Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 08 Exemplar Lesson 02: Individuals Influence Future Generations
This lesson is one approach to teaching the State Standards associated with this unit. Districts are encouraged to customize this lesson by
supplementing with district-approved resources, materials, and activities to best meet the needs of learners. The duration for this lesson is
only a recommendation, and districts may modify the time frame to meet students’ needs. To better understand how your district may be
implementing CSCOPE lessons, please contact your child’s teacher. (For your convenience, please find linked the TEA Commissioner’s List
of State Board of Education Approved Instructional Resources and Midcycle State Adopted Instructional Materials.)
Lesson Synopsis
Students look closely at historical people who were first to make discoveries or create inventions or innovations that changed communities
at that time, now, and in the future, focusing also on local heroes who are good citizens and first responders. Students make use of
technology as a resource for research, to summarize and write what is learned, and place information into a timeline format.
TEKS
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) listed below are the standards adopted by the State Board of Education, which are
required by Texas law. Any standard that has a strike-through (e.g. sample phrase) indicates that portion of the standard is taught in a
previous or subsequent unit. The TEKS are available on the Texas Education Agency website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?
id=6148.
3.1
History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various
communities. The student is expected to:
3.1A
Describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities, past and present.
3.1C
Describe how individuals, including Daniel Boone, Christopher Columbus, the Founding Fathers, and Juan de Oñate, have
contributed to the expansion of existing communities or to the creation of new communities.
3.11
Citizenship. The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historical and
contemporary figures. The student is expected to:
3.11B Identify historical figures such as Helen Keller and Clara Barton and contemporary figures such as Ruby Bridges and military and
first responders who exemplify good citizenship.
3.14
Culture. The student understands the role of heroes in shaping the culture of communities, the state, and
the nation. The student is expected to:
3.14A Identify and compare the heroic deeds of state and national heroes, including Hector P. Garcia and James A. Lovell, and other
individuals such as Harriet Tubman, Juliette Gordon Low, Todd Beamer, Ellen Ochoa, John "Danny" Olivas, and other
contemporary heroes.
3.15
Culture. The student understands the importance of writers and artists to the cultural heritage of
communities. The student is expected to:
3.15A Identify various individual writers and artists such as Kadir Nelson, Tomie dePaola, and Phillis Wheatley and their stories, poems,
statues, and paintings and other examples of cultural heritage from various communities.
Social Studies Skills TEKS
3.17
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired
from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
3.17A Research information, including historical and current events, and geographic data, about the
community and world, using a variety of valid print, oral, visual, and Internet resources.
3.17B Sequence and categorize information.
3.18
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected
to:
3.18B Use technology to create written and visual material such as stories, poems, pictures, maps, and
graphic organizers to express ideas.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 1 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
Performance Indicators
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 08 PI 02
Create a vertical illustrated timeline that plots individuals and the time frame on the left side and their contributions on the right side. Select one individual that
you believe was the most influential leader to past and current societies and justify in a short paragraph.
Standard(s): 3.1A , 3.11B , 3.14A , 3.17A , 3.17B , 3.18B
ELPS ELPS.c.1A , ELPS.c.1F
Key Understandings
Individuals may influence current and future societies.
— How do individuals change communities by being first with their innovations, inventions, or discoveries?
— How have individuals, events and ideas changed communities?
— Who are historical and contemporary individuals who exemplify good citizenship?
— What are heroic deeds of state and national heroes?
Vocabulary of Instruction
contribution
influence
citizenship
cultural exchange
Materials
Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.
Attachments
All attachments associated with this lesson are referenced in the body of the lesson. Due to considerations for grading or student
assessment, attachments that are connected with Performance Indicators or serve as answer keys are available in the district site and
are not accessible on the public website.
Handout: Cultural Exchange Questionnaire (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Christopher Columbus Story
Teacher Resource: Helen Keller Story
Teacher Resource: Ruby Bridges Story
Handout: Venn Diagram of Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges (1 per student)
Handout: Venn Diagram of Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges KEY
Teacher Resource: Phillis Wheatley Story
Teacher Resource: James Lovell Story
Teacher Resource: Ellen Ochoa Story
Resources
Columbian Exchange (search internet for information on the Columbian Exchange)
Local and school library
Local newspapers
Advance Preparation
1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including the people in the lesson, events in the community and leaders
and first responders in the community.
2. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
3. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson.
4. Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
5. Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Background Information
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 2 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
Teachers must know the qualities of a good citizen from the TEKS. Because so much of the 3rd grade course has to do with social studies concepts at work in
the local community, it is essential that events and leaders of the community, first responders of the community, and history of the community be included in
instruction. Information about topics such as when local businesses and restaurants (cultural exchange) were developed in the community can be helpful. This
information is often available from the local chamber of commerce, the library, or local historical society.
Read the stories about people that are provided and learn more information about each person for background. Include examples form the local community as
well.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Teachers are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to meet the needs of learners. These lessons
are one approach to teaching the TEKS/Specificity as well as addressing the Performance Indicators associated with each unit. District
personnel may create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My
CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
ENGAGE – Exchanging Culture Changes Communities
Notes for Teacher
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 30 minutes
1. Begin a discussion of favorite foods to make a connection between foods and
cultures.
Attachments:
Handout: Cultural Exchange Questionnaire
2. To access prior information, distribute the Handout: Cultural Exchange
Questionnaire for students to fill out.
TEKS: 3.1A, 3.1C, 3.11B, 3.14A, 3.15A, 3.17A, 3.17B, 3.18B
3. Using information from the questionnaire, students discuss how their
community has changed over time. (Teacher guides the discussion toward
information on how the community has changed over time. Information on how
the community and businesses have changed over time are usually available
from the chamber of commerce or local library or historical center.)
4. If possible, find out the first restaurant in the community and also research
how many years several of the restaurants have been in your community.
5. Discuss how the community has changed over time, even just based on
restaurants and eating out.
EXPLORE – The Columbian Exchange
Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 20 minutes
1. Teacher reads aloud the story of Christopher Columbus and the Columbian
Exchange.
Materials:
2. Students compare maps of Columbus’s voyage and a map of the ocean
currents to see how the currents influenced where Columbus sailed and
landed.
3. Students track, record and compile information about Christopher Columbus
using technology and the Internet, books and other resources about the
Columbian Exchange.
4. Students record information and sources.
map showing the voyages of Christopher
Columbus
map of the ocean currents
information on the Columbian Exchange
graphic organizer or note-taking handout
(optional)
Attachments:
Teacher Resource: Christopher Columbus
Story
TEKS: 3.1C; 3.17B
Instructional Note:
Provide research resources including the
Internet for students to uncover more
information about Christopher Columbus.
Teacher may provide a graphic organizer or
note-taking handout for the students to track
and record information.
EXPLAIN – Columbus Changed Communities
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
Suggested Day 2 – 50 minutes
page 3 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
1. Students categorize information gleaned from research into categories on a
chart.
2. Using the information, students work in small groups to design a newspaper
writing stories chronicling the history of Christopher Columbus and the
Columbian Exchange and how Christopher Columbus changed communities.
3. In the reporting, students include ways Christopher Columbus changed the
communities where he landed, both then and now.
4. Students make use of computer technology to make their final newspaper look
authentic.
EXPLORE – Good Citizens Change Communities
Materials
Newspaper article lead paragraphs to illustrate
the 5Ws
TEKS: 3.1C; 3.17A, 3.17B
Instructional Note:
Introduce, explain, and practice the “who, what,
when, where, why,” or 5Ws, of writing a
newspaper article. Show examples from the
local newspaper to help students see the
formation of the lead and the 5Ws.
Before writing, students could brainstorm ideas
for factual articles.
Suggested Day 3 – 30 minutes
1. Students discuss and compare Teacher Resource: Helen Keller Story and
Attachments:
Teacher Resource: Ruby Bridges Story, focusing on the challenges each
Teacher Resource: Helen Keller Story
had, the solutions they found, their lasting legacy, and their characteristics of
Teacher Resource: Ruby Bridges Story
good citizenship. Review the list of the qualities of a good citizen. Decide which
Handout: Venn Diagram of Helen Keller and
characteristics from the anchor chart each one of them practiced.
Ruby Bridges
2. Students create a comparison of the two women using Handout: Venn
Teacher Resource: Venn Diagram of Helen
Diagram of Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges. Model the thinking and then
Keller and Ruby Bridges KEY
complete the Venn Diagram with students working individually, in pairs, or
contributing to a class chart.
