Unit Framework- Email the teachers
Title: Bullying- It's Not Just About Lunch Money Anymore
Subject and Level: 6th Gre Advisory Classes
Learner Description: There is a combination of students from three different advisories. The student are all of different cognitive abilities,
Overview:
What will be taught?
The topic of bullying will be taught. The students will view all aspects of the topic by looking at it from a boy's point of view, a girl's point of view, a bully's point of view, a bystander's point of view, and an adult's point of view. Also, the students will look at both physical and mental bullying.
What will students do and learn?
The students will explore the topic of bullying through a variety of methods. They will listen to guest speakers, view educational videos addressing the topic, respond to a survey, work on team-building activities, create original artwork on the topic, and finally educate 5th graders about the subject through a variety of technology based projects.
Rationale:
Why would you teach this unit?
Bullying has been a problem in the past with this grade level, and as our media has shown, can cause violence and severe discord in schools. In order to prevent possible physical and mental damage in our school and among students in our grade level, we felt our students must be educated on the topic.
Why would this qualify as an Engaged Learning unit?
First, the students are responsible for their own learning. We supplied them with the necessary resources to understand the topic, and then it was up to them to decide how they wanted to present what they learned. Next, the project is challenging, causing them to reflect on the appropriate way to get their lesson across to younger students. Also, the students are being assessed using a performance-based assessment developed by the group of students. In addition, instruction has been interactive using such techniques as team-teaching, brainstorming, and exploring many perspectives on the topic. Lastly, the students were grouped into heterogeneous groups.
Why is technology an important component of this unit?
Technology allows our students to create more creative projects. For example, instead of simply presenting a skit, the students are able to work with I-movie. It also allows them to express themselves in a variety of different ways as opposed to simply telling about the topic. It also allows for a certain amount of security when presenting to fifth graders. They are also all contained on a website that other students can look at and learn from.
Why is this project authentic/meaningful, and challenging for students?
This project is meaningful and challenging for students for a variety of reasons. First, a majority of students have had to deal with this topic at one time or another. Also, it gives them an opportunity to teach to students younger than them. This then creates a challenge because students must discuss and be cognizant of the best way to teach to students younger than them.
Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social:
What new attributes (knowledge, skills, attitudes) do you expect students to gain?
We hope that by exploring this topic and producing these projects our students will have a better understanding of what is involved when bullying. Sometimes students do not see their actions as a type of bullying or they do not know what to do as bystanders. Our hope is that our students will have a better understanding of the topic as a whole and be able to problem solve to prevent bullying in our school.
What school, district, state and national standards/benchmarks are addressed?
3.B.3a Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration and coherence.
3.C.3b Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences.
4.B.3a Deliver planned oral presentations, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the purpose, message and audience; provide details and supporting information that clarify main ideas; and use visual aids and contemporary technology as support.
4.B.3b Design and produce reports and multi-media compositions that represent group projects.
4.B.3d Use verbal and nonverbal communication strategies to maintain communications and to resolve conflict.
5.A.3b Design a project related to contemporary issues (e.g., real-world math, career development, community service) using multiple sources.
5.C.3c Take notes, conduct interviews, organize and report information in oral, visual and electronic formats.
10.A.3a Construct, read and interpret tables, graphs (including circle graphs) and charts to organize and represent data.
11.A.3f Interpret and represent results of analysis to produce findings.
11.B.3f Using available technology, report the relative success of the design based on the test results and criteria.
18.B.3a Analyze how individuals and groups interact with and within institutions (e.g., educational, military).
21.A.3a Follow directions and decisions of responsible individuals (e.g., teachers, peer leaders, squad leaders).
1.A.3c Remain on task independent of distraction (e.g., peer pressure, environmental stressors).
21.B.3 Work cooperatively with others to accomplish a set goal in both competitive and non-competitive situations (e.g., baseball, choreographing a dance).
24.A.3a Describe possible causes and consequences of conflict and violence among youth in schools and communities.
24.A.3b Demonstrate methods for addressing interpersonal differences without harm (e.g., avoidance, compromise, cooperation).
24.A.3c Explain how positive communication helps to build and maintain relationships at school, at home and in the workplace.
24.C.3 Apply refusal and negotiation skills to potentially harmful situations.
Learning Activities:
Building Background Knowledge:
Culminating Projects:
Student Assessment:
What are my scoring characteristics? (What do I want to measure? What is an important outcome of this unit?)
Due to the fact that this project was done within our advisory classes (an ungraded class) the way we measure success in this unit would be based upon the students' abilities to present and internalize an empathetic view of the problems related to bullying in our school.
What will indicate that students are novices, practitioners, or experts?
If our students can effectively get the message across to the younger students they present to, it will demonstrate expertise on the topic. However, in order to do that, they must present a realistic situation, use new vocabulary and topics we have discussed correctly, and give an appropriate and realistic solution to the situation, and they will have shown expertise on the topic of bullying.
How will I measure and communicate student progress on the goals?
As the students work on their product, we will verbally discuss their progress and goals for the class period and week.
How can students be involved in establishing goals and criteria for the assessment?
Our students will work together to create a performance survey together based on what criteria they feel is important. This survey will be given to students who have seen the performances.
How will the assessments be implemented to ensure that they are generative? Seamless and ongoing? Equitable for all students? An authentic task?
The assessments will be implemented to ensure that they are generative because the students will be creating the performance survey. It will be seamless and ongoing because the students will be working on their projects in advisory on consecutive days. They will follow the goals they and we set for them and complete small portions each day; which will evolve into their final project. This project is equitable for all students because the students have the freedom to choose the way that they would like to share their information. The project is an authentic task because the final expectation is that it will be used as a teaching tool for others. Also, the topic of the projects is something that the kids see and experience on a daily basis in their lives.
How will students demonstrate their knowledge and skills?
The students will demonstrate their knowledge through the various projects they chose to present to the other students. Based on the project criteria, the students will demonstrate their knowledge according to the ability to solve or create some solution to the problem they depict.
Management:
How will you manage student work individually and in groups? - What resources will you need to do this unit?
The resources needed are a digital camera, a digital video camera, access to computers with I-movie, I-tunes, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point,
How will the room(s) be arranged?
The rooms will be arranged as they normally are, however, we will allow for students to move and group desks for cooperative purposes.
Where will equipment and materials be located to promote maximum use?
The equipment and materials will be located in the classrooms or library to allow for maximum use.
Where will students need to work and how can they be accommodated?
The students will work within three nearby classrooms, each classroom full of 3-4 groups (approximately 15 students) will get assistance from the classroom teacher within that room. Also, support from the librarians and/or technology coordinator(s) may be necessary.
How will students with special needs be helped?
By heterogeneously grouping students, students with special needs will mostly rely on their group members. However, extra assistance from the classroom teacher may be necessary.
nit Evaluation:
What will I need to do, be aware of, and/or gather while teaching the unit in order to answer these questions:
What was effective?
Building the background knowledge throughout the year in a variety of different ways really allowed the students to become experts on the topic.
What wasn't effective?
Even though our projects seem to be going well, it is difficult getting the students to put forth full effort in advisory.
What will I do differently next time?
We would start the culminating projects earlier in the year.