Something as simple as food has a rich cultural history. From this springboard students take a look at the heritage of many people groups in the United States. Drawing from historical and community resources students will discover how people all over the world have left their mark on the land they settled. While the differences are compared and contrasted children will be caught up in the rhythm of Cinco De Mayo, the celebration of Chinese New Year, the family focus of Kwanzaa and recognize the ways they are all part of the same community.
Countries: US
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How Leaders and Events Shape Communities
Page is reluctant to run for class president until a great leader from the past shows her what leadership is all about. Students will be inspired by the everyday heroism that built our country. They will also be introduced to the well, and little known leaders that shaped our nation’s growth. As students meet these great leaders they will be able to identify the responsibilities of authority figures in their home, school, and community from the local to the national level.
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How Location Affects Life: Different Areas, Climate, Latitude and Longitude
Students examine geographical and human factors that affect personal and societal ways of life. Physical components such as climate, landform and relative location are discussed, expanding a learner’s understanding of characteristics within northern and southern hemispheres, differing latitudes and longitudes. Population density, cost of living, and politics are considered as human factors impacting daily life. Regional examples review the interrelationship of geographical, climactic, and historical events that shape everyday life.
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Understanding and Making Maps: An Introduction (DVD)
Learn the connection of drawings to maps and models to globes as students see their community from above and begin to understand scale, relative position, direction…Loaded with definitions; symbol, compass rose, cardinal directions, key or legend …and map essentials; title, date, legend and scale kids make a variety of maps and find locations on a simple grid map.
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Columbus Day
With the discovery of an ancient diary, two children learn what drove Columbus to explore the unknown, who helped him in his journey, and what he found once he arrived in the New World. Guided by Columbus himself, the children see how the explorer went from working in his father’s weaving shop to accidentally discovering the Americas. Through this tour of Columbus’ life students will learn the importance of his journeys and why we honor him in October.
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Presidents Day: Washington and Lincoln
With the help of a colonial Presidential crier children come to understand why we celebrate Presidents’ Day and what makes it so special. They learn about George Washington and the important role he played in the formation of our country. Next, they learn about the life of Abraham Lincoln and his resolve to keep our country unified, making him one of our great civic leaders. Lastly, students are reminded to honor all of the presidents on this holiday.
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Beginning Maps: Models and Places
Students discover the relationship between the real world, small models of real locations and the purpose of maps. Engaging models of a neighborhood, school and face become “maps” before their eyes. Information on the models corresponds to simple maps with special attention given to relative location and scale. A globe is a view of the world from high above. Students distinguish between water and land on a map and on a globe. They also identify places on the map from stories of the past i.e., where Columbus landed and today like where the President lives. (1) Introduction (2) Beginning Maps: Models and Places (3) Models and Maps (4) Maps and Globes (5) Finding Places on the Map (6) Review
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Reading Maps and Globes: Identifying Land, Water, Place
Students review the compass rose and add intermediate directions to their understanding as they locate continents, oceans and the equator on a map. Mental maps and the grid map are also reviewed and expanded with simple parallels and meridians. Students will locate major countries and use scale to trace travel routes, determine distance between locations, and introduce new visuals to their understanding of mental maps. By locating the Regions of the United States and the Native American tribes that called them home the ideas behind cultural geography are simply introduced. Students locate lakes, rivers and mountains on a new introduction, the landform map. Reading Maps and Globes is the perfect transition to Using Maps and Globes.
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Using Maps and Globes (DVD)
Building on students? basic understanding of maps and globes, the more complex concepts of latitude and longitude are introduced. The equator, north and south hemispheres, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are defined and located down to minutes and degrees. The Prime Meridian, east and west Hemispheres, Time Zones, and the International Dateline come to life on a world cruise review.