Rigorous Curriculum Design

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Rigorous Curriculum Design

Unit Planning Organizer

Franklin County Schools

** Select 1 Priority Science Standard. Integrate an informational text priority standard, a writing standard, and a speaking/listening standard.

Subject(s) / Science
Grade/Course / Grade 3
Unit of Study / Ecosystems
Unit Type(s) / ❑ Topical ❑ Skills-based ❑** Thematic
Pacing / 6 weeks (25 days with 5 buffer days)
Priority Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
Supporting CCSS
Priority Standard(s)
(EX: 1.RI.1) / Supporting Standard(s)
(EX: 1.RI.2)
3.L.2.2
RI.3.7
W.3.7
SL. 3.1 / 3.L.2.1; 3.L.2.3; 3.L.2.4
RI.3.5; RI.3.9
W.3.4; W.3.6
SL.3.3
“UNWRAPPED” Priority Standards
Type the Skills (All CAPS & Bold) & Underline the Concepts
EVALUATE and HYPOTHESIZE how plants survive and grow in their environment.````
I can use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to DEMONSTRATE understanding of the text.
I can use text features and search tools to LOCATE information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
I can CONDUCT short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
ANALYZE and INTERPRET information while collaborating with others
“Unwrapped” Skills
(students need to be able to do) / “Unwrapped” Concepts
(students need to know) / Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels/DOK
Evaluate and Hypothesize
Demonstrate
Locate
Conduct
Analyze and Interpret / How plants survive and grow
Understanding of the text
Relevant information
Short projects
Small group collaboration / 4/2
2
1
4
2
Essential Questions / Corresponding Big Ideas
What conditions are essential for the survival of the plant?
Based on given text, why are plants able to survive one environment versus another?
How can you discover the best type of soil for a plant?
How can you show the best type of environment for a plant’s survival?
Why do scientists collaborate? / Climate, environment, and parts of the plant are essential for the survival of a plant.
Answer will be provided by assigned text. (Teacher Discretion)
Online and local resources can be used to determine the best type of soil.
Expose a plant to various conditions.
To share information and ideas.
Standardized Assessment Correlations
(State, College and Career)
Note to Curriculum Designers: Review grade-or course-specific state standardized assessments for the types of questions directly related to the “unwrapped” Priority Standards concepts and skills in focus for this unit of study. Identify the vocabulary used and frequency of these questions. Compare/contrast this information with the “unwrapped” concepts and skills listed above to determine how closely the two are aligned.
Unit Assessments
Pre-Assessment / Informal Progress Monitoring Checks
1.  Identify the parts of a plant.
2.  Which environmental condition will best determine how well plants survive and grow?
a.  amount of rain the area receives
b.  how many animals live in the area
c.  how tall the grass grows
d.  the number of people in the area
3.  List the different types of soil used for plant growth.
4.  Using a venn diagram, compare and contrast the rainforest with the grasslands.
5.  Match the plant part to its function.
___ stem a. produces
food and energy.
___ roots b. transports
Water and
Minerals.
____ leaves c. reproduction
____ flower d. absorbs
Water and
minerals
6.  Identify the stages of a plant life cycle.
7.  Give one example of how plants and animals help spread seeds.
8.  Give an example of how scientists determine a plant’s ecosystem.
9.  Can a desert plant survive in the rainforest? Why or why not?
10. Why is soil important to the survival of plants? / Create short, ungraded “checks for student understanding” for the educator to administer throughout the unit of study that are directly aligned to the post-assessment questions (selected-, short-, extended-response, and/or performance-based) and that coincide with learning progressions—the “building block chunks” of instruction.
Post-Assessment
1.  Match the picture of the plant part to its label.
2.  Which environmental condition will best determine how well plants survive and grow?
a.  amount of rain the area receives
b.  how many animals live in the area
c.  how tall the grass grows
d.  the number of people in the area
3.  Compare and contrast the rain forest and the grassland.
4.  You have just planted a seed. Describe the stages the seed will go through during its life span. Include the name of each stage in the correct order.
5.  Give 2 examples of how plants and animals help spread seeds.
