UBD Unit Planning Template

Staci Fay
Stage 1 - Desired Results
Enduring Understanding:
Grade Level: 4-5
-Homeless individuals in different countries and cultural
contexts are influenced by factors including weather,
climate, and natural hazards.
Essential Questions:
Content Areas Addressed:
-How does society perpetuate homelessness?
-What is the role of society in preventing and ending
homelessness?
Common Core and/or Illinois Standards:
Math
-CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3.C: Find a percent of a
quantity as a rate per 100.
Literacy
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3: Write narratives to
develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event
sequences.
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7: Draw on information
from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the
ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve
a problem efficiently.
-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7: Conduct short research
projects that use several sources to build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Science
-4-ESS1-1: Local, regional, and global patterns of rock
formations reveal changes over time due to earth forces,
such as earthquakes.
-4-ESS2-2: The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean
trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes
occur in patterns. Maps can help locate the different land
and water feature areas of Earth.
-4-ESS2-1: Living things affect the physical characteristics
of their regions.
-4-ESS3-2: A variety of natural hazards result from natural
processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but
can take steps to reduce their impacts.
-3-ESS2-1: Scientists record patterns of the weather across

-Science
-Social Studies
-Literacy (in culminating assessment)
-Math (used to advance one lesson)
Unit Objectives:
-Students will actively discuss topics
related to homelessness with respect
and sensitivity (Assessment 1;
Assessment 2; Assessment 3; informal
assessment during discussions)
-Given a planning guide sheet,
students will efficiently research their
assigned country (Assessment 2)
-Students will synthesize information
learned about weather and climate in
order to describe how weather effects
homeless individuals (Assessment 2)
-Students will fluently explain how
natural hazards can cause or worsen
conditions for homelessness without
referring to notes or research
(Assessment 3)
-Students will analyze cultural
implications of homelessness from the
perspective of social justice
(Assessment 3; informal assessment
during discussion)
-Students will write about a homeless
individual they create within the
context of their assigned country by
synthesizing science and social studies

different times and areas so that they can make predictions

about what kind of weather might happen next.
-3-ESS2-2: Climate describes a range of an areas typical
weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions
vary over years.

content taught (Assessment 1)

-Students will defend the choices they
made in writing their narratives by
accurately referencing research
(Assessment 1)

Social Studies
15.A.2a: Explain how economic systems decide what
goods and services are produced, how they are produced
and who consumes them.
15.A.2b: Describe how incomes reflect choices made about
education and careers.
15.A.2c: Describe unemployment.
15.B.2c: Explain that when a choice is made, something
else is given up.
17.A.2b: Use maps and other geographic representations
and instruments to gather information about people, places
and environments.
17.C.2a: Describe how natural events in the physical
environment affect human activities.
18.B.2a: Describe interactions of individuals, groups and
institutions in situations drawn from the local community
(e.g., local response to state and national reforms).
18.B.2b: Describe the ways in which institutions meet the
needs of society.
Social-Emotional
3C.2b.Identify and perform roles that contribute to ones
local community.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Assessment #1: Summative Unit
Writing Assessment
-Students individually write a story about
a homeless individual. Teacher will share
a shorter story about an American
homeless individual. Students will each
write about a homeless individual that
they create, but the individuals will be
from different countries. Students must
integrate knowledge about homelessness,
research about different countries, and
other content information in order to
design the story detailing the life and
experiences of the homeless individual.
One country will be assigned to a few

Assessment #2: Formative Research Assessment

Week One Day Three
-Students will conduct research about their assigned
country. In order to guide their research, students will be
given a planning sheet. This planning sheet requires
students to fill in information for each section based on
their research so that they learn about multiple aspects
of the country. Students will use National Geographic
for Kids to research their country and learn about the
climate and weather (Ex.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/au
stralia/#australia-bondi-beach.jpg). Then students will
compare the weather and climate of their town to two
specific regions of their assigned country (i.e. a
mountain region, a desert region). Research must

students so that students can meet in

groups to discuss their research about the
country and to peer review their stories.
*Most lessons will include a discussion
component. These lessons will be
informally assessed in order to allow for
student flexibility and for the teacher to
see how well students understand the
topic and if they are able to make
connections. Evidence for global
connections will also be evaluated. Two
other assessments will be included in
week one to guide students with research
and synthesis of ideas, and the
cumulative writing assessment will be
completed during the second week of the
unit.

include multiple sources from the Internet, and one

source from a textbook or other print source. Science
topics that will be discussed in upcoming lessons will
also be addressed on this planning sheet to prepare
students and activate their prior knowledge.

