Backwards Design Unit€¦ · Web viewFall 2016. Presented by Delaney Clodfelter. University of Alaska Southeast. Supervisor: Professor Katy Spangler. Backwards Design Unit . Fall

Presented by Delaney Clodfelter

University of Alaska Southeast

Supervisor: Professor Katy Spangler

Fall 2016Backwards Design Unit

Delaney ClodfelterBackwards Unit Design FALL 2016

Abstract

This document demonstrates my ability to successfully design, plan and implement a unit

based on grade appropriate content needs. The unit that is presented in the following pages is on

Westward Expansion and Native American Communities in the United States of America.

Students were allowed to choose a community to study and then collected information on their

chosen communities. This unit culminated in a diorama projected that was presented by each

group to the rest of the class. Students also generated their own test based on the information

given during each presentation, and then were tested on the material as a form of post

assessment. This unit incorporates both guided instruction, and independent work. Students were

able to use materials creatively and truly make this project their own. Throughout this unit I

utilized formative assessment strategies to guide my decision making on instruction. In the end

students generated a high caliber final product that we were able to put on display for the rest of

the school.

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Westward Expansion: Native American Communities

Candidate Name: Delaney Clodfelter Host Teacher Name: Linda Julliard

School: Aquarian Charter School Grade Level: 4/5th # of Students: 27

Date Range Unit: 1st Quarter- Month of October Length of Unit: ~4 Weeks

Overall Theme of Unit: Westward Expansion:

Native American Communities

Content Area: Social Studies

Describe the demographic make-up of your target classroom:Gender Receives

Some Special Needs Services

Behavioral Needs

ELL Ethnicity Gifted Program

11-F/ 16-M 11 (Non Behavior 504)

1 (504 plan) 1 – Spanish is spoken at home and moms primary language is Spanish

24 – Caucasian1 – Asian2 – Alaska Native

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Materials: Include all materials including technology:

Social Studies Text Books

Chrome Books

Assorted books from other classrooms and from the library (used for research)

Native American Communities Graphic Organizers

Social Studies Composition Books

Craft Materials for Diorama:

Rocks, sticks, & sand, Hot glue gun, Tape, Pencils, Colored Pencils, Scissors, Markers,

Glue, Atlas’, Popsicle sticks, Yarn, Pipe Cleaners, etc.Post Assessment:

Diorama Presentations

Native American Communities Quiz

Pencils

Composition Books for student notes (reference as study guide)

Alaska Content and Subject area Standards (5 interdisciplinary standards)1. GEOGRAPHY – Sections F.5: Examine the impacts of global changes on human activity

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2. ART – Section A: A student should be able to imagine and develop artistic ideas and work.3. ART – Section B: A student should be able to interpret and share artistic work.4. LIBRARY/INFORMATION LITERACY – Section B: A student should understand and use research

processes necessary to locate, evaluate, and communicate information and ideas.5. HISTORY – Section A.8: Know that history is a bridge to understanding groups of people and an

individual’s relationship to societyB.1.b: Human communities and their relationships with climate, subsistence base, resources, geography, and technology

6. CULTURAL STANDARD – Section D: Culturally knowledgeable students are able to engage effectively in learning activities that are based on traditional ways of knowing and learning.

7. TECHNOLOGY – Sections A through E – Section B is as follows: A student should be able to use technology to locate, select, and manage information.

8. WRITING: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”)

TRANSFER GOALS (Unpacked Standard(s) -1. Geography: Students will be able to identify patterns of migration and examine why groups of people

relocate.2. Arts: Students will create a diorama demonstrating understanding of their chosen Native American Group.3. Library/Information Literacy: Students will utilize various resources (chrome books, text books, and library

texts) to find and synthesize information for their projects4. History: Students will learning about various communities and share what they have gained with other

students.5. Cultural Standards: Through the study of Native Americans, students learn to respect different cultural

ways and values.6. Technology: Students will utilize the necessary tools (Chrome Books) to gather and record information.7. Writing: Students will conduct individual and group research and record relevant information in their

composition books. Students will also apply said material to write creatively about their topic to a friend.

STAGE 1 – Enduring Understandings Stage 1 - Essential QuestionsEnduring Understanding(s)Students will understand…. There are many groups of people who have

not had a voice in history Learning different perspectives is important

for our understanding and appreciation of the world

There are many different Native American Communities in the United States

Students will know how these communities lived, where they were located geographically, how they survived, etc.

