Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Standards-Aligned Unit Planning Process

1. Unit Overview Content Area: Social Studies and Math
Grade Level: 7th
1a. Brief description of the unit of study S Students will learn about their rights and responsibilities as they read texts such as, Diary of
Wimpy Kid and they compare and contrast the consequences of the choices that
characters make like Greg Heffley. The students will also learn about leadership and
government roles. In math students will learn how to be able to recognize the ratio of
governors, senators, and other elected officials to each state and our country. The
students will understand the ratio between the number of votes for citizens and the
number of votes for the house and senate.
1b. Grade level standard(s) to be addressed Standard - CC.2.1.7.D.1
in this unit of study Analyze proportional relationships and use them to model and solve real-world and
mathematical problems.
Standard - 5.1.7.A
Cite functional examples of how the rule of law protects property rights, individual rights,
and the common good.
Standard - 5.1.7.B
Identify the different types of government and the processes they use in making laws.
Standard - 5.1.7.C
Explain how the principles and ideals shape local, state, and national government.
● Liberty / Freedom
● Democracy
● Justice
● Equality

2. Learning Targets

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

2a. Learning targets (concepts 2b. Prioritized learning targets (concepts and competencies) for students with complex instructional needs
Concepts:
and competencies) for all ● With the enhancement of the math curriculum students will be able to understand proportional relationships
students of the amount of senators that each state is able to have.
● After viewing video about individual rights, students will be able to identify if the individual has a right in
Concepts: the scenario the teacher specifies by using a hand touch or eye movement to state yes or no using the yes or
no picture cards.
● Students will create a ● After reading a story on the board with pictures and text, students will be able to identify a type of
government when given two picture cards by using hand touch or eye movement.
booklet containing each ● After reading various passages from different texts like Diary of a Wimpy Kid , students will be able to
recognize that they have the freedom to make their own choices when asked “does (insert character name)
type of government in have freedom to make his/her own choices?” Students will answer yes or no using the picture cards.
Competencies:
the United States. ● Students will comprehend proportional relationships through utilizing manipulatives such as bags with the
predetermined amount of citizen votes to the amount of votes from the house and senate.
● Students will be able to ● Students will know their individual rights through the use of videos and read-aloud passages.
● Students will be able distinguish the different types of government after viewing websites and virtual field
understand the trips of government buildings.
● Students will understand the concepts of freedom through utilizing examples of various texts. (e.g. Diary of a
relationship of votes per Wimpy Kid).
elected official to the
votes in the house and
senate for elected
officials.
● Students will be able to
identify their individual
rights when they create a
classroom constitution.

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

● Students will be able to

understand the principles
of the different levels of
government when they
get in groups to create a
mock skit about specific
level of government.
Competencies:
● Students will be graded on
their booklets in order to
evaluate their understanding
of the types of government.
Students will receive
feedback as well.
● Students will complete a
computer simulation with
ratios to demonstrate their
comprehension of ratios.
● Students will be graded on

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

their constitution to
determine whether they have
grasped the concept of
individual rights. Students
will receive feedback as
well.
● Students will be graded on
their skits and given
feedback in order to
understand the various
levels of government and
their responsibilities. For
students who are nonverbal
they will have
communication boards that
will be displayed on the
board in the front of the
room so all students can
view what they are saying.

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

2c. Key vocabulary for all 2d. Prioritized key vocabulary and ideas for students with complex instructional
students
needs
Proportion- a part, share, or
number considered in comparative Ratio- Connection between 2 sizes
relation to a whole. Rights- rules
Property- Belongs to you
Ratio- the quantitative relation Individual- a person
between two amounts showing the Democracy- People lead
number of times one value Bill- A law
contains or is contained within the Law- rules
other. Greater than- bigger
Rights- a moral or legal Less than- Less
entitlement to have or obtain Liberty / Freedom- Free
something or to act in a certain Justice- right or wrong
way. Equality- The same
Democracy- a system of
government by the whole
population or all the eligible
members of a state, typically
through elected representatives.
Monarchy- a form of government
with a monarch at the head.
Bill- a draft of a proposed law
presented to parliament for
discussion.
Law- the system of rules that a
particular country or community
recognizes as regulating the
actions of its members and may
August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

enforce by the imposition of

penalties.
Veto- a constitutional right to
reject a decision or proposal made
by a law-making body.

Liberty / Freedom- the state of

being free within society from
oppressive restrictions imposed by
authority on one's way of life,
behavior, or political views.
Justice- A behavior or treatment.
Equality- the state of being equal,
especially in status, rights, and
opportunities.

