THEMATIC UNITS
GRADE 4
ARE WE THERE YET?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE CONCEPT
Working in cooperative groups of 3-4 , the children will take on the role of a family moving out of slavery, after the slaves were freed, moving to the north, for employment, and to a better life.
This unit is very flexible and can be used in several ways:
1. In the traditional manner, a bit of science, art, math language arts, social studies can be taught each day or
2. An entire morning or afternoon or day can be used for 1 subject area or
3. Total Immersion into the concept and worked on over a 2 or 3 week period.
I feel that the unit would work best if used in this last way. Whole days can be used to really delve into this experience ---- and that is what this is to be -- an experience.
Change the look and feel of your classroom -- let the children wear things that would indicate their family group -- a band on their leg or arm - as a secret code to each other.
Perhaps a day might look like this: A complete immersion in the process of estimating and map reading, a few breaks perhaps for silent reading, being read to and a devotional about and on one of the beatitudes -- letting the day feel like a real day in the life of someone on a long journey. The next couple of days might be totally involved with the social studies, art and science experience, again broken up with the silent reading, a bit of being read to and a beatitude. These last items could be used to conclude the day, remembering all the time that the entire class and room are role - playing a JOURNEY. Perhaps even snacks for each day would pertain to the journey.
Some preparation of the student is necessary in order for them to accomplish the work in this unit.
*NEED TO KNOW MAP SKILLS (or incorporate this into the unit)
*NEED TO KNOW THE 52 STATES, CAPITOLS AND LOCATIONS
*NEED TO KNOW LAND FORMS (usually covered in depth in 3rd grade.)
*NEED TO KNOW THE PERIOD OF HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR AND SLAVERY
Some preparation of the teacher in necessary also:
*NEED TO CONSTRUCT A MODEL OF THE JOURNAL
*NEED TO PREFOLD THE JOURNAL PAGES FOR THE STUDENTS
*NEED TO HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF REFERENCE BOOKS
for map work
for plant drawings and references
OR
computer knowledge and CD ROM encyclopedias if available
plant drawing and references
Be flexible while accomplishing this unit. Adapt it to fit the abilities and interests of your students. You are role-playing a JOURNEY, an adventure -- explore, enjoy, discover, be amazed, work together. The journal is an important piece here, giving the students concrete evidence of their journey and what they have learned. It is also the most complicated to set up. The students will do a beautiful job if the teacher is very prepared:
* PREFOLD THE STUDENTS PAPERS
* PRECUT SMALL STRIPS FOR PAGE CONNECTORS AND PREFOLD THEM.
* PRECUT MATTE BOARD PIECES FOR THE COVERS
* KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOUR PAGES WILL BE ORGANIZED
This sounds like an awesome task but it is about 1 1/2 hours of time well-spent.
Blank books may be purchased in place of the art experience of creating a book but that would eliminate and important part of the curriculum.
Good luck on your journey!
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Creating the Journal
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, WI. 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Art
TIME: 1(one) or 2(two) 35 Min. Periods
OBJECTIVES:
*Students will learn how to build a book which will be a journal for this unit.
*Students will learn that accordion folded paper may be used as pages in a book and how to connect several pages together.
MATERIALS:
1. 60 x 80 railroad (tag) board or matte board or cardboard for book covers
2. Wallpaper from wallpaper books or colored construction paper for covering the book covers
3. Paper for the pages: cut 120 X 180 drawing paper or construction paper into strips 7 1/20 x 16 1/20. each child will need 4 strips. When folded into 3 parts, you will have a total of 24 pages using both sides. Each page will be 5 1/20 x 7 1/20 in dimension.
4. Save those scraps from the above. You will need 3 (three) small strips for each child 20 x 7 1/20. These will be the connectors, hinging each of those 4 bigger strips together. More on that later.
5. White glue and scrapers ( 10 20 (approx.) scrap pieces of card board or matte board) to spread glue, scissors, markers for writing Page 4 title and for helping to press material to book covers ( use marker on it is side with cap on. It will apply even pressure to area being glued.)
6. 1 piece of 10 x 300 ribbon. (More about this later.)
PROCEDURES:
1. Cut railroad board, matte board or cardboard into 60 x 80 pieces for students ahead of time. (2 each)
2. Provide special paper for book covers -- wallpapers, or construction paper -- 2 pieces for each student, 80 x 100.
3. Students will spread a light cover of glue over entire matte board piece with the little scraper and then place on top of special paper. Use the side of a marker, applying even pressure over the surface to glue the two pieces tightly together.
