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“Not Your Average Unit” with Bunnies, Chicks, and Decorated Eggs
Spring is here which means units about bunnies, chicks, and decorated eggs…but this is “Not Your Average Unit”. Are you looking for a way to connect Social Studies in a different way? Try out “Not Your Average Bunnies & Things Unit”.
This unit was designed with global themes in mind! It’s so important for us to get Social Studies in and to connect our kids to a different part of the world and help them understand that learning about the world matters.
Throughout this resource, you will teach history, civics, science, geography, and sociology!
We hope you enjoy this unit as much as we do!
(Click on any photo to be taken to the resource)
Overview
This unit includes 5 Ebooks with corresponding activities and End of Unit Bulletin Board items. This unit covers the following topics: Civics, S.T.E.M, Sociology, History, Geography.
Instructions: Read each eBook with your students. Stop on the pages or allow for time at the end to discuss the content or respond to any questions.
History
This is a 140 year old tradition that your students can, in their own way, participate in with this ebook on the History of the White House egg roll.
Instructions: 1 set of pages makes two booklets. Pages will need to be secured with a brad fastener in order for the pages to roll as you and your students read.
Civics
Did you know there are laws passed to prevent people from dyeing baby chicks around springtime? This Civics unit dives into these laws and allows for your students to voice their position on the matter; “yay or nay?”.
Instructions: After reading the ebook with your students, students can discuss their personal feelings. The activity directs students to “vote” on whether they feel dyeing chicks should be illegal or legal base on how they choose to artistically complete the Laws for Baby Chicks activity.
Note: The “votes” can be added to your Not So Average Bulletin Board (bulletin board items are included with this bundle unit)!
S.T.E.M Math
The purpose of this M(ath) in S.T.E.M. unit is to provide exposure to symmetry, shapes, and patterns.
Directions: Read the Math eBook with your students. Look for symmetry within your own classroom or virtual room(s). Feel free to even model drawing a mirror image on the board and or screen. A blank egg is included to print and provide for each student. Then, ask students to challenge themselves to create a symmetrical egg that has lines of symmetry, patterns, and shapes that they can identify in it. Also, have them use the vocabulary included in the ebook and checklist.
Note: You can also add their completed symmetrical eggs to your Not So Average Bulletin Board (bulletin board items are included with this bundle unit)!
Sociology
This Sociology: Surveys unit will allow you to aid your students to become curious, formulate a question, collect data and share their feelings with people by Surveying the Scene of the Chocolate Rabbit Habit.
Instructions: Read the eBook and discuss what a survey is. Students will be able to conduct their very own surveys. Try to make this as authentic as possible.
Surveying the Scene:
Step 1: Pick a Question
Step 2: Pick a style
Step 3: Share Your Results
Step 4: Design Your Question
Geography
With this Geography unit, your students will explore the tradition of creating pysanky and figure out where Ukraine is on a map.
Instructions: Read the eBook and briefly discuss the concept of the pysanky eggs. For visual purposes, you could pull our a globe or map and locate Ukraine. Students will have the opportunity to create the geography egg shown above. Following the instructions, students will cut and glue the pieces in order to form one large egg.
Note: The completed egg can be added to your Not So Average Bulletin Board (bulletin board items are included with this bundle unit)!
(Click the image below to purchase)
Love,
LaNesha and Naomi
(Tabb + O’Brien)
Do the Work Offline
Some people’s failure to take “the work” off of social media and actually apply it to their real lives harms BIPOC. Lying about feeling threatened by a Black person, reporting that you feel uncomfortable because a Black person held you accountable for racism in the workplace, not reflecting daily on how you might be racist and making changes immediately, not holding employees, co-workers, friends and family accountable when you know something is racist, not condemning racism (whether a Black person is present or not) harms us. And here’s the thing, it’s a tale as old as time. I’m tired of it. I’ve spoken with three POCs just in the past two days that have been disciplined at work for speaking up against racism. It’s because of white supremacy and fragility that the discipline even takes place. I’ve been in that position in a workplace too many times. It feels like you just can’t win when the people in power side with the racists because they too, are that level of racist. They don’t see the situation from your perspective because… they can’t. They think about how racism makes them feel uncomfortable to navigate and they make the rules about how much racism and discrimination is allowed in a workplace. It’s like being sexually harassed by a male coworker and then having to report to a male superior about what happened and you just know there’s a 99.9% chance they’re going to excuse the behavior because it’s probably behavior they engage in themselves. You feel helpless. And then, when you handle it yourself, you get in trouble for being “unprofessional” and you’re labeled as emotional or aggressive or always making everything about race.
