EDU 510
Summer 1999
Rayna Mills
 

Unit Overview
   This unit is created for a second grade class that involves the subject areas of science, social studies, reading, and language arts. The concept being taught is oceans, which will be reinforced by hands on experiments, discovery learning, read alouds, projects and field trips.  The students will be using maps and pictures to locate the oceans and continents as well as studying different ocean animals and exploring endangered animals including the killer whale.
      The students will be using their skills in reading and writing to explore oceans. The use of the students’ prior knowledge of oceans and ocean animals will be beneficial to the many different types of lessons involved in this unit. The lessons entail many different learning styles, which will benefit many students’, as they will be encouraged to share what is learned based on their experiences. In this unit students’ will be engaged in the reading and writing of new information learned. This will be reinforced by the abundance of literature available in the classroom.

Unit Goals
1.  Students will discover the names and locations of the world’s four oceans on a map.
2.  Students will distinguish the differences between a river, lake, and island.
3.  Students will develop an understanding of endangered animals.
4.  Students will become familiar with the earth and its seven continents.
5.  Students will become familiar with different types of ocean animals.
6.  Students will understand that glaciers once inhabited the earth.
7.  Students will understand that the equator is the central line dividing the
     Earth.

Objectives
1. Students will be able to name orally the four oceans.  (knowledge)
2. Students will be able to locate and label the four oceans on a map. (knowledge)
3. Students will be able to explain the differences between a lake, river, and island. (comprehension)
4. Students will demonstrate an understanding that the earth is made up of 70% water by completing a land and water experiment. (analysis and evaluation)
5. Students will be able to explain that many ocean animals are becoming endangered.  (synthesis)
6.  Students will be able to identify different ocean animals. (application)
7.  Students will be able to locate and label North America on a map.     (knowledge)
8.   Students will locate the seven continents on a map.
      (Knowledge)
9.  Students will be able to define and locate the equator on a map. (knowledge)
10. Students will be able to explain that the earth was once made up of many glaciers by looking at pictures of the earth long ago.   (synthesis)
11.  Students will apply their knowledge of oceans by writing a letter to the whale adoption center explaining to them how important it is to them to save an endangered whale. (application and evaluation)
12. Students will write an acrostic poem using only ocean words. (evaluation)
13.  Working in cooperative groups’ students will create an ocean animal. (synthesis)
14. Students will be able to identify the largest ocean on a map.  (application)
15. Students will be able to explain that the earth changes in many ways by studying different weather patterns.   (synthesis)

Instructional Overview
 To begin this unit of instruction I will have the classroom decorated like an ocean so that the students have a feeling about what we will be studying.  I will begin by introducing the topic of oceans.  We will start a KWL chart as a class.  This will help me better to understand what the students already know about oceans.  We will then complete a land and water experiment. I will have the students color four square blocks blue and one brown.  I will then ask the students to tell me what they think the color blocks stand for.  The blue stands for water and the brown stands for land. This will then lead into a discussion that the earth is mostly made up of water and not land. We will reinforce this by looking at maps and globes.  I will ask the students to write in their journals about why they think the earth is made up of mostly water. This will lead into a class discussion that long ago the earth was once made up of glaciers. We will then look at pictures of the earth long ago.  The students will also conduct a glacier experiment that will prove to them that glaciers moved very slowly.
I will then ask the students if they know the names of the oceans.  This will lead into an introduction of a song, (sung to Farmer in the Dell), that names the four oceans.  I will teach this song to the class to help them learn the names of the oceans.  We will then brainstorm a list of activities to d at the ocean or that reminds the students of the ocean. We will use these words to write an acrostic poem using the word OCEAN.  We will then hang these ocean poems throughout the classroom.  The students will also understand that there are different bodies of water and landforms including lakes, rivers, and islands.  To help reinforce the differences students will work in-groups to locate and draw the different bodies of waters and landforms.  A salt experiment will be done to show the students that the oceans are made up of salt water and when water in the ocean evaporates the salt stays.
 We will play a mapping game that will help introduce the locations of the four oceans.  This will be an activity that the students can do throughout the day when they have a free moment. This will help the students with the names and locations of the oceans.  The students will also be given the names of the seven continents that make up the world. They will understand that the United States is located in North America. That will be reinforced each day with a review of the locations of the oceans and the continents.  Each student will be given two maps one to label and one to practice with at home. The students will use these maps to study the continents and oceans.  We will also compare the sizes of the oceans by looking at our maps.  This will lead into the discovery of the largest ocean.
 Each day the students will write in their journals. They will write about anything they have learned or found interesting about oceans. Students are also encouraged to ask questions or share anything they may have discovered at home or on the Internet.  There will be class time allotted to the sharing of the journal entries.
 The classroom will be set up like an ocean and each day there will be an ocean related center to go along with our theme.  This will include octopus math, making ocean windsocks, making starfish out of rice, writing verb and adjective poems relating to the ocean. The students will always be engaged in the learning of new information and are always encouraged to share their information with the rest of the class.  There will also be ocean literature set up throughout the classroom for the students’ use.  Each day I will read an ocean related book to the class.  There is also a book critic each day; this is a great time for the students to share their books and new information that they have learned.
 

 Each morning the class will play an ocean animal mapping game.  This will help to introduce various ocean animals that live throughout the world.  Each morning we will introduce one new animal and learn some facts about that animal. We will then locate where it lives and name some characteristics of that area. Such as what continent and ocean it is near.
 The special area teachers’ are also a big help. They will incorporate any theme that the class is studying into their plans, it is exciting to see that the students are also being introduced to different ocean projects, games, and songs outside of the classroom.
 To introduce the equator each student has to close his or her eyes. I will give each group of two a globe. They will be told hat they have to feel for a line that goes around the globe. We will do this until everyone has had a chance and found the line. I will then have the students open their eyes to look at that line. I will then introduce the line as being the equator.
 We will also learn that the ocean plays a big part in our weather. We will brainstorm a list of severe weather patterns. I will then hand out pictures of different weather patterns to the groups and will ask the groups to identify the different weather patterns.  This will then lead into a discussion of how the earth changes (earthquake changes the earth quickly).
 Throughout the unit students will be reading, writing, and exploring different ocean animals.  As a class we will discover that whales are endangered animals.  We will write letters to the whale adoption center explaining how important it is to our class to save a whale. With money we have saved we will then adopt a class whale.  The students will also conduct a blubber experiment. The students will be able to feel what it is like for a whale to have blubber and they will learn the purpose of whale’s blubber (to keep the whale warm). With book critics, access to the Internet, use of library and class books the students will be encouraged to choose their favorite ocean animal. In groups the students will be asked to create their own ocean animal, one that possess the qualities and characteristics of each of the groups favorite animals.

Table of Specifications
Ocean Unit
Category Know   Reason Show   Total

Oceans 2sr  3sr, 1pr   5sr, 1pr
Continents 3sr  1pr    3sr, 1pr
Animals 2sr  1pr, 1sr, 2e 1pa, 1pr 3sr, 2pr, 1pa, 2e
Landforms 3sr  1pr    3sr, 1pr

Total  10sr  4sr, 2e, 4pr, 1pa, 1pr 14sr, 2e, 5pr, 1pa

(In the table of specifications I have included the selected response questions, the performance assessment, the four science experiments, and the ocean animal group invention which are all part of the formal assessment.)

Test Items
True and False
Circle T for True or F for False

1.  T    F   An endangered animal is an animal that is in danger of becoming extinct.
2.  T    F   A lake, peninsula, and river are all bodies of water.
3.  T    F   The earth is made up of 70% water.
4.  T    F   A whale lives on land.
5.  T    F    The four oceans are made up of salt water.

Multiple Choice

1.  America is located on which continent?
a. Africa
b. Asia
c. North America
d. South America

2. Which of the following ocean animals breathes through a blowhole?
a. octopus
b. whale
c. jellyfish
d. shark

3.  Which of the following oceans is the largest?
a. Atlantic Ocean
b. Pacific Ocean
c. Arctic Ocean
d. Indian Ocean

4.  Which of the following weather patterns names a way in which the earth
changes slowly?
a. tornado
b. earthquake
c. erosion
d. hurricane

Fill – in

1.   A  ____________ is a landform that is surrounded by water on all sides.
2.   ___________ is the number of continents that make up the earth.
3. The make believe line around the middle of the earth is the __________.
4. When water evaporates in the ocean the salt ___________.

Matching

Draw a line from the animal to its description

Starfish    weighs about 160 tons
Octopus   breathe through gills
Whale    crawls on the sand
Fish    has eight tentacles

Draw a line from column A to column B

          A                     B

Lake     long body of water that flows across land
Island     body of water with land all around it
River     is made up of salt water
Ocean     has water all around it
 
 

Essay

Please answer the following questions using complete sentences.

1.  A killer whale is one of the oceans largest animals.  Name two adaptations that a killer
     whale needs to survive in the ocean.

2. On the back of this paper draw a picture of your favorite ocean animal.  Write two
characteristics of that animal.

Performance Assessment
Each group, consisting of four students, will read a book about a specific ocean animal.  It is the groups job to teach the rest of the class about their ocean animal.  The groups will be formed into literature circles.  The circles will be made up of students who choose to study the same animal.  The idea of literature circles is to use collaborative learning that is student centered.
 Before the groups begin they will be given the traits scale that will be used, this explains what is expected of the groups during their class presentation. We will go over this as a class so that any questions can be answered. I will also model each trait so that there is no confusion and the students understand the task and their expectations.
Once the literature circles have been established specific tasks will be given to each member.  There will be a Discussion Director, it is this persons job to help people talk over ideas in the reading and to share the groups reactions.  It is encouraged that the students use their own feeling when discussing the book.    There is an Idea Illustrator, this person is responsible for drawing a picture of the animal and sharing it with the class explaining why they chose this picture and telling if it relates to other animals that live in the ocean.  The Vocabulary Vitalizer is responsible for the lookout of new and unfamiliar words. This person is to look up the unfamiliar words and introduce the words to the rest of the group so that everyone is familiar with them.  This person will then report the words to the rest of the class asking them if they understand these words and will explain them if not. The group is expected to introduce at least two new words. The Literary Luminary is responsible for reading the selection to the group. They also write down five facts about that animal to share with the class.
The job titles are very important and the students know that the jobs hold the same value. They are treated as a whole and not individually.  It is important that everyone play a part and that all of the jobs are completed.
Each group will be given a primary trait scale that explains what we will be looking for when they give their presentations. The groups will be presenting to other groups in the class; the presenters will also be scored by the viewers in that group. This is a great way for the teacher to assess what is going on both formally and informally. Each group will go over their evaluations. We will have a class discussion about what worked well and what didn’t. This task is meant to be a learning experience for each student as well as working in a group.
    Primary Traits Scale
Delivery                     Content
Level 3 *clear and loud voice   * gives at least three characteristics
 *makes eye contact   *uses appropriate materials when needed
 *is organized    *introduces and explains at least two new words
*is comfortable in environment *interactive with the class (answers any questions)

Level 2 *clear and loud voice   *gives at least two characteristics
  *is organized    *introduces at least one new word
 *makes eye contact   *interactive with class

Level 1 *clear and loud voice   *gives at least one characteristic
 *is organized    *introduces at least one new word              Total=

Integrity

    I believe that this unit incorporates all of the different learning styles that will make this topic fun and interesting for the students.  This unit directly relates to the New York Standards and is part of the curriculum at my school.  My goals and objective clearly relate to my activities and how the information will be taught to the students.  It is important to me that the students enjoy learning and that it incorporates many different subject areas. I feel that this unit achieves all of that.
The students are using different resources and it is something new and different each day, which helps to keep the students involved and interested.  This unit is a hands- on theme unit that incorporates a lot of group work and discovery learning. Learning that can also be brought home by literature and the use of technology.

