Social Studies Unit Plan & Rationale

Title of Unit Critically Thinking About Our Community Grade Level Grade 1
Subject Social Studies Time Frame 3.5 weeks (11 lessons – 30-minute periods)
Developed By Brianna Nolan

Desired Results
Learning Outcomes
GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by their sense of belonging in
their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions:
o What different types of communities or groups do you belong to?
o What helps us to recognize different groups or communities?
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?
o In what ways do we benefit from belonging to groups and communities?

Essential Question(s)
Overall Inquiry: “What does it mean to be a part of our community?”

Week 1 Focus:
 “What is a community?”
 “What are some of the different groups in our community?”
 “What different groups do I belong to?”
Week 2 Focus:
 “How do different individual people contribute to our school community?”
 “How do I contribute to our school community?”
 “How do different individuals contribute to our whole community?”
Week 3 Focus:
 “How do different individuals contribute to our whole community?”
 “How do I contribute to our whole community?”
 “How do different groups contribute to our community?”
Week 4 Focus:
 “How do I contribute to the groups I am a part of?”
 “What does it mean to be a part of our community?”
Knowledge: Skills
Students will know... Students will be able to…
 What a community is  Identify different groups in the community
 How different groups contribute to the community  Identify groups that they belong to
 How different individuals contribute to the community  Identify ways that different people contribute to the school
 Strategies for recognizing different groups community and the overall community
 Identify ways that they contribute to their school community
and the overall community

Assessment Evidence
Assessments
Overall Participation Brainstorming Mini Personal
Title Final Reflection
and Observation Contribution Reflections
Learning Outcomes
Type Formative & Formative &
Formative Summative
(Formative/Summative) Summative Summative
Weighting N/A 20% 40% 40%
Students will value self and others as unique individuals
in relation to their world:
X X X X
 Appreciate how belonging to groups and
communities enriches an individual’s identity
Students will value the groups and communities to which
they belong:
 Appreciate how their actions might affect other X X X X
people and how the actions of others might
affect them
Students will examine how they belong and are
connected to their world by exploring and reflecting
upon the following questions for inquiry:
 What different types of communities or groups
do you belong to?
 What helps us to recognize different groups or X X X
communities?
 In what ways do we belong to more than one
group or community at the same time?
 In what ways do we benefit from belonging to
groups and communities?
 Assessment FOR Assessment OF
Assessment Tool Brief Description
Learning Learning
The basis of each lesson in this unit is a mini-inquiry process. Students will
be assessed on their overall participation through teacher observations. To
Overall Participation and
do this, the teacher will monitor for students who are disengaged in each X
Observation
lesson and make a point to check-in with each of them on an individual
basis.
In each lesson of this unit, there is a period of brainstorming that will take
place after students are presented with their daily inquiry question. While
this form of assessment will be done by teacher observation, the teacher
Brainstorming Contribution will be looking for specific participation in brainstorming. As this activity X X
happens in every lesson, students have many opportunities to participate.
If the teacher notices that some students are reluctant to contribute to the
brainstorming process, they will check-in with those students.
Throughout the unit, there will be 5 mini personal reflections for students
to complete. In each of these, they will be answering the inquiry questions
that relate to them as individuals. The following inquiry questions will
wrap up with a mini personal reflection:
 “What is a community?”
 “What different groups or communities to I belong to?”
 “How do I contribute to our school community?”
Mini Personal Reflections  “How do I contribute to our whole community?” X X
 “How do I contribute to the groups that I am a part of?”
These reflections are related to the lessons in between as the discussion in
those lessons should help students to come up with their answers. In each
reflection, students will be asked to identify 1-3 answers for each of the
questions and to create an illustration for one of them. These mini
reflections are designed for students to express their reasoned judgement
to each of these inquiries.
The mini inquiries happening in each lesson throughout the unit are
guided by the overall inquiry question: “What does it mean to be a part of
our community?” For this final reflection, students will write a reflection or
Final Reflection X
create a FlipGrid response to demonstrate their learning from the unit –
how they contribute and how the ways other people contribute influence
what it means to be a part of the community.
 Unit at a Glance
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Inquiry Inquiry
Introduction Question: What are some of Question: What different
Question: What is a the different groups in our groups or communities do I
community? community? belong to?
Reasoned Judgement: A Reasoned Judgement: Reasoned Judgement: I
community is a group of Groups in our community belong to .
people working together. include our class, our  This will be unique
school, families, and clubs. for each student.
Inquiry (GUEST)
Inquiry Inquiry Question: How do different
Question: How do different Question: How do I individuals contribute to our
individual people contribute contribute to our school whole community?
to our school community? community? Reasoned Judgement:
Reasoned Judgement: Reasoned Judgement: I Individuals contribute to the
Individuals contribute to our contribute to my school community in different
school community by being community by . ways – some contribute by
responsible and showing  This will be unique keeping us safe, some
respect. for each student. contribute by helping
others, etc..
Inquiry
Question: How do different Inquiry
Inquiry
individuals contribute to our Question: How do I
Question: How do different
whole community? contribute to our whole
groups contribute to our
Reasoned Judgement: community?
community?
Individuals contribute to the Reasoned Judgement: I
Reasoned Judgement:
community in different contribute to our whole
Different groups contribute
ways – some contribute by community by .
to our community by
keeping us safe, some This will be unique for each
helping in different ways.
contribute by helping student.
others, etc..
Inquiry
Conclusion
Question: How do I
Question: What does it
contribute to the groups
mean to be a part of our
that I am a part of?
community?
Reasoned Judgement: I
Reasoned Judgment: Each
contribute to the groups I
person and group has a
am a part of by .
unique role in the
This will be unique for each
community.
student.
# Lesson Title Lesson Activities
Outcome(s):
 GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o What helps us to recognize different groups or communities?