Assessment #3: Formative Synthesis Assessment

Week One Day Five
-Social studies activity that requires students to
synthesize science knowledge learned about weather to
determine how weather impacts homeless individuals in
different areas of the world. Students have learned about
weather and reading weather maps. Building off of the
research assignment, students will synthesize this
content with knowledge about homelessness in order to
determine how weather can have different impacts in
different areas of the world (i.e. consistently freezing
temperatures in one area, frequent hurricanes in
another). Students may begin making connections
between natural disasters and how they may cause
homelessness, which leads into the next few science
lessons.
Stage 3 Learning Plan

How Many
Lessons of
What
Length?
-Since it is
fifth grade,
students can
handle lessons
between 45 to
60 minutes.
The unit will
last for two
weeks. Each
days lesson
will be
between 45 to
60 minutes for
a total of 10
lessons.

Week One
Monday-Social Studies
-Introduce homelessness
-Video to activate prior knowledge about homelessness
-Have a conversation to develop rules for discussions (participate, take turns, dont
have to raise hand, be aware of who is talking, use personal experience, be
respectful of others ideas)
Tuesday-Social Studies and Math
-Discuss homelessness in America
-Math activity: use data and percentages to compare occurrence of homelessness in
different countries
-Discussion: Are there differences in the occurrence of homelessness in different
countries? Why do these differences exist?
Wednesday-Social Studies
-Review previously learned knowledge by discussing why students think the
percentage of homeless individuals varies by country. Use this discussion to
introduce factors of government, culture, and economy.
-Students will be divided into small groups based on a country that they will be
assigned to research
-Students will conduct research according to a planning sheet they will receive

Thursday-Science
-Lesson about weather and climate: types of weather, reading weather maps
-Students discuss with their partner what types of weather they commonly see in
the region they live
-Activity where students read different weather maps to determine the weather
Friday-Science and Social Studies (FULL LESSON PLAN)
-Science lesson about weather: differences in weather across the globe
-Social students activity that requires students to synthesize science knowledge
learned about weather to determine how weather impacts homeless
individuals in different areas of the world
Week Two
Monday-Science
-Lesson about geography and weather: how does geography affect weather
-Simulation about mountains and how that impacts the weather of surrounding
areas
-Introduce culminating assessment activity: Teacher will share a shorter story
about an American homeless individual as an example of what students will be
expected to create. One country will be assigned to a few students so that students
can meet in groups to discuss their research about the country and to peer review
their stories.
Tuesday-Science and Social Studies
-Lesson about natural hazards
-Group discussion about how natural hazards create higher rates of homelessness
-Independent work time for students to continue researching their country, focusing
on natural hazards particular to the area and its impacts
-Explain rubric for culminating assessment activity to students
Wednesday-Social Studies
-Mini-lesson about prejudice and tolerance
-Discuss cultural implications of homelessness
-Students have time to individually work on culminating assessment activity. Focus
of this work time will be on research. Students must integrate knowledge about
homelessness, research about different countries, and any other information in
order to design the story detailing the life and experiences of the homeless
individual.
-Homework: Students begin writing a story about a homeless individual that they
create based on their assigned country.
Thursday-Science, Social Studies, Literacy
-Story writing: Students individually write a story about a homeless individual that
they create based on their assigned country.

-Conferencing with teacher

Friday-Science, Social Studies, Literacy
-Students have time to work with their group on the culminating assessment
activity.
-Students peer review their stories.