Group Names:

Nancy Hyrczyk's Class

Overview: Brief description of the unit

Students will study the geography, people, clothing, customs, holidays, traditions, food, contributions, shelter, education, jobs

What will be taught

Students will have a beginning understanding of the above listed topics of Germany, and compare them to the Prospect Heights, Arlington Hts., Wheeling areas.

How will it be taught

Students will list things they think they know, and create a list of questions they would like answered. I will categorize the questions into main topics. The students will then choose their topic, with the direction that there must be three students in each group, and at least one student must be a second grader. Before the research groups begin, a German au pair will visit us to tell us about Germany and to answer questions. Students will do the research in groups, with the majority of research materials supplied by me. We will use the internet when we can find appropriate grade level information. Students will share the information they learn with a visual and oral presentation to the class, as well as a group written report. Visuals will be an important part of the presentation. As a finale, a mother and German au pair will organize a German Fest, including stations featuring food, toys, books, music and dance.

What will the students do and learn

Students will read and learn to highlight important information from research materials. Some students will take notes from library books. Students will work cooperatively, write a group report, and make a presentation to the class, using manipulatives, visuals, etc. Students will also share their knowledge with another classroom. This may be as a large group, or in simultaneously rotating small groups.

Rationale: Purpose of the unit as a whole

What new knowledge do you expect the students to learn

Students will learn about another country, and determine similarities and differences between Germany and our area. In order to do this, students will need to work together cooperatively. Students will utilize a different type of reading to gain information from non-fiction sources. Students will see how important it is to tell correct information, and to use their own words when doing this. We will discuss, but not document the sources of our research.

What state standards does the unit address

Apply word analysis skills to recognize new words.

Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials.

Establish purposes for reading.

Continuously check and clarify for understanding.

Use information to form questions and verify predictions.

Construct complete sentences which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high-frequency words.

Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written reports.

Create media compositions or productions which convey meaning visually for a variety of purposes.

Ask questions and respond to questions from the teacher and from group members to improve comprehension.

Present brief oral reports, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the message and audience.

Participate in discussions around a common topic.

Identify questions and gather information.

Locate information using a variety of resources.

Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose.

Write report based on acquired information.

Use print, non print, human and technological resources to acquire and use information.

Identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local community.

Identify physical characteristics of places, both local and global.

Identify folklore from different cultures which became part of the heritage of the U.S.

Work cooperatively with another to accomplish an assigned task.

Recognize important people and events in the history of areas where the target language (country) is spoken.

Compare and contrast the influences of historical figures and events and their impact on the development of their countries.

Recognize the currency of the target county and compare values with U.S. currency.

Engaged Learning: How the unit qualifies as engaged learning

What engaged learning indicators are addressed

What engaged learning indicators are addressed? -

Responsible for learning

Strategic

Energized by learning

Authentic

Challenging

Multidisciplinary

Performance-based

Generative

Seamless and ongoing

Equitable

Interactive

Generative

Collaborative

Knowledge-building

Empathetic

Heterogeneous

Equitable

Facilitator

Guide

Co-learner

Explorer

Cognitive Apprentice

Teacher

Producer

How is technology going to be incorporated into the unit

Ways that technology may be incorporated into this unit will be by using internet sites, AppleWorks for the written report, and possibly ClarisWorks or Kid Pix slide shows.

Assessment: Evaluating the unit

What types of ongoing assessment will be used

Observation

How will the students be engaged in their own assessment

They helped design the rubric, in a limited manner. They had practice using one of the rubrics with another project. They will complete rubrics after their presentations. I may try to have other students assess groups using the rubrics.

How can technology be used to aid in assessment

If students choose word processing for their written report or make a slide show, use of technology will be assessed. I could use rubric results to make a visual graph for each group to see their strengths and weaknesses. This would be useful for future projects.