4. Trim the corners off of the special paper.
5. Spread a thin layer of white glue on one edge, fold over, and glue down as in step 3. Repeat on other three sides.
6. Now the book covers look like this:
7. Accordion fold into 3 parts, the 7 1/20 x 16 1/20 papers for the students. Fold the small 20 x 7 1/20 connector pieces in half for the students.
8. Glue 1 (one) 300 piece of 10 wide ribbon to the inside of each of the covers, leaving 10 in the middle for the book spine.
9. Spread a thin layer of glue on the inside of the strip and use it to hinge 2 (two) long strips together. You will do this 3 (three) times.
10. Glue first and last pages of the now long accordion folded paper to the first and last covers of the book making a sandwich of book cover ribbon
11. Wipe off access glue, let dry. Then close book and press under a heavy stack of encyclopedias, etc. By the next day the book will be ready for the title: Are We There Yet?
12. Use this book to record all information for this unit.
13. Purchased blank books may be used in place of creating the book.
However, in doing this an important Fine Arts aspect is lost.
EVALUATION :
1. Do the students know why they are creating the book?
2. Is the student pleased with the selection of special papers for covering the book?
3. Was the student careful when working to create a clean product? This is an important part of book making.
PAGE ORGANIZATION FOR THE JOURNAL
| PAGE | HEADING | INFORMATION |
| 1 | Are we there yet? | List the people in student group. List where you are and where you are headed to. (Raleigh N.C. to Milwaukee WI.) |
| 2 | General historical | List how slaves lived and why they would want to leave |
| 3 | Estimation | Record all information gathered |
| 4 | Estimation | Record all information gathered |
| 5 | Social Studies | Name state( S. Carolina), draw map of state, locate capitol, rivers, mountains. Draw a plant from that state such as the state flower and identify. |
| 6 | Social Studies | N. Carolina |
| 7 | Social Studies | Virginia |
| 8 | Social Studies | Tennessee |
| 9 | Social Studies | Kentucky |
| 10 | Social Studies | Illinois |
| 11 | Social Studies | Wisconsin |
| 12 | Language Arts, Art, | Write a Haiku poem about the trials of a slave leaving the south and going north with a family. Illustrate your poem. |
| 13 | Art | Record the artist's name, Jacob Lawrence, "The Migration Series". Draw a picture of the people in your group who are migrating. |
| 14 | Language Arts | Read novel by Mildred Taylor record title and author and write a brief summary of the book. |
| 15 | Language Arts | Record the title of the book ñF THE by Roahl Dahl. Write a brief summary of the book. |
| 16 | Religion | Record the first Beatitude as found in the Bible. Write how you will fit that Beatitude into your life. |
| 17 | Religion | second Beatitude, etc. |
| 18 | Religion | third Beatitude, etc. |
| 19 | Religion | fourth Beatitude, etc. |
| 20 | Religion | fifth Beatitude, etc. |
| 21 | Religion | sixth Beatitude, etc. |
| 22 | Religion | seventh Beatitude, etc. |
| 23 | Religion | eighth Beatitude, etc. |
| 24 | Music | Record the song that your group wrote and the tune to which it is sung. |
If each page is numbered and headed by the student in the very beginning, it will make the recording of events and data a lot easier .
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Why do we want to leave?
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Social Studies
TIME: 1 (one) 35 min. period (?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 2 in the journal
1. The student will become familiar with the period of time in American history when the slaves migrated to the North and why they migrated.
2. The students will have an understanding of the Confederates and the Yankees.
3. The students will have an understanding of the regions where the slaves lived and the areas that they chose to move to.
MATERIALS:
The classroom Social Studies text book, for example:
"This Is My Country" from Houghton Mifflin
PROCEDURES:
Class discussion and reading of the text book.
EVALUATION:
1. Do the students have information to record in their journals as to what slave life was like? Why would a slave want to leave?
