The fourth step in planning a unit plan is to research and decide on the necessary materials and resources that create engagement through anticipatory sets and help to develop confidence as competent

The fourth step in planning a unit plan is to research and decide on the necessary materials and resources that create engagement through anticipatory sets and help to develop confidence as competent 1


Science Unit Plan

Grade: Earth Science

Unit Theme: Environment Protection

Week 1

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Lesson Title, Brief Summary, and Rationale

(fill in during Topic 1)

Environmental Health

Environmental Health

Environmental Health

Environmental Health

Environmental Health

State-Specific Standards

(fill in during Topic 1)

K-5

K-6

K-7

K-7

K-8

Learning Objectives

(fill in during Topic 1)

By the end of the lesson, learners should explain the essence of recycling and reusing garbage

By the end of the lesson, the learners should identify the dumping sites and give the right direction for dumping waste

By the end of the lesson, learners should explain the significance of protecting the environment.

By the end of the lesson, the learners should elaborate the best strategies for protecting the environment.

By the end of the lesson, learners should elaborate on the significance of protecting the environment.

Vocabulary

(fill in during Topic 1)

Re-using, recycling

Dumping sites

Environment protection

Environment protection, dumping sites

Environment protection, garbage

Instructional Strategy

(fill in during Topic 2)

Learner will collect the reusable waste products.

The learners should also improvise garbage collecting tools

Learners will identify the reusable waste products

Learners will collect the reusable items from the school environment

Learners will collect the waste in the environment and dump it appropriately

Learners will collect waste in the school environment and dump it appropriately. The students will also dispose the products using the best approaches such as burning and burying

Summary of Instruction and Activities for the Lesson

(fill in during Topic 2)

Learners will collect the garbage around the school and identify the reusable ones. Learners will also make the tools.

Learners will collect the garbage ad identify the recyclable ones

Learners will focus on making the school environment clean by using different strategies of dumping wastes

Learners will collect the garbage and keep the environment clean

The learners will use different strategy to protect the environment which include burning and burying of garbage

Differentiation and Accommodations

(fill in during Topic 3)

For slow learners and individual with difficulties in making the tools. They will be asked to make their tools at homes.

For students who fall in the below and average academic ability categories, the teacher will provide them with access to various exemplars that will make their learning to be more effective. Also, they will be provided with additional time to complete the tasks assigned to them including homework.

The teacher will also address the students with special needs in different sessions.

Students will be allowed to complete their tasks in alternate learning settings. For instance, the teacher will avail video and audiobooks to every student regardless of his or her level of academic ability.

The teacher will identify the students with different special needs and offer the needed support.

Also, the teacher will be providing oral responses regarding students’ needs and concerns instead of providing written responses that are mostly ineffective as the majority of the students are unlikely to take them seriously.

The teacher will identify the students with different special needs and offer the needed support.

The instructor will ensure that the notes describing various strategies for protecting the environment contain simpler language for easier understanding by every student. Each strategy will also be given ample time by the teacher to guarantee that all students grasp the main concepts.

The teacher will identify the students with different special and offer the needed support.

The tutor will allow students to outline instead of composing complete essays. Grading will be based on the goals set for a particular unit in lieu of utilizing the conventional method of grading.

Materials, Resources, and Technology

(fill in during Topic 4)

Textbooks, Magazines, Journals, Watching documentaries and using real tools

Magazines, Journals, Watching documentaries and using real tools

Magazines, Journals, Watching documentaries and using real tools

Magazines, Journals, Watching documentaries and using real tools

Magazines, Journals, Watching documentaries and using real tools

Formative Assessment

(fill in during Topic 5)

The students should identify the different strategies for collecting garbage

The students will identify the reusable garbage

The learners will provide two merits of protecting the environment

The learners should also identify the different strategies used to keep the environment tidy

Summative Assessment

(fill in during Topic 5)

The learners will be interviewed through an oral test on the importance of protecting the environment.

The learners will also be assigned different cleaning roles based on the lesson taught as far as protection of the environment is concerned.

