Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Grade 02 Social Studies Unit 07 Exemplar Lesson 01: How to Solve a ProblemGrade 02 Social Studies Unit 07 Exemplar Lesson 01: How to Solve a Problem

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 districtmay be implementing CSCOPE lessons, please contact your child’s teacher. (For your convenience, please find linked the TEACommissioner’s List of State Board of Education Approved Instructional Resources and Midcycle State Adopted Instructional Materials.)

Lesson Synopsis

The lesson addresses how the community is impacted by innovators like George Washington Carver. Students examine the life of

George Washington Carver and other innovators including those in the local community to learn about and use problem-solving skills

and imagine themselves as problem-solvers and innovators.

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.

2.2 History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to:

2.2A Describe the order of events by using designations of time periods such as historical and present

times.

2.2B Apply vocabulary related to chronology, including past, present, and future.

2.2C Create and interpret timelines for events in the past and present.

2.3 History. The student understands how various sources provide information about the past and present.

The student is expected to:

2.3A Identify several sources of information about a given period or event such as reference materials,

biographies, newspapers, and electronic sources.

2.3B Describe various evidence of the same time period using primary sources such as photographs,

journals, and interviews.

2.4 History. The student understands how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the

community, state, and nation. The student is expected to:

2.4B Identify historical figures such as Amelia Earhart, W. E. B. DuBois, Robert Fulton, and George Washington Carver who have

exhibited individualism and inventiveness.

2.4C Explain how people and events have influenced local community history.

2.17 Science, technology, and society. The student understands how science and technology have affected

life, past and present. The student is expected to:

2.17A Describe how science and technology change communication, transportation, and recreation.

2.17B Explain how science and technology change the ways in which people meet basic needs.

2.18 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:

2.18A Obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid oral sources such as conversations,

interviews, and music.

2.18B Obtain information about a topic using a variety of valid visual sources such as pictures, maps,

electronic sources, literature, reference sources, and artifacts.

2.18C Use various parts of a source, including the table of contents, glossary, and index, as well as keyword

Internet searches to locate information.

2.18D Sequence and categorize information.

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 1 of 19  

2.19 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected

to:

2.19A Express ideas orally based on knowledge and experiences.

Social Studies Skills TEKS

2.19 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected

to:

2.19B Create written and visual material such as stories, poems, maps, and graphic organizers to express

ideas.

2.20 Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently

and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:

2.20A Use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,

consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the

effectiveness of the solution.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION

Performance Indicators

Grade 02 Social Studies Unit 07 PI 01

Create an illustrated storyboard that shows how you would use the steps in the problem-solving process to solve a current problem in communication,

transportation, or recreation in a way that will improve community.

Standard(s): 2.4C , 2.17A , 2.19B , 2.20A

ELPS ELPS.c.1C , ELPS.c.1E

Key Understandings

Individuals solve problems through their inventiveness.

—    Who are individuals who have solved problems through their inventiveness?—    How have individuals used science and technology to change the communication, transportation, or recreation systems ofcommunities?

Vocabulary of Instruction

innovation

invention

inventive

technology

community

problem

Materials

chart paper

chart or butcher paper

examples of soybeans, sweet potatoes, peanuts

glue/tape

information about innovations in communication, transportation and recreation

Information about innovators and innovations including those related to the local community

list of problems and innovations

list of problems and innovations to solve them

paper for drawing

picture of George Washington Carver

primary source information on George Washington Carver for student research

scissors

secondary source information on George Washington Carver for student research

sentence strips or lengths of register tape

timer

Attachments

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 2 of 19  

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: George Washington Carver Note-taking Page (1 per student)

Handout: George Washington Carver Timeline (1 per student)

Handout: Solving a Problem (2 per student)

Teacher Resource: GWC Solving a Problem KEY

Handout: Innovations I Would Like to See (optional, 1 per student)

Handout: Innovation Changes Communities (1 per student)

Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Change

Handout: People Solve Problems (1 per student)

Handout: Illustrated Storyboard PI (optional, 1 per student)

Resources

Advance Preparation

1. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson, including biographical informational about George Washington

Carver.

