Jessica Hartle, Emily Laffin, Katie Urbanczyk, Emily Chrostowski, Sarah Price ABSTRACT In our curriculum we focus on the idea of Self Discovery. We believe that middle school students are going through a stage in their lives when they are discovering who they are, what they like, where they come from and how they fit into the world around us. For our school the curriculum focuses on this idea as we try and help our students answer these questions. Some of our lesson plans focus on their heritage, where they came from, and the importance of their cultures while others are to promote self interests, for example art, athletics, music, ect. Each lesson we plan try to help students discover themselves and find their place in our society.
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3 Belief Statement: We believe middle schoolers are at the time in their lives where they are in a period of self discovery We believe that literacy is a key concept in all aspects of curriculum and essential to daily life. We believe that students learn in a variety of ways. We believe in addressing each students learning modalities and multiple intelligences. We believe that our responsibility as teachers is to be there for the students academically and non-academically. Effectively incorporate curriculum into the classroom, creating a community of students and an environment where they all feel safe and welcome. Team Expectations: Students are expected to be dedicated to their learning. They need to be open to learning and discovering new topics while putting their best self forward. Teachers are expected to be there for their students both academically and non-academically while incorporating different cultures into the classroom. We believe that teachers learn along with their students. We also expect teachers to collaborate with one another, showing teacher leadership by being willing to set their own ideas aside for the betterment of their students. Both teachers and students are expected to come together to promote a sense of community that is centered around mutual respect. This aligns with the Ohio Standard for Educators which states Teachers should collaborate and communicate with students, parents, other educators, administrators, and the community to support student learning.
Guidance and Support Services: 4 Vision Statement: o The goal of our guidance and support services is to build a community that helps students succeed collectively and individually through the use of a buddy system, peer relationships, and staff support. o Guidance Counselors: We envision one counselor per grade that stay with the students throughout their middle school experience. By moving with the students we hope that the relationships between the counselor and students will grow. We believe by doing this students will feel comfortable going to their counselors for reasons academic and nonacademic. o The Welcome Committee: We believe in the importance of peer relationships, instilling a welcome committee into our school 8th and 9th graders will be able to share their experiences and knowledge about the school to incoming students. Members of the Welcome Committee will be available throughout the year to help the transition for new students. New student activity day: New students come to school the day before classes start and have the opportunity to walk through the school with members of the Welcome Committee. They are also able to walk through their own schedule and meet other new students and teachers. There will be a cultural picnic put on by the 8th and 9th graders introducing the idea of our multicultural influence in classroom curriculum. Available during the picnic there will be various around the world activities and games.
5 Programs and Policies that Foster Health, Wellness and Safety: Vision Statement: We believe in providing programs to promote physical and mental wellness within the students by giving students opportunities to be active, become educated about their health and have fun! By involving the families and community we hope to encourage wellness outside of the school walls. We believe in creating a school in which parents feel safe sending their students to as well as the students feel safe attending. Monday Morning Movement: Every monday morning we will make available an optional aerobic activity for students and parents if they wish to participate. Some activities include ZUMBA, Jazzercise, kick boxing, yoga and many more. Breakfast Bonding - on occasions students will be able to come to school early with their parents or guardians and enjoy breakfast and bonding with each other. Savy with Safety Day: Students will take a day out of classroom learning and participate in school wide activities learning various skills that will help them be safe throughout their lives. Activities include fire safety, self defense, CPR, stranger danger, and more.
We want to provide a healthy and well rounded breakfast for all of our students, at no cost to them. Students can either come to school early to receive breakfast or grab it quickly before they head to class. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we 6 want each and every one of our students starting their day right by giving them a delicious and healthy breakfast. Again recommended by Christie Laffin, Register Licensed Dietitian and Wellness Coach/Consulting Clinical Dietitian for the Buckeye Ranch in Grove City, Ohio.
We want to incorporate our health and wellness into all aspects of our school. This means providing a well-rounded lunch for our students. Each day we will offer lunches that are both delicious and healthy so that the students enjoy lunch and the parents can feel safe knowing that theyre students are eating healthy food at school. Christie Laffin, Register Licensed Dietitian and Wellness Coach/Consulting Clinical Dietitian for the Buckeye Ranch in Grove City, Ohio, recommended this lunch menu as one that would be a healthy alternative to the typical meals served at most schools around the country.
