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Social Studies
Kindergarten
National and State Symbols

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2. Standards, Disciplines, Skills, Concepts:

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2. Standards, Disciplines, Skills, Concepts:

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A.   Standard:
Learning and Working Now and Long Ago

HSS.K.2- Students recognize national and state symbols and icons such as the national and state flags, the bald eagle, and the statue of liberty.

Substandard:

Kindergarten students explore the strands of national identity and cultural literacy by learning about national and state symbols and how these symbols relate to America’s cultural and national identity.

B.   List the Key Disciplines your plan will address.

National and state symbols such as, The American Flag, Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, American Bald Eagle, and the White House.

C.    List the historical and Social Science Analysis Skills and 21stCentury Skills your plan will address.

}  Exploration

}  Investigation

}  Discover

}  Student engagement and collaboration

D.   List the Key Social Studies Concepts your plan will address.

1.    Overarching Concept “big idea”

}  To understand U.S History

2.    Unit Specific Concepts

}  National State Symbols

E.    State the estimated number of class periods

Approximately 7 Days

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A.   Overview and Rationale: Provide a brief overview of your unit plan.

What is the purpose? Why is this important?

This lesson is about the United States national and state symbols. Students will learn that a symbol is something that stands for, or represents something. The purpose of the lesson is to teach students about how the national and state symbols are unique to our country and why they are there. It is important because students need to know how to recognize the symbols that represent eh country they live in.

B.   Overarching Question: Create a compelling compelling question that stems from your social studies standard and sub-standard(s), and that will guide exploration of the content and concepts throughout your unit.

What does it mean to be an American?

C.    Inquiry Question:  Create a narrower question that stems from your overarching question, and that requires students to take a stance or provide an explanation.  This question should be interesting and meaningful, and should provoke an evidence-based opinion or explanation regarding social studies phenomena.

What is the significance of our national symbols?

D.   Supporting Questions:  Provide 2-5 questions that will support students in addressing the Inquiry Question.

What is a symbol?

Do you still see these symbols today?

Which one is your favorite symbol?

How do these symbols tell the story of the American people?

E.    History-social science content:  Provide a summary of the historical background or history-social science content relevant to the unit.

Students will understand how these national and state symbols represent our country. They will learn about each of the symbols and its meaning and how they relate to Americas cultural and national identity.

Students will learn that the American Flag has fifty White stars and 13 red and white stripes 7 red and 6 white. They will learn that the Liberty Bell was made for the independence hall where state laws are made and on George Washingtons birthday, it cracked. Lastly, it is a symbol of hope and strength. They will learn how the bald eagle is the national bird or country and that it isn’t I actually bald but the white hair on the head makes it look as if it is bald. Students will also learn about the Statue of Liberty and that is located in New York City and that the statue celebrates the freedoms we all share as Americans. The torch she holds represents freedom and she is stepping on broken chains to represent that freedom. In conclusion, this was a gift from France another country.

After learning about each important national symbol, students will complete artwork that represents the symbols the teacher will read non- fiction books to furthertheirunderstanding of the topic. The whole class and teacher will create charts about the symbols. Lastly, writing skills will be embedded throughout the activities presented.

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A. List specific standards from the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Describe how these standards will be addressed in your unit.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K- with prompting and support ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2- use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory text in which they name what they’re writing about and supply some information about the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1.B- continue a conversation throughmultiple exchanges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4- describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.6- Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Each of these different ELA standards will be addressed in a lesson through the different activities I will have the students participate in.

RI.K Will happen when students are asking the teacher questions and telling key details about the stories being read to them.

W.K.2 Will happen when students write sentences about one or more of the symbols that were talked about.

SL.K.1.B what happen when students are turning in talking with the person sitting next to them and when the teacher is asking the students questions.

SL.K.4 Will happen when students describe the national and state symbols.

S.L.K.6 what happen when the teacher asked the students questions and they express their ideas.

B.            List specific standards from the California English Language Development Standards.  Describe how these standards will be addressed in your unit.

ELD.PI.A.1

Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative conversations on the range of social and academic topics.

C.             List one or more California State Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts.  Describe how these standards will be addressed in your unit.

Visual Literacy

5.3 Point our images (e.g., photographs, paintings, mirrors, ceramics, sculptures) and symbols found at home, in school, and in the community, including national and state symbols and Icons.

