In fourth grade unit 5, Informational Research Clubs, students will be organized into reading clubs consisting of 3-5 students of similar reading levels as they read text sets made up of related informational text and primary sources (photographs, letters, posters etc.) to understand ways in which people adapt to their environment. Teachers and students will research to answer the questions using multiple sources. Research questions will include - Why do people have to adapt to the environment of the place in which they live? What are some of the ways people adapt to the environment of the place in which they live? How does adaptation impact the culture of a group of people?
- In the first concept, Readers read to build background knowledge; Readers will learn to read quickly to get a broad overview of the topic, gather information on what they see and observe and use their informational reading strategies from unit 3 to focus on their topic.
- In the second concept, Readers take notes as they read; Readers will learn to various strategies for notetaking. Readers will utilize their reader’s notebooks, post-its and chart paper to create t-charts, timelines, and boxes and bullets. Readers will learn that writing organized notes prepares their thinking for writing and talking about the information they are learning.
- In the third concept, Readers use strategies to question, synthesize and analyze information; Readers will use their wonderings and questions to further their research. They will take these questions into their research to gain deeper understanding.
- In the fourth and final concept, Readers build and present knowledge to teach others; Readers learn that after researching readers use notes to talk about the content of their research with others.
This unit is designed to provide content-based integration with fourth grade social studies. Because it is intended to be used near the end of the year it provides an opportunity to review what students have learned about ways people have adapted to different environments in the United States. In addition, it can provide opportunities for students to apply and extend what they have learned to other places beyond the United States. The following tables show specific social studies connections.
Big Ideas
Geographers investigate both the physical and human characteristics of a place.
Physical characteristics include landforms, bodies of water, climate, and vegetation.
The United States has a wide variety of physical characteristics and different environments.
The physical characteristics of a place influence the culture (how people live) there.
People have adapted to different environments of the United States. As a result, cultural characteristics such as housing styles, recreational activities, and land use varies in different regions
A region is an area with at least one characteristic or feature that sets it apart from other areas. .
Regions can be based on many different natural characteristics such as landforms or climate.
People living in different regions of the United States have learned to adapt to the geography of their region.
The Southwest region and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States are very different. One is very dry and one is very wet. People in each of these regions have learned to adapt to the geography of their region.
History is often the story of how people have adapted to their environment.
Specific Grade Level Content Expectations
4 - G1.0.1 Identify questions geographers ask in examining the United States (e.g., Where it is? What is it like there? How is it connected to other places?).
4 - G2.0.2 Locate and describe human and physical characteristics of major United States regions and compare them to the Great Lakes region.
Connections to MC3 Units and Lessons
Unit 1
Lesson 2: Physical Characteristics of the United States
Lesson 5: A Closer Look at Regions
Lesson 6: Comparing Two Regions of the United States
Unit 3
Lesson 1: Questions Geographers Ask about Human Geography
Lesson 5: Adapting to Different Environments in the United States
