All resources in Central Valley School District

3rd Grade History Unit: Geography & Cultures of North America

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The unit is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions, “Where are we?” and “Who are we?” Through these two questions students will understand where they live and where people around the world live. Students will also dive into the term “culture” and define it through many characteristics. Students will examine and reflect upon their own culture and research different cultures of North America.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Leslie Heffernan, Morgen Larsen

3rd Grade History Unit Design: Native Americans of North America

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This unit on American Indians: By studying the regions of the United States and the cultures that live in each region, students are able to compare/contrast within regions and across regions how tribes used their environments, and their cultural and other contributions to American life. Note that the emphasis here is on broader groups of tribes for each region with some instruction on specific tribes representing each region. In no way is this case study approach to learning about one tribe meant to be generalized to all tribes of that region. We understand that each tribe was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Leslie Heffernan

Causes of the American Revolution

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This kit provides teachers and other educators with the materials and guidance to help fourth grade students understand the reasons that the British colonists elected to declare their independence from King George III between the years 1763-1776. As a part of these lessons students will be encouraged to consider the intent and impact of media documents from a variety of points of view including those of the colonists, King George, patriots, loyalists, slaves and Native Americans.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Diagram/Illustration, Homework/Assignment, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Authors: Amy Eckley, Andrea Volckmar, Chris Sperry, Karen Griffin, Lynn VanDeWeert, Rachel Coates, Sox Sperry, Whitney Bong

Living in Washington: Geography, Resources, and Economy

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The unit is focused on the examination of geography in terms of “place.” Students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling question, What is unique about living in Washington? Through this question students will understand where and why people live in Washington State. Students will dive into the regions of Washington State and define it through many characteristics. Students will ultimately choose a region to become an expert on and communicate what makes that region unique. Each student’s performance task product will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Data Set, Diagram/Illustration, Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Student Guide, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Author: Leslie Heffernan

Unit Design: Tribes, Exploration, and Expansion

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The unit has two parts. In each, students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions: 1. Who are some of our closest tribal neighbors, and what have they been their lifeways since time immemorial? 2. Why do people explore, and how does this lead to expansion? Part 1 is focused on the examination of the northwest and some of the original inhabitants. Through these questions students will learn about the culture of some of their closest tribal neighbors, the Spokane Indians. The final project for Part 1 is a cultural investigation display, in which students will show what they know about the culture of the Spokane Tribe. In Part 2, Students will also learn about forces that brought change to the northwest: fur trade era and exploration. Students will ultimately learn about the Corps of Discovery and the Oregon Trail and know the impact each had on the west. Students will finish Part 2 with a timeline activity that will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set. Finally, a lesson on a Tribe of the Columbia Plateau is offered as an extension, but it is strongly recommended that students get to experience this lesson. Note that the emphasis here is on the Spokane Tribe as one of our closest tribal neighbors. In no way is this an exhaustive study nor should the tribal cultures be generalized to other tribes of the region. We understand that each tribe in our region and North America was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Case Study, Diagram/Illustration, Interactive, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Student Guide, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Author: Leslie Heffernan

The State We're In: Washington - Teacher Guide Ch. 8: Civics and Nature

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This is a Teacher's Guide for The State We're In Washington: Your guide to state, tribal and local government. These quides are developed by members of the Washington State Social Studies Cadre.Chapter 8 focuses on the natural resources in the state of Washington including challenges the government faces when competing interests are at stake, as well as ways the state and individuals can have an impact on that future.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Barbara Soots, Amy Ripley, Jerry Price, Washington OSPI OER Project

Territory and Treaty Making: A study of Tribes, Westward Expansion, and Conflict

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This unit is focused on the examination of a single topic, in this case, the Native Americans of the inland Northwest and conflict that arose when other non-native people started to settle in the northwest, and to specifically address the native populations that lived in the inland northwest. The materials were created to be one coherent arc of instruction focused on one topic. The module was designed to include teaching notes that signal the kind of planning and thinking such instruction requires: close reading with complex text, and specific instructional strategies or protocols are described that support students’ reading and writing with evidence are described in enough detail to make it very clear what is required of students and how to support students in doing this rigorous work. Materials include summative assessment of content and process, central texts, key resources, and protocols that support and facilitate student learning.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Leslie Heffernan

Introduction to Civic Online Reasoning for Distance Learning

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This collection of lessons represent adapted and remixed instructional content for teaching media literacy and specifically civic online reasoning through distance learning. These lessons take students through the steps necessary to source online content, verify evidence presented, and corroborate claims with other sources. The original lesson plans are the work of Stanford History Education Group, licensed under CC 4.0. Please refer to the full text lesson plans at Stanford History Education Group’s, Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum for specifics regarding background, research findings, and additional curriculum for teaching media literacy in the twenty-first century.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Interactive, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan

Authors: Adrienne Williams, Heather Galloway, Morgen Larsen, Rachel Obenchain, Stanford History Education Group-Civic Online Reasoning Project

Does Science Fiction Predict the Future? Inquiry Bases Media Literacy Unit

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Students will learn the potential costs and benefits of social media, digital consumption, and our relationship with technology as a society in the three-week lesson. This inquiry based unit of study will answer the following questions: Essential Question: How can we use science fiction’s ability to predict the future to help humanity? Supportive Questions 1: What predictions of future development has science fiction accurately made in the past? This can include technology, privacy, medicine, social justice, political, environmental, education, and economic. Supportive Question 2: What predictions for future development in contemporary science fiction are positive for the future of humanity? What factors need to begin in your lifetime to make these predictions reality? Supportive Question 3: What predictions for future development in contemporary science fiction are negative for the future of humanity? What factors need to begin in your lifetime to stop these negative outcomes?

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Reading, Unit of Study

Author: Morgen Larsen