Unit Framework- Email the teacher
Title: Building Blocks of Good Character
Subject and Level - Literacy and Social Studies - second and third grade
Learner Description - Heterogeneously grouped seven, eight, and nine year old students from two classrooms. The two classrooms include second and third graders. This group has students who receive services for ESL, Title I reading, Social Work, and Speech/Language. In addition to English, four other languages are the primary languages spoken at home.
Overview -
This is a self-guided study in character education. The children will meet in large group to brainstorm good character traits. They will then divide into small interest groups to research a specific trait. Students should be able to develop a presentation for their peers, parents, teachers,and School Board to demonstrate positive character traits.
Rationale -
This unit was designed to acquaint children with positive character traits. Children hopefully will internalize these traits and incorporate them into their behavior.
Engaged Learning Criteria: This projects meets the engaged learning criteria because:
Technological Component: Technology is important to this project as a resource for gathering information as well as being utilized as a presentation tool.
Authentic Learning: This project is authentic because students not only choose the topic but are participating in a project that they feel connected to and passionate about. Students feel like they will be making a difference in our school communities by making other students aware of acceptable behaviors.
Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social -
At the end of this unit students should be able to:
Students will have participated in research (reading, highlighting important points), cooperative learning (sharing), technological skills (internet, word processing, digital photography, digital video, scanning of artifacts), presentation skills (listening and speaking), evaluating skills, critiquing and debriefing skills. Students learned how to take photos with the digital camera and digital video. They also scanned in their artifacts. These were then inserted into word processing documents or used to enhance posters.
Attitudes:
We wanted the students to develop a strong sense of character and be willing to set an example for others in our school community.
National, State benchmarks/Standards addressed:
Literacy Goals:
STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
B. Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
1.B.1a Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas, and link text to previous experiences and knowledge.
1.B.1b Identify genres (forms and purposes) of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and electronic literary forms.
1.B.1c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, use meaningful substitutions).
1.B.1d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.
1.B.2a Establish purposes for reading; survey materials; ask questions; make predictions; connect, clarify and extend ideas.
1.B.2b Identify structure (e.g., description, compare/contrast, cause and effect, sequence) of nonfiction texts to improve comprehension.
1.B.2c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., in addition to previous skills, clarify terminology, seek additional information).
1.B.2d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.
C. Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
1.C.1a Use information to form questions and verify predictions.
1.C.1b Identify important themes and topics.
1.C.1c Make comparisons across reading selections.
1.C.1d Summarize content of reading material using text organization (e.g., story, sequence).
1.C.1e Identify how authors and illustrators express their ideas in text and graphics (e.g., dialogue, conflict, shape, color, characters).
1.C.1f Use information presented in simple tables, maps and charts to form an interpretation.
1.C.2a Use information to form and refine questions and predictions.
1.C.2b Make and support inferences and form interpretations about main themes and topics.
1.C.2c Compare and contrast the content and organization of selections.
1.C.2d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate to purpose of material.
1.C.2e Explain how authors and illustrators use text and art to express their ideas (e.g., points of view, design hues, metaphor).
1.C.2f Connect information presented in tables, maps and charts to printed or electronic text.
STATE GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
B. Read and interpret a variety of literary works.
2.B.1a Respond to literary materials by connecting them to their own experience and communicate those responses to others.
2.B.1b Identify common themes in literature from a variety of eras.
2.B.1c Relate character, setting and plot to real-life situations.
2.B.2a Respond to literary material by making inferences, drawing conclusions and comparing it to their own experience, prior knowledge and other texts.
2.B.2b Identify and explain themes that have been explored in literature from different societies and eras.
2.B.2c Relate literary works and their characters, settings and plots to current and historical events, people and perspectives.
STATE GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3.A.1 Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words; and appropriate use of the eight parts of speech.
3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3.B.1a Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic; organize writing to include a beginning, middle and end; use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, events).
3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., short stories, letters, essays, reports).
3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting).
3.B.2b Establish central idea, organization, elaboration and unity in relation to purpose and audience.
3.B.2c Expand ideas by using modifiers, subordination and standard paragraph organization.
3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun-antecedent agreement, adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for spelling, capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are formatted in final form for submission and/or publication.
C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
3.C.1a Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion and narration.