Meeting Needs for Students with Exceptionalities: We believe in giving every student the support and resources to succeed both academically and socially. When addressing students with exceptionalities, we believe that inclusion and co-teaching is essential for effective, high quality learning. All staff 7 members are expected to be welcoming and supportive of all students, regardless of if they are on an IEP or not. We want to create an environment where students with exceptionalities feel comfortable and accepted by their peers. When addressing families of students with exceptionalities we will make the school environment as welcoming and accommodating as we can, focusing on positives and strengths of the students rather than negatives and limitations. By utilizing community resources we will have ample organizations that can be helpful for families of students with exceptionalities outside of the classroom. For resources that we may not be able to provide we will work hand-in- hand with the community to make those resources available at any time. Co-teaching: We believe that special education teachers and general education teachers should work together to make the material accessible to all students. By working together, students will be getting the best education they can and should be getting inside the classroom. General education teachers will be welcoming to special education teachers and view them as equals. Sensory Room: Sensory rooms have been known to be highly effective for students with exceptionalities. Using a wide variety of therapeutic materials our sensory room will be useful for a number of students physically, cognitively and developmentally. According to the Brooklyn Childrens Museum, A sensory room is a space where students can engage and explore their senses. The interactive equipment provides a multisensory experience with visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and gross motor activities. Thats what we want to establish for our students with exceptionalities. A place where they can feel safe and comfortable to grow physically and mentally. Our staff of special education 8 teachers will be trained and equipped with all the tools they need to run a successful sensory room. Inclusion: We strongly believe in involving each and every student into the general education classroom. We believe that when students work together and are more peer oriented, they will gain more from the curriculum. Inclusion will help our students with exceptionalities grow academically as well as help develop their social skills in and out of the classroom. In all of our classrooms we will implement one general education and one special education instructor that equally share in teaching the lessons to the class. We believe that in order to most effectively reach all of the students, both the general and special education teachers must share in all aspects of instruction, including making the lessons, giving the lessons to the students, grading all homework and handing out any assessments.
Background of Students and Community: Description of Community: Our school is based in a multicultural community in Cleveland, Ohio. This community is in the process of rebuilding. This causes some tensions because not everyone is ready to change. We hope that by getting our students involved in the community we will promote enthusiasm about the progression and positive aspects of a growing community. During the school year we will have students participate in community service activities. Which might include cleaning up parks, planting gardens, food drives, and painting buildings/playgrounds/etc. To promote community togetherness our school will host various cultural activities such as holiday celebrations and a community wide cultural festival. 9 Description of Students: o The school population consists of about 90-100 students per grade level o Students with exceptionalities represent 15-30% of the school population o English Language Learners represent roughly 20% of the total school population o The gifted population of our school is about 10% o Each of the Learning Modalities is represented in our school. We address these modalities by varying our teaching and assessment strategies. o We understand that each student learns in their own unique way, and allowing them to use their unique intelligences will promote better comprehension. o We believe in incorporating the different cultures students bring to the classroom in a positive way by encouraging students to explore their personal history while learning about one another.
Relationship and Connections between School, Home and Community o School - Families - Community Article o Parents are encouraged to take an active role in the schools community. Research has shown that students will be more successful in school when their parents are actively involved (higher test scores and grades, better attendance, more positive attitudes and behaviour, and higher graduation rates). (pg. 8.4) 252 article o To make parents feel comfortable we will have flexible schedules when needing to meet with parents. Make it easy for parents to attend meetings by addressing 10 the practical problems they may have, e.g., providing child care, accommodating families work schedules. (pg. 8.5) 252 article o Through the rebuild, we hope to collaborate with businesses and organizations that will create bonds within the community. Developing relationships with the broad spectrum of community services and businesses is important to the schools. Both parties have a great deal to gain by supporting and collaborating with one another. (pg 8.10) 252 article o We hope to create a symbiotic relationship with the community that is both educational and beneficial for all. Partnerships with the community are particularly effective when both parties receive a benefit. A partnership should have an educational focus and should be designed to enhance learning. (pg 8.11) 252 article o We expect our teachers to be aware of the demographics of our student body and comply with the Ohio standard for educators that states, Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the students they teach.
