Social Studies Grade 1

Unit 3: Looking at My World

Unit Duration: 8 weeks
Classes/week: 4
Length of classes 30-45 minutes

Introduction
In this Unit students will begin by inquiring into familiar places and landmarks in their own
community and how those places help people find their way around their community. Students
will also learn about maps, why they are useful tools and how to use maps to find one’s way.
Students explore why certain landmarks are significant to the community. Students will
distinguish some of the differences between the geographic features of rural and urban
communities.

Outcomes
General Outcome 1.1
Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self esteem are
enhanced by their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community
contribute to the well-being, growth, and vitality of their groups and communities.

1.1.5: Students will distinguish geographic features in their own community from other
communities by exploring and reflecting upon specific inquiry questions:
-What are some familiar landmarks and places in my community? (coulees, Nikka Yuko
Gardens, Buffalo Jump, Post office-clock tower, City Hall, University, Fort Whoop Up,
Royal Tyrell Museum, Police Station, Birds of Prey Center, Rocky Mountains, High
Level Bridge, Sugar Bowl, Legislature, Old Fire Hall, Writing on Stone Park, Old Man
River, waterfall in waterton
-Why are these landmarks and places significant features of the community?
-What are some differences between rural and urban communities?
-Where is my community on a map or on a globe?

1.1.1 Value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world
1.1.1.2 Appreciate multiple points of view, languages, cultures, and experiences within
their groups and communities.

1.S.3 Students will develop skills of geographic thinking

1.S.3.1 use a simple map to locate specific areas within the school and community
1.S.3.2 ask geographic questions
1.S.3.3 understand that globes and maps are visual representations of the world
Key Concepts
-A landmark is an object or a feature of a landscape or town that has importance or
makes a place easily recognizable. It is familiar or easily seen, or a place that is important
to an area and often tells about its history.
A landmark is 1.) recognized by everyone in the community 2.) serves an important
function in the community 3.) helps members of the community feel safe 4.) serves as a
recognizable location for visitors to the community.

Urban-cities and towns with large numbers of people

Rural-towns and villages in the countryside with small numbers of people.
Community- a group of people living in the same place or having a particular
characteristic in common. People in communities might go to the same schools, shop in
the same stores and do the same things. They also help each other and solve problems
together.
Place: locations have distinctive characteristics which give them meaning and character
and distinguish them from other locations.
Location: the position of a point on Earths surface (globe)
Geography: We do geography when we study the places where we live

Lessons

*The Unit is divided into 4 sections with a focus question for each. These focus questions
will be up on the board and constantly referred to as we go through the unit.

Focus 1:
Focus Question for lessons 1-3
What are some familiar places and landmarks in our community?
(Objectives: 1.1.5.1)
Lesson 1: Introduction: What is a Landmark?
Objective: Students will be able to describe what a landmark is?
Key Questions: What is a landmark? How do landmarks help us find our way?
Learning Activities:
-Bookmark/Landmark comparison
-show what a bookmark is used for. Mark a spot in the book so it is easy to find
where you left off.
-two small words in land-mark.
-why do people want to have places that marked the land?
 -Read Big Book (Our World) pages 28-29 and Discuss.
-what places do the children in the story mention?
-How are those places landmarks to children?
-Why do you think the children are familiar with those landmarks?
-How do the landmarks help the children find their way to different places in their
community?
-How do you find your way to school?
Formative Assessment:
As an exit slip, students draw their trip from home to school, including landmarks and
significant places they see on their way. As a group they will share their drawing. When
students share ask: Why are those important to you? How do they help you find your
way? I will be looking for whether students can identify landmarks and how landmarks
help them find their way. Explain to students what kinds of things they might draw on
their picture.
Closure: Think Pair Share: What is a landmark?
- mark/object that is easily seen, familiar, helps you know where you are.
-There are also landmarks that are important to a whole community like
Lethbridge. These landmarks are usually familiar to everyone in the community,
important to the community, location for visitors. We will learn about that later
this week.

