Your School Year



The Best School Year Ever

Unit Introduction

The Best School Year Ever is a literacy unit, targeting grades 3-5. This unit is based on an authentic problem, incorporating research, self-evaluation, technology, and writing skills into an overview of the curriculum for the year. In this unit, students will review their curriculum for the year and then gather information about the skills they will learn through interviews with school staff and fellow students. They will learn about different learning styles, and create instructional recommendations for their teacher. This unit provides the opportunity to familiarize students with classroom structures and assess their writing abilities. Many of the activities that accompany this unit were modeled on NJASK samples, and can be used to prepare students to meet the standards of state assessments.

This unit addresses national standards for Social Sciences, Technology, and Literacy. In Language Arts, standards NL-ENG.K-12.1-9, 11,12 are met. In Technology, standards NT.K-12.1, NT.K-12.2, NT.K-12.3, NT.K-12.4, NT.K-12.5, and NT.K-12.6 are met. In Social Studies, standards NSS-G.K-12.2 and NSS-C.K-8.5 are met.

In addition, “The Best School Year Ever” incorporates IDE’s Ten Principles of a LATIC. As they look to synthesize information into a complex product, students will have a felt-need to take responsibility for their learning, scheduling time and learning opportunities to accomplish the task. The high-level, open-ended problem, infusing technology in an authentic context, will hold students to a high academic standard. A rubric assessment guides the students as they work collaboratively toward a goal, and at the same time, provides the opportunity for each individual to pursue his own learning path. In interacting with school faculty, students will gain valuable social capital. By exploring international educational models, they will see themselves as part of a larger, global society.

The Best School Year Ever

Every year, summer ends, and just like students all over the world, you go back to school. The teachers seem to have a plan for the year, but do you know what that plan is? What will you learn this year? What can you do to make this the best educational year possible?

You will use your textbooks, teachers, and fellow students as resources to gather information on the skills you will need to gain by the end of the school year. You will analyze your personal learning style, and create recommendations for your teacher to make learning exciting and accessible for you. You will also become familiar with rubrics and other tools your teacher will use during the coming year.

Don’t just sit back and wait to be taught! Jump in and make this year your best ever!

The Best School Year Ever Rubric

| |Novice |Apprentice |Practitioner |Expert |

|Textbook |for each major subject: |for each major subject: |for each major subject: |all of Practitioner plus |

|Review |list of 1-2 new skills to learn|list of 3-4 new skills to learn |list of 5 new skills to learn |sets 2-3 personal goals for |

| |1-2 questions about the new |3-4 questions about the new information|5 specific questions about the new information |the most challenging subject|

| |information |connections to things learned last year|connections to things learned last year |area |

| | | |personal reflection statement | |

|Interview|group interview of classroom |group interview of classroom teacher |group interview of classroom teacher |all of Practitioner plus |

|s |teacher |paired interview of teacher from the |paired interview of teacher from the next grade|technology is used to |

| |paired interview of teacher |next grade |individual interviews of 3 students from the |conduct or record 2-3 of the|

| |from the next grade |individual interviews of 1-2 students |next grade |interviews (email, instant |

| |OR |from the next grade |all interviews contain 8-10 questions, focused |messaging, audio recorder, |

| |individual interviews of|all interviews contain 6-7 questions on|directly on what will be taught this year |etc.) |

| | |what will be taught this year |completed reflection sheet, with attached notes| |

| |1-2 students from the next |completed reflection sheet |from each interview | |

| |grade | | | |

| |all interviews contain 4-5 | | | |

| |questions | | | |

The Best School Year Ever Rubric (Cont.)

