Understanding By Design Unit Template Title of Unit Curriculum Area Developed By Content Standards CCSS: (3.W.

2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey information and ideas clearly. a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions and details. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. (3.W.7) Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. (3.L.1) Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. (3.L.2) By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 23 text complexity band independently and proficiently. (3.RI.10) Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. (3.SL.4) Social Studies Subject Standards: Concept 4: Human Systems: PO 4. Describe elements of culture of a community or nation (e.g., food, clothing, beliefs) in areas studied. Concept 1: Research Skills for History PO 3. Use primary source materials (e.g., photos, artifacts, interviews, documents, maps) and secondary source materials (e.g., encyclopedias, biographies) to study people and events from the past. PO 4. Retell stories to describe past events, people, and places Concept 4: Geography PO.4. Describe elements of culture of a community or nation (e.g. food, clothing, housing, sports, customs, beliefs) in areas studied. Culture Grade Level Social Studies Time Frame Cindy, Kristen, Melissa, Alexa and Ashayna Identify Desired Results (Stage 1) 3 2-3 weeks

Understandings Overarching Understanding Students will understand their own cultures and how that culture relates to and interacts with other cultures. Additionally students will understand that American Culture is influenced by the cultures of its citizens. Related Misconceptions That a person can tell anothers cultures by looking at them. No culture exists by itself but rather all influenced by each other. Knowledge Students will know Their own cultures and help them make connections with other classmates cultures

Essential Questions Overarching Topical What is culture? Where did my family come from? How does my culture make me who I am? What are the similarities and differences of the cultures How do you define American within America? culture? What cultures exist within How is American culture America? interpreted?

Skills Students will be able to The student will be able to orally report some facts and newly obtained information regarding their culture.

How their cultures fit into society and connect with it How their culture affects them Their classmates cultures How to identify with other cultures as well as their own The commonalities and differences between other countries and cultures and their own culture and country.

Students will gain research skills through extensive study of their culture through electronic media, written media, and interviews. Students will gain collaboration skills through working with peers.

Students will gain critical thinking skills. Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description S1: Discovering their own culture S2: Students will be able to write at least two paragraphs about their cultures using the information they gain on their completed Heritage Worksheet. The student will be able to orally report some facts and newly Goal obtained information regarding their culture. S3: Understand the similarities and differences between their own culture and the culture of their peers. Role Researcher, presenter, audience, teacher, artist, journalist, historian Audience Students, teacher, family members The main presentation will be a cultural fair within the classroom. Parents and family members will be invited to watch the presentations and bring cultural foods to share. S1: Artifact Product/Performanc S2: Research paper and report e S3: Collage and presentation Standards See above. Other Evidence Observation throughout by teacher, class discussion and presentation, and student participation. Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Situation

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?

How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge? How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work? How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?

In this lesson plan the students are asked to discover their familys culture and traditions and how it relates to other cultures. It is important for students to understand what culture is and how it relates to them and their backgrounds, and learn about other students cultures. Henderson and Gornik explain the reflective multiperspective inquiry as looking at our students as individuals with distinctive styles and voices, which are important features of teaching and learning. Asking students to look at their own cultures and reflect on them allows expression and also for students to feel valuable and important to the world, their class, and their teacher. Henderson and Gornik go on to say that. when individual expression is discouraged, inhibited, or suppressed in the classroom, much of the passion of education is lost. Again, this reminds us that allowing students to express themselves and their cultures gives them free expression of who they are and encourages personal identity. We will introduce the unit by playing a video about what culture is and having students share about their own experiences with culture. They will have the opportunity to discover information about their culture from their parents and families through artifacts. They will have the opportunity to research their own culture, participate in class discussions, and group work, giving them the chance to learn about how their culture relates to other cultures. Teacher will be monitoring throughout to ensure students are engaged in the formal writing process. The students will be given the opportunity to understand the writing process through research and revision by peer editors.. Teachers will pair students as peer editors, to revise each others work prior to the final presentation. Teacher will provide the students with a copy of the rubric at the beginning of each lesson, students will be given feedback by their peer editors throughout the writing process, classroom discussions will allow students to better understand each lesson, and students will be given ample time to research their culture and prepare for their oral presentation. The teacher will provide support throughout each lesson

How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit? How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?

as needed. The students will be able to reflect upon their own work through teacher monitoring as well as through the peer editing process. This unit focuses on each student, guaranteeing engagement. Students will have the opportunity to use technology, print materials and in-person interviews with their family members in their research. Their final product will be a choice, which will give them a deeper connection to their work. Students will present their research to fellow students, teachers, and families who will be invited to bring in a food from their cultures or dress up in cultural attire. This unit is organized in the following manner self, standard, and society. The students will see how the lessons flow together and connect on different levels. The S1 lesson focuses on the individual student and allows for them to identify and see how they fit into their individual cultures. In the S2 lesson, students have the opportunity to research their cultures further while also being able to interview family members to get different perspectives on their culture. In the S3 lesson, students will compare their cultures with those of their classmates to explore what they have in common and what differs between them. Overall, students will be able to connect with their peers and see how their culture fits in to and makes up American culture.

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)