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TeachNet Grant: Life Sized New York City Landmarks
Kristin Cilento
kristincilento@hotmail.com

PS 153 The Adam Clayton Powell Elementary School
1750 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10033


Grade/Subject: Second Grade Social Studies
About the Grant:

As part of the Second Grade Social Studies curriculum students are learning about the History of New York City, New York City landmarks and geography of the five boroughs. This unit merges literacy, art and Social Studies together to give students an enriching learning experience. Each of the three main areas will be explored through Art and Literacy. 

How This Grant was Adapted:

Students will learn about the history of New York City through literature which teaches about Ellis Island and immigration in the early 1900’s. Students will out themselves in the position of a child traveling to America going through Ellis Island. They will create a New York A-Z book where they will showcase their knowledge of everything New York! The second graders will use modeling clay to make maps of the five boroughs and the surrounding rivers. Finally, students will study four major NYC landmarks, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Apollo Theatre, The Empire State Building and the State of Liberty. The children will explore the ideas of a landmark being important, symbolic and purposeful.

Objectives

The final culminating project for this unit requires the students to create life sized New York City Landmarks. Working in small groups of 4-5, children will construct, assemble and paint their landmark. This culminating activity infuses art, social studies and collaborative group work.

Overall Value:

The best feature of this program is its ability to merge literacy, social studies and art. The technology aspect of this unit encourages learning through the use of the internet and challenges the students to find relevant and informative websites.

Tips for the Teacher:

As teachers we are always looking for new and original ways to help our students succeed… what better way than through the merger of art and literacy! Students of all ages love art and can relate to it. This unit allows students to really get their hands messy and involved in the construction of their model which will be viewed and enjoyed by many in a New York City Gallery Walk!

Objectives

  1. The students will be able to identify the five boroughs of New York City on a map.
  2. The students will be able to identify The Empire State Building, The Apollo Theatre, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
  3. The students will know about the Ellis Island and immigration experience as a way of identifying how New York City came to be and has changed over time.
  4. The students will know how to make a relief map using modeling clay.
  5. The students will know how to assemble a building or bridge using recycled materials and paper mache mix.
Websites Used
  1. http://apollotheater.org/
    This is the official website for the Apollo Theatre. It provides information about the history of the theatre, upcoming shows, community outreach and multimedia presentations.

  2. http://esbnyc.com/
    This is the official website for The Empire State Building. It provides information about the history of the Empire State Building, fun facts, tour information and upcoming community programs. This website has a special page dedicated to educating kids about the landmark.

  3. http://nps.gov/stli/index.htm
    This is the official website for the Statue of Liberty. It provides information about the history of the state, its symbolism, fun facts and things visitors will need to know when visiting the State of Liberty. From this website the students will learn that the statue was a gift from France which is a symbol of freedom and democracy.

  4. http://endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridge.html
    This website provides information about the Brooklyn Bridge, pictures of the bridge from different angles and bridge poetry.

  5. http://tenement.org/
    This is the official website for the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The museum is a direct representation of what life was like in the early 1900's for new immigrants. Students can take a virtual tour of the museum and see pictures of children who lived in the tenements. This website is unique because it shows how the museum studied crime scene photographs in order to re-create the tenements at 97 Orchard Street.
Standards Addressed:

The following English Language Arts, Visual Arts and Social Studies Standards are addressed in this unit:

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

  • Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.
  • Compare the ways ideas, themes, and concepts are communicated through the visual arts in other disciplines, and the various ways that those ideas, themes, and concepts are manifested within the discipline (d)
  • Present geographic information in a variety of formats, including maps, tables, graphs, charts, diagrams, and computer-generated models
    Gather and organize geographic information from a variety of sources and display in a number of ways
  • Map information about people, places, and environments
  • Analyze, interpret, and evaluate information, ideas, organization, and language from academic and nonacademic texts, such as textbooks, public documents, book and movie reviews, and editorials
Lesson 1:

Title: Clay Map of the Five Boroughs and surrounding Rivers

Project Objectives

  1. Students will learn that there are five boroughs that make up New York City.
  2. Students be able to identify the five boroughs on a map.
  3. Students will be able to identify the Hudson River and the East River.
  4. Students will create a map of the give boroughs and rivers using blue and green modeling clay.