}  This standard will be used when students are actively engaged while learning about their national and state symbols of where they live.

4.4 give reasons why they like a particular work of art they made, using appropriateart vocabulary.

}  The standard will be addressed when mystudents create their coloring of the certain symbol we are discussing. They will say, “I like my artwork of the American flag because…”

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5. Culturally Diverse Perspectives and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

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5. Culturally Diverse Perspectives and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

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Explain how the activities in your unit incorporate culturally diverse perspectives or embody culturally responsive pedagogy.  For example, do your sources reflect diverse perspectives?  Do literature selections and visual images portray diversity?  Do you include oral history, drawing on stories and experiences from students’ families and communities?  Be specific.

This unit expresses culturally responsive pedagogy by recognizing the importance of cultural references of where the students live. Students get to know about the symbols used in their country and state. They will understand that these symbols represent beliefs, traditions, values, and certain things that make this country unique. For example, the statue of liberty was a gift from the people of France so that is a different cultural perspective the students will be introduced to. Visual images will be displayed because they portraydiversity and mean something to the American people. I relate this unit to students families and communities around them because in the introduction I show the students the pictures of the symbols and ask them if they have seen any of these before. This is activating their prior knowledge and relate class to their life outside of school which is always fun. In their writing they also get to tell me their favorite one!

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6. Sampling of Instructional Activities – Create a separate document for each activity

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6. Sampling of Instructional Activities – Create a separate document for each activity

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Provide 6-8 activities (with each activity as a separate document on the board) you might use to develop content, concepts, and skills related to the social studies standard you selected.  Provide a description of the activity, and an explanation of how it connects to the theme of the unit.  Be sure to include:

·     An activity to introduce the unit

·     Activities that address one or more of the following areas:  the past, the physical world, economic concepts, financial literacy, or participation in a democracy

·     At least one VAPA activity

·     At least one activity incorporating digital technology (e.g. a database, computer software, guided use of the internet, a webquest).

·     At least one literature-based activity

·     ELD strategies should be embedded throughout.

Activity #1: The teacher will provide an introduction that will activate students prior knowledge of what a symbol is. The teacher will ask the students, "What is a symbol?" If students can answer, the teacher will proceed to ask where might they see a symbol of something. Once the teacher feels the students have an understanding of what symbols are, the teacher will magnetize pictures of national and state symbols we have in the United States. In this unit we are learning about The Bald Eagle, American Flag, Statue of Liberty, and The Liberty Bell. The teacher will have students turn and talk to discuss if they have seen any one of these symbols before. Teacher will bring the students back together and then they will then share with the whole class. Together, we will talk about where they have seen one of the symbols and maybe why they think they saw it in that spot.
At the end is a picture of the Symbol cards that were used.

Activity #2: Teacher will read a book about the American Flag, in this book it generates facts about what each part of the flag represents, like a symbol. When the teacher finishes reading the teacher asks the students to share facts about what they learned from the book. This part is good for the EL student because that student gets to listen to the academic language being used. In addition, the class as a whole generates facts about the American Flag on the white board. The teacher provides a visual of a bubble map to represent students thoughts and ideas. Doing the bubble map helps the students to create sentences based off the facts they learned. The teacher will then show the students a paper where they are to color the American flag and write a sentence or two about what the significance of the American Flag is. The teacher models the writing activity first so students can get a visual then students go off on their own to write.
At the end is a picture of a sample sheet the American Flag.

Activity #3: The teacher will again tap into students prior knowledge when learning about next symbol to be learned which is the Bald Eagle. The teacher will begin to have the students thinking about the inquiry question which is the significance of this certain symbol. The teacher will ask students if they have ever heard of a Bald Eagle before. Once we have talked about it for a little as a class, the teacher will then show a video . After the video, as a class we will generate facts about the American Bald Eagle, making a bubble map for my visual learners. The bubble map is also a good strategy to use because it shows students their ideas mapped out. The teacher shows the next writing activity for the Bald Eagle. The teacher will model the writing activity so students know exactly what is expected of them. Teacher will then send students to go off on their own to write.
At the end of a picture of a sample sheet the Bald Eagle.