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. Gather primary and secondary sources about George Washington Carver, including grade-level appropriate biographies,

websites, and photographs.

6. Gather artifacts, including examples of peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.

7. Gather photos, trade books, and textbooks with photos illustrating the past in the community and Texas. Local historical societies,

online museums, and families of students can be good resources.

8. Prepare materials and handouts as needed.

Background Information

George Washington Carver: (1864­1943) – Born into slavery, he was unsure of his birthdate. After slavery was abolished, Carver lived with several foster

families as he sought an education. Encouraged by a teacher to study agriculture, he became the first African American to enroll at Iowa State College, which

today is Iowa State University. He completed his degree in 1894 and was invited by Booker T. Washington to teach at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute.

Agriculture in the South had been geared toward tobacco and cotton, both of which depleted the soil of nutrients and left poor soil that could no longer produce

good crops with high yield. This was a significant problem in a region that had been devastated by war and whose economic system depended on agriculture.

The problem was how to improve income in the agricultural South. He looked at the problem in two ways: improving agricultural methods and finding crops

that would grow in the kind of soil that existed. He also worked to find products that could be made and sold from those crops that would grow. All Carver's

efforts were geared to increasing African-American farmers' economic independence.

During his tenure at Tuskegee, Carver devised innovative uses for soybeans, sweet potatoes, and peanuts. It was his goal to provide a more profitable market

for the crops of poor southern farmers.

He was committed to learning by doing, encouraging students to “figure it out for themselves.” An innovator behind “movable schools” that traveled between

communities to demonstrate new agricultural practices such as rotating crops, he emphasized the importance of education.

Upon his death, he donated his life savings to establish a research institute at Tuskegee University.

Adapted from:

Encyclopedia of World Biography. (n.d.). George washington carver biography. Retrieved from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Carver-George-

Washington.html

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.

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 3 of 19  

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

Instructional Procedures

ENGAGE

Notes for Teacher

NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes

Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes

1. Place students in groups of four.

2. Distribute to each group a chart paper divided into three sections labeled

Peanuts, Sweet Potatoes, and Soybeans.

3. Show examples of soybeans, sweet potatoes, and peanuts.

4. For 3 minutes, students think of all of the ways they have enjoyed these

three items. (For example, they may have enjoyed peanuts in peanut butter

granola bars or peanut butter cookies; they may have enjoyed sweet

potatoes in sweet potato fries; and soybeans in edamame and as tofu in stir

fry.)

5. Show a picture of George Washington Carver.

6. Inform the class that they will be learning about George Washington Carver,

who discovered many of the innovative uses of these crops and encouraged

southern farmers to grow them.

George Washington Carver once said, “We must always keep in mind thatanything that helps fill the dinner pail is valuable.”

7. Post the following questions on the board to be investigated in this lesson:

What problem did George Washington Carver see?

How did he want to solve the problem?

Materials:

examples of soybeans, sweet potatoes,

peanuts (consider any allergies your students

may have when handling these foods)

chart paper (1 per group of 4)

timer

picture of George Washington Carver

Purpose:

Learn about innovation and innovators, specifically George

Washington Carver.

TEKS: 2.4B, 2.18A, 2.19B

Instructional Note:

If students struggle, they could look in their

lunch boxes to see if any of those ingredients

are listed on packaging.

Some children’s biographies credit Carver withinventing peanut butter, but the “Process ofPreparing Nut Meal” was patented by JohnHarvey Kellogg in 1896, and peanuts ground

to a paste were eaten by the Incas nearly two

thousand years ago.

EXPLORE – George Washington Carver Research Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 30 minutes

1. Distribute to each student the Handout: George Washington Carver Note-

taking Page to complete individually.

