Running head: UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 1

Unit of Study, Part Four

Adam Lehman

Indiana University

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 2

Unit of Study, Part Four

Introduction

This paper aims to describe the experience I recently had planning, developing,

conducting, and assessing student work for a nine-lesson geography unit with a class of twenty-

two first and second-grade students. I will describe how I initially planned the unit, outlining the

themes I intended to address and why I viewed these as being relevant for the students. I will

also describe how I created a number of modifications in response to advice from my

cooperating teachers as well as the constraints of time. I will give an overview of how the lessons

were conducted in general, providing examples of a lesson that I felt was particularly successful

as well as a few lessons that I felt were not particularly useful for the students. I will offer my

ideas on how these lessons and the unit in general could be improved for future use. Finally, I

will provide information on my assessment of the students’ learning which will include

individual assessments of each student from this class.

Development of Unit

After selecting the theme of geography, I initially began planning for this unit by trying

to determine what particular concepts would be most useful for these students to learn. I decided

to pursue a general introduction to geographic regions with a central focus on providing a

context for the relative physical locations that the students inhabit locally in relation to

increasingly larger areas of the Earth’s surface. In effect, this would entail placing the location of

the school on a city map, placing the location of the city on a state map, and so on until

ultimately referring to our relative location on a globe. In practice, this progression was reversed;

starting with the globe and ending at local level, but the core concept was unchanged. I believe

that this concept is valuable for these students as an understanding geography on this kind of

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 3

scale will provide a valuable context for further learning in the subject. In general, it is often

difficult to visualize our particular place in the world and I hoped that this unit would help to

build students’ understanding of this.

As a developed this unit, I collected a large number of resources. The majority of which

were books on the subject of geography at an elementary level as well as a number of picture

books to be read aloud as introductions to particular lessons. Unfortunately, I found that the vast

majority of these geography books were intended for older students and much of the content was

not particularly useful for this class. I was able to select some activities from these books that I

felt I could modify slightly to be more appropriate for my students. These activities included

constructing paper mache globes and creating compasses by magnetizing small nails. Beyond

this I planned on creating large cardboard representations of the continents to be used in class

and having students create a simple geography book that would hopefully illustrate what they

were learning during the unit.

Shortly before beginning this unit, I was advised by my cooperating teachers to make

several significant changes to the lessons. The largest of these changes was omitting the paper

mache globe activity as I was told it would be too time consuming. In retrospect, I can see how

this may have been true. Unfortunately, I had planned on using the paper mache globes to tie a

number of the lessons together. This ultimately led to me focusing more attention on the student-

created geography books as a way to unify many of the lessons which led to overall changes in

individual lessons and sequencing. In the end, the compass-making activity also had to be cut as

we ran out of time.

Overview of Conduct of Lessons

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 4

In general, most lessons were conducted in a similar manner. Each lesson began with a

period of guided discussion in order to talk about students’ ideas about geography and to tie in

concepts from previous lessons. This was followed by a period of direct instruction, sometimes

using a picture book as an introduction to a new idea. Various maps materials were used, the vast

majority of these made specifically for that particular lesson. There would be another period of

class discussion after which students would be given an activity or handout to complete.

Typically, the lessons would conclude with the collection of materials that the students worked

with or created. As the unit progressed, increasing amounts of time were devoted to completing

the students’ geography books mentioned earlier.

Example of Successful Lesson

In my opinion, the most successful lesson was the second lesson of the unit. This

particular lesson was somewhat different than the typical lessons in that it involved an extended

whole class activity that was meant to build upon students’ familiarity with continents. After a

very brief introduction and a rearrangement of classroom furniture, the students were presented

with large cardboard cut-outs in the shapes of the seven continents. These were placed on the

floor. Several students were then asked to stand on each continent. The students were then led in

a song naming the individual continents and were asked to respond when the name of the

continent they were standing on was sung. After a few rounds of the song, the students were sent

“on a trip around the world” to stand on different continents. This was repeated until everyone

had “visited” each continent. Throughout the lesson, the students appeared to be enjoying

themselves.

I was somewhat surprised by how effective this activity was. Nearly all of the students

were able to name the continents by sight at the end of the lesson. With the remaining time, the

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 5

students were engaged in a discussion in which they were asked to consider the various shapes

and relative sizes of the continents. This discussion was very productive and the students seemed

to enjoy interacting with these large-scale materials.

Examples of Less Successful Lessons

As mentioned earlier, the later lessons in this unit became increasingly devoted to

completing work on the students’ geography books. The format of these books was meant to

reflect the general trajectory of this unit; the first page being the planet Earth, the second page

being the continent of North America, and so on. The students were asked to color in images or

create drawings for each of these pages and label them at the bottom. I saw this as a good way to

reinforce the concepts and to give students an opportunity to create something that they could

later refer to. Further, I consistently encouraged the students to be creative with their drawings,

particularly if they could include some additional imagery or information based on what they had

been learning about geography. A number of students did this on many of their pages, which

demonstrated some of their deeper understandings of the content. Ultimately, I felt that it was of

utmost importance to have every student finish their books so that they would have a completed

product to take with them.

