For my Self-Selected Project I chose to describe unit I created for my Curriculum and Assessment course. This unit is for the Geography for Life course typically taught to 9th graders. This unit is titled Interactions of Physical and Human Systems. The lesson plans go as follows: The Layers of the Earth and Plate Tectonics, Erosion, Natural Resources, Pollution, and Migration.
(A) The Essential Questions for the unit are: What are the physical processes of the Earth that affect humans? What impact do humans have on their environmental surroundings? What impact do humans have on the Earth? How do human activities harm the Earth? What are some effects of migration on humans and the earth?
(B) The Texts that are used throughout the unit are: A Glog that I created on Plate Tectonics (found HERE). A Bill Nye Volcano video (found HERE) until 2:20 minutes in. A Layers of the Earth and Plate Tectonics tutorial (found HERE) through the Yellowstone slide. A song about Erosion (found HERE). A Lego video about resources (found HERE). Two 'We All Live Downstream' videos (found HERE and HERE). A Deforestation and Pollution video (found HERE) from 0:56 to 4:06. A selection from the Migration chapter of James M Rubenstein's The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography.
(C) Comprehension Instruction or Critical Literacy Instruction: In the Migration lesson plan, the students are presented with a problematic situation in which they are to "Imagine that you are in charge of providing for and caring for your family. The place that you live is changing and is no longer the best place for you to continue to successfully provide for and care for your family. What are you going to do in order for you to be able to continue to successfully provide for and care for your family?" Students are prompted to work with their small groups to come up with some solutions to the situation and discuss the solutions as a glass.
(D) Vocabulary Instruction: In the Erosion lesson plan, the class uses the Concept Definition map to create their own definitions of Erosion.
(E) Writing Instruction: In the Pollution lesson plan, there is an assignment for students to complete the Ecological Footprint quiz on-line. After the students go through the quiz they are to write a 1 page reflection on their footprint and what they might be able to do to reduce their footprint. The reflection is graded on a rubric that was created by the instructor.
(F) Integrated Digital Technologies: The Glog I created requires students to use the on-line digital resource to complete a quiz for the unit. Other videos and on-line resources help the students to create connections between the lesson plan subjects.
Hi Liz...I love that you created a glog for this project. It follows the principle of good writing instruction that "when possible, a teacher makes texts along with her students." When your students see this as a model, they may be more inspired to make their own glogs. I think they will respect you more when they know that you also sometimes do the things that you ask them to do.
ReplyDeleteI loved the use of a problematic situation as well. Very effective. Your unit questions are also substantive and will engage students in historical reasoning.
I've also heard of teachers giving students a map with various geological features and asking them to make predictions about human life based on the geographical features. For instance, students could predict that people speak different languages when there are mountain ranges or bodies of water between them, because they have less interaction with the people who are separated by barriers.
Thanks for an interesting and engaging unit!