Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Scientists At Work

Haverkamp

Teacher: Rachel
Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
Students are able to answer
questions that arise during class and
during every day life on their own.
Students have the opportunity to
utilize their knowledge that everyone
is a scientist, and be able to
effectively collect data in the future
during other lessons.

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Ask questions about the world around them
Make predictions according to their questions
Understand the importance of thinking ahead and making an investigation plan
Make observations and record data that reflects their observations
Explain things they observe clearly to others
Self-evaluate how well they learned material

Established Goals
The unit will teach students
autonomy and promote self-efficacy.
It will enhance sequential ordering
skills and effective organizational
skills. They will utilize skills
articulated by the following GLCEs
and CCSSs:

UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that
Scientists can learn new things by
following the steps of the QPOE2 model
People use the different steps of the
QPOE2 model in their daily lives

S.RS.01.12 Recognize that science

investigations are done more than one
time.
S.IP.01.11 Make purposeful observation
of the natural world using the
appropriate senses.
S.IP.01.13 Plan and conduct simple
investigations.
S.IA.01.12 Share ideas about science
through purposeful conversation.
S.IA.01.13 Communicate and present
findings of observations.
S.IA.01.14 Develop strategies for
information gathering (ask an expert,
use
a book, make observations, conduct
simple investigations, and watch a
video).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults,

Meaning
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will keep considering
What ways can I use the different steps of the
QPOE2 model in other subjects and outside of
school?

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Cognitive Objectives
Physical Development
Socio-emotional Objectives
Objectives
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
make predictions and give
follow verbal and written
reasons for their predictions
make visual observations
instructions from the teacher
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
collaborate to create and
record data
collaborate with a partner to
follow an investigation plan
form an investigation plan
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
use a chart to organize data
make observations about an
effectively
listen to the suggestions of
experiment and record data
other students
Students should be able to
that reflects their
Students should be able to
manipulate objects to test
observations
whether they float or sink in
ask for help when help is
Students should be able to
freshwater and saltwater
needed
explain their data by making
Students should be able to
Students should be able to
a claim
place objects in a cup of
report their data findings to
Students should be able to
water and take them out
others

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

recall information from experiences or

gather information from provided
sources to answer a question.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.A
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions
(e.g., listening to others with care,
speaking one at a time about the topics
and texts under discussion).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to
descriptions when appropriate to clarify
ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.6
Produce complete sentences when
appropriate to task and situation.

Evaluative Criteria
Students will be assessed on their
completion of the learning packet,
which includes all of the
performance tasks. Their packets will
be evaluated primarily on
completion, on clarity of their
collection and explanation of data,
and on their participation in class
discussion. The rubric/checklist gives
more clarity to the way these three
information sources will be
evaluated.
See rubric.

Completion of the learning packet

and engagement and participation in
class discussions.

evaluate their learning on a

simple
Students should be able to
match vocabulary words with
their definition (sink, float,
buoyancy, freshwater,
saltwater)
Students should be able to
give examples of a freshwater
body and a saltwater body

without spilling
Physically walk during a
scientific investigation road
trip

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Students will show their learning by filling out a vocabulary glossary and drawing illustrations to
help identify their meaning.
Students will show their learning by drawing and labeling things they already know about
saltwater, freshwater, and buoyancy.
Students will show their learning by writing a prediction statement and a reason for their
prediction.
Students will show their learning by discussing an investigation plan with a partner, and then
collaborating as a whole class to determine and record an investigation plan.
Students will explain their observations by drawing a picture and then writing 1-3 sentences
explaining their picture.
Students will show their learning by identifying what surprised them about their experiment,
what they would do differently, and ranking their learning.
Students will show their learning by participating in a scientific investigation road trip
Students will show their learning by matching vocabulary words from their glossary with their
corresponding definitions
OTHER EVIDENCE:
Students will show their learning by engaging in group conversation about the meaning of the
different steps in the model (question, prediction, observation, explanation, evaluation)
Students will rank their own learning by circling one of three emoticons (smiling face, indifferent
face, and frowning face).

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Before I even began instructional planning, I conducted an informal pre-assessment of the students knowledge of each of the steps in the
QPOE2 model.
I facilitated a conversation about the meaning of each of the steps, and the students fed off of each others answers. I did not give them hints
as
to whether their responses were correct or incorrect, but wrote down their ideas. I called on volunteers for suggestions and asked
students without their hands raised to respond.
Learning Events
Progress Monitoring
Acquisition:
Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their
Formative Assessment:
Virtually all of the learning
participation in these learning events
events build toward
acquisition. Students will
receive instruction on each
step of the QPOE2 model,
rehearse each step, and be
aware of when they are
using the each step as we
complete the scientific
investigation together
(Woolfolk p.308).

