Creating Learner-Focused Schools
Going My Way?
| LU Title: Going My Way? | Authors: Margaret Miller and Barbara Ryan |
| Grade Level: 9-12 | School Address: Jefferson-Lewis BOCES Outer Arsenal St., Watertown, NY |
| Subject: Geography/Writing/Adventure Education | School Phone: 785-9133 |
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
| Declarative |
Procedural |
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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
INITIATING ACTIVITY
Students will be shown excerpts from a popular movie, of survival in the wilderness, to facilitate a group discussion in which geographical, environmental, and human factors will be listed as a means ofassessing the previous knowledge for the unit.
CONNECTIONS TO STATE LEARNING STANDARDS
Content Area: English Language Arts
Standard One
Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced text.
Benchmarks:
Interpret and analyze information from textbooks and nonfiction books for young adults, as well as reference materials, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, graphs, charts, diagrams, and electronic data bases intended for a general audience.
Compare and synthesize information from different sources.
Use a wide variety of strategies for selecting, organizing, and categorizing information.
Relates new information to prior knowledge and experience.
Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking, probing, and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one’s own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information and interpreting clearly, concisely, and comprehensibly.
Benchmarks:
Organize information according to an identifiable structure, such as compare/contrast or general to specific.
Develop information with appropriate supporting material, such as facts, details, illustrative examples or ancedotes, and extraneous material.
Standard Three:
Speaking and writing for analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions and judgements on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgement is based.
Benchmarks:
Present orally and in writing, well-developed analysis of issues, ideas, and texts explaining the rational for their positions and analyzing their positions from a variety of perspectives in such forms as formal speeches, debates, theses/support papers, literary critiques, and issues analysis.
Make effective use of details, evidence, and arguments and of presentational strategies to influence an audience to adopt their position.
Monitor and adjust their own oral and written presentations to have the greatest influence on a particular audience.
Content Area: Social Studies
Standard Three:
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.interdependent worlds in which we live – local, national, and global – including the spatial distribution of people,
Benchmarks:
Students should map information about people, places, and environments.
Students should comprehend the physical characteristics of the Earth’s surface and the continual reshaping of the surface by physical processes and human activity.
Unit Theme
We have chosen a theme of survival to enhance the level of interest during the implementation of classroom and outdoor activities as well as to illustrate the need to fully apply the knowledge and skills learned throughout the unit.
Learning Experiences
Declarative Knowledge
| What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand… |
What experiences will be used to help the students acquire and integrate this knowledge? |
What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize, and/or store the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
| -Identify problems, skills needed to survive
-Format for writing to the critical lens -Identify the main event of the story -Sequence the main events of the story -Identify cause and effect relationships.
-Elements of the map: the legend, the use of symbols, the compass rose, and the map scale
-Elements of a compass |
-Movie: The Edge
-Books: Alive, The Old Man and the Sea -Graphic Organizers
-Mapping exercises -Graphic Organizers
-Compasses and worksheets for recording readings taken from the environment -Activities using low and high elements on an Adventure Course |
-3-2-1 Summarizer (3-problems, 2-skills, 1-strategy used by the characters)
-Mnemonics-visual chain, Create an experience -Decision-making model, skillful decision-making -Compare and contrast procedure
-Maps, graphs, and charts -3 minute pause
-Journals: format for recording information gained from compass activity and outdoor adventure activities -K.W.L. strategy |
As a large group, students review and discuss the elements of the movie, the Edge. Students will then break into smaller groups to brainstorm lists of problems, skills, and strategies used by the characters and discuss the results. -Students are taught the various models to be used throughout the completion of the two assigned readings; group discussion and assessment using rubrics, will determine if students have acquired the skills to delineate the proper information from the readings and use the formats given. -Students will be taught the basic elements of maps. Working individually or in small groups, the students will then be given various types of maps to practice and develop the skills needed to apply to real-life problems and situations. Students will also create graphs and charts to summarize their understanding of the information presented. -Students will practice the format given for journal activities, recording their experiences and impressions after each exercise. |
Learning Experiences
Procedural Knowledge
| What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of this unit, the students will be able to: |
What will be done to help students construct models, shape and internalize the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
| -Identify and discuss issues relevant to group survival in the book: Alive -Write an essay to the critical lens
-Create a map, chart a course, identify problems encountered along the route from the book Alive
-Discuss the purpose and relevance of direction and compass skills
-Apply knowledge of compass reading to real-life experience
-Use a compass to follow a pre-set course
-Discuss the processes used to solve problems and make decisions as a group
-Discuss the process used to solve problems and make decisions - individual
-Incorporate various forms of media to map, chart, and graph -Deduction |
-3-2-1 Summarizer
-Examples of maps provided as guides -Cause/effect graphic organizer
-Participate in an Adventure Education Activity -Trust Walk, to show students the purpose of direction and compass use -Debriefing -The Envelop, Please-for recording information in the journal -Adventure Activity using the compass
-Compass Course
-Learning Log format for journals -3-2-1 Strategy
-Learning Log format for journals -3-2-1 Strategy
-Use of the Internet, television, and newspaper -Cause and effect -Graphic Organizer |
-Students will identify and discuss the geographical, environmental issues, problem-solving techniques and strategies of decision-making, used by the characters in the book Alive relevant to the theme of survival. Students are separated into small groups and assigned the task of creating a map and charting the course used by the characters in the book Alive; discuss problems encountered along the course and the reasons. -Students are paired and guided through various Trust Exercises and participate in the debriefing process.
