Kate McQueen

E594

Differentiated Unit Plans

· Unit Rationale:

This unit uses a variety of ways to approach students multiple learning styles and intelligences. While specific examples of how this is accomplished are given throughout the plans, it is important to note that it is assumed that the social and affective domains have been fully addressed during the initial and continued sculpting of the classroom community. The affective domain is addressed by weaving into the classroom culture the idea that asking questions is a safe and celebrated thing to do. Taking risks is a comfortable thing for the students because making mistakes is not looked at as negative occurrence but as an opportunity for learning and growth. The social domain of this classroom is also highly developed before the first lesson begins. This classroom has had mini-lessons throughout the year passed on the Well Managed School model. These mini-lessons address the social skills of:

· Following Instructions

· Accepting No for an Answer

· Accepting Criticism or a Consequence

· Greeting Others

· Disagreeing Appropriately

· Getting a Teacher's Attention

· Making an Apology

· Staying on Task

· Asking Permission

· Sharing Something

· Working with Others

· Listening

· Appropriate Voice Tone

· Accepting Compliments

· Having a Conversation

· Asking for Help

This model of positive and preventative teaching model has allowed the school and classroom community to flourish.

Informal Assessment Procedure:

During all lessons, it is assumed that I will be circulating the room during independent work time assessing all students’ level of engagement. At this time I will be asking questions related to what I observe in order to gage all students’ understanding of the topics and tasks. During any discussions, read aloud meetings, or group projects, I will be scanning the room while teaching in order to look for signs of engagement and/or signs of distracting behavior.

Lesson Plan: 1

THE 5 SENSES

Rationale: This lesson is important because it teaches children about the basic functioning of their bodies. Of course, they have previous knowledge of the senses. However, during this lesson they begin to understand the importance of paying closer attention to the information that they are receiving via their senses. I want to review the concept of the senses because I believe that a refinement of understanding of the senses is critical to do before introducing the concept of observing versus inferring.

Content Standards:

SCI.1.1 2010 - Physical Science

Describe objects in terms of the materials that compose them and in terms of their physical properties.

SCI.1.1.1 2010

Use all senses as appropriate to identify the component parts of objects and the materials from which they are made.

EL.1.4.4 2006

Research Process and Technology:

Begin asking questions to guide topic selection and ask how and why questions about a topic of interest.

EL.1.4.4 2006

Research Process and Technology:

Begin asking questions to guide topic selection and ask how and why questions about a topic of interest.

Objectives:

Students will be able to identify their five senses. They will understand that what they learn from their senses is a type of information.

Cognitive: Students will learn the about the five senses. They will realize that the senses take in different kinds of information. The information that your senses take in is sometimes called your observations. Their understanding will be assessed by class discussion.

Affective: I want the students to be engaged and realize that their senses can open the door to all of their curiosities. I want them to learn to use their observations about things that they wonder about to generate questions that they need answered. I want them to be excited to realize that they can learn about what they really want to learn about.

Social: The students will continue to work on the skill of being an engaged listener during the read aloud. They will have opportunities to share with the class what information their senses are telling them. They will have a chance to share with everyone what they wonder about the most.

Sensorimotor: Students will be given the opportunity to walk up to four individual bags containing different materials. They will be asked to infer or figure out what these items are without using their sense of sight.

Multiple Intelligences: This lesson particularly focuses on using bodily/kinesthetic intelligence as it requires students to use senses other than sight to answer the question ‘What is in the bag?”. Since sight is most often the most commonly used sense, this activity will challenge students to use their other senses to answer the question of what is in the bag. This activity also helps to increase their naturalistic intelligence. It will help them identify multiple ways that they receive input from the world around them.

Vocabulary: Input, Information, Observe

Procedures:

Introduction/Anticipatory: Read Aloud: My Five Senses as a whole group in the meeting area.

Step-by-step Procedures:

After the read aloud, remain in the whole group and tell the class that we will be testing our individual senses. Have several paper bags filled with sensory objects filled. Cotton balls(for touch), Cloves(for smell), Powdered Sugar(for taste), Rubber bands(to snap for hearing). Preventative teaching: Let students know that you will pick from those students paying attention and not distracting others. With eyes closed, have students feel, smell, taste, and hear what is in the bags. When all the bags have been guessed or time runs out, reveal the contents and review the idea of the input that your senses take in.

Introduce the idea that we can use our sense to learn about anything in the world. Ask them what they want to learn the most about in the world. Have several students give examples. Have students return to tables and have students draw and write on a provided idea web worksheet at least five things that they want to know more about. During this individual work time, music is playing in the back ground.

Closure: Collect papers. Class discussion and share: Have students share what they want to learn about and (with prompting) what senses they might use to accomplish this learning goal.

