Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

 

LU Title: "Show Me the Way to Go Home"

Authors: Margery Foreman & Diane Elander

Grade level: 8

School Address:JA Green JR/Sr High Dolgeville, NY 13329

Subject Area:ELA/Math

School Phone/Fax:315-429-2155

 

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative

Procedural

  • Vocabulary
  • Share in groups
  • Read novel
  • Discuss character traits
  • Explain character traits
  • Guided practice
  • Graphic organizers
  • Analyze novel, character traits, customs of native country
  • Guided reading
  • Create VENN diagram
  • Write report
  • Oral presentation
  • Research author, customs
  • Research currency exchange rates - Students may use the internet
  • Create bar graph manually
  • Create bar graph on the computer using Excel
  • Calculate monetary equivalents

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

 

INITIATING ACTIVITY

 With a partner, you will take the following test. You are an immigrant. To enter your new country, you will need to take the following test. You may discuss the test with your partner and you will have 5 minutes to write the answers.

1. Comment vous appelez-vous?

2. Owhay ldoay reaay ouyay?

3. Qu'est-ceque c'est votre pays?

4. Hereway reaay ouyay oinggay?

Write all answers in complete sentences. Good Luck!

 

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: English Language Arts & Math

Level: Grade 8

Benchmarks: Interpret & analyze information from literature & research, discover relationships between you and a character, follow oral & written directions, participate in group discussions, understand literary techniques, understand vocabulary; Understand historical fiction , cause-effect, main ideas & supporting details

 

Benchmarks: Create a VENN diagram analyzing the character traits of main character to your own life, create a book jacket, present an oral presentation, express ideas in an effective & clear manner, know audience & communicate effectively

 

Standard: ELA Standard 1 & 2, read, write, listen and speak for information & understanding; and for literary response & expression

 

Standard: ELA Standard 3 & 4, read , write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation and social interaction.

Standard: Language other than English Standard 2

 

Unit Theme:

Standard: Information Systems & Mathematics 2 & 3

 

Standard: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving 7

 

Benchmarks: Students will learn to apply mathematics in real-world settings. Students will access, generate, process & transfer information using appropriate technologies

There are many standards in Social Studies, Language, Home & Careers and Art that can be incorporated by those teachers.

 

Benchmarks: Students will apply the knowledge & thinking skills of mathematics to address real-life problems & make informed decisions.

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should studentsbe in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

 Vocabulary: immigrant, emigrant, Ellis Island, Angel Island, customs & culture, patriotism

Feelings of immigrants

Experiences of immigrants

Discuss U.S. as "Melting Pot"

How immigrants have enriched life in the USA

 

Compare values of currencies from different countries

 Read a novel from this list: Jar of Dreams, Journey to America, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Journey of the Sparrows, Land of Dreams, Land of Promise, Land of Hope

Handouts

Explain character traits

Explain simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration

 

Research current rates of exchange on the internet

 Graphic organizers

Guided reading

Small groups to discuss novels

Class discussion

 Write a report

Use the internet to research the author

Research the customs of the immigrant's country of origin

 

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

 Apply reading and research information to create a book jacket, and a VENN diagram

Analyze the novel

Analyze the main character

Analyze the customs of the main character's native country

Construct a bar graph to compare related quantities

Understand which operations to employ when converting from one currency to another

 Students work in groups of three or four to share information in their novel and create an Information Board and prepare their oral presentations

Discuss character traits

Discuss customs

Guided practice

Review process

Discuss numbers of immigrants that came to the U.S. from different countries

Discuss how different monies compare.