What Essential Questions will be Considered? (Q) Whose voices in History get heard? Why are different perspectives important? Whose voices don’t often get heard? What makes a community unique? What are some of the Native American

Communities in the United States? How did these communities come to be?

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People come from different places and create different habits based on their location

STAGE 1OBJECTIVES/ Learning Targets (LTs) – Key Learning

Students will gain a deeper insight into a chosen particular Native American community and will be able to articulate their way of life and history to other students in the class.

Students will be able to identify the importance of studying history through multiple perspectives and will be able to articulate those voices that do most often get heard in comparison to those that do not.

STAGE 2 –ASSESSMENTS - Identify Desired Results (multimodal)

Pre-Assessment: Discussion of Essential Question(s): Whose

voice gets heard in history? How do you think that this changes how we learn about history? Do you think it’s important to hear history from multiple perspectives?

Formative Assessment: Check In’s: with students throughout the

process. Check in’s will include: one-on-one discussions and whole group discussions

Exit Tickets: check for understanding by asking students to relay some specific information upon completing a given task

Written Response: Students will write letters to other students in the class that will go through me first. This will serve as a check for understanding to see what information is being absorbed and where more continued work is needed.

Summative Assessment: Students will take a cumulative test at the

end of the unit to demonstrate understanding and mastery of material.

Students will share their dioramas to the rest of the class and observing students will take notes as a preparation for their students created test.

Standards Addressed

Learning Activities/ Learning/Instructional Strategies: Lesson Time

Learning/Instructional Strategies

History

Culture

Literacy

Lesson 1: Multiple Perspectives –Whose Voice Gets Heard Part 1 This is preparatory lesson to the main lesson on this topic.

Students are presented with a topic questions: “What was

30 MIN Discussion

Accessing Prior Knowledge

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your first day of school like?” Students write a one page response to this topic and it goes into a folder called “Our class history.” the idea behind this lesson is to get students thinking about how history is recorded understand that students perspectives will likely vary.

Performance Task - Written

History

Culture

Lesson 2: Multiple Perspectives –Whose Voice Gets Heard part 2 This lesson provides students an opportunity to see how

some history never gets passed along due to numerous natural disasters and societal norms relevant to the times. Students papers on their first day of school will be read aloud and then they will roll the large dice to see what they fate of their historical document will be. Each number on the dye represents some type of natural disaster and only one number is representative of a paper being saved. At the end of the activity any female documents that have been saved are then burned because women’s voices were not heard in history. The remaining documents will serve as the only perspective and historical documentation of our first day of school. This will then lead into a teacher lead discussion on perspective and historical bias. Students will record notes and observations in their Social Studies Composition books.

Group Discussion

Direct Instruction

Class Activity

Recording Information

History

Geography

Lesson 3: Migration to the America’s Bering Strait Board Game: Students will read their text

book chapter on Migration to the America’s (pgs. 54-57) and will then play an introductory activity using a board game called “Bering Strait Board Game”

1 HOUR Group Discussion

Group Read Aloud – Crazy Professor

Interactive Activity

History

Technology

Geography

Library/Information Literacy

Lesson 4: Research Day # 1

Students will begin doing their research on their chosen Native American Community Group. Students will first select their group and one person will be put in charge as the group leader. Students can use the text book, Chrome books, and other supplemental resources to find their information. The text book pages to consider are pages

1 HOUR Individual Research

Direct Instruction

Group Discussion

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54-97. Students need to use their composition books to take notes in order to categorize their information.

Oral Check-In

History

Library/InformationLiteracy

Technology

Lesson 5: Research Day # 2

Students will continue their research and we will have a whole group read aloud with the story Navajo Long Walk by Joseph Bruchac. This story will likely take us 2-3 days to read. We will read this story at the beginning of the following lesson for 15 minutes.

45 MIN Individual Research

Direct Instruction

Read AloudHistory

Writing

Library/Information Literacy

Lesson 6: Graphic Organizer Research Students will fill out their graphic organizer to make sure that they

have completed the necessary research components in order for them to be successful on their project. We will start the lesson by beginning with a read aloud… finish up the story: Navajo Long Walk.

45 MIN Read Aloud

Small Group/ Partner Work on Worksheets

Writing

History

Lesson 7: Letter Writing # 1 Today students will write letters to one another about their

community that they have been studying. The goal of this lesson is for students to learn more about another community and then be able to share what they have learned with the rest of the class. This lesson will begin with a mini lesson how to write a friendly letter.