Curriculum Rationale We live in a democratic society in which everyone will eventually be expected to participate in one way or another. The way we see it, a successful democratic society is one in which all individuals are able to participate effectively. This effective participation stems from the recognition of ones personal strengths, needs, and beliefs in relation to the strengths, needs and beliefs of others. This being the case, it is the goal of education to prepare students for their 11 eventual roles in this society. Through our focal point of self-discovery, we hope to help students discover who they are and how they can best fit into society. According to Brown and Knowles, Developing an identity involves many aspects of ones personality. Young adolescents begin to form identities as they choose values and beliefs and set goals for themselves. The middle school years are marked by an almost constant search for an identity in many areas: gender, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, spirituality, and concerns about ones future life. Since the future of a society lies in its present students, it is the responsibility of society to instill certain values and beliefs if the current system is expected to continue. However, students should also be encouraged to cultivate their own ideals and principles regarding society so that necessary changes can be made over time. We plan to have students take an active role in society through service opportunities and various cultural events throughout the year. By fostering a strong bond between our school and the community, it is our hope that students will become aware of current events and realize how they are able to utilize their skills to influence the society. Our curriculum strives to promote not only an interest in community, but also an interest in education. When students have a personal connection to their educational experience, they are generally more motivated in their learning. We will foster this connection through self-discovery activities and an exploration of their personal history. Furthermore, we plan to encourage students to ask their own questions throughout the learning process. Human beings are constantly gathering information both inside and outside of the classroom, and it is the role of formal education to organize what has been learned. Our plan is to utilize experiential learning in order to give students a well-rounded and diverse education. By incorporating experiential learning students have a more personal connection to the material 12 covered in the curriculum, resulting in greater comprehension of the information and more enthusiasm for education as a whole. Furthermore, we expect that teachers continually gather new information as well. As they observe and learn from their classrooms, we expect them to formulate new ideas that will help students learn the material. Since we expect our students to become lifelong learners, we would hope that our teachers lead by example. The information that students will take away from our school depends greatly on the individual. No one aspect of knowledge is more useful than any of the others. However, what an individual finds most useful will depend on their personal circumstances. Since students have various learning modalities and multiple intelligences, what they view as most important to learn can differ greatly. For example a student with a more naturalistic intelligence would find learning about nature more necessary than a student with a more artistic intelligence. With this being said, it is still important to make sure students have a well-rounded education, but students should be encouraged to focus on their own interests and talents. Through our educational focus of self-discovery, students will gain knowledge regarding who they are, how they interact with one another, and where they fit into the community. This knowledge will help them make decisions as members of a democratic society.
Course Description We have decided to organize our school as a year round school. The students begin each new year in late July and end the year in mid June. Since school lasts all year, students have slightly longer breaks between each term. 13 Our schools central focus is the concept of self-discovery. We have based the content around various questions students might ask when trying to learn more about themselves: Who am I? Where am I from? Why do I look like this? What do I like to do? What do I believe? How do I fit into the community? What do I want to do in the future? We also will ask students to formulate their own questions that they would like to think throughout curriculum. We will be utilizing the unfoldment theory in this regard as students will be directing their own learning (Tracay & Morrow 24). We will use this theory in our classrooms by allowing teachers to learn from students and encourage students to follow their own interests and take some responsibility for their own learning. Seventh grade students will focus on questions about what they like to do. During this first year of school there is a strong emphasis placed on taking various electives. We offer a wide variety of electives including art classes, music classes, gym classes and many more. Here we are utilizing the KWL approach, a form of webbing, which takes what students already know, ask what they want to know and finishes by discussing what they want to learn about a certain topic (Tracey & Morrow 78). We want students to have the opportunity to explore their interests outside of the typical education classes and we hope to expose them to things that they may not have considered previously. Seventh grade students will also begin discovering where they are from on the local scale. This will include the immediate community, the state and they country in which they live. Eighth grade students will continue to explore these questions and they will focus more deeply on certain aspects. Now that students