Rationale

It is important for students to learn about different parts of society, history, and government from where they live, so that they will be productive members of society.

Goal

Students will become more aware of themselves and the world around them. They will become more aware of Ohio as a state.

ActivitiesMy timeline: collect pictures from childhood, arrange in chronological order,attach to poster board organized like a timeline. List dates on the timeline, use references to add important historical dates to your timeline.With a partner students can find out about events that happened during American Indian Heritage month. They can plan events for the class to celebrate.

More ActivitiesIdentify important individuals and events in state history. Explain their significant roles by making a character web about them. Ex: Tecumseh and Neil Armstrong.

Take an online tour of the Ohio Village and discuss what you find.

Compare ways of mail delivery throughout history.

Websiteswww.ohiokids.orgwww.kged.org/heritagemonths/americanindian/http://usacitylink.com/usa/default.htmlhttp://www.ohiokids.org/hsafari.htmlhttp://www.americanwest.com/pages/fwpnfron.htm

ActivitiesUse resource books to collect information to write a report about a famous Ohioan.

Students can browse the web in pairs and find two ways volunteers have helped change a society for the better. They can share their findings with the class.

Use a map to retrace the national trail in Ohio.

Study Native American sites in Ohio.

More Activities

Identify various cultural groups that have settled in Ohio, discuss their customs and ways of life.In a group of three students, make a booklet showing these specific customs and ways of living. BE CREATIVE!!

Websiteswww.georgetown.edu/crossroads/community.htmlwww.door.net/spgs/http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/miamisbg.http://www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/oh2.htmlhttp://www.ohiokids.org/ohc/history/hindian/index.cfm

ActivitiesMake your own map. Using and Ohio map, locate the capital, the Ohio Rv., identify the city where you live, major highways, cities, and state parks.Using the map you have made, create your own map legend to correspond with your map.Groups of students can create puppet shows to reflect various world cultures. Bunraku puppetry is used in Japan, water puppetry is used in Vietnam, and shadow puppetry is used in Indonesia

More Activities

Have a pen-pal from a different country. Write and send letters monthly.

Make a care package including various items from your culture and background to send to your pen-pal.

Websiteswww.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/maps.html.http://welcome.to/state_mapshttp://www.avis.com/maps-and_directions/road_maps.oh.htmlhttp://librarythinkquest.org/10157/http://www.kidvista.com/SocialStudies/index.html

Activities

Production Line- students experiment ways of producing some product, Ex. Making a sandwich

Conduct a minieconomy which students are responsible for fake money, budgets, trading, and running businesses.

Read Making Cents, every kids guide to Money by Elizabeth Wilkinson.

More Activities

Trace the resources needs to make a t-shirt. For example: cotton seeds, farm workers, weaving, machines, etc.

Compare what products are used for cooking today, compared to earlier Ohio communities.

Websiteshttp://tajunior.thinkquest.org/3901

www.tax.gov/kids/

http://www.levistrauss.com/

http://www.ohiokids.org/games/ctynames.html

http://earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/index.html

ActivitiesField Trip- Visit the State Courts or Capitol.

Have county officials come into the room and speak about their jobs.

Discuss the basic function for each branch of local, state, and federal governments.

Have students hold a mock election.

Compare and Contrast voting now to the early 1900’s.

Websiteshttp://www.whitehouse.gov/wh/kids/html/home.html

www.foutcom.con/folio/intro.html

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

http://www.statehouse.state.oh.us/

http://www.kidvista.com/SocialStudies/index.html

ActivitiesHave the class choose a current event issue. Split the class into two teams and have them debate the issue.Create a class citizenship tree. Post a large cut-out tree with activities students do to be good citizens as the branches and leaves.Identify and discuss the personal characteristics that are conducive to group decision making, cooperative activity, and personal involvement in the community.

More Activities

Talk about the rights that every person has. Learn about the Bill of Rights

Have the class choose a good deed around the community that they can perform in order to be good citizens.

Play the online Ohio counties game.

Websiteshttp://www.kidvista.com/SocialStudies/government.html

http://www.50states.com

http://www.ned.org/

http://www.ohiokids.org/games/counties.html

http://www.logs.org/reference.html

ActivitiesStudents will make a power point presentation about their lives.Students will use the internet to research past Ohio presidents.Students will use word processing programs to type reports about presidents.Use the internet to find information about current events. Use the internet to research businesses in which to invest stock.

Websiteshttp://www.microsoft.com

http://www.daytondailynews.com

http://www.clarkhoward.com

http://www.activedayton.com

http://www.ohiohistory.com

ConclusionThe previous activities and website resources are suggested for developing lessons for a fourth grade class. It is important to incorporate each of the seven Social Studies strands into the curriculum. This allows students to become knowledgeable about the many different aspects of our world and its history.