2.12 Overview Social Studies SOL

2.12 OVERVIEW

The student will understand that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Discuss with students that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions who contribute to their community by practicing the responsibilities of good citizenship.
Using a map of the United States, tell students that a long, long time ago no one lived in America. Ask: How do you think the people got here? Write the students’ ideas on the board. Re-read the student-generated list to the class to recall all of the possible ways people could have come to America.
Tell students that thousands of years ago the American Indians (First American) ancestors came from Asia, across a land bridge into what is now Alaska. (Show the movement with your finger or a pointer.) What are ancestors? (An ancestor is a relative from long ago, like your Great, Great Grandma.) The ancestors of the Native Americans traveled all around and settled in both North and South America. (Point out both continents.)
Read a teacher-selected book about immigrants coming to America. Discuss why people would come to America.
Explain that America is called a melting pot because all of these people from different countries and cultures have come here and blended together as Americans.
Ask if the students have ever eaten Trail Mix before? What happens when you put cereal, pretzels, small crackers, Goldfish, and raisins in the bowl together? The individual items all mix together to become Trail Mix. If the resources are available, make Trail Mix.
Emphasize the “melting pot” idea when all the individual ingredients are mixed together. Show the students the new mixture. See if students can use the metaphor that the Trail Mix is like the different groups of people making the Trail Mix taste better with a variety of ingredients. The mix takes on a new shape and a new flavor. By themselves, the pretzels taste the same. When you add all the other ingredients, the taste of the Trail Mix is more flavorful. The Trail Mix is like a community where all kinds of people come together.
Ask additional questions about the teacher-selected story. Why did all of these people come here?
Explain to the class the people wanted freedom. Many of the immigrants couldn’t go to the church they wanted to. Their country said they all had to go to the same church. They wanted the freedom to be able to say what they wanted to say. Some of the immigrants came from countries where you could not talk against the government. You couldn’t have an opinion. They wanted freedom.
Tell the class that they are to go home tonight and ask a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent or any adult relative to share stories about their ancestry.
Allow the students, with teacher’s guidance, to mark the map with pushpins in the locations of their ancestors. Some students will require more than one pushpin.
Allow time for everyone to look at the diversity, or lack of diversity as indicated on the map, from where the class’ ancestors came. If there is not much diversity, discuss possible reasons why so many of one nationality settled in the same area. They may have missed their homeland. They may have wanted to maintain their culture. It may have made being in a foreign land easier when they were with people from the same area.
Have students draw pictures of their family and share with the class.
Make a class quilt or mural to illustrate the student products.
In this session review with the students that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions who contribute to their community by practicing the responsibilities of good citizens.
Guide the students to understand that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs and traditions who are united as Americans by common principles and traditions.
Assist the students to understand while people in our communities have different ethnic and cultural origins, they are united as Americans by common principles and traditions.
Review the common principles and traditions that unite people in our communities such as celebrating Independence Day (Fourth of July) and pledging allegiance to the flag.
Review Independence Day (Fourth of July) with the students by sharing pictures of Independence Day (Fourth of July) celebrations and pictures of America’s birthday.
Review with the students the class birthday chart and allow the students to tell ways in which they celebrate their birthdays. While reviewing each month, tell the July birthday students that they share their month with another special birthday. Independence Day (Fourth of July) is the day that we celebrate the birth of our country. The events surrounding our country’s separation from England ending with the Declaration of Independence all contributed to the celebration of Independence Day (Fourth of July).
Read a teacher-selected book to the students about Independence Day (Fourth of July). Have the students list ways they celebrate Independence Day (Fourth of July) with their family
Display the American flag. Discuss that the flag is a SYMBOL of the United States of America. When people see this flag, they know it means America. How do we show respect for this symbol? Discuss the Pledge of Allegiance. Information on the United States of America flag is available at: http://www.usflag.org/toc.html.
Have the students draw and illustrate the common principles and traditions that unite Americans.

WEB SITES

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer
Here is a collection of graphic organizers that may be used in the unit.

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml
This Web site presents Teaching Citizenship’s Five Themes.

http://www.civiced.org
The Center for Civic Education has useful resources.

http://www.civnet.org
Click on the resources section of the Civnet Web site for Citizen’s Rights and Responsibilities to find lesson plans and ideas.

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/index.html
The U.S. Government K-8 Web site has many resources about citizenship.

http://www.proteacher.com/090035.shtml
ProTeacher has a number of lesson plans about citizenship, elections and voting, and government in America.

http://memory.loc.gov
American Memory from the Library of Congress has primary resource materials relating to the history and culture of the United States.

LITERATURE LINKS

The USA is a land where people or many diverse origins, customs and traditions come together to work and live by common principles

Waters, Jennifer.
All Kinds of People: What Makes Us Different. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2002.
This book explores the diversity among people in the USA and around the world.