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Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Iditarod
Physics and English
Kelsey, Patrick, and Liam

Grade Level
Time Frame

High School
1 week

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
1.1 (HS) Newtons laws of motion and gravitation describe the relationships among forces acting on and
between objects, their masses, and changes in their motion but have limitations
English: 1.1 (HS) Oral presentations require effective preparation strategies
English: 1.2 (HS) Listening critically to comprehend a speakers message requires mental and physical strategies
to direct and maintain attention
English: 2.2 (HS) Increasingly complex informational texts require mature interpretation and study
English: 4.1 (HS) Informational materials, including electronic sources, need to be collected, evaluated, and
analyzed for accuracy, relevance, and effectiveness for answering research questions.
English: 4.2 (HS) Effective problem-solving strategies require high-quality reasoning
Physics:

Understandings
Overarching Understanding
Physics:
In order for anything to accelerate it must have a net force
acting on it (F=ma).
The Forces that act on objects can be represented in a free
body diagram
English:
The process for overcoming obstacles in ones life can take
many different forms
Supporting ones arguments requires the use of accurate
information
Related Misconceptions
Physics:
Force is the same thing as energy
If an object is moving at all it has a net force acting on it.
Weight and force are different
The direction that forces such as friction act.
English:
Students may try to compare themselves to Rachael Scdoris

Essential Questions
Overarching
Physics:
How do the laws of
motion effect your
everyday life?
How is force and
acceleration related?
English:
How do you overcome
obstacles in your life?
How can you relate to
others facing obstacles
in their lives?

Topical
Physics:
Which way does friction
act on an object?
What is a normal force?
What is weight?
If something is moving
at constant velocity,
does it have a net force
acting on it?
English:
What is the Iditarod?
How do you construct a
letter to a musher?
How do you deliver an
informative speech on
overcoming obstacles?
How do you conduct
research?
What are the

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possibly leading to thinking that the obstacles theyve

faced are not as significant.
A blind person cant compete in the Iditarod.
Its not possible to follow the Iditarod its in Alaska.

conventions of
expository writing?

Knowledge

Skills

Students will know

Students will be able to

Physics:
Newtons 2nd Law
What a force is
How to identify forces acting on an object
The direction that friction acts
English:
The history, route, and key terms of the Iditarod
Challenges faced by mushers competing in the Iditarod
The story of Rachael Scdoris
The conventions of expository writing
How to conduct research for expository writing

Physics:
Draw Free Body Diagrams showing forces acting on an
object and indicate their proper directios.
Calculate Force, Mass or Acceleration of an object through
the use of Newtons 2nd Law
Conduct a lab to show Newtons 2nd Law
English:
Communicate, through letter writing, with mushers
competing in the Iditarod.
Relate challenges faced in their own lives to those faced
by Rachael Scdoris.
Vocally express, through informative speeches, how they
have overcome obstacles in their lives.
Use effective research techniques to create an expository
writing piece.

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description
Goal
Role
Audience
Situation
Product/Performan
ce

Physics: show Newtons 2nd Law

English: Discuss process for overcoming obstacles
English: Write an expository essay on the Iditarod
Physics: Students are the physicist demonstrating that this law is true
English: You are communicating how you have overcome obstacles in your life
English: You are informing your classmates on the history of the Iditarod
Physics: Skeptics of Newtons 2nd Law
English: Your peers (classmates)
Physics: The challenge is determining how to make ones own experiment
English: You will need to reflect on obstacles you have overcome in your life and communicate your process for
overcoming the obstacle(s)
English: You will need to use proper research practices to create an essay that is both informative and accurate.
Physics: Given the supplies listed in lesson plan 3, students will show Newtons 2 nd law holds true with a small
margin of error.
English: You will deliver a 5-7 minute speech on overcoming obstacles and compare/contrast your strategies to

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Standards

overcome with those used by Rachael Scdoris.

