Planning Guide
Creating Learner-Focused Schools

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Learning Context

This unit can be done in a 5^th-6^th classroom setting. It can be team-taught; or it can be departmentalized for various tasks. As a consultant teacher, I work closely in planning, delivery and assessment of such a unit with classroom teachers. I work with all children in the class on this project which differentiates instruction and work for a variety of student learners.

Written Overview:

In review, this unit incorporates many curricula areas, by joining them with a common theme, solar energy. Each aspect of the lessons is designed to use the students’ own knowledge and then explore beyond it. The unit uses both individual and team building lessons. The students learn from these experiences their strengths and weaknesses within themselves. This in turn can also direct a student to different career choices.

From these lessons, students can arrive at the conclusion of alternative forms of energy that can be used to conserve our nonrenewable resources. It brings about the awareness of proper care of oneself through the health and home and career lessons. It, also, shows the students cultural similarities and differences by examining folk tales from different countries. The written lessons continue to reinforce writing and comprehension skill, while introducing the new skill of technology of using the Internet and word processor. When putting the solar oven together and cooking with it, the student is able to see how all subjects go hand in hand with one another. For example, measuring the oven and taking thermometer readings with the position of the sun encompasses the subjects of math, science, technology, and social studies.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES/Standards

Elementary and Intermediate LevelsScience- MST- 4Music- A- 2,3Technology- MST- 5Art- A- 1,2,3,Math- MST- 1,2,3,6,7Social Studies- SS- 2

Home and Career- HPH- 2

Language Arts- ELA- 1,2,3,4

Health- HPH- 1

THEME: Solar Energy

Unit Type: Science

Connection to Learning Standards

Content Area: AllLevel: Grades 5-6

Standard: MST 1,2,3,4,5,6,71-Analysis, inquiry, & design 2-information systems 3-mathematics 4-science 5-technology 6-analysis relationships 7-apply

Benchmarks: MST

1*design charts, tables, & graphs *interpret data *construct a model

2-*positive & negative impacts on society, depending upon its use

3-*use maps to represent real objects * graphing *use measurements in real world situation

4-*explain daily, monthly, & seasonal changes *observe and describe heating elements *situations that support the principle of conservation energy *solar radiation effect on weather & climate

5-* use a computer system to connect to & access needed information from various Internet sites

6-*annalyze data by making tables & graphs & looking for patterns

7-*work effectively *gather & process information *generate ideas *present results *observe common themes *realize results

Standard: ELA 1,2,3,41-Read write, listen, speak for information and understanding 2- Read, write, listen, & speak for literary response and expression 3-read, write, listen, & speak for critical analysis & evaluation 4- read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction

Benchmarks: ELA

1*interpret & analyze information from books * compare information* organize and categorize information* relate new information to prior knowledge & experience

2-produce oral & written reports *provide references *compare & contrast * standard English

3- *texts from different genres

4-*present responses* write stories *use standard English effectively

Standard: SS 2 and HPH 1

SS 2-demonstrate understanding of geography

HPH 1- personal health and fitness

Benchmarks: SS - *develop and use maps * understand cultural differences in the worldHPH - *good diet and health *food safety and sanitation

Standard: Arts 1,2,3, Visual Arts 1-Creating, performing, and participating 2-knowing using arts, materials, and resources 3- responding to & analyzing works of art

Music 2-knowing & using arts, materials, & resources 3- responding to & analyzing works of art

Benchmarks: Art- 1*produce a variety of medians *reflect on the effectiveness of the median 2*develop skills with a variety of art materials 3*discuss & write analysis of their own works

Music 2*listening & responding to a variety of genres 3* use basic scientific concepts to explain how music related sound is transmitted through the air and perceived

CONTENT KNOWLEDGEDeclarative: Students will learn or bring knowledge with them about the sun, energy and concepts related to conservation of energy. They will work on or revise concepts about space and human needs. They will work with vocabulary about the topic and steps in scientific procedures/problem-solving. Items they will know/come to know:

• Definition of folk tales
• components of good writing
• definition of fiction/non-fiction

Procedural: Students will learn, apply and demonstrate how to :

• use graphic organizers, Venn diagrams to help thinking
• write a comparative essay, folk tale
• produce a map, graph using measurement skills
• use Internet
• use a research methodology from brainstorming, through research
• note-taking, collecting data and presentation
• build a solar oven
• read weather instruments such as a thermometer
• create and do self-evaluation
• follow a recipe

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

* What is solar energy?

