NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies - grade 6, unit 1
Note to Teachers: To help with remote and hybrid learning, digital materials for this unit are available on the NYCDOE TeachHub. Access these materials by following these instructions.
This is the first unit of the Grade 6 Scope and Sequence, titled: Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere. This unit was developed by a team of DOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with social scientists and cultural partners. Representative lessons from this unit include:
- Lesson 2 - students identify features of travel writing to learn about a location's geography, practice close reading of text, and study patterns of human settlement.
- Lesson 10 - students locate various geographical regions using maps, photographs, and satellite images to help describe where places are in relation to each other and how the geography of those places determines where people stay, move, and organize themselves.
- Lesson 15 - students evaluate causes and effects of various environmental issues in order to propose solutions to natural disasters, climate change, human impact, and resource extraction.
This unit also includes a Performance Based Assessment, where students write a travel article for National Geographic about an Eastern Hemisphere country, using the geographical themes discussed throughout the unit. In the article, students pretend to have traveled to the country, keeping a journal that focuses on the key events and experiences of their adventure while also including relevant geographic details from their research.
Please note: the complete set of NYCDOE K-8: Passport to Social Studies Core Curriculum materials include a variety of documents, trade books, and primary sources, in addition to this unit of study. To support rigorous social studies instruction and student inquiry, it is recommended that you utilize this unit of study in conjunction with these resources.
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