English: You will create a 5 page expository essay on the history of the Iditarod.
Physics: Students work will be judged according to the rubric found in lesson plan 3.
English: Your speech will be evaluated by both the teacher and your classmates.
English: Your essay will be evaluated by the teacher and your classmates.

Other Evidence

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

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

Physics: Students are headed towards a basic understanding of all of Newtons

laws of motion. Students have already learned the concept of vectors, acceleration,
velocity, and displacement, students will know where they are going by looking at
the class schedule and through brief class discussions.
English: Students are headed toward a basic understanding of the Iditarod and the
many obstacles faced by mushers participating in the race. The lesson plans are
structured in a way that allows for scaffolding toward the final assessment.
English: Students are headed toward a basic understanding of the history of the
Iditarod, as well as the general conventions of expository writing. The lesson plans
and workshop days are structured in a way scaffolds towards the final assessment.
Physics: The Iditarod video, and discussing how laws of motion apply to everyday
life.
English: The Iditarod video in LP1, the introduction to the story of Rachael Scdoris,
matching students with mushers.
English: Iditarod video, and discussions on the utility of supporting ones arguments
(both in and out of the classroom) with evidence.
Physics: Students will draw FBDs and compare and discuss their conclusions with
their neighbors, there will be brief lectures throughout the unit to introduce major
concepts, students will be presented with minimal knowledge from me, and will learn
the rest through investigation and discussion.
English: Following the mushers progress throughout the race, as well as
progression through No End in Sight will allow for students to experience and explore
the context of the unit. Conversations amongst peers will also allow students to
make connections between their interactions with the text, and the mushers, to their
goals for the summative assessment.
English: Students will engage in discussions of the usefulness of expository writing
in a variety of situations, and they will be able to explore the various aspects of this
writing style throughout the different lessons.
Physics: Students will reflect and rethink through discussion, and papers they
turned in the previous class will be returned the next class to allow students to
recognize their misconceptions.

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work?

How will you help students to exhibit and

self-evaluate their growing skills,
knowledge, and understanding throughout
the unit?

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?

Students can turn in incorrect work to regain points.

English: Time will be allotted in each class session, both at the beginning and end of
the period, to allow for reflection and thought in the form of writing in their English
journals and peer discussion about the topic covered in class.
English: Two class periods have been allotted to allow students to reflect and
rethink via peer discussion and workshops on their expository Iditarod pieces.
Physics: Students will exhibit and self-evaluate through class discussion and sharing
work with peers.
English: Students will have multiple days leading up to the summative assessment
to self-evaluate their speech to include the skills, knowledge, and understanding
theyve gained throughout the unit. Students will exhibit those skills, knowledge,
and understanding when they present their speech.
English: Students will be able to self-evaluate through the revisions of their essays,
especially on workshop days, and will exhibit their skills by turning in a completed
essay that reflects the quality of work that has gone into their drafting and writing
processes.
Physics: Allow students who need extra time and help to come in during lunch or
before/after school. Students who excel can take a leadership in their groups and
class and explain during discussion, all students will be expected to work in groups
and cooperate with their table partners.
English: Students will be provided with models of exemplary speeches highlighting
the required components of an effective speech. Students will also have a peer
review day to practice speeches and gain feedback from peers.
English: Students will be provided with examples of model texts throughout the unit
to guide their writing, and will receive extensive instruction on how to locate and
utilize valid sources in their essays. Students will also have two workshop days in
which they will have their work reviewed, and review the works of their peers.
Physics: Basic to complex. Start simple, with what a force is (in terms that students
already know) and work up to Newtons 2nd Law.
English: No End in Sight will be present throughout the unit as the common text.
However, the unit will scaffold with an introduction to the Iditarod and progress
throughout the unit by connecting the content of the Iditarod to the students lives
and experiences with the text.
English: All of the lessons in this unit will scaffold, to first give students an
understanding of the basic conventions of expository writing before moving into the
more complex ideas and concepts of academic research writing.

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