3.C.1b Create media compositions or productions which convey meaning visually for a variety of purposes.
3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety of forms including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g., reports, essays) and persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements).
3.C.2b Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using available technology.
STATE GOAL 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.
A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
4.A.1a Listen attentively by facing the speaker, making eye contact and paraphrasing what is said.
4.A.1b Ask questions and respond to questions from the teacher and from group members to improve comprehension.
4.A.1c Follow oral instructions accurately.
4.A.1d Use visually oriented and auditorily based media.
4.A.2a Demonstrate understanding of the listening process (e.g., sender, receiver, message) by summarizing and paraphrasing spoken messages orally and in writing in formal and informal situations.
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages in small and large group settings.
4.A.2c Restate and carry out a variety of oral instructions.
B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
4.B.1a Present brief oral reports, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the message and audience (e.g., show and tell).
4.B.1b Participate in discussions around a common topic.
4.B.2a Present oral reports to an audience using correct language and nonverbal expressions for the intended purpose and message within a suggested organizational format.
4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.
4.B.2c Identify methods to manage or overcome communication anxiety and apprehension (e.g., topic outlines, repetitive practice).
4.B.2d Identify main verbal and nonverbal communication elements and strategies to maintain communications and to resolve conflict.
STATE GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information
A. Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.
5.A.1a Identify questions and gather information.
5.A.1b Locate information using a variety of resources.
5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan.
5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.
5.B.1a Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose.
5.B.1b Cite sources used.
5.B.2a Determine the accuracy, currency and reliability of materials from various sources.
5.B.2b Cite sources used.
C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
5.C.1a Write letters, reports and stories based on acquired information.
5.C.1b Use print, nonprint, human and technological resources to acquire and use information.
5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate acquired information for specific audiences and purposes.
5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
Social Studies Goals:
STATE GOAL 14: Understand political systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
14.C.1 Identify concepts of responsible citizenship including respect for the law, patriotism, civility and working with others.
STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.
B. Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.
18.B.1a Compare the roles of individuals in group situations (e.g., student, committee member, employee/employer).
18.B.1b Identify major social institutions in the community.
18.B.2a Describe interactions of individuals, groups and institutions in situations drawn from the local community (e.g., local response to state and national reforms).
18.B.2b Describe the ways in which institutions meet the needs of society.
Learning Activities
Literature Circles - Students read many books based on the character trait they chose to research.
Posters - Students created posters to highlight and inform other students about selected character traits.
Research - Students used the internet, books, to gain information about selected character traits.
Presentation Planning - Student presentations included digital pictures, imovie, posters, booklets, games, brochures, and books.
Public Presentation - Students presented to other classes at Ross and Sullivan School, to their parents, to District 23 Staff, to the School Board.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT:
What are my scoring characteristics?
Students created a rubric that was used to assess the quality and quantity of information written and presented orally.
What will indicate that students are novices, practitioners, or experts?
Through their self evaluation (rubric) the children assessed their work and they decided if they included sufficient information they were seeking and how it was presented. They ranked themselves in each of the categories to determine how they did and then discussed the outcomes with their classmates and teachers.
How will I measure and communicate student progress on the goals?
Students will evaluate their participation, preparation, and performance on this project by completing self evaluation and peer evaluation sheets based on the rubric.
Communication between teacher and students will be ongoing throughout this project. Teachers will regularly conference with students to assess progress and set goals.
How can students be involved in establishing goals and criteria for the assessment?
Students created the rubric for evaluation. The assessments are equitable for all students because they helped create the assessment tool and knew what was expected of them. Students were able to choose a form of presentation with which they felt they would be most successful.
How will students demonstrate their knowledge and skills?
Students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills by self assessments, teacher observations, creation of their character project, and sharing with the class their final character projects to further develop everyone's understanding of the character traits.
Resources
Books, computers, printers, internet, video camera, digital camera, scanner, software, librarian, poster board, markers
Management -
Students were allowed to find their own work space in both classrooms, the hallways, computer lab and the library. Their work space varied depending upon their spatial and technological needs. Students with special needs were aided by their peers, teachers, and parents.
Unit Evaluation -
What was effective?
What wasn't effective? / What will we do differently next time?