have taken a variety of electives and know which appeal to them most, they will be encouraged to focus on the ones most interesting to them. In the content courses we will focus on a few key questions. The question, why do I look the way 14 that I do, will be answered through an exploration of genetics that will incorporate both the science and math content areas. This lesson will end with a project of creating a family tree, which transitions nicely into the next key question: Where do I come from? This time we are searching a little bit deeper than we were in seventh grade by asking students to look into their personal history. Students will interview family members and write a paper on how their family came to be the way it is today. Accommodations will be provided for students of varying circumstances during this project. Students who come from single parent homes will only need to focus on the side of their family that they know, and students who are adopted will have the option to discover their biological parents or to focus on their adopted familys culture in which they were raised. Ninth grade students will have the unique experience of tracing their heritage back a few generations and experiencing the multiple cultures by partaking in a world tour. After determining where they are from in the eighth grade, students will work together to map out some of the key destinations among their collective backgrounds and plan out a trip that will take them around the world. This cumulative project will incorporate all content areas in one way or another. Students will learn math by figuring out currency exchanges and distance traveled. Science will come into play as we discuss climates, ecosystems and various diseases prevalent in various parts of the world. We will use social studies as we explore the histories and current policies of our various destinations. Finally, Language arts will be included since students will be expected to keep a journal of their travels and write a reflection about their journey once we return. As ninth grade comes to a close and students prepare to move on to high school they will focus on what they want to do in the future. Upon their return, students will engage in reciprocal teaching as they share what they have learned with other students (Biemiller 36). 15 Through all three years of our school students will be expected to participate in the community. Currently the surrounding neighborhoods are in the process of a rebuilding and our students will help promote a sense of involvement. Our goal is to address the needs of the community in a way that allows the students to use their personal skills to benefit others. Even after the community has rebuilt we hope to maintain this strong connection between school and community. This inquiry learning allow students the opportunity to participate in a democratic society and discover ways to work collaboratively (Tracey & Morrow 59). Another aspect that comes into play during all three years of our school is the time set aside for silent reading or extra help. Students will grasp certain concepts at different rates There are more students who The engagement theory states that students who are more motivated to read will read more frequently. (Tracey & Morrow 75). Since students have the option to read whatever they like, we hope that they will be more motivated to do more reading. We also hope to address the multicultural aspects of our students, our community and the world. One way we will do this is to have various cultural festivals throughout the year where students will be able to express their cultural background and experience the culture of others. Some ideas for these festivals are a local block party and a winter holiday festival. In our classrooms, we strive promote cultural acceptance by encouraging students ask questions regarding their own culture and the culture of others. Furthermore, students will be able comment on and add to discussions about their own cultures as see they see fit, and they will feel comfortable knowing that they are in a welcoming environment. Students who are English language learners are welcome into the classroom and encouraged to maintain their own identity. Teachers will encourage those English language learners to share their native language with the 16 class. For example, vocabulary words will be gone over in both languages which builds an additional vocabulary for all students. Students with exceptionalities will be incorporated into the general education classroom as much as possible. We will strive for little to no pull out sessions and the overuse of resource rooms. We believe that students with exceptionalities should be given the chance to learn alongside their typically developing peers. Teachers will be open to co-teaching and welcome the intervention specialists into the classroom as an equal. Differentiation will be implemented into the course curriculum for students with exceptionalities; they will learn the same content and topics but in a way that is most effective for them. Our school will have ample amounts of resources for our students with exceptionalities to use to enhance their learning and we will also provide resources that families and students can use outside of the classroom to reinforce what they are learning inside the classroom. We believe in creating a safe environment for those families of students with exceptionalities, a place where they can feel comfortable coming in and addressing whatever topic needs to be addressed, regardless of if its positive or not. Our teachers will be dedicated to their students and their learning and do whatever they can to give these students the best education possible. In regards to the curriculum, our students with exceptionalities will be expected to participate in all activities and educational requirements to the best of their abilities and our special education staff will do whatever they feel fit to achieve this goal.