40 MIN Creative Writing Share Aloud

Group Discussion

Art

History

Culture

Geography

Lesson 8: Diorama Day # 1

Students will begin dioramas! They will come up with a design and layout and identify who will be in charge of which aspect from their graphic organizer. There will be plenty of supplies that students may utilize as well as shoe boxes to build their foundation. Students have a lot of freedom with this assignment and are encouraged to truly make it their own.

1 HOUR Independent Work

Performance Task

Writing

History

Culture

Lesson 9: Letter Writing # 2

Students will write a letter response to their pen pal and will include information about their communities. This lesson will begin with a refresher on writing a friendly letter and then students are free to respond to their classmate.

30 MIN Mini Direct Instruction

Independent Writing

Art

Culture

Lesson 10: Diorama # 2

Students continue to work on diorama and are an exit

1 HOUR Independent and Group Work

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History

Technology

ticket in regards to their status… “What have you done today?” Where are you at?” “Where will you be?” If students notice any gaps in their research as they are putting together their dioramas they may get out one Chrome book per group.

Art

History

Culture

Lesson 11: Diorama # 3

Students will finish their dioramas and get ready to present their information

1 HOUR Independent & Group Work

Art

History

Geography

Culture

Writing

Lesson 12: Diorama Presentations

Students will now take the opportunity to present their dioramas to the rest of the class. Each group with have approximately 10 minutes to share and have a rubric to follow outlining all the things they must cover as they present. As other students listen, they must take nots. These notes will help them with the 1 question that they need to generate for the test. I will choose 10 questions from their proposed questions, and then include 5 of my own for a test they will take following the presentations. Students will be given the test at the end of the day to ensure enough time for studying materials.

1.5 HOURS

Student lead Presentations

Note Taking

Exit Ticket (questions for the quiz)

History

Geography

Culture

Lesson 13: Study!

Students will be given 30 minutes of in class review time. They can use the study guide and any notes they have taken throughout the unit.

30 MIN

History

Geography

Lesson 14: Post Assessment – QUIZ

Students will take a student generated quiz covering all the Native American communities we have been learning about over the course of 4 weeks.

30 MIN

Total Amount of Time: Approximately 4 Weeks

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to LearnUnit/Lesson Strategies

Differentiation

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Learner Variability based on content pre-assessment and class demographics: Students are presented with a wide array of materials and opportunities to demonstrate

understanding of concepts Most students have a general idea of who the Native American people are and generally

where they live in the United States. We also have one group doing their project on an Alaska Native group and all the students have a basic familiarity with these people. Having this background knowledge will help students as they continue on this assignment.

There is one students on an IEP for behavioral needs and will need a lot of redirection and independent work time. He will be given assistance as he works with the rest of the group, but will also be given time to work independently as needed to fulfill his accommodations.

All students are English speaking so we should not have any language barrier conflicts. This class has a lot of very high achieving students in it, and so to accommodate and

challenge those students, many of the activities are done independently and with great flexibility within the overall framework.

Differentiated Assessments:A chain of ongoing assessments and formative assessment opportunities will be used to adapt instruction to the needs of various learners as the unit progresses, including:

Accessing prior knowledge: Students will be presented with the essential questions at the beginning of the unit and will be presented with a lesson on “Perspectives.” This lesson will start to generate ideas and understanding for this project.

Formative assessment: o Written: Students will answer the essential questions in their own words in their

composition bookso Topic related discussions and brainstorming of ideaso Numerous oral check-in’s to see where students are understanding and needing

supporto Skill check: Write letters to a pen pal o Skill check: Utilize graphic organizers to categorize researched information

Conduct “teacher talk” groups to gauge how students’ work is progressing, where they are confused or stuck, how they are using their time, etc. in order to assist them effectively.

Provide rubrics, graphic organizers, study guides, and pacing guides so that the necessary components and materials are incorporated. The evaluation criteria should not be a surprise to students.

Differentiated Instruction: When reading the stories, allow students to get comfortable in the room, with the primary

objective that those who have a hard time sitting in their desks while listening to story time are able to gain the necessary information from the book.

Lead demonstrations through various modes of learning style: on the board, hands on demonstrations, visual cues and written instructions, videos, and choral read aloud-s and read aloud-s

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Behavioral Support: Remain firm on the rules that must be followed while using supplies, and for students who struggle with the misuse of supplies, have clear and unbiased resolutions

Technological Support: Give students plenty of opportunity to use the technology provided, but make the expectations clear and follow through when students misuse the media

Grouping Individual check-ins will allow the teacher to assess where extra support is needed. Students groups will have been chosen by me, and will each students will bring a specific

strength to the group to ensure that all areas of the project can be met with great accuracy. Student will have ample opportunity to do both independent work, group work, and

whole class work. Students are encouraged to talk amongst themselves, and share ideas.

