Student Activity (20 min) Complete Activity Booklet Day 3: Sort powers and roles into the 3-Branch Tree, and write a student proposal for a new state park or school initiative.

Differentiation & Wrap (10 min) Support: Use visual icons (gavel, law book, state seal).
Extend: Explain how the Governor's veto works with checks & balances.

Tar Heel Trailblazers Unit • Page 1 of 2 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Alignment

Pacing Guide (Days 4 & 5) & Assessment

Culture, Diversity, Postcard Project, and Evaluation Rubric

Days 4 & 5

DAY 4

Cultural Heritage & Diverse Contributions

Std: 4.B.1.1, 4.B.1.2

EQ: How do diverse cultures, traditions, and arts enrich North Carolina communities?

Hook & Direct (15 min) Display Slides 13-14. Discuss Seagrove pottery, Bluegrass and jazz, NC barbecue styles (Eastern vs. Lexington), and immigrant contributions to RTP and farming.

Student Activity (20 min) Complete Activity Booklet Day 4: Compare regional foodways and music traditions, and write a mini-reflection on how diversity strengthens NC.

Differentiation & Wrap (10 min) Support: Graphic organizer with sentence stems.
Extend: Compare Appalachian folk art with Seagrove red clay pottery.

DAY 5

Trailblazer Showcase & Synthesis Challenge

All Standards

EQ: What makes North Carolina a unique and thriving state to live in?

Review & Mission (10 min) Display Slides 15-16. Review the 4 unit pillars (Geography, History, Government, Culture). Take the "Trailblazer Oath" together as a class.

Synthesis Project (25 min) Complete Activity Booklet Day 5: Design a "North Carolina Postcard" integrating 1 region, 1 historical figure/symbol, 1 government fact, and 1 cultural tradition.

Gallery Walk & Exit (10 min) Postcard gallery walk. Students complete the 5-question multiple choice quick check on the final page.

Unit Assessment & Postcard Project Rubric (4-Point Scale)

📦 Required Teacher Materials: Tar Heel Explorers Slides, 1 Student Activity Booklet per child, colored pencils/crayons, scissors, and glue sticks.

💡 Cross-Curricular Connections: ELA: Informational writing on postcards • Math: Comparing regional elevations (Mount Mitchell vs. Sea Level).

Tar Heel Trailblazers Unit • Page 2 of 2 North Carolina 4th Grade Social Studies

[3] Plott Hound - State Dog

[4] First in Flight - State Slogan

A hunting and tracking hound bred by Johannes Plott in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains.

Commemorates Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered airplane flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

A bright red songbird with a crest on its head found in woods and backyards across NC.

Blooms with four white or pink bracts on small trees all across North Carolina each spring.

Part 3: Design a North Carolina Honor Badge

Draw an emblem that combines at least 2 NC symbols or historical events (e.g., dogwood, plane, mountains, lighthouse):

Explain the motto: "Esse Quam Videri" means "To be, rather than to seem." What does this mean to you as a 4th grader?

Tar Heel Trailblazer Journal • Day 2 NC Social Studies Standard 4.H.1.6

North Carolina Social Studies • Grade 4

Government of North Carolina

Day 3: Civics in Action

Standard 4.C&G.1.1

Name:

Date:

Part 1: The Three Branches of NC Government

Fill in the key leaders, main duty (Makes, Enforces, or Interprets laws), and meeting location for each branch of NC government:

Legislative

NC General Assembly

Main Duty:

Makes / Enforces / Interprets?

Composed of 2 Houses:

Executive

NC Governor

Main Duty:

Makes / Enforces / Interprets?

Key Powers:

Judicial

NC Supreme Court

Main Duty:

Makes / Enforces / Interprets?

Key Role & Law:

Part 2: Checks & Balances in Action

Read each scenario and write which branch of NC government is taking action:

1. Members vote to pass a new law requiring bike helmets on all NC state trails.

2. The state leader decides to veto (reject) a bill passed by the legislature.

3. Justices decide whether a newly created town rule violates the North Carolina Constitution.

Part 3: My Civic Proposal for North Carolina

Imagine you are addressing the NC General Assembly in Raleigh. Propose ONE new idea or rule to help your community or school (e.g., protecting a local river, adding solar panels, creating a community garden):

Proposal Title:

Tar Heel Trailblazer Journal • Day 3 NC Social Studies Standard 4.C&G.1.1

North Carolina Social Studies • Grade 4

NC Culture & Trailblazer Showcase

Days 4 & 5: Showcase

Standards 4.B.1 • Synthesis

Name:

Date:

Part 1: Tar Heel Culture & Traditions (Day 4)

NC BBQ Tradition Showdown:

Briefly contrast Eastern NC style vs. Lexington (Piedmont) style BBQ:

Arts & Diverse Contributions:

How have diverse groups (Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian) enriched NC?

Part 2: The Great NC Trailblazer Postcard (Day 5 Project)

Design a postcard to someone who has never visited North Carolina! Draw a scene on the left (showing a region/symbol) and write a travel note on the right.

[Draw NC Landscape or Landmark Here]

Scenic North Carolina

Dear Friend,

STAMP

You must visit North Carolina because...

Your Trailblazer Friend: ____________

Part 3: North Carolina Unit Quick Check

1. Which North Carolina region is the largest in geographic land area?

A) Mountain

B) Piedmont

C) Coastal Plain

2. Which branch of NC government includes the General Assembly and writes state laws?

A) Legislative

B) Executive

C) Judicial

3. What milestone achieved in Kitty Hawk, NC is celebrated on the state quarter and license plate?

A) Gold Rush

B) First in Flight

C) Lost Colony

Tar Heel Trailblazer Journal • Day 4 & 5 North Carolina 4th Grade Social Studies Unit

Legislative: Duty: MAKES state laws.
Leaders: NC Senate (50) & House of Reps (120) → General Assembly.

Executive: Duty: ENFORCES state laws.
Leaders: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Council of State.

Judicial: Duty: INTERPRETS state laws.
Leaders: NC Supreme Court (7 Justices led by Chief Justice).

Part 2 Checks & Balances Key: 1) Legislative (passes bill) • 2) Executive (Governor vetoes) • 3) Judicial (Court reviews constitutionality).

Day 4: Culture & Traditions (Standards 4.B.1.1 • 4.B.1.2)

NC BBQ Contrast: Eastern style uses whole hog with clear vinegar/pepper sauce. Lexington (Western) uses pork shoulder with a tomato-sweetened vinegar dip and red slaw.

Diverse Contributions: Immigrant and minority groups have driven NC's agricultural growth, founded historic universities (HBCUs), led the civil rights movement (Greensboro Sit-Ins), and advanced biomedical research in RTP.

Day 5: Unit Quick Check Correct Answers

Question 1: Largest geographic land area in North Carolina? Correct: C (Coastal Plain - covers ~45% of NC)

Question 2: Branch containing General Assembly that writes state laws? Correct: A (Legislative Branch)

Question 3: Milestone achieved at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903? Correct: B (First in Flight - Wright Brothers)

Tar Heel Trailblazer Answer Key • Page 2 of 2 North Carolina 4th Grade Social Studies Unit