important.
Lesson 4: State Maps
This lesson begins with the teacher reviewing the purpose and importance of a city map. The
teacher then shows the class a map of Michigan. Students point out and discuss what they see on
the map (highways, water, cities, etc.). The class discussion today will be centered around the
importance and purposes for using a state map. Students will also compare and contrast state
maps and city maps. When the class discussion is finished, students will complete a coloring of
the map of Michigan, defining the difference between the land and the surrounding water.
Lesson 5: Country Maps and Globes
This lesson begins with the teacher reviewing the purpose and importance of building maps, city
maps, and state maps. The teacher then shows the class a map of the United States. Students
observe the map and talk about the details they notice. The teacher then identifies land and
bodies of water on the map. The teacher poses the question: How can we tell this is water or
land? The teacher explains that map makers use color to distinguish between land and water on a
map. Students trace the outlines of land or water on the map. Then, using a globe, the teacher
explains that a globe is a model of our Earth. Students are asked to come up and point out land
and water on the globe. The class discusses the importance and purpose of both the map of the
United States and the globe. Students will compare and contrast all of the types of maps they
have seen all week long. To finish the lesson, students will color a map of the United States as
well as a picture of North America on the globe.
Lesson 6: Absolute Location: Addresses of Places
This lesson begins with the teacher reviewing the idea that maps help us locate, or find, places.
The teacher explains that each of us lives in a specific or unique location. We live in a house, on
a street, in a town, in a state of the United States. The teacher explain that an address, like a map,
helps us locate, or find places. Students understand that each address is unique and no one else
has the same address. The teacher writes the school address on the board and explains that an
address is made up of a house or building number, a street name, a city or town, the state, and zip

code. Next, students are asked to draw their home or school and with the teachers help, write the
address in large letters above it.
Lesson 7: Relative Location: Describing the Location of Places in Our School
This lesson begins with students using their body as a model of personal directions. Students
practice waving their left and right hands, feet, etc. and facing front and back. The class then
listens to and does the Hokey Pokey. Once students are adept at using personal directions, they
pair up and take a field trip through the school. Pairs take turns describing where things are
relative to something else. For example, the gym is in front of us, the library is on our right,
etc. In the classroom the teacher guides students in creating a list on large chart paper of the
various regions or parts of the school which they discovered on their field trip such as the
office area, the gym, the library, the playground, bathrooms, a classroom wing, etc. Next,
students are asked to think of descriptors for each of the regions such as library: a place where
people come to get books. These descriptors are written on the chart paper next to the
appropriate region. The teacher explains that regions are areas that are alike because they have
common characteristics. Finally, students work together to identify and highlight regions such as
classrooms, bathrooms, library, office, etc. on a school map. Each region is a different color, for
example, all classrooms are one color, all bathrooms are a different color, etc.
Lesson 8: Human and Physical Characteristics of Places
This lesson begins with a field trip to the school playground. On the playground the teacher
explains that some things on or near the playground such as the swing set have been made by
humans and some things like grass are part of nature. In a game format similar to the game I Spy,
students identify both natural (physical) and humans things on or near the playground. The
teacher keeps a list of the things identified during the game. In the classroom, students discuss
the list of human and natural (physical) characteristics they identified on the playground.
Students work in pairs with a set of cards picturing both natural (physical) characteristics and
human characteristics and sort them into two piles. The class shares their sorting and discusses
why they chose human or natural for each. The teacher explains that they class is going to
explore natural (physical) characteristics further. Using three visuals, showing a forest, a
mountain and a plain, students are asked to describe these pictures. The teacher then explains
that these pictures show three important types of landforms and that they are all natural
(physical) characteristics that help us describe what a place is like. The teacher identifies each
photo as forest, mountain, and plain. Next, the teacher uses three more visuals showing a lake,
ocean, and river. The teacher then explains that these visuals show three important bodies of
water and briefly describes each landform.
Lesson 9: Changing Our Environment
This lesson serves as an introduction to the geographic theme of human/environment interaction.
It builds on the previous lesson on human characteristics by exploring how building human
characteristics like houses, cities, roads, and tunnels changes our environment. Using the book
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, the teacher guides students in identifying the things that
Mike and his steam shovel helped to build, such as a tunnel and a basement for a skyscraper.
Students are asked if these are human or natural characteristics of a place. At the conclusion of
the book the teacher explains that when people build things they change the land. The teacher
then guides a discussion in which students try to identify specific ways the land is changed, such
as trees are cut down, fields become houses, etc. On a T-chart labeled with a smiley face on one

side and a frowny face on the other, the teacher guides students in understanding that there are
both positive and negative consequences in changing the land. The teacher writes trees are cut
down on the frown side and new homes for people are built on the other.
Lesson 10: Adapting to Our Environment
This lesson helps students begin to understand that just as humans modify, or change, their
environment, they also adapt to their environment. Humans make adaptations in order to live in
their environment. The lesson begins with the teacher holding up a pair of mittens, a scarf, and a
warm hat. The teacher poses the questions: when do we wear these and why? Next, on a chart
showing the four seasons, the teacher asks students to describe the weather in each of the
seasons. After students weather descriptions are charted, the teacher writes hat, mittens, scarf
in the winter column. Students are asked to identify clothing used for each of the other three
seasons. The teacher then explains that weather and the seasons are examples of physical
characteristics that help us describe a place. The teacher adds to the chart other things we do to
adapt to seasonal changes. Examples would be turning on the heat in the winter, opening the
windows in the spring, turning on an air conditioner in summer, and raking leaves off the lawn in
fall. Finally, on a piece of paper with four squares labeled by season, students draw an example
of an activity they do in each season such as building a snowman in winter and swimming in
summer.
Assessments

Assessment - Create a drawing showing the aerial perspective of your room, house,
classroom, or school
Objective - I can create maps to depict the location of familiar places
Assessment - Informal observation/discussion: students identifying the address of a
familiar place, for example, their home
Objective - I can use an address to locate specific places (i.e. house, school)
Assessment - Choose an object in the room. Write directions that tell how to get to the
object. Identify that object by using the location of an object close to it. For example, if I
was thinking about the teacher chair, I would write walk left around the cubbies then
walk straight forward. My object is between the teacher table and the calendar.
Objective - I can use personal direction to describe the relative location of another thing
or location
Assessment - Quiz with two questions: Circle the two physical characteristics found on
the playground. Circle the two human characteristics found on the playground.
Objective - I can identify physical and human characteristics of a place
Assessment - In your group, create a poster that promotes some type of activity or event
that will encourage the community/the school to help our environment
Objective - I can describe ways to help our environment

Assessment - Match the scenery and the clothing to the correct season.
Objective - I can identify each of the seasons and the appropriate clothing for each