Category Archive for ‘social studies’ at Open Wide, Look Inside

Archive for the 'social studies' Category

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Big George

Published by Emma on November 11, 2009 in history, civics, nonfiction, biography, social studies, book review and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Most children know that George Washington was the first President of the United States. But can they tell you how he got there? Anne Rockwell’s new book, Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington, takes readers on a journey throughout Washington’s life; from childhood to the battle fields to President. Beautifully illustrated by Matt Phelan, your students will learn not only of Big George’s personal life, but of his contributions to the beginnings of America.

Instead of beginning the book with what Washington was most known for, Rockwel’s opening page states: “George Washington wasn’t afraid of anything, except making conversation. He was shy.” From there, we learn of George’s early and difficult childhood, his studies, and his brave contributions in battles in fighting for America’s independence. He begins his military career fighting under the English general Edward Braddock, but is eventually elected to General of the American troops against England, for whom he had pledged his allegiance to for his whole life. Students will also learn of his contributions to fight for an independent America, with his signing of the Declaration of Independence, his pleads for help from the French, and his contributions in declaring America an independent state. Only the last page mentions Washington as President. Many students will be surprised to know that the shy George had no interest in being President, but felt he felt it was his duty to do so. Rockwell’s book concludes with this: “As history shows, President George Washington…proved to be as good a leader in peace as in war–and his leadership shaped the nation America was to become.”

Curriculum Connections
This would be a great book to use when beginning a unit on Washington or the American Revolutionary War. It can be introduced in second grade for SOL 2.11, where students identify George Washington in American civics. Additionally, SOL 3.11 focuses on identifying Washington’s contributions to the foundations of our government. Big George may also be used with the United States History SOL USI.6, where students must describe the roles of key individuals such as Washington in the American revolution.

Additional Resources

Brandon Marie Miller’s book George Washington for Kids is not only a book with a wealth of kid-friendly information on Washington, but provides directions for 21 activities related to the First President. For example, your students can make a quill pen just like Washington used!
This website provides a wealth of lesson plans, activities and kid-friendly articles on Washington.
This webquest will challenge your students to learn about some other important people during the American Revolution.

General Information:
Book: Big George
Author: Anne Rockwell
Illustrator: Matt Phelan
Publisher: Harcourt
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 48
Grade Range: 2-5
ISBN:0152165835

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman

Published by Sue on November 3, 2009 in geography, African American, book review, social studies and diversity. 0 Comments

Young Tameka wants her favorite uncle, Ray, to visit her in California. Ray is too busy with his job in South Carolina to travel to Tameka’s home; so, he sends Oliver K. Woodman, a hand-crafted wooden man, in his place. The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, written by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by Joe Cepeda, recounts Oliver’s cross-country trek in which he depends on the kindness of strangers to reach his destination. Pattison’s whimsical story is wonderfully told through postcards and letters. Cepeda’s lovely pictures, painted with oil over acrylic on board, make not only Oliver, but the entire story come alive.

Connections

The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman includes a United States map which charts Oliver’s journey from coast to coast. This creates a good tie-in to geography lessons for any elementary level class (VA SOL’s K.3-5, 1.4-6, 2.4-6, and 3.6). This book could serve as the inspiration for a joint Social Studies/English project where the student uses correspondence and geographic research to document an imagined trip.

Additional Resources

Spark your creativity with ideas from Helping Your Child Learn Geography, a U.S. Department of Education website.
Teach letter-writing skills by starting a pen pal program with people across town, across country, or across oceans. Consider these suggestions before you begin.
National Geographic’s Geospy game is a fun way for kids to learn the locations of countinents, countries and states.

Book: The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman
Author: Darcy Pattison
Illustrator: Joe Cepeda
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publication Date: March, 2003
Pages: 56
Grade Range: K-5
ISBN-13: 9780152023294

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: Maps

Published by Kelly on November 2, 2009 in resource links, nonfiction, geography, book review, teaching, reading and social studies. 0 Comments

Maps, by David L. Stienecker and illustrated by Richard MacCabe, is a book designed to help introduce children to geography with a focus on maps and globes.

