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Grade 4 Socailstudieslessonsplans
Grade 4 Socailstudieslessonsplans
Learning Outcomes:
4.2.2 assess, critically, how the cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity of Alberta has evolved over
time by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
Which First Nations originally the different areas of the province? (CC, LPP, TCC)
4.S.3 develop skills of geographic thinking:
Use historical maps to make meaning of historical events and issues
4.S.5 demonstrate skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and consensus building:
Work collaboratively with others to complete a group task
Lesson Layout:
Opener: KWL Chart
Students will each receive a journal which they will use to keep track of their learning throughout the
unit of Uncovering Aboriginal History.
Introduce students to our essential question how are the diverse cultures of the aboriginal people in
Alberta affected by their relationship to the land? - students will write question in their journal and
reflect back on it throughout the unit
Introduce students to the term First Nations and ask students to write down anything that comes to
mind when they hear this term
As a whole class we will engage in a KWL activity allowing students to express any prior knowledge
of First Nations
As a whole class we will then discuss what we would like to learn about First Nations
*students will be creating their own KWL chart in their personal notebooks while the teacher creates a large
version on the board for students to follow along with.
Instructional Strategies: Graphic Organizer, discussion, visuals and writing
Activity: Map Labeling & Riddle Activity
Class will be divided into groups based on class size and vary in learning levels (this will be the
strategy for creating groups throughout the unit) and each given a map of Alberta that is divided
based on the regions inhabited by the different First Nations groups. Students will also receive slips of
paper with the geographical characteristics and the names of First Nations tribes with riddles attached.
Students will have to draw on previous knowledge to label the geographical regions and then solve the
riddles that will help students put the tribes in the right area
Instructional Strategies: Visuals, cooperative groups and manipulatives
Conclusion: KWL Reflection
Students will record new information they learned and add it to their KWL chart
Instructional Strategies: Graphic organizer
Assessment:
FOR - students will hand in journal with KWL chart
FOR - map activity, teacher will circulate classroom to ensure students are on the right track
As - students will reflect in journal on learning
Resources:
Journal
Map from textbook Voices of Alberta:
Teachers guide Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pgs. 157-159)
Resources:
Textbook Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pgs. 101-110)
Teachers guide Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pgs. 161-162)
Link for music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7oE4sKIDuU&list=PLF81D8A29489FE94F
Have students use a think-pair-share strategy to answer the following questions: In the story,
what was the Creators promise to the buffalo? Why did the Creator provide the people with
buffalo? With this partner, students will create a list of First Nations beliefs and values
highlighted in the story to help them with the next activity.
Individually have students draw a picture that represents the relationship of the First Nations
people to the land. They must include the Creator, the people, the land and a short description
of the elements included and why
Instructional Strategy: Brainstorming and discussion, drawing and artwork,
Conclusion:
In a sharing circle students will present and explain their illustration to their classmates
Journal Question: Now that you have read about others peoples relationship to the land, how
would you describe your relationship
to the land? How does this influence the way you live?
Instructional Strategies: Reciprocal teaching and journal
Assessment:
OF - Illustration of First Nation Relationship to the land
FOR - Reviewing chart and answering questions throughout lesson
AS - Journalling at the end of class
Resources:
Hidden Buffalo by Rudy Wiebe
Teachers guide Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pg. 163)
Teacher resource learning.arpdc.ab.ca/mod/resource/view.php?id=3463
Teacher will guide the class through an examination of the photo by asking promoting
questions to discover what the photo may be about
Instructional Strategies: Brainstorming and discussion, technology and visuals
Activity: Investigating Pictures:
In groups students will be given photographs, drawings and paintings that depict people,
housing, equipment, customs and other aspects of First Nations culture and daily life.
Each group will be given one picture and all pictures will different for each group
Students will be asked to examine their picture and record any clues they see in the picture
about the region where the people lived and how the natural environment shaped their
lifestyle
Guiding questions:
1. What is the landscape like?
2. What plant life is visible in the image?
3. What is the climate like?
4. What animal life is visible in the images?
5. What types of clothing are the people wearing? What are they made of?
6. What types of homes are the people living in? (What materials were used to make the
homes? Are the homes permanent or temporary?)
7. What food sources are visible in the image?
8. What does the image tell us about the people and their relationship to the land?
Instructional Activity: Visuals, discussion, brainstorming and cooperative learning
Conclusion:
Continuing on to the next day: Students will be given time to create a mini presentation of
their photo to present to the class explaining what is going on in their photo and how they
came up with their conclusions. This will be done through role playing.
Students will write an exit card in their journal that will be handed in at the end of the lesson
that explains one thing they learned from another group's presentation
Remind students about guest speaker coming next day and have them thinking about possible
questions they would like to ask.
