Social Studies Thematic Unit Curriculum Map
Theme, Enduring Understandings,
& Essential Questions for This Unit
2nd grade: Communities
Theme(s):
Culture
Time, Continuity, and Change
People, Places, and Environment
Individual Development and
Identity
Individuals, Groups, and
Institutions
Power, Authority, and Governance
Production, Distribution, and
Consumption
Science, Technology, and Society
Global Connections
Civic Ideals and Practices
Essential Question(s):
Essential Question for 1.2.1:
To what extent do the roles of
government figures, within a
community, enforce the laws and
regulations within that given
community?
Essential Question for 3.2.1
To what extent do physical
characteristics (rivers, lakes,
mountains, and parks), within a
community, affect the way in which characteristics such
members live?
Essential Question for 2.1.1
To what extent do the choices of
community members, among
products and services, affect small
businesses within the community? Economics:
Hillary DenAdel ELED 426
Standards-based How Students will Demonstrate Their Understanding Strategies / Best Practices Used to Explicitly Teach the Skills & Resources for
Essential Skills Concepts this Multi-Genre
(GLE) & Concepts Unit
to be Targeted Unit
Standards (GLE): Learning Targets: Strategies:
History: Learning Target to meet the standard 1.2.1 In order to understand the basic organization of government in Anchor Text(s):
N/A I can identify and define the roles of several important positions the community (1.2.1) students will listen to the story What if
(mayor, police, judge, council) and their parts within a community. Everybody Did that? by Ellen Javernick and discuss the
Social Studies: importance of a government system within a community. The
N/A Learning Target to meet the standard 3.1.2 class will discuss how there are many important leadership roles
I can identify different physical characteristics (rivers, lakes, within a community. Based off of the story they will discuss the
Civics: mountains and parks) within a community and identify how these importance of leadership (zookeeper, pool keeper, store owner,
1.2.1 Understands characteristics affect the way in which members live. police officers) and how it structures each community to
the basic implement laws and regulations.
organization of Learning Target to meet the standard 2.1.1
government in the
I can explain and justify how people within a community can have In order to understand the basic organization of government in Short Stories:
community.
effects/impacts on businesses within that community and the the community (1.2.1) students will participate in a class fieldtrip
(Explains that cities
importance/benefits of shopping locally. to their local city hall to meet with important members (major,
are governed by
mayors and city police, judge, council members) of the community and discuss
Success Criteria their roles within their community. Prior to the fieldtrip, students
councils. Explains
Success criteria to meet the standard 1.2.1 will brainstorm and discuss important roles within their
that police and
Students will create a hierarchy chart. They will create a hierarchy community and what each member does for the community.
judges enforce
chart based off of the information they learn while attending a Based off the discussion, students will prepare their own
laws.)
fieldtrip to their local city hall. Students will learn about the hierarchy questions that they will present to the members that we will meet.
of power that individuals have at their local city all. They will then be
Geography:
asked to create a hierarchy chart going from least, for lack of better In order to understand the physical characteristics of places in
3.1.2 Understands
the physical words, to highest importance. the community (3.1.2) students will look at a PowerPoint that Nonfiction:
characteristics of demonstrates the different types of communities (rural,
places in the Success criteria to meet the standard 3.2.1 suburban, urban). Students will analyze the different impacts that
community. Students will create a concept map identifying the different types of each type of community has on the members within that
(Describes physical communities that were presented in the film and they will identify community. Students will identify the type of community they live
the different attributes of each community. in and characteristics within the PowerPoint that they can
as rivers, lakes, connect to. Students will be able to identify cities that they are
mountains, and Success criteria to meet the standard 2.1.1 familiar with that are within each type (Urban- New York, Rural-
parks of the Students will complete a one-minute think, three-minute write. Lynden, etc.).
community in which The teacher will prompt students to think about the pros and cons
they live.) on a community when people shop locally. Students will think about In order to understand physical characteristics of places in the Fiction:
this prompt for one minute and then write about the ideas they community (3.1.2) students will watch a video focusing on the
learned about for three minutes. different types of communities throughout the world and how
2.1.1 Understands their community functions. This video demonstrates the different
that members of the
Formative Assessment types of communities people live in due to the physical
community make
choices among Formative Assessment to meet the standards for 1.2.1 characteristics of their community. Students will compare and
products and The teacher will have students create a hierarchy chart based off
services that have the information that they learned while attending the fieldtrip to the
costs and benefits. city hall. The teacher will ask students to take notes while attending
(Explains how
the field trip based on who holds power within a city. Students will
peoples choice of
purchasing goods then return to school the following day and be asked to create a
from a large hierarchy chart based off of that information. The teacher will
business can result provide students with a blank hierarchy chart and ask students to fill
in the loss of in the chart with positions they learned about (mayor, council, court,
smaller etc.). The teacher can provide guidance and supports if students
businesses.) need assistance. Students will then provide 2-3 sentences with a
short job description for each of these important roles.
Formative Assessment to meet the standards for 3.2.1
The teacher will give students a concept map with sections for
students to fill in. The teacher will provide the overlying word
communities and have students go forward by filling in blank
bubbles with the different types of communities (suburb, urban, and
rural). The teacher will then ask students to identify 2-3 important
attributes that each of these community types have. The teacher can
provide supports for students if they need guidance. The teacher
may provide multiple concept maps. Starting out by providing 1-2
types of communities and then providing 1-2 important attributes to
some of those communities. The teacher can then move forward
and provide students with a blank concept map and have students
provide all information required to fill out the concept map.
contrast the different types of physical characteristics within a
community and discuss why each community is different.
In order to understand that members of the community make
choices among products and services that have costs and
benefits (2.1.1) students will compare and contrast the pros and
cons of shopping locally and shopping through large businesses
through the use of an interactive Venn diagram. Students will
look at the effects of shopping at small business and shopping at
large business on a community. Students will look at the
positives and negatives that each (small and large businesses)
can have on a community. Students will be given cards with
different phrases and students will choose if this is would be a
pro for local or a pro for large businesses. If they believe that the
phrase affects the two, the same it will go in the middle. Students
would then discuss the importance of each of the phrases and
how it could impact a community. If students disagree with
another group, they have the opportunity to discuss their views
and change where they placed their phrases.

Formative Assessment to meet the standards for 2.1.1

The teacher will ask students to complete a one-minute think,
three-minute write about the information they learned when
completing the Interactive Venn Diagram activity based off of
information on shopping locally and shopping at larger businesses.
The teacher will prompt students to think back to the interactive
Venn diagram and to think about some of the pros and cons of
shopping locally. The teacher will then have students think, silently,
and brainstorm ideas for one minute. After this one-minute period is
up, students will write about their thoughts for three minutes. During
the one-minute period, students are allowed to write down ideas. If
students are struggling to think of ideas within the one-minute
period, students can share out ideas to spark some student thinking.

Summative Assessment:
End of unit project: This final project is meant to tie everything
together that students have learned throughout the unit and answer
the essential questions that are asked throughout this unit. The end
of unit project is presented to students in a clear and organized way
to gage students understanding of the important components
throughout this unit. The end of unit project guidelines is presented
in a way that helps guide student thinking in the right direction.
Students will also be provided with a rubric displaying how they will
be graded. Please see Communities End of Unit Project for more
details. (listed below)