Curriculum Project:
Author Study
This project is designed for use with third graders as a cross-curricular unit targeting both ELA and social studies standards. It solves two different problems. The first problem it solves is the lack of time during the instructional day to teach social studies. This has been an issue in elementary schools for many years. The project allows students to form a connection with the places and regions they are studying, rather than studying a place or region around the world with no personal context. The second problem it solves is creating and implementing a unit of instruction to increase student engagement and deepen student understanding in ELA. The unit is a multi-week author study of learning based on the author, Shelley Gill. Most of the books Shelley Gill has written are based in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, so the unit targets these places and region. The unit incorporates learning about Shelley Gill, reading some of her books that are set in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, learning about the different topography, climate, and wildlife in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and culminates with the students making a presentation about the Alaska and Northwest region.
This project aligns with the following standards:
Geography
3- Students will identify types of human settlements, connections between settlements, and the types of activities found in each.
4- Students will use the concepts of place and region to explain simple patterns of connections between and among places across the country and the world.
English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (ELA CCSS):
3.RL.7- Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
3.RL.9- Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plot of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)
3.RI.5- Use text features and search tools e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks to locate information relevant to a given topic
3.RI.7- Use information gained from illustrations e.g., maps, photographs and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur
3.W.8- Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories
3.SL.4- Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace
International Society for Technology in Education student standards (ISTE):
2c- Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property
3c- Curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions
6a- Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication
6b- Create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations
6c- Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations
6d- Publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences
7c- Contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal