Teacher's Guide

For many of us history is no more than a collection of facts and dates, which have little relevance to our daily lives. However, history is full of rich and exciting events that have taken place and helped to shape the world in which we now live in.  Understanding these connections to our own lives allows us to understand ourselves, and our place in the world. Further, the study of history is essential in developing citizens who understand contemporary issues with a depth and wisdom drawn from the experience of the past. Through the study of history, which integrates the humanities (such as art and literature) and the social sciences (political science, economics, and geography), students will better understand their own society as well as others. Analyzing patterns and relationships within and among world cultures such as economic competition and interdependence, age-old ethnic enmities, and political and military alliances, helps learners carefully examine policy alternatives that have both national and worldwide implications. The deep study of history is further informed and enlivened by considering current events and issues. Important as well, students will develop understanding of chronological thinking, the connection between causes and effects, and between continuity and change. They will see how people in other times and places have grappled with the fundamental questions of truth, justice, and personal responsibility, understand that ideas have real consequences, and realize that events are shaped both by ideas and the actions of individuals.

            This unit is designed to meet the Arizona State Social Studies Standards at an Essentials Level (4-6) in the area of History.

PO 1. Place key events on a timeline and apply chronological terms correctly, including B.C.E. (B.C.), C.E. (A.D.), decade, century, and generation

PO 2. Identify primary and secondary sources historians use to construct an understanding of the past; using such sources as letters, diaries, newspaper articles, archaeological evidence, maps, and government records

PO 3. Interpret historical data in the form of simple graphs and tables

PO 1. the reasons for European exploration of the Americas

PO 1. the reasons for colonization, including religious freedom, desire for land, economic opportunity, and a new life

PO 3. the importance of the religious aspects of the earliest colonies in shaping the new nation and American principles

To attain these standards, the course aims to develop students understanding of who they are and from where they came through the process of tracing their own personal lineage.  The unit is task based which requires students to work collaboratively in groups as well as independently. The students should be able to recognize history as an on-going “living” history that shapes their understanding of themselves and the world around them. They will be able to use that recognition to examine how history relates to society-including their own place in society, and its effects on the world around them

I.         INTRODUCTION & BRIEF SUMMARY OF UNIT (including curriculum and unit goals).  This integrated unit “My Place in History” focuses both on developing an understanding of themselves as well as an understanding of historical influences on their own lives and the lives of their ancestors. Students will begin by developing a timeline and their own personal biography including the influences that contemporary historical events have had on their lives. Students will then trace their “roots” and make connections to the past examining the historical influences on the lives of their ancestors.

a.      Focal Points: Students will begin by creating a personal timeline and biography. This biography will convey the essence of who the student is as well as document the influences of contemporary history on their lives.  Students will then produce an ancestral chart of their own family and develop a family history connecting historical events to the lives of their ancestors. As students work through the sub-tasks they will make connections between their ancestors and the historical events that influenced them. As they do this, students will focus on the following essential questions: 1. Who am I?  2.  Where do I come from?  3.How has history affected my life and the lives of my ancestors?

b.      Culminating Task: Students will develop a Power Point presentation that documents a “living” family history. This presentation can include pictures of ancestors and information about their lives as well as connecting historical events to their lives. This presentation will be presented and shared with other members of the class.

c.      Modifications:  The activities in this unit are designed to be as open-ended as possible to allow for many different learning styles and abilities. Teachers may need to enable text readers or enlist volunteers to assist students in gathering information from the Internet. Some individual accommodations to the unit that should be considered by the classroom teacher may include

             Students by completing this unit, will understand the connections between historical events and their own lives and how these events allow us to understand ourselves, and our place in the world.

This unit revolves around three essential questions:

1. Who are you? (Section 1)

2. Where did you come from? (Section 2)

3. How have historical events affected the lives of your ancestors as well as yourself? (Section 3)

The first two lessons in this unit will help to answer question 1.

Lessons 3-10 develop question 2

Lesson 11 completes the unit and should help students answer question 3.

The links will take you to the Teachers Instructions and Guide for each section. and will assist you in helping your students discover their "Roots"