WIS MYP unit planner

Unit title
/
Matter and the Periodic Table
Teacher(s) / Erik Bullock
Subject and grade level / Science MYP 3
Time frame and duration / 7 weeks (2nd trimester)
Stage 1: Integrate significant concept, area of interaction and unit question
Area of interaction focus
Which area of interaction will be our focus?
Why have we chosen this? / /
Significant concept(s)
What are the big ideas? What do we want our students to retain for years into the future?
Human Ingenuity / How does the advancement in technology change human knowledge?
MYP unit question
Why do models change as time passes?
Assessment
What task(s) will allow students the opportunity to respond to the unit question?
What will constitute acceptable evidence of understanding? How will students show what they have understood?
The students will develop and perform a scientific investigation demonstrating their understanding of matter and how the change in the model of the atom allows for a greater understanding of how different elements react, and how the periodic table can aid in determining such reactions. The students will show their understanding in a laboratory report . A rubric with the criteria will be given to the students so the expectations will be known from the start.
Which specific MYP objectives will be addressed during this unit?
-design scientific investigations that include variables and controls that are identified; identify materials/equipment needed; describe a method to be followed; suggest the data to be collected.
-draw conclusions supported by scientific explanations and reasoned interpretations of the data.
Which MYP assessment criteria will be used?
Objective D (scientific inquiry) and Objective E (processing data)
Stage 2: Backward planning: from the assessment to the learning activities through inquiry
ContentWhat knowledge and/or skills (from the course overview) are going to be used to enable the student to respond to the unit question?
What (if any) state, provincial, district, or local standards/skills are to be addressed? How can they be unpacked to develop the significant concept(s) for stage 1?
-study of the structure of atoms, elements, isotopes and the periodic table
-history of the atom
-parts of the atom
-patterns in the periodic table
-difference between the types of matter (element, compound, mixture)
Approaches to learning
How will this unit contribute to the overall development of subject-specific and general approaches to learning skills?
-thinking (the students will generate their own ideas and perform an experiment)
-transfer (the students will make connections between concepts about the periodic table and their scientific investigation)
Learning experiencesHow will students know what is expected of them? Will they see examples, rubrics, templates?
How will students acquire the knowledge and practise the skills required? How will they practise applying these?
Do the students have enough prior knowledge? How will we know? / Teaching strategiesHow will we use formative assessment to give students feedback during the unit?
What different teaching methodologies will we employ?
How are we differentiating teaching and learning for all? How have we made provision for those learning in a language other than their mother tongue? How have we considered those with special educational needs?
-students will receive a rubric of what is expected of them for the final student developed scientific investigation
-students will complete a short research project on important scientists that aided in the development of the modern model of the atom
-student will complete a short presentation on an element of their choosing stating the history, the uses, and chemical properties
-students will have a student lead lecture and short video on the properties of elements, the history of the periodic table, and how to name and predict chemical formulas using the periodic table
-Prior knowledge will be acquired by brainstorming activities whenever a new topic is discussed / -Students will have daily warm up activities to validate understanding of main concepts such as draw diagrams of the different types of plate boundaries (formative assessment)
-Students will complete several laboratory activities (use of hands-on/minds-on activities) (formative assessment)
-students will be given practice problems on naming and predicting chemical formulas
-Students will work together as a group (cooperative groups)
-Students will practice research skills to gather information for their introduction (acquiring knowledge on their own)
-Struggling students will be given more one on one help and more time will be given to students to complete tasks (differentiating)
-ESL students may use translators when needed
-ESL students' work will be graded on content not language and grammar
Resources
What resources are available to us?
How will our classroom environment, local environment and/or the community be used to facilitate students’ experiences during the unit?
-internet (www.chemfiesta.com)
-laboratory (chemicals, glassware, equipment, etc.)
-library (computers, books, and other references)
- classroom (group seating, ppt on TV)
Ongoing reflections and evaluation
In keeping an ongoing record, consider the following questions. There are further stimulus questions at the end of the “Planning for teaching and learning” section of MYP: From principles into practice.
Students and teachersWhat did we find compelling? Were our disciplinary knowledge/skills challenged in any way?
What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, extension activities arose?
How did we reflect—both on the unit and on our own learning?
Which attributes of the learner profile were encouraged through this unit? What opportunities were there for student-initiated action?
Possible connections How successful was the collaboration with other teachers within my subject group and from other subject groups?
What interdisciplinary understandings were or could be forged through collaboration with other subjects?
Assessment
Were students able to demonstrate their learning?
How did the assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this unit? How did I make sure students were invited to achieve at all levels of the criteria descriptors?
Are we prepared for the next stage?
Data collection
How did we decide on the data to collect? Was it useful?
Still in progress, reflection will follow upon unit completion.

Figure 12

MYP unit planner