Instructional notes:
3. Create a vertical time line. Write the dates and names on the left side and the
individuals’ main contributions or achievements on the right side. This can be
done as a class, in small groups, or individually.
EXPLAIN – Good Citizenship
Using a document camera to show the Ruby
Bridges and Helen Keller stories, or providing
individual student copies can help students
follow along and retain information.
Teacher reviews information about Helen Keller
and Ruby Bridges with the students by reading
the stories about each. Remind the students
that Helen and Ruby were both little girls that
were both good citizens. They lived at different
times from each other.
Characteristics of a good citizen:
TRUTH
JUSTICE
EQUALITY
RESPECT
RESPONSIBILITY
PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT
Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 10 minutes
1. Students imagine a conversation between Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges.
Instructional Note
An extension idea could be to videotape the conversations
2. Record in a dialogue what the two women might say to one another about their
students create and then place them in a center where
life and the importance of being a good citizen.
students can share them with the class.
ELABORATE – Good Citizenship
Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 10 minutes
1. Students answer the following:
— How do individuals change communities by being first with their innovations, inventions,
or discoveries?
— How have individuals, events and ideas changed communities?
— Who are historical and contemporary individuals who exemplify good citizenship?
EXPLORE – Good Citizenship
Suggested Day 4 – 20 minutes
1. Read aloud the Teacher Resource: Phillis Wheatley Story.
Attachments:
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 4 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
2. Students discuss reactions to her story and discuss what it means to be the
“first” to do something. Record information using a graphic organizer such as
2-column note format.
Teacher Resource: Phillis Wheatley Story
3. Students contribute to a discussion about how Phillis Wheatley was
participating in government.
EXPLAIN - Leaders Influence Communities
Suggested Day 4 (continued) – 20 minutes
1. Students read newspaper articles or interviews in order to discuss examples of Materials:
important events that are happening in their community today. Create a class
newspaper articles or interviews from the local
list of important events in the community.
community reflecting important events that are
2. Students point out particular people they believe are leaders who have
happening in the community (or neighboring
influence in their local community today based on those events, such as Phillis
communities), state, and nation
Wheatley did in George Washington’s time. Create a class list of leaders who
influence important events in the community today.
TEKS: 3.1C; 3.11B; 3.18B
3. Students write poems reflecting their own ideas about those current events
that are affecting their community today.
Instructional Note:
The teacher may choose to display or actually mail a positive
poem to a community leader.
4. Send student poems to a leader or person of influence in the community.
ELABORATE – Positive Influence on Communities Today
Suggested Day 4 (continued) – 10 minutes
1. Learn about another modern day person who has made a positive influence
on communities today, such as Marian Wright Edelman. Use Teacher
Resource: Marian Wright Edelman Story.
Attachments:
EXPLORE – Heroic Deeds and Citizens Who Are First
Suggested Day 5 – 30 minutes
1. Review the information by reading Teacher Resource: James Lovell Story
and Teacher Resource: Ellen Ochoa Story and discuss the importance of
people who are willing to be the first explorer or innovator. What was their
most important contribution?
Materials
2. Students research first responders in the community to find out about local
heroes who are willing to be first in a fire, or first to help in an emergency.
What is their most important contribution?
Attachments:
Teacher Resource: Marian Wright Edelman
Story
pictures or articles about first responders
TEKS: 3.1C; 3.14A
Teacher Resource: James Lovell Story
Teacher Resource: Ellen Ochoa Story
3. Discuss the bravery and citizenship required to be willing to be one of the
“first” to do something.
EXPLAIN – First Responders Are Our Good Citizens
Suggested Day 5 (continued) – 20 minutes
1. Using information from their research, students select a local “first responder”
as their focus and write short story about the local first responder.
TEKS: 3.18B
ELABORATE – Bringing it all Together
Suggested Day 6 – 15 minutes
1. Facilitate a discussion to summarize students learning. Encourage students to
use what they have learned to answer the guiding questions and provide
statements in support of the Key Understanding.
TEKS: 3.1A; 3.11B; 3.14A; 3.17A, 3.17B; 3.18B
Individuals may influence current and future societies.
— How do individuals change communities by being first with
their innovations, inventions, or discoveries?
— How have individuals, events and ideas changed
communities?
— Who are historical and contemporary individuals who exemplify
good citizenship?