Reflection Topic 1:

Environmental Health is a critical topic that all learner should be equipped with (Moeller & Moeller, 2009). This is due to the rising call for environmental protection. There is a rise in the number of waste products which are inappropriately dumped. This affects the lives of different components of the ecosystem which include, the marine life. Student’s should therefore be taught on the significance of environmental protection.

Reflection Topic 2:

The learning process should also include instructional teaching strategies that help the learners conceptualize the topics of discussions better. Among the instructional strategy, include asking the students to collect the garbage around the school and identify the recyclable ones. The students will also improvise different tolls for managing waste. This aims at equipping the learners with the necessary skills that inference the topics taught.

Reflection Topic 3:

Differentiation and accommodation are crucial in the learning process. Learners are different; their ability to grasp concepts varies. There is a need to consider the individual differences that would be because of special needs. For instance, the facilitator will identify learners with challenges in identifying the concepts. The students with special needs will be offered the necessary support.

To ensure that those students who are considered to belong to the below and average academic ability categories are accommodated effectively, the tutor will offer them various exemplars that will make their learning more effective. Appropriate models associated with environmental health will be availed to them to serve as exemplars. In case these models fail to work, videos containing 3D models of the same will be presented to the students for further learning. Providing additional time to students for them to complete assigned tasks will also serve as a further accommodation strategy. Ample time will enable students to do more research on areas they are least conversant with. Allowing students to complete tasks in alternate learning settings is another accommodation strategy. Working in groups is one form of alternate setting that allows students to work together in brainstorming academic issues, especially those that most are not well familiar with. Studies have proven that students’ groups play an important role in improving their overall performance (Brame & Biel, 2015). This is because such groups promote peer to peer learning and therefore, students can utilize any method of learning they deem appropriate to gain additional knowledge. By the teacher availing learning video and audiobooks to students, they can go over them repeatedly to understand what one missed during the lecture. Thus, such alternate settings of learning are critical in the life of a student as they instill additional knowledge. Additionally, the teacher can provide oral responses regarding students’ needs and concerns instead of providing written responses that are mostly ineffective as the majority of the students are unlikely to take them seriously. This is a form of accommodation strategy that promotes inclusivity of students by utilizing face to face mode of communication. It is common for tutors to ask their students to email if they have any concerns or queries regarding what is taught. While such methods deliver results, they are not the best as in most cases students do not get the personalized results they desire. Therefore, it is advisable where possible, for tutors to orally respond to the needs of their students instead of doing so through written means. One strategy of differentiation that an instructor can utilize is to ensure that the notes describing various strategies for protecting the environment contain simpler language for easier understanding by every student. Moreover, the teacher can use another differentiation strategy associated with giving ample time to each topic to guarantee that all students grasp the main concepts. A tutor should cover fewer items that all students understand within a lecture than cover multiple items and leave most students hanging (Brookfield, 2015). Allowing students to outline instead of completing essays is another differentiation strategy. It allows tutors to specifically guide students through the essay writing process. Essays form the basis for evaluation and thus, students need to have the necessary knowledge required to write constructive essays that reflect the knowledge they have learned. Grading students based on the goals set for a particular unit is another strategy for differentiation that can be utilized by tutors. It promotes transparency in learning and hence instills confidence in students as they acquire education.

Reflection Topic 4:

The learning process should be bolstered by different learning equipment, including realia, 3D, and 2D objects. These objects ensure that the students effectively conceptualize the content taught. In this case, real objects, Documentaries, primary and secondary resources will be used.

Reflection Topic 5:

Assessment is crucial at the end of the learning process. The different learning processes will be used, which include formative and summative assessments. In this case, the formative evaluation will entail giving the importance of protecting the environment, categorizing the different garbage, among others. The summative evaluation will be based on taking care of the school environment based on the taught approaches.

References

Brame, C. J., & Biel, R. (2015). Group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Accessed April23, 2018.

Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. John Wiley & Sons.

Moeller, D. W., & Moeller, D. W. (2009). Environmental health. Harvard University Press.




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