17 Student Assessment: In our school, we believe that knowledge a student has learned can be assessed in a number of ways. Every student has a different strength, a different style of learning and a different way of being able to communicate what they have learned. We want to keep testing to a minimum and allow students to show their knowledge in other creative aspects. This aligns with the Ohio standard for educators that states, Teachers understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and ensure student learning. We dont plan on getting rid of testing completely. Tests can be a very helpful way of finding out what students know. This is why before a lesson we will be giving pre-test. This allows the teachers to have an understanding of what students already know and what the teacher needs to focus on. Throughout the lesson, depending on what is being taught, there is a possibility of mini quizzes. These are just to make sure the students and teacher are on track. An example of a lesson that might have mini quizzes is a language arts/science lesson. There are many vocabulary words in science so to make sure the students know the vocabulary words, there might be a mini quiz. However, the main assessment of a students knowledge of the subject matter or lesson will not be a test. We believe that a true assessment would be allowing the students to pick their form of representation. For example, the ninth grade students in our school participate in a world trip. After, they have a project that brings together everything they have learned throughout their 3 years in our school. It would be ineffective if we had every student make a PowerPoint, so the students get to decide how they present their information. Some students might decide to make a play, while others write a reflection of their years here. This allows our students to be creative and reflect who they are, not only in the information, but the presentation. 18 A specific assessment we plan on using in our classrooms are curriculum-based measurements. CBMs were initially formulated to assess students progress in reading. We will use CBMs to assess students fluency, automaticity, and comprehension of the material theyre reading. Since we will be utilizing texts from various cultures, which will be of varying difficulty levels, we will use CBMs to progress monitor students comprehension and make sure they are staying on track (Kuhn, Schwanenflugel & Meisinger 241-242). 19 School Name 2014-2015 School Calendar
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Teacher schedule 7th&8th grade Daily Schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 9:00-9:30 Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom 9:35-11:25 planning planning planning planning planning 11:30-12:30 lunch lunch lunch lunch lunch 12:35-1:05 office hours office hours office hours office hours office hours 1:10-3:00 class class class class class
9th grade Daily Schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 9:00-9:30 Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom 9:35-11:25 Class Class Class Class Class 11:30-12:30 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 22 12:35- 1:05 office hours office hours office hours office hours office hours 1:10- 3:00 Planning Planning Planning Planning Planning
Electives Visual Art: Drawing - Students will learn the fundamentals of drawing: Lines, shading, contrast, perspective, scale, etc. Painting - The focus of this class will be on the various painting mediums. Students will experiment with water colors, acrylic paint and oil paints. They will also learn about different styles of painting. Sculpture - Also known as 3D art. Students in this class will make paper mache projects, clay sculptures, and jewelry. Photography - Students in this class will experiment with taking pictures. They will focus on lighting and composition. They will also look into photo editing. Performance Choir - Students in this class will learn how utilize their voice in order to produce music. This will include lessons in reading music. Strings - Students will learn the basics of various string instruments including violin, viola, cello, bass, and guitar. Percussion - This class will focus on teaching students the basics of rhythm. Theatre - The focus of this class is to become comfortable performing on a stage. Students will put on a short play at the end of this class.
23 Gym Dance - This class gets students moving with the music. Students will learn line dances, the waltz, swing dancing, and modern dancing. Racquet sports - Students will participate in the following sports: Tennis, badminton, Ping-Pong, and pickle ball. Team sports - The sports emphasized in this class focus on the team element. Students will play soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, and volleyball. Outdoor activities - This class has students getting outside and trying new things. Students will attempt archery, rock climbing, hiking, biking and frisbee. Technical Education Video Production - Students in this class will learn how to create videos. During the time this class is offered, students will assist in making video announcements for the entire school. Wood Shop - Students in this class learn how to use tool and the safety elements required to work with those tools. Projects will include a birdhouse, chairs, and a box. Metalworking - This class teaches students how to work with metal. Students will learn skill such as how to weld and casting Computer skills- In this class students will learn how to make documents, powerpoints and spreadsheets, create web pages, make blogs, and how to program. Home Economics Cooking - Students will learn how to prepare basic meals and snacks. They will also learn how to be sure food is safe. Sewing - Students will learn how to embroider, knit, and use a sewing machine. 24 Health - The focus of this class is to teach students how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Finance - This class is organized in a way that teaches student the necessary life skills of how to handle money. Language All Students in our school are expected to take a foreign language course. We offer Spanish, Chinese, French, American Sign Language and German. English Language Learners are exempt from this requirement since they are already learning a new language. However, they are encouraged to take a Language class if they would like. An option that we hope some English Language Learners will use is to act as a mentor in their native language. Students in the language courses will have the opportunity to skype with students from other countries who speak the language they are learning.
