Thematic Unit Requirements

Planning an Integrated Thematic

Social Studies Curriculum Unit

EDMU 523

History/Social Science Standards

• What History/Social Sciences academic

content standards are addressed in the unit?

• Include the standard number and description for

each standard addressed in the unit in history/social

sciences, science, visual and performing arts, health,

and/or P.E.

• Focus on one grade level only.

• What Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

in English Language Arts and Mathematics are

also addressed in this unit?

Appropriate Themes

• Can I give my students direct experience of this topic?

• Think of possible fieldtrip – either real or virtual.

• Reflect children’s interests, abilities and issues of concern: How will I hook them in?

• Involve concepts and skills at the right level of challenge for the age group

• Topic should be complex and interesting enough to be explored at some depth

Thematic Planning

• Organize curriculum around a California

Social Studies theme

• Umbrella overarching interest area – Big Picture

• Integrates different developmental and subject areas

• Contributes to child’s growing understanding of

his/her place in time and space

• Provides opportunities for child to learn by doing and

have direct experiences with the topic

• Helps students understand that learning is connected to

their lives.

California

Social Studies Themes

Grades 3-6

• Grade Three—Continuity and Change

• Grade Four—California: A Changing State

• Grade Five—United States History and

Geography: Making a New Nation

• Grade Six—World History and Geography:

Ancient Civilizations

Continuity and Change

• Our Local History: Discovering Our Past and Our

Traditions

• Our Nation’s History: Meeting People, Ordinary and

Extraordinary, Through Biography, Story, Folktale, and

Legend

Consider your own local community history, legends,

geography, economy, significant leaders, local Native

American tribes, etc.

3

California: A Changing State

• The Physical Setting: California and Beyond

• Pre-Columbian Settlements and People

• Exploration and Colonial History

• Missions, Ranchos, and the Mexican War for

Independence

• Gold Rush, Statehood, and the Westward Movement

• The Period of Rapid Population Growth, Large-Scale

Agriculture,

• and Linkage to the Rest of the United States

• Modern California: Immigration, Technology, & Cities

4

United States History and Geography:

Making a New Nation

• The Land & People Before Columbus

• Age of Exploration

• Settling the Colonies –The Virginia Settlement

• Life in New England –The Middle Colonies

• Settling the Trans-Appalachian West

• The War for Independence

• Life in the Young Republic

• The New Nation’s Westward Expansion

• Linking Past to Present: The American People, Then &

Now

5

World History and Geography:

Ancient Civilizations

• Early Humankind and the Development of Human

Societies

• The Beginnings of Civilization in the Near East and

Africa:

• Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush

• The Foundation of Western Ideas: The Ancient

Hebrews and Greeks

• West Meets East: The Early Civilizations of India

and China

• East Meets West: Rome

6

Assignment Requirements

• Create a two week history-social science based unit that

integrates a majority of subject areas.

• Unit should reflect the content standards for the grade

level selected

• Unit should include lessons that utilize a:

• Variety of intelligences

• Different levels of thinking (Depth of Knowledge - DOK)

• The unit should be designed for one grade level 3-6.

• The unit needs to include

• At least 8 lessons – 4 fully developed

• A performance-based final assessment with a rubric.

Criteria for Theme Selection

• Topic must provide active learning and direct, hands-

on experiences

• Children can explore it with their senses.

• Concept is developmentally appropriate

• Concept can be organized to move from:

• Simple to complex

• Concrete to abstract

• Interesting, meaningful, and worth knowing about.

• Helps children acquire understanding and appreciation of

themselves, others, and the world in which they live.

More Criteria for Theme Selection

• Generates a variety of activities and learning in all areas of development and in a broad range of subject areas.

• Realistic in terms of resources (funds, technology, materials, people, places that are available)

• Allows for and encourages family input and participation.

• Consistent with family and community values.

• Allow for a public showing of the capstone product, production, performance, publication, etc.

“Major Understanding” of the Theme

• What important ideas you wish students to acquire? Essential Question?

