Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Big Concept: Perspective

Essential Question: How does perspective influence us?
Grade Level: 3rd
Part 1: Outcomes: What do we want them to know? List standards within
subheadings.
3.1.9 Define immigration and explain how immigration enriches community

Immigration is when people leave their country and take their culture,
music, clothing, food, traditions, etc. to a new country.

Examples of countries that people have moved from and what they
brought.
Ex: People from China use chopsticks and eat Chinese food
Ex: People from South America listen to different kinds of music and
this is played in restaurants

How people immigrated many years ago compared to today:

o
o
o
o
o

Boats
Walking
Wagon
Train
Plane

Who lives in Lawrence: Muslim, Hispanic, Asian,

etc? (Population demographics)

People move for:

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Better housing
Different weather
Being closer to family
Education
A new job or more jobs
To get away from conflict
Marriage
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Part 2: Assessments: How do we know what students know? How will they show
what they know?
Formative (Ongoing) Assessments: How do we know they are learning while they
are learning? What multiple techniques can you use?
Useful, Meaningful, and Equitable are from Teemant, Upton, Popcock, Berghoff, Seybold, & Adams (2010) Aiming for
Inclusive Learning Communities

Formative Assessment 1: Gallery Walk

Useful to me as a teacher... this assessment could be used as an opening
activity to access prior knowledge. If used as a formative assessment, it
gives the teacher an opportunity to have an informal conversation with the
students about everything they've learned and any misconceptions that
still exist.

Meaningful to the child the students will enjoy looking at photographs

and different works of art. It's a unique activity and they won't even feel
like they're being assessed.

Equitable to the childstudents have the choice to do the walk

independently or have very small conversations with others in the room if
something really moves them. Students could produce any kind of product
afterwards (video response, poster, journal response, etc.)

Formative Assessment 2: Four Corners

Useful to me as a teacher shows the teacher which students need more
help and on exactly what material they're confused about. This can also
reveal any misconceptions the students have.
Meaningful to the childmakes the students really assess how they're
feeling about the material they've covered and it's done in a way that they
won't be penalized for.
Equitable to the child it's a judgment free activity and they get the
opportunity to verbally share their concerns and listen to peers give them
feedback or information.
Summative Assessment: Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) What authentic
product are students creating to show they understand the big idea, essential
question, standards, and unit concept? (See Possible PBA & Activities handout)
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Name of PBA: Postcard (see primary sources)

How is PBA developmentally appropriate?
Students are very familiar with the idea of writing letters to people in other places.
By 3rd grade students have written about themselves and are familiar with this
style of writing. 4-5 sentences is a very feasible amount of writing for this age.
They should be able to draw a picture to use as a stamp.
Description of PBA: Consider how it meets Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
How can students show what they know in different ways?
Students will have the option to type their postcards on the computer, if need be.
For drawing concerns, students can print their images from the internet. Students
will have the option to create a notecard ring, instead of a postcard.
Note: Prior to PBA: Create a rubric with student input for assessment.
Offer checklists, peer editing, conferences, etc. for students to self-assess their
progress.
Part 3: Path- How do we get there? What meaningful activities, centers or
invitations am I planning so all students can learn the big concept, standards,
and essential question?
Relationship Building: How well do you know me? How will you get to know me
throughout the year? List multiple activities with a short description.
Activity 1: Post It Give everyone 5 post it notes and tell them to write one fact
on each post it note and stick it to their bodies. Students walk around and meet
and greet each other.
Activity 2: Class Bingo Give students a bingo card with different statements
about each other, such as has a brother, walks to school, has 2 sisters, is a twin,
does martial arts, etc. Have the students walk around the room and find other
students who could write their name in the appropriate box.
Prior Knowledge: How do you value what I already know? How can we show this
for all to see and refer to throughout our learning? (Refer to Part 1) As a class,
create large graphic organizers or anchor charts for multiple concepts. Post in
room and continually add new information.
Activity & Topic
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Students will walk around the room and visit posters placed on the wall and write
words, sentences, & questions that they have about what immigration is, where
people immigrate from, and different types of transportation. Students will put
their initials next to anything that they wrote so that during the group discussion it
is easier to tell who wrote it. The posters can stay up on the wall throughout the
unit of study.
Culturally Responsive Activities: What materials do we use in school that
represent my culture and me? What learning activities can I participate in? What
products can I create that connect to my learning?
Activity 1: Resources + Activity + Product Created
Resource: The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
A story about a Russian family that moves to America and the only thing a
little girl brought was her dress. When she outgrows the dress her mom
uses it and other items to make a quilt. From one generation to the next,
the quilt was used for a variety of things.
Activity: Read the book to the whole class. Talk about the importance of the quilt
and what it means in the story. Then have the students create their own square
for our class "quilt" bulletin board about all of the different people in our room.
Product Created: Quilt bulletin board
Activity 2: Resources + Activity + Product Created
Resource: The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff
Fleeing from Russia to America, Rachel and her family want to make a
good impression at the inspection station at Ellis Island. Any wrong move
there could cause one or all of them to be turned away.
Activity: Read the book to the whole class. Discuss the events in the story. Give
students 5 minutes to brainstorm 5 items they would take with them if they had to
move tomorrow and could only take those items. Cross out 4 of the items on their
list and tell them the items were lost on the boat, destroyed, or taken at
inspection. Give them a sheet of paper with a picture of a coat on it and give
them 10-15 minutes to draw the items they lost. Have them write how it made
them feel to lose their items and how they think the characters in the story felt.
Product Created: Memory coat drawings and writing prompts
People Society Marginalizes: How can I learn about people society marginalizes?
These include societys isms. See above format.
Activity 1: Resources + Activity + Product Created
Resource: Coming to America: The Story of Immigration by Betsy Maestro
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

