Thematic Unit Description Paper Thomas Yoachim

Teac 259 section 007

I. Unit Context

1. Write a description of the unit theme detailing what the students will be learning.
The theme of my unit will be baseball. I will do this by teaching students how to appropriately
identify what kind of information is best represented by what type of graph, and how to
appropriately make a graph that appropriately displays this information. They will learn how to
identify and appreciate the geometric roles in real world applications. They will also learn how
to appropriately research and write a research paper dealing with significant historical events.
2. What is the target subject area/class?
Through this central theme I will teach students lessons within the Math, History, and English
subject matter.
3. How does this unit fit into the whole learning experience of the students?
This will help all students who have a goal of furthering their education. Many of these skills
that I will teach and help cement are things that are very important within the realm of education;
such as researching, appropriate writing skills, identifying real world uses, giving presentations,
and being able to organize and display information appropriately.
4. What is the setting or situation? Describe the classroom as you see it. Include information
on what computers and other equipment are available to the students.
This unit will be able to take place primarily in a typical classroom setting. However there will
be some need for a media center with excel and Internet capabilities.
II. Audience

1. General characteristics: Describe the learners, including the size of the group, their age,
interests, experiences, and aptitudes.
This is designed for a generic 5th grade classrooms with children’s aged based around 10 and 11
years old. This is designed around children that do not have special needs however depending
on the needs and severity of the children’s condition a para-educator will be able to help them
complete the assignments, or assignments can easily be modified to fit the children.
2. Entry competencies: What specific knowledge and assumptions can you make about
them? Remember to describe their computer competence.
All students should have general competencies for all subject matter here, however it will be my
goal to further their knowledge and cement what they already know. This will happen through
their use of the internet to research things, and Excel.
III. State Objectives

1. State Goal
The goal of this unit would be to further the children’s knowledge through one central real
world theme. This unit will further their knowledge on many different subject areas
including research, literary skills, public speaking and presentation giving, and information
organization abilities
2. State Objective 1
(C) Using http://www.baseball-reference.com/ , for research, and Excel, (A) 5th Grade students,
in groups of two, (B) will create two different types of graphs displaying statistics of their
baseball team of choice, (D) by the end of the day, using the appropriate graph to display
information correctly.
3. State Objective 2
(A)5th grade students (B) will write a report about the impact Jackie Robinson had on the
American culture (C) after reading the book Jackie and Me by Dan Gutman and possibly small
amounts of research on the internet (http://www.jackierobinson.com/,
http://www.biography.com/articles/Jackie-Robinson-9460813?part=1) (D) by the end of the
week to have a better understanding of the struggle for equality within the United States.
4. State Objective 3
(D)Within one afternoon (A) 5th grade students (B) will correctly identify the geometrics within
the game of baseball (D) using pictures of stadiums seen on Google Earth and seeing real
equipment.

IV. State Methods

1. Instructional Strategy: Identify the instructional strategies you might use to deliver this
unit with. These are as follow:
- Presentation – Tells, dramatizes, disseminates information to learners – is one
way.
- Demonstration – Learners view example of skill or procedure.
- Discussion – Exchange of ideas and opinions between all parties.
- Drill-and-practice – Learns are led through a series of practice exercises.
- Tutorial – Through the use of a person, software or printed materials learners are
given problems the mechanism then requested to respond, analyze the response
and gives appropriate feedback to a predetermined level of competence.
- Cooperative Learning – Centered around an activity, discuss, topic, or computer
students work as a group to resolve a given learn exercise or challenge.
- Gaming – A playful environment that allows students with rules while striving
to attain a challenging goal.
- Simulation – A scaled-down version of a real-life situation, allowing for realistic
practice and mastery.
- Discovery – Uses inquiry (inductive) by presenting problems to be solved in a
trial-and-error manner.
- Problem Solving – Lifelike starting point to learning. Real world challenge
provides students with knowledge and skill as they grapple with the learning
process.

Explain how the methods and media will be used to create the learning environment.

a. Method(s) for objective 1

The methods I will use for objective 1 are cooperative learning, demonstration and
presentation. I will first use demonstration by demonstrating to the students’ real life
examples of how graphs are used in situations, especially within the theme, and show
students how these graphs are made. The students will use cooperative learning by
working together in groups. Presentation will be used after the students complete
their assignments by showing their graphs to the class and putting them on display.
b. Method(s) for objective 2
The methods I will use for objective 2 are presentation, and discussion. I will first
present facts to and tell stories to get the kids interested. The class will use discussion
so that we may better understand the topic throughout the course of the assignment,
and to share what they have learned at the end of the assignment.
c. Method(s) for objective 3
The methods I will use for objective 3 are Presentation, Cooperative Learning, and
discussion. I will first present information to the kids to display the real world uses
for subject matter. The students will form small groups to work on assignments and
further their understanding of the subject matter. Throughout the entire project
discussion will be the key to help the children understand whether this discussion be
within their small groups or lead by myself to help the entire group understand.
3 Internet sources:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.jackierobinson.com/
http://www.biography.com/articles/Jackie-Robinson-9460813?part=1