LESSON PLAN ORGANIZER Social Studies/ English Student Performance Objective: Students will be able to distinguish between peoples opinions and determine whether they agree of disagree. They will also be able to determine how a persons background and opinion influences their perspective of a situation. HIS.68.8b Distinguish between examples of agreement and disagreement based on a given situation. HIS.68.9b Explain the meaning of compromise. 25 Common Core Reading Standard 5.RL. 6 states "Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described. Students will read Bull Run by Paul Fleischman, and do research on the Civil War. By the end of the lesson they should be able to explain the disagreement between the North and South, as well as what happened (compromises) were settled upon after. Literacy Rationale and Component: The engagement theory is used during this lesson because students are given the opportunity to work in small groups with other students. Also the KWL approach- During the first day of class the students are asked what they know about the Civil War already. Key Academic Language: Compromise Agreement Disagreement Point of view vocab from the book Materials: Bull Run by Paul Fleischman Poster board Notebooks Computer Cart Procedure 26 Day 1- Introduction to the Civil War, when it took place. Students use the computer lab to answer the following questions first before research and then after. When was the Civil War Fought? What states were on which sides? Generalize what the war was fought about Homework- Read pages 1-30 of Bull Run. Day 2- Discuss the first two chapters. Go over vocab. Where was the Battle of Bull Run? What are some reasons the characters got involved in the battles? Homework- Read pages 30-65 of Bull Run Day 3- Discuss the different views of the battle from each character's perspective. Go over vocab Have the students create a chart of the characters names and their views on the situation. Have the students work in groups Answer: Why are the characters ideas of the battle so different? Homework- Read pages 65- of Bull Run Day 4- Introduce final project. Go over vocab. Go over and discuss last nights homework. Homework- finish the book. Day 5- Work on Project. Talk about the end of the book/ vocab Day 6- work on project Day 7- Present Differentiations based on learning modalities/multiple intelligences Students with exceptionalities will be allowed to listen to the reading on tape or in their small groups the students can read aloud to each other. Students will also be provided with a sheet that 27 has guided vocab, they will be given the vocab word with the definition, but there will be pieces of the definition taken out and they will have to fill in minimal words. When in the computer lab students will also be allowed to verbally answer the questions to either of the teachers. The students will be able to choose their own form of representation for the end of the project. This allows students to showcase their abilities. We will also address any other accommodations and modifications the students may have on their IEP and also make sure that each lesson follows the UDL model. For our gifted students we will provide them with more questions to answer when they are in the computer lab, questions that allow them to dig deeper into the reading and explain more about their opinions. For ELL students we will provide vocab that they may not know in their target language and allow them to work through the questions with a partner or answer the questions aloud to either of the teachers. Assessment describe the tool you would use and what specifically is being assessed Students will pick a character from the book to focus on. It will be their job to create a representation of their characters life and reasons for their participation in the battle. They will have to show how their characters beliefs/opinions/background influence the retelling of the events in the book. The last day of the lesson, students will present their project and how their characters beliefs contradict or agree with anothers.
28 Lesson Plan Organizer Why do I look the way that I do? Standards Math CCSS.Math.CONTENT.8.SP.A1: Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association. Science LS.68.10a: Make a list of traits that are passed through DNA. LS.68.12a: Explain how an inherited trait gets passed onto the next generation. LS.68.12c: Identify and inherited trait. Student Performance Objective: Students will be able to predict what traits will be displayed based on genetic factors, show where certain traits came from and determine the genetic factors Literacy Rationale Component: Unfoldment Theory This lesson attempts to answer a question that many middle school students ask everyday: Why do I look the way that I do? Since this is something students are curious about, they will be more interested in the lesson. Inquiry Based Learning Students will be working together on parts of their projects. Key academic Language: Generation Inherited Trait 29 Dominant Recessive Punnett squares Family Tree Probability Scatter Plots Outliers Linear association Nonlinear association Clustering Materials: Text Book Graph Paper Punnett Square sheet List of traits Colored pencils/markers. Procedure: Students will begin this lesson by reading the corresponding chapter in their textbook with their reading group. They will be using the Textmasters approach in which one student will create questions, one will summarize, one will find the vocabulary and one will create a graphic organizer (Wilfong 2009). After all students have done the reading we will discuss it as a class. Students will then practice using Punnett Squares using the Punnett square worksheet. 30 Next Students will randomly generate two parents: a mother and father. The probability for different traits will vary since these traits are not represented equally among the population. Students will decide how they want to randomly generate which traits they use. Once the parents have been generated randomly, students will use Punnett squares to determine what their child might look like and draw a picture of this offspring. Next students will take a look at their own traits. Students will gather data based on the class and make graphs to display this data. Finally students will examine their own families. By talking to relatives they will determine where their traits have come from and make predictions of some traits they might show. They will then create a family tree and write up a summary.
