UbD Unit Plan

Designer Name: _____Mary Kots______Date: ______9/1/2011______Grade: ___8__ Subject Area: Geology______Unit Title/Focus: ______Estimated time 3 weeks______

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Established Goals/State competency/Competencies and curriculum Codes
3.1.7 Identify patterns as repeated processes as necessary elements in Science and Technology
3.2.7 Apply process skills to make and interpret observations
3.5.7 describe earth features and processes
Describe processes involved in the creation of geologic features
Communication of Research information
Transfer
States long term accomplishments that students should be able to do with knowledge and skills on their own.
Takes understanding and applies.
“Big Ideas” and apply based on understanding
Investigate the natural world using the Scientific Investigation and Science Process skills to identify minerals and their uses in the world yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Meaning
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
What understands are desired about the big ideas of this unit?
Students understand patterns in nature and identify them.
Students understand the patterns in the Earth’s crust and the forces that have affected them.
Students understand the properties of minerals
Students understand how prior civilizations valued minerals
Students understand the process skills
Students understand the Scientific Inquiry Process
Students understand how minerals are obtained / Essential Questions:
1.  questions that recur throughout our lives
2.  core ideas and inquiry in a system (how do we keep our heart healthy)
3.  What is the need for learning this content? (in what ways does light act like a wave/how do writers hook and hold their readers
What is the impact of minerals on our lives?
What affects the value of minerals
What has been in importance of minerals in past history
What is the location of minerals in the US and how much is left
And how long it will last.
What is the difference between synthetic and natural minerals
What is the least destructive method of mining minerals
Acquisition
Students will know
The five characteristics of minerals
Students will know the properties of minerals
Students will know how minerals are formed
Students will distinguish the difference between natural vs. synthetic minerals
Students map mineral deposits in the United States and research how much is left
Students describe the value, effect, and importance of minerals in past, present, and future societies
Students learn mining methods and their effects on the ecosystems. / Students will be able to do by the end of the unit.
Students will be skilled at identifying minerals based on their characteristics
Students will be skilled at implementing the Scientific Method
Students will be skilled at using the Science Process Skills
Students will be skilled at researching, analyzing, and communication information
Students are skilled at deciphering what mining procedure is least destructive to the environment.

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

Evaluative Criteria / Assessment Evidence
By what criteria will performances and products be judged? (rubric, checklist) / Performance Tasks
Here is where you will develop a scenario for the activity/project.
This section is for you to develop a guide for the students on what to do.
6 facets of understanding:
Explanation
Interpretation
Application
Perspective
Empathy
Self-understanding
1.  Utilizing a mineral lab report students communicate their investigation of the properties of minerals
2.  Students will classify and identify unknown minerals
3.  Students will write an expository essay on the importance of minerals on the human body
4.  Students will write an expository essay on the effect of minerals on the development of the West
5.  Students set up real life dialogue/debate with groups divided into Mining Officials, government, environmental groups, and communities and debate the use of mining in their town.
Other Evidence
Summarized (tests, essays, work samples, etc.
What other evidence (quizzes, observations, homework, etc) will be collected to determine whether or not Desired results identified in Stage One have been achieved.

Stage 3: Learning Plan

Pre-assessment
What pre-assessments will you use to check student’s prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?
1.  students identify the scientific process skills
2.  students identify the scientific method
Learning Events:
Where are we going? What is expected?
How we hook (introduce this to) the students?
How will we equip students for expected performances?
How will you rethink or revise? What are the likely or predictable student’s misunderstandings and/or performance weaknesses in this unit?
How will students self-evaluate and reflect on their learning’s?
How we tailor learning to varied needs, interests, and learning styles?
How will we organize the sequence of learning?
1.  students will learn and apply the Science Process skills to identify objects
2.  students will learn and practice the inquiry process through lab projects
3.  students identify groups of rock and minerals and determine their differences
4.  students use mineral lab and identify the properties of minerals
5.  students research what makes a mineral more valuable than another
6.  students research to determine the affect of minerals on the human body
7.  Students research to determine the significance of mineral discoveries and the subsequent development of the West.