Unit 4: Welcome to My World.
Grade Level and/or Course
Unit Topic
Suggested Unit Pacing (# of days)
Conceptual Lens
Natural resource and landform impact
on communities and the environment.
Landforms, Natural Resources, Positive and Negative Effects on
the Environment
Unit Overview
Essential Standards by Strand
History
Geography and
&
Environmental
Literacy
H.1.3 Explain why national holidays are celebrated (Memorial Day, Flag Day)
1.G.1.1 Use geographic tools to identify characteristics of various landforms and
bodies of water.
1.G.1.2 Give examples showing locations of places (home, classroom, school, and
community).
1.G.1.3 Understand the basic elements of geographic representations using maps
(cardinal directions and map symbols).
1.G.2.1 Explain ways people change the environment (planting trees, recycling, cutting
down trees, building homes, building streets, etc.)
1.G.2.2 Explain how people use natural resources in the community.
1.G.2.3 Explain how the environment impacts where people live (urban, rural, weather,
transportation, etc.)
Civics and
Government
Economics and
PFL
Culture
Generalizations
History
Geography and &
Environmental
Literacy
1.C.1.1 Compare the languages, traditions, and holidays of various cultures.
1.C.1.2 Use literature to help people understand diverse cultures.
Guiding Questions
Why are national holidays
Make connections to
celebrated?
national patriotic holidays
History
and traditions/celebrations
How are national holidays
in diverse communities
celebrated in the United States?
Geographic tools are used
to study and locate places.
Geography and &
Environmental
Literacy
What is a globe and how does it
represent the earth?
What is a map and how does it
represent the earth?
How are maps and globes alike
and different?
What are cardinal directions
and map symbols and how are
they used on maps?
What are natural landforms and
their characteristic?
How do people change the
environment?
What are natural resources and
how are they used in
communities?
Civics and
Government
Economics and PFL
Culture
Civics and
Government
Economics and PFL
Culture
Critical Content
Students will know:
National holidays and their relationship to
traditions and celebrations in the U.S.
The national patriotic holidays celebrated.
Geographic tools are used to identify and
describe the physical features of landforms and
bodies of water.
How to find specific location of places on a map
such as home, classroom, playground using map
symbols
Examples of geographic tools such as maps,
globes, and atlases (e.g., GPS) keys, legends,
compass rose, etc. )
Maps and globes are different representations of
earth.
How to find specific location of places on a map
such as home, classroom playground using map
symbols
Maps and other geographic tools are used to
locate familiar contexts of home, classroom
school and community.
People use geographic terms, tools, and
technology in work and play to describe and find
places.
Symbols represent features on a map.
Essential basic elements of geographic
representations ( e.g., cardinal directions and
map
symbols, etc. )
People change the environment to meet their
needs, ( e.g,. the use of land, building of homes,
ecosystems , etc.)
Environment does not always stay the same due
to changes.
People use and conserve natural resources in
their communities.
Examples of basic natural resources include air,
water, sunlight, animal, minerals, oceans,
wildlife, coal, sand and many more)
Natural resources are always found in or on the
earth.
People live in environments that are conducive
to their living needs whether it is weather
The student will be able to:
Create simple maps
Use geographic terms in work and play to describe
and find places.
Identify and use map symbols to represent streets,
roads, lakes, etc.
Create and interpret a basic map including the key
with symbols from the map
conditions, ways of travel, city or county.
People live differently in various regions
accordingly to the environment.
Learning Targets
Delete? (embedded in critical content)
History: holidays, patriotic, traditions, national
Essential
Terminology
Geography: geographic tools (map, globe, landforms, atlas, physical features), map
symbols/keys, legends, compass rose, cardinal directions, represent
Environment: environment, natural resources, conserve, urban, rural, suburban
The Water Hole by Graeme Base Maps:
As The Crow Flies by Gail Hartman
There Is a Map On My Lap by Dr. Seuss
Me On The Map by Joan Sweeney
Mapping Penny’s World by Loreen Leedy
Geography from A-Z by Jack Knowlton
If Maps Could Talk Using Symbols and Keys by Erica Shores
Bodies of Water:
Across The Stream by Mirra Ginsburg
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
In the Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Literacy Integration
Literary
Connections
Environment:
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel
Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes
Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You by Christopher Canyon
Where the Wisdom Lies: A Message from Nature’s Small Creatures
by Hope Mauran
The Forever Forest: Kids Save a Tropical Treasure by Kristin Joy
Pratt-Serafini
Song/cd about the environment: Give a Hootenanny! Twangy tunes
about lovin’ the Earth by Heidi Howe
Recycling:
Why Should I Recycle? by Jen Green
What Does Green Mean? by Barbara Web
National Holidays:
Memorial Day by Jacqueline Cotton
Literature
Connections
Technology
Standards
http://www.pickens.k12.ga.us/Instructional%20Technology/landforms
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth/rrr.htm (2 Recycling songs)
http://sciencekids.co.nz (Recycling for Kids)
http://ruskcounty.org (Recycle Bin Music Video with David Chicken)
http://nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/actiongames/recycleroundup
http://www.epa.gov/students (environment)
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ny/books/bka/imaps/index.html
20webquest.pdf (webquest for first grade social studies-landforms)
Technology
Integration
http://www.recycleguys.org (games, video, songs)
Websites
http://www.sfsocialstudies.com/g1/u2/index.html (reading symbols on
a map key game)
http://www.sfsocialstudies.com/g1/u4/index.html (cardinal directions
game)
http://www.sfsocialstudies.com/g2/u2/index.html (song about hills,
plains, and conservation)
Assessment
Resources
Formative
Performance
Tasks
Summative
Discovery Ed
•
Let’s Talk Geography-Landforms
•
Using Maps
•
What Is a Map
•
The Ultimate Geography Collection
•
Lollipop Dragon- World of Maps and Globes, Learning about Directions,
Making Your Own Map
•
Ecology-Introduction to how all living and nonliving things are connected
•
Label Maps (physical features)- Kids will label the landforms.
Brain Pop Jr. www.brainpopjr.com
•
Reading Maps
•
Landforms
•
•
•
Continents and Oceans
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Natural Resources
SmartBoard (see elementary resource page to download the lessons below)
•
Maps Compare and Contrast
•
Coordinates
•
Using coordinate directions
•
How to read maps
•
Landforms
•
What is a Landform (game with riddles/clues)
•
Bodies of Water
•
Continents
•
Natural Resources
•
Resources Game (sort for man-made vs. natural resources)
•
Natural Resources and Conservation
•
Living Things Change Their Environment
SmartTable
•
Natural Resources
www.superteacherworksheets.com
***search “mapskills” and “landforms” this site does cost money but there are some
FREE worksheets in these two areas that are great.
1.G.1.1 Use geographic tools to identify characteristics of various
landforms and bodies of water.





