ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

From past observations, from scores on the student’s ND State Assessment, and from our school’s MAP test results, it is evident my students need more skills on reading and writing in the content area. On our district’s MAP test nine or more students (out of 24) scored in the LOW range in each of these areas: Writing: Composing/Writing PR, Composition Structure, Grammar, and Mechanics: punctuation. In reading, eight or more students scored in the LOW range in Literal, Interpretive, and Evaluative Comprehension. Looking at our 8th grade CTB State Assessment, their overall language score was 63. A lower score on the assessment was in writing for a variety of purposes at 68 and writing for various specific audiences with was 65. Identifying reading strategies had a score of 62. The analyzing text score was 67. Identify a topic/determine its development had a score of 71. All of these skills will be addressed and reinforced during our unit. One of our school’s NCA goals is to teach reading and writing in the content areas. With these things in mind, I decided to do a unit that meets some of our language arts, reading and technology standards set by the district and state. My unit will strengthen my student’s reading and writing skills, enhance our NCA goal, help meet North Dakota Standards, and help each individual student show growth on our local MAP test.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: Where can you go to conduct research? What technology might you use to conduct research? What other sources are available? What technology might you use to present your research? Goal(s): Students will learn to efficiently locate valid information sources . Students will learn to effectively research topics to gain relevant and meaningful. Students will demonstrate skills in using the necessary tools to efficiently locate credible sources of information. Students will effectively and correctly present informative research. Students will learn how to appropriately give classmates feedback.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: What steps will I take to complete my research? How can I clarity my ideas for my audience? How can I showcase my research in the most effective way for my audience? What makes communication effective? What are possible barriers to communication? How can using unreliable research hurt a research project? Objectives: Students will form essential questions to be answered with 100% accuracy. Students will learn to use Inspiration to organize and record information according to the rubric criteria. Students will use appropriate reference tools and available technology to support learning according to the rubric criteria. Students will use the internet to locate information, and evaluate internet sites for validity according to the rubric criteria. Students will write their findings, using the pattern of introductory paragraph, topic sentence, details, transition, summarative paragraph with 85% accuracy according to the rubric. Students will follow the pattern of writing, revising and editing for clarity and conventions of English writing with 85% accuracy according to the rubric.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? Students will conference with adults and be able to answer what resources they plan to use to conduct the research. Students will also explain the steps and what they will be doing next. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? How can I clarify my ideas for my audience? Am I relaying my information to my audience without plagiarizing and saying what I mean? Are my thoughts organized? How can I present my information in the most effective way? What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? Students will produce a research paper with 3-5 slides that relate to their information. They will be sharing and receiving feedback on their notes, outline, and final draft. Students will be orally presenting their information along with 3-5 slides they have created on powerpoint. Students will sandwich each presentation and discuss, ‘In what ways has Ancient Greek influenced our society?’ What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? Students will be conferencing with peers and adults throughout the entire process. Before moving on to the next research phase, students will present what they know so far and show the work in progress. Students will have multiple drafts with revisions and editing suggestions. Students will self evaluate their final paper and their oral presentation.

Instructional Strategies

This is a project based strategy, the completion of a research paper and powerpoint slides. Students will choose their own topics, locate information from a variety of sources, cite their sources, read and comprehend what they find, evaluate it’s validity, organize the date and prepare an outline using Inspiration. Students will write their information with clarity and competency. They will revise and edit their own work as well as work of their peers. Students will use Microsoft word for their final product. Students will scan or copy 3-5 pictures that relate to the information they will be presenting. Students will orally present their information and slides. All students will give feedback.