| This unit develops students’ understanding of and appreciation for the rule of law in the United States. They begin by exploring the purpose of rules and how they limit absolute freedom. Through literature students learn about three reasons for rules: to keep people safe, to keep things orderly and organized, and to make things fair. Next, students are introduced to the concept of “fairness” and how it applies to their lives at home and in school. They learn that fairness requires treating people in equitable, but not necessarily identical, ways. Using literature, students identify situations that are fair and unfair and explore the relationships among fairness, conflicts, and rules. In developing an understanding of citizenship, students consider why rules are important when people are in groups. Rules for groups such as the family, classroom, and school are used to identify rights and responsibilities associated with membership in each group. Students then apply their understanding of fairness to rules by identifying criteria for determining whether a rule is fair and then evaluating rules based on these criteria. Using different scenarios and literature, students distinguish the use of power without authority and the use of power with authority. Next, students build on their personal experiences with how rules are enforced. Using two stories, they engage in cross-text comparisons. They discuss how people in authority – those who have the right to use power – also have the responsibility to treat people fairly. To broaden their understanding of citizenship, the children consider circumstances where rules are unfair or conflict with one another. They weigh the importance of the rights of others, the rule of law, compassion, courage, and honesty in deciding whether to follow a rule. Students then listen to a story about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and explore how his actions with respect to unfair laws resulted in a national holiday in his honor. Through a lesson about citizenship and national symbols, students then broaden their understanding of rules, rights, and responsibilities from family and school to their town and country. Students then investigate several symbols of the United States and create an informational display about their assigned symbol, which they present to small groups. The unit concludes with students practicing their citizenship skills by taking on the role of citizens in an imaginary neighborhood and then role-playing situations in which they apply concepts of rules, fairness, majority rules, power, and authority. |
| MI: ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects K-5 Key Ideas and Details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. RL.1.9. Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. RL.1.10. With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1. Reading: Informational Text Key Ideas and Details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. RI.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. RI.1.2. Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. RI.1.3. Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. RI.1.4. Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. RI.1.6. Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. RI.1.7. Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. RI.1.10.With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1. Reading: Foundational Skills Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.1.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. a. Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs (two letters that represent one sound). b. Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words. c. Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds. d. Use knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word. e. Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables. f. Read words with inflectional endings. g. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. Fluency
RF.1.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. b. Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression. c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W.1.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. W.1.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W.1.3. Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. W.1.5. With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed. 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. W.1.8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. SL.1.1a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). SL.1.1b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges. SL.1.1c. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion. 2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. SL.1.2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. 3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. SL.1.3. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. SL.1.5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. SL.1.6. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. L.1.2b. Use end punctuation for sentences. L.1.2d. Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words. L.1.2e. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions. 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression. L.1.6. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., I named my hamster Nibblet because she nibbles too much because she likes that). MI: Social Studies (2007) H2 Living and Working Together
Use historical thinking to understand the past. 1 – H2.0.7 Identify the events or people celebrated during United States national holidays and why we celebrate them (e.g., Independence Day, Constitution Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Presidents’ Day). 1 – G1.0.2 Give examples of places that have absolute locations (e.g., home address, school address). C1 Purposes of Government
Explain why people create governments. 1 – C1.0.1 Identify some reasons for rules in school (e.g., provide order, predictability, and safety). 1 – C1.0.2 Give examples of the use of power with authority in school (e.g., principal, teacher or bus driver enforcing school rules). 1 – C1.0.3 Give examples of the use of power without authority in school (e.g., types of bullying, taking cuts in line). C2 Values and Principles of American Democracy
Understand values and principles of American constitutional democracy. 1 – C2.0.1 Explain how decisions can be made or how conflicts might be resolved in fair and just ways (e.g., majority rules). 1 – C2.0.2 Identify important symbols of the United States of America (e.g., Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, White House, Bald Eagle). C5 Role of the Citizen in American Democracy
Explain important rights and how, when, and where American citizens demonstrate their responsibilities by participating in government. 1 – C5.0.1 Describe some responsibilities people have at home and at school (e.g., taking care of oneself, respect for the rights of thers, following rules, getting along with others). 1 – C5.0.2 Identify situations in which people act as good citizens in the school community (e.g., thoughtful and effective participation in the school decisions, respect for the rights of others, respect for rule of law, voting, volunteering, compassion, courage, honesty). Discourse, Decisions, Ctzn Inv P3.1 Identifying and Analyzing Public Issues
Clearly state a problem as a public policy issue, analyze various perspectives, and generate and evaluate possible alternative resolutions. 1 – P3.1.1 Identify public issues in the school community. 1 – P3.1.2 Use graphic data to analyze information about a public issue in the school community. 1 – P3.1.3 Identify alternative resolutions to a public issue in the school community. P3.3 Persuasive Communication About a Public Issue
Communicate a reasoned position on a public issue. 1 – P3.3.1 Express a position on a public policy issue in the school community and justify the position with a reasoned argument. P4.2 Citizen Involvement Act constructively to further the public good. 1 – P4.2.1 Develop and implement an action plan to address or inform others about a public issue. 1 – P4.2.2 Participate in projects to help or inform others. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. |