2. Provide students access to primary and secondary source information on

George Washington Carver, including biographies. If students are going to

be using the internet, provide instructions and follow district guidelines.

3. Student groups investigate the information about George Washington

Carver, discussing as a group but adding to their note-taking sheet

individually.

As you learn about George Washington Carver, write down details

that help us to know how he became an inventor and how he

helped people.

4. Circulate, listening to student discussion, probing with questions, clarifying

and correcting misinformation, and adding additional information as needed.

5. If desired, present additional information and resources about George

Washington Carver while students add information to their note-taking sheet.

Materials:

secondary source information on George

Washington Carver for student research

primary source information on George

Washington Carver for student research

Attachments:

Handout: George Washington Carver

Note-taking Page (1 per student)

Purpose:

Students learn about the life and innovations of George

Washington Carver.

TEKS: 2.3A, 2.3B, 2.4B, 2.4C, 2.18B, 2,18C, 2,18D, 2.19B

Instructional Note:

Placing resources in centers for students to

access could be a successful strategy.

Follow district guidelines for using the Internet,

and check readability and appropriateness of

websites. Creating a links page to appropriate

websites is ideal.

The Handout: George Washington Carver

Note-taking Page is meant as a guide.

Adjust questions to consider class resources

and needs.

EXPLAIN – George Washington Carver timeline Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 10 minutes

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 4 of 19  

1. After students complete their note-taking sheet, they meet with a new partner

(not in their original group) to compare information, adding and adjusting

information as needed.

2. Students share what they have discovered with the class. Teacher scribes to

create a class anchor chart about George Washington Carver.

3. Students answer the questions:

What problem did George Washington Carver see?

What are some ways he helped solve the problem?

Materials:

chart paper (for class anchor chart)

EXPLORE – Historical Context Suggested Day 2 – 25 minutes

1. Ask: What are some of the things you do every day? (As students contribute ideas, write

them on the board. Possible answers may include coming to school, eating breakfast,

eating lunch, playing, watching TV, going to soccer practice, etc.)

2. Ask: If we had to put the things you do each day in chronological order, what would

come first? Second? Third? (Write the items in chronological order as students offer

responses.)

3. Explain that we can put historical events in chronological order as well. List the following

events on the board and ask what happened first, second, third, etc. Possible events

(studied this year) include:

Revolutionary War (1776) including Paul Revere and John Hancock

Theodore Roosevelt (president 1901, national parks)

Amelia Earhart (disappeared 1937)

WWII events (1941-1945): WASP, Navajo Code Talkers

4. Add other important events with a brief explanation. Include the Civil War. (Students have

not yet studied the Civil War, but may have prior knowledge that could help them

understand the idea that Carver was born into slavery.)

5. Distribute sentence strips or register tape to students and the Handout: George

Washington Carver Timeline.

6. Students cut out the events and place them in chronological order on their adding-

machine tape timeline. (Do not glue or tape the strips yet.)

7. Encourage students to contribute historical events that they know about. List the events

and then put them in chronological order. Possible events (studied this year) include:

8. Add other important events with a brief explanation. Include the Civil War. (Students have

not yet studied the Civil War, but may have prior knowledge that could help them

understand the idea that Carver was born into slavery.)

9. Distribute sentence strips or register tape to students along with Handout: George

Washington Carver Timeline.

10. Students cut out the events and place the events in chronological order on their adding-

machine tape timeline.

11. Add George Washington Carver to the class timeline and show the correct order of

events in his life. Partners check each other’s work before they glue the events in place.

12. Revisit the questions from Day 1. Students share what they have discovered about the

problem Carver wanted to solve.

