Grade 4
Social Studies
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World 1
Unit 2: Geographic and Cultural Characteristics of Regions 15
Unit 3: The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 28
Unit 4: The Movement of Ideas: Scientific Contributions and Culture 38
Unit 5: The Movement of Goods and Resources 47
Unit 6: Our Government 59
Unit 7: Growth of a Nation 68
Unit 8: Making Economic Choices 82
Unit 9: Producers and Consumers 89
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Course Introduction
The Louisiana Department of Education issued the Comprehensive Curriculum in 2005. The curriculum has been revised based on teacher feedback, an external review by a team of content experts from outside the state, and input from course writers. As in the first edition, the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, revised 2008 is aligned with state content standards, as defined by Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The order of the units ensures that all GLEs to be tested are addressed prior to the administration of iLEAP assessments.
District Implementation Guidelines
Local districts are responsible for implementation and monitoring of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum and have been delegated the responsibility to decide if
· units are to be taught in the order presented
· substitutions of equivalent activities are allowed
· GLES can be adequately addressed using fewer activities than presented
· permitted changes are to be made at the district, school, or teacher level
Districts have been requested to inform teachers of decisions made.
Implementation of Activities in the Classroom
Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. Lesson plans should be designed to introduce students to one or more of the activities, to provide background information and follow-up, and to prepare students for success in mastering the Grade-Level Expectations associated with the activities. Lesson plans should address individual needs of students and should include processes for re-teaching concepts or skills for students who need additional instruction. Appropriate accommodations must be made for students with disabilities.
New Features
Content Area Literacy Strategies are an integral part of approximately one-third of the activities. Strategy names are italicized. The link (view literacy strategy descriptions) opens a document containing detailed descriptions and examples of the literacy strategies. This document can also be accessed directly at http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11056.doc.
A Materials List is provided for each activity and Blackline Masters (BLMs) are provided to assist in the delivery of activities or to assess student learning. A separate Blackline Master document is provided for each course.
The Access Guide to the Comprehensive Curriculum is an online database of suggested strategies, accommodations, assistive technology, and assessment options that may provide greater access to the curriculum activities. The Access Guide will be piloted during the 2008-2009 school year in Grades 4 and 8, with other grades to be added over time. Click on the Access Guide icon found on the first page of each unit or by going directly to the url http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/AccessGuide.
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on a review of map skills. Historical and geographical analysis skills are used to examine a history of the United States. Fundamental concepts in geography are explored.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the characteristics and uses of various maps as they locate nations, states, and communities. They should be able to compare characteristics of different areas by using geographic tools, such as grid lines and the compass rose, to locate places around the world.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify and interpret various types of maps?
2. Can students locate and label locations on a map or globe using lines of latitude and
longitude?
3. Can students explain what causes the Earth’s surface to change?
4. Can students discuss how people impact their environment and in what way people
depend on the environment?
5. Can students explain what influences patterns of land use and settlement?
6. Can students identify the differences among countries, states, parishes, and
cities?
Unit 1 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
GLE #
/GLE Text and Benchmarks
/Geography
1. / Interpret different kinds of maps using a map key/legend, compass rose, cardinal and intermediate directions, and distance scale (G-1A-E1)
2. / Use a variety of images or other spatial graphics (e.g., aerial photographs, satellite images) to locate major physical and human characteristics (G-1A-E1)
3. / Locate and label places on a map or globe: the seven continents, the United States and its major land forms, major bodies of water and waterways, referring to the poles, the equator, latitude, longitude and meridians (G-1A-E2)
4. / Identify all U.S. states by shapes and position on map (G-1A-E2)
5. / Draw, complete, and add features to a map (including such map elements as a title, compass rose, legend, and scale), based on given information (G-1A-E3)
Places and Regions
6. / Describe and compare the distinguishing characteristics of various land forms, bodies of water, climates, and forms of vegetation in the United States (G-1B-E1)
Physical and Human Systems
10. / Identify physical processes that change Earth’s surface and create physical features suddenly or over time (e.g., what physical process created the Grand Canyon, Great Lakes, and Hawaiian Islands) (G-1C-E1)11. / Identify geographical/physical reasons for regional variations that influence patterns of settlement and land use in the United States and the world, past and present (G-1C-E2)
15. / Differentiate between countries, states, parishes, and cities (G-1C-E6)
Environment and Society
16. / Identify ways in which people in the United States depend upon and modify the physical environment (G-1D-E1)Sample Activities
Students should use a social studies journal or composition as a learning log (view literacy strategy descriptions). This is a notebook that students keep to record ideas, questions, reactions, and new understandings. Documenting ideas in a log about content being studied forces students to “put into words” what they know or do not know. This process offers a reflection of understanding that can lead to further study and alternative learning paths. It combines writing and reading with content learning.
Activity 1: Assessment of Prior General Social Studies Knowledge
Materials List: journal/composition, charts/posters
While this activity does not meet a specific GLE, it is necessary as an opening activity to assess prior knowledge and to get students ready for new information. Put students in groups of four. Students open their social studies journals to the first page and date it. Have students make a brainstorming web (view literacy strategy descriptions) in their journals with the term Social Studies in the middle. Explain to students that social studies material can be grouped into four categories: geography, history, economics and civics. Give students about eight minutes to record anything they can remember about what they have learned in social studies in the past years. They will be working in a group to brainstorm, and all members of the group should record this information in their journals/compositions. When time is called, gather the group together to discuss findings and to sort the information into the four strands of social studies: economics, history, geography, and civics. Generate a list for each strand and provide a definition for each strand. Display the lists on charts/posters. Then students will begin to sort the information from their webs into one of those four categories. As volunteers from each group share their ideas, the class decides in what strand(s) the information belongs. This process should continue until each group has shared and categorized their prior learning. These charts/posters should be posted for reference by the students/teacher.
