GRADE 2 STRAND B:

PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENTS;

GLOBAL COMMUNITIES
Unit Plan Presentation Created by:
Lindsay Mennen, Chris Taylor, and Erin Valenzuela
Cohort C1
BIG IDEAS…
• B2:
Different people have adapted to similar
climate and physical features in similar ways
• B3:
The world is made up of many different
regions, which have distinct characteristics
FRAMING QUESTIONS…
1. How do physical features and climate contribute to
differences in the ways people around the globe live?
2. How does the natural environment affect the ways in
which people meet their needs?
3. Why do people live where they live?
4. What are some of the ways in which different regions
of the world are distinct?
DISCIPLINARY THINKING…
• B2:
Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends
• B3:
Significance
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS…
• B2:
Use the social studies inquiry process to investigate aspects of
the interrelationship between the natural environment,
including the climate, of selected communities and the ways in
which people of those communities live

• B3:
Identify and locate various physical features and selected
communities around the world, and describe some aspect of
peoples ways of life in those communities
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
AND SUCCESS CRITERIA
OVERALL LEARNING GOALS
Students will…
• Identify various components of a map
including continents and the equator
• Explore how climates are similar and
different around the globe
• Discover different kinds of fruits and
vegetables from around the world and
why some grow in one place and not
another
• Research communities and cultures
from around the world and compare
them for similarities and differences
OVERALL SUCCESS CRITERIA
I can…
• Label the various components of a map
• Name different countries from within the
continents
• Read a climate map and differentiate
climate zones from continent to continent
• Identify which fruits and vegetables grow
in specific regions of the world and why
they grow there
• Describe what culture and community
looks like in various places around the
world
UNIT AND LESSON OVERVIEW…
• Lesson 1 (B 3.2) – “Global Mapping”

• Lesson 2 (B 2.3 and 3.5) – “Global Climates”

• Lesson 3 (B 3.4) – “Regional Fruits and Vegetables”

• Lesson 4 (B 2.2 and 3.6) – “Communities”

• Lesson 5 (B 3.7) – “World Culture”

• Lesson 6 (B 2.6 and 3.8) – “Global Gala”

LESSON ONE (B 3.2) –
“GLOBAL MAPPING”
• Minds on – Tell me what you know:
Allow students to identify anything they may know about a map
(i.e.: water, Canada, Compass) in a whole group session. Teacher will record a legend of
key terms as students identify labels and are introduced to new mapping terminology
(i.e.: Continent, Equator, Latitude etc.)

• Action - Guided group mapping activity:

Children will be working with peers and teacher to label their own personal global map.
They will be provided with labels to cut and paste, coloured crayons such as blue and
green for land and water

• Consolidation – Let’s Play “Map Game Show”:

Students will be divided in half and 2 unlabelled maps will be shown on the board. Each
student will be given a label for their team and the teams will race to get the labels on
their maps the fastest
MAPPING GAME
LESSON TWO (B 2.3 AND 3.5) –
“GLOBAL CLIMATES”
• Minds on – What is climate?:
Teacher will show different maps that represent climate such as a temperature map or
climate map from different regions around the world

• Action – Impact of Climate:

Split the students into small groups and assign each group a continent to explore. Have
students research their continents and look for similarities and differences. This can be
done by going to the library or using tablets, computers, books, magazines, brochures,
and maps. Have the students write down or draw and sketch their findings

• Consolidation – Charting Our Findings:

Have the students return to the carpet then have small continent groups present their
findings to the class. Generate a record such as a chart to record similarities and
differences groups have found. Post findings in the room for students to recall their past
learning and invoke a sense of wonder regarding big ideas
LESSON THREE (B 3.4) –
“REGIONAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES”
• Minds on – Guess Where I’m Grown:
Present students with tangible fruits and vegetables from different continents and pose the
question “where do you think I can be grown?” A banana for example can be grown in South
American and Africa. This questioning will allow the teacher to have a diagnostic assessment of
the group to determine if they are aware of what grows in various climates around the world
• Action – Let’s Go to the Grocery Store:
Class trip to the grocery store. Students will be provided with a graphic organizer with each
continent listed and will be asked to find a fruit or vegetable from each one. Students can
sketch and label their findings on the organizer. Once back at school students will be divided
into their continent groups to share their findings. They will cut and paste their sketches onto
poster paper and record any observation they may have found

• Consolidate – Sharing Our Findings:

Students will present their posters to the class and explain the different types of fruits and
vegetables local to their specific continent. Poster will be displayed to extend learning and for
future reference
LESSON FOUR (B 2.2 AND 3.6) –
“COMMUNITY”
• Minds on – What Makes Up Our Community?:
Using a KLEWS chart, have students define what they know about community, what they
want to know and what they wonder about communities from around the globe. Use this
knowledge to walk around the school neighbourhood and have students observe and
discuss what we are seeing such as street lights, apartment buildings, houses, parks, etc.
• Action – Making Communities:
Have students in their assigned groups build a community that might be found in the
specific region or continent they have been researching. Students will be given access to
computers for online designs, or they can use materials such as popsicle sticks, Lego,
crayons, paint, clay, and any other open ended materials

• Consolidate – Gallery Walk:

Have students display their models around the classroom and walk from community to
community to see what differences and similarities there are from continent to continent
LESSON FIVE (B 3.7) –
“WORLD CULTURE”
• Minds on – Exploring World Wide Culture:
Show students a short video story about cultural diversity to get them thinking
about the different cultures from within their continent regions

• Action – Bringing Culture to Life:

Students will write a script or story and perform a mini play related to some of
the cultures specific to the region and continent they were assigned. Students can
use the video story from the Minds on activity as a sample of what kinds of topics
to include in their play

• Consolidate – Sharing Culture:

Have students present their mini plays or stories to the class to observe various
cultures from around the world
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NI_AT59TZMA
LESSON SIX (B 2.6 AND 3.8) –
“GLOBAL GALA”
• Minds on – Lets Review:
What is culture? What is community? Why do people live where they live? Why do some
things grown in one continent and not another? Refer back to previous lessons and work
samples students have created when exploring mapping, climate, fruits and vegetables,
housing, etc.

• Action – A Trip Around the World:

Have students create a display of all their learning from previous lessons and set up the
classroom like a map moving from continent to continent. They will also make and
distribute invitations for the Global Gala

• Consolidation – Invitation to a Global Gala:

Invite other classes, administration, and parents to take a trip around the world to explore
what students have discovered about the continents that make up our world. Students
will orally and visually share their findings
THANK YOU FOR EMBARKING ON OUR
ADVENTURE INTO GLOBAL COMMUNITIES