Write a unit plan using UbD that integrates technology. This sounded like a project that was going to be very practical, especially since we are “integrating technology” into 3 of our units this year. Using UbD didn’t seem unreasonable since we have spent the last 2+ years working on understanding Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’s book Understanding by Design. When I looked at the template we were given I was a bit taken back. I had read the book and been in discussions about it and remembered the terminology, to some extent, but we use rubicon atlas for mapping. I was much relieved to find out I could use the rubicon atlas form.
This Wednesday we are having our professional learning community(PLC) meeting. As head teacher of the elementary school, it is my job to run the PLC meeting. I do this in consultation with our elementary principal. We have had 2 other meetings when teachers could work on developing units and talk to our tech facilitator. But we decided we needed teachers to commit to 3 units and when those units will be taught to help our facilitator. Grace, our facilitator, wanted to help find a way to keep track and organize our unit plans and she created this blog. She created a page for each grade level and asked we put our unit plans there. As the leader of the PLC, and taking this course, I decided I really needed to try to get all 3 of my units inputted into the blog. It took several tries, but they are here.
What did I learn as I worked on these and on the one for this course in particular? Like I wrote last week, having learning targets is really helpful/necessary. At present, we have grade level learning targets for math, language arts and bible. I was able to use the technology strands our secondary has adopted and attempt to write grade level learning target. How will this all turn out? I’m not sure. The unit I’ve submitted will be taught in January. Presently I am working on teaching the students about blogging and reflecting on their learning for others to read. We are also working on collaboratively writing stories that will be published digitally. Do I know exactly how or what that will look like – NO. Do I think it is a worthwhile learning experience – Most definitely. Just this evening I was reading a post by Madeleine about being a risk-taker. I hope that our present unit as I stumble and fumble will help the students to see that it is okay to make mistakes, because even in making mistakes we learn and are able to share.
One of my next challenges as I look at our present unit and I look to the future with my students creating more is how do I grade it? What will the rubric look like that will help the students know what I am expecting? Since this is the first time I’m doing this, what do I expect the students to be able to do on their own and what will take more guidance? As we work towards a “final project” that we can share, what skills do the students need to be able to do?
I know I don’t have answers to many of my questions, but I am really excited that I can learn with my students and with my colleagues.
Unit Plan – Jesus’ Miracles
| Learning Targets |
Technology standards:
- Students apply technology to collaborate and communicate.
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Students apply problem-solving strategies to organize content and complete projects.
1. Students know key Biblical passages, characters, and events.
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1.1 Retell and respond to Bible stories
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1.3 Recite identified Bible passages
2. Students know how the history of God’s people fits into the flow of world history.
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2.4 Dramatize biblical characters and events (new)
5. Students know how the Bible is organized, the types of literature the Bible includes and how to read the Bible.
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5.4 Dramatize Bible stories with appropriate oral expression
13. Is a discerning thinker (DT)
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13.K12.1. Organize and use information to support conclusions (DT3)
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13.K12.2. Make creative products and presentations (DT4)
15. Is an effective communicator (EC)
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15.K12.1. Communicate their biblical thinking (EC1)
English 2010, Grade 2, Writing
4. Students will write with a command of informal and formal English.
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4.02.01. I can read my own writing and find mistakes in capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling.
5. Students will write with clarity, logic, validity, and effectiveness on a wide range of topics and for a variety of purposes and audiences.
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5.02.01. I write short fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
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5.02.02. I write with a main idea.
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5.02.03. I can write complete sentences.
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5.02.04. I use C-U-P-S
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-regular/irregular verbs
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-pronouns/personal pronouns
- -subject-verb agreement
Enduring Understandings
Bible content:
- Jesus’ miracles showed his authority from God.
- Jesus’ miracles showed his power over nature.
- Jesus’ miracles showed his love for people.
Skills:
- There are appropriate ways to dramatize a story.
- There are various ways to retell the stories of Jesus’ miracles
- What do we learn about Jesus from his miracles?
- How can I report what I know about an event?
- Bible memory – Matthew 4:23
- Miracle at Cana – John 2:1-11
- Jesus’ first miracle
- A Soldier’s Faith – Matthew 7:28-8:1;8:5-16
- Jesus’ love included the Gentiles
- Jesus had the power to heal the centurion’s servant without seeing him
- Calming the Storm – Matthew 8:23-27
- Jesus has power over the forces of nature
- Healing the Demoniacs – Matthew 8:28-34
- Jesus had compassion on the men
- He cares for both spiritual and physical needs
- He has power over demons/devil
- Healing the Paralytic – Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12
- Jesus showed he was Lord by healing those who were sick
- Wake Up! – Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43
- Jesus has power over death and illness
- Cure at Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26
- Jesus cared for a blind man, tending to his needs
- Blind Bartimaeus – Mark 10:46-52
- Bartimaeus recognized Jesus as God’s Son
- Withered Hand – Luke 6:6-11
- Jesus healed people because of their faith
- Widow’s Son – Luke 7:11-17
- Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead
- People were amazed and recognized Jesus as a great prophet
- Raising of Lazarus – John 11:1-44
- Jesus can do more than we could dream or imagine
- Vocabulary: synagogues, authority
- Summarize the bible stories, beginning, middle and end
- Illustrate bible stories
- Use a graphic organizer to plan writing
- Analyze what the miracle teaches about Jesus(authority, power, love)
- Memorize Bible passages
- Dramatize stories using appropriate acting skills
- voice
- gestures
- following directions
- Blue binder Unit 8 on the shelf by the door
- Student Bibles
- Classroom bible costumes in plastic bins
- Videos – The Miracles of Jesus from the media library, The Miracles of Jesus Family Entertainment Network (in classroom) – Show one at the beginning of the unit
- Flash a Card – in the classroom
- Kidspiration – planning a news article
photo by Samuel and Nicolas
by Jasmine and Tina
Photo by Zach, Ty and Michael
The final photo says it all – I’m in for the ride of my life!
One of the things I have really enjoyed about your posts is the element of “trial and success” found in each. It seems like you don’t let set-backs fluster you and you just press on. I think this is such an important 21st century skill. Afterall, there is basically a solution out there but it’s just a matter of finding it and using it well.
I am also struck by the contrast between the tools you were comfortable with 8 weeks ago compared to now. Wow!
Adam,
A week ago I wasn’t sure I would have agreed that I would keep pressing on. In fact, I was feeling quite flustered, but things are looking brighter and I’ve had some success with trying something new on my classroom blog although I still have some things to work out. We have a long weekend and hopefully that will give me some time to experiment. Thank you for your encouraging words along my journey.