Materials: Cotton balls, Cloves, Powdered Sugar, Rubber bands, Paper bags, Book: The Five Senses, Idea Web Worksheet, pencils, ipad or other music source

Adaptations: Following behavior plan of student A. Keep him accountable for work but avoid triggering outburst if possible. Prepare him and positively support his efforts and let him know that when things are challenging that means you are getting ready to learn. Simplified verbal instructions and additional support will be needed for one student with CD. Provide her with choices of things she might want to learn about. There will need to be initial prompting to start work and checking for understanding for student with ASD. Two students that are behind grade level with writing will need support with confidence to write and initial motivation. At least one student will need an additional more advanced book about the senses available for when he finishes before everyone.

Management & Safety: Avoid triggering student with emotional disturbances. Have radio on in case assistance is needed. Keep all students safe.

Lesson Plan: 2

Observation Versus Inference

Rationale: Having students understand the difference between observation and inference lays the foundation for fully understanding the scientific process. It is common for individuals to mistake inferences as observations. By discussing and focusing on the difference between what they observe and what stories their mind makes up about what they observe is a critical first step in creating critical thinkers.

Content Standards:

EL.1.2.4 2006

Follow one-step written instructions.

EL.1.1.18 2006

Classify categories of words.

Example: Tell which of the following are fruits and which are vegetables: bananas, oranges, apples, carrots, and peas.

EL.1.1.2 2006

Identify letters, words, and sentences.

Objectives: The students will understand the difference between an observation and an inference.

Cognitive: Students will be able to distinguish between an observation and an inference. They will understand that the observation is just the basic input that their sense or senses are taking in. While the inference is the imaginative way that their brain tries to explain why they are sensing what they are.

Affective: By thinking about the difference between what they perceive and what stories and what stories their mind makes up about what they perceive, the students will hopefully be able to embrace the wondering that comes from “why” something appears how it appears.

Social: The class will be participating in multiple class discussions that will require them to work on the skill of being respectful when listening to others ideas.

Sensorimotor: The students will first observe the dinosaur footprint pictures in the group meeting place and then transfer back to their group tables in order to write their own individual observations and inferences of the second picture. As is common in this classroom community, before this transition, we will do a physical Brain Break.

Multiple Intelligences: This lesson touches on using visual/spatial understanding to decode the picture. This activity is a lesson in looking at the world in a logical way. It is also an early existential lesson that explores the idea of what is a reality. What do we see versus what does our mind tell us we are seeing. During independent worksheet time, the students will also be given an opportunity to work on their intrapersonal intelligence. During most independent work time in this classroom community, unobtrusive music will be softly playing in the back ground in order to promote focus and musical intelligence.

Vocabulary: Observation, Inference

Procedures:

Introduction:

The students will be presented with a series of pictures in the meeting area. The first time they see the picture in Figure 1, they will only see the portion labeled Position 1. The students will be asked what they see. Then they will be shown up to Position 2 and again asked what they see. Finally, they will be shown the entire picture and asked what they see now. How this portion of the discussion develops will be led by what they students contribute. However, an example might be that we will discuss how green and red three-toed foot prints is an observation and that two dinosaurs are walking side by side is an inference that those footprints are from dinosaurs. Another example is that they can observe that the footprints become intertwined and then the red ones stop. They could infer that the dinosaurs were dancing or fighting and then red footed one was eaten or carried away.

Figure 1

Step-by-step Procedures:

After the introductory discussion about the dinosaur feet picture, the students will be asked to return to their seats. Before this transition occurs, we will do a physical brain break such as a stretch or quick song paired with movement. When the students are settled, they will be shown another picture such as Figure 2.

Figure 2

The students will also be given a worksheet with a simple t-chart. One side will be labeled Observations; the other will be labeled Inferences. As a class, we will do a few observations and inferences together to get started. Then students will be given independent work time in order to come up with their own response. During most independent work time in this classroom community, unobtrusive music will be softly playing in the back ground. I will be circulating checking for understanding.

Closure: To conclude this lesson, we will reconvene as a group and students will share their observations and inferences. Students will be respect to others when listening and sharing ideas.

Materials: Dinosaur Print Picture and blank paper to cover portions. Additional Observation versus Inference picture such as “The Accident”, worksheets, pencils, Document camera and screen, music player

Adaptations: Following behavior plan of student A. Keep him accountable for work but avoid triggering outburst if possible. Prepare him and positively support his efforts and let him know that when things are challenging that means you are getting ready to learn. Simplified verbal instructions and additional support will be needed for one student with CD. Provide her with choices of things she might want to learn about. There will need to be initial prompting to start work and checking for understanding for student with ASD. Two students that are behind grade level with writing will need support with confidence to write and initial motivation. At least one student will need an additional more advanced book about the senses available for when he finishes before everyone.

Management & Safety: Avoid triggering student with emotional disturbances. Have radio on in case assistance is needed. Keep all students safe.

