Integrating Children’s Literature into 5th Grade New York State Social Studies Curriculum.

Abstract

The integration of children’s literature into curriculums has shown to have a positive influence on student’s learning. In this project, children's literature will be integrated into the 5th grade New York State social studies curriculum. The curriculum will contain nine units that include whole group lessons and small group lessons. Each of these lessons have been designed to allow for differentiated instruction to occur within classrooms allowing all students the ability to comprehend the given content. Each lesson also contains a historic library to allow students to expand beyond the typical social studies lessons each day. Students will have the opportunity to gain knowledge from multiple points of view as well as academic levels. These supplemental lessons have also been designed to integrate the English Language Arts Common Core standards within to assure that all standards are being met. This supplemental curriculum has been designed as an outline to allow teachers to create their own units through their curriculum. However, the completion of the curriculum has proved that these types of lessons require a substantial amount of time to create. Therefore, it is then understood why many teachers choose the textbook and worksheet route rather than the different forms of differentiated instruction.