Teresa - This is a good use of investigation. You are right on target. I like both your checksheet - especially, where you have students identify their role. Good addition. I like that your rubric is on target. The current and relevant problem to solve criterion I would say this is an okay addition but one that you as the teacher would ensure that they are working on a meaningful topic before they finish their activity. Kind of a going around to the different groups to determine if in fact everyone is on task and on target.
Teresa - I like the new NETs standards. I like the addition of creativity. This is such an important addition and expectation. You are correct, your unit has constructivist elements throughout to allow students to investigate and explore important topics and to create an understanding from those topics. Also, your additional element of collaboration with a colleague. Very proactive and constructivist in nature. Your use of technology is well done - as a tool not as the central element or focus of your instruction. Good addition of assessments - both formal and informal. Your unit is moving along nicely. Well done.
Mike - I really like your unit plan and I like that fact that it is cross curricular (and we know how much middle school students love getting an assignment that two teachers will be grading-my students worry about them now!) I like that you are getting the students to look at things from a global perspective. This may be the Civics teacher in me talking, but maybe you could have them construct a letter to Congressman, the President, or even the U.N., expressing their concerns for this country along with their solutions. Another idea, and I am basing it on something I plan to do at the end of the year, if you have the time and equipment, readily available, have them make public service announcements about their country, its problem, and even their solution. You could post them to TeacherTube - the students would get a kick out of it. I don't think you need to take my suggestions, I think your plan is awesome, just the way it is-but these were two relatively easy ways I saw where more assessment could be added, if you wanted to add anymore assessment. Great Job!
Teresa - This is a good use of investigation. You are right on target. I like both your checksheet - especially, where you have students identify their role. Good addition. I like that your rubric is on target. The current and relevant problem to solve criterion I would say this is an okay addition but one that you as the teacher would ensure that they are working on a meaningful topic before they finish their activity. Kind of a going around to the different groups to determine if in fact everyone is on task and on target.
Unit Plan Formal Proposal
Teresa - I like the new NETs standards. I like the addition of creativity. This is such an important addition and expectation. You are correct, your unit has constructivist elements throughout to allow students to investigate and explore important topics and to create an understanding from those topics. Also, your additional element of collaboration with a colleague. Very proactive and constructivist in nature. Your use of technology is well done - as a tool not as the central element or focus of your instruction. Good addition of assessments - both formal and informal. Your unit is moving along nicely. Well done.
Mike - I really like your unit plan and I like that fact that it is cross curricular (and we know how much middle school students love getting an assignment that two teachers will be grading-my students worry about them now!) I like that you are getting the students to look at things from a global perspective. This may be the Civics teacher in me talking, but maybe you could have them construct a letter to Congressman, the President, or even the U.N., expressing their concerns for this country along with their solutions. Another idea, and I am basing it on something I plan to do at the end of the year, if you have the time and equipment, readily available, have them make public service announcements about their country, its problem, and even their solution. You could post them to TeacherTube - the students would get a kick out of it. I don't think you need to take my suggestions, I think your plan is awesome, just the way it is-but these were two relatively easy ways I saw where more assessment could be added, if you wanted to add anymore assessment. Great Job!