Applications of Instructional Technology

Gina B. Thomason Understanding by Design Unit Structures Technology Integration Plan & Podcast Summer 2012

Summary of Unit This is a three week unit developed using the UbD Instructional Design Model for 5th grade gifted students. Students will be exploring the term: structures. The unit will be introduced through a video podcast produced by the teacher. The podcast will be shown in class however it will be available to parents on the class website. At the end of the unit, students will create and publish their own video podcast. The podcast will be part of their performance task.

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Title of Unit Standard:

Structures

Grade Level

5th grade

1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Understandings: 1. The word structure has many meanings. 2. There are many kinds of structures in the world. 3. Analyzing structures will help us understand our world better. 4. Understanding structures may help us prepare for future challenges.

Essential Questions: Overarching Questions: What does the word structures mean to you? How many different meanings are there for the word bridges? How have people modified the environment? How does a famous structure impact society? Topical Questions: What are the names of some famous structures? What type of bridge designs do you have in your area? What is the most common shape in architecture? What are natural bridges? How do you use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations?

Applications of Instructional Technology How have people modified the environment? Why have people modified the environment?

Plan Learning Experiences

Week 1

Monday: 1. Pre-assessment: Ask students to write about the word structures in their journals. Provide the following guiding questions: a. How is the word structures related to reading, math, social studies, and science? b. What are some kinds of structures? List and describe several. c. All are structures tangible? Explain your answer. 2. Encourage students to share their answers with others in the class. 3. Have groups of students create a word association web using their responses to the questions. 4. Using a video podcast presentation, Introduce the overreaching questions for the unit and the performance task: What does the word structures mean to you? How many different meanings are there for the word bridges? How have people modified the environment? How does a famous structure impact society? 5. Introduce the topical questions for the unit: What are the names of some famous structures? What type of bridge designs do you have in your area? What is the most common shape in architecture? What are natural bridges? How do you use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations? How have people modified the environment? Why have people modified the environment? 6. Pass out and explain performance task. Explain the performance task rubric, due dates, and answer any student questions concerning the task.

Applications of Instructional Technology Performance Task: Goal: The goal is to project environmental modifications needed to accommodate the growing population for the next 20 years. Role: You are an environmental engineer hired by your local community. Audience: The target audience is your local community leaders on the city council. Situation: You need to present a Video Podcast explaining a 20-year environmental plan to the community leaders. Product Performance and Purpose: You need to use all the information you have learned about population projections, structures, and environmental modification to create a list of environmental modifications needed to accommodate the growing population in your community. Then you will prepare a 10-minute video podcast presentation using charts, diagrams, and tables to convince the community leader that your plan is the best 20-year plan for the community. You will present the presentation to the class. Standards and Criteria for Success: Your podcast presentation should - Provide a 20-year modification plan. - Include environmentally safe modifications. - Include projected structures in the community. - Include diagrams, tables, and charts. *Facet of Understanding Explain, Interpret, Apply, Perspective, Empathy, and Selfknowledge *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

7. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four

Applications of Instructional Technology overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Tuesday: 1. Ask students to brainstorm ways people have modified the environment. Take students outside and allow them a few minutes to write in their journals about all the environmental modifications they see. Have students note that most modifications are structures built by people. 2. Invite students to share their journal responses. Record responses on chart paper. 3. Challenge students to categorize their responses into several topics. Examples: transportation, housing, utilities. 4. Brainstorm problems associated with environmental modification. 5. Explain to students that they will be using charts, table, and diagrams for much of their research over the next three weeks. Review how to use these resources. 6. Quick Quiz reading (and) using tables, charts, diagrams *Facet of Understanding - Interpret *Standard 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. 7. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Applications of Instructional Technology Wednesday: 1. Explain to students that humans basic needs are food, water, and shelter. These needs have never changed, but how these needs are met has changed significantly. People have gone from living in caves and crude shelters to elaborately constructed structures. Early humans began using uniformly shaped materials because they fit together better and provided a more stable structure. These shelters were planned, but not in great detail. Today architects plan every detail of a building. Architects know exactly where every door, window, and floor tile will be placed before a bulldozer even begins clearing and can determine weaknesses so they can be fixed before construction. Ancient people did not have computer programs, yet some of the most famous pieces of architecture date back may thousands of years. 2. Have students visit the following web sites about structures. Tell students they will find ancient and modern structures. Encourage students to look through the architecture books in the classroom library as well. http://libeary.thinkquest.org/10098/ http://academic.reed.edu/getty/ http://www.lib.virginia.edu/dic/colls/arh102/index.html http://www.nps.gov/jeff/arch-ov.htm http://www.decpix.com/ http://www.alsa.org/nonmembers/publications/facthtpr.htm http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3786/ 3. As students are exploring the websites and books, have them draw the following chart in their journals to keep track of what they find. Time period Name of structure Location Famous for? Shapes in structure Interesting trivia

