1. Creating a Thematic Unit Process Overview Tuesday, January 24, 2012

2. Lesson Objectives Students will be able to: Explain the purpose, rationale and relevance of their thematic unit. Write Unit Goals. Create a curricular web for their unit. These lesson objective support our course objective of: Create a thematic unit and accurately assess the unit learning objectives.

3. Age Appropriate Focus NCSS originally focused on the expanding horizons curriculum for social studies –Kindergarten: Self –1 st : Family –2 nd : Community –3 rd : State and Regions –4 th : Nations and World

4. However…. Recent research and scholarly writing argues that the “expanding horizons” curriculum has become obsolete in our very interdependent and culturally diffused world. Expanding Horizons can still guide our teaching of abstract concepts. –Example: Supply in Kindegarten-Start with something the child owns a lot of…Barbies? Cars?

5. Age Appropriateness Important It is important to consider the age level for your unit. On Wiki: –NCSS Position statement on the abilities of children in early grades in relation to social studies concepts and skills.  Based on research! http://ci443- gallagher.wikispaces.com/Course+Documents

6. Step 1: Generating Ideas Use standards as a guide. Keep in mind theme and purpose. Come up with lots of ideas….choose the best. Discussion: Discuss with your group how well you think you’ve done this…

7. Step 2: Researching the Topic What resources are there available about the topic? How are others teaching about this topic in elementary schools? Textbooks Websites Discussion: Discuss with your group how much you have researched your intended unit theme. Was it helpful? Why or why not?

8. Step 3: Creating a Guiding Question Purpose Focuses students Discussion: Do you have a guiding question? If not, is your big understanding and theme statement enough to guide your planning?

9. Step 4: Develop Intended Learning Outcomes Unit Goals What do I want my students to be able to DO by the end of the unit. Discussion: What do you want students to be able to do by the end of the unit? This relates to the theme and purpose you have focused on.

10. Step 5: Categorize Intended Learning Outcomes What supporting learning objectives do you anticipate your students will need to meet the unit goals? Discussion: Pick one unit goal. What learning objectives will lessons need to focus on to help the students meet that goal. Start with vocabulary….

11. Step 6: Create an idea web or a curricula web For the unit in this class, you will need to create a web that shows how the unit is both thematic and integrated. http://www.gliffy.com/gliffy/#d=3234273&t=M aps_Curriculum_Map

12. Step 7: Create an Assessment Create an assessment that evaluates if students have met intended learning outcomes (unit goals) Create a rubric for the assessment. Make sure the rubric evaluates the intended learning outcomes. Modify assessment as needed. Making any accommodations necessary to make this powerful social studies for ALL students in the class. Discussion: Your assessment will need to be a performance assessment…any ideas in mind right now?

13. Step 8: Lesson Planning Create lessons based on the intended learning outcomes: the unit goals and necessary lesson objectives for students to met the unit goals. Modify Lessons as needed. Make any accommodations necessary to make the lesson powerful and meaningful for ALL students. Logically schedule lessons in a way that provides scaffolding (concepts and skills build upon one another). Discussion: We will beging talking about important elements of a lesson plan on Thursday. What would you like to learn about?

14. Step 9: Implement Teach the unit. Use formative assessment to guide teaching.

15. Step 10: Evaluate student learning Analyze the assessment. Get feedback from students about the unit.

16. Step 11: Reflect on unit Based on student learning, what learning outcomes were met? What outcomes were not met? What do I need to do differently next time? Did the assessment truly evaluate the unit goals?

17. Review of Powerful Social Studies Based on what you have developed so far: –Is your unit: Integrative? Meaningful? Value Based? Active? Challenging? Discuss this with your group.

18. Points for today… 1 per group- put names of people here today. 1.Unit Theme 2.What do you want students to be able to DO by the end of the unit. 3.What aspects are you still working on for Phase I. 4.Is there anything you need further explanation or more guidance on?