Out of Many, One Unit

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Unit At A Glance

This fifth grade unit outline is designed to solicit critical thinking about the rule of law.  There is one fully developed lesson which has students become “game designers” and communicate effectively through the rules they create.
 

This unit is designed to address the following California State Board of Education's content standards for History-Social Science. See below for specific standards addressed. For more information on the standards, or to see the complete list, please visit: www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/


Content Standards

5.7.5

5.7.3


Click here to get more details on these standards and Common Core information

Big Ideas   

E Pluribus Unum:  out of many, one

Through actions come change, and change in the political process involves participation


Essential Questions or Issues:

1. How does the use of symbols help convey a message?

2. What does it take to work in a successful group?

3. Why is being united essential?

4. How can a strong individual still be part of a group?

5. Does the strength of the individual make the whole stronger?

Lesson One—The Importance of Symbols

  1. Reading and background information about symbols—natural
    and man-made.
  2. Interview parent/guardian about symbols
  3. Create a crest using symbols to describe self.

Lesson Two—George Washington—Man or Man?

  1. Research and discuss  George Washington
  2. Research and understand Presidential Cabinet
  3. Create  own Presidential Cabinet

Lesson Three—The Rule Paradox

  1. Board Game playing (Scrabble, Bananagrams, Pentago,etc.)
  2. Discussion about rules: necessary, unnecessary?
  3. Create a game using four materials


End of Unit Assessment