Douglas County Feeder adapted MYP unit planner Unit title (Title engages student inquiry)
Teacher(s)
Chemical Interactions and their Consequences
Kristy Lathrop
Who filled out this planner? Kristy Lathrop and
Jullie Roach
Anthony LaCombe
Anthony LaCombe Subject and grade level
Physical Science 8th Grade
Time frame and duration
Approximately 4 weeks
Stage 1: Integrate significant concept, area of interaction and unit question Area of interaction focus
Significant concept(s)
Which one area of interaction fits naturally and will be our focus? Why have we chosen this?
(Content and /or skills) Teachers of the same subject and level should refer to their horizontal planning documents. What are the big ideas? What do we want our students to retain for years into the future?
Environments
Every chemical change has a consequence. Our students need to see that there are predictable effects of causing chemical interactions.
We are examining the results of our actions.
MYP guiding unit question This question reflects the struggle between the AOI and the significant concept(s). It must be kid friendly, engaging and meaningful for both students and teachers.
How do our choices affect our environments?
Assessment What task(s) will allow students the opportunity to respond to the unit question? What exemplars will students see so that they understand what is required? What will constitute acceptable evidence of understanding? How will students show what they have understood?
Power Plant Presentations: We will investigate various aspects of Nuclear and Fossil fuel. Each group of students will evaluate aspects such as environmental effects, health impacts, cost, etc. These groups will present their findings to the class in a multimedia format. Town Hall Meeting: Each person attending the Town Hall meeting will have a “role� or varying perspective such as farmer, lawyer, Chamber of Commerce, environmentalist, and business owner. We will be
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addressing this hypothetical question: “Castle Rock is growing quickly and will need more power. What type of power plant would best address our needs: Nuclear or Fossil Fuels?” Students will respond to the unit question and their perspective(s) on nuclear versus fossil fuel power plants via a public blog. Their reactions will be based on their personal research and the Town Hall meeting in which the stakeholders will discuss what hypothetical solution is best for Castle Rock. Students will see rubrics that guide their comments. Blog Transcripts of the lesson will be read and students will have a chance to add further comments and reflect upon their previous and future choices. Which specific MYP aims and objectives will be addressed during this unit? (Found in your MYP subject area guide)
A One world B Communication in science Which MYP assessment criteria will be used? (Use at least two criteria) Describe the summative performance assessment task(s) that used the MYP assessment rubrics.
Energy Plant Presentations: IB Criterion C: Knowledge and Understanding of Science “Scientific Ideas & Concepts”
IB Criterion B: Communication in Science “Presenting Scientific Information” Town Hall Meeting: IB Criterion A, Benchmark 1: One World “The student describes and explains ways in which science is applied and used to solve local and global problems” IB Criterion B, Benchmark 3: Communication in Science “The student communicates scientific information while properly acknowledging sources”
Stage 2: Backward planning: from the assessment to the learning activities through inquiry Content What knowledge and/or skills (from the course overview) are going to be used to enable the student to respond to the unit question? What (if any) state, provincial, district, or local standards/skills are to be addressed? How can they be unpacked to develop the significant concept(s) for stage 1?
Science 1 Students apply the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations. 2 Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy. Content Area and Other Great Questions Never throw out a great question.
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If Castle Rock were to build an energy plant, should we choose fossil fuels or nuclear energy? Is nuclear waste bad for the environment? Is acid rain a factor to our health? Do we have enough water for the future? Are there sources of energy that are better for everyone? What can we do about this? Approaches to learning (This AOI will always be a consideration in every unit plan) How will this unit contribute to the overall development of subject-specific and general approaches to learning skills? Identify unit ATL skills. How will we use these identified ATL skills to facilitate vertical articulation?
Org aniz at io n – Co lla bo ra ti onCo mm un ica ti onInf orma ti on Li te rac yRe fle cti on Thi nki ng -
Learning experiences
Teaching strategies
How will students know what is expected of them? Will they see examples, rubrics, templates? How will students acquire the knowledge and practise the skills required? How will they practise applying these? Do the students have enough prior knowledge? Is preassessment needed? How will we know?
How will we use formative assessment to give students feedback during the unit? What different teaching methodologies will we employ? How are we differentiating teaching and learning for all? How have we made provision for those learning in a language other than their mother tongue? How have we considered those with special educational needs?
PLEASE INCLUDE SAMPLES OF KEY MYP ACTIVITIES IN FIRST CLASS
Students will be given a rubric to guide them in their research. An additional rubric will be given to assess their participation in the Town Hall meeting, either as a debater or blog participant—the rubric will address both roles.
Interdisciplinary Links Arts Humanities
Language B Mathematics 3
Science X Technology
X X
Language A X PE & Health Education X Description: Students will use communication skills such as researching, reading, writing, and note taking to formulate opinions and decisions about the topic of nuclear versus fossil fuel plant. Others will use further skills in the debate or persuasion of their opinion(s), and yet others will use language arts conventions to state opinions or observations via the blog. Students will be required to read and interpret a pie chart. All students will be expected to know the health risks involved with either of the two plant options. Finally, science and technology will weave throughout the entire lesson.
Fundamental Concepts Communication Holistic Learning Intercultural Awareness
X X
How is this evident? As mentioned earlier, students will research, read, and write about either nuclear or fossil fuel plants and use their research to formulate an opinion/argument. They will state that argument/opinion either orally or written on the blog. Students have to consider the cultures of a variety of stakeholders within our community.
Learner Profile Inquirers Thinkers Principled Caring Balanced
X X X X X
Knowledgeable Communicators Open-Minded Risk-takers Reflective
X X X X X
Resources What resources are available to us? What resources do I need (differentiation, equipment, materials)? How will our classroom environment, local environment and/or the community be used to facilitate students’ experiences during the unit?
We used a variety of library books to conduct the research (see attached sheet). We used iMovie, Keynote, webs.com, Garage Band and Power Point for the presentations. Internet websites and word processing software such as Microsoft Word will be used to type their research. Enough computers to research, and then use of the computer lab to conduct the Town Hall meeting. The internet website used to conduct the blog is;
http://www.coveritlive.com
Ongoing reflections and evaluation In keeping an ongoing record, consider the following questions.
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Students and teachers What did we find compelling? Were our disciplinary knowledge/skills challenged in any way? What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, extension activities arose? How did we reflect—both on the unit and on our own learning? Which attributes of the learner profile were encouraged through this unit? What opportunities were there for student-initiated action? How did we deepen our understanding of the AOI?
Possible connections How successful was the collaboration with other teachers within my subject group and from other subject groups? What interdisciplinary understandings were or could be forged through collaboration with other subjects?
Assessment Were students able to demonstrate their learning? How did the assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this unit? How did I make sure students were invited to achieve at all levels of the criteria descriptors? At what level of Bloom’s Taxonomy does this task ask the student to engage? Are we prepared for the next stage?
Data collection How did we decide on the data to collect? Was it useful? How will it be used?
This unit has exploded! The students found the guiding question to be extremely relevant and engaging. They want to learn more about energy and they want to do something with their learning. We are going to use this to bridge into a unit on energy and as a natural segue into Community and Service. The next unit will require the support of teachers on my team in all content areas. I feel that most of my students did an excellent job with their presentations and with the town hall meeting. They demonstrated thought on the highest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. They also engaged in several 21st Century skills. Next time, I might tape the rubrics to tables to remind students what characteristics they need to demonstrate during our presentations and discussions.
Figure 12 MYP unit planner
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