Learning Plan
Instructional
Sequence

I can locate land and water on a map or globe.
I can identify examples of geographic tools (map, globe, atlas,
GPS)
I can describe how maps and globes show different
representations of Earth.
I can understand that geographic tools are used to describe
physical features of various landforms.
I can understand that geographic tools are used to describe
physical features of various bodies of water.
I can apply geographic terms in work and play to describe and
find places.
1.G.1.2 Give examples showing locations of places (home, classroom,
school, and community).
1.G.1.3 Understand the basic elements of geographic representations
using maps (cardinal directions and map symbols).
Discovery Ed
•
Let’s Talk Geography-Landforms
•
Using Maps
•
What Is a Map
•
The Ultimate Geography Collection
•
Lollipop Dragon- World of Maps and Globes, Learning about
Directions, Making Your Own Map
•
Ecology-Introduction to how all living and nonliving things are
connected
•
Label Maps (physical features)- Kids will label the landforms
SmartBoard (see elementary resource page to download the lessons
below)
•
Maps Compare and Contrast
•
Coordinates
•
Using coordinate directions
•
How to read maps
•
Landforms
•
What is a Landform (game with riddles/clues)
•
Bodies of Water
•
Continents
Geography:
 Students will create a model that shows landforms. They will
use recycled materials or natural resources to represent various
landforms (mountains, lakes, etc.). For example- use rocks for
mountains, milk cartons, sticks for plains, toast for plains, and
aluminum foil for lakes. Students will need to also create a
map key for their model.

Create a landform dinosaur (see picture below)
.1.G.2.1 Explain ways people change the environment (planting trees,
recycling, cutting down trees, building homes, building streets, etc.)
 I can identify changes in the environment.
 I can explain how people change the environment to meet their
needs.
 I can describe and explain how the environment is influenced
by people.
Smartboard
Living Things Change Their Environment
•
Students will write a persuasive/opinion piece stating why an
environmental feature near your school should be preserved. For
example, Why should the woods behind your school not be cut down?
1.G.2.2 Explain how people use natural resources in the
community.
 I can conclude that all natural resources are always found in or
on the Earth.
 I can list examples of basic natural resources (air, water,
sunlight, etc.)
 I can list examples of how people use and conserve natural
resources in our community.
Discovery Ed
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Natural Resources
•
Smartboard
Natural Resources
Resources Game (sort for man-made vs. natural resources)
Natural Resources and Conservation
Living Things Change Their Environment
SmartTable
Natural Resources
1.G.2.3 Explain how the environment impacts where people live
(urban, rural, weather, transportation.


I can compare how people live differently according to the
environment in which they live.
I can describe how different environments impact where and
how people live.
Students will create a product (rap, play, brochure, song, video
on flip camera, etc.) that teaches about a specific natural
resource, why it is important, and ways to conserve it.
History:
H.1.3 Explain why national holidays are celebrated (Memorial
Day, Flag Day)
Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Veterans’ Day ( Unit 2)
and Memorial Day
Work collaboratively to create a poster or another item of the student’s
choice (write a booklet, video using the flip camera, etc.) about a
national holiday and present to the class.
Remediation
Re-teaching will occur in research center during literacy time.
Enrichment
Enrichment will occur in research center during literacy time.
Differentiation