Andrea Calderon, 3rd Grade, Starmount Academy of Excellence
Synopsis
This curriculum unit will examine the essential question܃ What is a community? Students will examine communities through a geographical and social perspective. By examining communities through the lens of Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Development (Brofenbrenner, 1977), students will examine different systems (or communities) in which they exist. This will include their social communities, such as families and peers, and their geographical community of Charlotte. Students will then explore Charlotte’s rich history through the lens of past and present. By incorporating digital mapping tools and oral histories of Charlotte residents, students will be able to expand their understanding of the city and factors that made Charlotte the city it is today. After exploring the history of the city, students will learn more about oral histories as a primary source of information and components that comprise oral histories. Students will then conduct an oral history project with a community member of their choice as a culminating project. The goal of this unit is two-part. The first is to gain a deeper understanding of the geographical community in which they live by means of digital mapping tools. The second is to gain an understanding of communities in which they exist and identify different individuals in their communities that may make up part of their support system and community.
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