Differentiations: Adopted students and students who are in foster care will have options regarding how they will complete the final project. They can use their biological family if they want or they can make up a theoretical family if they want. If they would prefer to make up a family tree of their adopted family, they can figure out what traits might have been displayed if they were genetically related. If none of these options are desirable, students may speak with the teacher to come up with a plan for another project. We will make sure to address all accommodations and modifications that are present on each students IEPs. We will also make sure that each lesson plan follows the UDL guidelines, incorporating multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression and multiple means of engagement. Students with exceptionalities will be given the opportunity to listen to the chapters on tape or the teacher and or other students can read it aloud to them. 31 Students with exceptionalities will be put into small groups with other typically developing students to promote peer relations and the bettering of their skills. Both teachers will be around the room to direct groups in the work that they are working on. Because all students have to discuss with their relatives about their traits, we will send home a sheet with already formulated questions for them to read from. They will be allowed to formulate their own questions but they will have this sheet to guide them. For gifted students we will allow them to go deeper into the formulation of genes, if they pick up on it very quickly we will allow them to look at the genes of their siblings and or extended family. For ELL students we will provide vocab in their target language, give more explanation of the idea of genes and allow them to work with peers and or teachers in formulating their genes and the genes of their families. We will do our best to send home a sheet of questions in their families target language so that they can still discuss the questions asked in class with their parent or guardian. Assessment: Student assessment will be based off a final project for this unit. Students will make a family tree depicting their own background and where their traits came from. Students will also write a short summary of their findings that uses key terms appropriately.
32 Literacy Rationale: In order for our students and teachers to be successful a strong literacy background is not just ideal, but rather it is necessary. Our school is based on the idea of self-discovery because middle schoolers are in a period of change in their lives, where they are slowly figuring out who they are and the person they want to be. Our curriculum encourages hands-on experiential learning, but that does not mean literacy skills are any less important. In order to be a successful student in any subject or a functioning member in a democratic society one must be literate. People are faced with various types of texts everyday that they must read and comprehend whether they are shopping in the grocery store, need instructions to repair something, creating a lab report after performing an experiment, etc.. Along with literacy components included in every major subject, we have set aside time in our daily schedule for silent reading and extended learning. Our school is essentially based in the ideals of the Engagement Theory. The engagement theory states students who are motivated to read will read more frequently, highly engaged students read eight times more than disengaged students. It also emphasizes use of themes, student choice, hands-on activities, variety, and social collaboration. The next theory our school involves in the curriculum is reciprocal teaching. This theory is when the teachers give the students a chance to teach their peers in small groups, and we are going to incorporate this by having our students do a presentation after their world trip to the grades younger than them. That gives them a chance to teach their peers all about what they learned on the trip. Inquiry learning, created by John Dewey is designed to produce involved citizens capable of successfully participating in and contributing to a democratic society and curriculum that stresses the development of cognitive abilities like reasoning and decision-making. We involve inquiry 33 learning when students are encouraged to participate in the community and help develop ways to better their community and themselves. Next we include the Unfoldment Theory, which is when learning is most facilitated through a natural unfolding of the mind based on individual curiosity and interest. We included that when we let the students try each different extra curricular activities in the seventh grade, and then choose what ones they want to focus on in their future grades. We want our students to focus on the subjects they are most interested in and will gain the most from learning, instead of making them take certain courses they may not be fascinated with. The last theory our school focuses on is the KWL approach. That is when you ask the students what they already KNOW about a topic, WHAT they want to learn about that topic and what they LEARNED after we teach them that topic. Well use this approach throughout their time in our school, allowing students to voice their opinions on what they want to focus on during a lesson. This will help keep the lessons interesting and engaging for the students. This will also help prevent teachers from teaching students information they already know. Those five theories are going to be incorporated into our curriculum to make our students experience the best it can be while gaining the most knowledge as possible.
34 Works Cited Biemiller, A. (1999). Language and Reading Success. USA: Brookline Books. Brown, Dave F., Knowles Trudy. 2007. What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know. Childrens Brooklyn Museum. (2014). Sensory Rooms. Retrieved From http://www.brooklynkids.org/index.php/discover/sensory-room# Kuhn, M. R., Schwanenflugel, P. J. & Meisinger E. B. (2010). Aligning Theory and Assessment of Reading Fluency: Automaticity, Prosody, and Definitions of Fluency. Reading Research Quarterly. 45(2). 230-251. Tracey, D. H. & Morrow, L. M. (2012). Lenses on Reading: An Introduction to Theories and Models.( 2nd ed.) New York: The Guilford Press. Wilfong, L. G. (2009). Textmasters: Bringing literature circles to textbook reading across the curriculum. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(2), 164-171.