-Students practice taking a compass bearing on a landmark and figuring out the return bearing (students will check by going to the landmark and checking the accuracy of the return bearing. -The teacher gives student groups a series of bearings, including distances and landmarks with clues to reach the next landmarks and clue. -Students debrief as a large group using the 3-2-1 strategy to identify relevant information to be used in recording the experience in individual journals. -Students participate in a High Element Adventure Activity followed by group debriefing and individual journaling. NOTE; The teacher may need a full day for the High Element Course. -Students are organized into small groups; each is given a specific area of the world. Student groups research weather patterns for the area, graph observations, and make long-term predictions about the weather and its effects on the environment and people. |
Learning Experiences
Extending and Refining
| What knowledge will the students be refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of… |
What reasoning process will they be using? |
Describe what will be done. |
| Problem-solving, Writing, and Geography using Adventure Education as a means of application to real-life experiences
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-Comparing -Classifying -Inductive Reasoning -Deductive Reasoning -Analyzing Perspectives -Abstracting
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The culminating experience will involve the development of an oral presentation in which students are asked to formulate a solution to a given survival scenario; using the information and experiences from the unit, students will formulate solutions to the problems (limiting conditions) outlined in the given scenario. Students will be assessed using a rubric for the quality of information provided, completeness of information (bibliography sheet), as well as the development and implementation of problem-solving/decision-making methods used during the process by the participants. Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation. |
Learn to Learn Skills:
Collaboration with team members, productive communication, thinking frames, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Assessment Modifications:
Modifications indicated on the student's IEP will be observed for all lessons and activities, as well as final assessments.
Unit Schedule/Time Plan: This unit was developed for a ten-week time period, with an hour and thirty minutes allotted per week. One trip to a High Element Course should be scheduled for a full day.
Written Overview: This unit was developed for secondary level students classified as Emotionally Disturbed with a variety of learning disabilities. Using Adventure Education as a vehicle to integrate information in geography and writing, students will develop problem-solving and decision-making skills to incorporate into daily living situations.
Special Considerations: Adventure Education incorporates activities for
students both in the classroom and in wilderness settings. Adventure courses offer both High and Low Elements, giving the opportunity for individual and group challenges: High Elements which range in height (usually over 6 feet ) involve the use of ropes, harnesses, and safety measures, such as belaying, where spotters are not effective for insuring the safety of the participant. High Elements allow the individual to challenge his/her personal comfort zones and address individual fears.
A low element can be anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet off the ground and is usually a group event, which challenges the participants to work together as a unit to make decisions and solve problems. The safety of the participants is guaranteed by the use of spotting-members of the group work as a unit to guide and guard participants through a specific scenario.
Adventure Education also incorporates the use of icebreakers, warm-ups and warm-downs, deinhibitizers, group games, initiative problems, and spotting activities to facilitate trust and aspects of group dynamics including leadership, role acceptance, teamwork, and communication.
Internet Demonstration Checklist
1. _____ Connect to Internet Server.
2. _____ Go into a search engine: Yahoo, Excite, Alta-Vista.
3. _____ Type in information relevant to topic.
4. _____ Search the Web page by scrolling up and down on the web page.
5. _____ Highlight the information and print.
6. _____ Exit out of Web page and return to Home page.
7. _____ Close the connection to Internet server.
Critical Lens Worksheet
| Question |
Answer |
Detail |
| Introduction |
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| 1st Supporting Paragraph
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1.
2.
3. |
| 2nd Supporting Paragraph
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1.
2.
3. |
| Conclusion
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Critical Lens-
Geography Rubrics
Score point 4
Elements of mapping: 100% of knowledge on map elements, show legend, symbols,compass rose, scale, participate in mapping exercise, solve mapping exercise, complete a map.
