Linden Community Schools

Social Studies Curriculum

Second Grade – My Community

Big Idea/Unit Geographic Perspectives of My Community Generalization: Locations of communities affect their development.
Focus Question § How does location shape a community?
Key Concepts/Vocabulary § Local community; Human/natural characteristics; Environment; Location; Locating information § Linden Map Street Direction § Locate Rural Suburban Urban
Objectives § The student will identify the location of their community. § The student will explain the cultural and physical features that characterize their community. § The student will explain how location influenced the growth of their community.
Benchmarks Addressed 2.1.2.EE - describe the natural characteristics of the local community and explain the causes of their characteristics 2.3.2.EE - identify people and places in other locations and explain their importance to the community 2.4.1.EE - identify regions in their immediate environment and describe their characteristics and boundaries 2.4.2.EE- compare their community and regions with others 2.4.3.EE - describe changes in those regions over time as well as presently 5.1.2.EE - acquire information from observation of the local environment 5.1.3.EE - organize information to make and interpret simple maps of their local surroundings and simple graphs and tables of social data drawn from their experience
Suggested Activities/ Resources/Technology · Two walking fieldtrips to downtown Linden to visit local businesses. One trip in the fall to become familiar with businesses and one trip in spring to interview local businesses. · Create a map of downtown Linden using symbols, a map key, and directions. · Read City Mouse, Country Mouse-use a Venn Diagram to compare rural/urban areas. · Contact local chamber of commerce/museum to research how a particular person impacted his/her community. · As a group write a short biography of a particular person and his/her importance to the community.	Suggested Assessment · Using a map of the community, students will accurately place various community services and businesses: post office, fire department, library, banks, city hall, museum, select stores. Also can describe in writing what people do in those locations. · Have the students take a stand: Should the residents of Linden have a say of which businesses establish themselves in the downtown area? The students should answer with a yes or no and be able to give a reason to support their answer. · Students choose a business and write how the business has a positive/negative impact on the community.

Linden Community Schools

Social Studies Curriculum

Second Grade – My Community

Big Idea/Unit History of Our Community Generalization: People help their communities change over time.
Focus Question § How can individuals shape their community?
Key Concepts/Vocabulary § Community over time; Historical people and events § Past Ancestor Biography Fact (historical) Fiction
Objectives § The student will understand how their community got its start. § The student will know what effect contributions from people in the past have made on contemporary life in their community. § The student will demonstrate how they can help shape their community.
Benchmarks Addressed 1.2.1.EE- identify who was involved, what happened in stories about the past 1.2.2.EE-describe the past through the eyes and experiences of those who were there as revealed through their records 1.2.3.EE – recount events from simple biographies of people representing a variety of societies from the past 1.2.4.EE – identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue 1.3.1EE- use a variety of records to construct a narrative history of their community 1.3.2.EE – differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations 1.3.3.EE – explain why accounts of the same event differ 1.4.2.EE – evaluate decisions made by others as reported in stories about the past
Suggested Activities/ Resources/Technology · Make and illustrate a book on the history of Linden (include chronological dates, important people and places, major events) · Incorporate a time-line into the classroom. · Invite community workers into the classroom to share what they do and to inspire students on what they can do to make a difference in their community. · Visit museum for facts on Linden. · Invite older relatives who grew up in Linden to share how Linden has changed.	Suggested Assessment · Write a report about Linden. · Have each student make a picture to represent how Linden has changed and make a mural.

