Julianne K. Kaphar
Rationale for theme
I chose "trash" as the topic for this unit for a variety of reasons. First, I believe that as responsible citizens in our society, we need to understand the consequences our choices have on our environment. I believe that children need to be educated at an early age as to how they are intimately connected to their environment, especially since many of my students do not receive this message at home. Also, students in middle childhood are still at a very concrete level of thinking. They are just beginning to be able to think abstractly, and they are becoming more aware of the world around them. The notion of "trash" is a concrete experience that children can connect with. It provides them with an open door to learning about a variety of important scientific concepts (e.g. decomposition, the water cycle, and ecosystems.) It is also something that children are naturally curious about, and it is a topic that can lead to a variety of forms of action.
Rationale for instructional strategies
The instructional strategies in the unit are all designed to be effective for all levels of students, from ELLs (English Language Learners) to fluent English speakers, from low-literacy levels to highly literate students. The use of homogeneous grouping for certain activities allows for students to be challenged at their levels (e.g., guided reading groups). The use of heterogeneous grouping allows for students to mix with other students of different ability levels, which allows for struggling students to participate in activities they would not be able to do independently, while higher level students can engage in deeper thinking skills by assisting the struggling students in their learning (e.g. through explaining, summarizing, teaching, etc.)
I am a firm believer in the power of oral language development; therefore, many of the instructional strategies in the unit are centered around oral language. One of the most important strategies which is referred to throughout the unit is the 10-2, in which the teacher stops talking after ten minutes to allow students to talk for two minutes. This allows students to orally reprocess newly learned information by discussing with a partner or small group. Students can simply restate vocabulary, discuss a concept in their primary language, or formulate questions. It is a time for "target talk"- for students to develop their oral language skills in a constructive, academic setting. I also highly utilize structured oral language development through poems and chants. Throughout the year, my students become familiar with the frames I use for these poems and chants, so that when new content is introduced in the familiar frame, struggling readers and ELLs have greater opportunities for success and can quickly catch on. I also encourage students to repeat, restate, and retell frequently. This provides simple opportunities for students to practice the new language in a safe, choral setting before they are asked to read or write it.
Because many of my students are ELLs, it is important for me to be very intentional about the vocabulary and concepts that I want them to come away with. I have designed this unit thematically to incorporate science, math, language arts, reading, and art. Brain research shows that students are more likely to retain newly learned information when it is connected to something previously known. Thematic units that integrate the subject areas are powerful instructional tools because by connecting the content across the curricular areas, students can develop their skills in each area
while
they are learning the content. Research also shows that the more exposure the brain has to new information in a variety of contexts, the more likely it is that the information will be retained. This is true not only for content, but also for language learning. For this reason, I have designed the instructional activities in this unit to use the same repeated key vocabulary and concepts in a variety of contexts. I want the students to have repeated exposure to increase their learning opportunities.
I have tried to create learning opportunities that are highly contextualized to support ELLs as well as to engage all students. Demonstrations are hands-on so that students can develop understanding at a concrete level before being expected to think abstractly. I highly utilize visuals and realia (actual objects) whenever possible to allow students greater access to the content, especially for language learners and struggling readers. Field trips will be utilized so students can have first-hand knowledge and to create more opportunities for student engagement in the content. Where visual aides are not enough, graphic organizers such as story maps, cause/effect charts, and flow charts are used to help students organize information. Basically, I make every effort to ensure that all students have access to the curriculum and are able to learn, regardless of their reading level or language ability.