6.  How do insects help with pollination?
7.  Give an example of how scientists determine a plant’s ecosystem.
8.  Can a desert plant survive in the rainforest? Why or why not?
9.  What properties of soil are important to the survival of plants?
Scoring Guides and Answer Keys
See Unit Assessment Planner
Engaging Learning Experiences
Learning Activities Using
Text or Program / Authentic Performance Tasks
1.  Have a Botanist come and speak to your grade level about ecosystems. The students can prepare questions before hand after completing a KWL chart…asking what they want to know which will get them excited about the unit.
2.  How Does Your Garden Grow?
3.L.2 and W.3.7
Materials: 4 cups per group, 4 different types of seeds (clover, rye, corn, peas), Soil, 1 gallon zip lock bag per group, Beaker (100ml), water, eye dropper or syringe, 4 popsicle sticks per group, marker, string/yarn
Purpose: Students will determine how the amount of water a plant gets will influence its growth.
Teacher setup:
1.  Place equal amount of soil in all cups
2.  Place each groups seeds in plastic bags
Procedure:
1.  Each group will collect 4 cups, 4 seed bags, string, and popsicle sticks.
2.  Students will partition their cups into 4 sections.
3.  In each section, they will plant a different type of seed. Do the same in all the cups.
4.  Label the popsicle sticks with the name of the types of seeds planted and place them in the correct section of each cup.
5.  Students will use the beaker to put a different amount of water in each section of the cup. Cup1: 0ml of water
Cup2: 25 ml of water
Cup3: 50 ml of water
Cup4: 100 ml of water
Label each cub with the amount of water in it.
6.  Each cup will be placed and sealed in their own plastic bag.
7.  Place the plants in the window. Have students write a prediction of the results.
8.  Each day for 2 weeks students will check and record the growth of each set of seeds in each cup and create a growth chart.
9.  At the end of the observation, students will draw conclusions about the needs of plants for growth and compare/contrast the results of each cup.
10. Write a summary of the experiment, the results, and the conclusions made from these results.
11. Present information to class and discuss results of all groups and why their results may be different. / Scenario: You are a farmer. You want a contract by a local grocer to provide for their store. You must determine what types of foods you can provide to the store based on the conditions of your farm. The store will only pay you for the products that you can provide that are well grown, in good condition, and unique to your area.
Task 1: You will be researching to determine exactly which environmental conditions are important to the growth of specific plants. (How does your Garden Grow? Project)
Task 2: Create your own plant, name it, and describe the ecosystems in which it grows.
Task 3: Collaborate with other farmers. Discuss and determine how you could each set up your farm so that you could all get a contract from the same store.
Task 4: To expand your business to make a Web quest to determine which areas of the country would benefit from the products you are able to provide.
Task 5: As the farmer, present your findings to the store to receive the contract. Create a powerpoint to explain how your farm’s environment is ideal for the plants you are producing.
Research-Based Effective
Teaching Strategies / 21st Century Learning Skills
ü  Check all those that apply to the unit:
X❑ Identifying Similarities and Differences
X❑ Summarizing and Note Taking
❑ Reinforcing Effort, Providing Recognition
❑ Homework and Practice
❑ Nonlinguistic Representations
X❑ Cooperative Learning
❑ Setting Objectives, Providing Feedback
X❑ Generating and Testing Hypotheses
X❑ Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers
❑ Interdisciplinary Non-Fiction Writing / ü  Check all those that apply to the unit:
X❑ Teamwork and Collaboration
❑ Initiative and Leadership
X❑ Curiosity and Imagination
X❑ Innovation and Creativity
X❑ Critical thinking and Problem Solving
X❑ Flexibility and Adaptability
X❑ Effective Oral and Written Communication
X❑ Accessing and Analyzing Information
❑ Other
Differentiation Strategies
(Additional Supports + Enrichment) / Intervention Strategies
(Tiers 1, 2, 3) / Specially Designed Instruction for
Special Education Students / Strategies for English Language Learners
AIG
Complex questioning
Writing Tasks
Creative design with
Product based learning / Tier 1—Graphic Organizer
Tier 2—small group visual aids
