GATEWAY GROUP CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Kindergarten

Social Studies

Me and My World

6.1 U.S. History: America in the World: All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically about how past and present interactions of people, cultures, and the environment shape the American heritage. Such knowledge and skills enable students to make informed decisions that reflect fundamental rights and core democratic values as productive citizens in local, national, and global communities.

6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century All students will acquire the skills needed to be active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an interconnected world.

Focus of this Unit:  

  • Students will explore the need for rules and laws created by community, state, and national governments. They will explore these elements through historical narratives, community responses, and individual experiences.  From these exposures students will understand what it means to be an active citizen.  Students will compare their communities, states, and national governments to others in order to gain a cultural perspective.
  • Students will be exposed to geographic tools that will encourage spatial awareness.  They will understand the organization of people, places, and the environment as well as their physical and human properties.  They will learn how human activity can accommodate or endanger these properties.  These activities cause regions to form and change.
  • Students will learn how people make decisions based on their needs, wants, and the availability of resources.  They will learn how technology influences local, national, and global economies.
  • Students will recognize key historical events, documents, symbols, and individuals that led to the development of our nation.  Students will participate in discussions about American culture based on specific traditions, values, and beliefs that have been influenced by different cultural groups living in the United States.

NJ STUDENT LEARNING STANDARDS

6.1.P.A.1 Demonstrate an understanding of rules by following most classroom routines.

6.1.P.A.2 Demonstrate responsibility by initiating simple classroom tasks and jobs.       

6.1.P.A.3 Demonstrate appropriate behavior when collaborating with others.

6.1.4.A.1 Explain how rules and laws created by community, state, and national governments protect the rights of people, help resolve conflicts, and promote the common good.    

6.1.4.A.3 Determine how “fairness,” “equality,” and the “ common good” have influenced change at the local and national levels of United States government.

6.1.4.A.9 Compare and contrast responses of individuals and groups, past and present, to violations of fundamental rights.   

6.1.4.A.10 Describe how the actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders served as catalysts for social change and inspired social activism in subsequent generations.

6.1.4.A.14 Describe how the world is divided into many nations that have their own governments, languages, customs, and laws.    

6.1.P.B.1 Develop an awareness of the physical features of the neighborhood/community.

6.1.P.B.2 Identify, discuss, and role-play the duties of a range of community workers.     

6.1.4.B.1 Compare and contrast information that can be found on different types of maps, and determine when the information may be useful.

6.1.4.B.3 Explain how and when it is important to use digital geographic tools, political maps, and globes to measure distances and to determine time zones and locations using latitude and longitude.

6.1.4.B.4 Describe how landforms, climate and weather, and availability of resources have impacted where and how people live and work in different regions of New Jersey and the United States.

6.1.4.B.6 Compare and contrast characteristics of regions in the United States based on culture, economics, politics, and physical environment to understand the concept of regionalism

6.1.4.B.7 Explain why some locations in New Jersey and the United States are more suited for settlement than others.          

6.1.4.B.8 Compare ways people choose to use and divide natural resources.  

6.1.4.B.10 Identify the major cities in New Jersey, the United States, and major world regions, and explain how maps, globes, and demographic tools can be used to understand tangible and intangible cultural differences.

6.1.4.C.1 Apply opportunity cost to evaluate individuals’ decisions, including ones made in their communities.      

6.1.4.C.2 Distinguish between needs and wants and explain how scarcity and choice influence decisions made by individuals, communities, and nations.

6.1.4.C.9 Compare and contrast how access to and use of resources affects people across the world differently.   

6.1.4.C.10 Explain the role of money, savings, debt, and investment in individuals’ lives.      

6.1.4.C.11 Recognize the importance of setting long-term goals when making financial decisions within the community.

6.1.P.D.1 Describe characteristics of oneself, one’s family, and others.  

6.1.P.D.2 Demonstrate an understanding of family roles and traditions

6.1.P.D.3 Express individuality and cultural diversity (e.g., through dramatic play).    

6.1.P.D.4 Learn about and respect other cultures within the classroom and community.  

6.1.4.D.1 Determine the impact of European colonization on Native American populations, including the Lenni Lenape of New Jersey.   

6.1.4.D.6 Describe the civic leadership qualities and historical contributions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin toward the development of the United States government.    

6.1.4.D.12 Explain how folklore and the actions of famous historical and fictional characters from New Jersey and other regions of the United States contributed to the American national heritage.

6.1.4.D.14 Trace how the American identity evolved over time.            

6.1.4.D.16 Describe how stereotyping and prejudice can lead to conflict, using examples from the past and present.

6.1.4.D.17 Explain the role of historical symbols, monuments, and holidays and how they affect the American identity.  

6.3.4.A.1 Evaluate what makes a good rule or law.