What problem did George Washington Carver see? (i.e., people

were not able to make a living farming their land)

How did he want to solve the problem? (educate people, improve

farming methods, discover what would grow in the poor soil and then

create a market for those crops by discovering ways to use them)

Materials:

sentence strips or lengths of register tape

scissors

glue/tape

Attachments:

Handout: George Washington Carver

Timeline (1 per student)

Purpose:

Put the events of George Washington Carver’s life in

chronological order, reinforcing the concept of chronology

and adding to their biographical knowledge. (TEKS 2.2)

TEKS: 2.2B, 2.2C, 2.4B, 2.18D, 2.19B

Instructional Note:

Students who struggle with place value may

need help ordering the events. Remind

students to look at all four digits in the date.

If desired when talking about the Civil War, the

Emancipation Proclamation, slavery (Carver

born into slavery in 1864 in Missouri), and

Thurgood Marshall and his lifelong work to

support the ideals of the Declaration of

Independence (all men are created equal)

could be included and added to the timelines.

EXPLAIN – George Washington Carver timeline Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 5 minutes

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 5 of 19  

1. Student partners take turns reading the events of George Washington

Carver’s life in order.

2. Encourage students to use academic vocabulary such as: before, after, next,

first, last, past, innovation, community, problem, and solution.

Instructional Note:

Adjust words students should use to include terms from

class discussion.

EXPLORE – Focus on Solving Problems Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 20 minutes

1. Present students with the steps of problem solving.

Identify a problem

Gather information

List and consider options

Consider advantages and disadvantages

Choose and implement a solution

Evaluate the effectiveness of a solution

2. Distribute the Handout: Solving a Problem. Students can write on the

handout or use a sheet of notebook paper.

3. Facilitate a discussion modeling the problem-solving process as related to

innovations by George Washington Carver. (See example in Teacher

Resource: GWC Solving a Problem KEY.)

4. Facilitate a brainstorming discussion of problems that need solving in the

areas of transportation, communication, and/or recreation.

5. Scribe problems that students name (include transportation, communication,

and recreation problems; some recreation problems that might be included

are: need safer playground, a new park in the neighborhood, clothes that

repel grass stains, safer bicycle helmets).

6. Student pairs choose a problem from the list to think about.

7. Distribute another copy of the Handout: Solving a Problem for students to

use for their own process (if students use a separate piece of paper to write

on they will not need this second handout.)

8. Students, working in pairs, follow the problem-solving process to construct a

possible solution for the problem.

9. Circulate, conferring with groups as they work to ensure that students are

using the problem-solving model.

10. Student pairs present their problems and solutions to the class.

11. For homework for Day 4, students interview others (adults, family members)

to gather ideas of problems they see in transportation, communication, and

recreation and innovations that they would like to see. If desired, use the

Handout: Innovations I Would Like to See.

Materials:

chart or butcher paper

Attachments:

Handout: Solving a Problem (2 per student)

Teacher Resource: GWC Solving a Problem

KEY

Handout: Innovations I Would Like to See

(optional, 1 per student)

Purpose:

Use problem-solving skills to create a solution to a

problem with transportation, communication, or recreation,

such as making the playground safer or making a toy better.

TEKS: 2.17A , 2.19B, 2.20A

Instructional Note:

The Handout: Solving a Problem is meant

as a guide. Adjust the questions as

appropriate for your classroom discussion.

For homework, students could discuss with an

adult the problem-solving process,

innovations, and existing problems (including

problems in transportation, communication,

and recreation) and local innovators.

EXPLAIN Suggested Day 3 – 10 minutes

1. Students complete the following sentence stem and provide evidence to

support their statement.

George Washington Carver was a problem solver. I know this

because ________________________.

2. Students share their sentences with a partner.

3. Post the sentences. Add illustrations if desired.

EXPLORE – Local Innovators Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 25 minutes

1. Introduce the next topic of the lesson using words such as:

George Washington Carver was an innovator.

Are there other innovators?

Are there innovators in our local community?

Materials:

information about innovators and innovations

including those related to the local community

TEKS: 2.17A, 2.17B, 2.19A, 2.19B

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 6 of 19  

2. Students think about the industries in their community.

What is made here?

How do people use the products that are made here?

What problems do they solve?