2. Was the information recorded on the correct place in the journal? (pg.2)
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Estimating
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Math
TIME: 3(three) 35 min. periods (?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use pages 3 & 4 in the Journal
1. Students will understand the concepts of estimation in math.
2. Student will learn how to estimate mileage.
3. Students will add up mileage, compute how far a person can travel by horse, foot, etc., a day.
4. Students will estimate length of journey from their point of origin ( South Carolina) to Milwaukee -- how many days?
PROCEDURE:
1. Using map reading skills, measure the mileage from city to city.
2. Compute that: by car (how fast, how far in 1 hour, etc.)
by horse ( how fast and how far in 1 hour) (a pedometer is valuable here)
3. Some estimating outside of math might be fun here: How much food will each students group need based on how long the trip will be between towns?
EVALUATION:
1. Did the students grasp the concept of estimation?
2. Was the estimation information recorded in the journal on the appropriate page?
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: What are we finding along the way?
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Science, Art, Social Studies
TIME: 3(three) 35 min. periods(?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use pages 5 - 11 in the Journal
Art
1. Students will observe the visual characteristics of 7 plants
2. Students will observe maps of each of the 7 states
3. Students will learn the various ways of using colored pencil; blending, pressing hard, pressing lightly
4. Students will draw the 7 plants and 7 states in their journal, using colored pencil.
Science
1. Students will use resources from the library , ie. encyclopedias, and various plant books available to the teacher to find 7 various plants from the 7 states through which they will travel.
2. Students will list the plants in their journal, identifying the conditions for that plant to grow.
Social Studies
1. Students will begin this project having learned all 52 states.
2. Student will recognize their state of departure (South Carolina), and the states through which they will be traveling.
3. Students will know and label the capitols of those states on the appropriate page in their journal. (pg. 5-11)
4. Students will record any major rivers, mountains, etc. in those states
MATERIALS:
1. The journal that the students have built for the journey.
2. Resources: *Us maps and geographical information *books about various US plants, trees, state flowers, etc.
3. Colored pencils, scratch paper
4. A previous information base of the map of the US and the 50 states.
5. Map reading skills.
(The last 2 items may be included in this entire activity, however, it lengthens the unit quite a bit so please allow for that.)
PROCEDURE:
Using the appropriate page in the journal, record all the information about that state: (pg. 5 - 11)
*draw a state map
*locate capitol and label
*locate any important land forms and label
*identify state flower and where it grows
*draw the state flower using various drawing
techniques : blending, outlining, lights and darks
and observation skills: leaf edge, leaf colors, blossom (if any) colors, vein and stem colors
EVALUATION:
1. Is each state which is traveled thru represented in the journal with the appropriate information?
2. Can the student trace the migration trail on a full size US map?
3. Can the student identify what plants grow where and then draw some conclusions as to what those plants must need in order to grow? (pg. 5-11)
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: What are we finding along the way?
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Science, Art, Social Studies, Technology
TIME: 3(three) 35 min. periods(?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use pages 5-11 in the journal
Technology:
1. Students will become familiar with the Encarta Encyclopedia CD ROM or any another CD ROM encyclopedia available to them to help them find
the 7 various plants from the 7 states that they will be traveling through.
Art:
1. Students will observe the visual characteristics of 7 plants
2. Students will observe maps of each of the 7 states
3. Students will learn the various ways of using colored pencil; blending, pressing hard, pressing lightly
4. Students will draw the 7 plants and 7 states in their journal, using colored pencils.
5. Or the students will print out the plant image and cut and paste it into their journal. If in black and white, color with colored pencils.
Science:
1. Students will label the plants which have been either drawn or cut and pasted into their journals, identifying the conditions for that plant to grow.
Social Studies:
1. Students will begin this project having learned all 50 states.
2. Student will recognize their state of departure (South Carolina), and the states which they will be traveling through.
3. Students will know and label the capitols of those states in the appropriate place in their journal. (pg. 5-11)
4. Students will record any major rivers, mountains, etc. in those states.
MATERIALS:
1. The journal for the journey that the students have built .
2. Resources: Encarta Encyclopedia CD ROM, Printers, color if possible
3. Colored pencils, scratch paper, glue, scissors
4. A previous information base of the map of the US and the 52 states.
5. Map reading skills. (The last 2 items may be learned during this activity, however, it lengthens the unit quite a bit so please allow for that.)
PROCEDURES:
1. Insert the Encarta Encyclopedia into the CD ROM drive.
2. Double click on Hard Drive
3. Double click on Encarta 96 Encyclopedia folder
4. Double click on Encarta 96 Encyclopedia
5. Click on FIND
6. Choose a category by holding down the mouse button on the black triangle next to the HOME section and drag to the right to choose the category: GEOGRAPHY: US TERRITORIES AND REGIONS.