6.3.4.B.1 Plan and participate in an advocacy project to inform others about environmental issues at the local or state level and propose possible solutions.

6.3.4.D.1 Identify actions that are unfair or discriminatory, such as bullying, and propose solutions to address such actions.

Essential Questions

  • How do citizens, civic ideals, and government institutions interact to balance the needs of individuals and the common good?
  • How have economic, political, and cultural decisions promoted or prevented the growth of personal freedom, individual responsibility, equality, and respect for human dignity?
  • How do physical geography, human geography, and the human environment interact to influence or determine the development of cultures, societies, and nations?
  • How can individuals, groups, and societies apply economic reasoning to make difficult choices about scarce resources? What are the possible consequences of these decisions for individuals, groups, and societies?
  • How have scientific and technological developments over the course of history changed the way people live and economies and governments function?
  • How do our interpretations of past events inform our understanding of cause and effect, and continuity and change, and how do they influence our beliefs and decisions about current public policy issues?
  • How can the study of multiple perspectives, beliefs systems, and cultures provide a context for understanding and challenging public actions and decisions in a diverse and interdependent world?

Civics, Government, and Human Rights

Core Content/Objectives

Instructional Actions

Concepts

What students will know

Skills

What students will be able to do

Activities/Strategies

Learning Activities/ Differentiation

Interdisciplinary Connections

Assessment

How learning will be assessed

  • How to be a good helper at school?

  • Children learn how to be good helpers at school.  They learn and practice four ways to be handy helpers.

  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 6

  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, demonstrate understanding by participating in a role-playing game (example:  SSA activity 6.7)

  • How to get along with others?

  • Children will explore ways to get along with others.  They learn first hand why taking turns is important for getting along.
  • Children will learn will about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders and how their contributions and actions influenced society.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 3
  • Books: Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Let’s Read About Abraham Lincoln, or other picture books about civil rights leaders.
  • See Appendix for book list and example of supplemental activities.
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, class collaboration on a “We Get Along” display (example:  SSA activity 3.8)
  • Martin Luther King – Students name three contributions of MLK and match on worksheet in appendix
  • How to solve problems?

  • Children learn four steps to help them solve problems with others.  They learn and practice how to stop and calm down, talk and listen, think of solutions, and agree on a plan to try.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 5
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, class discussion about how to apply new found problem solving skills (example: SSA activity 5.6)
  • What is in my neighborhood?
  • Children learn that a neighborhood has buildings, outdoor places, and people.  
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 7
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, group design of a neighborhood park, class discussion of neighborhood characteristics (example: SSA activities 7.7 & 7.8)
  • How do people live around the world?

  • Children learn that, although people around the world are different, they are also alike in important ways.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 9
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, take part in a cultural journey to share a meal in another country (example: SSA activity 9.5)

Geography, People, and the Environment

Core Content/Objectives

Instructional Actions

Concepts

What students will know

Skills

What students will be able to do

Activities/Strategies

Learning Activities/ Differentiation

Interdisciplinary Connections

Assessment

How learning will be assessed

  • How do people live around the world?

  • Children learn that, although people around the world are different, they are also alike in important ways.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 9
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, take part in a cultural journey to share a meal in another country (example: SSA activity 9.5)
  • Where am I in the world?

  • Children explore the idea that they are part of several concentrically larger communities.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 8
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, summarize new knowledge by making books about where we live (example: SSA activity 8.6 & 8.7)
  • How can I help take care of the world?
  • Children explore the three R’s – recycling, reducing, and reusing – to learn how they can help take care of the world.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 10
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, create a class display showing new found knowledge about the conservation and preservation of the earth

Economics, Innovation, and Technology

Core Content/Objectives

Instructional Actions

Concepts

What students will know

Skills

What students will be able to do

Activities/Strategies

Learning Activities/ Differentiation

Interdisciplinary Connections

Assessment

How learning will be assessed

  • How do people live around the world?

  • Children learn that, although people around the world are different, they are also alike in important ways.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 9
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, take part in a cultural journey to share a meal in another country (example: SSA activity 9.5)

  • How can I help take care of the world?
  • Children explore the three R’s – recycling, reducing, and reusing – to learn how they can help take care of the world.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 10
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, create a class display showing new found knowledge about the conservation and preservation of the earth

History, Culture, and Perspectives

Core Content/Objectives

Instructional Actions

Concepts

What students will know

Skills

What students will be able to do

Activities/Strategies

Learning Activities/ Differentiation

Interdisciplinary Connections

Assessment

How learning will be assessed

  • How do I make friends?