3. Write the following words on the board: sweet onions, jazz music, computers, internet

connection, wild seed harvester, and integrated circuit. Ask: Do you know about any of

these innovations and how they affect your lives?

4. Facilitate a discussion where students share their ideas about innovations and

innovators in the local community. Some examples include:

Noonday, Texas, is famous for their breed of sweet onions.

Denton, Texas, is known for its innovative jazz music.

Dell Computer in Austin, Texas, developed a new process for delivering

products (computers) from the manufacturer directly to the consumer.

J.W. Breeden of Smithville, Texas, found that broadband internet

connection was often not available in rural areas of Texas, so, while still in

high school, he started a company (LiveAir Networks) to provide

broadband internet access “using microwave technology usually mountedon water towers, across 2,400 square miles in part of five counties.”John R. Thomas of Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas, found “fewsources for wildflower seeds, and the seeds that were available were

prohibitively expensive,” so he founded Wildseed Farms. “He developed amachine to plant the tiny seeds and another to harvest them. The

company pioneered the practice of planting wildflowers in rows on large

acreage.” The company has since received Entrepreneur of the Year andinnovator awards.

Texas Instruments of Dallas, Texas, introduced the integrated circuit

which allowed design of smaller products (i.e., radios no longer had to be

tabletop models; they could now fit in your hand. The IC changed the way

we work and play; it made possible computers, cell phones, etc.). (Jack

Kilby, 1959)

Purpose: Students examine innovators in the local

community.

Instructional Note:

Innovator: someone who begins something

new such as a new idea, method or device.

Innovations do not have to be manufactured

products; they can be ideas or processes,

related to agriculture or culture.

Inviting a local innovator into the classroom

would be an excellent way to reinforce the

idea that people do change the local

community. An entrepreneur, industry worker,

restaurant owner, or another innovator could

come share with the students.

EXPLAIN Suggested Day 3 (continued) – 15 minutes

1. Students illustrate an innovation and write three sentences about the

innovation and how it helped solve a problem.

Materials:

paper for drawing

EXPLORE – Innovations change communities Suggested Day 4 – 20 minutes

1. Place students in groups of 4 or fewer.

2. Distribute to each student the Handout: Innovation Changes

Communities.

3. If desired, use the Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Change to introduce

the idea that innovations have affected life and changed communities,

having a ripple effect and influencing further innovation and change.

4. Display photographs or illustrations from the past to show means of

communication in the past and present.

5. Facilitate a discussion to consider means of communication in the past and

their advantages and disadvantages. Then discuss means of

communication in the present and their advantages and disadvantages.

6. Model for students how to record observations on the Handout: Innovation

Changes Communities note-taking sheet. An example could be:

Mark on the Past side, “People wrote letters.”On the Present: Innovation and Change side, mark “People use cellphones and computers (Skype and email) to communicate immediately.”(People still do write and mail letters, but there are now other options.)

Materials:

information about innovations in

communication, transportation and recreation

chart or butcher paper

Attachments:

Handout: Innovation Changes

Communities (1 per student)

Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Change

Purpose:

Observe changes in the community made by innovation and

reinforce the concept that innovation improves life in our

communities.

Instructional note:

Follow district guidelines for acceptable use of the Internet. A

local historical society may be helpful finding pictures of the

past.

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 7 of 19  

7. Provide access to books, pictures, and websites that may provide information

about innovations in communication, transportation and recreation.

8. Encourage students to find at least four similarities and four differences

between the modern and historical times. Focus on communication, but also

consider transportation and recreation.

9. Circulate as the students explore. Ask students about their observations.

Listen for and correct misconceptions.

10. Students share out after the students have completed their observation form.

11. Act as scribe during class discussion to create a T­chart compiling students’ideas. Expand discussion to emphasize how the innovations have changed

the way people work and play and the way communities work. Include

“ripples” of the innovation. (For example, telephones increased the speedwith which people could communicate, which caused a need for telephone

companies to facilitate the communication, the need for telephone lines,

which caused problems including downed lines, which prompted innovations

that eventually led to wireless and satellite communications, etc.)