Materials

  1. Paper and pencils
  2. At least 2 different maps of New York City
    http://nyctourist.com/images/maps/nyc-boroughs-map.jpg

    http://nyc.gov/html/dot/images/trans_maps/5boromap.gif
  3. Green and Blue air dry modeling clay
  4. Toothpicks for labeling the boroughs
  5. Cardboard pieces for clay modeling

Procedures

  1. The teacher will introduce the concept to students that New York City is made up of five boroughs.
  2. The teacher will identity Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island on the map.
  3. The teacher will allow time for questions, comments and other discussions.
  4. The teacher will point out that New York City is unique because it is surrounded by water. At this point the teacher will identify the Hudson River and East River to the class.
  5. The students will take time to sketch there own map in a Social Studies notebook, paying attention to correctly label the boroughs and rivers.
  6. The teacher will model how to use clay to create a map of New York City. The green clay will represent the land (boroughs) and the water will represent the rivers.
  7. When enough time has been allowed to complete the maps the students can label the boroughs using small signs on toothpicks. The toothpicks can be stuck into the clay before it dries.
  8. At this point the teacher can informally assess the students’ progress by seeing if they are correctly labeling the boroughs and rivers. The teacher will pay attention to see that the map is created to scale and that the boroughs are representative of the maps provided.
  9. After clean up time, the students will meet on the rug and discuss their process and any questions they still may have.

Homework

For homework students can label a blank map of the boroughs and rivers.

Assessment

This lesson provides optimal opportunities for informal and formal assessment. The teacher can circulate around the room and see that students are correctly representing the boroughs and rivers. The teacher can ask which boroughs are next to each other and ask students to identify the bordering rivers.

Lesson 2:

Title: Bring your Landmark Suitcase Around New York City!

Project Objectives

  1. Students will learn about four famous New York City landmarks.
  2. Students will be able to identify the Apollo Theatre, The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.
  3. Students will create a “suitcase” book after taking a virtual field trip around New York City.
  4. Students will be able to explain what makes a building a landmark.

Materials

  1. computers
  2. pencil and notebooks
  3. suggested websites listed previously
  4. brown and black construction paper
  5. glue sticks
  6. markers, crayons and colored pencils
  7. scissors
  8. white index cards

Procedures

  1. The teacher will read aloud the book How the Second Grade got $8,205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty. The class will discuss the importance of a landmark and list some notable “school landmarks.”
    (gym, cafeteria, classroom, nurses’ office) All of these are important places in the school because everyone uses them and goes to them.
  2. The class will look at pictures of the Apollo Theatre, The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. They will discuss characteristics of the buildings.
  3. In partnerships, students will browse suggested websites and write down interesting facts about the landmarks in their Social Studies interactive notebook.
  4. Students will print out pictures of the landmarks to be used in their “suitcase book”.
  5. When the class comes back together they will share their findings and discuss any questions they may have had about the landmarks.
  6. The teacher will guide the students through the making of the accordion style “suitcase book”, using the construction paper, glue and markers.
  7. The students will transfer their findings onto white index cards. On the other side of the index card the students will glue a picture of the landmark. The books provide 4 slots for each of the studied landmarks.
  8. These books will be featured in the New York City Gallery Walk.

Assessment

This lesson provides optimal opportunities for informal and formal assessment. The teacher can circulate around the room and see that students are correctly identifying the landmarks?

Possible assessment questions:

  • What makes a building or bridge a landmark?
  • Where is the Apollo Theatre located?
  • What boroughs does the Brooklyn Bridge connect?
  • What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?
Lesson 3:

Title: Journal Entry from Ellis Island

Project Objectives

  1. Students will learn about the history and function of Ellis Island.
  2. Students will read selected literature about Ellis Island with a partner.
  3. Students will write a first person narrative journal entry where they take on the identity of a child their age coming to America with their families.

