Standards-Based Unit Planning

STANDARDS-BASED UNIT PLANNING

UNIT TITLE: U a mau ke’ea o ka’aina I ka pono PREPARED BY: Linda Wong,George Bradley, Shawn Horiuchi & Keeman Wong SCHOOL: Haha’ione El

PURPOSE/ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To promote personal responsibility for our aina – Hawai’i__

CURRICULUM AREA(S): Science, Social Studies, Language Arts GRADE(S): 6th Grade DURATION: 6 weeks

GENERAL LEARNER OUTCOMES

the ability to be responsible for one’s own learning
the understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together
the ability to be involved in complex thinking and problem solving
the ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products

CONTENT STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS

SCIENCE – HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

Malama I Ka Aina: Sustainability

Students make decisions needed to sustain life on Earth now and for future generations by considering the limited resources and fragile environmental conditions.
Conservation of Resources – Explain how methods for obtaining and using resources such as water, minerals and fossil fuel have consequences on the environment.
Illustrate and explain the relationship among producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Give examples of conservation of matter where matter is transferred within and among living organisms and their physical environment.

SCIENCE – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY
Relating the Nature of Technology to Science

Students use the problem-solving process to address current issues involving human adaptations in the environment.
Identify an issue, analyze information to identify alternative solutions; apply criteria for evaluation; select and carry out steps for the alternative solution ;Evaluation. (see p. 19 of Science Stds.)

/ LANGUAGE ARTS - WRITING

Composing Processes - Use writing processes and strategies appropriately and as needed to construct meaning and communicate effectively.

Develop and support a thesis or stance using information from a variety of resources.

Diversity – Understand diversity in language, perspective, and culture in order to craft texts that represent diverse thinking and expression.

Use writing to consider, explore , and analyze issues of diversity in language, perspective, and culture

SOCIAL STUDIES – ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

Students demonstrate stewardship of earth’s resources through the understanding of society and the physical environment.

Analyze the distribution of natural resources, variations of physical systems, natural hazards, and positive and negative environmental impacts in different parts of the world, and engage in an environmental care-taking action/project.

Driving Questions:

What will we need to do to sustain life on earth now & for our future?
How does man & technology effect and impact Hawaii’s natural environment?
What solution(s) will help our environment sustain life?

/ Broad Understandings:

Earth (specifically, Hawaii), our home, provides us with what we need to survive.
We need to become knowledgeable of our resources and make wise choices to conserve them.
There are consequences in our “actions” and “inactions”.
We need to make a commitment to preserve our environment.

Hawaii State Department of Education, Standards Alliance 9/00

BUILDING THE BACKGROUND

LEARNING OUTCOMES/BENCHMARKS / LEARNING EXPERIENCES / ASSESSMENT

Interpret text through dramatization

Awareness of diverse perspectives

/ Starter Activity: Dam Debate (local version fr, Aquatic Project Wild, p. 134)

Students will research and evaluate potential positive and negative effects from constructing a dam on a river.
Students role play individuals representing differing perspectives and concerns related to a complex issue.

Driving Question: What will we need to do to sustain life on earth now and for our future? Understand and consider our limited resources and fragile environmental conditions. / - Debate presentations,
arguments, questions

Interpretation
Thesis/take a stance
support

- Reflections/learning log

Ideas
Awareness of perspectives
voice

(science)

ask questions and describe the wonderings of the world around us

(art)

Interpret text through dramatization, writing or art

(science)

Conservation of Resources – Explain how methods for obtaining and using resources such as water, minerals and fossil fuel have consequences on the environment.
Illustrate and explain the relationship among producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Give examples of conservation of matter where matter is transferred within and among living organisms and their physical environment.

H.W. & in class – students will look for, write about, and discuss current

environmental issues from various resources (TV, internet, newspaper, etc.)
i.e. oil spills, oil prices, CA power shortage, video on Hiroshima bombing,
National Geographic articles, videos

K.W. – what students Know and what they Want to know about the conditions of our earth.

Read as a class and discuss pages 553-554 on conserving energy

(fr. S.S. book) 556-561 on protecting our environment
-problems with air, water, land

Group read & teach sections of various cycles (water, air, etc.) & ecosystems from the old red science book (p. 7-31 & 32-42)
Living Machine
What it is
How it works – bioremediation using natural processes to regenerate/recycle
Students bring in soda bottles and will build one of the following”think bottles”: decomposition, terraqua, ecocolumn (ea. Student is given a handout for each)

/ Selected response

5w’s and H on issues

Performance assess

-group presentations
-by teacher & peers

Observation log
Reflection essay

(

Hawaii State Department of Education, Standards Alliance 9/00

DEEPENING THE UNDERSTANDING

LEARNING OUTCOMES/BENCHMARKS / LEARNING EXPERIENCES / ASSESSMENT
(science)

Conservation of Resources – Explain how methods for obtaining and using resources such as water, minerals and fossil fuel have consequences on the environment.
Illustrate and explain the relationship among producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Give examples of conservation of matter where matter is transferred within and among living organisms and their physical environment.

/ Driving Question: How has man & technology over time effected and impacted Hawaii’s natural environment? How will man and technology effect and impact the future of Hawaii’s natural environment?

Continued experimentation with “think bottles”
once the ecosystem is set up, how will pollutants effect its status?

focus in on researching LOCAL environmental issues
HW/mini research – bring in articles on current issues (TV, interview, internet, paper, magazines, etc.)

i.e. Bring in and examine PH of water from various sources around the
island

Field Trip – Beach clean up, visit Makua valley, power plant, aquifers, waste management, pumping station, sewage treatment plant at Sandy Beach, H-power, Wahiawa bioremediation video taken by last year’s student council.

Observation log
Reflection essay

Transition:

Hawaii State Department of Education, Standards Alliance 9/00

APPLYING THE LEARNING

LEARNING OUTCOMES/BENCHMARKS / LEARNING EXPERIENCES / ASSESSMENT
(GLO)

the ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products

(LA)

Develop and support a thesis or stance using information from variety of resources.
Use writing to consider, explore and analyze issues of diversity in language, perspective and culture

(Science)

To identify an issue, analyze the info. to identify alternative solutions; apply criteria for evaluation; select and carry out steps for the alternative solution; evaluate their own alternative solution

(S.S.)

Analyze + &- environmental impacts in different parts of the world, and engage in an environmental care-taking action/project

/ Driving Question: What solution(s) will help Hawaii’s environment sustain life?

Students will reserch a particular problem effecting the sustainability of life in Hawaii (teachers will provide a topic list, although students will not be beholden to it).

PROMPT: You’re working for a nonprofit environmental organization. You need to write a persuasive proposal and present it to the state at a symposium. You will need to explain the problem and provide a solution that will help our fragile environment to sustain life in the years to come.
(individually or in pairs – if in pairs, papers must be written individually)

a persuasive letter (presenting both pros and cons) and their personal opinion on the issue
provide a conclusion based on a possible/suitable recommendation
present report at a symposium with a display board and field questions
provide a solution

CREATIVE OPTIONS (mandatory for GT): informational brochure, video production, hands-on application idea (what each person can do at home to help the problem), maintain a website, get various schools involved or community involvement, mediate a mini debate/audience participation, skit, Power Point/Hyperstudio Presentation, etc.
Culminating Activity: Symposium

Students will display and present proposals to teacher & classmates (invite community, business members or representatives from environmental groups etc.)

Students must also prepare to ask questions, participate in questioning and be prepared to answer questions.

/ Written & Oral Presentation

Define prob & thesis (Environmental impact statement)
Elements of a persuasive speech and report
Historical impact
Applicable solution
Sources:

1 interview from a notable source

(option) 1 interview with a
knowledgeable elder who
saw the changes

3 cited documents

Written & Performance

Teacher evaluation of the required elements based on standards on a rubric for persuasive papers, artistic display, reflection/interpretation and oral presentation

Performance assessment

Peer evaluations based on presentation

Hawaii State Department of Education, Standards Alliance 9/00

READINGS / ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
READING (in class):
The World –Past and Present text by HBJ
The New Exploring Science text by / Teacher Gathered Resources:
Traditional:
Aquatic by Project Wild
Technological:
Ahupua’a Action Alliance (Lynette Hi’ilani Cruz) refer to
Carl Evensen
e-mail:

Ahupua’a Action Alliance (Stephen Kubota)

e-mail:
READING (independently):
The World –Past and Present text by HBJ
The New Exploring Science text by
To Dam or Not to Dam adapted from Aquatic – Project Wild
Handouts from the Keiki Science Living Machines & Ecocolumns Workshop / Student Gathered Resources:
Areas of the Unit to Evaluate:

Performance of Students
Scaffolding of Activities
Teaching/Learning Strategies
Assessment
Overall (Content, Pace, Length)
Implications for next unit of work

/ Performance of Specific Children:

Students who experienced difficulties
Students who experienced success
Reasons for difficulties/successes
Adaptations for next unit of work

Hawaii State Department of Education, Standards Alliance 9/00