3. Instructional Process

Universal Design for Learning Principles:

Multiple Means of Representation, Expression and Engagement

In Instructional Components In Instructional Materials, Resources and A Assessment B Barriers to Access Accommodations and
Practices Tools Modifications

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

While viewing the Diary of Wimpy Kid Students will complete Students with slower Students who may need
Introductory Activity: Have video students (Read-Aloud Version an exit ticket. They comprehension. more reinforcement
Students view the I’m just a will come up and on screen text) will write down with this subject
Bill song from School House with questions Technologies (iPad’s, four new ideas and matter. Will be able
Rock to introduce how rules and the teacher smartboard, elmo) concepts that they to view the video as
are made in our government will be able to Exit Ticket learned from the many times as
system. answer for any video. needed.
clarification. -Students with complex
ht Video Link: Students with needs will be asked
more severe Yes/ No questions.
https://www.youtube.com/ instructional Or they will use
watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0 needs will be their
asked yes or no communication
questions based board to construct
on components one sentence and
from the video. place the pictures
They will on the sentence
either touch yes frame.
or no, or they
will look at yes
or no to
indicate their
answer.
Interactive Word Yes/no Cards The teacher will go to Students who have little Students will go up to
Students will relate laws to the Wall: Word Wall w/ terms and the word wall and to no verbal the word wall, after
protection of people in The word wall will definitions check if the students communication the definition is read
everyday life. Vocabulary have the key Check Sheet has correctly to them. They will
will be introduced. term on the matched the use a long finger
board and definition to the pointer to tap the
students will vocabulary term. word that best fits
pull a The teacher will the definition.
definition out check off the
of the pocket students name on
on the bottom her check list once
right corner of they have correctly
the word wall complete the
and place the definition.
August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

definition on
the velcro
underneath the
word that
defines it.
Students with
limited
mobility will
have a peer
buddy that they
will complete
this activity
with.
Discussion with Manipulatives Teacher will create a Students who encounter Students who have little
Every Wednesday students will peers. (interactives boxes, rubric that is shared mobility to no mobility will
participate in a mock Students will communication boards, with the students impairments and be the judge in their
government where they make practice prepackaged bags with before the first speech impairments. mock skit. After the
and vote on laws that their discussion precounted amount of discussion. The class comes to an
committees come up with on etiquette votes for students to be teacher will specify agreement. The will
Monday. Through the mock through mock able to feel) content areas that either raise the veto
government students will congress. In Rubrics (modified) need to be or approved card.
understand ratios because a order to share addressed in order Students who are
certain number of votes is their ideas they for students to earn nonverbal will be
required to pass the law. This will have to the highest amount able to utilize their
will demonstrate mastery of the wait for their of points. communication
concepts and competencies peer to finish Students with complex boards for this
discussed previously for this their thought needs will have a activity.
unit. and then they modified rubric.
may
respectfully
add their
opinions. It
will take time
for students to
learn proper
discussion
etiquette but
August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Students will complete
activities that enhance their
knowledge of the functions,
implications, and security of
government in daily living.
4. Individualized Student Planning
tS Student
with practice
they will learn.
Discussion, reading, Rubrics For each activity the \ Students who have Accommodations for
writing, teacher will have speech impairments. concepts and
communication either a completion Students who have competencies have
Students will rubric or a rubric visual impairments. already been made
complete that assigns points Students who have fine in section 2a.
engaging to assess whether motor skill.
activities that the students have
will increase mastered the
student interest concept or still need
in the topic as to work on certain
well as overall areas.
knowledge of Students with complex
the content needs will have
area. modified rubrics for
each assessment.
Standards-Aligned IEP Goals Student-Specific IEP Goals Individualized Student Supports

A Rachel - Rachel will need to answer the

Rachel will be able to read various texts
with comprehension and answer
comprehension questions using
the yes or no cards with 70%
accuracy.
Rachel will be able to answer the
comprehension questions without
putting her leg on the teacher or
without kicking the teacher with
70% accuracy.
comprehension questions using
the Yes or No cards with 70%
accuracy. If Rachel can complete
this she will be rewarded with a
“Shoe Book).

August, 2013
 Project MAX: Maximizing Access and Learning

Pennsylvania Department of Education

-Yes and No Cards

-Cards with ideals on it
B

The feedback we received from our peers was useful. We decided to use all of the feedback we were given. The first piece of advice that we were given was to
create an adapted resource for our mock skit in order to incorporate the students who are nonverbal. We incorporated this modification because we would like
the student to be able to participate with their nondisabled peers. The next piece of feedback we received was to incorporate a degree for our mock student.
We chose to incorporate this because including a degree is important to be able to measure the behavior that is being observed. It is for assessment purposes.
Our peer feedback was great and it enabled us to learn which we value.

August, 2013