Comparative CultureComparative Culture

A Year-Long Social Studies A Year-Long Social Studies UnitUnit

Big Idea: (Universal Thematic Lens)

All Civilizations Share Common ElementsArea of Study (Topic):

5th/6th Grade Year-long Comparative Culture Unit

Concept: People

find ways to adapt

to their environment

Concept: People

in a culture find rules

to protect themselves

Concept: Cultures interact

and change each other

Concept: People find ways Concept: People find ways to adapt to their to adapt to their

environmentenvironment

• Geography/Climate: Geography/Climate: Cultural development is Cultural development is driven by physical driven by physical

circumstances.circumstances.

Food/Shelter:Food/Shelter: Basic needs are Basic needs are met with available met with available resources. resources.

Religion/Ritual:Religion/Ritual: Belief systems Belief systems arise out of arise out of circumstances. circumstances.

Recreation:Recreation: Play Play is practice for life is practice for life

Concept: People in a culture Concept: People in a culture find rules to protect themselvesfind rules to protect themselves

Government Government Systems: Methods Systems: Methods of rule evolve as of rule evolve as circumstances circumstances

changechange..

Famous People:Famous People: Leaders arise from Leaders arise from need. need.

Division of Division of Labor:Labor: Specializing Specializing can improve way of can improve way of life. life.

Social Unit:Social Unit: Family units Family units increase the increase the chance of survival. chance of survival.

Concept: Cultures interact and Concept: Cultures interact and change each otherchange each other

Transportation:Transportation: Availability of Availability of transportation affects transportation affects development of development of

culture.culture.

Language Language (written and (written and numbers):numbers): People People invent ways to invent ways to express express themselves and themselves and communicate more communicate more effectively. effectively.

TechnologyTechnology: : Cultures borrow Cultures borrow ideas from each ideas from each other. other.

Arts:Arts: People find People find expression of expression of personal identity personal identity and social order in and social order in outward outward appearance. appearance.

Universal Element Essential Question Enduring UnderstandingsGeography/Climate What makes a good location

in which to live?People adapt to their environment to survive

Food Why don’t we all eat the same food?

People adapt to the resources available.

Shelter What are the best houses in which to live?Why don’t we all live in the same kinds of houses?

People adapt to the climate and geography of their environment, using available resources.

Transportation What is the best way to get around?

People use naturally occurring geographical features and fauna (waterways, animals).

Government Would life be different without government?What is the best way to run a civilization?What makes a government?

People find rules to protect themselves and keep order.

Family Unit What makes a family? Family units increase the chances of survival.

Religion Why don’t we worship in the same way? What is religion?

Belief systems arise out of circumstances.

 

Universal Element Essential Question Enduring UnderstandingsDivision of Labor Is it a good idea to rely on

others for your needs?Specializing can improve way of life.

Language (written and numbers) What is the best way to communicate?Why do we need to write things down?

People invent ways to express themselves and communicate more effectively.

Famous People What is “famous”?What makes people famous?Is being famous a good thing?What happens to famous people?

Leaders arise from need.

Arts What objects do we value?Why make beautiful things when beauty is all around us?What is beauty?

Human beings are driven to express themselves.

Clothing/Jewelry What are the best clothes to wear?Why don’t we all wear the same clothes?

People adapt to their environment, and find expression of personal identity and social order in outward appearance.

Recreation Why do we play?Is play important?

Play is practice for life.

Technology (Inventions) Is there such a thing as a new idea?

Cultures interact and change each other (cultural borrowing).

 

Planning Guide For Project –Based Area of Study

 

Sensemaking Tasks:

Webquests:Webquests:

Students research Students research topics online topics online

through selected through selected Webquests. Links Webquests. Links

are provided on the are provided on the classroom website.classroom website.

Award Presentation Award Presentation SpeechesSpeechesStudents select an explorer Students select an explorer and team up for award and team up for award presentations, acting as presentations, acting as presenter or recipient. The presenter or recipient. The recipients are famous recipients are famous people of history. Students people of history. Students give speeches that outline give speeches that outline their fame or infamy, and their fame or infamy, and the award is titled the award is titled accordingly.accordingly.

Artifact CreationArtifact Creation

Students build replicas of Students build replicas of artifacts of the culture. artifacts of the culture. They analyze the link They analyze the link between available between available resources, inventions of resources, inventions of the period, and the effect the period, and the effect

on lifestyle.on lifestyle.

Jigsaw Team Jigsaw Team TeachingTeachingStudents take on the role Students take on the role of teacher, researching an of teacher, researching an area of study and area of study and presenting it to the rest of presenting it to the rest of the class. Focus is on the class. Focus is on designing an opening designing an opening activity that engages their activity that engages their peers.peers.

Big Idea JournalBig Idea JournalStudents keep a journal of Students keep a journal of the essential questions the essential questions that arise from group that arise from group discussion. As more discussion. As more questions and possible questions and possible answers arise, they are answers arise, they are entered in the journal.entered in the journal.

Citizen of the Citizen of the Culture JournalCulture JournalStudents take on the life of Students take on the life of an anonymous person in an anonymous person in history, and record a history, and record a period of their life, keeping period of their life, keeping the daily life historically the daily life historically accurate and recording accurate and recording their reaction to an their reaction to an important event in history.important event in history.

Child of History Child of History Portrait/Pen Pal Portrait/Pen Pal LetterLetterStudents draw a portrait of Students draw a portrait of themselves as a child of themselves as a child of the culture of study, and the culture of study, and write a pen pal letter to a write a pen pal letter to a child of the current age, child of the current age, explaining their way of life.explaining their way of life.

Architectural Architectural DesignDesignStudent teams select a Student teams select a building to research. The building to research. The focus is on borrowed focus is on borrowed elements of design. They elements of design. They teach to the class using a teach to the class using a PowerPoint presentation.PowerPoint presentation.

Final ProjectFinal Project

“ “Ideal Island”Ideal Island”

Students borrow Students borrow elements from all elements from all the cultures they the cultures they have studied to have studied to compose their compose their

ideal culture. They ideal culture. They create a three create a three

dimensional model, dimensional model, map, and poster.map, and poster.