Overview: This lesson has been designed to introduce grade 1 students to the concept of community as it relates to them and
their world. The focus of this lesson is for students to gain a basic understanding of what a community is – a group that supports
each other and helps in different ways. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“What is a
community?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their
What is a brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in a read-aloud of “My Community” by Raven Howell. By the end of the lesson,
1
community? students should be able to describe a community and give an example.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading, read-aloud) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s reflection journal entry.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals, book – “My Community” by
Raven Howell
2 What are some Outcome(s):
of the different  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
groups in our their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
community? vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o What different types of communities or groups do you belong to?

Overview: This lesson has been designed to help grade 1 students recognize what kinds of groups and communities exist in their
community. The focus of this lesson is for students to be able to identify different groups and communities within their
community – their class, their school, families, clubs, etc.. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day
(“What are some of the different groups in our community?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they
think initially about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in a surveying activity –
 mapping out groups that the students belong to as a way for them to visualize some of the different groups in the community. By
the end of the lesson, students should be able to list at least three different groups in the community.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers
Outcome(s):
 GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o What different types of communities or groups do you belong to?
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?

Overview: This lesson has been designed to help grade 1 students recognize what groups and communities they belong to as
individuals. The focus of this lesson is to have students identify their own groups and communities based on the discussion from
What different
the previous class. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“What different groups or communities do
groups or
3 I belong to?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their
communities
brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in a reflection activity – students will identify three groups or communities they
do I belong to?
belong to and draw an image for the one they feel they belong to the most strongly. By the end of the lesson, students should be
able to list at least three different groups in the community that they belong to.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s reflection journal entry.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals
4 How do Outcome(s):
  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize the roles of other people specifically in their school
community, and how those people contribute in different ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand the roles
different
and responsibilities of different people in the school – principals, teachers, students, etc.. To begin, students will be asked their
individual
inquiry question for the day (“How do different individual people contribute to our school community?”) and will spend time
people
brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will
contribute to
engage students in sorting activity – sorting roles of different people in the school (principal, teachers, students, etc.). By the end
our school
of the lesson, students should be able to name at least one way that different people contribute to the school community.
community?
Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, interactive sorting game
5 How do I Outcome(s):
contribute to  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
our school their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
community? vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students understand the ways that they contribute to the school community as
individuals. In previous discussions, they will have discussed a student’s role in the school community, but the focus of this lesson
is to have student identify and recognize their role and responsibilities as an individual for the school. To begin, students will be
asked their inquiry question for the day (“How do I contribute to our school community?”) and will spend time brainstorming
with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in a
 reflection activity – students will identify at least three ways that they contribute to the school community and represent one of
those ways with a picture. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify at least three ways that they contribute
to the school community as an individual.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s reflection journal entry.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals
Outcome(s):
 GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them