This book highlists the many purposes and differences between maps and globes, how to read them, and the many ways in which they can be drawn. The author and illustrator provide child-friendly text and illustrations to show how maps can be used to visualize and locate specific regions, water features, forests, and landmarks of the world, as well as dicussing that maps can also be created for make believe. The book offers children a view of North America on both a map and globe, and then slowly zooms out to show the Earth as a whole from the perspective of the sky. This book also provides children with question prompts they can respond to during or after reading, while providing teachers with hands-on activitiy ideas for further study, a glossary of essential terms, and an index. Lines of latitude/longitude, projections, compass, hemisphere, equator, and thematic maps are the main topics discussed throughout the book which allows the teacher discretion for how much content to share depending on varying student levels.

Curriculum Connections

Maps serves as an excellent and useful resource to help teach, reinforce, and emphasize several kindergarten - first grade geography learning objectives in accordance with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL’s). Students can enhance their understanding in that a map is a drawing of a place to show where things are located while a globe is a round model of the Earth (SOL K.4a), facilitate identification of land and water features (SOL K.4c), encourage understanding that maps and globes show a view from above the Earth and that features are smaller in size (SOL K.5a/b), develop map skills by identifying map symbols (SOL 1.4a), and facilitate accurate identification of North America and Virginia on maps and globes (SOL 1.4d).

Additional Resources

Discovery Education provides a wide range of geography lesson plans from grades kindergarten - 5th grade - lesson plans are organized by topic, and when clicked on, provides you with a wealth of resource links, extention activity ideas, suggested readings, and evaluation assessments specific to the lesson
Kids Geography offers a wide range of fun, interactive games for students to play either at school or home - games are organized into continents, American capitals, latitude/longitude, and the collective Earth so teachers, students, and parents have the ability to select games that are specific to what the student is learning

Enchanted Learning is the place for teachers to go for an endless supply of various geography maps, printables, quizzes, and activities - if teachers want to focus on their state geography, there are links to supply you with tons of state maps for students to label, quizzes, and symbol and emblem worksheets specific to your state

Book: Maps
Author: David L. Stienecker
Illustrator: Richard MacCabe
Publisher: Benchmark Books (New York)
Publication Date: January 1998
Pages: 32pp
Grade Range: Kindergarten - 1st Grade
ISBN-13: 978-0761405382

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: Maps and Mapping

Published by Deleyah on November 1, 2009 in geography, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

Jinny Johnson’s Maps and Mapping explores the world of maps through exciting pages filled with pop-ups and fold-outs. Throughout the book, the reader is taken on a journey of exploring the job of a cartographer. The cartographer, Suki West, is a fictional character in the book who loves making all types of maps. In the process, the reader learns about different types of maps and its importance. The book explains that maps are needed in order to understand flat surfaces and proportions. Maps and Mapping explores the first maps, such as, the Roman maps from the A.D. 300s. The Romans started the tradition of showing roads, distances, and information on maps. Maps and Mapping introduces sextants and compasses to explain how explorers used these forms of maps to navigate their vessels in the ocean. The book also discusses the major differences between flat and round maps. It shows that maps can be used to document any type of area, such as, the sea, mountains, and space. The book concludes by discussing ways that maps are used today. Instead of cartographers drawing the maps, satellites are now used to take photographs and produce 3-D maps. Suki states, “The latest 3-D maps, made by putting together millions of satellite images, can show places in amazing detail-even showing individual houses!” (Johnson 28) Maps and Mapping is a wonderful introduction to geography in a way that children can relate to and understand.

Curriculum Connections

Maps and Mapping connects geography and social studies to the world of direction and mapping. It may be used to introduce a lesson on map making. Maps and Mapping helps students to develop map skills and construct simple maps (2.5, 2.6, 3.6). In the book, students are also able to note the changes between ancient maps and the maps that we use today (2.3). The illustrations include many types of maps that are informative and include examples of maps from all over the world. The book would make a useful supplement to a lesson on maps.

Additional Resources

Geography for Kids- Includes additional online activities and information on the geographical features of earth.
Maps and Mapping-Access to the inside of Maps and Mapping and other children’s books that relate to geography.
About the Author-Need examples of other books that relate to geography for children? This website contains information on Jinny Johnson and her other jacket flap books.

Book: Maps and Mapping

Author and Illustrator: Jinny Johnson

Publisher: Kingfisher

Publication Date: October 15, 2007

Pages: 29 pages

Grade Range: 2-4

ISBN: 0823417948

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: Mapping Penny’s World

Published by Bria on November 1, 2009 in geography, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

Mapping Penny’s World by Loreen Leedy is a children’s story about a little girl named Lisa who maps out the places she likes to go with her dog Penny. She and Penny map out her bedroom, the backyard where Penny hides her toys, the neighborhood, and even places around the world where Penny might like to go. The maps that Lisa create include the cardinal directions, a key of images found on the map, a title, and a scale for measuring the distances on the map. The illustrations of the maps are very colorful and they are all displayed from a birds- eye view.

“On this map, some of the symbols stand for the goodies she has hidden outside. The rest of the symbols represent the fence, table, and other things that are supposed to be out there.” (pg. 11)
“Maps are good for giving directions. Suppose Penny’s friend Maxine wants to come over. You could say, ‘Go out your back door, turn right by the trash cans, crawl under the gap in the wooden fence (watch out for the big orange cat!)…’ ” (pg. 13)
“The map’s scale shows the real distances in the park. According to the map, the distance between point A and point B is two- tenths of a mile.” (pg. 20)

Curriculum Connections

This story would be a great way to introduce young students to the skills of map making. Mapping Penny’s World provides wonderful illustrations of maps which are labeled with all the key elements. Loreen Leedy also portrays simple, everyday examples of different places that children could map on their own. This story would be useful when teaching Virginia SOLs 1.4, 1,5, and 2.6 in geography in which students will develop map skills by recognizing basic map symbols, construct a simple map of a familiar area, and constructing a simple map using a title, legend and compass rose.

Additional Resources

This activity allows students to work on their own to create a map of the school yard and directions to a certain place. After the students are done they exchange their map with another student and each student must use their new map to get to the location that is given.
This brief demonstration of peeling an orange provides children with an explaination as to how a map of the is not 100% accurate because the world is round.
This lesson plan focuses on political maps and what cities are found on political maps. Students will discover different size cities on a map, as well as different features of cities that are represented on the map.

General Information
Book: Mapping Penny’s World
Author: Loreen Leedy
Illustrator: Loreen Leedy
Publisher: Owlet Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 2003
Pages: 32
Grade Range: K- 3
ISBN: 9780805072624

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps

Published by Kara W. on November 1, 2009 in geography, book review, social studies and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

As the Crow Flies written by Gail Hartman and illustrated by Harvey Stevenson is a great way to introduce maps to young children.

The book follows the paths of an eagle, a rabbit, a crow, a horse, and a gull. At the end of each animal’s journey a simple map illustrates the places the animal has visited. “AS THE RABBIT HOPS. A path winds around a farmhouse, past a shed, to a garden where the sweet greens grow.” On the facing page the author shows “THE RABBIT’S MAP”, a simply illustrated map with a path from “my house”, to the “farmhouse”, to the “shed”, to the “garden”. At the end of the book the author follows the moon as it shines on each of the animals paths, including the rabbit, “It shines on the garden near the farmhouse in the country.” On the last pages the paths of all the animals come together to form one big map titled “THE BIG MAP”.

Curriculum Connections
This book would work well when introducing students to maps as part of a Geography unit. It is best suited for a kindergarten or 1st grade classroom. The concepts included in the book work with lessons where students will describe the relative location of people, places, and things by using positional words, use simple maps to develop an awareness that a map is a drawing of a place to show where things are located, describe places referenced in stories and real-life situations, and develop an awareness that maps and globes show a view from above, show things in smaller size, and show the position of objects (SOL K.3, K.4a,b and K.5a,b,c).

Additional Resources

The UEN website has four good classroom activities for developing map skills.
Have students create a story map using a story they have read, or make a map of their school.
A geography unit plan, Our Place in the World, designed to create awareness of city, state, country, continent, and world.

Author: Gail Hartman
Illustrator: Harvey Stevenson
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication Date: 1993
Pages: 32
Grade Range: K-2
ISBN: 978-0689717628

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: The Scrambled States of America

Published by Cory on November 1, 2009 in geography, book review, social studies and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The Scrambled States of America is a hilarious and adorable book about the fifty states, and their desire for exploring other areas of the United States. The states have gotten tired of their neighbors and monotonous daily routine, and want to meet other states. Kansas and Nebraska decide to have a party and invite all of the states.

“So, with a little help from their neighbors, Missouri and Iowa, those wacky little midwestern states planned the biggest party ever… At last the big day came, and little by little the states arrived at the party… Within minutes after their arrival the states began making friends with each other.”

At the party, Virginia and Idaho decide they would like to change places to see other parts of the US.

” ‘ Yes,’ Virginia chimed in. ‘Then we thought maybe all of you might want to try it, too.’ A wave of excitement swept through the room. They could hardly wait. Immediately the states made their plans to switch places. They said their good-byes, and went directly home to pack.”

While the switch and new places were exciting at first, it didn’t take long for the states to miss home.

“Alaska, who had been wanting a little more interaction with the other states, was irritated by Oklahoma’s handle jabbing into his left side and Michigan’s thumb tickling his right.”

Soon enough the states decided they wanted to switch back, and packed their bags and made their way home.

“That night, all the states in the country went to bed feeling happy about the new friends they had made but, most of all, feeling very thankful to be home.”

Curriculum Connections:

This story is a cute way to introduce the VA Geography SOL 1.4, 1.5, and 1.6 to students, as it will familiarize them with the proper placement of the fifty states on the US Map, as well as some of the characteristics of and products of those states.

Additional Resources:

This lesson plan for sixth graders is a way to incorporate this book into a secondary classroom looking for an interactive way to study the 50 states in depth.

This teacher blog is full of many ideas for teaching the states to your students.

Use this video and song to teach the 50 states to your students!

General Information:
Book: The Scrambled States of America
Author/Illustrator: Laurie Keller
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: October 15, 1998
Pages: 32 pages
Grade Range: K-2 Grade
ISBN-13: 978-0805058024

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: Wake up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World

Published by heather on November 1, 2009 in geography, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

Wake up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World, written by Beatrice Hollyer and map illustration by Tony Robinson is a captivating book that explores different cultures around the world by using actual photographs.

The book begins by providing a short introduction to eight children, all from different regions of the globe. Each child is given a unique symbol that reflects their individual country. Each symbol appears next to the texts, allowing readers to keep track of which child appears in the picture. The book takes you on a journey through the daily lives of the children. It focuses on the child’s daily schedule of waking up, going to school, eating dinner, playing, etc. “Children all over the world use what they find around them to invent games, try out new ideas, make their own toys and have fun. Some children work hard to help their families. Other have lots of homework. But there’s always time for play.” The book ends by exploring each child’s dreams for the future and providing some further information on each of the different countries.

Curriculum Connections:

Wake up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World could be used as an introduction tool for learning about basic geography. This book can be used for a number of SOL’s such as:

History K.4 (b)- describe places referenced in stories and real life situations

History 1.6-Describe how location affects food, clothes, shelter, etc

History 3.5 (a)- locating and labeling the seven continents

Additional Resources:

* Global Playground Teacher Toolkit- A PDF full of lesson plan ideas for teaching students about culture awareness.

* Play-Doh: Cruising Around the Continents- Lesson plan that uses play-doh to teach the seven continents.

* National Geographic- Explores a wide variety of countries around the world. It provides videos, background information, and a detailed map of each country.

Book: Wake up, World! A Day in the Life of Children Around the World

Author: Beatrice Hollyer

Illustrator: Tony Robinson

Publisher: Oxfam

Publication Date: September 1995

Pages: 48 pages

Grade Range: K-3

ISBN: 978-0805062939

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