Unit Plan Template

Name: Amanda Sutton

Grade level: 2
Content Area: Literacy
Title of Unit: Written Exploration of Sustainable Development Goals

Essential Questions or Driving Questions:

Essential Question(s) that allow learners to explore significant questions about themselves and/or
their world:

How can students share their knowledge on sustainable development goals?

How can students collaborate to meet/explore these goals?
How can students contribute to global conversations about these sustainable development goals?

Standards:
Your statement about what learners should know and be able to do. (Be sure it related to your essential
questions or driving questions.):

After learning about a global sustainable goal and world issues, students will collaborate with a partner/group
to create a story in which they will state the problem, provide evidence for why this is a problem and offer a
global and local way they can contribute to the goal.

Upon completion of their stories, they will contribute to a classroom voicethread that will allow them to discuss
what they learned and to share their work with the class and offer peer review.

Content Standards—optional depending on your instructional setting (Pick 1-2 main ones.):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points,
and provide a concluding statement or section.

ISTE*S Standards (Pick 1-2 rather than including the whole list.):

3d (Knowledge Constructor)
Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and
pursuing answers and solutions.

7d (Global Collaborator)
Students explore local and global issues and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate
solutions.

Overview and Timeline

1. Day 1- Introduction to Climate Change (Sustainable Goal 13)

a. Video Presentation
 i. Start with: What is Carbon? - For students to build background Knowledge on Carbon
(decide on use for your class)
ii. Bill Nye Climate Change - To learn more about global climate change and why it’s a
problem.
iii. Climate Change and Effects - NATGEO : option to replace/supplement Bill NYE video.
iv. Global Warming for Kids - Youtube - What we can do about Climate Change - 5:38 to
6:56

b. Whole class discussion facilitated by teacher addressing the following questions as learned
from the videos or built from background knowledge.
i. What is Climate Change?
ii. What are the effects on our world?
iii. Why do we care?

c. We recommend that you create a visual anchor chart to support ELL, IEP and other students
that may need/appreciate it.

d. Teacher assigns partners for the remainder of the activities. These partners will work together
on the Storybird.

2. Day 2 – Investigate
a. Students will meet with their partner and read an article(s) regarding global climate change,
these are available on the student’s assignment page. We recommend that you print them as
well.

b. We also have links to kids online articles here:

i. What is Global Climate Change - NASA
ii. How do we know the climate is changing? - NASA
iii. What is Climate Change? We Investigate - NATGEO
iv. Climate Action - Why it matters - Sustainable Development
v. How To Help - NASA
vi. What We Can Do - ESCHOOL
vii. Video- EPA -Climate Change Overview
viii. Climate Change Slideshow - American Museum of Natural History

c. In-class small group assignment, worksheet/graphic organizer to be completed (see bottom of

page).
i. What is Climate Change?
ii. What is the problem causing climate change?
iii. What effects does it have on us/animals/environment/weather?
iv. What can people do to help?

3. Day 3 - Create Storybird presentation, small group work

a. Teacher screencast of how to use and access Storybird – students will watch together before
going to work with their partner.

b. Find your group and use graphic organizer from day 2 to create a Storybird together.
i. It is suggested that you decide appropriate picture themes for the students to use.
Some suggestions that they could use are ones that show weather, climate,
environment, and people or others that make sense for their story.

c. Instructions to provide to students:

 i. Login to Storybird, pick the short story book, choose a cover for your book, add names
of both partners and goal 13 (climate change).
ii. In your Storybird:
1. State the problem: What is going on?
2. Why is it a problem: How does it affect the world around us? (provide 2 pieces of
evidence)
3. What can we do to change this: Give one global change and one local or
individual change.
iii. Choose pictures that help to tell your story.

4. Day 4 - Storybird presentation work time

a. Continue to work and edit Storybird presentations

b. Begin to watch each other’s Storybird presentations – we recommend that you assign group
“partners” and instruct the students to present their book to another group so that they can
prepare for their reflection.

5. Day 5 - Flipgrid Peer Reviews, each student will:

a. View teacher screencast tutorial for flipgrid as a class.
b. Create a flipgrid (individual work).

c. Flipgrid instructions:
1. Name two things you learned about climate change (Goal 13).
2. Comment one thing you learned from your group partner after viewing their
presentation from Thursday (Day 4).
Assessment
Summative: Completion of Storybird Tale book- graded according to rubric.
Rubric:
1. A problem was clearly identified
2. Students gave two examples of why this is a problem (using evidence from article and/or
videos)
3. There are clear examples of what can be done to change the problem. One global change
example and one local or individual change example
4. Presentation includes at least 3 slides

We have provided the following rubric for your use.