The final two lessons were on the local neighborhood and the school building, which

were represented in two of the last pages in the students’ books. As I had become increasingly

preoccupied with having the students complete their books, I devoted only a short time to

introducing and discussing the concepts in those lessons in order to provide more time for the

students to work on their books. What I discovered in the end was that the students’ drawings in

general were less detailed and less thoughtful during those last two lessons.

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 6

I believe that the final two lessons were not very successful in engaging the students or

eliciting meaningful responses from them. I was providing only the most superficial information

about the concepts and not giving much time for discussion. According to my own observations

and my assessments of the students’ learning, very little was gained from these last two lessons.

Potential Improvements for this Unit

I believe that there are a number of ways that this unit could be improved for future use.

From this experience, I clearly see that students react most positively and seem to learn most

effectively when engaged in activities that offer more unique and engaging experiences than

worksheets. The continent lesson for example, seemed to be very effective. Not long after doing

this lesson, the students asked if we could do it again but I was overly concerned with time

constraints. This leads to the second area of improvement; scaling back the amount of content

covered and student work for this given timeframe. I realize now that I tried to fit too much into

the time I had available. This eventually led to rushing through lessons which was not useful for

me or the students. Perhaps reducing the scope of the content covered or simplifying some of the

students’ work would improve the overall pacing of this unit.

Student Assessments

In order to assess the students’ learning during this unit, I will focus on my evaluation of

students’ understanding of central concepts, appreciation of the subject matter, and ability to

apply what they have learned in other contexts.

For this particular unit, students’ understanding will be viewed as their grasp of the

relative physical relationships between geographic regions and their overall familiarity with the

concepts of planet, continent, country, state, city, and local neighborhood and their ability to

name and identify these on various map materials. For example, a student who can name and

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 7

point out the United States of America and also name and point out Indiana, and demonstrate the

understanding that the state is a smaller region of the larger country would be said to have a basic

understanding of these concepts. Students’ appreciation will be viewed as their understanding

that these concepts are useful and applicable to daily life. For example, a student who can

describe the potential value of understanding where Bloomington is on a map of Indiana would

be said to appreciate these concepts. The ability to apply these concepts in other contexts will be

viewed as the student’s ability to use these ideas in other areas. For example, a student who uses

some understanding of map reading to find a particular location would be said to be able to apply

these concepts.

The following portion describes the evaluative statement I have made for the individual

students in this class. During the unit, I primarily made formative assessments by noting

students’ statements during discussion, observing them while working, and conversing one-on-

one with them. Most of these notes were recorded directly after each lesson rather than during,

and some are fairly general. I did take advantage of the fact that students tended to work at

different paces and therefore turned in their work to me in a staggered fashion. This allowed me

many opportunities to briefly discuss with each student their understandings of the content. I

have compiled and synthesized the various notes I have taken into the table included in appendix

A. Overall, this strategy worked fairly well, though in the future I intend on using a more

organized table format throughout the entire unit.

Student 1: This student demonstrated a high level of understanding of all of the central concepts

addressed in this unit and was able to reframe them in her own words. This student appears to

have some appreciation for the subject matter as she was generally engaged and consistently

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 8

participated in discussions. Her work was completed carefully and completely, at times going

beyond the expected requirements, such as her inclusion of her family’s house on a map of

Bloomington. There is no evidence of this student applying this content in other contexts.

Student 2: This student showed a fairly strong understanding of the concepts of this unit, though

she did experience some confusion regarding the difference between continents and countries.

While she participated in class discussions only moderately, she did demonstrate an appreciation

for the content when she enthusiastically pointed out that several maps used in class did not

include the island of Japan, which she drew in on her own worksheets. There is no evidence of

this student applying this content in other contexts.

Student 3: This student demonstrated a limited understanding of the content. As he was

consistently inattentive during lessons and often disruptive to other students, he also showed

little or no appreciation for the subject matter during class. By contrast, this student did show

interest in geographical concepts during free periods outside of the lessons when he and other

students were given opportunities to use electronic map materials.

Student 4: This student showed a very limited understanding of the content and she seemed to

have very little appreciation for it. She did not participate and avoided discussing the subject.

She often did not attend to instructions for activities and was easily distracted, though she

seemed to enjoy the continents songs. There is no evidence of this student applying this content

in other contexts.

Student 5: This student seemed disinterested in the subject and developed very little

understanding of the content. She did not complete worksheets and other activities and was often

disruptive during class discussions. She likely did not apply this content in any other areas.

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 9

Student 6: This student demonstrated a fair amount of understanding of the content particularly

in regard to relative sizes of geographic regions. Though she was easily distracted, she showed a

great deal of enthusiasm and regularly participated in class discussions. She seemed to appreciate

the content to some degree but it there is no evidence of her using these concepts in other areas.