Meaning:
Students will work toward
meaning-making when they
complete the show what
you know portion of the
packet that asks them to
draw and illustrate things
they already know about
saltwater and freshwater
based on their experiences.
They will also make
meaning when they list the
5 senses that people use to
make observations. When
discussing what each step
means, they will use
vocabulary that is familiar
to them in order to
understand what they
mean. They will use this
same strategy when
creating their glossary.

Lesson 1:
Students will listen to verbal instruction and participate in a
discussion of the ways scientists ask questions. They will discuss why
it is important for scientists to ask questions.
Students will draw upon their previous knowledge of what a glossary
is, create, and illustrate their own glossary with presupposed
vocabulary words.
Students will complete a show what you know page that asks them
to illustrate and label their previous experience with each of the
terms in the glossary.
Lesson 2:
Students will listen to verbal instruction about what it means to make
a prediction, and collaborate a definition for prediction.
Students will practice predicting and providing reasons for their
prediction in the storybook Will You Be my Friend? by Eric Carle.
Students will listen to verbal instruction of what it means to make an
investigation plan and participate in a discussion about why it is
important to think ahead.
Students will create an investigation plan with their partner and
illustrate what they will do.
Lesson 3:
Students will discuss what it means to observe and why it is useful for
scientists.
Students will list the 5 senses that scientists and regular people use
to make observations
Students will conduct their investigation plans and observe what they
find. They will record their observations on a chart.
Lesson 4:

I will monitor students progress

toward acquisition by reviewing the
previous day(s) lessons each morning.
I will ask students to explain to me
what scientists do in each step, and
review vocabulary as necessary. I will
monitor students progress toward
meaning by asking them how they can
connect each step to the next. I will
monitor their transfer by asking them
how they took what they learned about
each step (how to question, predict,
observe, etc.) and used it during their
investigation.

Assessment as Learning:

Students will monitor their own

progress by making sure they
complete each section in their
learning packet. They will put it
in their yellow folder to
complete later in the day or
take it home for homework.
They will get a checklist to
make sure they do each
section completely and well.
Their checklist will help them
monitor if they wrote their
name and the date, filled in all
of the blanks, labeled all of
their illustrations, followed the
directions, and checked their
answers with someone else.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Transfer:
Students ability to transfer
knowledge is increased
throughout the unit because
they are actively involved in
the learning process
(Woolfolk p.348). They
create their own glossary,
practice making their own
predictions, create their
own investigation plans,
and conduct the
experiments themselves.
They explain what they
observed in their own
words, and evaluate their
own learning. They will go
on an interactive scientific
investigation road trip to
help them review the steps
in the QPOE2 model.

Students will discuss what it means to explain something and listen to

verbal instruction about the significance of explanations and why
scientists write them.
Students will write their own personal explanation of the data they
collected and illustrate what they discovered in their experiment.
Students will use the explanation paper they filled out to make a
craft.
Lesson 5:
Students will discuss what an evaluation means and receive verbal
instruction on what it means to evaluate and the purpose that it
serves scientists.
Students will self-reflect on what they learned so far in the
investigation process and write down what surprised them, what they
would do differently, and rank how much they learned.
Students will go on a scientific investigation road trip that actively
engages students by physically and mentally walking them through
the QPOE2 model.
(Lesson 6)
The classroom teacher will administer a written test that asks them to
match the names of each vocabulary word in the glossary with its
definition, write the names of each of the steps onto a scientific road
map with access to a word bank, and ask students to answer the
question that they studied throughout the unit (Do things float better
in saltwater or freshwater?).

Potential rough spots and

student misunderstandings:
Students may misunderstand that
each of the steps constitutes one
whole process. They may
understand how to do each of the
steps in practice, but it may be
difficult for them to fully grasp that
they can use this method to
answer a variety of scientific
questions.

Feedback:

Students will get the feedback they

need both from their peers and
from the teacher. During verbal
instructional time and class
discussions, the teacher will
provide feedback that tells the
class whether their responses are
on the right track. Students will
receive feedback from their table
mates when they check each
others work. Each student will look
at another students packet, check
their work for the day, and if they
did everything they were supposed
to, draw a star on the top. If they
didnt do everything, they will point
out what else needs to be done.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum