Unit Plan Template s15

Intel® Teach Program

Thinking with Technology Course

Nicole Diemel’s Unit Plan Template

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Unit Author
First and Last Name / Nicole Diemel
School District / School District of Bonduel
School Name / Bonduel Elementary
School City, State / Bonduel, WI
Unit Overview
Unit Title
Pumpkin Crazy
Unit Summary
This unit will be introduced in the month of October for Halloween. Students would be able to research, talk about, discuss, create high-level thinking questions, and explore pumpkins. During this unit, our main focus will be the book, How many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, and from this we will talk about how we can estimate how many seeds will be in a pumpkin taking into consideration the size, weight, and the knowledge that they have gained from a pre-selected book bin. We are also going to be taking a virtual field trip to another state where they grown pumpkins to see the uses and the production.
Subject Area
Science, Reading, Technology, Math
Grade Level
Grade 2
Approximate Time Needed
9 days or up to 2 weeks
Unit Foundation
Habits of Learning Taxonomy
Blooms: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Creating, Evaluating
Marzano’s: Acquisition of Knowledge, Meaningful use of knowledge, Productive Habits of Mind
Cost and Kallick’s: Listening to others with understanding and empathy, Applying past knowledge to new situations, Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks
Reading
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading.
A.4.4 Read to acquire information
C.4.1 Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to different audiences for a variety of purposes.
C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion.
D.4.1 Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication.
Mathematics
D.4.4 Determine measurements directly* by using standard tools to these suggested degrees of accuracy
length to the nearest half-inch or nearest cm
D.4.5 Determine measurements by using basic relationships (such as perimeter and area) and approximate measurements by using estimation techniques
Science
E.4.1 Work with data in the context of real-world situations by
· formulating questions that lead to data collection and analysis
· determining what data to collect and when and how to collect them
· collecting, organizing, and displaying data
· drawing reasonable conclusions based on data
Technology
E.4.1 Use computers to acquire, organize, analyze, and communicate information
E.4.3 Create products appropriate to audience and purpose
Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes
Students will be working with measurement and estimation of each pumpkin.
Students will be researching fiction and non-fiction books pre-selected by the teacher.
Students will be deciding which pumpkin has the most seeds based off of measurement by using a visual ranking tool.
Students will be self-assessing each other on how they worked together in groups.
Students will be learning more about pumpkin patches in the United States by taking virtual field trip.
Students will be communicating with students in another state and asking how they use pumpkins also using www.wordle.net to send a description of their pumpkins.
Students will communicate with clarity and precision by keeping a research journal and final project.
Students will discover how pumpkins meet their basic needs to survive and respond to changes in their environment.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential Question / How do we use and manipulate our environment?
Unit Questions / How do people use pumpkins?
What do you already know about pumpkins?
How are local grown pumpkins different from pumpkins grown in a garden?
How does size affect how many seeds are going to be in the pumpkin?
How do pumpkins/plants adapt to the environment? How would changes in the environment change the way pumpkins grow?
Content Questions / How many seeds are in the pumpkin?
What is the life cycle of the pumpkin?
What are the different kinds of pumpkins?
Assessment Plan
Assessment Timeline
Before project work begins / Students work on projects and complete tasks / After project work is completed
· KWL chart on Pumpkins
· Have students write down their thoughts about pumpkins to determine a baseline of knowledge.
· Introduce to the students the rubric for grading of the “Book Look” Pumpkin Estimation, and Group Work / · Start discussion by having students think, pair, share about what they learned from their pumpkin estimation project. (Think for 1 minute, Pair with a partner next to you, Share with them and then the class)
· Create a group graph for each area- pumpkin circumference, height, and seed number. Discuss the graphs and the data shown.
· “Self Assessment” Have students think about their group work skills and close their eyes. Then ask the students to give themselves a thumbs up if they did a great job working with their group, a thumbs middle if they did okay, but not the best, and a thumbs down if they can do better.
· Collect their Pumpkin Estimation sheets and review. Use rubric attached to determine number of points and grade.
·

· Students will fill out the middle part of the KWL chart.
· “Book Look” – students will be able to view all the books and from that decide which book would they like to read. Students will read that book and find 4 facts and events that they would like to share from what they read.
· Students will be taking a virtual field trip based out of North Carolina to see how they are taken care of in a different state and compare how they are taken care of in our state.
· Students will then write letters and send an animoto slideshow to our epals in North Carolina to see how their pumpkin project turned out.
· Visual Ranking tool to determine which pumpkin will have the most pumpkin

· Have students talk with their groups and decide which part of the project they liked best and make a graphic organizer web about all of the new parts of a pumpkin they have learned now.
· Students will also be able to design their pumpkin and have them displayed in the hallway.
· During computer lab, students can create a PowerPoint about what and how they did their pumpkin crazy project using pictures that were taking during class time.
· Use www.wordle.net to create a descriptive paragraph about pumpkins and how they enjoyed their experience.