Lesson 2: Exploring Landmarks at School

Objective: Students will be able to understand that they use landmarks all the time even at
school.
Learning Activities:
- Review what a landmark is? What did we compare it to?
-We use landmarks all the time. It is part of the map we see in our minds.
-Create a list of landmarks or familiar places in school building and yard (front door,
office, washrooms). Walk through the school to have a look if necessary.
-Guessing Where I am in My School Game: In groups students will then come up with
clues (hint) about their landmark while the rest of the class guesses. Model first. Can’t
tell them the answer. Make it difficult.
-Example: front door: I see the name of the school above me and I see a Canadian flag
beside me. Where am I?
Closure:
-So far we learned what a landmark is, why we use landmarks and some landmarks that
you see on the way to school and in school.
-Ask: Why do we use landmarks?
 -There are also landmarks that are important to a whole community like Lethbridge.
These landmarks are usually familiar to everyone in the community, important to the
community, location for visitors. We will learn about that later this tomorrow.
Formative Assessment-As Students guess and give clues observe whether students
identify places that help them find their way around.
Lesson 3: Natural vs Man Made landmarks
Objective: Students will be able to identify natural vs man-made landmarks
Key Questions: What is a man-made landmark? What is a natural landmark?
Learning Activities:
-Review what a landmark is.
-Yesterday focused more on personal landmarks. Today look at community landmarks.
-Developing the concept of natural landmarks vs man-made landmarks. Some places
built by people (homes, roads, library) and some are natural to the land (rivers, mountains
hills).
-What are two types?
-Have pictures of a variety of each and have students place it under natural or man-made
headings as class. Then do on own.
Extra-Read Landmarks Readers Theatre
Closure:
Tell your partner what two kinds of landmarks are there (natural, human made). Share
with class.
Formative Assessment: Man-made vs Natural Landmarks sort. Are students able to identify
each?

Summative Assessment:
-One on one check-Ask students what is a landmark, identifying man made vs natural,
why we use landmarks.

Materials/Resources for Lessons 1-3

Our World Big Book
Many Voices Big Book
Our World Teaching Resource
Pictures of natural and man-made landmarks
Landmarks Readers Theatre
Paper
Worksheet
Blank Paper
 Focus 2
Focus Question for Lessons 4-6
How can you use a simple map to find your way?
Objectives: 1.S.3.1, 1.S.3.2, 1.S.3.3, 1.1.5.4

Lesson 4: Maps
Objective: Students will be able to tell what a map is and why we use maps.
Key Questions: What is a map? Why do we use maps?
Learning Activities:
-Review of last week: Last week we looked at how we can use landmarks to help us find
our way. This week we will look at how we can use a map to find our way.
-What is a map? picture of a place
-Introduce: We use mental maps all the time. A mental map is our idea of where
something is and how to get to it. You use mental maps to find things at home, at school.
Mental Maps Activity-students’ close eyes and point to certain areas in classroom (door,
whiteboard, teachers desk, the dress up area). Ask how do you know it is there? Answer
like we can see it in our mind). Bedroom (standing in middle of room: point to where
your bed is, closet)
-If we all have maps in our mind then why would people want to have maps drawn on
paper? Answers such as:
Some places are hard to remember where to go and a map helps remind you;
a drawn map may be easier then following spoken directions;
help people who don’t know a place find their way around.
-Have maps laying around for students to look at in groups: Think about why we use
maps? What does your map tell us? What do you notice about your map?
-Reconvene at carpet and discuss each map.
-Look at kids maps in table groups
Find the railroad tracks
Where is the Old man River
Ask who lives in Lethbridge? Where? Locate it on the map.
Where is our school?
How would you get from your place to school?
Trace how you would get from Lethbridge Airport to Indian Battle Park
Discuss legends: It gives you the information needed for the map to make sense.
Maps often use symbols or colors to represent things, and the map key explains
what they mean.
Formative Assessment: Observation:Do students use the map to find places? Do students
understand why we have maps?

Lesson 5: Mapping our School

Objective: Students will be able to use a simple map to find their way
Learning Activities:
-Review: Why do people use maps?
-Whole class activity: BLM 9: Finding the Way Activity (Our World Teacher Resource)-
Using a simple map student’s find the way to a variety of places.
Where is the library? School?
Use red color to draw a line from library to school
Use green to show how get from home to church
Use blue to show how get from city tower to moms bank.
-Individual activity: Students have a very basic map of the school. They cut out images
of places in the school and place it in the correct location.
Closure:
When students are done they will pair up and pretend their partner is new to the school.
They will have to explain to the new students how to get to certain areas in the school.

