ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

This unit was designed to improve comprehension abilities through various Non-Fiction texts that will also stimulate ideas for writing. Completed projects will include various journal entries, along with a research paper. This component of learning will be examined through a Second Grade Science unit on the ocean that has cross-curricular connections with technology, reading and writing. The need stemmed from an Educational Improvement Action Plan that facilitates Language Arts with two basic goals: 1. Students will improve writing across the curriculum for a variety of purposes through authentic pieces following the steps of the writing process. 2. Students will show improvement in reading effectively across the curriculum.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: 1. Students will be aware, understand, and utilize the components of the reading process. 2. The students will be able to understand and implement the writing process in regards to prewriting, drafting, editing, and publishing. 3. Technology will be used as a tool for gathering and organizing information that will be used for information related to the earth and the ocean. 4. The use of a journal will reinforce a reading and writing connection to use through different Non-Fiction texts. Goal(s): Students will understand and acknowledge the non-fiction genre through a reading and writing connection. Students will be able to gather information from a variety of texts and technological resources on the earth, ocean and ocean animals. Students will be able use this information to create a research based writing activity that evolves around the 6 Traits of Writing. Students will be able to understand various characteristics of the components of the ocean through the use of website, webs, diagrams, drawings, and charts.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: 1. How can reading Non-Fiction books help build new information about the earth, ocean, and the animals in the ocean? 2. How can I incorporate these Non-Fiction books to help create a better understanding for my writing? 3. How will use of technology tools help reinforce the research of various ocean animals? 4. How is the earth’s characteristics important to how ocean animals live? 5. How will I use the 6 Traits of Writing and rubrics to improve my writing for the ocean animal research project? Learning Objectives: Students will brainstorm and record different ocean animals and their envirionments. (KWL Chart) Students will create and explain a model showing the relative sizes of earth’s landmasses and oceans. (diagram) Students will research an ocean animal through various Non-Fiction texts. Students will record their daily observations of a live hermit crab community in a journal format. Students will implement their Non-Fiction resources through a writing activity . (research, writing, technology)

Assessment

What quiz and test items e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? 1. Students will create a diagram using fractions and percentages that depict the ocean in reflection of it’s landmasses and water. 2. Students will create a Venn-Diagram on the characteristics of a dolphin and shark. 3. Students will take a simple content-focused questions that will require a single, best answer. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding?  Probing and inquiry questions will be posed during each lesson to further examine the oceans components and the animals that live in the ocean environment.Students will create a self-generated question for end-of-unit exam. What performance tasks and projects e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? 1. Students will create a KWL chart at the beginning of the unit to access prior knowledge and experiences of the ocean 2. Students will be keeping a daily observation journal on a live hermit crab community. 3. Students will be reinforcing new knowledge on the ocean through a writer’s notebook that reflects the various non-fiction reading texts that will be incorporated throughout the unit to enhance the final research activity on an ocean animal of their choice. 4. Students will be able to access websites and find non-fiction reading texts that will be used through a research project on an ocean animal. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? 1. I will be having mini-conferences with students throughout the unit on the collection of non-fiction texts that they have chosen for their writing research project. 2. Students will implement a self-assessment of their research project. 3. Checklists will be implemented from the 6 Traits of Writing to assess their writing research project. The checklists will be used in peer conferences and teacher assessments.

Instructional Strategies

Inquiry-based: Students will show evidence of higher order of thinking through a Multiple Intelligneces’ approach of lesson plans that also incorporate Critial Thinking questions. Project-based learning strategy: cooperative learning, group interaction and self-selected work. Students will also have to create Venn-diagrams, Ocean percentages diagram, daily journal, assess various non-fiction texts for a reasearch project on their selected ocean animal.