CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS PROJECT 2
PART I: MISSION STATEMENT
J. Neil Ryan Elementary School
Is an elementary school that prioritizes the ability to invest in our students future by ensuring that they are
ready for any opportunity that arises for them. To ensure that this occurs, we will teach out students to
collaborate with one another, become effective communicators, have self discipline to complete their work,
think criticaly, and we will teach them to become well rounded citizens.
References
Found at: https://www.rcps.us/Page/3885
PART II: CHARACTER EDUCATION
1. Courage: To help teach students about courage, the teacher will read the book, The Berenstain Bears
and the Gift of Courage, by Jan Berenstain to showcase how to be courageous. After the teacher reads
the book to the students in a whole group manner, the students will be asked what it means to
courageous and draw a picture of themselves doing something courageous.
2. Trustworthiness: The teacher will introduce the unit on the settling of Virginia at Jamestown, famous
Virginians, and life in Virginia. When the students learn about the Jamestown Settlement, they will
learn through this that the men and women that settled Jamestown had to trust each other to make the
colony survive.
3. Integrity: Building off of the 1st grade social studies lesson, when the students are beginning to learn
about famous Virginians, they will learn what the word integrity means and learn how the famous
Virginians showed integrity.
4. Respect: The teacher will teach the students what it means to show respect to themselves and others of
CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS PROJECT 3
high importance. Teaching them to respect adults such as teachers and principals, respecting people
who have holidays for them, and respect for themselves will bring an importance to the meaning of
respect.
5. Responsibility: When teaching students about responsibility, teachers should teach them that
responsibility involves doing what you are told to do, being accountable, and self-discipline.
6. Fairness: The teacher will explain what it means to be fair to others which includes treating others the
way you want to be treated, being nice to everyone, etc. When teaching about the holidays that we
celebrate in Virginia, specifically for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you can elaborate on how Martin
Luther King Jr. pushed for everyone to be treated fairly and how he showcased fairness.
7. Caring: Building off of the fairness character trait, the teacher can incorporate fairness and caring
because when you care about someone, you are going to ensure that you treat them fairly.
8. Good citizenship: The teacher will combine the previous seven character traits into being a good
citizen to their peers. Incorporating the unit previously stated, the teacher will show the students how
each famous Virginian and the Jamestown settlers showcased the eight character traits.
References
Texas Education Agency. (2022, September 22). Positive character traits education. Texas Education
Agency. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-
programs/positive-character-traits-education
PART III: STANDARDS COMPARISON
The state standards that I am referring to are Virginia Social Studies standards History 1.2-1.4 that go over the
settlers making the colony of Jamestown home, famous Virginians such as George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Christopher Newport, Arthur Ashe, etc. The national standards that I will be referring to are about
civic virtues that discuss character traits that are contributed to society. There is not much to compare on the
surface level of these standards but, when you dig deep into the standards, they are both about doing what is
CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS PROJECT 4
right and have good character.
The standards that I am referring to are the same as the standards in the compare section. These standards are
very different because one is primarily focused on a historical event and the national standards focus on being
a good citizen towards society.
Summarize what you have learned through this comparison exercise.
References
C3 framework for Social Studies. COLLEGE, CAREER & CIVIC LIFE C3 FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL
STUDIES STATE STANDARDS. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from
https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/c3/C3-Framework-for-Social-Studies.pdf
Standards of learning for history & social science. Virginia Department of Education. (2015). Retrieved April
2, 2023, from https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-
instruction/history-and-social-science/standards-of-learning
PART IV: STANDARDS INTEGRATION
Interdisciplinary Learning Activity 1
State
Standard
1.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of Virginia history by describing
important events and people in the history of the Commonwealth, including
a) the settlement of Virginia at Jamestown;
b) famous Virginians, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who
helped form a new nation; and
c) life in Virginia today, including food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and
recreation.
Integrative
Activity
Writing – Students will write two sentences to describe what character trait that would best fit
each aspect of this unit. The students will take each eight character traits and assign them to
each aspect.
Interdisciplinary Learning Activity 2
State
Standard
1.3 The student will describe the stories of influential people in the history of Virginia
and their contributions to our Commonwealth, with emphasis on
CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS PROJECT 5
a) Powhatan;
b) Pocahontas;
c) Christopher Newport;
d) Maggie L. Walker; and
e) Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.
Integrative
Activity
Interdisciplinary Learning Activity 3
State
Standard
1.4 The student will describe the lives of people associated with major holidays,
including
a) George Washington Day (Presidents’ Day);
b) Independence Day (Fourth of July); and
c) Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.
Integrative
Activity
Interdisciplinary Learning Activity 4
State
Standard
Integrative
Activity
Interdisciplinary Learning Activity 5
State
Standard
Integrative
Activity
References
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