Unit Plan Template

Unit Plan that Incorporates the Use of Thinking Tools

Author
First and Last Name=	Amy Gutsch
School Name	He= rington Elementary
School District	USD #487
= School City, State	Herington, Ka= nsas
Classroom Informati= on
Subject Area
So= cial Studies, Writing, Reading
Grade Level(s)<= /p>
3<= sup>rd grade
Unit Ov= erview
Unit Title
Cu= ltures and Communities Come Together
Unit Summary
Are we really so different from others? When cultures and communities co= me together, students will identify the unique features of their own culture, but also acknowledge the many parts of their life that came from other cultures. Through explorati= on they will realize that they are not really so different from students in other countries. The studen= ts will engage in a variety of comparison activities with the main focus bei= ng the Flat Stanley Project. T= his is an official project in which classrooms of other countries collaborate to learn about each other. As = students create their flat person, they will write descriptive journal entries, cr= eate a community newsletter, and provide visual clues about their personal int= erests. They will then send their flat p= erson on vacation to a classmate in another country. There he or she will be an honored guest and taken on outings, snap travel photos and the receiving student will also write descriptive journal entries of their activities, meals, and clothing. This w= ill provide an insight into life in their part of the world. Meanwhile students will also use geography skills to plot the travel of their flat friend. If possible, an IDL Polycom hook= up could be included to visually see and interact real time with the host students. Other areas of information will be included such as weather information, population numbers, things special to the location, local landforms and topography, and economic resources. This unit is also implemented in conjunction with the = Scott Foresman Reading Street 3^rd Grade reading series.&nbs= p; Included in the series is a 6 week unit on cultures. The “Big Idea” of th= e unit is to find out what happens when two cultures come together. Some of the lesson focuses include: how communities and families are similar around the world; what is gained and lost in a move = to another culture; how foods and clothes from different cultures are often mixed; and how families are changed by the kind of place they live.<= /o:p>
Building the Founda= tion
Habits of Learning Taxonomy <= /span>
<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb= ol; mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>· &nbs= p; = Kn= owledge: Identify information, positive attitude about learning, thinking about thinking <= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb= ol; mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>· &nbs= p; = Ap= plication: Integrate concepts in new situation, observe, facilitate and critique <= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb= ol; mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>· &nbs= p; = An= alysis: Extension of knowledge and use of common reasoning processes, i.e. comparing, classifying= <= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symb= ol; mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>· &nbs= p; = Sy= nthesis: Generalizes and extends concepts, evaluation, meaningful use of knowledge
Kansas Standards=
&midd= ot; Social Stud= ies - Geography Standard : The student uses= a working knowledge and understanding of the spatial organization of Earth’s surface and relationships between peoples and places and physical and human environments in order to explain the interactions that occur in Kansas, the United States, and in our world. = <= b>Benchmark 4: Human Systems: = = The student understands how economic, political, <= font size=3D2 face=3DArial>= cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, <= font size=3D2 face=3DArial>= interdependence, cooperation, and conflict. · &nbs= p; Social Stud= ies - Geography Standard: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of the spatial organization of Earth’s surface and relationships between peoples and places and physical and human environments in order to explain the interactions that occur in Kansas, the United States, and in our world. = Benchmark 1: Geograph= ic Tools and Location: = The student uses maps, graphic representations, tools, and technologies to locate, use, = and present information about peo= ple, places, and environments. <= font size=3D2 face=3DArial>= <= b> · &nbs= p; Writing - S= tandard 1 : The student writes effectively for a variety of audiences, purposes, and contexts. = Benchmark 3: <= /font>= The student practices writing by using personal experience, observations, pri= or knowledge. = = = = = = · Reading: Literature - Standard 2: The student responds to a variet= y of text. <= b> <= font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DArial>Benchmark 2: The student understands the significance of literature and its contributions to human understanding a= nd culture. The student read= s to connect personal experiences and ideas with those of other cultures in literature, compares and contrasts various languages, traditions, and cultures found in literature and makes connections between specific aspec= ts of literature from a variety of cultures and personal experiences. =
Learning Objectives
St= udents will be able to: = ·&nb= sp; = Practice the processes of journal writing= = ·&nb= sp; = Express their experiences in writing = ·&nb= sp; = Locate, read, sort, compare, synthesize, and evaluate information = ·&nb= sp; = Convey the history and geography of their local area to people of other countries = ·&nb= sp; = Frame questions to gain information about other parts of the world = ·&nb= sp; = Record and compare information from various countries = ·&nb= sp; = Appreciate differences among nations, races, languages, customs and environments = ·&nb= sp; = Locate countries and cities on world maps, atlases, and globes
Curriculum-Framing Questions	Essential Question
Wh= at happens when two ways of life come together?
Unit Questions
How are other kids like me? What is special about our history, land, weather, and culture? How are communities and families similar around the world? How are families changed by the kind of p= lace they live? What is gained and lost in a move from one culture to another? How can foods from different cultures be mixed? How can clothes bring cultures together?<= o:p> What does the phrase, “It’s a small world” mean?
Content Questions
What country and contin= ent does our flat person visit? How does our friend spe= nd his time while visiting other countries? How far does our friend travel? What cultures and tradi= tions do we celebrate that came from other countries? What foods do we eat th= at came from other cultures? What clothes and shoes = styles came from other cultures?