Tier 3—preferential seating, peer buddies, manipulatives / Vocabulary with pictures
Preteaching voc.
Peer reading
Small group instruction
For test,
Audio directions
Extended time
Modified test
Multiple choice
Word banks / Pictures with words
Flashcards with English/Spanish
Peer Tutors
Discussing cultural differences with plants and uses
Audio text
Instructional Resources and Materials
Physical / Technology-Based
.
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/plants/partsofaplant/preview.weml
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_3rd_science.htm (plant parts on smartboard)
In Sidman's book, poetry is used to explore the interactions of living things in an ecosystem. Butterfly Eyes explores the meadow ecology through a variety of different poetic types and striking scratchboard illustrations that are full of detail.
An engaging, intricately illustrated look at all the living things that a person would encounter in one small square ("the size of your living room") of the African grasslands. Includes related experiments/ activities and a field guide to the habitat.
Biomes of North America series shows how prairie animals and plants depend on each other for survival. The "simple design and clearly written, informative text" (Horn Book) make it a great resource for teaching about the grassland/prairie environment. / http://www.keystone.fi.edu/cc_ehe/ehekids.shtml
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0164-ecosystems.php
http://www.union.k12.sc.us/ems/Science--Ecosystem%20Websites.htm
http://www.neok12.com/Ecosystems.htm
http://ebecri.org/content/ecosystemsweb
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Ecosystems.aspx
http://quizlet.com/4075770/3rd-grade-science-chapter-3-living-things-in-ecosystems-flash-cards/
SmartBoard
Windows office
Powerpoint.
Unit Vocabulary Terms / Enrichment
Extension / Interdisciplinary
Connections
Create a farm using various types of plants.
Create the information for Web quest individually.
Research an ecosystem that would not be located in your area. / Fiction and Nonfiction Writing
Nonfiction Reading
Math
Collecting Data
Research Skills
Technology
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/cards/3rd-grade-science-ecosystems-900490
Plants: bulb, chlorophyll, cone, germinate, plant, root, seed, seed coat, seedling, stem
Ecosystem Types: biome, coastal forest, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, desert, ecosystem, estuary, forest. ocean, troposphere,
grassland / Evaluate
Analyze
Hypothesize
Demonstrate
Locate
Conduct
Interpret
Multimedia Project : Performance Task
Teacher Name: Ms. Williams
Student Name: ______
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Research / The research was covered in-depth with details and examples. Student\'s knowledge is excellent. / The research covered was essential. Student\'s knowledge appears to be good. / The research covered was essential with no more than two errors. / The research covered is minimal OR there are several factual errors.
Originality / Product of the unique plant shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive. / Product of the unique plant shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights. / Product of the unique plant shows little evidence of original thinking and creativity. / Product of the unique plant shows no originality.
Workload / The workload is divided and shared equally by all team members. / The workload is divided and shared fairly by all team members, though workloads may vary from person to person. / The workload was divided, but one person in the group is viewed as not doing his/her fair share of the work. / The workload was not divided OR several people in the group are viewed as not doing their fair share of the work.
Mechanics / No misspellings or grammatical errors. The web quest was created smoothly. / Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors. The web quest was created smoothly with no more than 2 technical problems. / Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors.The web quest was created smoothly.The web quest created had 3 or more technical problems. / More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar.The web quest was not created functionally.
Presentation / Well-rehearsed with smooth delivery that holds audience attention. / Rehearsed with fairly smooth delivery that holds audience attention most of the time. / Delivery not smooth, but able to maintain interest of the audience most of the time. / Delivery not smooth and audience attention often lost.

Date Created: Jun 26, 2013 01:33 pm (CDT)

Updated 5/2/13