Fair and equal participation This is supported through the use of cooperative strategies such as Think-Pair -Share and

random (individual creative work, collaborative work, and peer analysis), systematic calling-on of students during discussions, tasks, and processing.

Students will be getting both and individual grade for this assignment and a group grade.

Varying mastery levels of content Students are supported with the use of graphic organizers to help those who may not take

sufficient individual notes in their composition books Offer mini workshops during lunch for students who may wish to perfect their project (or

who may need specialty instruction-student decision driven, however)

Student behavior needs Students should conduct themselves to the 4 school rules: Respect, Responsibility,

Integrity, and Compassion. This is reinforced with a 3 point system. Students start the day with 3 points, and can have them taken away by me as I see fit (going against one of the school 4). 1st offense is a warning, 2nd offense is 5 minutes of recess, and 3rd offense is a letter home which explains to the student’s parent/s (written by the student) what he or she did to have a poor behavior note sent home.

One student has a special accommodation to go to the library as we see fit. He is dismissed for 10 minutes as a mental break and then must return and continue to do his work

Disabilities No disability needs in this class.

Learning Styles/Multiple Intelligences/ Understanding by Design Visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning opportunities are provided throughout the unit.

The multiple intelligences of Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Interpersonal, Spatial, Body/Kinesthetic, and Intrapersonal are utilized throughout the lesson.

The three levels of Universal Design for Learning are also embedded in the unit. Students are: 1) involved in identifying and categorizing information to set up the

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foundation for their understanding of nutrition and the effects of good nutrition, 2) involved in planning, performing, organizing, and expressing the content and concepts surrounding good nutrition via the performance tasks as they move toward demonstrating their understanding of good nutrition and the effects of nutrition and, 3) engaged in motivating, engaging, challenging, interesting, and relevant tasks throughout the unit.

Culture and Language connections Cultural relevance is embedded in this unit because we are working with Native American

communities, one of which is specific to Alaska. Our students had an opportunity in this lesson to share their own heritage and explain if they have any Native American ancestry. Students are presented with a great number of cultural resources and are encouraged to share some of their own.

Cultural capital is developed in this unit through conversations the importance understanding different cultures, backgrounds and heritage’s. We talk a lot about how we are all American, but that being American looks different to different people which are what makes America a wonderful nation. We foster a truly accepting, appreciated and caring environment through this thoughtful approach.

Language proficiency is also addressed in that the oral discussions and vocabulary development tasks of the unit contribute to the oral language development of all students. Reading is done through choral reading, and students are able to view picture books with resources in them as well. What is important is that students have opportunities to connect their work to the enduring understandings through the variety learning styles embedded in the instruction and assessments.

SECTION FOUR: Attachments(The following attachments were used throughout this unit at various stages):

ATTACHMENT # 1

DIORAMA PROJECT

DUE DATE: Thursday, October 18, 2016

Overview:The goal of this project is to learn about migration to the America’s by taking a deeper look at what caused certain groups of people to move settlements. We will learn more about various Native American cultures, and a couple of Alaska Native groups as well. Students will work in groups to gather information, build a diorama of living conditions for their chosen community, and then present their completed projects to the rest of the class.

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Throughout this project students will write letters to a pen pal of their choice in the class to describe living conditions, challenges, and overall culture of the people within their community.

Timeline of Events:

Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Students will continue to gather and collect information in class. Will fill out graphic organizer.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Students will Begin write their first letter to a fellow classmate telling about their new land and way of life.

Friday, October 7, 2016 Students will begin constructing Diorama with Peers

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Students will write a second letter in response to their friend.

Friday, October 14, 2016 Students should have a 3D model Diorama at nearly 75 percent completion.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Students will present their Diorama’s to the rest of the class.

Thursday, October 20, 2016 Test on Materials – (Student Generated Test)

**Students will take notes during the presentations and make observations. Each student will be required to submit 1 question that they think is noteworthy for a test that they will be given on Thursday, October 20th. The students will be given a study guide by the end of the day Tuesday with the questions and answers that they decide upon and will be tested on the material 2 days later. I will choose 15 of the 27 questions in our class, and add my own additional 5. Test will be out of 20 points.