| Learning|Learning Styles Inventory |Learning Styles Inventory completed |Learning Styles Inventory completed |all of Practitioner plus |

|Styles |completed |personal learning style identified |personal learning style identified |meets with 3-4 other |

| |personal learning style |2 activities for your personal |2 activities for your personal learning style |students with the same |

| |identified |learning style completed |completed |learning style to share |

| | | |reflection on personal learning style |reflections |

|Recommend|personal learning style |personal learning style identified |personal learning style identified |all of Practitioner plus |

|ations |identified |3-4 recommendations made for the |5+ recommendations made for the teacher to use |meets with 3-4 other |

|Content |2 recommendations made for the |teacher to use in instruction |in instruction |students with the same |

| |teacher to use in instruction |example for 2 recommendations |specific example for each recommendation |learning style to peer-edit |

| | | | |recom-mendations |

|Recommend|introduction or conclusion |introduction |introduction |all of Practitioner plus all|

|ation |1-2 paragraphs |2 paragraphs |body – 3+ paragraphs |recom-mendations are made |

|Format |5 or more errors in spelling or|conclusion |conclusion |from the teacher’s |

| |grammar |sentences are complete |sentence structure is clear |perspective |

| | |3-4 errors in spelling or grammar |0-2 errors in spelling or grammar | |

The Best School Year Ever Websites

Curriculum Content

Education World outlines national and state standards for all grades and content areas.



McGraw Hill



Harcourt



Houghton-Mifflin



Learning Styles

Hemispheric Dominance: Are you left-brained or right-brained?



Learning Styles: Have you considered your style beyond visual, auditory, or kinesthetic?



Schools in other countries

The Lives of Japanese Elementary School Students



Epals – The world’s largest K-12 connected learning community



Test Preparation

Interactive applet for basic test-taking tips.



Elementary test prep online center, created by the Oswego City School District in NY



Online guide for preparing students for testing, from the Chicago Public Schools



The Best School Year Ever Scaffold

The Best School Year Ever

Activity List – Part 1

□ Benchmark on Your Task

Whole Class – 15 min.

□ Mini-Lesson on Scheduling Your Time (optional)

Small Group – 15 min.

□ Benchmark on Intro to Classroom Structures

Whole Class – 15 min.

□ Learning Styles Quiz (online)

Individual – 15 min.

□ Learning Styles Investigation Activity

Individual – 20 min.

□ Picture Brainstorm

Small Groups – 10 min.

□ Picture Prompt Response

Individual – 20 min.

□ Benchmark – Learning Styles

Whole Class – 15 min.

□ How Do I Learn Best Discussion

Small Group – 20 min.

□ Benchmark – What is a Rubric?

Whole Class – 10 min.

□ Build a Dreamhouse Activity

Pairs – 20 min.

□ Classroom Rubric

Pairs – 15 min.

The Best School Year Ever

Activity List – Part 2

□ Benchmark – Interviewing

Individual – 10 min.

□ Mini-Lesson – Writing Good Interview Questions (optional)

Small Group – 15 min..

□ Evaluate an Interview

Pairs – 20 min.

□ Write Interview Questions for Teacher and Student

Individual – 15 min.

□ Peer Edit Interview Questions

Pairs – 15 min.

□ Interview Teacher from the Next Grade

Individual – 20 min.

□ Interview Student from the Next Grade

Individual – 15 min.

□ Discussion of Interview Results

Small group – 20 min

□ Group Interview of Teacher for This Year

Whole Class – 20 min.

The Best School Year Ever

Activity List – Part 3

□ Benchmark – Writing a Letter

Whole Class – 10 min.

□ Mini-Lesson – Responding to Prompts with Multiple Criteria (optional)

Small Group – 10 min.

□ Complete Graphic Organizer for Prewriting

Individual – 10 min.

□ Rubric Check-In

Pairs – 10 min.

□ Benchmark – Formal Writing Techniques

Whole Class – 15 min.

□ Mini-Lesson – Paragraph Format (optional)

Small Group – 15 min.

□ Mini-Lesson – Using Transitions (optional)

Small Group – 15 min.

□ Write Letter (First Draft)

Individual – 20 min.

□ Peer Edit Letters

Pairs – 15 min.

