Unit Framework - Email the Teacher
Title: "Where in the World is ….."
Subject and Level: Social Studies for 3-4
Learner Description - All students in a 3-4 classroom. This includes special needs students, gifted students, and second language learners.
Overview -
What will be taught? The unit is a social studies project that will integrate all subject areas and an array of skills. The children will create a power point presentation describing a specific continent, country, region, state, and city.
What will students do and learn? The unit began when the class and myself were discussing how they could use what they learn in school in the real world. The children discussed how math, writing, reading, and spelling were obvious as to how they would use them in the real world, but science and social studies were less obvious. As a result, I instructed my class to pick one of the subjects for us to dig a little deeper, in order to find how it helps them in their lives. The class voted and picked social studies. The discussion was then focused on our studies thus far in social studies. The class has spent the year learning about the characteristics of the five regions (bodies of water, landforms, climate, business and industries, and customs and culture) in the United States. From there, I decided to have the class create individual power point presentations to show them how the study of "the characteristics of regions" is significant and useful to my students. That is where the project titled "Where in the World is ….." began.
I designed the project with the input and feedback from my students. Each student drew from a hat a specific landmark or tourist attraction located in the United States. After each student drew their piece of paper, I explained the project; and the class then created guidelines to follow and meet the expectations of a good presentation (e.g. use true facts, spell words correctly, give more than one fact, and etc.) and a quality product. The next day, I created a power point presentation and modeled what the final product would look like based on the class's guidelines. As a result, we then adjusted our guidelines.
The children needed to begin by researching and collecting information on their landmark or attraction. I created a graphic organizer to help them organize their information (enclosed #1). There were six sections they needed to complete. For each section, the children had to provide factual clues about the section. For example, for the section titled "continent" the children had to give a factual clue about the continent North America, for the section titled "region" the children had to provide three factual clues about the region. Each day, we would complete one section. At the completion of their graphic organizer, I collected them to check for accuracy and fix grammar and spelling errors. Next, the children needed to begin making their power point presentations. Carolyn Reneri instructed my class in the school computer lab. She began by showing them how to type their information on to a word document and how to organize their information using tabs. Once the class completed this part, she demonstrated how to send the information from the word document to a power point presentation. The children were then instructed to change and create their own backgrounds, slide transitions, sounds, and pictures for each slide. They were to have a total of 6-8 slides.
In addition to gaining experience using word documents and power point, the students learned how to do research on the Internet and in encyclopedias; and they learned how learning about the regions would be useful in the real world. The children made the conclusion that when you travel in the United States or are moving within the United States it is very beneficial to have an understanding of the characteristics of the regions.
Rationale - Purpose for the unit as a whole. The WHY questions.
Why would you teach this unit? This unit covers skills in the District 23 curriculum and state educational standards. It also gives the children a chance to create something of their own, utilizing their creativity and individuality.
Why would this qualify as an Engaged Learning unit? The children are using skills developed in all subject areas to create one product. Additionally, it qualifies for the following reasons: they were responsible for their learning, the class collaborated to design this project, the project challenged the children, the instruction was interactive and generative, the assessment was performance based, and finally the teachers role was as a facilitator and the students roles were as an explorer and producer.
Why is technology an important component of this unit? The children will be using technology for research and to find information on their landmark or attraction. They also will use word documents and formatting palettes to type and organize their facts. Finally, they will be making a power point presentation.
Why is this project authentic/meaningful, and challenging for students? This project is authentic/meaningful, and challenging for students because it teaches students how to use information they have learned in school in the real world in a fun and interesting way. They are applying skills they have learned in other subjects into this one project. It also allows students to show their creativity and individuality.
Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social - The WHAT questions
What new attributes (knowledge, skills, attitudes) do you expect students to gain? The children will be introduced to word documents and power point. The children will also use their writing, listening, and communication skills. Finally, the children will have an understanding of how they are able to apply their skills and content learned in school to real life.
What school, district, state and national standards/benchmarks are addressed?
1A. Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections
1C. comprehend a broad range of reading materials
3A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure
3B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences
3C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes
4A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations
4B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to situation and audience
5A. Locate, organize and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas
5B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources
17.A.2a Compare the physical character¬istics of places including soils, land forms, vegetation, wildlife, climate, natural hazards.
17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information about people, places and environments.
17.C.2b Describe the relationships among location of resources, population distribution and economic activities (e.g., transportation, trade, communications).
26.A.2e Visual Arts: Describe the relationships among media, tools/technology and processes.
26.B.2d Visual Arts: Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create works of visual art using problem solving, observing, designing, sketching and constructing.
Learning Activities - The activities required to achieve the goals.
The children in my class helped to generate this project, and they outlined the key components to make this project quality work. The learning activites that the students experienced are? Writing skills, word document and power point technology skills, presentations skills, developing assessment skills, and communication skills.
The How questions.
Student Assessment- Enables student and teacher to measure student's attainment of goals.
What are my scoring characteristics? (What do I want to measure? What is an important outcome of this unit?)
I want my students to create a quality product that they are proud of and shows their individuality. In addition, I want my students to see how social studies can help them in the real world. The children will be assessed on their accuracy, quality of work, and creativity.
What will indicate that students are novices, practitioners, or experts?
The rubric that was designed based on the project guideline my students created will indicate whether students are novice, practitioners, or experts. Each category is weighted differently based on the significant it plays to creating a quality product.
How will I measure and communicate student progress on the goals?
Students' progress will be discussed on a daily basis as the project is progressing. Their progress will be addressed on an individual bases when they conference with the teacher daily. Then before we conclude work on the project each day my students will share what problems they were having and how they can or were solved.
How can students be involved in establishing goals and criteria for the assessment?
Students are involved in establishing goals and criteria when we began the project and discussed the guidelines for creating a quality product.
How will the assessments be implemented to ensure that they are generative? Seamless and ongoing? Equitable for all students? An authentic task?
On a one on one bases and group setting, we will be keeping anecdotal records and having regular group meeting for reflection and planning. I will regularly assess their projects by filling out the rubric and sharing it with them. This gives them the opportunity to adjust their project.
How will students demonstrate their knowledge and skills?
Students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills in their quality of work, accuracy, and creativity. Also, during their presentation they will be assessed on how they are able to answer questions from classmates.
Management
How will you manage student work individually and in groups? - What resources will you need to do this unit?
Student will work individually. Children in class will use their project folders to keep all their materials. Besides Mrs. Reneri and myself I have invited parent volunteers to assist in the computer lab. Each of us will be circling the room to assist the children. We will also be making sure everyone is on task and making progress.
How will the room(s) be arranged?
The computer lab is already arranged. Each student was assigned a computer at the beginning of the year. They will sit in these assigned seats.
Where will equipment and materials be located to promote maximum use? All material will be located in the classroom or computer lab.
Where will students need to work and how can they be accommodated? Students will work in their assigned seating and the teacher will provide all materials,
How will students with special needs be helped?
Students with special needs will have accommodations made by the special education teacher and myself. We will work together in planning the stages of the project and will guide the students through making a modified rubric for the assessments.
Unit 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?
What wasn't effective?
What will I do differently next time?
At the conclusion of this unit, the class will discuss what worked and what needs to be improved. We will also note the likes and dislikes of the unit project. I will take notes down so that I can improve future engaged learning unit projects.