ATTACHMENT # 2

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ATTACHMENT # 3

Native American Communities Quiz

Name:_______________________ Date:____________________

The following questions are Multiple Choice Questions. Please Circle the best answer.1. What natural resource were the Hopi homes made from?

a. Bonesb. Clayc. Rocksd. Cedar Wood

2. How many families could fit in an Iroquois home?

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a. 3b. 5c. 6d. 8

3. What was one type of animal that we learned the Mayan hunted?a. Whalesb. Chickensc. Pigsd. Cows

4. The Inuit’s lived in which two types of housing?a. Igloos & Hutsb. Cave dwellings & Teepeesc. Teepees & Igloosd. Cave Dwellings & Huts

5. What did the Mayan’s Sacrifice?a. Chickensb. Goatsc. Rabbitsd. Donkey’s

6. How many different Native American Groups did we study during this project?a. 4b. 6c. 7d. 9

7. What interesting material did Aztecs use in the making of their clothes?a. Poppy Seedsb. Cactus Leavesc. Pumpkinsd. Whale Teeth

The follow section is fill-in-the-blank. Please answer each question by filling your best answer to each question.

8. Name the Four Corners of the United States.a. _______________________________________b. _______________________________________c. _______________________________________

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d. _______________________________________

9. The word, “Anasazi” means ______________________________________.

10. The word, “Inuit” means _________________________________________.

11. A male ______________________ is called a buck.

Short Answer: This section needs to be answered in full complete sentences. (Each Question is out of 2 points)1. Pretend you are a wealthy Kwakiutl, how would you show the rest of the community your wealth?______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

2. If you were an Inuit what would you where during the month of January? Why? (Please

explain your reasoning)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________

3. Explain how well you and your group members worked together? (Write at least 3 complete

sentences)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________

What was your favorite part about this project?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________

3. What did you learn during this project? (Write at least 3 complete sentences)______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

ATTACHMENT # 4

Ms. Linda & Mrs. C’s ClassNative American Communities

These dioramas aided in our learning about various Native American and Alaska Native communities in the United States. We have been learning about geography and expansion. Each group has identified numerous aspects of their chosen community. We have learned many interesting facts along the way!

Kwakiutl – Group Members: A, B, C, D These people hunted fish and sea otter They made clothing out of buck (a male deer) hide They are similar to the Tlingit in that they have totem poles They lived in cliffs They decorated their homes to showcase their wealth

Anasazi – Group Members: E, F, G, H

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They lived in the Four Corners (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, & Arizona) Anasazi means “The old one” They lived in cliff dwellings They made pottery and baskets for hauling waters and fruit They gardened pumpkin and squash and were mostly gatherers

Iroquois – Group Members: I, J, K, L They harvested corn and hunted deer They lived in large homes that could hold up to 5 families They were expanded into new territories from Canada. They moved to Ohio

Hopi – Group Members: M, N, O, P Their houses were made out of clay and were multi leveled They would have celebration dances with masks and drums They would pray to their Kachina gods (spirits) for daily necessities such as water They lived in Northeast Arizona They were hunters and gatherers

Mayan – Group Members: Q, R, S, T They lived in caves in the mountains They wore dyed shirts for clothing They wove animal hair for clothing Men and women both had long hair The Mayans believed in the lunar rabbit and therefore worshiped the rabbit as a god

Aztecs – Group Members: 1, 2, 3, 4 They lived in cylindrical homes with thatched roofs They lived in Central America Some of their clothes were made from cactus leaves They wore skirts, cloaks and sandals They spoke a language called Nahuatl By and large they were a wealthy community of people

Inuit – Group Members: 5, 6, 7, 8 They lived in Alaska, Canada and Greenland Lived in Igloos in the winter They lived in teepee type dwellings in the summer Some of them spoke Russian Inuit means, “The People” They wore parkas and trousers out of fur

ATTACHMENT # 5

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Presentation TemplateThis template is designed to help you as you present on your Native American Community. You will need to include all the following items when you present in order to receive full credit on you presentation. Please practice before you present on Tuesday, October 18, 2016. Introduction:Hello. Our community is the:______________________________________________________.Presenting for you today is:_______________________________________________________.

(State your group member names)

Individual Sharing:

Each group member must now describe their own section of the diorama.1. What is in your diorama2. Why is it important3. What are some interesting facts you can share

Please explain how you created your diorama. What was the process? How did you decide what to do? Did you create a museum based diorama, or did you create a “scene” based diorama?