Activity#4: To incorporate VAPA, students will be creating artwork to color their national and state symbols they have learned about. We are creating a “My American Symbols Book” that will be put together with all of their writing and coloring of the symbols.

Activity #5: All of the lessons with each symbol will use ELD strategies. This lesson focuses on academic language and really using complete sentences to explain thought or idea. The next symbol to be learned is, The Liberty Bell. As before, the teacher will read a book about the Liberty Bell. Students will get the opportunity to talk about what they just heard the teacher read. Then the teacher gathers the class back together and we generate facts about that symbol on the board. Using a bubble map will help the students to see what their ideas are and the significance of the Liberty Bell. The teacher models the writing activity infant of the students then students go off on their own to write.
At the end is a picture of a sample sheet the Liberty Bell.

Activity #6: The last lesson to be taught and symbol to be represented is the Statue of Liberty. We will read a book about this symbol then students will talk about what they just heard and learned then together we will make a bubble map to generate facts. At this point in time, students are filled with knowledge of four national and state symbols that represent our country.  Students will add this last page to their "My Symbols book" and then observe and reread the writing they have accomplished within the unit.
At the end is a sample sheet of Statue of Liberty

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A.         Overview and Objectives

Provide a brief overview of your inquiry task, along with an objective. What will students be expected to do by the end of the Task?

The inquiry task is focused on helping the students to understand the significance of our national and state symbols.

The objective for this inquiry task is that students will understand why the national symbols are unique to our country and why these symbols create a sense of community among the people of our nation. Students will be expected to know the names right when they see the symbol.

B.         Sources

List 3-4 sources students will use to draw evidence pertaining to the Inquiry Question.  Provide a complete citation for each source.  Include at least one primary source.

I will use a variety of books to get information across to my students. These books are The Statue of Libertyby Mary Firestone, The American Flag by Lisa Herrington, The Liberty Bellby Mary Firestone, and information about the Bald Eagle will be played from youtube here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKficmlxzaI&frags=pl%2Cwn.

The primary source I will be using is an actual United States of America flag. I will take it down from where it is hanging in the classroom so students can get an up close better visual of the flag.

C.         Introducing the Inquiry

Provide detailed descriptions of 2-4 activities/strategies you will use to introduce the Inquiry Question and Supporting Questions, and to make connections to prior knowledge and experiential backgrounds.  As you plan these activities, consider the following:

·     How will you help orient students so they begin to think about the focus of the inquiry?

·     How will you help students tap into their prior knowledge and become conscious of their own and others’ perceptions regarding the content of the inquiry?

·     How will you promote curiosity/doubt/disequilibrium and help students develop a meaningful purpose or ownership of the topic?

Include a graphic organizer, if appropriate.

The books I will read to the students help to give a good insight of knowledge I want them to be acquainted with so they can do their writing about that certain symbol being learned. This helps to answer the inquiry question of why the symbols are unique to our country because I am feeding the information, then students will write about it. I will guide them with a model on the white board of information we generated about each symbol learned. I will tap into students prior knowledge because I will display the symbols then have them turn and talk with a partner to discuss the symbols they have seen before and where they have seen it. Getting them to think about the symbols helps them to also discover why that symbol is important. I will promote curiosity by getting the students to think about the symbols and where they have seen them and why they may have seen the symbols in that certain place or spot. The only way that  will promote doubt is if a student has a meaning for a symbol and they are wrong about that meaning.

D.        Conducting the Inquiry:

Provide a sequence of activities wherein students will address the Supporting Questions and the Inquiry Question.  Students will:

(1)   process and analyze a minimum of 3 sources (at least one of which is a primary source),

(2)    draw evidence from the sources regarding the Inquiry Question, and

(3)   Synthesize evidence from the sources regarding the Inquiry Question

(4)   develop an evidence-based opinion or explanation.

Activities should provide supportfor students throughout this process.  Explain how you will scaffold instruction to help students read and derive meaning from the sources.  Consider using strategies such as “close reading”, text-dependent questions, note-taking, collaborative conversations, charting information, modeling, and using the “Historian’s Tool Box”.  Describe howyou will use these strategies.

Be sure to include the following:

·     A detailed description of each activity that clearly states what the teacher will do to facilitate learning and what students will do to explore the inquiry in depth.  Include a variety of strategies used to make content meaningful to all students and to develop key concepts and historical-social science analysis skills.