Student 7: Despite a general attitude of disinterest, this student seemed to have an understanding

of many of the concepts discussed. At times, he expressed that he did not enjoy the subject

matter and would occasionally fail to complete work or participate in activities. When I

conversed with this student outside of the lessons, he was able to demonstrate a greater

understanding than he showed during class time.

Student 8: This student showed a reasonable amount of understanding of the concepts but would

consistently confuse country and state. While he generally did not participate in class

discussions, he completed work successfully and had an overall positive attitude which suggests

some appreciation of the content. He did not show any sign of using these concepts outside of the

lessons.

Student 9: This student demonstrated a fair understanding of the content and seemed to

appreciate its value. While she had a generally positive approach to the subject, she often

required a considerable amount of motivation in order to complete work. There is no evidence of

this student applying these concepts in other contexts.

Student 10: This student showed a high level of understanding of the content. She was regularly

involved in class discussions and completed her work beyond what was expected, often adding

additional information to worksheets. She seemed to have a high appreciation for the subject and

often brought the topic up outside of the lessons. She was enthusiastic about activities outside of

class such as using electronic map materials.

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 10

Student 11: This student demonstrated a good understanding of the content. She was generally

indifferent to the subject matter and did not always complete work. She was able to show her

understanding when discussing the topic in one-on-one conversation. She rarely participated in

class discussion and was often distracted during periods of student work. She did mention

discussing some of the geographical concepts at home with her mother.

Student 12: This student showed a very high understanding of the subject matter and was able to

describe all of the central concepts in his own words. While he was not particular active during

discussions, he was very knowledgeable in normal conversation and included many additional

elements into his work, including a very accurate map of the school’s first floor. Overall, he

seemed to appreciate the subject matter, though there is no sign of him applying it outside of

class.

Student 13: This student showed a good understanding of the concepts, though she had some

trouble discerning continents from countries. She was usually quiet and it is difficult to assess

her level of appreciation for the subject. There is no evidence that she used these concepts

outside of the lessons.

Student 14: This student showed a very good understanding of the concepts. He seemed to

appreciate the subject matter and often participated enthusiastically in class discussions. On

several occasions he expressed some excitement prior to beginning the lessons and was

inquisitive about new concepts. It is unclear if he used these concepts in other contexts.

Student 15: This student demonstrated a good understanding of the concepts, though he had

occasional difficulty identifying the difference between continents, countries, and states. He was

enthusiastic about activities and sometimes participated in discussion. Overall, his positive

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 11

attitude suggests that he appreciated the content. In several instances, he brought up geographical

topics outside of the lessons.

Student 16: This student appeared to have a good understanding of the subject matter. His level

of appreciation of the content is unclear. He sometimes participated in class discussions and

showed enthusiasm, particularly when creating drawings. There is no sign that this student

applied any concepts from these lessons in other contexts.

Student 17: This student demonstrated a very high level of understanding of the content and was

able to retell the core concepts in her own words. She was perhaps the most regular participant in

class discussions and completed work beyond the expected requirements. She demonstrated

some background knowledge and was able to bring up new ideas in class. Though she did not

express it directly, she appears to value the content of this unit. It is unclear if this student used

any of these concepts outside of the lessons.

Student 18: This student showed a limited understanding of the subject matter. He was usually

quiet, did not participate in discussions, and was occasionally distracted. This student

experienced some difficulties in completing assignments without assistance that required more

writing of cutting paper. His overall attitude was positive though it is unclear how deeply he

appreciated the subject matter. There is no sign he used the concepts from class elsewhere.

Student 19: This student demonstrated a somewhat limited understanding of the concepts and

had difficulty determining the difference between different geographical regions. Overall, he was

indifferent toward the lessons, rarely participated in discussion, and completed a minimal amount

of work. There is no evidence that this student applied any of these concepts outside of class.

Student 20: This student showed a very high level of understanding of the concepts which he

demonstrated in class discussion and in his work. He appeared to appreciate the subject and

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 12

demonstrated some background knowledge which was very useful in class discussions. It is

unclear if he used these concepts outside of the lessons.

Student 21: This student showed a good understanding of the subject matter. He did not often

participate in class discussions but was able to demonstrate his knowledge in one-on-one

conversation. He was very intent on completing work carefully and completely. His appreciation

of the content is not entirely clear, though he appeared to take it seriously. Further, there is no

sign that he used any of these concepts outside of the lessons.

Student 22: This student demonstrated a good understanding of the concepts. While she was

mostly quite during discussions, she showed some of her understanding in one-on-one

conversations. In general, she did not show any marked interest or enthusiasm for the subject

matter. There is no evidence that this student applied the concepts from class in other areas.

Running head: UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 13

Appendix A

UNIT OF STUDY, PART FOUR 14