Formative Assessment-Observe whether students can use a map to find places,

Lesson 6: Where I am in the World (this lesson will span over a week because of the
Flipbook Project).
Objective: Students will be able to explain what a globe is; Students will be able to find Canada
and their community on a map or globe.
Key Questions: What is a globe? Where is Canada on a globe or map? Where is my community?
Learning Activities:
-Introduce song: This Land is your land, this land is my land
-Question: What is the song talking about? Show on map...
-Discuss what a globe is. Globe is a type of map that shows the whole world. Globe is
round, ball. Just like the world
-Find Canada: country: top half, left side. Above the United States.
-Find Alberta: is our province: way on the left side of Canada. Shaped like a rectangle
with a piece bitten off.
-Find Lethbridge-bottom of Alberta.
-To understand perspective find Canada using Google Earth. Helps students understand
that Canada is a small part of the world.
-Create Me on the Map Flipbook-objective students understand where they are in the
world.
Formative Assessment: The flipbook will get students to find their community, as well as Canada
on a map. Students will also share anything they have learned about maps so far.
Closure:
Sing song again
Today I located my community and Canada on a map

Materials:
This Land is My Land song, Globe, Google Earth, Me on the Map Flipbook, Finding the Way
worksheet, Map of school and cutouts.

Summative Assessment
One on One Check-in
-Why do we use maps?
-Where is Canada, Alberta, Lethbridge on a map?
-Finding places on a map

Focus 3
Focus Question: What are some familiar places and landmarks in my community and why
are they special?
Objectives: 1.1.5.1, 1.1.5.2, 1.1.1.2, 1.1.1

Lesson 7: Introduction to ‘What makes a landmark special?’

Objective: Students will be able to understand that in order for a landmark to be special it needs
to mean something or tell a story.
Learning Activities
-Transition from maps to landmarks: Maps help us locate specific areas within the school
and community. These areas are our landmarks, and they are often very special. In the
next little while we'll be looking at landmarks in our community and what makes them
special and why they are special.
-Review what we know about landmarks-make web
-help us find our way
-mean something to us
-means something to the community .
-Read Fox Song and discuss
 -Before Reading: This book tells the story of a place that is very special to Jamie,
a young Metis girl, and to her Grandma Bowman. Listen for the special places
that are mentioned in this story.
-After Reading: What places were special to Jamie and her grandmother? What
did they do at these special places?
-Some places are special to the whole community. Other places are more
personal.
-Students think of place that is special to them (room in their house, tree house etc.) draw
own Special Place Story/Picture- and share how and why it is special to them.
Closure:
Today we learned about what makes a landmark special. It means something to the
community.
-Get students excited by introducing Barnaby via video! Barnaby will be taking us on a
tour of Alberta landmarks and sending us postcards of each special place he visits (create
a video introducing Barnaby).
-Ask students what do you think some of these landmarks may be?

*While learning about each of these landmarks students will have a booklet in which there are a
variety of activities and reading that goes along with each place.

Lesson 8: Japanese Gardens

Objective: Students will learn about the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and why it is so special.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activities
-Tell students they got some mail today. First postcard from Barnaby! Have students
open envelope with postcard from Barnaby.
-Show around and ask what it is? Have pic of ppt on too
-Record on chart what students already know
-Read postcard and discuss
-Japanese Garden ((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Q5skB2abE)
-is a garden that is a symbol of friendship between Japanese and
Canadians.
-Why called Nikka Yuko: Ni (means Japan) Ka (from Canada) and Yuko
means friendship.
-it is important because we have lots of Japanese Canadian people living
in and around Lethbridge. Lots came during WWII because we were at
war with Japan. They came here because the government forced them to
come here. They did lots of work around here and this was built after the
war to recognize the peace and friendship and also the work they did to
make Lethbridge what it is now.
 -When you go here you can learn about Japanese culture.
-Winter Lights Festival in Winter light up the garden-show pics on ppt
-Show video
-Place on map
-Read booklet together and do activity: color in friendship bell
Closure:
-Exit slip: Add what we learned to chart.

Lesson 10: Lethbridge Bridge: High Level Bridge

Objective: Students will learn about the high level bridge and what it means to the
community.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activity:
-Open postcard--Have ppt pic up.
-Discuss what students already know about bridge: Record on chart.
-place postcard on map
-Read postcard and discuss
-more than 100 years old
-Shapes do you see? Triangle-strongest shape
-Longest and highest trestle bridge in the world
-Built because of coal: they had to find an easy way to transport coal. We
had some coal mines in Lethbridge
-Important landmark because it is easily recognizable and it tells a bit of
Lethbridge history about the coal mining days.
-coal burned and used to make electricity, heat homes, operate machinery.
-Show pic of coal and coulees.
-Read booklet and do activity in booklet: Draw Lethbridge Bridge

Closure:
Fill in chart with what we learned

Lesson 11: Fort Macleod NWMP Museum

Objective: Students will be able to explain why the NWMP is a special landmark.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activities:
-Open postcard from Barnaby: Fort Museum
-Record what students already know.
-Read postcard and place on map.
-Discuss Fort museum: show pictures http://hammersonpeters.com/?p=1319
 -tells the story of when the NWMP came to this area. This area had no police and
imagine if there was no police in the area. People might start doing whatever they
wanted. Who’s going to stop people from doing bad things, speeding etc? And it
was like that there was lots of things going on that was not good so the
government decided to send NWMP over to bring some kind of order and enforce
the law.
-see what it was like to live back then. The Fort has displays set up where you
can hear the stories of some of the NWMP. See the rooms, doctors office, a trade
store, a small church.
-Musical Ride: To break the monotony of endless riding drills, members of the
Force commonly competed amongst themselves and performed tricks on
horseback. Now do horse drills with music.
-Show video of Fort Museum (on Fort museum website)
-Booklet-draw Barnaby on a Horse
Closure: Record on chart what students learned

Lesson 12: Buffalo Jump

Objective: Students will be able to describe why the Buffalo Jump is special to the community.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activity:
-No postcard today. But show pic on ppt and ask what it is.
-Place on map
-Record what students know…
-Discuss:
Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump: Why is it called that?
Its about a custom that was practiced by Native people for nearly 6000 years
Long before they had the horse, the gun or even the bow, Plains Native Tribes
hunted the buffalo.
The buffalo runners, disguised under animal hides, would pass near the herds and
try to lure/trick them toward the cliffs. Others would chase. driving herds to their
death over the cliffs at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.
-The kill brought a surplus of meat to families and clans participating in the
hunt.The people dried the meat, made pemmican, extracted fat from the bones,
made tools, and tanned hides. Almost every part of the animal was used.
Important place for visitors to learn about the Native peoples’ history in Alberta.
They used to live in tepees so you can see one there.
-show video of buffalo jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOvlK0NtICs)
-Do booklet activity: draw Barnaby in a tipi and color bison
Closure: What did you learn about Buffalo Jump? Record on Chart
Lesson 10: Writing on Stone
Objective: Students will be able to describe why Writing on Stone is special to Alberta.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activity:
-Open Postcard from Barnaby: Writing on Stone
-Record what students know and place and map
-Pull up ppt
-Discuss
-Why is it called Writing on Stone Park?
-easily recognizable because of its funny shaped rocks
-special place to Native People that lived there.
-Although the ancient inhabitants of the Plains (see Native People: Plains)
had no written language, they developed a sophisticated form of rock art,
or picture writing. These carvings and paintings tell not only of the lives
and journeys of those who created them
-Now a days its a popular spot for visitors climb on the rocks, play hide
and seek etc.
-unique-
-show some more pictures of writing on stone and video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkE1Z4YDLd0&t=60s)
-show and explain symbols
-Paint symbols on rock (ask students to find and bring rocks from home). Draw one in
booklet before they do the actual one.
Closure: finish chart, record what students learned

Lesson 12: Royal Tyrrell Museum

Objective: Students will be able to identify why the Royal Tyrrell Museum is special to the
community.
Key Questions: What is this familiar landmark? Why is it special?
Learning Activity:
-Open last postcard from Barnaby
-Show pic on ppt and ask what students know about it.
-place on map and discuss
- dinosaur museum but also people work there finding bones and putting them
together. Bones aren’t found all in one piece and paleontologists use tools to
scrape away everything except for the bones. Then they do research on it to see
what kind of dinosaur it came from etc
-lots of dinosaur bones were found in that area
-important location for visitors
-tells us about the history
 -Things to do see dinosaurs set up and learn about what they ate, how they lived,
etc. You can also walk in the park there.
-Part of the community-easily recognizable
Pics: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g181805-d538043-Reviews-
Royal_Tyrrell_Museum-
Drumheller_Alberta.html#photos;geo=181805&detail=538043&ff=18186545&albumVie
wMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=18186545&thumbnail
MinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=

-Watch a video of it: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPSMDisHa8

-Booklet: piece together dinosaur
Closure: Add to chart what students learned

Materials

Chart Paper, Videos, Barnaby Visits Albert Booklet, Map of Alberta, Postcards,
Powerpoint with pics of landmarks

Summative Assessment
-Travel Agent Project: Students will pick a landmark and create a travel portfolio about
it. As a class we will hold a Celebration of Learning afternoon and invite others to visit
our class. The Grade 1 Travel Agents will take guests around the “Travel Center.” Travel
Agents will show their portfolios and read aloud some of their writing. This project will
take several class periods to work on. (Adapted from Alberta Assessment Consortium:
Grade 1 Social Studies: Welcome to Our Community). Assessment Rubric will focus on
whether students locate community landmarks on a map, describe community landmarks
and describe the significance of their landmark.