Activity 2: Assessment of Prior Geographic Knowledge (GLEs: 3, 5)
Materials List: crayons/colored pencils, outline world map
As in Activity 1, this activity is necessary to assess prior knowledge from previous grades. It is important for the teacher to know the knowledge base of the students in this area before beginning this unit. Put the following terms on the board: Africa, Australia, Antarctica, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, North Pole, South Pole, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Equator, and the United States.
Have students color and label each of the above locations on their outline world maps. For an outline map of the world, refer to: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/world/world-d.pdf.
Require students to assign specific colors for continents, oceans, poles and equator. Students should include on their maps a title, compass rose, and legend. Collect these maps as students finish. Review these as a way of assessing students’ prior geographic knowledge. These maps will be used by students in later lessons to compare their prior knowledge with their new knowledge.
Activity 3: Map Elements (GLE: 1)
Materials List: journal/composition; Map Elements Word Grid BLM; collection of world, state, parish and city maps; timer; chart paper
Ask students to describe some elements or parts of books. List these as students contribute. Expect some of the following elements: table of contents, page numbers, chapter numbers, index, title page, etc. Tell students that just as those parts of books help with comprehension, maps have elements or parts to them that assist in understanding them better. Even though maps are thought of as mostly pictures or spatial images, people have to be able to read a map and the elements help to do that effectively. Tell students that this activity will help them to discover some of the elements of maps.
Place students in cooperative groups. Provide each group with a world map, state map, parish map and city map. Various types of maps can be found at: http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp. Students will use the maps to complete a word grid (view literacy strategy descriptions). Provide students with the Map Elements Word Grid BLM (see sample below.) (Elements may be added to the word grid depending on the maps used.) As a group, students are to fill in the word grid by placing a “+” in the space corresponding to the element that is present on each particular map. If the element is not present on the map, a “—” should be put in the space.
Types of Maps / Title / Key / Legend / Distance Scale / Compass Rose / Intermediate Directions / Highways/ Roads / Political Borders / LandformsWorld Map
State Map
When each group has had time to explore maps and record elements from each set, gather students and compile a master list titled Elements of Maps on chart paper. Students share elements that are common to all types of maps. Provide students with an opportunity to add other elements they found on their maps. Have students record the master list in their social studies journals/compositions to be referred to later. Students should respond to the following statements or questions in their social studies journals/compositions:
· Choose the top five map elements that you feel are most important to successfully reading a map. With 1 being the most important and 5 being the least, prioritize them by putting a numeral beside each element. Justify or defend your choices. In other words, why did you prioritize them the way that you did?
· Describe one map element that you just learned about today.
· What are two important ways a parish map is different from a world map?
· Which map elements can be found on a globe?
Activity 4: Latitude and Longitude (GLE: 3)
Materials List: grid paper, globe, various maps showing the four hemispheres, United States map with latitude and longitude, index cards, document camera or overhead projector
Model for students how to use ordered pairs (a numeral and letter that are used together) to locate points on a coordinate grid. Distribute grid paper to students and have them follow teacher instructions on how to label each horizontal line (beginning at the first line after the first space on the bottom left side of the paper) with a numeral beginning with 1 and each vertical line (beginning at the first line after the first space on the bottom left side of the paper) beginning with the letter A. Direct students to read the ordered pair (a number and letter that are used together to locate a point on a coordinate grid) and to draw a dot at the intersection of the ordered pair. For example, have them find (B, 5) and draw a dot or (C, 1) and draw a dot. Once students are comfortable with the plotting of ordered pairs have them create a picture by connecting dots on a sheet of grid paper that they will label using the same lettering and numbering system. Then have them label each ordered pair. Have them create a written set of directions for creating the design using the ordered pairs they have recorded. Students will exchange written directions and follow them using another sheet of grid paper that they will label with numbers and letters. Explain to students that reading maps using latitude and longitude numbers is much like working with coordinate grids.
Using globes and maps, review with students the location of North America in relation to the four hemispheres. Elicit from students that North America is in the northern and western hemispheres. Refer to this when exploring the latitude and longitude numbering system on a world map.
Provide students with a United States map labeled with latitude and longitude lines. For a map of the United States with latitude and longitude lines identified, refer to: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/usofam/usofam-dw.pdf.
Model how to read latitude and longitude for students using a map on a document camera or on an overhead transparency. Then give students several coordinates and have them locate them on their maps and identify the closest city to the given coordinate. Once students are comfortable with this task, have students work in pairs to practice this skill by playing a form of Concentration®. Put students in pairs. Have each student locate five cities on the map. Using index cards, have the students list the coordinates of the city on one card and the name of the city on another. Then have students put the ten coordinate cards turned upside down and spread out on one area of the floor or desk and the ten city cards turned upside down and spread out on another area. Then have one student turn over a coordinate card and identify a city on the map that is closest to the coordinate. Then that student turns over a city card to see if it matches the city he or she found. If they match, the player puts them together and makes a pair. If it does not match, the player puts both cards back where they were. Then the next person gets a turn. Play continues until all of the cards have been paired. The player with the most matches at the end of the game is the winner. Another variation of this game may be played on a world map, using names of countries and coordinates for them.