□ Rubric Check-In

Individual – 10 min.

□ Letter Revisions

Individual – 15 min.

□ Discussion of the Unit

Small Group – 15 min.

Writing Good Questions

The following 5 levels of questioning address thinking and processing, from basic information, through analysis, and into reflection. Whether you are planning an interview, creating a discussion guide, or reflecting upon your own experiences, it is important to ask questions at all 5 of these levels.

COMPREHENSION

Ask questions which have clear answers, and help you to learn facts and data.

What happened?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Who was involved?

What is the answer to this question:_______________?

APPLICATION

Ask questions which help you to apply the information, and use it in new situations.

How does that work?

Why does it work that way?

CONNECTION

Ask questions which help you to make personal connections to your life.

What is your opinion of ________________?

What experiences have you had that are similar to this?

SYNTHESIS

Ask questions which help you to create new information from existing data.

How can this information be used to create something new?

What predictions can I make based on this information?

METACOGNITION

Ask questions which help you think about your own thinking processes.

“What was the hardest part of this task for you?”

"How did you arrive at the solution?"

Interview Questions Rubric

| |Novice |Apprentice |Practitioner |Expert |

|Levels of |asks questions at 3 of these 4 |asks questions at 4 levels: |asks 4 questions at the levels of |all of Practitioner plus asks a |

|Questioning|levels: |comprehension |comprehension and application |majority of questions from |

| |comprehension |application |asks one or more question each from |connection, synthesis and |

| |application |connection |connection, synthesis or |metacognition categories |

| |connection |synthesis |metacognition* | |

| |synthesis | | | |

| | | | | |

|Open-Ended |a majority of the questions can be|1-2 questions can be answered with a |all questions solicit an open-ended |all of Practitioner plus |

|Response |answered with a single word or |single word or phrase |response |additional questions planned to |

| |phrase | | |draw out a longer response for |

| | | | |more information when necessary |

|Question |3 or more errors in grammar or |1-2 errors in grammar or mechanics |no errors in grammar or mechanics |all of Practitioner plus several |

|Structure |mechanics | | |questions are written using |

| | | | |complex sentence structure |

* see Writing Good Questions

Evaluate an Interview Activity

Use the Interviewing Questions Rubric to evaluate an interview of J.K. Rowling.

What aspects of interviewing were done well?

What could be improved?

What additional questions could the interviewer have asked?

How can you apply this in writing your own interview questions?

Survey Response Analysis

Use the chart below to compile the results of your survey. Make notes on your own responses, connections, themes, and other analyses.

[pic]

What’s Going On?

What are the students in this classroom doing? Write a story, explaining what is happening in the picture, and telling what happens next. Be sure to:

← Write from the perspective of one of the students in the class.

← Tell what the teacher is doing, since she is not in the picture.

← Focus on what the students are learning, and how they are learning it.

Use the space below to plan your writing.

Letter to Your Teacher

You have learned a lot about the things you will be studying this year, and the way you, personally, learn best. Write a formal letter to your teacher, including:

← a personal introduction

← your learning style, and what that means to you

← 2-3 instructional goals for the year

← 5 or more recommendations about the way you would like to be taught, with an example of each

Be sure to use specific examples from your experiences in school and from your research.

Use the graphic organizer below to help you plan what you will write.

|Personal Introduction |My Learning Style |

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|Goals for the Year |Recommendations |

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Create a Quiz

Choose a passage from one of your textbooks which looks interesting. Read 2-3 pages and then write 5 comprehension questions based on the text. Give a complete answer for each, and include the page number and paragraph where the answer can be found. You may use the question starters below, or create your own. Before you turn it in, have someone read the same section, and give them your test!

Textbook Name:

Pages Read:

Topic:

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

Answer:_________________________________________________________________________

Page: _________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

Answer:_________________________________________________________________________

Page: _________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

Answer:_________________________________________________________________________

Page: _________

4. _______________________________________________________________________________

Answer:_________________________________________________________________________

Page: _________

5. _______________________________________________________________________________

Answer:_________________________________________________________________________

Page: _________

Question Starters:

Why did __________do that?

