Designing Standards-based Curriculum: Elementary Schools Marcia Harmon Rosenbusch, Director National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Eileen Lorenz, Project Director Chinese K-5 FLES Project Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), Washington, DC

Curriculum Design in Elementary School World Languages Historical perspective “If you don’t know where you are going how will you know when you get there?” Elements in curriculum design

Framework for Curriculum

Backward Design Enduring understandings: Universal truths that are at the heart of the discipline and that have value beyond the classroom. Essential questions: Questions that help us discover universal truths.

National Student Standards Define what students should know and be able to do. 1. Communication 2. Cultures FIVE 3. Connections GOALS 4. Comparisons 5. Communities

National Student Standards Goal 1. Communication Three Modes of Communication: Interpersonal Interpretive Presentational

National Student Standards Goal 2. Cultures Perspectives ProductsPractices

Accountability, Achievement, and Assessment How will we know when we get there? Define performance tasks for language assessment (interpersonal, interpretive, presentational).

Defining Thematic Teaching What is thematic teaching? Links concepts (content), language and culture; Links concepts (content), language and culture; Grounded in developmentally appropriate learning; Grounded in developmentally appropriate learning; Provides a meaningful framework for teaching/learning; Provides a meaningful framework for teaching/learning; Addresses the National Standards. Addresses the National Standards.

CRICTOR BY TOMMI UNGERER Language arts Characters, setting, problem, solution Math – Estimation, measuring, metric system Science – Boa constrictor and other snakes Social studies – elements of a French village Language – Descriptive language, initial sounds, sequencing

CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS Self-centered Developing language and concepts Rapid concept development Need to be involved in learning

LA PETITE CHENILLE Language arts – sequencing of events Math – estimation and non-standard measurements Science – life cycle of the butterfly, categories of foods Language – naming foods, describing, expressing preferences, class book

PANDA BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? Reading/Language arts – naming classroom objects Locating (near/far, under/over) Describing (color, sizes, shapes) Expressing preferences Identifying (show me or name) Following directions

PANDA BEAR - CONTINUED Math – counting Science – Shapes (circle, triangle, square) and classifications Social studies – classroom organization, classroom rules, places in classroom

INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Teacher observation of students with checklist Matching activities Following directions Where is panda?

PANDA BEAR WHO DO YOU SEE? Language – greeting classmates and staff Math – counting Social studies – getting to know classmates, greeting and leave taking.

INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT Teacher observations with checklist Matching activities Panda says hello

Chinese K-5 FLES Collaborators Purpose of Project – Develop a K-5 FLES Chinese language framework – Develop proficiency-focused and standards-based curriculum and materials; – Train teachers in best practices; – Train teachers in classroom-based assessment and ELLOPA and SOPA;

Chinese K-5 FLES Purpose of Project (continued) Research Students’ progress in Chinese language proficiency; Attitudes toward the Chinese language and culture of students, administrators, teachers, parents and the community; Student progress on standardized assessments of English language arts and mathematics as compared to the progress of control groups.

Backward Design Enduring Understanding Essential Questions Overarching Theme

Kindergarten: Who are we? Who am I? What would my life be like if I were Chinese? Who are we at school? Who are we at home? Who are we in the community? How are you and I the same or different?

Interrelated Parts of the Whole Backward Design AssessmentThematicInstruction Instruction Curriculum

Hands on Practice A. Language; B. Grade Level Work Group: Introduce yourselves; 2. Identify recorder; 3.For your grade level, review a) Essential Questions; b) Grade Level Theme; c) Sub-themes; 4. Choose a sub-theme to focus on; 5. Brainstorm ideas of how to address that sub-theme and write them on the web; 6.Develop one idea in more detail; 7.Share with group.

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Designing Standards-based Curriculum: Elementary Schools Marcia Harmon Rosenbusch, Director National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Eileen Lorenz, Project Director Chinese K-5 FLES Project Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), Washington, DC