Change: A Social Studies Unit for Gifted Students in Grades One through Three

Abstract

This semester unit on change was designed for use in a pull-out program (meeting approximately 90 minutes per week) for gifted students in grades 1 through 3. The unit focuses on how change affects people's daily lives and impacts on the family, community, culture, government, and world. The basic goals of the unit are for the students to understand the following: (1) change affects mankind; (2) man adapts to change; (3) change can be positive or negative; and (4) change is ongoing. The 14 lesson plans each have a different theme and offer a variety of suggested activities. Sample activities include listing important events and changes in the students' lives, identifying and locating countries a child's relatives are from, studying one country in more depth and sharing information learned, trying out native food dishes, making a family tree, becoming familiar with local history and geography (in this case, Libertyville, Illinois), and learning about local, state, and national leaders. (DB)