— What are heroic deeds of state and national heroes?
EVALUATE – Bringing it all Together
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
Suggested Day 6 (continued) – 35 minutes
page 5 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08
Lesson: 02
Suggested Duration: 6 days
Grade 03 Social Studies Unit 08 PI 02
Create a vertical illustrated timeline that plots individuals and the time frame on the left side
and their contributions on the right side. Select one individual that you believe was the most
influential leader to past and current societies and justify in a short paragraph.
Standard(s): 3.1A , 3.11B , 3.14A , 3.17A , 3.17B , 3.18B
ELPS ELPS.c.1A , ELPS.c.1F
Last Updated 05/21/13
Print Date 06/20/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISD
page 6 of 21 Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Cultural Exchange Questionnaire
Do you eat all your meals in your own home? (circle one)
YES
NO
Where else do you eat? Make a list of the places you eat sometimes.
_________________________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Put a star by all the restaurants on your list that are from a certain culture such as Asian,
Italian, French, or Mexican. Put a check if they are decorated, have art on the walls from that
culture, or play music from that culture. For instance, the restaurant Macaroni Grill is
decorated like a place in Italy and plays Italian music. Sometimes the waiters sing Italian
opera.
Think about it: Our community has changed over time. People in this and other communities
changed and began to eat some of their meals in restaurants instead of cooking/eating all of
their meals at home. And, as people from many cultures came to our community, we learned
to eat foods, listen to music, and appreciate art from other countries. Can you find out which
restaurant was the first restaurant in your community?
An exchange is when you trade. Do you think there are American restaurants in Italy? If you
were to visit another country like China or Germany and saw a McDonalds, it would be an
example of the American culture in another country, or cultural trade, or cultural exchange.
Cultural exchange, or restaurants with food from other cultures, is one way people have
helped to change our community.
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Christopher Columbus (1451 –1506)
In 1492, Columbus bravely sailed westward across the wide ocean with three ships, the
Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon) had
studied the earth. He was convinced it would be possible to sail westward from Portugal
and Spain around the world to the Far East.
With his sailors and ships, Columbus set sail westward for valuable spices. Instead of
sailing all the way around, after 37 long days, he and his sailors landed on an island in
the Americas which they named San Salvador. They were the first Europeans to find
the land but it was already inhabited by native people. As promised, they claimed the
land for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Because Columbus thought he
was on the East Indies, he called the native people who already lived there Indians.
Columbus led three more voyages to the area he called the New World, claiming land
and bringing the Spanish culture to the Americas as he searched for gold and other
treasures for the King and Queen. Columbus helped to establish the first permanent
colony in Cuba on his second voyage and in Venezuela on his third voyage, bringing
the culture of the Spanish to the Americas. The Spanish rulers also expected Columbus
to convert any people he met to the Catholic faith, so we often refer to the purpose of
these voyages as God, Gold and Glory.
©2013, TESCCC
05/21/13
page 1 of 2
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Columbus was the first to begin European of exploration of western lands and he
created contact that lasted for several centuries. As a result of his discoveries, many
Europeans claimed lands, developed colonies, and changed communities in the
Americas.
Now called the Columbian Exchange, people refer to this point in time as a time of
major cultural exchange between Europe and the Americas. People living in Europe
brought new languages, styles of dress, religion and music to the Americas as well as
foods, like grapes, olives, onions, tea and also animals, such as horses, and germs that
caused diseases.
From the Americas, Columbus and his sailors took back with them to Europe new
languages, styles of dress, and music, as well as new foods such as potatoes, corn,
beans and also animals such as buffalo, raccoons and rattlesnakes.
A sad part of the Columbian exchange was the bringing of sickness, or disease. Many
native people in the Americas died from European diseases such as small pox,
measles, typhoid and diphtheria.
Christopher Columbus made a major impact on the communities all across the
Americas as many ships of people began to follow his routes, read his diaries and sail
to what they nicknamed The New World.
Image credit: del Piombo, S. (Artist). (1519). Portrait of a man, said to be christopher columbus. [Print Drawing]. Retrieved from
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/110002098
©2013, TESCCC
05/21/13
page 2 of 2
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Scenario #2
Helen Keller
Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, demonstrated the use of
Braille as a system for blind people to learn to read the alphabet and words
with their fingers. Helen Keller was also deaf. She proved the importance of
Braille to the blind because she was the first blind person to earn a college
degree. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe University.
