ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

While deciding on a unit of instruction to cover, Terri Greenwood and I decided to make this a collaborative effort where we could combine our specialties in order to address many needs/goals with one collective unit. Through the use of 4Mat (a method of teaching to learning with right/left mode techniques) and technology, we feel we can design a unit of study that challenges us as educators to look at students’ current abilities and skills as well as use an assortment of activities that address different learning styles. By incorporating technology, we can provide motivation and authentic learning for students. Our rationale for this collaborative unit on Cycles in Nature is threefold: First of all, on examination of the CTBS scores of last year’s first graders, we found that sixty-two percent of the students were below the proficient level in the area of science inquiry. Our hope for this unit on Cycles In Nature is to not only challenge our students in science using science inquiry, but to instill in our students a lasting interest in science and discovery that will lead to higher scores on future tests. Secondly, as part of the Bottineau County Consortium (BCC), we have Student Learner Goals and Benchmarks for all curricular areas that must be met each year. This unit on Cycles in Nature will fulfill many of the goals and benchmarks in the Science, Language Arts, Library Media, and Technology areas (see Assignment 2 below). Lastly, because our School Improvement Goal is to increase the use of technology by teachers and students in the classroom, we feel that our unit on Cycles in Nature will help us fulfill this need/goal.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: 1. Students will understand that cycles are a naturally occurring process that affects all aspects of everyday existence. 2. Students must learn to identify cycles in both their lives and nature and understand that change is an integral part of the process of cycling.
Goal(s): 1. Students will identify cycles in nature. Students will understand that change is part of cycles.  2. Students will transfer their understanding of cycles to other areas of learning.  3. Students will work with the process of science inquiry by observing, questioning, investigating, and reflecting. 4. Students will explore different means of technology and communicate their results and research effectively.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1. Where do we find circles? How are the seasons like a circle?  2. Why is understanding cycles important?  3. How can we communicate our understanding of what we researched and discovered?
Objectives: 1. Given examples and non-examples of cycles, the student will identify a cycle and justify his or her answer in a written explanation of four sentences. 2. Choosing a cycle found in nature and using the process of science inquiry, student groups will be able to locate at least 5 facts on 2 different web sites while demonstrating responsible internet behavior. 3. Using previously researched material, student groups will design a Power Point presentation (5 to 10 slides) that portrays the characteristics of each stage in the cycle. 4. Given an audience, student groups will present and defend their chosen cycle as measured by a checklist completed by a teacher, peer, and self.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?  Worksheets and tests will be used that require the student to identify cycles and their stages.
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?  The students will use mind mapping, brainstorming, open-ended questions, and written justifications during different stages in the project to show comprehension and transfer of learning.
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?  Research, use of technology, and a PowerPoint slide show presented to an audience are performance tasks that are authentic and show a high level of learning.
What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect?  1. Teacher observations, peer-designed assessment, and self-reflections of group dynamics and student participation will be used to measure understanding.  2. Samplings of work, discussions, and student-designed checklists will provide data for evidence of learning.  3. Likewise, by using the 4Mat design, students have to choose, design, practice, refine and evaluate their final project before they present it to an audience.

Instructional Strategies

The inquiry-based strategy will work well with “Cycles in Nature”. The students engage in learning about cycles in nature through discovery and exploration. Problem-based strategies will be used when the student groups choose a cycle to teach to their peers. Using science inquiry, they will gather information and data using all of their senses. Project-based strategies will be present as the students design a PowerPoint slide show that will summarize and illustrate their cycle. The students will be motivated by a student-directed activity that will promote a higher level of thinking. Continuous feedback and reflections on the steps taken will provide an authentic evaluation. Again, because this is a collaborative unit, please see the activities listed under Terri Greenwood’s unit of instruction. Her activities will precede and/or run concurrent with my activities listed below.