Instructional Strategies: Reciprocal teaching, role plays, brainstorming and discussion and journals
Assessment:
FOR - Students will receive a feedback card at the end of the presentation with two stars and a
wish
FOR - Exit card included in journal booklet
Resources:
Photos for activity http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesPhotosResults.aspx
Teachers guide Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (p. 157)
4.2.2 assess, critically, how the cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity of Alberta has evolved
over time by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
What do the stories of the Aboriginal peoples tell us about their beliefs regarding the
relationship people and the land (TCC)
4.S.8 demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy:
listen to others in order to understand their perspectives
Lesson Layout:
Opener: Guest Speaker Preparation:
Introduce who the guest speaker is
Students will placed into groups and they will brainstorm appropriate questions they would
like to ask the speaker (these questions can come from KWL chart)
Each group will choose their best question and share with teacher for approval
Instructional Strategies: Brainstorm and discussion
Activity: Guest Speaker
Brian St. Germain will come to the classroom and present on how First Nations feel
connected to the land today, how they maintain this connection, and how they use and respect
natural resources
Plains people, tipi teaching, and Blackfoot winter count
After presentation students will ask Brian St. Germain the questions they prepared in advance
Instructional Strategy: Guest speaker and discussion
Conclusion: Guest Speaker Review
With a partner students will brainstorm what they learned from the presentation
Every group will say one thing they learned to the whole class
Write down two things they learned from the guest speaker
Instruction Strategies: brainstorming and discussion, writing and journals,
Assessment:
FOR - Students will write in journal what they learned from the presentation
Resources:
Guest Speaker - Brian St. Germain
Lesson Layout:
Opener: Language Introduction
Students will be proposed a question asking if they know more than one language. If any do,
they will then be asked which language they feel most represents their identity, and discuss
how language is apart of one's identity.
Instructional Strategies: brainstorming and discussion
Activity: Alberta Identity: Aboriginal Languages
With a partner Students will learn how Aboriginal languages have contributed to the identity
of Alberta by researching and finding 3 places (cities, towns, roads etc.) in Alberta that are
influenced by First Nation Languages. ie. Deer Foot
Using a Chromebook, students will choose one name to research further in order to uncover
the story behind the name
Instructional Strategies: reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning and technology
**Differentiation
partners will be previously selected by the teacher according to academic levels. ie. lower
level learners paired with higher level learners where work will be distributed accordingly.
Students will have choice on how they will present their findings to the class.
Conclusion:
Students will share their story with the class in brief summary, skit, drawing etc.
Student will write in journal which story they liked the best and why
Students will add one thing they learned to their KWL chart
Instructional Strategies: brainstorming and discussion, drawing and artwork, role plays, humor,
movement and storytelling
Assessment:
FOR/AS - Add one point to L part of KWL chart. Students will reflect in their journal on
which story besides their own interested them the most and why
Resources:
Chromebooks
Interent
Teachers guide Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pg. 158)
Textbook Voices of Alberta: People, Places and Possibilities (pg. 99)
Which First Nations originally inhabited the different areas of the province? (CC, LPP, TCC)
4.S.2 historical thinking:
use historical and community resources to understand and organize the sequence of local
historical events
explain the historical context of key events of a given time period
4.S.7 apply the research process:
draw and support conclusions, based on information gathered, to answer a research question
4.S.8 demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy:
organize and present information, taking particular audiences and purposes into consideration
communicate effectively through appropriate forms, such as speeches, reports and multimedia
presentations, applying information technologies that serve particular audiences and purposes
Lesson Layout:
Opener: GRASPS Introduction
Teacher will be dressed as museum curator and will propose the GRASPSs task to the
students
Students will be given handout to follow along with instructions
Students will be assigned pictograph they will be examining throughout the project
Instructional Strategies: role play, visuals and manipulatives,
Activity: GRASPS
Students will take the role of a junior archaeologist and examine a pictograph to uncover the
meanings of the pictures and symbols.
1. What do the pictures on the artifacts represent?
2. What is the importance of the symbols?
3. What is a likely story that the First Nations people told using that group of symbols?
4. What do the symbols tell us about the First Nations Peoples who left them?
Students findings will be presented on an information card that will be displayed with the
pictographs at the exhibit, the information card can be displayed as poster, brochure, flyer and
newspaper article
Instructional Strategies: movement, brainstorming,
Conclusion: (This will be our Culminating Activity)
Students will make the classroom into a museum, exhibiting their pictograph with their
information card
Students will walk around the room and look at everyone's pictograph
Students will be assigned one student to give feedback to in the form of 2 stars and a wish
Instructional Strategies: Movement and peer feedback
Assessment:
OF - Teacher will mark information cards that students created for their pictograph
FOR - Students are giving peer feedback to another student in their class
Resources:
GRASPS handout
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PRD7cO30uW4KNKFhAQC7FBYbKtPvBhx4W4Wu3
YnUgDQ/edit?usp=sharing
Pictographs from Red Deer Museum