When Helen Adams Keller was born in 1880, she could see and hear very
well. At the age of two, she became ill with a virus. During that illness she
lost her sight and her hearing, becoming deaf and blind. She was a very
unhappy little girl, and her family could not seem to communicate with her.
Her mother and father contacted Alexander Graham Bell, who was working
with deaf and blind children at the time. He introduced them to a very
special teacher named Anne Sullivan. Eventually, Ms. Sullivan taught Helen
to use sign language, to read Braille, and to speak.
Helen Keller showed the courage to work hard to overcome her physical
differences. She learned to "hear" people's speech by reading their lips
with her hands. She learned to use a cane to find her way as she walked.
Learning to communicate with others helped her to calm down and become
a happier child. Later, when Helen finally learned to read Braille, she could
read and study books written in Braille and go to school. Eventually, she
earned a degree from college, proving to all that people with blindness
could be educated. Keller also had positive influence over how people with
disabilities are treated.
Photo credit:
Unattributed. (Photographer). (1904). Helen keller. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c12513
©2012, TESCCC
05/20/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Excerpts from Bridges Hall, R. (2000). The education of ruby nell. Retrieved from
http://www.rubybridges.com/story.html
(Shortened for third grade readability)
The picture is taken in November of 1960. Ruby Bridges bravely walks down the
steps of William Frantz Public School of New Orleans, escorted by federal
marshals, the first black student at the formerly all-white elementary school.
Before that day, except for her long walk to the all-black school where she went to
kindergarten, her world didn't extend beyond her block. But that was all about to
change.
Because of the new law Brown v. Board, and a new federal court order, New
Orleans public schools were finally forced to desegregate. In the spring of 1960,
Ruby was intelligent so when she passed a certain test she was selected to start
first grade at William Frantz Public School.
Ruby remembers, “My mother was all for it. My father wasn't. ‘We're just asking for
trouble,’ he said. He thought things weren't going to change, and blacks and
whites would never be treated as equals. Mama thought I would have an
opportunity to get a better education if I went to the new school - and a chance for
a good job later in life. My parents argued about it and prayed about it. Eventually
my mother convinced my father that despite the risks, they had to take this step
forward, not just for their own children, but for all black children.
A federal judge decreed that on Monday, November 14, 1960 black children in
New Orleans would go to school with white children.
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 3
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
The morning of November 14 federal marshals drove my mother and me the five
blocks to William Frantz. In the car one of the men explained that when we arrived
at the school two marshals would walk in front of us an two behind, so we'd be
protected on both sides.
That reminded me of what Mama had taught us about God, that he is always there
to protect us. "Ruby Nell," she said as we pulled up to my new school, "don't be
afraid. There might be some people upset outside, but I'll be with you."
Sure enough, people shouted and shook their fists when we got out of the car, but
to me it wasn't any noisier than Mardi Gras, I held my mother's hand and followed
the marshals through the crowd, up the steps into the school.
The marshals drove my mother and me to school each day. A young white woman
met us inside the building. She smiled at me. "Good morning, Ruby Nell," she
said, just like Mama except with what I later learned was a Boston accent.
"Welcome, I'm your new teacher, Mrs. Henry." She seemed nice, but I wasn't sure
how to feel about her. I'd never been taught by a white teacher before.
Mrs. Henry took my mother and me to her second-floor classroom. All the desks
were empty and she asked me to choose a seat. I picked one up front, and Mrs.
Henry started teaching me the letters of the alphabet.
The next morning my mother told me she couldn't go to school with me. She had
to work and look after my brothers and sister. "The marshals will take good care of
you, Ruby Nell," Mama assured me. "Remember, if you get afraid, say your
prayers. You can pray to God anytime, anywhere. He will always hear you."
That was how I started praying on the way to school. The things people yelled at
me didn't seem to touch me. Prayer was my protection. After walking up the steps
past the angry crowd, though, I was glad to see Mrs. Henry. She gave me a hug,
and she sat right by my side instead of at the big teacher's desk in the front of the
room. Day after day, it was just Mrs. Henry and me, working on my lessons.
At the same time, there were a few white families who braved the protests and
kept their children in school. But they weren't in my class, so I didn't see them.