• Brainstorm the purpose and goals

• Gather the resources and materials

• Create a curriculum map

• Ask the children:• What do you already know about this topic?

• What do you still want to know about this topic?

• What would you like to learn?

Possible Activities

MapsField Trips Simulations

Drama

Geography

Family

Activities

GamesMusic/

Dance

Books and

Poems

Visual Arts

Hands-on

Activities

THEME

K-W-L Chart

K

What do

you

KNOW?

W

What do

you

WANT

to

know?

L

What did

you

LEARN?

Activities

• Introduction

• How will you introduce the study to children?

• What activities will you do to determine prior knowledge?

• How will you tap into their curiosity and hook them in?

• Activities to build understanding

• Activities that encourage exploration

• Activities that build skill

• Activities that develop understanding

• Hands-on Capstone Activities

• Activities help children express and show what they learned

• Activities to bring closure to the unit

Outline for an Integrated Thematic

Lesson Plan

• Title: kid Grabbing Topic

• Concept: What is the big idea from social studies you want students to understand?

• Rationale/Relevance:

• Why is this important for

students to know?

• Why are the outcomes of

this unit important in the

real world?

• Unit Objectives: Major Understandings

• Resources: Books, Articles, Websites, Multimedia, etc.

• Content Standards and Common Core State Standards

Lesson Plans

• The first lesson should hook students into the topic

and connect to their prior knowledge. (Prezi Next)

• Focus on the history-social science curriculum

strands in knowledge and cultural understanding

(history, geography, economics, culture, politics,

ethics, or democratic understanding and civic values).

Lesson Plans

• 8 Lessons (4 fully developed lesson plans)

• One lesson should address visual arts or

performing arts standard(s).

• At least one lesson should make connections

with primary sources.

Lesson Plan Activities

• Use primary sources (physical or

virtual)

• Finding Primary Sources:

Library of Congress

• Library of Congress Themed

Resources

• Integrate literature (books, stories,

poems, plays) and informational text

(nonfiction writing in narrative or non-

narrative form that is intended to

inform.)

• Incorporate the use of technology and

digital media for research, publication,

or presentation.

• Include hands-on student learning

activities.

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/finding.html

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/themes/

Lesson Planning with Common

Core State Standards

• At least one of the lessons should meet a Common

Core State Standard (CCSS) in English Language

Arts and one in the CCSS in Mathematics.

• Use of Informational Text – Content-Rich Non-

fiction

• Student Research Using the Internet

• Use of Media and Technology

• Multimedia Publishing, Video, Presentations,

Brochures, Performances, etc.

Capstone Project-Based Lesson

• What is the big picture or essential

question for this unit?

• What can students make, do, produce,

or create to build knowledge and

demonstrate their learning?

• Students complete a hands-on student

learning activity (in partners, group, or

individual): project, presentation, art,

publication, or performance.

• How will students celebrate their

learning and share their final product

with the public?

5th Grade Project

Project Based Learning (PBL)

• Students gain knowledge and skills by working

for an extended period of time to investigate

and respond to an authentic, engaging and

complex question, problem, or challenge. (BIE -

https://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl)

https://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl

Additional PBL Design Elements

Higher Level Critical Thinking

Depth of Knowledge Levels (DOK)

DOK Levels for All Lessons

Assessment

• How do you document children’s learning?

• How do you know if children understand the big ideas of your unit?

• Documentation

• Observation notes, portolios, journals, etc.

• Photography or videos

• Collection of student work samples

• A class book, newsletter, scrapbook, brochure, presentation, poster, video, infographics, etc.

• Social event where student work is shared with parents, administrators, teachers, students.

Final Authentic Assessment

• Describe the assessment tool (project, presentation,

performance, publication, product, brochure, etc…).

• Do Not use a test!

• Develop a rubric that will be used to evaluate student

performance on the final assessment.

• Make sure you design an assessment that is aligned to the

standards and learning objectives of the unit.

• The project-based final lesson should include the summative

authentic assessment rubric with multiple criteria.

• Include specific criteria in your rubric assessment based on

the thematic unit topic and project-based lesson activity.