·     At least one primary source and other resources such as the textbook, trade books, digital media, etc.

·     Opportunities for students to practice Common Core standards in the context of addressing the Inquiry and Supporting Questions.

The sequence of activities consist of students listening to me read books about the symbol we are learning. The first symbol that was learned was the American Flag. We read the book, The American Flag by Lisa Herrington. This book was filled with fun information about the American Flag and when it was finished, we talked about what the significance and meaning of American flag is. We then gathered that information on the board for the students to write about it. When I read this book, I help students to derive  the meaning of this symbol because if students were listening, they were able to hear all the important details. I also brought out an actual American Flag to have a primary source for them to look at. Together as a class we gather detailed facts about the American Flag. I called on students to help me fill up the bubble map that we created. I modeled the writing for the students then covered it up so the students would not copy. Students explore the inquiry in depth when they write about what they learned about the American Flag.

The second symbol learned was the American Bald Eagle. I showed the students an educational video on youtube about this national bird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKficmlxzaI&frags=pl%2Cwn.This video had a ton of great information about the Bald Eagle that was important for students to hear. When the video was finished, we talked about what the significance and meaning of the bald eagle. We then gathered that information on the board for the students to write about it. We figured out that the bird was chosen as the national bird because of its strength and longevity. When this video finished, I helped students to derive the meaning of this symbol because if students were watching and listening, they were able to hear all the important details. Together as a class we gather detailed facts about the American Flag. I will call on students to help me fill up the bubble map that we create for the American Bald Eagle. Students explore the inquiry in depth when they write about what they learned about the American Bald Eagle. For every symbol, I do a modeled lesson of how I want their papers to look, I then cover up my writing so the students can create their own work.

The third symbol learned was the Liberty Bell. I read the book, The Liberty Bellby Mary Firestone to the students. This book had so much great information about the Liberty Bell for students to listen to. Just like the other symbols, we gathered the information students heard from the book on the board. When I read this book, I helped students to derive the meaning of this symbol because if students were listening, they were able to hear all the important details. Together as a class we gather detailed facts about the Liberty Bell. I will call on students to help me fill up the bubble map that we create. After we do this I will model the writing for the students. I then cover up my writing so they can create their own sentences. Students explore the inquiry in depth when they write about what they learned about the Liberty Bell.

The fourth symbol learned was The Statue of Liberty. I read the book, The Statue of Libertyby Mary Firestone to the students. This book was really fun for the students because some of them have seen the Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor. After I read this informational book to the students, we gathered facts that were helpful in determining the significance of this statue which is helpful in answering the inquiry question. Together as a class we made a bubble map of detailed meaning of the liberty bell. As we came up with these facts, it gave students to brainstorm what they can write about for this symbol. I then modeled the writing for the students and then sent them off on their own to complete their writing of what the significance and or meaning of this symbol is.

E.         Responding to the Inquiry Question

Describe a series of three language arts lessons you will use to guide students through the process of providing an evidence-based response to the Inquiry Question, orally and in writing.  Include descriptions of scaffolding techniques, for example, using frame sentences and graphic organizers.

Three out of four symbols require students to listen to a story being read about the certain symbol we are learning about at the moment. Using a story for literacy helps students to obtain facts that they heard from the story that was read. My inquiry question is, “What is the significance meaning of our national and state symbols.” As I read these three stories to the students, after we will have an oral discussion about facts we learned from the book. Orally students will help me to jot down these facts onto a bubble map that we will create together. When students tell me the facts, these are the evidence they are learning from that certain symbol as to why is it significant and its meaning! In writing, students will put these facts together in complete sentences. Some scaffolding techniques I will use are providing another sheet of paper for my higher students to continue writing. In addition to that strategy, for my low students, I will allow them to choose one or two facts to write about since that is an area where a lot of students struggle in. Using the bubble map strategy helps students and my EL student to have a visual of the pictures and the facts about that symbol. I scaffold when students tell me the facts because I help them with use complete sentences so they are used to it when they have to write on their own.

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Describe a project wherein students will communicate their conclusions regarding the Inquiry Question to an authentic audience.  Explain whether students will work independently or in groups on hands-on projects, demonstrations, or performances to show what they have learned, in creative ways.  The project should address different learning modalities (e.g. kinesthetic, artistic), and should provide students with choices.  Provide the instructions and materials needed to complete the project.