4. Invite students to make generalizations in their journals about architecture. 5. Have students to write to the following prompt in their journals: If you were an architect designing your own home, what attributes of ancient and modern architecture would you include? Why? 6. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and

Applications of Instructional Technology indirect evidence.

Thursday: 1. Have students search through U.S. history books for information about environmental modification. They should find information regarding irrigation, mining, logging, camps, etc. Have students list the reasons people modified the environment. 2. Ask students to write four to six generalizations about environmental modifications 3. Essay How and Why have people modified the environment? *Facet of Understanding - Perspective *Standard 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

4. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Friday: 1. Explain to students that not all structures and environmental modifications are man made. There are many natural bridges, including land bridges, ice bridges, bridges created by lava flows, and bridges carved by erosion. 2. Visit the following web site to learn more about Natural Bridge Caverns. Visit each part of the site so students can see the information that is important to know about he cavern. http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com 3. Allow teams of students to choose a natural bridge about which to learn.

Applications of Instructional Technology 4. Have each team discover the following information about a natural bridge: Where is the natural bridge? What is the natural bridge made of? Is the natural bridge located inside a park? If so, which park? Why is it considered a natural bridge? How many miles is it to the natural bridge from our school? 5. Have teams share their research with the class. 6. Have students write in their journals about natural structures. Have them list several natural structures and tell how they were formed. 7. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Week 2

Monday 1. Explain to students that the most well-known structures in the world are famous because of their age, construction, location, history, or beauty. 2. Invite students to look though the classroom resources about famous structures. 3. Have students work as partners and choose a structure to complete a mini research on. They should gather the following information about the structure: name, location, cost to create, picture or illustration, materials used to build it,

Applications of Instructional Technology when it was created, and other historical notes. 4. Have students compile their research into some kind of visual. Examples: mini poster, brochure, PowerPoint, voicethread. The visual will be student choice. 5. Have students present their work to the class. As student present famous structures, classmates will take notes in order to complete the quiz. 6. Quiz famous structures *Facet of Understanding - Explain *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 7. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Tuesday: 1. Explain to students that engineers have discovered that construction is stronger when certain shapes are used. When we study a picture of a suspension bridge, for example, the pattern of triangles, rectangles, and squares repeats across the span of the bridge. Tell students that geometry is all around us. Remind students that geometry deals with the designs and shapes that construct our world. 2. Allow students to look at pictures of bridges in books, on the Internet, and video clips. Have them keep track of the different shapes they see. 3. Show students pictures of bridges in their local area. Discuss how the bridge shapes are the similar and different from the ones viewed earlier in the class. 4. Ask students to draw a picture of their favorite kind of bridge, paying special attention to the shapes used in the bridges construction. 5. Worksheet Bridge *Facet of Understanding - Explain *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas.

Applications of Instructional Technology 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 6. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Wednesday 1. Invite a community engineer/planner to come into the class and discuss how future bridge and other structure designs are decided upon for the community. 2. Have students write in their journals reflections on the past two days study of bridges and other structures. Ask students to address the following questions: *On average how many shapes are used in the construction of a bridge? Explain with resources. *Why are shapes found so often in bridge construction? *When viewing other structures, are shapes important to the design? Explain 3. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Thursday: 1. Allow students time to complete their independent research on the topic and to work on the performance task. The teacher should monitor student progress and give assistance when needed. 2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard

Applications of Instructional Technology 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Friday: 1. Allow students time to complete their independent research on the topic and to work on the performance task. The teacher should monitor student progress and give assistance when needed. Check for understanding - Student work samples Research notes *Facet of Understanding - Explain *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas.

2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Week 3

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Monday: 1. Allow students time to complete their independent research on the topic and to work on the (video podcast) performance task. The teacher should monitor student progress and give assistance when needed. Check for understanding - Student work samples Research notes *Facet of Understanding - Explain *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas.