Group Sharing:

Our community is located in _____________________________________________________

Our community: Hunted Gathered Both (Circle one)

Explain:_______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

They ate:______________________________________________________________________

They wore:____________________________________________________________________

They lived in:__________________________________________________________________

Special characteristics: (arts, crafts, resources, etc.)

ATTACHMENT # 6

Dear Parents,

It’s time for shoeboxes!

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We are going to begin a new unit in Social Studies this week, and as a part of that unit we are going to be working on a shoebox diorama. In order for us to complete this in-class assignment students will need to bring in 1 shoebox each.

Additional supplies that are NOT required, but that could benefit our design would include: Popsicle Sticks Clay Green and brown pipe cleaners Small rocks and sticks found around a yard (these could be put into a Ziploc and brought

in either to share or for you child specifically)

There is a lot we can do with what we have available in class so please do not worry about additional items, unless you have some crafty supplies you would like to clean out of your home.

The due date for shoeboxes is Monday, September 26, 2016.

Thank you for helping us to get creative!

Sincerely,Delaney

ATTACHMENT # 7

Native American Peoples Name:___________________

Life in early America’s

Name of Group:_____________________

Food: Shelter:

Hunter/Gather: Location (Where are they now? –Where were they?) :

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Resources: Clothing:

Arts & Crafts: Language:

Attachment # 8

Study Guide for Native American Communities Quiz:

Possible Test Questions:1. Name the Four Corners of the United States.

2. What natural resource were the Hopi homes made from?

3. The Inuit’s lived in which two types of housing?

4. How many families could fit in an Iroquois home?

5. What was one type of animal that we learned the Mayan hunted?

6. What did the Mayan’s Sacrifice?

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7. How many different Native American Groups did we study during this project?

8. What does Anasazi mean?

9. What does Inuit mean?

10. What is a male deer called?

11. What symbolized Kwakiutl wealth?

12. What did the Inuit wear in winter?

**You should be able to critically reflect on this project and tell me how you think you and your group did

SECTION FIVE: Artifacts

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SECTION SIX: Self Reflection & Decision Making Change

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This unit provided me with a great opportunity to learn and grow as an educator. I was able to try new methods of delivery, make changes as I saw fit, and help students master the content in a way that was both creative and challenging. The final outcome of this project was to create a group diorama representing various Native American communities. Students began the unit by choosing their communities and doing research. Students were then given a formal research organizer to categorize their information. We did many formative check-in’s throughout this project, and utilized creative writing to both assess and communicate learned information.

Students had to learn how to work as a team member to fulfill the obligations of this assignment. There were also group leaders that provided structure. At the end of this unit students presented their diorama’s to the rest of the class, created questions for their concluding test, and then had to take the test to demonstrate understanding. Overall, I thought this unit went very well. I was pleased with the final outcome and pleased with the collaboration amongst many of the groups.

I would say; however, that this unit provided me with a lot of reflection on my own practice as an educator. I truly value students taking ownership over their own work and want students to be given the freedom to create and make assignments unique. Although, I found that with this theory in mind, I still must provide enough structure to ensure that students are meeting the desired objectives. After a couple of lessons I realized that I needed to incorporate more formal note taking strategies and give greater specificity to the guidelines on what needed to be included in the final diorama project. I had so many creative students rise to the occasion given little framework, but there were also those students who, given little guidance, did not know where to begin. I found in myself a need to strike a respectable balance between structure and freedom when giving large projects such as this one.

In alignment with this realization was the realization that when it comes to student generated tests, I needed to provide clearer instructions on what makes a quality test question. There was a lack of clarity that resulted in fewer test questions being written by the students, and more being generated by myself (although many were rewritten from the student’s original work). Due to this decision making change, I made sure to allow students time in class to study with me and their peers as opposed to just at home. Overall, the students did wonderfully on the final assessment, and I was pleased with the outcome of this unit.

Throughout all of this, I was able to see the students grow and gain new insights. There are certainly procedures I would adjust in the future, but I was comfortable in making changes as I saw fit during the unit, and this flexibility truly provided me with a greater opportunity to help the students learn. As an educator, my goal is to guide students on their paths to becoming lifelong learners, and if I can’t adjust my instruction to fulfill this obligation, then I must reflect to ensure that this remains at the top of my list of priorities.

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Documents

Backwards Design Unit€¦ · Web viewFall 2016. Presented by Delaney Clodfelter. University of Alaska Southeast. Supervisor: Professor Katy Spangler. Backwards Design Unit . Fall