How does ______________ work?

Which character in the story is the most __________, and why?

Compare and contrast ___________ and ____________.

What caused _____________ to happen?

What was the effect of ________________ happening?

The Best School Year Ever

Facilitation Grid

| | Mini-Lesson on Scheduling Time |

|application |How do you use a rubric to set goals and improve your work? |

| |How could you learn the same thing this year in different ways? |

| | |

| | |

|connection |What is your learning style, and how has it affected you school life so far? |

| |What are some things you are interested in learning this year? |

| |How have other students benefited from the skills they learned in this grade? |

| | |

|synthesis |Why is it important to recognize your learning style? |

| |How would learning be better if teachers taught to the different learning styles in the classroom? |

| |How do the things you learn each year build upon the past year’s learning? |

| | |

|metacognition |What part of this unit was most challenging? Most fun? Why? |

| |How can you use your strengths to succeed in whatever you choose to do? |

| | |

The Best School Year Ever Student Schedule

|Time |Activity |Comments |

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Student Schedule

Today I accomplished: __________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Tomorrow I plan to: ___________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

DIFFERENTIATION GRID

When you stand before your class to teach them a skill, you can be sure that all students are not in the same place cognitively nor in terms of learning styles; thus, your instruction is only moderately effective. Differentiated instruction encourages you to use several different activities to meet the needs of all learners. Select a core skill you might teach. Consider the student who already knows the skill you’re about to teach, the student who is cognitively ready, and the student who lacks the prerequisite knowledge to learn the skill. Then, for each, consider three possible learning styles. Brainstorm nine different ways to get the same skill across to the student (note: these needn’t all be teacher-directed lessons.) You will probably never have nine different activities going on at the same time for a given skill, but you can choose several activities from the grid to meet the needs of your current class.

SKILL: Utilizing Rubrics

| |DISTAL ZONE |PROXIMAL ZONE |CURRENT KNOWLEDGE |

| |A student who will be challenged to learn |A student who is ready to learn this or is |A student who is ready to move beyond this or |

| |this skill/concept or lacks the |on grade level. |is above grade level. |

| |pre-requisite skills needed. | | |

| |View a drawing of a dreamhouse, and use a |Use a rubric to draw a dreamhouse, according|View a drawing of a dreamhouse, and use a |

|VISUAL |rubric to assess the level of achievement, |to specified criteria. |rubric to assess the level of achievement. |

| |according to specified criteria. | |Then create an improved version of the drawing,|

| | | |that meets or exceeds the Practitioner column |

| | | |for all criteria. |

| |Listen to an audio description of a |Use a rubric to record an audio |Listen to an audio description of a dreamhouse,|

|AUDITORY |dreamhouse, and use a rubric to assess the |description/discussion of a dreamhouse, |and use a rubric to assess the level of |

| |level of achievement, according to specified|according to specified criteria. |achievement. Then create an improved version |

| |criteria. | |of the recording that meets or exceeds the |

| | | |Practitioner column for all criteria. |

| |View a model of a dreamhouse, and use a |Use a rubric to build a model of a |View a model of a dreamhouse, and use a rubric |

|KINESTHETIC / |rubric to assess the level of achievement, |dreamhouse, according to specified criteria.|to assess the level of achievement. Then |

|TACTILE |according to specified criteria. | |create an improved version of the recording |

| | | |that meets or exceeds the Practitioner column |

| | | |for all criteria. |

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Person’s Name:

Survey Response:

My Thoughts:

Person’s Name:

Survey Response:

My Thoughts:

Person’s Name: [pic]

Survey Response:

My Thoughts:

Person’s Name:

Survey Response:

My Thoughts:

* Readiness categories taken from Lev Vygotsky’s work on the Zone of Proximal Development

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