Learner Description - The classroom is made up of Nine First Grade children and nine Second Grade children from Eisenhower Elementary School in Prospect Heights, Illinois.

Overview - Brief description of the unit

What will be taught

Students will gain an understanding of many geographical features, cultural ways and customs of the people, interesting foods, and famous peoples of Italy.

How will it be taught / What will the students do and learn -

* Students will first gain a basic overall understanding of where Italy is located. They will also note some of the interesting features by visiting the local library on a walking field trip. Children will work in groups of three or four to note take on the foods, transportation, customs, holidays, and geography of Italy. This will be a very broad scope and will be done in a one hour time frame of book and internet research.

* Students will then come together and produce a KWL using their fresh knowledge and new interests. After this we will look at what wants to be studied further. We will break into groups with the students given their first or second topic choice. I will help in guiding choices so at least one "reader" is in each group.

* Through further research and exploration in cooperative groups, students will prepare a presentation with visual aide and written report included. Students will share their knowledge with others in our class as well as teach this information of Italy to another multi- age 1/2 class.

Rationale - Purpose of the unit as a whole

Why would you teach this unit?

Because of the sense of ownership provided by this engaged learning project, students will be highly motivated and enthusiastic learners while studying our current currricular obligations in the Social Studies area. The greater enthusiasm one can provide to learning, the more learning shall occur. The internal meaning behind learning allows each child to benefit greatly from his/her experiences. All engaged learning indicators are addressed to some extent; however, the strongest indicators are as follows:

Vision of Learning -

* Responsible for learning - Learner involved in setting goals, choosing tasks, developing assessments and standards for the tasks; has big picture of learning and next steps in mind.

* Strategic - Learner actively develops repertoire of thinking/learning strategies

*Energized by learning - Learner is not dependent on rewards from others: has a passion for learning

* Collaborative - Learner develops new ideas and understanding in conversations and work with others

Tasks -

* Authentic - Pertains to real world: may be addressed to personal interest.

* Challenging - Difficult enough to be interesting but not totally frustrating, usually sustained.

*Multidisciplinary - Involves integrating disciplines to solve problems and address issues

Assessment -

* Performance-based - Involving a performance or demonstration, usually for a real audience and useful purpose

* Generative - Assessment having meaning for learner; maybe produce information, product, service.

*Seamless and ongoing - Assessment is part of instruction and vice versa; students learn during assessment

Instructional Model -

* Generative - Instruction oriented to constructing meaning; providing meaningful activities/experiences

Learning Context -

* Collaborative - Instruction conceptualizes students as part of learning community; activities are collaborative

*Knowledge-building - Learning experiences set up to bring multiple perspectives to solve problems such that each perspective contributes to shared learning for all; goes beyond brainstorming

*Empathetic - Learning environment and experiences set up for valuing diversity, multiple perspectives, strengths

Teacher Roles -

* Facilitator - Engages in negotiations, simulates and monitors discussion and project work but does not control

* Guide - Helps students to construct their own meaning by modeling, mediating, explaining when needed, redirecting focus, providing options.

*Co-learner/co-investigator - Teacher considers self as learner: willing to take risks to explore areas outside his/her own expertise; collaborates with other teachers

Student Roles -

*Explorer - Students have opportunities to explore new ideas/tools

* Teacher/Producer - Students develop products of real use to themselves and others

How is technology going to be incorporated into the unit?

Internet access with sites from our District 23 web site curriculum links will be looked at by all students during computer lab time. Word processing on either Claris Works 5.0 or the newer Apple works will be used to type final reports. Proofreading, using spell check, and use of the mouse to use the cursor functions will be stressed. The digital camera will play a role through teacher use. The teacher and students will see learners showing good cooperative work skills and document project tasks and outcomes through the digital camera's use. The teacher will share various pictures on the classroom monitor throughout the unit of study. The video camera will be used to record group presentations. The class will then watch this tape and discuss how presenters fulfilled rubric expectations. Our world neighbors are getting closer because of the many technological and developmental advances being made. Students need to understand the similarities and differences of various countries and their peoples. By placing ownership of learning about various topics of Italy on each student, the new knowledge will be more meaningful.

Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social

What new knowledge, skills, and attitudes do I expect the students to learn

**understanding of Italy and how its physical features, peoples, and customs compare to the United States of America

**development of research skills using non-fiction books and technology

**introduction to presentation skills and practice thereof

**development of peer- and self-assessment skills through the use of debriefing at the end of group work time, and developing a class-produced presentation rubric

**love of learning and the motivation to seek more knowledge on one's own

What state standards does the unit address

Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.

Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure

Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences

Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes

Read and interpret a variety of literary works.

Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.

Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.

Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems, and communicate ideas.

Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.

Apply acquired information, concepts, and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats

Locate, describe, and explain places, regions, and features on the Earth

Analyze and explain characteristics and interactions of the Earth's physical systems

Understand relationships between geographic factors and society

Understand how social systems form and develop over time

Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and their environment

Know and apply concepts that describe the features and processes of the Earth and its resources

Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society.

Apply skills and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or more of the arts

Demonstrate knowledge and use of numbers and their representations in a broad range of theoretical and practical settings

Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instruments, and methods

Estimate measurements and determine acceptable levels of accuracy

Organize, describe, and make predictions from existing data

Formulate question, design data collection method, gather and analyze data and communicate findings

Learning Activities - The activities required to achieve the goals

All students were responsible for gathering some initial information to share with the class. From this information, students designed a KWL to establish what direction students wished to take on their learning road to Italy Awareness. Students made small learning groups and read informational books about Italy which were geared towards their learning and reading levels.

After greater awareness of this country on the continent of Europe was established, students worked in cooperatve groups on their Italian topic of choice. Students reviwed, in a T chart form of discussion, what cooperative groups looked like and sounded like. Students established expectations of social skills and then got to the task at hand of researching and preparing some type of visual aide along with a written report and oral presentation. The teacher helped supply research information found in books and on the internet to aide the naive researchers in their findings.

After much group research, writing, and visual-aide productiontime, students helped produce a presentation rubric. This remained on the white board throughout the week of practice to reinforce expectations. Presentations were done before the whole class followed by discussion of rubric expectations met and explanation by fellow students as to why these were accomplished.

The class then shared their learning with another multiage 1/2 classroom in a simultaneously rotating format. Each topic group was required to submit two questions to aid in the assessment worksheet. Listeners were required to complete questions to assess their learning from the presentations.

Student Assessment-

What types of ongoing assessment will be used?

Teacher will make anecdotal records based on ongoing classroomparticipation while in small groups and whole class time

Teacher will note time management and social skills of each group on an ongoing basis

How will students be engaged in their own assessment?

- Daily debriefing by each group at the end of cooperative learning time

-Student-generated presentation rubric

-Student created assessment worksheet for listeners to complete after presentations

-Students complete Italy flip book filled with interesting facts learned about Italy through research and other's presentations

Resources

-Teachers, librarians, and parents as facilitators, motivators, and guides.

-Computers, digital camera, video camera, monitors, curriculum web sites will be used for research, writing, and assessment

Management

Walking field trip permission slips and set up was done prior to the start of our unit. Parent helpers were sometimes used during computer lab time for greater accessabilty to internet data research. Our school librarian was made aware of what we were studying and worked with children during her ten-minute computer teaching time to better familiarize students with the computer as a tool for information acquisition and presentation of knowledge gained. Students were encouraged and led by the teacher to have at least one "reader" in each group. Work space was provided for each group to spread out their supplies and interact positively with one another.

Unit Evaluation

What was effective?

This was an incredible learning experience for all involved! A great desire to learn was noted by allowing children to have a sense of ownership in their learning. Students not only learned about Italy, but also about interacting with others, research skills, and presentation and listening skills.

What wasn't effective?

The amount of time spent on this unit was far reaching. In order to accomplish the many standards and expectations, something else in the many curriculum expectations must be altered. Much reading and language interaction did occur; however, I feel somewhat "behind" in other areas because of the time appropriated for this project.

What will I do differently next time?

I plan on involving more parent volunteers to aide in locating research which is better written at the 1/2 grade level. I will place more time management responsibilities on the children.