Grade 3 — Social Studies: Writing Stories About a Day in the Life of a Viking Child

Overview

Students research the ancient Viking Culture to explore what life in that society was like and how it differs from life today. Students learn about the Vikings ways of life, culture expressions such as art, stories and songs as well as cultural contributions. Students compose multimedia stories about a day in the life of a Viking eight or nine year old child. Stories are read and revised by peers then made available as multimedia presentations on the class computers for others to read and enjoy. Students compare their lives with those of Viking children.
Note: Other ancient cultures listed in the Social Studies curriculum may be substituted for Vikings.

Activate

Students browse a display of artifacts and books about the ancient Vikings. On an exit slip students list at least three questions they would like to find answers for. [Plan and Question]

Invite a guest to share information and pictures or a video with the class about the ancient Vikings including maps of where they lived and traveled as well as aspects of their culture. After a class discussion to review the presentation, students use a paint and draw program to draw a map of where the Vikings lived and create illustrations with captions of three important aspects of Viking daily life and culture. [Produce to Show Understanding] Students share their products in small groups to clarify their ideas and raise further questions [Communicate, Plan and Question].

Acquire

With a partner, using pre-selected print and electronic sources, students follow a given plan for research to find answers to important questions about the Vikings. [Collaborate, Gather and Make Sense, Plan and Question] Model how to use a word processor and a graphic organizer to organize key word notes. Students use a word processor and a graphic organizer to organize their key word notes. [Gather and Make Sense]

Using a word processor, model how to write and revise a ‘day in a life’ story about a Viking child of eight or nine years. Students use information from their notes to make suggestions for the class story [Produce to Show Understanding]. Insert some student drawings to illustrate the story. [Produce to Show Understanding] Involve students in establishing criteria for their final products. [Produce to Show Understanding]

Support File:
Constructing Student-Generated Criteria for Quality Work

Apply

Using a word processor students write and illustrate multimedia, short 'day-in-the-life' stories, about a Viking child their age. [Produce to Show Understanding] Students get feedback from a partner and revise their stories. [Collaborate, Produce to Show Understanding] Working with a partner and using a Venn diagram, students compare how their lives are the same and different from the life they portrayed in their stories. Students share their 'Day in the life' stories and their Venn diagrams with peers [Communicate]. Students reflect on their products and on using ICT to learn [Reflect].

Teacher Tips:
Compile students' 'day-in-a-life stories' to create a multimedia class book about the Vikings.

Suggestions for Assessment:
Work Sample: Assess students' stories for accurate information, chronological order, using the established criteria.
Self-Assessment: Guide students to reflect on using ICT to learn [Reflect].

Matching Outcomes and Big Ideas

ELA

1.2.2 Explain Opinions - explain understanding of new concepts
2.3.5 Create Original Texts - create original texts [such as personal narratives, reports, visual art, dramatizations, puppet plays, tableaux...] to communicate and demonstrate understanding of forms and techniques
3.1.2 Ask Questions - ask topic-appropriate questions to identify information needs
3.1.3 Contribute to Group Inquiry - contribute knowledge of a topic in group discussion to help determine information needs
3.2.2 Identify Sources - answer inquiry and research questions using a variety of information sources [such as children's magazines, plays, folktales, personal songs, storytelling, the land.]
3.2.3 Assess Sources - review information to determine its usefulness to inquiry or research needs using pre-established criteria
3.3.1 Organize Information - organize and explain information and ideas using a variety of strategies [such as clustering, categorizing, sequencing.]
3.3.2 Record Information - record facts and ideas using a variety of strategies [such as outlining, webbing, charting.]; list authors and titles of sources
4.1.1 Generate Ideas - generate and contribute ideas on particular topics for oral, written, and visual texts using a variety of strategies [such as brainstorming, creating thought webs, listing, drawing.]
4.1.2 Choose Forms - use a variety of forms [such as puppet plays, drum dances, readers' theatre, murals, narrative stories.] for particular audiences and purposes
4.1.3 Organize Ideas - develop and arrange ideas in own oral, written, and visual texts using organizers [such as story maps, research planners.]
4.2.2 Revise Content - revise to accommodate new ideas and information
4.2.5 Enhance Presentation - prepare neat and organized compositions, reports, and charts that engage the audience
4.3.1 Grammar and Usage - edit for complete sentences
4.3.2 Spelling - know and apply conventional spelling patterns using a variety of strategies [including phonics, structural analysis, and visual memory] and resources [such as junior dictionaries, electronic spell-check functions.] when editing and proofreading
4.3.3 Punctuation and Capitalization - know and use some punctuation conventions [including periods, exclamation marks, and question marks] when editing and proofreading
4.4.1 Share Ideas and Information - present information and ideas on a topic to engage a familiar audience using a pre-established plan; use print and non-print aids to enhance the presentation
4.4.3 Attentive Listening and Viewing - demonstrate appropriate audience behaviours [such as showing enjoyment and appreciation.]

Social Studies
LwICT

Resources

BLMs
Links

Download help