People from around the country who'd heard about me on the news sent letters
and donations. A neighbor gave my dad a job painting houses. Other folks baby-
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 2 of 3
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
sat for us, watched our house to keep away troublemakers, even walked behind
the marshal's car on my way to school. My family couldn't have made it without our
friends' and neighbors' help.
And me, I couldn't have gotten through that year without Mrs. Henry. Sitting next to
her in our classroom, just the two of us, I was able to forget the world outside. She
made school fun. We did everything together. I couldn't go out in the schoolyard
for recess, so right in that room we played games and for exercise we did jumping
jacks to music.
The people I passed every morning as I walked up the schools steps were full of
hate. They were white, but so was my teacher, who couldn't have been more
different from them. She was one of the most loving people I had ever known. The
greatest lesson I learned that year in Mrs. Henry's class was the lesson Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., tried to teach us all. Never judge people by the color of their skin.
God makes each of us unique in ways that go much deeper. From her window,
Mrs. Henry always watched me walk into school. One morning when I got to our
classroom, she said she'd been surprised to see me talk to the mob. "I saw your
lips moving," she said, "but I couldn't make out what you were saying to those
people."
“I wasn't talking to them," I told her. "I was praying for them." Usually I prayed in
the car on the way to school, but that day I'd forgotten until I was in the crowd.
Please be with me, I'd asked God, and be with those people too. Forgive them
because they don't know what they're doing.”
"Ruby Nell, you are truly someone special," Mrs. Henry whispered, giving me an
even bigger hug than usual. She had this look on her face like my mother would
get when I'd done something to make her proud.
Today Ruby Bridges still volunteers at William Frantz Public School of New
Orleans. Hurricane Katrina caused major damage, including ruining the books in
the school library. Ruby helped to clean up the mess and now she is helping to
restore the library, as well.
Photo credit (left to right):
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, NYWT&S Collection, [LC-USZ62-126460]
United Press International (Photographer). (1960). Six-year-old ruby bridges. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c26460
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 3 of 3
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Venn Diagram of Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges
Helen Keller
Dates: _________
Ruby Bridges
Challenges:
Dates: ________
Challenges:
Shared Qualities:
Solutions:
Challenges:
Solutions:
Solutions:
Lasting Legacy:
Lasting Legacy:
Lasting Legacy:
Qualities of Good Citizenship:
Qualities of Good Citizenship:
Qualities of Good Citizenship:
Summary:
________________________________________________________________________________
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Venn Diagram of Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges KEY
Helen Keller
Dates: 1880-1968
Ruby Bridges
Dates: 1954-still living
Challenges: first African American
Challenges: Became deaf and blind at age two.
child to integrate schools in New Orleans
Solutions: Learned from her teacher to read
Braille and to read lips.
Shared Qualities:
in 1960. Only child in her first grade class.
Escorted by Federal Marshals with people
Lasting Legacy: Deaf and blind people
Challenges:
can read, write and get their education.
Solutions: Learned from the teacher
Worked for equal rights for people who
Lasting Legacy: Were the first.
have physical challenges.
Made a difference for others.
Qualities of Good Citizenship:
Qualities of Good Citizenship:
shouting at them.
Solutions: Was brave. Did what adults told
her to do. Concentrated on school work and
learned from her teacher. Did not let people
keep her away from education.
EQUALITY, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY,
EQUALITY, RESPECT
Lasting Legacy: Schools are now integrated
PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT
Qualities of Good Citizenship: TRUTH,
JUSTICE, EQUALITY, RESPECT
Summary: Both Helen Keller and Ruby Bridges bravely showed responsibility, an understanding
of equality, respected their teachers, and knew that all people deserved justice.
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley was an influential poet during the American
Revolution. She was the first African American poet, and she was the
first African American woman to publish poetry and writing. President
George Washington read her poems and listened to her opinions
about important matters.
Born in Senegal, Africa in 1753, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped and
placed on a slave ship to Boston. Miss Wheatley was then sold at the
age of seven to John and Susannah Wheatley of Boston, to serve as
Mrs. Wheatley's personal servant. Miss Wheatley, however, was soon
accepted as a member of the family, and was raised and educated
with the Wheatley's other two children.