Assessment Summary
Pumpkin Reading Log- Students will research a selected pumpkin book and write down 5 “new learnings” that they discovered while reading.
Pumpkin Estimation/Book Look/Group Work Rubric- Students will be graded using this rubric and the guidelines that are to be given at the beginning of the unit.
Pumpkin Estimation Sheet-Students will use this sheet to document and record their results when doing the counting process.
Book Look Fact Graphic Organizer-Students will use this sheet to write down their facts from the book in the pumpkin book bin.
Self Assessment (for Group Work)-Student will give a thumbs up, down, or in-between on a paper and give a reason for how they think they worked in their groups.
Pumpkin Crazy PowerPoint- Students will create a PowerPoint during computer lab time using pictures taken and talk about what they would like others to know about what they found out about pumpkins and how they completed their project.
Wordle Descriptive Paragraph- Students will create a descriptive paragraph about their pumpkins and their pumpkin project experience.
Visual Ranking Elements (Complete this section if this tool will be used in the unit)
Visual Ranking Project Name (For the Visual Ranking workspace)
How many Seeds in the Pumpkin Sort
Project Description (For the Visual Ranking workspace)
This visual ranking tool will be used for the students to choose with their own opinion which pumpkin they think has the most seeds by looking at the size and the weight before we cut them open and count the seeds inside.
Prompt (For the Visual Ranking workspace)
Which pumpkin do you think will have the most seeds inside? Put the pumpkins in order from which pumpkin you think has the most seeds inside to the pumpkin that has the least amount of seeds.
Sorting List (For the Visual Ranking workspace)
Pumpkin 1
Pumpkin 2
Pumpkin 3
Pumpkin 4
Pumpkin 5

Practice Ranking (For your future quick reference)
Practice Team ID 1:diemel1 / Password:team1
Practice Team ID 2:diemel2 / Password:team2
Practice Team ID 3:diemel3 / Password:team3
Unit Details
Prerequisite Skills
Students should be able to access the internet and be able to log on to their computer.
Instructional Procedures
Pumpkins- Day 1
Have students do a book look on different pumpkin books “Book Look”
-Students can pick one book to read and to discuss about.
-Students will need to list 5 things they learned about in their book to discuss with the class.
Give Essential Question for students to start thinking about:
· How do we use and manipulate our environment?
· Students will do the first and second part of the KWL chart / Pumpkins- Day 2
Have class create a chart of all the information we know about pumpkins
-Have students begin writing a pumpkin research paragraph
· -Pumpkin paragraph with a pumpkin diagram
· Go on our Pumpkin Virtual Field Trip and after it is complete talk about our Unit Questions.
· Create questions that we can ask students from North Carolina about the pumpkins and how they will be doing their pumpkin unit. / Pumpkins- Day 3
· Finish up Pumpkin paragraph
· Have students share pumpkin paragraphs with the class.
· Students will give peer feedback by giving a star, star, wish (star- something good they did, wish- something that they need to work on) / Pumpkins- Day 4
-Read “How many seeds in a Pumpkin?”
-List steps of what we are going to be doing
-Divide into groups and Hand out “Pumpkin Estimation”
· Teacher conferences on research status
· Give time to talk about what type of a project they will be working on tomorrow. / Pumpkins- Day 5
-Measure pumpkins
-Have students use the visual ranking tool to decide which pumpkin has the most seeds and compare with the class.
-Have students take out the seeds and put into groups of ten
-Record numbers and Clean
-discuss and grade on Estimation Rubric
· Give Research time
Pumpkins- Day 6
Dis Class Discussion
-Start discussion by having students think, pair, share about what they learned from their pumpkin estimation project. (Think for 1 minute, Pair with a partner next to you, Share with them and then the class)
-Create a group graph for each area- pumpkin circumference, height, and seed number. Discuss the graphs and the data shown.
Self Assessment
-Have students think about their group work skills and close their eyes. Then ask the students to give themselves a thumbs up if they did a great job working with their group, a thumbs middle if they did okay, but not the best, and a thumbs down if they can do better. / Pumpkins- Day 7
· Create our letters to send to North Carolina and also add our pictures adding captions. Along with our letters we will send along our descriptive paragraphs we created on Wordle.com.
· Lab time to work on putting together Power Points (I will also give them the pictures for them to work on)
/ Pumpkins- Day 8
· Lab time to finish up their pumpkin PowerPoints and once they are complete, give time for them to share with the class.
/ Pumpkins- Day 9
· Students will give a final presentation of their pumpkin crazy fun through Power Point
· Students will display their pumpkins in hallway
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student / Give a Power Point outline for their show instead of having to create it from scratch
Have teacher conferences throughout the research process more often that the others
Non-fiction and fiction literature will be offered to the student at their appropriate reading level
Grouping will be used to support learning groups
Extra time will be given if needed
Nonnative English Speaker / Assign pictures to the vocabulary words for better understanding
Have teacher conferences throughout the research process more often that the others
Use modified texts/words that are easier for them to understand
Gifted Student / Have them incorporate video clips and animation in their Power Point
Have them read and find higher level reading books
Have them research the internet and add links about pumpkins
Materials and Resources Required For Unit

Intel® Teach Program

Thinking with Technology Course

Printed Materials / How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? By Margaret McNamara
Supplemental books about pumpkins
Supplies / Newspaper
Pumpkins- 1 for each group with the top cut out as a lid
Newspaper
Spoons for digging seeds out
String
Rulers
Technology -Hardware / Computer
Technology -Software / Power Point
Internet Resources / http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/nylongislandpumpkins.php
http://www.pickyourown.org/nylongisland.htm
http://www.longisland.com/fruit_picking.php
http://www.bottomleysevergreens.com/vtour/vt_pumpkins.htm
http://www.bottomleysevergreens.com/seethefarm.htm
www.animoto.com/education
www.epals.org
www.wordle.net
Other Resources / Polycom unit to hook-up for a virtual field trip (Guest Speaker)