Green Ambassadors Institute Los Angeles, CA February 7 & INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING IN ACTION

Amy Frame Director of Curriculum & Instruction Sammy Lyon Service Learning Coordinator WHO ARE WE?

WHO ARE YOU?

WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?

WHAT IS GREEN AMBASSADORS?

BEST PRACTICES Middle School Best Practices 2b. Unit Design Cycle Develops and implements standards-based curriculum and assessments around themes, essential questions, and big ideas. High School Best Practices 2e. Interdisciplinary Connections Integrates course with other disciplines; teaches themes, essential questions, and big ideas.

 Friday February 7  ECHS Community Forum  Student Projects  Student Q & A  Teacher Insights  Work Time with ECHS Teachers  Unit Design Cycle  3 Entry Points  Standards  Themes  Projects  Monday February 10  ECMS Benchmark Refinement Day  Teacher Teams at Work  Scoring Teacher Models with Rubrics  Benchmark Refinement Protocol  Work Time with ECHS & ECMS Teachers  Unit Design Cycle  Deepening Content Knowledge  Assessing & Reflecting WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO ?

WHAT IS INTERDISCIPLINARY INSTRUCTION & WHY DO WE DO IT?

WHY? Real World

WHY? Real Science

Concrete, Project-Focused Abstract, Concept Focused

HOW DO WE PLAN INTERDISCIPLINARY INSTRUCTION?

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 1. Choose learning objectives. 2. Find thematic connections. 3. Design the project. 4. Deepen content knowledge. 5. Analyze assessment data.

 Sort and group the Unit Design Cycle Words  Set them down on your poster paper arranged like some sort of graphic organizer. Part 1 ACTIVITY

THREE ENTRY POINTS Project Design Thematic Connections Learning Objectives

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 2. Find thematic connections.

a.Develop an Essential Question around your Theme. a.Brainstorm Guiding Questions pertaining to each subject. a.Explore Big Ideas, considering student development and community needs and interests. a.Research available resources including curriculum, experts, field trips, school campus projects, parents, and organizations. a.Develop an Essential Question around your Theme. 2. FIND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS.

The best essential questions are really alive. People ask, discuss, and debate them outside school. They arise naturally in discussion, and they open up thinking and possibilities—for novices and experts alike. They signal that inquisitiveness and open-mindedness are fundamental habits of mind and characteristic of lifelong learners. In a more practical sense, a question is alive in a subject if we really engage with it, if it seems genuine and relevant to us, and if it helps us gain a more systematic and deep understanding of what we are learning. WHAT MAKES A QUESTION ESSENTIAL?

Quick Question WHICH OF OUR TOUR QUESTIONS COULD BE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS? WHICH ARE MORE LIKE GUIDING QUESTIONS?

Big Ideas  are the answers to the Essential Questions and/or Guiding Questions  are worth knowing; are important to our survival as a species; are the “ah-ha” moments; life lessons  have multiple real-world applications  may come from standards or combined standards  are developed by teachers AND by students through the learning process

BIG IDEAS

CALIFORNIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES & CONCEPTS  Principle I: People Depend on Natural Systems  Principle II: People Influence Natural Systems  Principle III: Natural Systems Change in Ways that People Benefit from and can Influence  Principle IV: There are no Permanent or Impermeable Boundaries that Prevent Matter from Flowing between Systems  Principle V: Decisions Affecting Resources and Natural Systems are Complex and Involve Many Factors

THREE ENTRY POINTS Project Design Thematic Connections Learning Objectives

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 1. Choose learning objectives.

NEXT GEN SCIENCE STANDARDS

UNIT PLANNING English Math History Science Handwork & Games College Prep & Advisory

a.Choose important content standards from each subject. a.Include key skills standards such as collaboration and presentation. a.Consider student development and community needs and interests when choosing learning objectives. a.Scope and sequence your objectives throughout the year and across grade levels with colleagues. a.Record standards on the Unit Learning Goals form. 1. CHOOSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES.

Quick Question HOW ARE THE NEW STANDARDS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU?

Team Unit Learning Goals Template Grade: Unit #: Inter Unit Title: Subjects: Teachers: UNIT LEARNING GOALS Benchmark Standards Class/Department Standards Math English History Science Math English History Science

THREE ENTRY POINTS Project Design Thematic Connections Learning Objectives

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 3. Design the project.

Project Overview Culminating Performance Task (CPT)Interdisciplinary Unit Exam (IUE) Component 1: Hands-On/Group Work Component 2: Presentation/ Event Component 3: Individual-Class Writing Component 4: Reflection Essential Question Guiding QuestionsBig Ideas

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 1. Choose learning objectives. 2. Find thematic connections. 3. Design the project. 4. Deepen content knowledge. 5. Analyze assessment data.

TEAM WORK TIME

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 4. Deepen content knowledge.

a.Define Unit Vocabulary and distribute to students, teachers, and parents. (academic terms used on the project description, rubric, or prompts, usually about 30 per unit). b.Read core lit books and other key documents or media related to the unit. Discuss using the EQs and GQs. c.Share resources to assist in lesson and field trip planning. d.Write Review Guides for each class addressing EQs and GQs. Share this information with colleagues at meetings. e.Follow the Review Day Protocol to prepare students for the CPT and IUE. All teachers must hear each other review. 4. DEEPEN CONTENT KNOWLEDGE.

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 1. Choose learning objectives. 2. Find thematic connections. 3. Design the project. 4. Deepen content knowledge. 5. Analyze assessment data.

UNIT DESIGN CYCLE 5. Analyze assessment data.

a.Use the Analysis Day Protocol to calibrate your grading. b.Record findings on the Data Analysis Guide throughout the scoring process. c.Collect IBM Data from all teachers and report scores to students. d.Publish your unit with student work samples to a binder and online to share with your colleagues. e.Celebrate your successes and incorporate what you learned into future planning. (It’s a cycle!) 5. ANALYZE ASSESSMENT DATA.

SubjectStandardAirWaterEarthFire EnglishPosition EnglishEvidence EnglishConclusion HistorySilk Roads MathFind Percents ScienceOrigins of Materials EPCNatural Resources 3528 ESLRThink Critically Collaborative SkillOrganize Materials TH GRADE IBM # 3: SILK ROAD BUSINESS PLAN

12:00-12:45 LUNCH BREAK

 Match the terms with their definitions.  Rearrange your graphic organizer if needed.  Glue words and definitions down. Part 2 ACTIVITY

 Which steps on the Unit Design Cycle do you see teachers using?  What effects will these steps have on student learning? TEAM WORK OBSERVATIONS 1. Choose learning objectives. 2. Find thematic connections. 3. Design the project. 4. Deepen content knowledge. 5. Analyze assessmen t data.

PITFALLSPATHWAYS GREEN SCHOOL PROGRAMS

1.Thinking it’s easy or black and white thinking. 2.Making it too big. 3.Not aligning the assignments to the rubrics. 4.Not knowing content knowledge. 5.Using an old, dead project. PITFALLS

1.Teach and assess your real standards. 2.Make time for Collaboration. 3.Do the teacher model, really. 4.Teach and practice team dynamics. 5.Let it be messy and experimental. PATHWAYS

 IBM Days  1 – Plan  2 – Refine  3 – Analyze  Common Prep Time  4 hours per week  Lunch Team Meetings  30 minutes a week  Team Planning Days  8 hours X 3 units/year WARP THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM August PD 3 Weeks

GREEN AMBASSADORS CURRICULUM A-G Approved UC Course Being updated to reflect new standards this summer Working on middle school version Available online

GOOD CONDITIONS FOR TEACHING TEAMS

TEAM WORK TIME