This picture book is a wonderful first introduction to the moving story of
the history of immigration to the United States--a story that belongs to all
Americans.
Activity: Read the book to the whole class. Discuss the hardships that various
groups of immigrants faced. Put the students into small groups and let them
discover the many cultural contributions that were made by these groups of
immigrants by researching on the Ipads or other materials provided. Each group
will be given one cultural group and they will come up with a role playing
presentation in which they introduce who they are, the items they brought from
their country, what life was like for them, etc.
Product Created: Role Play Group Presentation
Activity 2: Resources + Activity + Product Created
Resource: The Color of Home by Mary Hoffman
Hassan feels out of place in a new cold, grey country. At school, he paints a
picture showing his colorful Somalian home, covered with the harsh colors
of war from which his family has fled.
Activity: Read the book to the whole class. Start playing this video for the class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9x_i6MuLPw. The students will be watching
a class speak in French. After watching just a few minutes of the video, stop and
ask the students what they were talking about. Ask them what they learned from
the video. Ask them how they felt while watching the other students and the
teacher talk. After a good discussion, have the students go back to their seats or
center tables and let them paint a picture of how they think the little boy in the
story felt or how they felt during the video.
Product Created: Painting

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Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Relevance: How does this learning relate to my life outside of school? What
study trips, guest speakers, or activities could you do to connect school and
childs community?
Activity 1: Resource + Activity + Product Created
Resource: Guest Speaker Centers (children's parents, if possible)
Activity: Put the class into equal groups and set up 3-5 different centers around
the room. Each center will have a different guest speaker that will be prepared to
share their story of immigration to America. They are encouraged to bring
pictures, items and music from their country, etc. for the children to engage with.
Have them write thoughts in their journals as they visit each center.
Product Created: Journal entry
Activity 2: Resource + Activity + Product Created
Resource: Children's Museum
Activity: Weaving Us Together (museum exhibit). Students will discover the
tradition of storytelling and oral history sharing by observing real objects and
listening to the stories they inspired. Located on Level 2 of the museum. When
the students return to school they will work in small groups to create a web
showing what they learned at the museum. They are encouraged to write names
of students in the class that connect to some of the people/things they write on
their webs.
Product Created: Poster Board Web
Empowerment: How can I co-create my learning? What are multiple ways I can
engage and express my learning? (Student choices offered- also satisfies UDL)
Activity 1: Choice of Resources or Activities or Products Created
Students can create a PowerPoint or some artifact using the computer or Ipad for
the children's museum exhibit.
Activity 2: Choice of Resources or Activities or Products Created
Students could write one word or a sentence instead of drawing something for
the class quilt, as long as it represents them as a person.

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Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.

Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

Resources: What primary sources, critical literacy books, informational texts, and
websites are you going to use that relate to the big concept, essential question,
unit concept, and standards?

Primary
Source:
Digital,
visual
(including the arts and
photography),
oral,
written,
and
community resources
to visit.

http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/lane/postcards
Students can visit this website to get ideas of the different postcards and
stamps that have been created over time.

Critical Literacy Books: What will you use that connects to Culturally Responsive
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Curriculum Framework for Equity - Jess Huskisson

and People Society Marginalizes? Need 4.
When Jessie Came Across the Sea (1997) by Amy Hest
Set at the turn of the 19th century, this is the story of a young girl's adventure.
Voyaging across the sea to a new life in America, Jessie leaves behind her
village home and her beloved Grandmother.
The Color of Home (2002) by Mary Hoffman
Hassan feels out of place in a new cold, grey country. At school, he paints a
picture showing his colorful Somalian home, covered with the harsh colors of
war from which his family has fled.
Coming to America: The Story of Immigration (1996) by Betsy Maestro
This picture book is a wonderful first introduction to the moving story of the
history of immigration to the United States--a story that belongs to all
Americans.
The Memory Coat (1999) by Elvira Woodruff
Fleeing from Russia to America, Rachel and her family want to make a good
impression at the inspection station at Ellis Island. Any wrong move there
could cause one or all of them to be turned away
The Keeping Quilt (1988) by Patricia Polacco
A story about a Russian family that moves to America and the only thing a
little girl brought was her dress. When she outgrows the dress her mom uses
it and other items to make a quilt. From one generation to the next, the quilt
was used for a variety of things.
Website: What website might students use? How?
http://pbskids.org/rogers/picpic.html
This webpage has videos specifically pertaining to factory jobs and it shows
the viewer how fortune cookies, sneakers, balls, guitars, wagons, and
crayons are made. This would be a good website for students to visit once
they were working on a research project.
http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/lane/postcards
Students can visit this website to get ideas of the different postcards and
stamps that have been created over time.

8
Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.