Lesson Plan: 3

What is Matter?

Rationale: Knowing what the states of matter are is a foundational concept for understanding the physical world. It is important to understand in order to continue studying the scientific process.

Content Standard(s):

SCI.1.1.1 2010

Use all senses as appropriate to identify the component parts of objects and the materials from which they are made.

SCI.1.1.2 2010

Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based on evidence (i.e., physical properties).

EL.1.4.6 2006

Organize and classify information by constructing categories on the basis of observation.

EL.1.2.3 2006

Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Nonfiction and Informational Text:

Respond to who, what, when, where, why, and how questions and recognize the main idea of what is read.

Example: After reading or listening to the science book Gator or Croc by Allan Fowler, students answer questions about the reptiles and discuss the main ideas.

Objectives:

Students will be able to identify and give examples of a solid, liquid and gas.

Cognitive: Because of the diverse range of abilities in this class. I will be diligent in monitoring students understanding of these concepts in order to attempt to keep everyone in their own zone of proximal development. This will require lots of circulating of the classroom and asking clarifying questions.

Affective: Students will contemplate what type matter makes up a variety of objects. In particular, mentally exploring how to describe what and where gas is has proven to be a powerful way to internalize the understanding of this state of matter.

Social: The class will produce a class chart as a team. Incorrect ideas or misunderstandings will be addressed respectfully by all.

Sensorimotor: The students will be able to develop their fine motor skills by cutting pasting and tying a variety of shapes for their mobile.

Multiple Intelligences: Students will be using their interpersonal skills to create class charts. They will also be using their bodily/kinesthetic intelligence by using their fine motor skills to cut out and create their mobiles. They will be using their linguistic intelligence to write down what items are in what states of matter. Due to the developmental age of the students, phonetic spelling will be encouraged. Visual/spatial intelligence will again be addressed by watching a BrainPop video on the states of matter. By using recycled materials to create the mobile rather than a work sheet, students will have their naturalistic intelligence addressed.

Vocabulary: Matter, solid, liquid, gas

Procedures:

Introduction: To introduce this subject, the students will be shown a brief (3 minute 30 second) BrainPopJr.video called Solids, Liquids, and Gases.

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/preview.weml

All of the BrainPop videos are highly engaging and visually appealing.

Step-by-step Procedures: After the video, the class will work together to make a class chart listing different examples of solids, liquids, and gases. Example: Figure 3

Figure 3

Next, the students will begin to make a mobile of the states of matter. They will be shown a model.

Using recycled materials instead of a worksheet to create this mobile becomes a mini-lesson about finite resources and recycling.

Each student writes, ‘Matter’ on one large piece of paper or cardstock. On three smaller pieces, they write “solid/liquid/gas”. On three more pieces of paper, they write an example of the state of matter on one side and draw that example on the other.

Then, they string the mobile together matching the solid to the solid example, etc.

The students are then asked to show each other their mobile and explain their states of matter examples.

Closure: When completed, the students are then asked to show each other their mobiles and explain their states of matter examples to each other.

Materials: Scraps of paper, string, hangers or other firm object to hang stings from, pencils and markers.

Adaptations: Following behavior plan of student A. Keep him accountable for work but avoid triggering outburst if possible. Prepare him and positively support his efforts and let him know that when things are challenging that means you are getting ready to learn. Simplified verbal instructions and additional support will be needed for one student with CD. Provide her with choices of things she might want to learn about. There will need to be initial prompting to start work and checking for understanding for student with ASD. Two students that are behind grade level with writing will need support with confidence to write and initial motivation. At least one student will need an additional more advanced book about the senses available for when he finishes before everyone.

Management & Safety: Preventative teaching: Remind students of scissor safety guidelines and proper glue handling and use. Avoid triggering student with emotional disturbances. Have radio on in case assistance is needed. Keep all students safe.

Reflection:

Overall the unit went extremely well. I strongly believe that having a classroom community that has been given mini-lessons throughout the year as to how to behavior appropriately within the social setting of the school is an essential component of the success. The first lesson, The Five Senses, was a review. It had been covered in kindergarten but they students were delighted and engaged to test out their skills at using different senses in a new way. The Observation versus Inference lesson was a great meeting of minds. While one student was only able to grasp the concept of what an observation was, this was a huge personal leap. The majority of the other students truly understood the concept during the lesson and throughout the weeks that followed. The What is Matter? lesson was a success in terms of meeting the objectives of the lesson. The students did understand and were able to give examples of a solid, liquid and gas. It was a challenging lesson for me because I had to do so much to facilitate the putting together of the mobiles. When I taught the lesson, I used a worksheet template that required hole punches. This was too time intensive for me to do and distracted from my ability to circulate and check for understanding as thoroughly as I would have preferred. I would absolutely repeat this lesson but would instead have the students use recycled materials and use problem solving skills to build it from a variety of materials provided.