7. Type in the state that you are looking for. Click on subject.
8. Open FACT BOX.
9. Click on TREE or FLOWER. Print out a copy ( click on CAPTION, drag on arrow by name or item and go to print image) in black and white and color it with colored pencils or print in color. Cut and paste by hand and put into journal.
10. Close.
11. Read data about the state that you are in on the screen.
12. If possible look at state map and do a brief pencil drawing while at the computer, or print out a copy of the map, cut out by hand, past, color and
glue into journal.
3. List any information from the computer in your journal about rivers, state capitols, mountains, etc. Or, print out any information which would be valuable.
14. When work is completed, go FILE to QUIT.
15. Close window.
16. Close window on folder
EVALUATION:
1. Can the students access the encyclopedia unassisted?
2. Can the students move around freely in the encyclopedia finding what Page 14 they need?
3. Can the students print the necessary material?
4. Is the journal getting used appropriately?
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Write a Haiku Poem
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Language Arts and Art
TIME: 1 (one) 35 min. period (?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 12 in the journal
1. The students will learn the form of and write a Haiku Poem
2. The students will be able to express some thoughts of the trials of a slave leaving the south and going to the north.
3. Students will be able to name symbols (used in a drawing) and words (used in the poem) to express those thoughts.
4. Students will illustrate or decorate their poem with symbols of the poem.
PROCEDURE:
1. Study the format of a Haiku Poem
2. Brainstorm ideas and words about slavery and leaving slavery and moving to freedom.
3. Create a Haiku poem and write it on a page in the journal. (pg. 12)
4. Illustrate or decorate that page with symbols of the ideas found in the poem.
EVALUATION:
1. Do the students know the meter of a Haiku Poem?
2. Is the poem recorded in the journal? (Pg. 12)
3. Is the student content with the poem? Why or why not?
4. Is the poem illustrated well? Was time taken to find images or symbols for the thoughts and words of the poem?
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Study of Jacob Lawrence's OF THE Migration Series
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Art
TIME: 2(two) 35 min. period (?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 13 in the journal
1. The students will be introduced to the artist Jacob Lawrence and his piece of work ñf the Migrations Series and a brief history of the artist.
2. After viewing the paintings and reading and discussing all of the captions for the series, the students will draw a picture in their journal illustrating their group migrating just as Lawrence did.
3. The students will write a caption for their drawing just as Lawrence did.
MATERIALS:
1. The journals (pg.13)
2. Colored pencils (water colors would be nice but the drying of the book page presents some problems, and many times markers soak through to the next page, so --- colored pencils.)
3. A colored set of prints of ñF THE Migration Series and the captions for each painting could possible be obtained form the Milwaukee Art Museum, or perhaps a book from the library.
PROCEDURE:
1. Acquire a set of the 60 painting in the "MIGRATION Series if possible.
2. Talk about Lawrence's's life, show the painting, read the captions, discuss their meaning and how Lawrence's depicted those captions.
3. The students should illustrate their group on the move. This drawing is done in their journal. (pg.13).
EVALUATION:
1. Did the students get a real idea of the trials of slaves in the south, of people on the move, of people struggling?
2. How did the captions help them understand the paintings of Jacob Lawrence?
3. Was this difficult? Why? What?
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Always Take A Good Book On A Trip!
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Language Arts
TIME: 15 Min. of in class reading for approx 2 weeks and home reading
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 14 in the journal
1. The students will choose a private reading book from the following list by Mildred Taylor: The Gold Cadillac, The Friendship, Mississippi Bridge
2. After completing the book, the students will write a brief paragraph describing the story line.
3. Through discussion of those stories the students will gain a better understanding of their own journey.
PROCEDURE:
1. Students choose 1 of the 3 novels by Mildred Taylor.
2. A designated time for reading each day is set aside for the entire class.
3. Again, work this into the role playing of being on a journey -- perhaps the reading is done during the "Heat of the mid-day" as a way to calm children
on such a journey. Or perhaps it is done at the end of the day as the Family gathers together for the night.