Elements of compass: Learn compass use, apply compass use, record readings fromcompass exercise, and solve compass exercise.
Types of Maps: Examples of each kind map, general reference, mobility, thematic, and inventory.
Climates: Research and compare climates and weather patterns on different geographical areas of the world.
Culture: 100% on exercise that reviews people, places and environments.
Score point 3
Elements of mapping: 80% of knowledge on map elements, show legend, symbols, compass rose, scale, participate in mapping exercise, complete a map.
Elements of compass: Learn compass use, apply compass use, record readings from compass exercise.
Types of Maps: Knowledge of each kind map, general reference, mobility, thematic, and inventory.
Climates: Research climates and weather patterns on different geographical areas of the world.
Culture: 80% on exercise that reviews people, places and environments.
Score point 2
Elements of mapping: 70% of knowledge on map the elements, show legend, symbols, compass rose, scale, and complete a map.
Elements of compass: Learn compass use, record readings from compass exercise.
Types of Maps: A copy of each type of map, general reference, mobility, thematic, and inventory.
Climates: Research climates and weather patterns on different geographical areas of the world.
Culture: 70% on exercise that reviews people, places and environments.
Score point1
Elements of mapping: 60% an below on knowledge of map elements, does not participate in showing legends, symbols, compass rose, scale, does not complete map.
Elements of compass: Does not use compass, does not record readings from compass exercise.
Types of Maps: Does not have examples of each kind map, general reference, mobility, thematic, and inventory.
Climates: Does not research climates and weather patterns on different geographical areas of the world.
Culture: 60% and below on exercise that reviews people, places and environments.
Performance Task
Title of task: Virtual Reality Adventure
Curriculum areas: Geography/Writing/Adventure Education
Developed by: Barb Ryan/Margaret Miller
Recommended grade level(s): 9-12
Approximate time frame: 1 week
Resources/materials: Journal, Internet, Writings, Computer access,
Geographical Experiences, Adventure experiences
Standards and Benchmarks
English Language Arts
Standard Three
Speaking and in writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based.
English Language Arts
Benchmarks
Monitor and adjust their own oral presentations to have the greatest influence on a particular audience.
Make effective use of details, evidence, and arguments and of presentational strategies to influence an audience to adopt their position.
Description of Task
Your group has been selected to present a specific survival scenario using the lessons that you have finished in Geography, Writing, and Adventure Education over the last nine weeks. Present an appropriate solution to the survival scenario, in oral form, using information gathered from lessons, activities, and the Internet. The bibliography will be presented in correct format before the oral report is given. Visuals will be displayed and explained when presenting. The oral report is to last 7 minutes with a two-minute response time.
Evaluation Form
Visual Displays
_____ 1- Map, graph, and chart.
_____ 1- Creative visual.
_____ Appropriate visual display selected.
_____ Accurate display of visuals.
_____ Appropriate display of title
_____ Correct labels
_____ Accurate keys on map
Oral Presentation
____ Appropriate length
____ Appropriate speech
____ Accurate information
____ Accurate solution
____ Accurate response
Bibliography
_____Internet sources
_____Literature sources
_____Journal sources
_____Geography sources
_____Correct format
Survival Scenario
You have just crashed on a desert island somewhere close to Australia, in the middle of May. The only things that have survived are your backpack and the left over contents of the airplane wreck. The plane landed in a shallow cove near the island. It is a miracle that you have survived. You do not know if a rescue is on its way. What are you up against?
Geography of the island
Weather
Marine life
Survival equipment
Fresh water
Food
Shelter
Learning Log
Record observation and experience. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe your experience.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was your role?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was the group reflection?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was your reflection?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What struggles do you or did you have with the idea or activity?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Share an experience that relates to the topic.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Which essential question applies and why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Essential Questions
How can the quality of our daily living experiences be enhanced through the development of problem solving?
How can our experiences contribute to the development of everyday problem-solving and decision-making skills?
What types of skills, knowledge, and experiences help us solve problems?
Culminating Experience Rubric
Score point 4
Bibliography: Bibliography cards; use 3x5 index cards, write only on one side, use a ball point pen, put only one title on each card (article/book/film/Internet), write down call No. for article, book, or periodical, in left hand corner of the card. Bibliography page should have each article, book, film, and Internet source in alphabetical order.
Note cards: Use 4x6 index card, write on only one side, one source per card, copy names and quotes accurately from source, write short title of the book/article in upper left hand corner, include Author's name.
Visuals: At least one map, graph, or chart. At least one creative visual represented on the specific scenario.