2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Tuesday: 1. Allow students time to create podcast presentations based on their research. The teacher should monitor student progress and give assistance when needed. 2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Wednesday: 1. of the Students will present the podcast of their 20-year plan to the class. Students are assessed using the performance task rubric. *Facet of Understanding Explain, Interpret, Apply, Perspective, Empathy, and Selfknowledge

Applications of Instructional Technology *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Ratings Podcast Content 0- Working on it Did not provide a 20 year modification plan. 1- Novice Provides a partial 20year modification plan for 2 Acceptable Provides a complete yet simple 20year modification plan. 3 Out of the Box! Provide a complete and detailed 20year modification plan. Tot al

Did not include environmenta lly safe modifications. Did not include projected structures in the community. Did not include diagrams, tables, and charts. Podcast Presentati on Did not stay on topic.

Includes 1 environmenta lly safe modification.

Includes 2 environmenta lly safe modifications.

Includes 3 or more environmenta lly safe modifications. Includes 3 or more projected structures in the community. Include 3 diagrams, tables, and/ or charts.

Includes 1 projected structure in the community. Includes 1 diagram, tables, or chart.

Includes 2 projected structures in the community. Includes 2 diagrams, tables, and/ or charts.

Mostly stayed on topic

Stayed on topic and

Stayed on topic and

Applications of Instructional Technology demonstrated some elaboration Expressed ideas with understandin g Very organized demonstrated extensive elaboration Expressed ideas with understandin g and was well articulated Organization exceeded standards

Could not express ideas

Could express some ideas

Not organized Somewhat organized

2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Thursday: 1. of the Students will present the podcast of their 20-year plan to the class. Students will be assessed using the performance task rubric. *Facet of Understanding Explain, Interpret, Apply, Perspective, Empathy, and Selfknowledge *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence. Ratings 0- Working on it 1- Novice 2 Acceptable 3 Out of the Box! Tot al

Applications of Instructional Technology Podcast Did not Provides a Content provide a 20 partial 20year year modification modification plan. plan for

Provides a complete yet simple 20year modification plan.

Provide a complete and detailed 20year modification plan.

Did not include environmenta lly safe modifications. Did not include projected structures in the community. Did not include diagrams, tables, and charts. Podcast Presentati on Did not stay on topic.

Includes 1 environmenta lly safe modification.

Includes 2 environmenta lly safe modifications.

Includes 3 or more environmenta lly safe modifications. Includes 3 or more projected structures in the community. Include 3 diagrams, tables, and/ or charts.

Includes 1 projected structure in the community. Includes 1 diagram, tables, or chart.

Includes 2 projected structures in the community. Includes 2 diagrams, tables, and/ or charts.

Mostly stayed on topic

Could not express ideas

Could express some ideas

Stayed on topic and demonstrated some elaboration Expressed ideas with understandin g Very organized

Not organized Somewhat organized

Stayed on topic and demonstrated extensive elaboration Expressed ideas with understandin g and was well articulated Organization exceeded standards

2. Reflection Journals Students will be given time to reflect upon each of the four

Applications of Instructional Technology overreaching questions and expand on new understanding each day. *Facet of Understanding self knowledge *Standard 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Friday: 1. Post-assessment: Invite students to create a large word web on a piece of chart paper. Write the word structures in the center and allow 15-20 minutes for students to list everything they associate with the concept. 2. Compare the post-assessment word web to the pre-assessment word web. Initiate a discussion about the similarities and differences between the two. 3. Student complete the final self assessment rubric.

Final Self Assessment Rubric Student Name__________________________________ Score____________

Ratings 0- Working on it! 1- Novice 2Acceptable 3- Out of the Box Total

4. Final Reflection: Have students write in their journals focusing on the following questions: What does the word structures mean to you? How many different meanings are there for the word bridges? How have people modified the environment?

Applications of Instructional Technology How does a famous structure impact society? *Facet of Understanding Self knowledge *Standard 1. Paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas. 2. Use tables, charts and diagrams to find patterns and make generalizations. 3. Describe ways people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States past and present. 4. Analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence.

Notes to the Instructor I work with gifted/talented students. This lesson unit is created for 5th grade gifted students. All work is project/ performance task based and is geared toward self-exploration. Differentiation: Student with Dysgraphia will be able to use the computer for all assignments and have extended time with the help of the LD resource teacher.