Miss Wheatley quickly learned to read and write English. At thirteen,
she wrote her first poem. By 1773, thirty-nine of her poems were
published in London as "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and
Moral." It was the first book published by a black American. In 1775,
she wrote a poem about the accomplishments of George Washington
and sent it to the commander-in-chief. Washington responded by
praising her talents and inviting her to his headquarters.
Image credit: Moorhead, S. (Artist). (1773). Phillis Wheatley [Print Drawing]. Retrieved from http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a40394
©2013, TESCCC
05/21/13
page 1 of 1
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
The Story of James Lovell
James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., has many “firsts”. First of all, he was the brave
commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to
the Moon. The crew worked together making important group decisions along
with Mission Control, so they were able to solve the serious problem and bring
their space ship back safely to Earth.
Lovell was also the command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission to
enter lunar orbit. He is one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon, the first
of only three people to fly to the Moon twice, and the only one to have flown
there twice without making a landing. Lovell was also the first person to fly in
space four times.
Lovell is from Ohio and is proud to be an Eagle Scout. As a boy, Lovell was
interested in rocketry, and loved to build flying models. Later he went to college
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison then continued on to the United States
Naval Academy where he graduated and entered the United States Navy. Lovell
became a Navy pilot, stationed at several air bases. In January 1958, he entered
a six-month test pilot training course at the Naval Air Test Center and graduated
first in his class.
In 1962, Lovell was accepted into NASA Astronaut Group 2. He made two
Gemini flights gave him more time in space than any other person as of 1966. He
was chosen for the crew on Apollo 8. Lovell, along with Borman and Anders
were launched on December 21, 1968, becoming the first men to travel to the
Moon.
The craft entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve and made a total of ten orbits,
most of them circular at an altitude of approximately 70 miles (110 km) for a total
of twenty hours. They broadcast black-and-white television pictures of the lunar
surface back to Earth, and Lovell took his turn with Borman and Anders in
reading a passage from the Biblical creation story in the Book of Genesis.
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 2
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
They began their return to Earth on Christmas Day with a rocket burn made on
the Moon's far side, out of radio contact with Earth. (For this reason, the lunar
orbit insertion and trans-Earth injection burns were the two most tense moments
of this first lunar mission.) When contact was re-established, Lovell was the first
to announce the good news, "Please be informed, there is a Santa Claus." The
crew splashed down safely on Earth December 27.
Lovell lifted off aboard Apollo 13 on April 11, 1970. They were to land on the
Moon. But on April 13, while in Earth-Moon transit, a damaged heater coil in a
cryogenic oxygen tank sparked during a routine tank stir. This quickly turned
liquid oxygen into gas with a huge increase in pressure, which burst the tank and
damaged a second tank, resulting in the loss of all stored oxygen in just over two
hours. This disabled the fuel cell-driven electrical power system, crippling the
Command/Service Module "Odyssey" and requiring immediate abort of the
landing mission; the goal of the mission became safely returning to Earth.
Using the LM as a "life boat" providing power, oxygen and propulsion, Lovell and
his crew immediately re-established the free return trajectory that they had left,
and swung around the Moon to return home. Based on calculations made on
Earth, Lovell had to adjust the course two times by manually controlling the Lunar
Module's thrusters and engine, using his watch for timing. Apollo 13 returned
safely to Earth on April 17. Lovell is one of only three men to travel to the Moon
twice, but he never walked on it.
Later, Lovell was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, and then he
served as the President of the National Eagle Scout Association in the mid1990s. He was also recognized by the Boy Scouts of America with their
prestigious Silver Buffalo Award. Lovell strongly urges students to get involved in
science and the space program and he credits NASA in the 1960s with bringing
much of the country together for a common goal. A small crater on the far side of
the Moon is named Lovell in his honor.
The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center was completed in
October 2010, merging the Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes and the North
Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Photo credit:
NASA. (Photographer). (1969). James a. lovell. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lovell-ja.html
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 2 of 2
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
The Story of Ellen Ochoa
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html
Ellen Ochoa was born in 1958 in California. She remembers that she was
11 when man first walked on the moon. In school she loved math and
science and she played the flute. At that time, she dreamed of becoming a
musician. When Ellen Ochoa was in high school she said that other
students teased her because she really liked science class. Because of her
hard work and her love of science, today she is Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first
Hispanic woman to go into space and an inventor.