EXPLAIN – 3­2­1 Suggested Day 4 (continued) – 10 minutes

1. Students write down:

3 innovations in communication

2 ways these innovations have changed the way people work and play

1 future innovation (in communication) that is needed

EXPLORE Problems in the Community Suggested Day 4 (continued) – 20 minutes

1. Conduct a brainstorm discussion where students share their ideas (and

ideas from adults and family members they have spoken to).

2. Create a class list.

3. Add student responses to the list begun on Day 1. Leave the list posted so

students can refer to it for the Performance Indicator on Day 5.

Materials:

Handout: Innovations I Would Like to See

(optional, completed student interview forms

from Day 2 and 1 for display creating a class

list)

EXPLAIN Suggested Day 4 (continued) – 10 minutes

1. Student pairs choose the top three innovations they would like to see.

2. They then choose one to discuss, working through the process introduced in

the Handout: Solving a Problem.

Materials:

list of problems and innovations to solve them

Handout: Solving a Problem from Day 2

ELABORATE – Summarize Learning Suggested Day 5 – 10 min

1. Distribute the Handout: People Solve Problems.

2. Students think about and add information to the handout.

3. Students use their handout to help participate in a discussion where they

support the Key Understanding by providing evidence that answers the

guiding questions.

Individuals solve problems through their inventiveness.

- Who are individuals who have solved problems through their

inventiveness?

- How have individuals used science and technology to change

the communication, transportation, or recreation systems of

communities?

4. Students add information to their handout as the discussion progresses.

Attachments:

Handout: People Solve Problems (1 per

student)

EVALUATE – Performance Indicator Suggested Day 5 (continued) – 40 minutes

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 8 of 19  

Grade 02 Social Studies Unit 07 PI 01

Create an illustrated storyboard that shows how you would use the steps in the problem-

solving process to solve a current problem in communication, transportation, or recreation

in a way that will improve community.

Standard(s): 2.4C , 2.17A , 2.19B , 2.20A

ELPS ELPS.c.1C , ELPS.c.1E

Materials:

Handout: Solving a Problem (optional, 1 per

student)

list of problems and innovations

Attachments:

Handout: Illustrated Storyboard PI

(optional, 1 per student)

TEKS: 2.4C; 2.17A; 2.19B; 2.20A

Grade 2

Social Studies

Unit: 07

Lesson: 01

Suggested Duration: 5 days

Last Updated 05/09/13

Print Date 06/18/2013 Printed By Karen Johnson, MIDLAND ISDpage 9 of 19  

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 05/09/123 page 1 of 1

George Washington Carver- Inventor and Innovator

Biographical Data Products Invented

Three sentences about George Washington Carver:

1.

2.

3.

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 4/24/13 page 1 of 1

George Washington Carver Timeline

Cut out the events and place them in chronological order to form a timeline.

In 1889, George Washington Carver printed his first bulletin to farmers. It explained how to use acorns as feed for farm animals.

In 1916 he published his bulletin “How to grow the peanut and 105 ways to prepare it for human consumption”. His recipes from this bulletin were reprinted in many magazines.

In 1896, Booker T. Washington invited George Washington Carver to be in charge of the Agriculture Department at the Tuskegee Institute.

George Washington Carver was born into slavery in 1864.

In 1881, George studied at the Iowa State Agricultural College. He was the first African American to study there. He later became an instructor there.

In 1921, George Washington Carver testified before Congress, asking them to put a tax on foreign peanuts, so that more people would buy peanuts grown in the South.

George Washington Carver was first put on a U.S. postage stamp in 1948.

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 4/24/13 page 1 of 1

Solving a Problem

There are six steps to solving a problem. On the back or on another sheet of paper,

consider a problem and think about how to solve it. Use this process.

1. Identify a problem

What is the problem that needs solving?

