Profile Sheet
PBL Lesson Plan for Diverse Learners
Teacher: Christie Bascetta
Title: Bascetta “Brainiacs” Tackle Possible Cancellation of Annual Fourth Grade Field Trip
Primary Subject Area: Social Studies
Outside Subject Area: Math
Class and Level Social Studies (only one level at this school)
Grade Level: 4th grade
Description of student roles and problem situation:
Mrs. Bascetta’s fourth grade students are shown a memorandum from their Principal Mr. Lancaster that the much anticipated annual fourth grade field trip to St. Augustine Florida is in jeopardy of being cancelled if the remaining balance owed for the trip cannot be generated. He has suggested a student run fundraiser to cover the remaining cost of the trip and has given the students the task of taking on the role as a business person who is in a five person team to present a “business plan” to he and the bookkeeper Mrs. Vernon on the best fundraiser they believe could be implemented to obtain the money for the balance. The “business team” will have one week to review and analyze information provided, find other resources, and put together several components of their “business plan” to present to Mr. Lancaster and Mrs. Vernon.
Adaptations for Student from Non-Western culture:
· I will research students’ culture and its value system and make modifications to instructional strategies and activities which will adapt to student’s culture.
· I will provide student with resource material from the student’s culture.
· Inquire with student on what they know about the market system from their culture and attempt to make similarities (if feasible) between Western culture vs. Non-Western culture.
· Send a letter to student’s parents in regards to the project and request input. Moreover, this will allow the parent the opportunity to provide home support for the project.
· If student is struggling with problem, provide a peer tutor who has a good grasp of the problem to discuss. I will be there to monitor.
Adaptations for ESOL Student:
· All meet the problem documents will be translated into the student’s first language. Student will be given the English version as well.
· If necessary, I will have the student present in their first language and have another adult who speaks that language in the audience when presentations are made.
· If necessary, I will have the student complete any written work in their first language.
· A dictionary of the student’s first language will be readily available.
· If available, I will have student placed in a “team” with another student with the same first language which will provide comfort to both students.
· A note will be sent home to student’s parents in their first language to inform them of the project. This will provide an opportunity for the parents to provide home support to their student in regards to the project.
· I will provide extra one-on-one time for the ESOL student who struggles understanding the problem.
Title, Learner Characteristics, and Sunshine State Standards
PBL Lesson Plan for Diverse Learners
Teacher: Christie Bascetta
Title: Bascetta “Brainiacs” Tackle Possible Cancellation of Annual Fourth Grade Field Trip
Primary Subject Area: Social Studies
Outside Subject Area: Math
Class and Level Social Studies (only one level at this school)
Grade Level: 4th grade
Primary Sunshine State Standards:
SS.D.1.2.5: The student understands the concept of earning income and
the basic concept of a budget.
SS.D. 2.2.1: The student understands economic specialization and how specialization generally affects costs, amount of goods and services produced, and interdependence.
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards from Math:
MA.A.3.2.3: The student adds, subtracts, multiplies whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers, and divides whole numbers to solve real world problems, using appropriate methods of computing, such as mental mathematics, paper and pencil, and calculator.
Learner Characteristics of Elementary Grades:
· Physical: Although small in magnitude, gender differences in motor skill performance are apparent
Justification: According to Snowman and Biehler, “[one] benefit of attaining mastery over large and small muscles is a relatively orderly classroom. Fourth and fifth graders can sit quietly for extended periods and concentrate on whatever intellectual task is at hand” (page 79). Because of the importance and content of the material presented in this lesson, it will be important for students to be able to hear all the information for this project because of its many components. Also according to Snowman and Biehler, “[another] benefit [of attaining mastery over large and small muscles] is that children enjoy arts and crafts . . .” (page 79). This characteristic is important because this lesson will call for students to create a product to sell.
· Social: The peer group becomes powerful and begins to replace adults as the major source of behavior standards and recognition of achievement.
Justification: Snowman and Biehler expressed “. . . by grades 4 and 5, children are more interested in getting along with one another without adult supervision” (page 79). In this lesson, the students will be working together in small groups with minimal supervision by the teacher.
· Social: Friendships become more selective and gender based.
Justification: For this lesson, small groups will be teacher selected which will include both genders which according to Snowman and Biehler should not be a problem as “. . . children of this age will rarely refuse to interact with members of the opposite sex when directed to do so by parents and teachers. . .”(page 79).
· Emotional: During this period, children develop more global, integrated and complex self image.
Justification: This lesson will be beneficial to a students’ academic self image because the student will be working in a small group/team where their individual academic level will not be a factor. According to Snowman and Biehler, “children will naturally compare themselves to one another as well as to broad-based norms in an effort to determine who they are. This social comparison process can have detrimental effects on a student’s academic self-image when most of his classmates are more able learners” (page 81).
· Cognitive: The elementary grade child can think logically, although such thinking is constrained and inconsistent.
Justification: Because the student will have a ‘personal stake’ in this lesson (use earnings towards a much anticipated field trip), this lesson is appropriate for this grade level because “[most] will have attained enough mastery of logical schemes that they can understand and solve tasks that involve such processes as class inclusion, seriation, conservation, and symbolic representation, provided that the content of the task refers to real, tangible ideas . . .” (page 82).
Learning Outcomes, Student Role and Problem Situation,
Meet the Problem Method
PBL Lesson Plan for Diverse Learners
Teacher: Christie Bascetta
Title: Bascetta “Brainiacs” Tackle Possible Cancellation of Annual Fourth Grade Field Trip
Primary Subject Area: Social Studies
Outside Subject Area: Math
Class and Level Social Studies (only one level at this school)
Grade Level: 4th grade
Primary Sunshine State Standards:
SS.D.1.2.5: The student understands the concept of earning income and the basic concept of a budget.
After a lesson on the basic concepts of income and budgeting, reviewing the entire meet the problem documents with their team and after deciding which fundraiser their team will participate in, the team will correctly create a budget on a provided budget form and estimate the income that will be generated from their selected fundraiser if they increase the cost by twenty-five cents. (Synthesis)
SS.D. 2.2.1: The student understands economic specialization and how specialization generally affects costs, amount of goods and services produced, and interdependence.
After reviewing the Sixth Grade Expo Information document from the meet the problem documents and choosing any three specialty items sold at the Expo, students in their teams will accurately summarize similarities and differences in those items in reference to the particular item, amount it cost to make/purchase item, total amount sold and income generated from selling the item. (Analysis)
Outside Subject Area Sunshine State Standards from Math:
MA.A.3.2.3: The student adds, subtracts, multiplies whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers, and divides whole numbers to solve real world problems, using appropriate methods of computing, such as mental mathematics, paper and pencil, and calculator.
After reviewing the meet the problem documents Sixth Grade Expo Information and the Memo from Fourth Grade and after 2 teacher-led examples and when given a cost analysis worksheet, students will correctly use their math skills to select which top 4 fundraiser efforts produced the best income and which 4 produced the least in relation to start up cost. (Evaluation)
Description of Student Roles and Problem Situation:
In this PBL lesson, students begin to look at their problem in the role as themselves when their teacher is notified by Principal Lancaster in a memorandum that the annual field trip to St. Augustine is in jeopardy of being cancelled without more funding. From this memorandum, Principal Lancaster suggests the idea of a student run fundraiser to come up with the remaining money. Moreover, he requests that students work in a team to take on the role as business men and women to make a presentation on the best fundraiser. Principal Lancaster includes documents from a sixth grade fundraiser as well as previous fourth grade fundraisers. All information is shared with students during the Meet the Problem Discussion. The Bascetta “Brainiacs” have a vested interest in this problem because it is their field trip that is in jeopardy of being cancelled.