* How can solar energy be used?

* How can solar energy help in the future?

* What are the dangers, if any, of solar energy?

* Does season effect solar power?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

One of a variety of activities can be used:

1) Read about and visit a solar home.

2) Propose the problem: A farmer is rotating his pasture, the furthest pasture is to far away from the electric fence, how can the farmer contain his animals if they only respect an electric fence?

3) Propose the problem: You are stuck in a clearing in the woods with a styrofoam ice chest, tin foil, clear wrap, and your food. How could you use these materials to cook? Or create an oven?

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE

As a culminating performance the class will present all the subjects final products a solar cooked lunch. Such products will include:

1) a comparative essay

2) an original folk tale

3) salt dough or drawn map

4) graph of temperatures

5) items ready for baking in the ovens

** Students can present their final products to peers, younger classmates or invited guests.

Using the solar oven(s) created cook a meal and present the findings of the data and reports.

Integration Issues

Curriculum Map

* Literature- Compare Three Tales: Arrow to the Sun, The Greatest of All, and Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky

* Health- Lessons: dangers from the sun and protection/positive aspects of the sun (disease such as Rickets; skin cancer; sun as necessity for life, plant growth, seasonal affect disorder

* Consumer Sciences - baking pies in a solar oven

* Science- research solar energy- what is it and what are its uses

* Technology- building a solar oven by Build with Beakman 1996 Universal Press, www.youcan.com

* Social Studies- seasons around world, daylight, longitude & latitude, Renewable & nonrenewable resources

* Art- solargraphic art prints; shadows; fading

* Mathematics- perimeter, distance, temperature, and graphing from solar oven

* Music -through (outreach@noao.edu) get solar music- helioseismology

Description of the task using a prompt format (FAT -P-form, audience, topic, purpose)The purpose of this lesson is to develop an understanding of solar energy through the various curricula areas, as well as see how the sun has been spoken of in power for years in folk tales. Through reports and projects students will be able to investigate the power of solar energy. Checking temperatures of solar oven can show the downfalls of this energy without having a storage unit for the energy. Students will present all their reports, graphs, and oven at a solar picnic.

Procedure: Using the essential questions as a base, the following activities take place in classroom:

Teachers will prepare various resources for the unit to provide students with active engagement in exploring concept/theme of solar energy.

Students will do research, using books, the Internet, and other media to study the sun and solar energy. They will be working independently, and in small cooperative groups, and/or pairs to do this background study. In this research project, they will be using note-taking skills, reading/writing skills, use of various graphic organizers. Projects will include work with mapping solar distance; work with solar energy (passive/active); measuring and graphing. (Graphs can be put on the computer database and /or spreadsheet programs. If the program allows it, even graphed via the computer. Microsoft Excel is a program that students can use if you have Microsoft Office.) Sharing of their information will use the jigsaw cooperative learning strategy with each child becoming an expert and sharing with peers.

Students will read about folk tales relating to the sun; they will crate their own folktale; write, illustrate, draw and present tale to others; use word processing and possibly e-mail to share their work.

In comparative essays, students will discuss pros/cons of solar energy: the different treatment of solar energy in fiction and in non-fiction; use of solar energy in different countries based on climate and other factors.

In doing these activities, students will be asked to explain what a folk tale is and read sample tales; read and discuss information; create salt dough maps of solar events. Graph and chart their comparisons. Create a review of books they have read and state if they were fiction or nonfiction as in a review.

As a culminating activity, students will follow directions to make a

Solar Oven and then cook a meal in it, using measurement skills, thermometers, directions, recipes.

A possible follow-up activity is have students record temperatures in the oven at different times of the year to see what effect seasons and weather have on the solar oven.