Dr. Ochoa had a great deal of college education. She first earned a degree
in physics from San Diego State University in 1980; then she earned a
Master of Science and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford
University.
“When I was growing up, I never considered being an astronaut as an
option, because when I was growing up there were no female astronauts. It
wasn't until the first six female astronauts were selected in 1978 that
women could even think of it as a possible career path. I remember
especially Sally Ride.” In an interview she said, “Being an astronaut isn't
just the science… An astronaut must be both a team player and a leader as
well. Students should get involved in activities where you work closely with
other people – because working closely with other people is an essential
part of being an astronaut!” She urged students to look to teachers for help.
Many astronauts like to invent ways to make things better. Ellen Ochoa is
one of those astronauts who is also an inventor. Her inventions include
optical recognition systems, computer hardware, and robot guiding
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
page 1 of 3
Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
systems. All of her inventions help with NASA's ability to refine images from
space.
Ochoa was excited to be selected by NASA in January 1990 to be an
astronaut. After a year of training she became an astronaut in July 1991.
Her first flight was in 1993 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She flew
again in 1994, 1999, and 2002. From her experiences, Dr. Ochoa highly
recommends teamwork. "Whenever we accomplished a mission, it was
very rewarding," she remembered. "Everyone feels great, even when they
make a little contribution."
Ellen Ochoa explained, “I have worked the robot arm on all three of my
space missions, and I really love it. It's challenging to do, but lots of fun. On
my last mission to the space station I worked with the help of cameras and
monitors because we were docked in a way that prevented me from seeing
the robot arm. This made things more difficult, but then again, everything
I've done on actual missions in space has always been easier than when I
first tried it during training.”
When asked about floating in zero gravity, she answered, “Weightlessness
is the fun part of the mission. There is really nothing to compare it to on
Earth. I guess the closest thing would be swimming or scuba diving. It's a
similar freedom of movement. What is odd is that weightlessness seems
more natural. You don't have the same kinds of sensations in space as you
do in the water.”
For sleeping on the shuttle she recalled, “On my last mission we slept in a
single shift… the compartments we slept in can best be described as a
sleeping bag with hooks. You would find a place to hook on to, and float in.”
“Most of the food the astronauts eat now is freeze-dried. All we do is add
hot water. We eat a variety of foods, including nuts, granola, cookies, dried
fruit, and tortillas. We have drinks that we add water to as well.”
Ochoa is a mother as well. In space, she stayed connected to her family
through email and video chats. She once had to wish one of her kids a
happy birthday from space.
Whatever the sacrifices and hard work, Ochoa said, “It has all been worth
it.” She says the key to success is to never stop learning. My mother
©2012, TESCCC
05/02/13
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Grade 3
Social Studies
Unit: 08 Lesson: 02
influenced me the most. Her primary focus was the enjoyment of learning.
That's what I got from her example.
Ochoa was a trail blazer for Hispanic women. She became the first
Hispanic woman in the world to go to space when she served on a nineday mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993. The astronauts were
studying the Earth's ozone layer. Her Hispanic roots come from her father's
side. His parents were born in Mexico, and he was born in the United
States.
Dr. Ochoa has advice for those who want to achieve a goal, no matter how
difficult. "If you are interested in something, you still need to learn other
things," she said. "Try hard if you really want it.”
Honors and Awards:
In her honor, Pasco School District # 1 in Pasco, Washington, and Ellen
Ochoa Elementary School in Cudahy, CA named schools after her
Ochoa was recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month activities in
Cleveland, Ohio on September 14, 2011.
Dr. Ellen Ochoa is married to Coe Fulmer Miles, and they have two
children.
SPECIAL HONORS: NASA awards include the Distinguished Service
Medal, Exceptional Service Medal, Outstanding Leadership Medal, and
four Space Flight Medals. Recipient of numerous other awards, including
the Harvard Foundation Science Award, Women in Aerospace Outstanding
Achievement Award, The Hispanic Engineer Albert Baez Award for
Outstanding Technical Contribution to Humanity, the Hispanic Heritage
Leadership Award, and San Diego State University Alumna of the Year
Photo credit:
NASA.
(2002). Jsc2002-e-08185. [Web Photo].05/02/13
Retrieved from http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts©2012,(Photographer).
TESCCC
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