How do Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize the roles of other people in their overall community, and
different how those people contribute in different ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand the roles and
individuals responsibilities of different people in the community – firefighters, police officers, mail deliverers, etc.. For this lesson, the
6
contribute to students will get to hear from some community helpers (a firefighter and a police officer) to prepare for the inquiry process in
our whole the next lesson. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify at least one way each community helper
community? contributes to the overall community.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will be take place in a formative way. More specifically, formative assessment will occur
through general observations of student participation while the guest speakers work with the students.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, guest speakers
7 Outcome(s):
How do  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
different their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
individuals vitality of their groups and communities.
  SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize the roles of other people in their overall community, and
how those people contribute in different ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand the roles and
responsibilities of different people in the community – this is an extension from the previous lesson. To begin, students will be
asked their inquiry question for the day (“How do different individuals contribute to our whole community?”) and will spend
time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will
contribute to
engage students in sorting activity – sorting roles of different people in the community (firefighters, police officers, mail
our whole
deliverers, etc.). By the end of the lesson, students should be able to name at least three ways that different people contribute to
community?
the community.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, interactive sorting activity
8 How do I Outcome(s):
contribute to  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
our whole their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
community? vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize their own roles in the overall community, and how they
contribute in as individuals in unique ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand their roles and responsibilities
in the community. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“How do I contribute to our whole
community?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their
brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in reflection activity – students will identify at least three ways that they
contribute to the community and create an illustration for one of them. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to
name at least three ways that they contribute to the community.
 Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s reflection journal entry.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals
Outcome(s):
 GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o In what ways do we benefit from belonging to groups and communities?
How do
different Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize the roles of different groups in their overall community, and
groups how those groups contribute in different ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand the roles and
9 responsibilities of different groups in the community. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“How
contribute to
our whole do different groups contribute to our community?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially
community? about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in sorting activity – sorting roles of different
groups in the community (firefighters, animal shelters, sports clubs, etc.). By the end of the lesson, students should be able to
name at least three ways that different groups contribute to the community.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, interactive sorting activity
10 How do I Outcome(s):
contribute to  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
 their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.2: Students will value the groups and communities to which they belong:
o Appreciate how their actions might affect other people and how the actions of others might affect them
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?
o In what ways do we benefit from belonging to groups and communities?

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize their own roles in the groups they belong to, and how they
contribute in as individuals in unique ways. The focus of the lesson is to have students understand their roles and responsibilities
the groups that in the various groups they belong to. To begin, students will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“How do I contribute to
I am a part of? the groups I am a part of?”) and will spend time brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question.
Following their brainstorming, the teacher will engage students in reflection activity – students will identify at least three ways
that they contribute different groups that they belong to and create an illustration for one of them. By the end of the lesson,
students should be able to name at least three ways that they contribute to the groups they belong to.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s reflection journal entry.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals
11 What does it Outcome(s):
mean to be a  GLO 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how identity and self-esteem are enhanced by
part of our their sense of belonging in their world and how active members in a community contribute to the well-being, growth and
community? vitality of their groups and communities.
 SLO 1.1.1: Students will value self and others as unique individuals in relation to their world:
o Appreciate how belonging to groups and communities enriches an individual’s identity
 SLO 1.1.3: Students will examine how they belong and are connected to their world by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions:
o In what ways do we belong to more than one group or community at the same time?

