Videos and Films for Elementary
Social Studies Lessons
Immigrants Past and Present
Grades 5-7
Video/Film: Faces of America
Harvard Scholar, Henry Gates Jr., traces the
ancestral history of twelve famous Americans such as Steven Colbert, Eva
Longoria, Yo-yo Ma, and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Lesson Description:
This documentary can be useful in a 5th or 6th
grade classroom to teach the history of immigration and how its made America
the diverse country it is today. Students will begin by identifying their own
countries of heritage and share with others in the class. Students
then identify ethnic groups that migrated to the United States during different
historic waves of immigration. This film can be used during the Learning
Activities, in which students watch video segments from Faces
of America to develop an understanding of some of the
key motivations for immigration, while making use of online resources to
examine specific immigrant experiences from various points in American history.
Student learning can be extended by having students use their historical
knowledge and the case studies presented in the film to develop a brief
narrative that summarizes the experiences of an immigrant in the past or the
present.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/foa10.soc.k-6.histus.lpcoming/theyre-coming-to-america-immigrants-past-and-present/
*LOOPS SCOOPS:
"Happiness"
Grades 1-2
Video/Film Description:
In this lower elementary friendly animated video,
the Sphinx gives three children the opportunity to take whatever they want that
will make them happy from a toy store. Two of the children take as many toys as
possible, but leave mildly happy and not remembering what they took. The third
child however chooses only one toy and is thrilled with her pick.
Lesson Description:
In this lesson, students are introduced to the
concept of "needs vs. wants," students learn that the things that
make us happy are not necessarily things that cost money. Students will begin
by discussing needs, wants, price, and value. Then they will watch the
"Happiness" video, which will prompt further discussion and help
students consider the relationship between consumer goods and happiness.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lpsc10.sci.life.lp_needwant/needs-vs-wants/
*LOOPS SCOOPS:
"Garbage" and "Magazines"
Grades 1-2
Video/Film Description:
These two lower-elementary level friendly videos
tell the stories of two young children who learn about pollution and
wastefulness. In "Garbage" the Sphinx gives the boy a large pile of
trash and asks him to make it smaller. The boy removes paper, plastic, and
glass for recycling, while removing food and yard waste for composting. In
"Magazines" a young girl is asked about the magazine subscriptions
her family receives, she then learns about how many magazines are produced each
year to supply families across the country, this inspires the girl to find
creative ways to reuse them.
Lesson Plan Description:
In this lesson, students learn that natural
resources are materials that we obtain from the environment and can be used in
many different ways. By reviewing the concept of "needs vs. wants,"
students begin to consider their role in using natural resources. Students will
watch the LOOP SCOOPS videos "Garbage" and
"Magazines," which will prompt discussion about how they can help
protect Earth's natural resources by reducing the amount of materials they use,
reusing materials when possible, and recycling.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lpsc10.sci.life.lp_reduce/reduce-reuse-recycle/
Comparing Education Around The
World
Grades 3-5
Videos/ Film Descriptions:
Students will watch two videos titled "A Look
at a Japanese Classroom" and "A Look at a Kenyan Classroom."
Both videos document the two very different daily school experiences of a young
student in a Japanese Classroom and a young student in a Kenyan Classroom.
Lesson Plan Description:
Students will watch the two videos while comparing
and contrasting the two very different circumstances surrounding the students'
experiences by creating a Venn Diagram which allows students to better
understand the complexity of the ideas.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/vtl07.la.rv.text.lpcomped/comparing-education-around-the-world/
Manhatta 1609
Grades 3-5
Videos/ Film Descriptions:
This video from Dutch New York explores
the diverse ecosystem that Henry Hudson discovered when he arrived at
“Mannahatta,” the name given by the native Lenape people to the island now
known as Manhattan. Dr. Eric Sanderson, Director of the Mannahatta Project,
explains that Manahatta's ecosystem at one time, was more diverse than Yosemite
or Yellowstone National Parks and describes the landscape, flora and fauna of
the island in the early 1600s
Lesson Plan Description:
In this lesson students learn about the original
ecology of Manhattan, or “Mannahatta” as it was known to the native Lenape
Indians. After watching "Manhattan 1609" students will create a mural
depicting life in Mannahatta prior to Hudson's arrival. As an assessment,
students write two journal entries: one from the point of view of a crew member
on Henry Hudson's ship, and the other describing what they would see on a visit
to Manhattan today.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nys09.soc.k-6.statloc.lplenape/ill-take-mannahatta/
Looking for Lincoln
Grades 1-3
Video/ Film Description:
Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s quest to piece
together Lincoln’s complex life takes him from Illinois to Gettysburg to
Washington, D.C., and face-to-face with people who live with Lincoln every day
– relic hunters, re-enactors, and others for whom the study of Lincoln is a
passion.
Lesson Plan Description:
In this lesson, students gather facts
about Lincoln through a variety of hands-on activities including watching clips
of a documentary about Lincoln. In the Introductory Activity, students match
vocabulary words with pictures to piece together a timeline of Abraham
Lincoln’s life. In the Learning Activities, students gather various facts about
the life of Lincoln including facts about his work as a lawyer. Students will
also gain insight into Lincoln through examining objects and artifacts of his life.
Students then select classroom objects that best tell a story about them and/or
their class. In the Culminating Activity, students reflect upon the life of
Lincoln, revisit the timeline of Lincoln’s life and create their own personal
timelines.
Full Lesson Plan:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/bf10.soc.k-6.histus.civilwar.lphislife/looking-for-lincoln-throughout-his-life/
*Both
LOOP SCOOPS videos and lesson plans are companions and can be used together or
alone in the classroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment