Understanding By Design Unit Template

Seasonal change Title of Unit Science Time Frame Subject Casey, Josh, Trina, Christine, Alessandra, Ruby Developed By Grade Level

Grade 1

1.5 months

Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results

Broad Areas of Learning How are the BAL incorporated into this unit? Cyclical phenomenon The interconnectedness of the environment, and weather's effect on all living things

Cross curricular Competencies How will this unit promote the CCC? Life cycles of animals - seasonal activities Reading, writing, story telling as method of production Fitness - outdoor exploration Record keeping of weather factors Learning month names

Learning Outcomes What relevant goals will this unit address? (must come from curriculum; include the designations e.g. IN2.1)

Specific Learner Expectations Students will: 1. Describe the regular and predictable cycle of seasonal changes: changes in sunlight changes in weather. 2. Identify and describe examples of plant and animal changes that occur on a seasonal basis: changes in form and appearance changes in location of living things changes in activity; e.g., students should recognize that many living things go into a dormant period during winter and survive under a blanket of snow as a seed, egg or hibernating animal production of young on a seasonal basis. 3. Identify human preparations for seasonal change and identify activities that are done on a seasonal basis. 4. Record observable seasonal changes over a period of time.

Enduring Understandings What understandings about the big ideas are desired? (what you want students to understand & be able to use several years from now) What misunderstandings are predictable?

Essential Questions What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content? (open-ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked to the content of the enduring understanding)

Students will understand that... How we interact with our environment matters, both short and long term. Different seasons across the world, what to expect. Climate change, (if it comes up) Humans and plants and animals are all effected by the same factors. -analogies between us and animals

Content specific. Do animals sleep? Picture of the two seasons with animal hibernating: what is going on here? Daylight savings: plan discussion for the monday after What do you guys do in summer? Winter? Felt boards with activities pasted on different seasons What do animals do in different seasons? Video of squirrel gathering, aesop's fable of ant and grasshopper

Related misconceptions The earth being farther away from the sun during winter. The sun rising and setting Can't get a sunburn if it is cloudy out When it's cold here it's cold everywhere When is the coldest part of the day Trees die in the fall Bears hibernate Where the sun rises at different seasons Why cant you look at the sun? Knowledge: What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit? This content knowledge may come from the indicators, or might also address pre-requisite knowledge that students will need for this unit.

FNMI, multicultural, cross-curricular Different cultural dresses - moccasins, Arabic full-covering in the heat Igloos and inookshooks (sp?) Will depend on cultural composition of class

Skills What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit? List the skills and/or behaviours that students will be able to exhibit as a result of their work in this unit. These will come from the indicators.

Students will know... Students will be able to Most likely knowledge construction at this point will mainly involve dispelling mis- Taking observations conceptions, due to little experience with seasonal changes. Learning how to measure different factors - thermometer (hot or cold) See SLE's Vocab of weather conditions, seasons Know how to dress, timely behaviors Recognize a chinook arch (ESP. if one happens)

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Lesson 1

Performance Task Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills? (describes the learning activity in story form. Typically, the P.T. describes a scenario or situation that requires students to apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate their understanding in a real life situation. Describe your performance task scenario below) By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged? GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task G Goal Goal: exploratory exercise What should students accomplish by com- Situation: exploratory stations. 1) activity felt with different seasonal backgrounds to match with activities/condipleting this task? tions. 2) meteorology station to build their own visual weather forecast from basic written forecast. 3) same seasonal backgrounds with animals 4) dress up for different conditions windy vs snowing vs raining and make up a R Role story about what you are going to do and why you dressed that way. Perhaps provide picture of scenario What role (perspective) will your students be Product: participation. Perhaps next class journaling their experience in pictures, maybe favorite season. taking?

A Audience
Who is the relevant audience?

Rubric: will be based largely on participation, time on task. What they need to learn still. *to make later

S Situation
The context or challenge provided to the student.

P Product, Performance
What product/performance will the student create?

S Standards & Criteria for Success

Create the rubric for the Performance Task

Attach rubric to Unit Plan

Other Evidence Through what other evidence (work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, journals or other means) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results? Formative and summative assessments used throughout the unit to arrive at the outcomes. Teacher observation at each station Time on task

Student Self-Assessment How will students reflect upon or self-assess their learning?

At the dressing station, they have to explain their reasoning. Will peer critique Exit card: what do you still want to learn, collectively written by teacher on chart paper to save for next lesson. Will determine next topic of discussion

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Lesson 2

Performance Task Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills? (describes the learning activity in story form. Typically, the P.T. describes a scenario or situation that requires students to apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate their understanding in a real life situation. Describe your performance task scenario below) By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged? GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task G Goal Goal: to set up a long term data collecting area to record observations about seasonal changes in daylight (sun set What should students accomplish by comtime), weather conditions, animal and nature sightings, clothing they wear, current recreational activities, will brainpleting this task? storm with kids. Role: scientist taking observations R Role Audience: them What role (perspective) will your students be Situation: taking observations. Getting over misconceptions. Establishing a data set. taking? Product: charts to start data taking A Audience
Who is the relevant audience?

Will have group discussion: based on what we learned yesterday about the seasons, what are some ways we can tell the difference between all the seasons? S Situation The context or challenge provided to the stu- Every day do big group collection of data, while kids simultaneously record it in journals, in their own way. To record sunset time: chart with time of each day with x dent. To record weather and clothing: icons on calendar P Product, Performance To record activities: write them on chart, with picture drawn beside What product/performance will the stuWill discuss info after a month and half, but data collection will be ongoing, but not as formal, every day. dent Standards: participation on brainstorming for data categories. Also recording in journal every day.
create?

S Standards & Criteria for Success

Create the rubric for the Performance Task

Attach rubric to Unit Plan

Other Evidence Student Self-Assessment Through what other evidence (work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, How will students reflect upon or self-assess their learning? journals or other means) will students demonstrate achievement of the desired results? Formative and summative assessments used throughout the unit to arrive at the outcomes.

Participation at this point for is lesson. What does the chart look like? Makes sense?

During discussion for possible observation factors, students will self assess viability of each suggestion.

Later will be journaling. Reproduce chart for them, to follow along with obser- Self reflective element of clothing choice. What does this mean to me? vations. Once we start to understand more, can ask them questions: what will happen if...

Stage 3 Learning Plan

What teaching and learning experiences will you use to: achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1? equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going? What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners been ascertained? Have the learners been part of the pre-planning in any way? What individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed? Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical environment be arranged to enhance learning? What needs: When can this learning occur: fall, when things are changing drastically. Nature walk Keep in mind a need for volunteers at weather stations if necessary

How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)

What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and essential questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge? # 1 Lesson Title Lesson Activities CCCs Resources

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Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)

Considerations
Required Areas of Study: Is there alignment between outcomes, performance assessment and learning experiences?

Comments

For struggling students: Adaptive Dimension: Have I made purposeful adjustments to the curriculum content (not outcomes), instructional practices, and/or the learning environment to meet the learning needs and diversities of all my students?

For students who need a challenge:

Instructional Approaches: Do I use a variety of teacher directed and student centered instructional approaches?

Resource Based Learning: Do the students have access to various resources on an ongoing basis?

FNM/I Content and Perspectives/Gender Equity/Multicultural Education: Have I nurtured and promoted diversity while honoring each childs identity?

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)