Celebration Day! See Travel Agent Project

Centers (parent volunteers)
Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens
-dress up and have tea time, Japanese cookies at grocery store.
-make origami bookmarks
Royal Tyrrell Museum
-make dinosaur fossils out of clay
Writing on Stone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkE1Z4YDLd0&t=60s)
-create First Nations symbols in a bar of soap
Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump
-create a buffalo out of paper bags and draw First Nations symbols on them
 Focus 4
Focus Question: What are some of the differences between urban communities and rural
communities?
Objective 1.1.5.3
Lesson 13: Urban and Rural: What does it mean?
Objective: Students will be able to distinguish between urban and rural characteristics.
Key Questions: What does urban mean? What does rural mean?
Learning Activities:
-Concept attainment lesson-before explaining urban and rural have pics of urban and
rural and have students categorize them and then have them come up with the headings
for the category. They may come up with something like cities, country etc. Then
discuss characteristics of urban and rural. make a list of urban and rural characteristics;
-Make a graph of students who live in urban areas and those who live in rural areas.
Invite students to share what it is like in either area.
-Cut out pictures of magazines and students put it in urban/rural category or find
assignment that does this.
Closure: Give riddle: Am I rural or urban? How do you know?
Formative assessment: Observe whether students are cutting and pasting pictures that
represent urban/rural
Lesson 14: Urban or Rural: Where Am I?
Objective: Students will be able to describe urban and rural
Learning Activities:
-Read book about urban and rural: City Kid, Country Kid.
-Draw a picture of urban and rural, with headings under it for students to describe 2
characteristics of rural and urban. Or Line master 3-5 from Many Voices Teaching
Resource
Closure: Think Pair Share: In one sentence can you tell me what urban and rural means?
Materials/Resources:
Worksheet-urban/rural with headings
Urban/Rural Story Book-see literature connection below
Urban/Rural Pics
Magazines

Summative Assessment:
Rural/Urban Worksheet-do students list characteristics of urban and rural
Observation/Checklist-do students understand the differences between urban and rural?
Literature Connections

Cummins, Julie. (2002) Country Kid, City Kid. (F CUM)

City kids, country kids by Jenkins, A. M; Sofo, Frank (372.4 Rea level 30-60 N-X,)
Caseley, Judith (2002) On the town: a community adventure (F Cas)
Martchenko, Michael. (2003) Ma, I'm a farmer (F Mar)
Neubecker, Robert. (2004) Wow! City! (F Neu)
Fanelli, Sara. My map book (F FAN)
Sweeney, Joan. Me on the Map (F SWE)
Bruchac, Joseph. Fox Song (F BRU)

Differentiation
-For the Travel Agent Project I will break it down into steps and have a list of steps that need to
be completed. For some students I can also add questions about their landmark of choice and all
they would have to do it answer those questions.
-There is not too much reading involved but for those who do have reading difficulties I will use
less difficult reading material or read out loud for them.
-Instead of quizzes I will do check ins with students as they are not used to doing quizzes.
-For those who have attention difficulties I will break down projects into steps and set time limits
if necessary.
-For Student L and D: have playdough to play with so they can create a map out of playdough
when they need a break from the others or as a way to motivate them to finish Flipbook pages
and then play with playdough
-For student L and D: fill in Me on the Map flipbook before hand and have them follow along
and then do the coloring.
-I have incorporated a lot of visual aids in this unit.

Tentative Timeline
Week 1: Lesson 1-3
Week 2-4: Lesson 4-7
Week 5-7: Lesson 8-10
Week 8: Lesson 11-13

Evaluation
Travel Agent Project (Cumulative) (40%)
Check-ins (30%)
Urban/Rural Assignment (10%)
Observation/Checklist (20%)
 Assessment Plan

Observation/Checklist
-I will have a checklist in which I observe a group of students at a time on two aspects.
Listening and Contributing. During the time I am assessing a group I will gear most of
my questions towards them or make sure I am moving around while they are working
asking them some key questions.
Travel Agent Project
-see description in separate document
Check-ins
This is like a quiz but students will be asked to answer verbally
Urban/Rural Assignment
-students will draw and describe some characteristics of urban and rural places