2. Gather information

What do we know about the problem? Who does the problem affect?

How do we know it is a problem? What are the effects of the problem?

3. List and consider options

What might it look like if the problem were solved? How could we solve

the problem? Would an invention help solve the problem? Would

community action help solve the problem?

4. Consider advantages and disadvantages

What are some advantages of each of your options? What are some

disadvantages of each of your options?

5. Choose and implement a solution

Which option would be the best solution? Why do you say this?

6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

How will you know if the problem is solved? How will you evaluate the

effectiveness of the option implemented? When will you evaluate the

effectiveness of the option?

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 05/09/13 page 1 of 2

GWC Solving a Problem KEY

There are six steps to solving a problem. On the back or on another sheet of paper,

consider a problem and think about how to solve it. Use this process.

Suggestions for inclusion in the discussion are shown. Answers will vary.

1. Identify a problem

What is the problem that needs solving?

People were not able to make a living farming the poor soil on their

farms. The soil was too poor to grow cash crops such as cotton and

tobacco.

2. Gather information

What do we know about the problem? Who does the problem affect?

How do we know it is a problem? What are the effects of the problem?

The problem affected small farmers, especially people who had

previously been enslaved and who typically were able to afford only

small plots of the poorest quality land. They were not able to make

enough money selling their crops to support their families.

3. List and consider options

What might it look like if the problem were solved? How could we solve

the problem? Would an invention help solve the problem? Would

community action help solve the problem?

Some example options might include: 1) giving everyone larger plots of

high quality land, 2) not farming and working in other jobs instead, 3)

improving the quality of land, 4) growing other crops that could produce

more income

4. Consider advantages and disadvantages

What are some advantages of each of your options? What are some

disadvantages of each of your options?

1) giving everyone larger plots of high quality land

Advantage: more land would help them grow more crops and make

more money

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 05/09/13 page 2 of 2

Disadvantage: may not be enough land to give everyone more or

they may not be able to afford more land

2) not farming and working in other jobs instead,

Advantage = people would earn money for their family to survive

Disadvantage = fewer farmers would hurt the supply of food for our

country

3) improving the quality of land,

Advantage = would help the land grow abundant crops

Disadvantage = would take time and money to do the improvements

4) growing other crops that could produce more income

Advantage = would help the farmers survive, provide products for the

country, and may even help the soil gain back nutrients

Disadvantage = might be a risk to grow something never grown

before in that area

5. Choose and implement a solution

Which option would be the best solution? Why do you say this?

4) growing other crops that could produce more income

The advantages are more significant than the disadvantages.

6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

How will you know if the problem is solved? How will you evaluate the

effectiveness of the option implemented? When will you evaluate the

effectiveness of the option?

The solution was effective because the crops were produced, sold,

and nutrients were put back into the soil. It was a win/win solution.

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2013, TESCCC 05/07/13 page 1 of 2

Innovations I Would Like to See

We are studying innovations. Innovations are new ideas, products, or processes that solve

problems and help make our lives easier.

In the area of communication:

What problems are there? What innovations would you like to see?

Problem Innovation

In the area of transportation:

What problems are there? What innovations would you like to see?

Problem Innovation

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2013, TESCCC 05/07/13 page 2 of 2

In the area of recreation:

What problems are there? What innovations would you like to see?

Problem Innovation

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 10/15/12 page 1 of 1

Innovation Changes Communities

Past Present: Innovation and change

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 10/15/12 page 1 of 1

People Solve Problems

Individuals solve problems through their inventiveness.

— Who are individuals who have solved problems through their inventiveness?

— How have individuals used science and technology to change the communication, transportation, or recreation systems of communities?

Individual Invention/innovation How changed community

Grade 2 Social Studies

Unit: 07 Lesson: 01

©2012, TESCCC 10/15/12 page 1 of 1

Illustrated Storyboard

To solve the problem of __________________________________________, my plan is to:

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Step 4 Step 5 Step 6