= Student Assessment Plan

Assessment Summary

In this unit, students will complete a variety of activities to compare different cultures. The unit begins with discu= ssion of the essential question to brainstorm thoughts and then focus toward the more categorical unit questions. The teacher then describes the scope and sequence of the unit with= an in-depth description of the final Flat Stanley project. At this point, students have the opportunity to ask questions, and teacher can check for understanding. The teacher will then introduce = and explain the project rubric which will outline quality and scoring criteri= a. There are many tasks to complete= in this project so the teacher will also distribute a timeline and checklist tool to manage these tasks. Students will then create their flat person and a student generated journal. During project work time, studen= ts will be creating a newsletter of interesting items to send with their flat person following a newsletter checklist. Also evaluated on an ongoing bas= is are the journal entries the students are recording as they take their flat pe= rson home. (This “home visit” is to prepare flat people for their “vacation” so students can have journal entries in the journal as prompts for future receiving students.) Often, students are called upon to “Think, Pair, Share” and get peer feedback. There are a series of activity pages that serve as assessment t= ools as well, such as Worldwide Web Adventure, Addressing Envelopes, and a Wor= ld Map. There is a= n AR test over Flat Stanley that is a means to check comprehension, as well as Scott Foresman reading series unit tests. For a collaborative culminating project, as the flat people return, students will create a multimedia presentation demonstrating their person’s travels as well as knowle= dge they have acquired about their countries.

= Use this learning outcome evaluation checklist to assess student’s efforts as they work together to create their final presentation or publication.=

Assessment Timeline


Before Project Work Begins	While Students Work on Projects=	After Project Work Ends

= · = Set up project pl= an = · = Brainstorming = · = Venn Diagram –partner interview = · = Prioritize tasks<= /span> = · = Create journals = · = Create Flat perso= n = · = Checklists to help focus expected behaviors= = · = AR Test over Flat Stanley	<= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Think, Pair, Share (peer feedback) <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Newsletter checkl= ist <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Traveling newslet= ter <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Journal Entries <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Map Tracking= <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = World Globe (ball= oon activity) <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Activity pages / graphic organizers <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Visual Ranking To= ol <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Seeing Reason Too= l <= font size=3D1 face=3DSymbol>· = Teacher observation of progress and<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> participation using checklis= t	·= Collaborative Assessment – Home Newsletter ·= Completed Journal= ·= Map Tracker<= /o:p> ·= Rubric with Scori= ng Guide ·=