ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

I teach a unique grade called Junior First. We are a transition grade that does not do any standardized testing for me to base our current needs on. Looking at results of fourth grade CTBS testing didn’t seem to pinpoint the needs of my students. After doing informal assessments, I have observed that my students do not have the skills to differentiate between a city, state, and country. By doing this testing in the classroom, I could see that there was a real need for instruction in this area. I have found it is difficult for my students to know where our state is in relation to the other fifty in the U.S. They don’t seem to understand that our country has a variety of geographical differences. I am going to use technology to bring these areas into my classroom.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: 1. Students will understand the difference between a city, state, and a country. 2. They will realize that our country is filled with fifty states, each having unique characteristics. 3. My students will also recognize where North Dakota is on a map of the United States.
Goal(s): 1. Students will learn the difference between a city, state, and country. 2. Students will find North Dakota and other states on a United States map. 3. Students will learn about differences among the fifty states. 4. Students will recognize major geographical differences found in the United States and learn how those differences affect our lives.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1.What is the difference between a city, a state, and a country? 2. Where is North Dakota found on a map of the United States? 3. Where are these certain states located on a map of the United States? 4.Where are the mountain ranges and oceans located in and around our country? 5.Where are these tourist attractions found in the United States and can you place them on a map? 6.What kind of weather could this state have?
Objectives:1.  During a group discussion, students will recognize differences between a city, state, and country, and give 2 examples of each. 2. Given a map of the United States, the students will be able to locate the state of North Dakota with 100% accuracy. 3. Students will be able to find two mountain regions and three large bodies of water on a map of the United States. 4. Given pictures of state attractions, students will be able to put them on a map of the United States with 80% accuracy. 5. After viewing the National Geographic video of storms in the U.S., students will understand how oceans and mountains can affect climate and living conditions by naming storms associated with each. 6. Students will use a compass rose and determine directions of certain states by coloring them according to the directions given with 90% accuracy. 7. Given poster paper, students will draw one tourist attraction found in North Dakota and state two details about it. 8. When given pictures of weather conditions, students will match which states could contain this kind of weather with 90% accuracy.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? United States worksheets, one on one discussion with students, ability to complete a picture graph, matching temperature readings to daily activities.
What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Group discussions, small group projects, and completing art assignments.
What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Finding where we live in the U.S., recognizing that different parts of our country has changes in scenery and climate. Reading a thermometer and assessing how to dress for the day. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? Classroom observations, artwork involving the states, completion of classroom worksheets, and receiving postcards from relatives who live in other parts of our country.

Instructional Strategies

My students will use inquiry-based and project based strategies to complete activities involved in this unit. We will be using inquiry-based methods when differentiating between a city, state, and country. Researching the different states and their location on web sites will provide information on how the states vary in size, location, and culture. Project based activities will allow each student to pick the state he/she wants to tell about. Web sites that are benchmarked will help each child to find resources to complete these activities. We will also be collecting data as a group and determining how temperature can affect living conditions.