Unit Overview for Grades 1 to 5

Learning at each grade level is organized around four units of study.

Unit 1 Identity Unit 3 Interdependence



Unit 2 Heritage Unit 4 Decision Making

Unit Summary for Grade One

Students will learn about family traditions and celebrations of the past and the present. They will understand that family members learn about their culture from one another and that people choose the traditions and celebrations they want to observe. They will understand that there are similarities and differences among families and cultures.

In learning about the past, the students will explore the various lifestyles of families of the past, concentrating on roles of various family members and technologies used in the home.

Major Concepts and Learning Objectives

Concepts

Heritage

• family, culture, celebrations, traditions, the past

Students will know that:

• families express their cultures through traditions, rituals, and celebrations. (PSVS)
• traditions and celebrations have similarities and differences. (CCT, PSVS)
• lifestyles of the past were different from what they are today. (N, CCT, PSVS)
• differences of lifestyles are related, in part, to resources and technology. (N, TL, PSVS)

Students will:

• use oral language to describe family celebrations. (C, PSVS)
• use oral language and visual images to describe familylife styles of the past. (C, N, TL, IL)

Students will:

• appreciate and value their own heritage and that of others. (PSVS)
• appreciate and value lifestyles of the past. (N, TL, PSVS)

Students may:

• participate in experiences associated with celebrations and family lifestyles of the past. (C, TL, PSVS)
• learn to be nonjudgmental when dealing with differences between the present and past. (C, CCT, PSVS, IL)

Suggestions for Integration

Language Arts:

Use literature to develop themes such as "Holidays and Celebrations" for Module 1 and "Families of the Past" for Module 2 in the communicative or social contexts.

Mathematics:

Concept of time, timeline

Science:

Core Unit: Plants, for information about plants that were/are gathered and grown for survival and that are/were used in various celebrations.

Arts Education:

See the dance strand of Arts Education: A Curriculum Guide for Grade 1, p. 114 - 115. Integrate art forms connected with various holidays and celebrations.

Organizing and Teaching the Unit

It is the intention of the social studies curriculum that understandings about holidays and celebrations be learned at the time the holidays and celebrations are happening. However, there are required learnings within the context of this unit. It is suggested that the teacher plan a two to three week period of time to focus on the required learnings in Unit Two and then return to the theme during the year as holidays and celebrations occur.

For example learn about:

• ways family members learn from one another;
• songs, verses, stories, lullabies, and dances that are handed down from one generation to the next;
• ways of recording family information, for example, the family bible or photo albums;
• ways children learn about their culture including oral instruction and modelling; and
• family traditions and rituals such as what you do at bedtime, on Saturday morning, and at meal time.

Ask students to suggest ways the class could find out more about the chosen traditions and celebrations. Make a list. Guide the students to include books, films, filmstrips, videos, inviting a guest speaker to the classroom, field trip, role play, songs, music, dance, drama, and making a video. Take advantage of celebrations happening in the lives of your students, for example, weddings.

The celebrations the teacher and students choose will depend on the interests and experiences of the class, the structure of the community, and the resources available.