Solar Oven Each side of chest will be measured for proper fitting. Cut an ice chest from the corner down at a 60-degree angle on both sides, removing the front portion up to the bottom cut. Cut four trapezoids to attach to each side so that they join at the edges, use plenty of duct tape. Cover the inside of the chest and trapezoids with tin foil. Cover the chest with a fitted piece of glass. (ASK BEAKMAN)

Student products/performances

Solar ovenresearch report on solar energycomparison essay on folk tales; creation of folk talegraph of temperatures: outdoor & oven

cooperative learningoral presentation of learned knowledge

Extending and Refining: additional skills or processes can be emphasized with various learners based on their prior knowledge, sophistication and interest:

Work with grammar and mechanics; self- editing; researching; predictingcomparing; classifying; inductive reasoning; deductive reasoning; error analysis

analyzing perspectives; constructing support (use of guest speakers; debate)

abstracting

Assessment:

Students will be self, peer- teacher as they edit their papers to self correct and establish their strengths and weaknesses of writing and research.

Students will be predicting oven results according to weather.

Criteria for evaluating student products/performances

* rubrics* observationRubric: 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?

4

Accomplished task, elaborate, strong organization, student used Internet with more than one link, full understanding

Accomplished task, elaborate, remained with main idea with interesting descriptions, excellent vocabulary

Accomplished task with elaboration, remained with main idea with interesting descriptions, used many examples

Accomplished task, elaborate,

showed interest and enthusiasm, full understanding, works cooperatively, correct data

3

Fairly accomplished, fair elaboration, needs a little more organization, used

Only one Internet site, full understanding with some questions

Fairly accomplished, fair elaboration, original, remained with main idea but needed more descriptions. Use of appropriate vocabulary

Fairly accomplished, fair elaboration, remained with main idea but needed more descriptions, used some examples

Fairly accomplished, fair elaboration, showed some interest and enthusiasm, full understanding with some questions, works cooperatively most of the time, some data was incorrect

2

Showed an attempt to accomplish, needs elaboration, somewhat organized, student only browsed Internet, some understanding

Showed an attempt to accomplish, needs elaboration, used an idea to start, drifted from main idea, and lacked descriptions, basic vocabulary

Showed an attempt to accomplish, needs elaboration, drifted from main idea, lacked descriptions, few examples, and basic vocabulary

Showed an attempt to accomplish, needs elaboration, lacked enthusiasm and interest, some understanding worked somewhat cooperatively, incorrect data

1

Task not accomplished, needs a lot of elaboration, unorganized, student was not successful using the Internet, lacked understanding

Task not accomplished, needs a lot of elaboration, copied an idea, drifted from main idea, no descriptions, had trouble with word choice

Task not accomplished; needs a lot of elaboration, drifted from main idea, no descriptions, lacked examples

Task not accomplished, needs a lot of elaboration, showed no interest or enthusiasm, lacked understanding, and refused to work cooperatively, no data

Constructing a Holistic Scoring Tool

Score Point 4

• accomplished task, elaborate
• moderately accomplished, fairly elaborate
• showed enthusiasm and interest
• some enthusiasm and interest
• strongly organized
• moderately organized
• full understanding
• full understanding with questions

Score 3 (see above)

Score Point 2

• somewhat accomplished, needs elaboration
• not accomplished, needs a lot of elaboration
• lacked in enthusiasm and interest
• no enthusiasm or interest
• somewhat organized
• unorganized
• some understanding
• lacked understanding of the learned material.

Learn to Learn Skills:

Students will learn how cooperation is necessary in order to build the oven. They will discover that there are other alternatives to cooking besides the traditional gas or electric ovens, even barbecues!

Assessment Modifications:

Modifications can be made on all written variables. The reports and stories can be placed on tape, or even done with picture stories so that all students can participate. The student can then be rated on their presentation and knowledge

Time:

Plan 1-2 weeks, Implement anywhere from 1-2 months, 1-2 hours a day, Assessment ongoing and 1 week after for projects

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

Plan 1-2 weeks, in this phase the teacher will get all the reading materials and graphic organizers in place. Materials will be purchase or brought in by students for the solar oven. Implement anywhere from 1-2 months,1-2 hours a day, in this phase the teacher(s) will instruct the lessons and assign the projects. The teacher will begin the checklist of tasks. Assessment , 1 week after the projects are completed, in this phase the teacher will evaluate each project to its appropriate rubric.

Developed by/Adapted from: Jean Kosina

Resources/materials:

www.txses.org/snippets.html www.teleport.com/~chrisdb/project/ www.mrsolar.com www.eren.doe.gov/roofus/ http://hypreon.advanced.org/15215/ www.noao.edu/edcation/ighelio/solar-music.html www.youcan.com