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Description
The goal of the Global Schools Program Teaching Grade 4 lesson plans is to allow students to explore the topic of identity and to connect their personal values to those of their community by contributing to the health of the environment. This unit helps students develop a sense of their position in relation to the wider world, and understanding how elements in the world relate to each other in reference to one’s own values. The unit is designed to be a sequence of five lessons, though each lesson can be employed independently. Each lesson is also designed to preempt the concepts introduced in the next lesson.
Lesson 1 Developing Self Identities: The students will learn to describe their own values and then create personal storybooks by writing and drawing about their values. The books will be shared with the class and then put on display.
Lesson 2 Learning About the Environment: The students will be introduced to the three R's and then turn a plastic bottle into something creative that can be reused.
Lesson 3 Nations and Resources: The students will discover where a number of common objects are produced. Then, as a class, they will create a mind map of the pros and cons of importing products versus producing objects locally. After creating their own mind map in small groups, the students will debate the issue of importing versus local production.
Lesson 4 Sustainable Development Goals and Actionable Steps: After watching the video "If the World was 100 People...", the students will write one sentence from the video that caught their interest. The sentences will be translated into percentages. The students will then create a board around one topic from the video to present to the class.
Lesson 5 Tying It All Together: The students will write and present a play that ties all of their learning together from the previous lessons.
General Assessment
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?
The focus of this resource is on developing knowledge and awareness rather than concrete skills.
Strengths
- The topic is interesting and will engage the students.
- A number of external links to supplementary materials for both the students and teacher.
- It is a well prepared resource that is easy to follow.
Weaknesses
- No suggestions made for learners who may struggle with the material.
- There is one broken link in Lesson #1.
Recommendation of how and where to use it
This resource is a great resource for upper elementary students. It would work well in a Social Studies classroom in order for the students to make connections from themselves to the larger world.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
- Step 1Select a province
- Alberta
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Drama
- Visual Arts
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number: Quantity is measured with numbers that enable counting, labelling, comparing, and operating.
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society
- Grade 5
- British Columbia
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Creative expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community.
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Exploring works of art exposes us to diverse values, knowledge, and perspectives.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Development of computational fluency and multiplicative thinking requires analysis of patterns and relations in multiplication and division
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Computational fluency and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with larger (multi-digit) numbers
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 3
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- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Our Local Environment : Learning and Living Sustainably
- Our Local Environment : Scientific Literacy
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts General: Creating, Making, and Presenting
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Create
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts General: Creating, Making, and Presenting
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Create
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Creative expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community.
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Exploring works of art exposes us to diverse values, knowledge, and perspectives.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Development of computational fluency and multiplicative thinking requires analysis of patterns and relations in multiplication and division
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Computational fluency and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with larger (multi-digit) numbers
- Nova Scotia
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Math 4: Number
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 4: Habitats
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Visual Arts 4: Analyse
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Mathematics 5: Number
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Visual Arts 5: Analyse
- Nunavut
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education 4: Creative/Productive
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Life Systems: Habitats & Communities
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: Global Connections
- Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: Identity
- Grade 5
- Ontario
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- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts: Drama
- Arts: Visual Arts
- Math
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- Number
- Science & Technology
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- Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
- Grade 5
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- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts: Drama
- Arts: Visual Arts
- Math
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- Number
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Earth and Space Systems: Conservation of Energy & Resources
- Prince Edward Island
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Habitats
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Visual Arts: Creating and Presenting
- Grade 5
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- Math
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- Number
- Visual Art
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Visual Arts: Creating and Presenting
- Quebec
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts: Drama: To invent short scenes
- Arts: Visual Arts: To produce individual works in the visual arts
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arithmetic
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Living Things
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts: Drama: To invent short scenes
- Arts: Visual Arts: To produce individual works in the visual arts
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arithmetic
- Science & Technology
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Living Things
- Saskatchewan
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education 4: Creative/Productive
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Number
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Habitats and Communities
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Saskatchewan: Resources and Wealth
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education 5: Creative/Productive
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Mathematics 5: Number
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Canada: Interaction and Interdependence of Nations
- Canada: Resources and Wealth
- Yukon Territory
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 4
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Creative expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community.
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Exploring works of art exposes us to diverse values, knowledge, and perspectives.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Development of computational fluency and multiplicative thinking requires analysis of patterns and relations in multiplication and division
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
- Grade 5
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Dance, drama, music and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
- Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Computational fluency and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with larger (multi-digit) numbers
Themes Addressed
Citizenship (1)
- Community-Building and Participation
Human Health & Environment (1)
- Quality of Life
Human Rights (1)
- Cultural Diversity
Waste Management (1)
- Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Sustainability Education Principles
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | Much of the resource is devoted to exploring the students ideas and values. They are encouraged to do this via open ended discussions. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
| ||
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Satisfactory | |
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
| ||
| Respects Complexity | Satisfactory | |
| Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
| Acting on Learning | Good | The students work to re-imagine and creatively re-use a water bottle. |
| Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
| ||
| Values Education | Very Good | This is a core component of this resource and, in particular, Lesson 1. The students learn about values and how to clarify their own beliefs. |
| Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
| Empathy & Respect for Humans | Very Good | Lesson #4, in particular, allows for the students to see the world in a different way. They watch the video "If the World were 100 People..." and then work with the percentages given in the video to investigate what interests them. |
| Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
| Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | |
| Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
| ||
| Locally-Focused Learning | Good | The resource begins with a focus on the individual student and then gradually expands outward. |
| Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
| ||
| Past, Present & Future | Very Good | |
| Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. | ||
Pedagogical Approaches
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | It is through open ended discussions that the students explore much of the topics presented. |
| Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
| Integrated Learning | Good |
|
| Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
| ||
| Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | |
| Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
| ||
| Differentiated Instruction | Good | There are no strategies included for learners with difficulties. |
| Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
| ||
| Experiential Learning | Poor/Not considered | This is not a focus of this resource. |
| Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
| ||
| Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
| Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
| ||
| Assessment & Evaluation | Very Good | For each lesson there are assessment suggestions and some lessons provide a rubric. |
| Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
| Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
| Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
| ||
| Case Studies | Poor/Not considered | This is not a focus of this resource. |
| Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
| Locus of Control | Satisfactory | There is some choice given in the later lessons as to the topic that the students will choose to explore. |
| Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. | ||