4. When the novel is completed, the students should record the title, author and a brief description of the story in their journal. (pg. 14)
EVALUATION:
1. Can the student compare and contrast the characters and situations in the novel to their own role-playing situation?
2. Did the student enjoy the novel? Why? Why Not?
3. Were the observation recorded in the journal along with a brief summary of the novel? (Pg. 14)
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: There Is Nothing Like Sharing A Good Story
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Language Arts
TIME: 15 to 20 min. a day
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 15 in the journal
1. The students will be come familiar with the book, ñF THE by Roahl Dahl.
2. The students will role- play being on a trip, in a strange place while having the story read to them.
3. The students will come to know the comfort of a good book -- especially 1(one) that has a special message for people making a change, as these students are doing.
PROCEDURE:
1. Set aside a period of time to read to the students each day.
2. Discuss the book and it is relationship to the student's "journey" as you go along each day.
EVALUATION:
1. Did the students grasp the concepts found in the novel?
2. Did the students record their observations in their journal along with a brief summary of the novel? (Pg. 15)
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: A Study Of The Beatitudes
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Religion
TIME: Approximately 30 min. a day for 9(nine) days
OBJECTIVES:
Use pages 16-23 in the journal
1. The students will learn the 8 Beatitudes
2. The students will work to have a personal understanding of the Beatitudes and incorporate them into their lives.
3. The students could use this time as a daily devotional on their journey.
MATERIALS:
1. A bible
2. Their journals (pages. 16 - 23)
PROCEDURE:
DAY 1
1. As a class, read the Beatitudes in the Bible
2. Discuss the meanings of all of them briefly and how they could apply to their daily lives. This is a brief discussion, not belaboring each one.
DAY 2
3. Give each small group of travelers 1 beatitude. (If necessary give some groups 2).
4. Ask the groups to figure out how they could act out, or role-play their specific Beatitude. They should demonstrate both parts "Blessed are" . . . and "for they shall. . ."
DAY 3, 4, 5, 6
5. Have each group quietly set up their demonstration. Then, quietly and prayerfully read aloud their Beatitude from the Bible. Continuing in a quiet, prayerful manner, act out the Beatitude in full. When completed, ask the class for any questions, ideas, special things they noticed. The group then reads a short prayer asking for God's guidance in helping everyone in the class to understand and live the specific Beatitude. (Plan on doing 2 (two) Beatitudes a day)
DAY 7 & 8
6. Each Beatitude is recorded on a single page in the journal along with 1 suggestion to make a move (no matter how small) in the students life toward that 1 specific Beatitude. Some small decorations made of symbols pertaining to that specific Beatitude may be included on the page.
DAY 9
1. Conclude all work on the Beatitudes with a prayer for change in the students lives
EVALUATION:
1. Did the Beatitudes become more real to the students?
2. Were the students able to relate the biblical message to their everyday life?
3. Were they able to act out each Beatitude? Were some more difficult than others? Why?
4. Was the information recorded in their journals? (pages.16 - 23)
ARE WE THERE YET?
TITLE: Songs With Special Messages
AUTHOR: Linda L. Keller
St. Mary's Elementary School
N89 W16297 Cleveland Ave.
Menomonee Falls, Wi 53051
GRADE LEVEL: 4
CONNECTION TO THE CURRICULUM: Music
TIME: 2 (two) 35 min. periods (?)
OBJECTIVES:
Use page 24 in the journal
1. The students will learn songs which the slaves sang while using the underground railroad: Follow the Drinking Gourd and Wade in the Water
2. The students will learn the real meaning of the word of the songs.
MATERIALS:
Access to piano, music, music teacher, recordings of these songs tape recorder, CD player, or record player.
PROCEDURE:
1. This can be accomplished with the music teacher -- meet and plan ahead to that the activities will coordinate.
2. Or. if a music teacher is not available to the school: find recordings of the songs, in order that they can be played during class.
3. Write out the words so that the children can follow and come to understand the secret message in each song.
4. The children should sing the songs.
5. Before the next music class, each small group should try to figure out how they could send a secret message to another group to perhaps meet them on a certain hill or on a certain road by a certain place. This message would be in the form of a song. Each group using a familiar tune, would write lyrics with a secret message. Each group could perform their song and see if anyone gets the message.
6. Record in the journal the tune used and the lyrics written for your group. (page 24)
EVALUATION:
1. Was each group able to write a song with a secret message?
2. Was the message understood?
3. Record the appropriate information in the journal (pg.24)