 Create a book jacket which has an appropriately designed cover, a brief summary of the novel on the front flyleaf, the report of the author's life on the back flyleaf, and the back will contain book "blurbs" created by each member of the group

2. Use the internet to research the customs of the main character's native country and the author's life.

3. Oral presentations will be presented by each group

4. Each group member will create a VENN diagram

4. Manually create a bar graph showing how the numbers of immigrants from different countries compare

5. Create a similar graph on the computer using Microsoft Excel.

6. Using current rates of exchange, convert other currencies to U.S. dollars

 

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

 Immigrants and their life in a new country, the difficulties they faced , and how their culture assimilated into their new country

Bar graphs are an excellent tool for comparing groups of related quantities, in this case the number of immigrants arriving from different countries

The methods used for converting from one unit in a system to another are very similar, whether it's currency or units of measurement

 Read a novel about an immigrant

Students will research author's life

Students will create VENN diagram

Students will write a report on the novel

Students will create a book jacket

Students will present an oral presentation to include report, research, and country's culture to include artifacts, food, etc.

Student will create a bar graph manually

Student will create a bar graph on the computer using Microsoft Excel.

Student will research currency exchange rates on the internet & convert quantities of foreign currencies to U.S. dollars.

 

Planning Guide

 

Unit:

 

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

What knowledge will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.

 

[ ] Decision Making
(selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others)
[ ] Problem Solving
(seeking to achieve a goal by overcomming constraints or lmiting conditions)
[ ] Invention
(creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation)
[ ] Experimental Inquiry
(generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation)
[ ] Investigation
(resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something)
[ ] Systems Analysis
(analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact)
[ ] Other:

Products/Performances

Criteria for evaluation

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

Element #1

Element #2

Element #3

Element #4

Elements


Scale

Book Jacket 

Venn Diagram

Book Report

Presentation

Weights

 All sections are weighted equally

All sections are weighted equally

All sections are weighted equally

All sections are weighted equally

4

 Book Jacket to include all four parts, correct grammar, neat, appropriate vocabulary

 

VENN Diagram to show examples of comparing yourself to character in novel, diagram to be computer generated, several examples(at least 6)

Report to include setting, culture & customs, characters, conflict, 5 examples of figurative language, theme and report will be well written.

Each group member will share equally, presentation is interesting and informative to include both native country food and artifacts

3

Book Jacket has 3 of the 4 component parts and very few errors

VENN diagram has 4 or 5 examples

Reports is missing one component part

Gives good presentation with one example of culture either food or artifacts

2

Book Jacket has 2 of the 4 component parts, some errors

VENN diagram has 2 or 3 examples

Book report is missing 2 component parts and there are some errors

Report is read and there is one example of the culture

1

Book Jacket has 1 of the 4 component parts and there are errors

VENN diagram is not computer generated and has limited examples

Book report is missing 3 or more component parts

Did not share equally in the oral presentation and there are no examples of the culture

 NOTE: Rubric or other performance asessment instruments may be used.

 

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

Element #1

Element #2

Elements


Scale

Bar Graph 

Currency Project

Weights

 All sections are weighted equally

All sections are weighted equally

4

 Bar Graph to include all four parts, accurate data, neat construction, everything labeled correctly & scale accurate and consistent

 

All of the following completed accurately: rates research correctly, correct operations applied, arithmetic correct & all problems completed

3

Bar graph has 3 of the 4 required parts. Very few errors

Project has 3 of the 4 required parts. Very few minor errors. No method errors.

2

Bar graph has 2 of the 4 required parts. Some errors

Project has 2 of the 4 required parts. At least one method error.

1

Bar graph has 1 of the 4 required parts. Major errors

Project has 1 of the 4 required parts. Major errors in both method and mechanics.

 NOTE: Rubric or other performance asessment instruments may be used.

 

Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

Assessment Modifications:

 Students in the Resource Room will read the same novel and use audio books. The Resource Room teacher will make other modifications, if necessary.

 

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

 Double class periods totaling 80 minutes are used to do research on the computer, use the word processor and visit the library for additional research. The total project takes 3 to 4 weeks. Students "International Day" presentations were in an 80 minute time slot with students from other classes visiting and having their passports stamped for each country they visited.

 

Written Overview:

 In student's written report and oral presentations, they will explain how their country contributed to the "Melting Pot" concept by sharing the customs and culture of the country researched.

The students will realize that a "10" (in monetary units) does not mean the same thing, after they satisfactorily complete the currency exchange project.