My BIPOCs, we know this is a marathon and not a sprint. Racial battle fatigue is real. Take care of yourselves. I’m sorry that this is our path, but we’ve got this. Keep fighting. Keep advocating. Keep your head up. Justice delayed is justice denied, but we will always fight for it.
xoxo,
Naomi
Women’s History Month
(Click on any photo to be taken
to the resource)
Women’s History is important all year and especially in March! This primary friendly resource is the perfect way to talk to your kids about Women’s History Month and highlight some influential women of color. Learn about Women’s History month with this full-color, projectable eBook that includes three activities.
This unit includes a 14 page eBook and three activities; student response and research sheet as well as a booklet for each student. Booklets will need to be printed and assembled.
EBook
This EBook touches on what is history, how women’s history month came to be, and highlights the importance of focusing on women’s history year-round. This eBook also leaves teachers and students to take action in taking part in further researching influential women as well as passing on learned information to others.
EBook Instructions
Read the eBook with your students/children. Point out the women that have been highlighted in this book. Add in any influential women you look up to or know about. Ask students questions while you read.
– So why do we have Women’s History Month?
– Do you think this is an important focus for the Month?
– Why do you think there isn’t a Men’s History Month?
Response Sheet
This response sheet can be used to see if your students/children have retained the information from the ebook. You may need to reread the eBook to find answers.
Research Sheet
As a class, choose a woman (not one included in this resource) to research, learn about, and add the information about when she was born, her early life, major accomplishments, and one interesting fact. Then students can illustrate a picture. This sheet can be used repeatedly.
Booklet
After reading the eBook, complete this Booklet (assemble, print + staple together) which includes excerpts from the ebook with questions for students/children to write/draw their response to prompts on each page.
(Click the image below to purchase)
Love,
LaNesha and Naomi
(Tabb + O’Brien)
Note: Here is a list of 25 lesser-known women in history we’ve provided as suggestions, who changed laws, broke new scientific ground, and shattered gender barriers
Set Up For Social Studies: Kindergarten A 90 Day (Or Less) Social Studies Curriculum
(Click on any photo to be taken
to the resource)
You are going to LOVE this unit. It’s
easy to implement, it’s comprehensive,
#representation, and your students are going to walk
away with a great foundation of important social studies skills. We
lay the foundation in literally every other academic area, social
studies shouldn’t be an exception!
We wanted to put together a curriculum
that would give students the basics and kick start their love of
history, civics, economics, geography, decision making,
and sociology. We wanted to present these
foundational and important topics paired with images that we generally
don’t see in social studies lessons. Close your eyes
and picture images from your elementary school social studies
lessons….who do you see represented? Think about the curriculum your
school purchased a few years ago. Who’s centered? Who’s missing?
We wanted to make sure to cover
the basics but cover them in a way where more than one group of people
might see themselves represented for various reasons.
In our teacher guides (that accompany
each lesson in all 6 units), we added our notes and gave teachers our
quick tips and considerations for the lessons.
We sought to include lessons that
pushed teachers to move beyond “just the facts” that asked them to
consider different perspectives and the truths of others. Yes,
students need to learn about goods, services, and money, but we can
cover those topics in a way that gets them thinking about how the
world works for different groups of people and to consider how those
groups are affected.
We also encourage teachers to add in
perspectives we may have missed. Use each lesson as an opportunity to
bring truth and real conversations into your classroom.
In this curriculum, you will find
everything you need to hit the ground running and lay a foundation
that will help you and your students dive deeper into other topics
during your social studies time.
There are 6 units:
Each unit consists of 8
lessons:
Student workbooks, projectable lessons,
a detailed teaching guide, checks for understanding, feelings checks,
unit reviews, vocabulary, and unit quizzes are also included in this
curriculum!
There is so much included to help you
and your students do social studies right!
Print the essential question
posters and post them in the room for the duration of each
unit and refer back to them throughout the unit.
Or show them to students virtually before
each lesson and remind them that this question will be able to be
answered confidently at the end of your unit.
Student workbooks and
assignments can be printed and bound into one large workbook
and kept in a folder, or made into 6 mini workbooks. Each unit has its
own cover page. Or, the workbooks can be assigned digitally.
