Humanities and Social Studies Curriculum FOR SECOND & THIRD GRADES
Unit 1 - The 1918 Spanish Flu & COVID-19
COMPLETE UNIT WITH PLANS FOR THREE LESSONS
UNIT OVERVIEW:
Students will learn that America has faced a pandemic before - in 1918. They will compare and contrast the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic with COVID-19 today. Students will learn about the purpose of an archive and record their own experiences with COVID-19 in a time capsule. Students will have the opportunity to submit their time capsule to be preserved in the archive of the Fresno County Historical Society.
UNIT INCLUDES:
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Learning Activity #1: Defining an Archive
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Learning Activity #2: Video Reflection - What did we learn from the Spanish Flu?
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Learning Activity #3: My COVID-19 Time Capsule Project
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Below are links to download documents, and handouts for this lesson along with links to web resources and additional material that will be helpful in presenting the concepts of this unit to your class.
Web Resources:
What’s an Archive?
https://www.archives.gov/about/info/whats-an-archives.html
Fresno County Historical Society Mission
https://www.valleyhistory.org
National Archives News – The Flue Pandemic of 1918
https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/flu-pandemic-1918
Primary Resources:
Images from the 1918 Flu Pandemic from the National Archives and Pop Laval Foundation. (Hover over image to view caption. Click to view/show full screen)
Fresno, CA Armistice Parade, November 1918. Photo courtesy of the Pop Laval Foundation
Female clerks in New York City wear masks at work. (National Archives Identifier 45499337)
Letter carrier in New York City wearing mask. (National Archives Identifier 45499319)
Fresno, CA Armistice Parade, November 1918. Photo courtesy of the Pop Laval Foundation
Newspaper articles from the Fresno Weekly Republican and Fresno Morning Republican Newspapers from 1918 and 1919. Click Image for Downloadable PDF Documents.
Public Health Announcements from Government Offices. Click Image for Downloadable PDF Documents.
1918-1919 2020
Video Resources: https://video.wixstatic.com/video/50b680_a8379a5f5755430791e544af8b3b7c2f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4
Workbook:
My COVID-19 Time Capsule for Students . Click Image for Downloadable PDF Documents.
Unit 2 - Everybody Counts: Learning about the US Census
UNIT SUMMARY:
The Country is working to complete the 24th Census of the United States this year. This lesson will help students to learn what the Census is and why it is important to our daily lives. Students will be able to explain what the Census is and how it is used. Finally, students will complete a family census to share with the class.
UNIT INCLUDES:
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Learning Activity #1: Understanding the Census
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Learning Activity #2: Complete a Family Census
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Extension Activity: Understanding Representative Government - VOTE
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Below are links to download documents, and handouts for this lesson along with links to web resources and additional material that will be helpful in presenting the concepts of this unit to your class.
Video Resources:
What is the Census?
https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/7ac3c35d-5afc-4beb-b9b2-85d5cc182614/civics-101/
What Is the Census? | Civics 101 downloaded from PBS LearningMedia, https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/7ac3c35d-5afc-4beb-b9b2-85d5cc182614/civics-101/. Rights to use this asset do not expire.
Asset Copyright: © NET 2020.
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Project funded by: Humanities Nebraska
Handout:
Family Census Activity Sheet
Unit 3 - Your Story Matters: Understanding and Collecting Oral History
UNIT SUMMARY:
Oral Histories are primary-source first-person narrative recordings that help to round out the story of the past. At times, an interview may serve as the only source information available about a certain place, event or person. Oral history helps us understand how individuals and communities experienced life in a specific time and/or dealt with major historic events. This lesson will introduce students to what an Oral History is. They will have the opportunity to listen to a recorded oral history and learn how to collect an oral history from someone that they know.
UNIT INCLUDES:
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Learning Activity #1: Understanding Oral History
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Learning Activity #2: Complete an Oral History with a Family Member
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Below are links to download documents, and handouts for this lesson along with links to web resources and additional material that will be helpful in presenting the concepts of this unit to your class.
Web Resources:
Oral History from Story Corps - “Tubby” Johnston: The Girl Who Changed Little League Baseballhttps://storycorps.org/stories/tubby-johnston-the-girl-who-changed-little-league-baseball/
From Storycorps.org. CREDITS: PRODUCED BY MIA WARREN AND JUD ESTY-KENDALL and FACILITATED BY ELA BANERJEE. MUSIC - “SEND OFF” BY EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY & DAVID WINGO FROM THE ALBUM PRINCE AVALANCHE: AN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Handout:
Family Oral History Interview Placemat
Credit: Originally from Storycorps.org.
Unit 4 - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Analyzing Historic Photos
UNIT SUMMARY:
Historic and antique images are a valuable part of understanding history. They provide the clearest and most accurate depiction of the past. By studying a photograph, we can draw conclusions about places, people and events that we may otherwise not be able to fully understand. This unit will teach students local Fresno County history through photographs from the turn of the century as well as helping to improve visual literacy and critical thinking skills.
With photos from the Fresno County Historical Society Archive and from the Pop Laval Collection students will learn to view historic images and analyze them. Students use their imaginations and creativity to fill in the missing half of a historic photo before seeing and learning the history of the real and complete image.
UNIT INCLUDES:
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Learning Activity #1: Analyzing and Understanding Historic Photos
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Learning Activity #2: Draw-Pair-Share Art Activity
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Below are links to download documents, and handouts for this lesson along with links to web resources and additional material that will be helpful in presenting the concepts of this unit to your class.
Web Resources:
As Pop Saw it: Valley Stories as photographed by Claude C. “Pop” Laval by Valley PBS
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4370276781091
Reading:
"Education In Fresno County In the Early 20th Century"
School Photos:
Handout:
"What Do You Notice?" Questions Sheet
Handout:
"What Is Missing?" Activity Sheet
Photo:
"What Is Missing?" Activity Sheet Complete Photo
1916 Gottschalks Santa with Helpers. Photo courtesy of the Pop Laval Foundation.
City Scenes Photos:
Unit 5 - Invention & Innovation: The History of Everyday Things
UNIT SUMMARY:
The everyday things that we rely on in our homes were all created by someone, somewhere. Most of the items that we use to keep things clean, to communicate and to entertain ourselves today are all innovative advancements on much simpler designs and early inventions. This unit will examine those early innovations from our history.
Students will learn the historical beginnings of four everyday things. The phonograph, typewriter, washboard and rug beater lead to the I-Pod, computer, washing machine and vacuum cleaner. Understanding that the everyday items that we rely on today have their roots in historic antique machines will allow students to understand the process of innovation and give them the opportunity to consider how these and the other everyday items that they rely on may change over time.
UNIT INCLUDES:
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Learning Activity #1: Inventions of the 19th Century
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Learning Activity #2: Past, Present & Future
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Below are links to download documents, and handouts for this lesson along with links to web resources and additional material that will be helpful in presenting the concepts of this unit to your class.
Reading:
"Invention & Innovation: A Brief History of Everyday Things"
Photos:
Handout:
"Then and Now" Activity Sheet for Lesson 2
Curriculum made possible by:
