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 Review / for each major subject:
¶ list of 1-2 new skills to learn
¶ 1-2 questions about the new information / for each major subject:
¶ list of 3-4 new skills to learn
¶ 3-4 questions about the new information
¶ connections to things learned last year / for each major subject:
¶ list of 5 new skills to learn
¶ 5 specific questions about the new information
¶ connections to things learned last year
¶ personal reflection statement / all of Practitioner plus sets 2-3 personal goals for the most challenging subject area
Interviews / ¶ group interview of classroom teacher
¶ paired interview of teacher from the next grade
OR
individual interviews of
1-2 students from the next grade
¶ all interviews contain 4-5 questions / ¶ group interview of classroom teacher
¶ paired interview of teacher from the next grade
¶ individual interviews of 1-2 students from the next grade
¶ all interviews contain 6-7 questions on what will be taught this year
¶ completed reflection sheet / ¶ group interview of classroom teacher
¶ paired interview of teacher from the next grade
¶ individual interviews of 3 students from the next grade
¶ all interviews contain 8-10 questions, focused directly on what will be taught this year
¶ completed reflection sheet, with attached notes from each interview / all of Practitioner plus technology is used to conduct or record 2-3 of the interviews (email, instant messaging, audio recorder, etc.)

The Best School Year Ever Rubric (Cont.)

Learning Styles / ¶ Learning Styles Inventory completed
¶ personal learning style identified / ¶ Learning Styles Inventory completed
¶ personal learning style identified
¶ 2 activities for your personal learning style completed / ¶ Learning Styles Inventory completed
¶ personal learning style identified
¶ 2 activities for your personal learning style completed
¶ reflection on personal learning style / all of Practitioner plus meets with 3-4 other students with the same learning style to share reflections
Recommendations Content / ¶ personal learning style identified
¶ 2 recommendations made for the teacher to use in instruction / ¶ personal learning style identified
¶ 3-4 recommendations made for the teacher to use in instruction
¶ example for 2 recommendations / ¶ personal learning style identified
¶ 5+ recommendations made for the teacher to use in instruction
¶ specific example for each recommendation / all of Practitioner plus meets with 3-4 other students with the same learning style to peer-edit recom-mendations
Recommendation Format / ¶ introduction or conclusion
¶ 1-2 paragraphs
¶ 5 or more errors in spelling or grammar / ¶ introduction
¶ 2 paragraphs
¶ conclusion
¶ sentences are complete
¶ 3-4 errors in spelling or grammar / ¶ introduction
¶ body – 3+ paragraphs
¶ conclusion
¶ sentence structure is clear
¶ 0-2 errors in spelling or grammar / all of Practitioner plus all recom-mendations are made from the teacher’s perspective

The Best School Year Ever Websites

Curriculum Content

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

http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/toc/index.shtml

McGraw Hill

http://www.mhschool.com/

Harcourt

http://www.harcourt.com/

Houghton-Mifflin

http://www.hmco.com/products/products_elementary.html

Learning Styles

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

http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

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

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Schools in other countries

The Lives of Japanese Elementary School Students

http://www.tjf.or.jp/shogakusei/index_e.htm

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

http://www.epals.com/

Test Preparation

Interactive applet for basic test-taking tips.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mhm/testquest/4/index.html

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

http://studyzone.org/testprep/

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

http://intranet.cps.k12.il.us/Assessments/Preparation/Elementary_Test_Preparation/elementary_test_preparation.html

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 Questioning / asks questions at 3 of these 4 levels:
· comprehension
· application
· connection
· synthesis / asks questions at 4 levels:
· comprehension
· application
· connection
· synthesis / Ø asks 4 questions at the levels of comprehension and application
Ø asks one or more question each from connection, synthesis or metacognition* / all of Practitioner plus asks a majority of questions from connection, synthesis and metacognition categories
Open-Ended Response / a majority of the questions can be answered with a single word or phrase / 1-2 questions can be answered with a single word or phrase / all questions solicit an open-ended response / all of Practitioner plus additional questions planned to draw out a longer response for more information when necessary
Question Structure / 3 or more errors in grammar or mechanics / 1-2 errors in grammar or mechanics / no errors in grammar or mechanics / all of Practitioner plus several 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.

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
Goals for the Year / Recommendations

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 / Learning Styles Quiz / Learning Styles Investigation Activity / Picture Brainstorm / Picture Prompt Response / How Do I Learn Best Discussion / Build a Dreamhouse Activity / Classroom Rubric / Mini-Lesson – Interview Questions / Evaluate an Interview / Write Teacher & Student Interview / Peer Edit Interview Questions / Interview Teacher from the Next Grade / Interview Student from the Next Grade / Discussion of Interview Results / Group Interview of Teacher for This Year / Mini-Lesson – Responding to Prompts / Complete Graphic Organizer for Prewriting / Rubric Check-In / Mini-Lesson – Paragraph Format (optional) / Mini-Lesson – Using Transitions (optional) / Write Letter (First Draft / Peer Edit Letters / Rubric Check-In / Letter Revisions / Discussion of the Unit