  • Children learn how to make friends by using four “skill builders.”
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 4
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, create a display of kind words and actions, role-play making a friend (examples: SSA 4.5 & 4.6)

  • Who am I?
  • Children learn that there are many ways to describe who they are, what they like, what they care about, how they feel, and things they can do.
  • Children will be able to identify civic leadership qualities of historical figures George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 1
  • Books: Let’s Read About George Washington, Let’s Read About Abraham Lincoln
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, make an individual and class display about feelings, talents, and self features (examples: SSA 1.5, 1.6, & 1.7)
  • What is in my neighborhood?

  • Children learn that a neighborhood has buildings, outdoor places, and people.  
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 7
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, group design of a neighborhood park, class discussion of neighborhood characteristics (example: SSA activities 7.7 & 7.8)

  • What is a family?

  • Children explore what make families special.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 2
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, class or individual project that depicts families (example: SSA activity 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 & 2.6)
  • Where am I in the world?
  • Children explore the idea that they are part of several concentrically larger communities.
  • Social Studies Alive! Me and My World: Lesson 8
  • Formative:  teacher observations, student participation, summarize new knowledge by making books about where we live (example: SSA activity 8.6 & 8.7)

                Evidence of Learning

Assessment:

  • Formative Assessment Strategies
  • Rubrics
  • Unit Assessments
  • Performance Assessments

Equipment Needed:

  • Social Studies Alive – Me and My World
  • Let’s Read About George Washington
  • Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
  • Let’ Read About Abraham Lincoln
  • Red White and Blue:  The Story of the American Flag

Teacher Resources:

Social Studies Alive! Me and My World

Modifications/Accommodations

IEPs

  • Flexible grouping  
  • Pairing of students of similar ability  
  • Student centered activities  
  • Learning stations  
  • Small group discussions  
  • Problem solving situations
  • Adaptive Equipment

504s

  • Flexible grouping  
  • Pairing of students of similar ability  
  • Student centered activities  
  • Learning stations  
  • Small group discussions  
  • Problem solving situations
  • Adaptive Equipment

ELLs

  • teaching key aspects of a topic.
  • Eliminate nonessential information .
  • using videos, illustrations, pictures, and drawings to explain or clarify.
  • allowing products (projects, timelines, demonstrations, models, drawings, dioramas, poster boards, charts, graphs, slide shows, videos, etc.) to demonstrate student’s learning; .
  • allowing students to correct errors (looking for understanding) .
  • allowing the use of note cards or open-book during testing .
  • decreasing the amount of work presented or required

G/T

  • teaching key aspects of a topic. Eliminate nonessential information .
  • using videos, illustrations, pictures, and drawings to explain or clarify.
  • allowing products (projects, timelines, demonstrations, models, drawings, dioramas, poster boards, charts, graphs, slide shows, videos, etc.) to demonstrate student’s learning;
  • allowing students to correct errors (looking for understanding) .
  • allowing the use of note cards or open-book during testing . decreasing the amount of work presented or required

At-Risk Failure

  • Projects designed so teacher may add or omit criteria based on student need
  • Shortened assignments
  • Extended time allotted for students
  • Structure lessons around questions that are authentic, relate to students’ interests, social/family background and knowledge of their communities
  • Collaborate with after-school programs or clubs to extend learning opportunities and support
  • Various online learning opportunities to reinforce skills based on student needs
  • Provide students multiple choices for how they can represent their understandings
  • Additional time for test preparation
  • Directions written and read/explained thoroughly and in chunks
  • Emphasis on successes
  • Graphic organizers and other organizational aides
  • Student Success Team and implementation of RTI Interventions
  • Set goal plan with reachable goals and pathways and collaboration with parents
  • One-on-one conference with teacher to include feedback on work and progress toward meeting goals

Interdisciplinary Connections

Career Ready Practices

9.2 Career Awareness, Exploration, and Preparation  

8.1 Educational Technology: All students will use digital tools to access, manage, evaluate, and synthesize information in order to solve problems individually and collaborate and to create and communicate knowledge.

LA.K.RF.K.4.B Read grade level text for purpose and understanding. LA.K.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. LA.K.RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. LA.K.RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. LA.K.RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. LA.K.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how). LA.K.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

  • CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee.
  • CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
  • CRP4.Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason.
  • CRP6.Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
  • CRP7.Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
  • CRP8.Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • CRP9.Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.
  • CRP10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals.
  • CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity.

By the end of 4th grade,

  • 9.2.4.A.1 Identify reasons why people work, different types of work, and how work can help a person achieve personal and professional goals.  
  • 9.2.4.A.2 Identify various life roles and civic and work‐related activities in the school, home, and community.
  • 9.2.4.A.3 Investigate both traditional and nontraditional careers and relate information to personal likes and dislikes.
  • 9.2.4.A.4 Explain why knowledge and skills acquired in the elementary grades lay the foundation for future academic and career success.

Kindergarten                                                                                                                             -  -