Assessment Overview
 Throughout this course of study I will be doing a lot of kid watching.  I will be walking around with a clipboard that is labeled with various skill-oriented tasks and social interactions with students.  I am able to see how the students are doing interactively and will be able to focus on any problems that I see occurring.   There is a lot of group work that goes on involving different experiments and projects. It is very important that the students get along and understand their responsibilities.
 The use of journals everyday will help the students because they are writing down information learned which is reinforcing it. It also gives them a chance to ask questions if they are not comfortable asking in front of the class. I am able to read their entries and answer their questions. I am learning a lot about what the students do and don’t understand. I am also able to assess their writing skills. I will be able to create language arts lessons that involve common mistakes I see in the writings.
 At the beginning of this unit the students will be given a folder to decorate. This folder will be dedicated to our ocean unit.  This will be their portfolio throughout this unit. The students will keep their writings and projects in their portfolio.  The portfolio will allow me to see their improvement throughout the unit with their understanding of the concepts being taught. It will also allow me to see the improvement in their writing skills as well as their participation with various projects and experiments.  Portfolios are useful because the students are taking responsibility for their work and are able to keep track of their own achievement.  I am also able to track their achievement and participation. It will tell me who is participating and who is not.
 An informal assessment for me will be having the students sing the ocean song to me. This will help me a lot because I will be able to see who can name the oceans and who can not. I will then be able to help those who do not know all of the names.  When doing the glacier, salt water, and blubber experiments the students are working in- groups or alone. I am able to assess them formally or informally. I am able to see who is participating and understanding the concept given as well as the outcome.  After doing an experiment the students write to me about what they learned after completing the experiment. We then share our thought and do the experiment together as a class so that they can see the outcome again.
 Throughout this unit students will be doing a lot of mapping. Informally, I will be able to see who can label the oceans and the continent of North America by walking around the room and by the morning mapping activity. This will allow me to focus on the students who are having trouble so that we can work on it together. The morning mapping activity allows other students to help each other as well.
 At the end of the unit we will complete the L in our KWL chart. We will also go over our W part of the chart.  We will make sure that everything the students wanted to know about oceans was covered.  The students were also allowed to look up information on the Internet at home and tell the class about what they learned. The students were told they could get extra credit if they did this assignment at home.

Throughout this unit I will be assessing a lot of areas because of all of the different learning styles among the students.  One formal assessment will be a test consisting of selected response questions.  These questions will be based upon what was learned regarding oceans and ocean animals.  The test will also help me because I am able to test their knowledge to see what they have learned.  The students will also responsible for a performance assessment. This will be done in-groups and each group member will be given a specific task that he/she is responsible for.  This type of formal assessment will allow me to see how well the students worked together as well as how they performed their task.
Projects that the students complete in both the special areas and in class allow me to see a student's artistic side as well as their creative side. They enjoy creating their own masterpieces and it is enjoyable to see the pride they have for their work.
The students will also complete a number of experiments. These experiments will be used both formally and informally. These experiments will be student centered. The students are to conduct the experiment and introduce their results to their group or to me in their journal.  I learn a lot from this because the students are helping each other and I also can read their journals to see if they understood the result of the experiment or how they got that specific result.
The culmination to this unit will be a field trip to the Burnett Park Zoo. The students will be able to see the different animals and will visit the aquarium to observe different types of fish. The students will be responsible for learning about the different animals and especially the endangered animals at the zoo. Our class project will be a class book compiled of the students’ writings about the animals they learned about at the zoo. The students will write about their experiences and will have an illustration to go along with their writing. The students will write their stories during writer’s workshop.  Writer’s workshop consists of a lot of brainstorming within a group and peer editing. The students are always encouraged to share and edit their writings before hey come to see me.  The students will share their writings if they would like and then we will compile the writings into a class book that the students can read whenever they wish.  These books are a great asset to the classroom because the students show pride and ownership towards their work and they are always eager to share it with others.  These books are also the most popular within the classroom library.