• Do not use a generic rubric.

• Allows teacher to focus on what expectations

he/she have for student work

• Provides alternative grading system for

performance assessment, portfolios, projects,

web assignments, etc.

• Can measure a variety of categories in any

content area

• Teacher can determine criteria and scale - rather

than be subject to standardized testing scores.

Rubrics for Assessment

Rubric Table

Example

Categories Excellent = 4 Good = 3 Satisfactory = 2 Needs Improvement = 1

Category 1 Give the student a clear idea of

what you expect in order to

consider this category to be

excellent. List several criteria

present that justify an excellent

rating.

Give the student a clear idea of



good, but indicate what

is lacking that prevents it from

being rated as excellent.


what is missing or inadequate in

this category. Specify which

criteria was met - but indicate

what is lacking that prevents it

from being scored higher.

List specific criteria that was not

met with regards to this category

and present reasons why the

assignment can not be graded as

satisfactory. What would you

consider inadequate for this

category?






rating.



















category?






rating.



















category?






rating.



















category?

BIE Project Design Rubrichttps://www.bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric

https://www.bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric

BIE Project Design Rubrichttps://www.bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric

https://www.bie.org/object/document/project_design_rubric

Student Self Assessment

Fieldtrip Ideas

• Design a fieldtrip related to your thematic unit.

• Provide the title and the location or web address

of your fieldtrip location.

• Summarize the experience

• How will you prepare them for their fieldtrip

experience?

What will students do?

• How will you organize the real or virtual

experience?

• Describe student learning activities and essential

questions to be investigated.

• Describe the key history-social science concepts

that you think this virtual experience addresses.

Annotated Bibliography of Resources

• Resource Books

• Literature Connections- At least 1 literature

book or stories/poems that connect to the theme

• Informational Text Connections - At least 1

informational text that connect to the theme

• Primary Sources

• Videos/DVDs or other media

• Digital Resources and Websites (At least 5

sites)

• Possible Guest Speakers

Curriculum Map – Week 4

• Shows the sequence of lessons, content areas addressed

in each lesson, multiple intelligences utilized, and level

of depth of knowledge.

• Lessons should progress in a logical sequence and

connect with unit objectives

• Lessons should reflect a variety of content areas,

multiple intelligences, and levels of depth of knowledge.

Curriculum Map Checklist

8 Lessons with Topic and Learning Objective

One Grade Level Social Studies Strand and Standard/s

(Including # and text of standards)

Same Grade Level Integrated Subject Matter

Standards:(Including # and text of standards)

Fully Developed Lesson Plans – Using Required

Template

Primary Sources Lesson Plan Required

Visual and/or Performing Arts Required

CCSS ELA or Math Lesson Plan Required

Final Capstone Project-based Lesson Plan (with Rubric

Assessment)

Curriculum Map Strategies and

Assessments Checklist

Multiple Intelligences and Adaptations for EL (SDAIE

Strategies) and Students with Special Needs (Universal

Design for Learning - UDL)

Google Classroom Technology Integration - Required

Literature and Digital Texts

Multimedia - Video, Audio, Apps, Websites, etc.

Assessments – Rubric, Exit Slips, Student Self Assessments

Fieldtrip, Prezi, and Flipped Video Lessons

Learning Activities including higher level DOK thinking

levels

Formative Assessments, Final Summative Rubric

Assessment, Student Self Assessment

Signature Assignment in LiveText

• Submit in LiveText: http://www.livetext.com

• Options for Creating Unit Plan:

• Create one complete document (preferably pdf) and

submit that pdf as the LiveText assignment

• Create multiple documents and files and submit all of

them one by one in LiveText

• Create your thematic unit in LiveText by copying the

template. Insert files in appropriate sections and

submit the LiveText document

• Tutorial: https://sites.google.com/site/livetexttutorials/copying-a-

livetext-project-template-to-your-computer

http://www.livetext.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/livetexttutorials/copying-a-livetext-project-template-to-your-computer

Education

Thematic Unit Requirements