Literacy in Social Studies - Thinking about Families
Rating: 
https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/resource/kindergarten-literacy-social-studies-thinking-about-families/
Common Core Standards
Reading Foundational Skills
RFS.K.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
RFS.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RFS.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
Reading Informational Text
RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
Writing
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
W.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
Speaking & Listening
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Description of Unit
This Grade K unit titled “
Literacy in Social Studies: Thinking About Families” cited on weteachnyc.org is a four-week unit that focuses on informational reading and writing. During the first three weeks of the unit, students are immersed in a
range of literary and informational texts about families in
shared, guided, and
independent reading learning activities. Unit activities include a writing workshop where the teacher models how to write an informational report and guides students in writing their own. The unit’s performance task is a three-day activity with shared reading and writing, culminating with each student
independently writing an informational report on the ways in which families are alike and different using the texts they have read as models for their writing.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers should be aware that the unit framework does not include individual lessons, however teachers are given detailed guidance and suggested lesson activities for each step of the instructional process. It is noted that where possible, the texts for guided and independent reading match the appropriate reading level of the student. Additional supports for students who are ELL, have disabilities, or read well below the grade level text band may be needed. The texts required for this assessment are not provided and will need to be secured. The unit description lists writing standard W.3 twice as a targeted standard. This appears to be a typo and has been corrected to W.K.5 and W.K.7 in the standards listing above.
Rationale for Selection
This unit is an exemplary example of how to provide students with
multiple opportunities to apply advancing literacy skills as they present ideas and information through writing and/or drawing and speaking experiences. It makes reading texts closely (including listening to read alouds) a central focus of instruction. Each step of the instructional process is purposefully scaffolded as it assesses student proficiency using methods that are unbiased and accessible to all students. The culminating task includes
aligned rubrics and assessment guidelines that elicit direct, observable evidence of the degree to which a student can independently demonstrate targeted grade-level standards. This unit topic
aligns with the Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies C3 Frameworks for kindergarten. Teachers may use this unit as it is described, integrate parts of it into a currently existing curriculum unit, or use it as a model or checklist for a currently existing unit on a different topic.
Select the link below for an annotated review of the culminating assessment task:
Grade K: Literacy in Social Studies- Thinking About Families