Materials

  1. selected websites listed below
  2. smartboard
  3. selected literature listed below
  4. pencils and paper
  5. tea bags for “aging” the paper

Procedures

  1. The teacher will begin this lesson by explaining that an immigrant is a person who comes to a new country for opportunities. The teacher will read about the book Coming to the Land of Liberty by Raymond Bial.The class will discuss the experiences of immigrants coming through Ellis Island.
  2. The teacher will take the class on a virtual field trip of Ellis Island and expose it on the class smartboard.
    http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/
  3. Students will work in partnerships and read one of the following suggested literature:
    1. Journey to Ellis Island: How My Father Came to America by Carol Bierman
    2. The Way People Live - Life on Ellis Island by Renee C. Rebman
    3. If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island (If You.) by Ellen Levine
    4. Ellis Island (True Books, American Symbols) by Patricia Ryon Quiri
    5. At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices by Louise Peacock
    6. We Came Through Ellis Island: The Immigrant Adventures of Emma Markowitz
    7. Ellis Island (True Books) by Elaine Landau
  4. When the class comes back together they will share their findings and new information they learned in their books.
  5. The teacher will tell the students that they will be writing journal entries from the perspective of a child their age who is coming to America with their families.
  6. The teacher will post on chart paper some guiding questions to get the class started:
    1. What is your name?
    2. How old are you?
    3. What country are you coming from?
    4. Why is your family going to America?
    5. What are you taking with you to America?
    6. Will you miss your old home?
    7. How do you feel on the boat?
    8. What is the boat like?
    9. What do you see and do at Ellis Island?
    10. How do you feel in your new home in America?
  7. As the class is writing their journal entries the teacher will circulate around the room seeing that the students are answering some of the guiding questions.
  8. DAY 2:
    To create an “aged” effect with the paper the students will take soaked tea bags and smear them over white paper. They will put the paper in a separate area to dry overnight.
  9. DAY 3
    Once the paper has dried overnight the students can begin copying their finished journal entries onto the new “aged” paper.
  10. The students will share their completed pieces and include them in the New York City Gallery Walk at the completion of the unit.

Homework

Visit the website:
http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Eivirt.html

Assessment

This lesson provides optimal opportunities for informal and formal assessment. The teacher can circulate around the room and see that students are answering the guiding questions that were posted at the start of the unit. The teacher can also create a rubric to be used when grading the journal entries as a means of formal assessment.

Lesson 4

Title: Life Sized New York City Landmarks!

Project Objectives

  1. The students will use recycled materials (boxes brought from home) to structure the landmark models.
  2. The students will mix glue, water and paper mache mix to create the mix.
  3. The students will work in groups to cover their model with newspaper and paper mache mix.
  4. The students will paint their dried landmarks in accurate colors.

Materials

  1. cardboard boxes/recycled materials
  2. at least 2 gallons of Elmer’s Glue
  3. paint
  4. newspaper
  5. paper mache mix
  6. water
  7. packing tape

Procedures

  1. The students will begin by constructing their landmarks with recycled materials including cardboard boxes, milk cartons and packing tape.
  2. They will mix the water, Elmer’s Glue and paper mache mix in large plastic containers.
  3. The teacher will model how to carefully cost each strip of newspaper in the paper mache mixture and smoothly placing it onto the cardboard construction.
  4. The students will continue to place the coated newspaper strips on the model until it is evenly and smoothly coated.
  5. Allow these landmarks to dry for at least 3 days and nights.
  6. When the landmarks models are completely dry and hard the students can put the finishing touches on by painting them. Don’t forget the Statue of Liberty’s crown and torch!
  7. These landmarks will be displayed in the New York City Gallery Walk for all to enjoy!
 

 

Kristin Cilento has been teaching in New York City for three years. She enjoys teaching and seeing her students succeed. As parts of an Arts Intensive Institute at her school Kristin’s students receive extra Arts enrichment throughout the day. Kristin strives to infuse Art in the everyday curriculum to reach various types of children. Kristin attended Western Connecticut State University where she studied Social Work and Fordham University where she studied Elementary and Special Education. 

 

 

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