Students conduct this part of the unit when they put together their “My American Symbols Book”. This is done in a presentation form, I felt it was important to get these kindergarten students use to presenting in front of their classmates because they will do this their whole life, it is good to start now. Over the unit, students learned about four different symbols that represent our nation. In order to fulfill the paper I give them about the symbol being learned, they will use crayons to color the picture just as it looks in real life and use a pencil to complete the writing part beneath. Once all four symbol papers are complete, students put their books together in the same order we learned them. Once every students book is complete, I have all students share. One by one they will come to the front when called, and they will present their books to the class. When students present their books of each symbol, they are able to answer the inquiry question of the significance of our symbols.    The learning modality used in this part of the unit is students showing me their artistic as well as writing skills.

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What are the expected Student Outcomes?  What will the students be able to do at the conclusion of instruction? What will be the evidence of student learning?

·     Make a list of the activities that will be assessed.  For  each activity, state briefly how learning will be assessed.  Allow for a variety of outcomes and meaningful, authentic performance-based evaluation measures.

·     For the written response to the Inquiry Question, include a rubric that address both language skills and social studies content/concepts/skills.  How will you know you were successful?

At the end of this unit, the expected student outcomes are a completed worksheet of all four symbols that we learned and that the book is put together in the correct sequence. At the conclusion of this unit, student will understand the significance and or meaning of The American Flag, The Bald Eagle, The Liberty Bell, and The Statue of Liberty. They will be able to discuss it with someone that wasn’t even in the class because they will be so engaged and have learned a lot.

As stated before, students will complete a worksheet that requires them to color the certain symbol and write facts about that symbol. Of the four symbols worksheets, each one will assessed when they show me their written work. This will be done informally by observation and maybe using an observation guide.

Below is an Informative/ Explanatory Text- Based Rubric I used to address their writing for language and social studies skills. Once I complete this Rubric of grading each students writing sample of their “My American Symbols Book”, I will know my teaching and scaffolding was successful if all students received threes or fours on the Rubric. Another way I will be able to tell this lesson was successful is when the students do their oral presentation for their classmates.

Refer to this link for the Informative/ Explanatory Text- Based Rubric:
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.egusd.net/dist/c/219/files/2013/04/K.Informative.Rubric.NW_.2.7.2018-27j43s4-1-1aun5dg.pdf

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Provide an annotated bibliography of print and non-print materials to implement the unit, including digital sources, teacher resources, and resources for content background information.  Provide author, title, publisher, city, copyright date, along with a brief description of each source.  Include a description of any artifacts or realia used.

Books

Firestone, M., & Skeens, M. (2007). The Statue of Liberty. Minneapolis, Minn: Picture Window Books. In this book, they supply a ton of fun facts about The Statue of Liberty that is engaging for kindergarten children and easy enough for them to understand. The book mentions how the statue is a gift from France, that is welcomes you to America, that it is medal and many more.

Herrington, L. M. (2015). The American Flag. This book supplies the students with amazing content about the American Flag. It tells the students about why there are fifty stars, thirteen stripes, and also why the certain colors were used.

Firestone, M., & Skeens, M. (2007). The Liberty Bell. Minneapolis, Minn: Picture Window Books. In this book, students get a fun story read to them about what The Liberty Bell is. The book gives children an insight into what the bell is used for, where is resides, and most importantly how and why it cracked!

Website

For the last symbol learned, students watched an educational video about The American Bald Eagle. In this video, the narrator tells facts of why this certain animal is our national bird. They learned about its attributes which are important to why he is our national bird because he is brave and has great strength. Here is the link to the video the students watched.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKficmlxzaI&frags=pl%2Cwn.

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Provide copies of student materials necessary to implement the unit.  Each should be numbered and referenced in the unit.  Include sample worksheets, graphic organizers, maps, photos, additional content background, primary source documents with a discussion of where these sources were obtained, etc.  Be sure to identify the primary sources.

The primary source I used is a real United States of America flag. I will take it down from where it is hanging in the classroom so students can get an up close better visual of the flag. Below are five student work samples, I provided five because I felt it would take up a lot of space if I included the whole class set! Also below I one photo I was able to take from the lesson which is a bubble map about bald eagles.