Overview: This lesson is designed to help grade 1 students recognize the roles and responsibilities of belonging to a community
in general. The focus of the lesson is to have students generalize their learning from the unit on community. To begin, students
will be asked their inquiry question for the day (“What does it mean to be a part of our community?”) and will spend time
brainstorming with the teacher what they think initially about the question. Following their brainstorming, the teacher will
engage students in reflection activity – students will provide either a written or FlipGrid response to summarize what they think a
good reasoned judgement would be for this overall inquiry using all that they have learned in the unit. By the end of the lesson,
students should be able to identify roles and responsibilities of belonging to a community. As a unit wrap up, the teacher will
read the story Where Oliver Fits by Cole Atkinson as it emphasizes the importance of being unique.

Teaching and/or Learning Strategies: Instructional strategies for this lesson include inquiry (basis for the lesson), direct
instruction (question leading, read-aloud) and interactive instruction (brainstorming).

Assessment: Assessment for this lesson will take place through a variety of methods. More specifically, formative assessment
will occur through general observations of student participation and brainstorming contribution. Summative assessment will
occur by teacher reflection on student contribution during the brainstorming process, as well as through a review of each
student’s final reflection.

Resources:
 Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, pencils and erasers, colouring utensils, reflection journals, book – “Where Oliver Fits”
by Cole Atkinson

Rationale
 This unit has been created in such a way that students work towards a reasoned judgment for the following critical inquiry question: “What does

it mean to be a part of our community?” Throughout the unit, students will participate in mini inquiries to help them come to a more informed reasoned

judgement in the end. With the end focus in mind, the mini-inquires are guided to answer small parts of the overall big question. By breaking the overall

big question into smaller pieces, the inquiry process has been shaped into a less overwhelming experience as students have had limited experience with

inquiries. Throughout the completion of these mini-inquiries, students will create reflection journals with an entry being completed for each mini-inquiry

that asks students to evaluate themselves as individuals. These reflections along with the other activities will lead students to a reasoned judgment for

the unit – each person and group has a unique role in the community. In addition, this unit has been designed to helps students embody the spirit of

inquiry; that is, to remain open-minded and fair-minded in their discussions and debates. With this unit being guided by the teacher, the formal

discussion and debate will occur through the brainstorming period that happens as a part of each lesson. This brainstorming period will consist of

students contributing their ideas of what the inquiry question means for them or what they interpret from hearing the inquiry question. Students will be

constantly reminded of the guidelines for inquiry participation – to respect others and their opinions as they all will have different ways of thinking.

While this specific unit has been designed for the social studies area of the curriculum, this unit has the potential to expand into other subject

areas such as language arts and health. In language arts, students could expand their thinking and respond in a clearer form of writing for each class. By

the end of the unit, students would have more evidence to guide their final judgement. Health related concepts could include volunteering for local

causes, hosting fundraisers, and learning the basics of being active members of the community and how that helps others around them. Additionally,

they could go on ‘community walks’ to help them identify and visualize some real-time pieces of the community. By expanding this unit to other subject

areas, an educator would further help students develop their critical thinking skills and the ways in which they can apply them.

By the end of this unit, even if it is only discussed in social studies classes, students should be comfortable with contributing their ideas to class

discussion and working together to come up with and agree on ideas. Additionally, students will be able to express the ways in which they contribute to

different groups and communities in working towards developing an understanding of what it truly means to be a part of a community. Each section of

the unit is broken into two parts – one that focusses on others, and one that has them focus on themselves. This is an important aspect in the
development of a child’s identity as well as in critical thinking skills. By applying what they have discussed, practiced, and reflected on to their own

personal lives, students are actively working towards their final reasoned judgement.