The following Meet the Problem Documents are utilized in the meet the problem discussion (see documents below and attached):
1. Memorandum from Principal Lancaster
2. Letter from Do-It- Yourself Company (grant acceptance letter)
3. Old Sixth Grade Expo Flyer
4. Sixth Grade Expo Information (January 2007)
5. Memorandum from Fourth Grade Team about 2006-2007 fundraiser
Memorandum
To: All Fourth Grade Teachers:
Mrs. Christie Bascetta, Ms. Allison Klass, Mr. John Schnickle, and Mrs. Karen Miller
CC: PTSP President: Mrs. Kay Martin
From: Principal Carl Lancaster
Date: September 4, 2007
Re: Possible cancellation of annual St. Augustine Trip
As you all know, it has been a tradition at Panama City School that our fourth graders go on an overnight field trip to St. Augustine in the month of January to coincide with our Social Studies unit on Florida’s history. Every year our fourth graders look forward to this trip. Because the cost of the trip has been so inexpensive ($50.00 per student) in the past, the parents and the school were able to split the cost.
Unfortunately, due to the steady increase in gas prices and an overall increase cost in services and goods, the cost of the trip has almost doubled in price; from $50.00 to $90.00 per student. School staff have been working very diligently since last April with the various companies involved in the field trip to obtain this final cost. Panama City School is unable to cover the entire difference of $40.00 due to budget constraints however we are able to increase our contribution from $25.00 to $40.00per student. Our staff has contacted most fourth grade parents who too are unable to cover the entire difference for their child but were able to match their contribution with the schools. Moreover, all money is due by October 1, 2007 to ensure our reservation at that cost.
During our summer meeting with the PTSP, I requested the remaining amount for the field trip for all 80 students but due to their recent involvement with the building of the gym, they were unable to grant the request. Mrs. Kay Martin, PTSP president, did suggest that the fourth graders do a fundraiser to offset the cost. She reminded me that this increase in price occurred last year with the sixth grade trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Moreover, they were able to obtain a grant from The Johnson Company to assist with set-up costs for their fundraiser. Unfortunately, Panama City School was unable to obtain that grant but Mrs. Vernon, school bookkeeper, was able to obtain money from a small grant from The Do It Yourself Company. I have attached the information in regards to how the money is to be used. The money will be split evenly amongst the 4 classes. Also, I have attached other information that you might find useful.
At this time, I would like for each class to review and analyze the information provided. From this I would like at least 4 suggestions from each class on what the best fundraiser would be to offset the cost of the trip per student from a business perspective. Mrs. Vernon and I will be visiting each class on September 11, 2007 to hear presentations. It is my suggestion that students be divided into teams of five to do their presentations due to time constraints.
I look forward to seeing how your students/teams/”businesspersons” present a fundraiser.
Sincerely, Principal Carl Lancaster
(Document #1)
August 29, 2007
Panama City School
c/o Mrs. Betty Vernon
123 Any Lane Drive
Panama City, FL 32404
Dear Mrs. Vernon,
We have obtained your request for the “Children Create” grant. After much consideration, we have granted your request. We have enclosed a check for $800.00. A reminder about the guideline for utilization of this grant is listed below.
Thank you again for your interest and we hope to hear from you in the future after the children’s projects are complete.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jonathon Bennett
Owner
Do-It- Yourself Company
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Guidelines for the Children Create grant
- Monies used from the grant need to go towards supplies for items that children create.
- Such supplies can include but are not limited to glue, tape, hand held tools, drawing material, string/yarn/twine, food, packaging material for the item created, various papers (construction, card stock etc…), various items found at the local arts/crafts supply store such as foam, beads, pom poms, etc. . .
- Supplies can be used to customize an already made item: (decorations for a bubble container, water bottle, candy etc. . .).
- The items created can be sold to make a profit.
- If the item to be made is sold for profit, the profit must be used for educational purposes (computer equipment, library books, field trips, athletic equipment etc…)
- If money from the grant is used to create projects for a fundraiser, any money remaining can be put towards the fundraiser.
- The money must be used within the same school year.
- This grant is for grades kindergarten to fifth grade.
- If at all possible, the Do-It-Yourself Company would like to have pictures of the items created. This is not a requirement.
(Document #2)