PNGs have been included for your convenience so they can be added to
Google Slides or Seesaw. Directions are included in your download for
both. Pages can also be printed or virtually assigned as
needed.
Student Checks for
Understanding are built in to take place after each lesson.
Students will use a 1-4 rating system to assess their own
understanding.
We set this up in a way that students
will have an open book quiz at the end of the unit. Allow students to
use all of the lesson assignments and Unit Review Note
catcher to assist while they take their end of unit quiz.
Unit Lesson Slides are
included. Each lesson has its own slide to help teach the lessons and
engage your learners. A Turn and Talk question is
included on each slide to encourage student discussion. Virtual
learners can enjoy these discussions whole group or in breakout
rooms!
Feeling lost? Don’t worry, we’ve got
you! A Daily Lesson Guide for each and every lesson exists to
guide you along the way. We added objectives, teaching suggestions,
questions, and show you which slide corresponds with which workbook
page you’ll need for that lesson.
It’s easy! One lesson = One teacher
guide page, one teaching slide to project (or share), and one student
workbook page.
Parent and Caregiver
Notes have been included to send home or attach the image and
email it so that parents and caregivers are aware of all of the
lessons in an upcoming unit!
Unit Pacing:
So, you’re probably asking yourself how
long does all of this take? We designed each lesson to last for 30
minutes or less. We know many of us have to use the “Get in where you
fit in” model when it comes to social studies.
There are 8 lessons in each unit that
are meant to last for 8 days. There’s a day to review for the quiz,
and then a day for the quiz. Each unit has 5 vocabulary words that
should be taught one day at a time. So an entire unit would last for15
days if you did one lesson each day of the school week. (If you need
to reteach a lesson or two, based on checks for understanding, go for
it! Do what works for you.)
We also understand that holidays,
breaks, themes, and other things come up and interrupt lessons. You
might skip a day here and there to fit in an accurate Thanksgiving
lesson, or teach about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That’s fine! This
curriculum can be stretched out longer if you decide to visit other
themes in between units. It can be completed quickly if you power
through.
We added a pacing guide that also
includes resources we’ve created that will help you further explore
more social studies topics with your students.
Who are these lessons for?:
These lessons are geared towards 5-6
year-olds. The majority of their workbook response sheets require
them to use high order thinking, reasoning, and to explain themselves
through drawing and some writing.
What standards did we
follow?:
We took a look at several different
states across the U.S.A. and combined the elements, themes, and
standards that we saw repeated over and over again for students at the
first-grade level.
What’s included in the entire
student workbook? 
What is the vocabulary
format?:
We understand that schedules and
curriculum needs may vary from teacher to teacher. Because of this, we
included a vocabulary portion that can be covered at your discretion.
Introduce the vocabulary word (cards have been included that may be
printed and displayed in a pocket chart). Ask students to draw a
picture, write the definition, and then use it in a sentence for
context. Projectable vocabulary slides are included in each unit for
each word.
What do Student Workbook Pages
look like?:
What do unit review flashcards
look like?:
What do unit (open note)
quizzes look like?:
What does a daily lesson slide
look like?:
We understand how important social
studies is. When done right, it can be used to lay a foundation for
young learners that will grow up to be citizens in a diverse world.
Citizens that are culturally intelligent, empathetic,
and knowledgeable about the world around
them.
(Click the Image Below to Purchase)
Love,
LaNesha and Naomi
(Tabb + O’Brien)
Set Up For Social Studies for First Grade: A 90 Day (or Less) Social Studies Curriculum
(Click on any photo to be taken to the resource)
You are going to LOVE this unit. It’s easy to implement, it’s comprehensive, #representation, and your students are going to walk away with a great foundation of important social studies skills. We lay the foundation in literally every other academic area, social studies shouldn’t be an exception!
LaNesha and I wanted to put together a curriculum that would give students the basics and kick start their love of history, civics, economics, geography, decision making, and sociology. We wanted to present these foundational and important topics paired with images that we generally don’t see in social studies lessons. Close your eyes and picture images from your elementary school social studies lessons….who do you see represented? Think about the curriculum your school purchased a few years ago. Who’s centered? Who’s missing?
We wanted to make sure to cover the basics, but cover them in a way where more than one group of people might see themselves represented for various reasons.
In our teacher guides (that accompany each lesson in all 6 units), we added our notes and gave teachers our quick tips and considerations for the lessons.