Linden Community Schools

Social Studies Curriculum

Second Grade – My Community

Big Idea/Unit How My School Community Cooperates (Civics) Generalization: Community groups help/influence each other.
Focus Question § How can one community group help out or influence another community group?
Key Concepts/Vocabulary § Authority; Influence; Conflict resolution § Debate Issue Fairness Opinion Facts Policy (rule) § Core Democratic Values: Patriotism, Common Good, Popular Sovereignty.
Objectives · The student will demonstrate how one person can make a difference in a community. § The student will demonstrate how a group of people can make a difference in a community. § The student will identify some recent school issues and how might they be resolved. § The student will know who helps a community run smoothly. § The student will demonstrate what they should do to be a good citizen. § The student will know how one community group can help out another community group.
Benchmarks Addressed 2.3.3.EE - identify people, goods, services and ideas in their local community which have come from other places and describe why they moved 2.5.1.EE - describe/discuss major world events that are having an impact on their community 3.1.1.EE- cite examples of government authority in their local community 3.1.2.EE- describe consequences of not having rules 3.3.1.EE- explain how conflicts in the local community might be resolved 3.4.1.EE- identify rules in the local community and consider consequences for breaking rules 3.4.3.EE - describe ways that individuals influence each other 3.5.1.EE - distinguish between events in this country and events abroad 3.5.2.EE - recognize that events in other countries affect our community 6.3.1.EE - compose brief statements expressing a decision on an issue in the school or local community 7.1.2.EE - participate in projects designed to help others in their local community
Suggested Activities/ Resources/Technology · Christmas Express · Toys for Tots · Make cards for senior citizens for different holidays. · Bring in current events (newspaper or news). · Visit local city government. Make a government tree showing the level of each representative.	Suggested Assessment · Using a school issue/rule: *Discuss the issue/rule. *Chart facts and opinions. *Write a letter to the principal stating the students' position on the issue using the facts and opinions. · Using a school issue/rule: *Have students take a stand (ex.): Should students be allowed to drink pop in the classroom? *Student states yes or no. *Student must be able to support his/her answer.

· Patriotism-Use the CDV’s at home and school.

-Observe President’s Day, Labor Day, July 4, Memorial Day, Flag Day.

-Look at a map of city.

-Make a class flag, pledge, and personal flag.

· Common Good-Help others at home and school.

-Discuss rules in your community that were created to promote the common good (recycling, parks).

-Discuss rules in our state and country that were created to promote the common good (speed limit, drivers license).

· Popular Sovereignty: Majority rules.

-Draw a picture of student using the idea of majority rules in the classroom. Ask students to take a stand: Is popular

sovereignty fair? Students answer with a yes or no. Students need to be able to support their stand.

Linden Community Schools

Social Studies Curriculum

Second Grade – My Community

Big Idea/Unit Getting and Using Money in My Community (Economics) Generalization: Our community provides for our needs through a variety of goods and services.
Focus Question § How do we get the things we need and want?
Key Concepts/Vocabulary § Produce; Consume; Resources; Payment; Needs; Wants § Location Goods Services Business Interdependence
Objectives § The student will identify some goods and services provided in the local community. § The student will explain why a community does not produce everything needed. § The student will be able to explain how we get things we need and want which are not produced in the community.
Benchmarks Addressed 4.2.1.EE - connect economic needs with businesses that meet them 4.2.2.EE - select a particular good or service and describe the types of resources necessary to produce and distribute it 4.3.1.EE - describe a good or service provided by the local government and the method of payment 4.3.3.EE - identify an unmet local economic need and propose a plan to meet it 4.4.2.EE - distinguish between producers and consumers in a market economy 4.4.3.EE - describe how the choices they make impact business decisions 5.2.1.EE- pose a question about life in their school or local community 5.2.2.EE- gather and analyze information in order to answer the question 5.2.3.EE- construct answers to the question posed and support the answer with evidence 5.2.4.EE- report the results of their investigations
Suggested Activities/ Resources/Technology · Moola-Moola (Savings program for State Bank) · Downtown trip: Students select particular business and describe what good/services it provides. · Interview a local business owner. · Ask a representative from Chamber of Commerce to visit classroom. · Choose a business: graph the sales of each month over an extended period of time. Discuss why some months have more/less revenue.	Suggested Assessment Make a welcome booklet or pamphlet for new students describing businesses in the community that will be of interest to the student and their family.