Oral presentation: Seven minutes long, clearly spoken, expressed scenario correctly, replied to question with clarity, and showed visuals.
Score point 3
Bibliography: Bibliography cards: use 3x5 index card, put only one title on each card (article/book/film/Internet), write down call No. for article, book, or periodical, in left hand corner of the card. Bibliography page should have each article, book, film, and Internet source in alphabetical order.
Note cards: Use 4x6 index card, one source per card, copy names, and quotes accurately from source, write short title of the book/article in upper left hand corner and include Author's name.
Visuals: Two of any map, graph, or chart.
Oral presentation: Five minutes long, clearly spoken, expressed scenario correctly, replied to question with clarity, and showed visuals.
Score point 2
Bibliography: Bibliography page should have each article, book, film, and Internet source in alphabetical order.
Note cards: Use 4x6 index card, copy names, quotes accurately from source, write short title of the book/article in upper left hand corner and include Author's name.
Visuals: At least one map, graph, or chart.
Oral presentation: three minutes long, clearly spoken, expressed scenario correctly, replied to question with clarity, showed visual.
Score point 1
Bibliography: Bibliography cards not used. Bibliography page not handed in.
Note cards: Note cards not used.
Visuals: Visuals not used.
Oral presentation: Presentation not given.
Problem Solving Rubrics
Score point 4
Team Discussion: Comment on own material, repeat key ideas, provide internal summaries, key notes written in journal.
Brainstorm: List any information that comes to mind, cross off irrelevant information, cross off incomplete information, circle relevant information, revise the list into complete thoughts, put thoughts into chronological order.
Solve Essential Questions: Express which Essential Question is relevant to the lesson in written form, explain how is it connected to the lesson , explain why is it relevant to the lesson.
Score point 3
Team Discussion: Comment on own material, look at key ideas, provide summaries, notes written in journal.
Brainstorm: List information that comes to mind, cross off incomplete information, revise list, put thoughts in order.
Solve Essential Questions: Express relevant Essential Question, explain how it is relevant.
Score point 2
Team Discussion: Take key ideas from material, incomplete notes in journal.
Brainstorm: List information that comes to mind.
Solve Essential Questions: Express relevant Essential Question.
Score point 1
Team Discussion: Incomplete notes in journal.
Brainstorm: Does not complete a list of information.
Solve Essential Questions: Does not express an Essential Question.
Writing and Literature Rubrics
Score point 4
Literature: Read Alive and The Old Man and the Sea, 100% completion of assignments for each chapter as assigned.
QUAD: Interpretation of critical lens, indicate that you agree with the statement as you have interpreted it, choose two characters or subtopics, explain three details to each supporting paragraph, restate the critical lens, write two supporting sentences for last part of conclusion.
Compositions: Use correct pre-selected topic, use QUAD outline, use information from critical lens, 100% correct grammar, punctuation, spelling.
Journal: Use correct form (the Learning Log), information is in consecutive form, journal is in daily order.
Oral report: Bibliography, note cards, two visuals, a seven -minute presentation, a two -minute response to questions
Score point 3
Literature: Read Alive and The Old Man and the Sea, 80% completion of assignments for each chapter as assigned.
QUAD: Interpretation of critical lens, choose two characters or sub-topics, explain two details to each supporting paragraph, restate the critical lens, write one supporting sentence for last part of conclusion.
Compositions: Use correct pre-selected topic, use QUAD outline, 80% correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Journal: Use correct form (the Learning Log), journal is in daily order.
Oral report: Bibliography, note cards, one visual, five- minute presentation, and a one -minute response to questions.
Score point 2
Literature: Read Alive and The Old Man and the Sea, 70% completion of assignments for each chapter as assigned.
QUAD: Interpretation of the critical lens, choose two characters or sub-topics, explain one detail to each supporting paragraph, restate the critical lens, write one supporting sentence for the last part of the conclusion.
Compositions: Use pre-selected topic, use QUAD outline, 70% correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Journal: Use correct form (the Learning Log).
Oral report: Bibliography, note cards, one visual, three -minute presentation, no response to questions.
Score point 1
Literature: Alive and The Old Man and the Sea are not completed, 60% or below on assignments for each chapter.
QUAD: Interpretation of the critical lens is not provided, Supporting paragraphs are not answered or explained, details to each supporting paragraph are not present, the critical lens is not restated, supporting sentences for the last part of the conclusion are not complete.
Compositions: Use pre-selected topic, use QUAD outline, 60% or below for grammar, punctuation, spelling.
Journal: Correct form not used.
Oral report: Bibliography is not present, note cards are not present, visuals are not present, presentation not given, but no response to questions.