We sought to include lessons that pushed teachers to move beyond “just the facts” that asked them to consider different perspectives and the truths of others. Yes, student need to learn about goods, services, and money, but we can cover those topics in a way that gets them thinking about how the world works for different groups of people and to consider how those groups are affected.
We also encourage teachers to add in perspectives we may have missed. Use each lesson as an opportunity to bring truth and real conversations into your classroom.
In this curriculum you will find everything you need to hit the ground running and lay a foundation that will help you and your students dive deeper into other topics during your social studies time.
There are 6 units:
Each unit consists of 8 lessons:
Student workbooks, projectable lessons, a detailed teaching guide, checks for understanding, feelings checks, unit reviews, vocabulary, and unit quizzes are also included in this curriculum!
There is so much included to help you and your students do social studies right!
Print the essential question posters and post them in the room for the duration of each unit and refer back to them throughout the unit. Or show them to students virtually before each lesson and remind them that this question will be able to be answered confidently at the end of your unit.
Student workbooks and assignments can be printed and bound into one large workbook and kept in a folder, or made into 6 mini workbooks. Each unit has its own cover page. Or workbooks can be assigned digitally. PNGs have been included for your convenience so they can be added to Google Slides or Seesaw. Directions are included in your download for both. Pages can also be printed or virtually assigned as needed.
Student Checks for Understanding are built in to take place after each lesson. Students will use a 1-4 rating system to assess their own understanding.
We set this up in a way that students will have an open book quiz at the end of the unit. Allow students to use all of lesson assignments and Unit Review Note catcher to assist while they take their end of unit quiz.
Unit Lesson Slides are included. Each lesson has its own slide to help teach the lessons and engage your learners. A Turn and Talk question is included on each slide to encourage student discussion. Virtual learners can enjoy these discussions whole group or in breakout rooms!
Feeling lost? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! A Daily Lesson Guide for each and every lesson exists to guide you along the way. We added objectives, teaching suggestions, questions, and show you which slide corresponds with which workbook page you’ll need for that lesson.
It’s easy! One lesson = One teacher guide page, one teaching slide to project (or share), and one student workbook page.
Parent and Caregiver Notes have been included to send home or attach the image and email it so that parents and caregivers are aware of all of the lessons in a upcoming unit!
Unit Pacing:
So, you’re probably asking yourself how long does all of this take? We designed each lesson to last for 30 minutes or less. We know many of us have to use the “Get in where you fit in” model when it comes to social studies.
There are 8 lessons in each unit that are meant to last for 8 days. There’s a day to review for the quiz, and then a day for the quiz. Each unit has 5 vocabulary words that should be taught one day at a time. So an entire unit would last for15 days if you did one lesson each day of the school week. (If you need to reteach a lesson or two, based on checks for understanding, go for it! Do what works for you.)
We also understand that holidays, breaks, themes, and other things come up and interrupt lessons. You might skip a day here and there to fit in an accurate Thanksgiving lesson, or teach about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That’s fine! This curriculum can be stretched out longer if you decide to visit other themes in between units. It can be completed quickly, if you power through.
We added a pacing guide that also includes resources we’ve created that will help you further explore more social studies topics with your students.
Who are these lessons for?:
These lessons are geared towards 6-7 year-olds. They will be asked to explore topics that build off of what they learned in kindergarten. The majority of their workbook response sheets require them to use high order thinking, reasoning, and to explain themselves through drawing and writing.
What standards did we follow?:
We took a look at several different states across the U.S.A. and combined the elements, themes, and standards that we saw repeated over and over again for students at the first grade level.
What’s included in the entire student workbook?
What is the vocabulary format?:
We understand that schedules and curriculum needs may vary from teacher to teacher. Because of this, we included a vocabulary portion that can be covered at your discretion. Introduce the vocabulary word (cards have been included that may be printed and displayed in a pocket chart). Ask students to draw a picture, write the definition, and then use it in a sentence for context. Projectable vocabulary slides are included in each unit for each word.
What do Student Workbook Pages look like?:
What are the themes of each unit?:
What do unit review flashcards look like?:
What do unit quizzes look like?:
What does a daily lesson slide look like?:
We understand how important social studies is. When done right, it can be used to lay a foundation for young learners that will grow up to be citizens in a diverse world. Citizens that are culturally intelligent, empathetic, and knowledgeable about the world around them.
(Click the Image Below to Purchase)
Love,
LaNesha and Naomi
(Tabb + O’Brien)
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