Proficient (3) Developing (2) Emerging (1)

Problem was clearly The problem was Problem was identified, Problem was not identified.
Identified identified using clear but not fully developed.
wording.
Supporting Statements 2 examples were given 1-2 examples may be Problems were not identified/not supported.
with support from present, but lack
provided resources. support from
resources.
Changes (Global and Changes are discussed One of the changes is Changes are not given.
Individual) – one individual and missing or may not be
one global are present identified clearly.
and clearly labeled.
Editing/Style 3 or more pages, Less than 3 pages, Editing requirements are ignored and major
names present, the missing elements, requirements are missing.
book is labeled, pictures may not be
pictures are appropriate.
appropriate for writing.
Formative: Flipgrid Review - Designed to give the teacher an idea of what students know about sustainable
development goal 13 (Climate Change). Students will answer a question in Flipgrid about their learning and
provide each other feedback.
Rubric:
1. Student answered question with two supportive statements about what they learned about the
goal and
2. Student commented with at least one thing that they learned from their viewing of their group
partners Storybird.
We have provided the following rubric for your use.
Proficient (3) Developing (2) Emerging (1)

Learning from Unit Student participated in Student participated in Student didn’t

Flipgrid and shared two Flipgrid. But, may not participate in Flipgrid or
things they learned have given two clear didn’t answer question.
about the Global Goal and separate
from their research. statements.
Learning from peers Student Identified Statement was not Statement was not
something different different from two present.
from two previous given from research,
statements that they not clearly identified
learned from watching and/or not supported.
peer presentation.

Resources
Educator Preparation:
1. Create classroom on Flipgrid and provide code to students.
2. Create Storybird classroom/Educator account, create usernames for students and change passwords
(for easy access/sharing with students).
3. Research about Climate Change
4. ScreenCast Tutorials on Storybird and Flipgrid (ours are on the student assignment page).
5. Leading Class Discussion and participation
6. Provide Graphic Organizers
7. Create Partnerships for Storybird and a partner group to review eachothers book.
8. Provide Grading Templates

Tools and Resources Provided to Learners:

1. Graphic Organizer for Research
2. List of Research Websites
3. Videos to build background knowledge and jumpstart unit
4. Access to Tablets/Computers to conduct research

Tutorials and Templates Provided to Learners:

1. Screencast on how to create Storybird.
2. Screencast on how to create video in Flipgrid.
3. Instructions/Directions on Storybird assignment
4. Instructions/Directions on Flipgrid.

Reason(s) for chosen technology(s):

-Storybird is creative, it allows a writing unit to come together with visual, it can be collaborative, it is easy to
use. Another major reason that it was chosen, was because it allows teachers to create student profiles without
needing emails and/or needing names, allowing for student privacy. It is also a free website, which is an
important factor for many teachers to consider when picking a platform.
-Flipgrid is collaborative and easy to use. It allows teachers to create a classroom, where students can respond
in video and watch what others have created. It is also free and easy to manage for educators.

Instructional Plan
Management:
Monday – Students will sit at the carpet for a video and participate in class discussion.
Tuesday – Students will break out into their groups. Each student will need a chromebook or ipad to access
the online articles. Each group will choose an article and read it to answer questions regarding the issue.
These can also be printed as a resource.
Wednesday – Students will sit at the carpet to watch teacher’s screencast presentation about Storybird. Next
students will break out into their groups/partners. Seating will be flexible. Each student will need a chromebook
or ipad to access Storybird.
Thursday – Students will work in groups using chromebooks. Next, students will watch each other’s Storybird
presentations, seating will be flexible.
Friday- Students will sit at the carpet to watch teacher screencast presentation on Flipgrid. Students will work
independently, using ipads or chromebooks to create a Flipgrid. Seating will be flexible.
Differentiation:
Students unable to use technology may give written report or oral report (IEP).
Video/Discussion will give visuals to conversation about topic (IEP/ESOL).
Students will be in partnerships to support one another (IEP, ESOL).

Closure and Reflection

After all Storybird are completed, we will have a viewing party where students can present their work and
answer questions. We will also view the Flipgrid from the class Weebly. Students will have time to reflect and
share what they liked most about the unit, what they learned from each other, and talk about their experience
with the tech tools.