Session 15: Thematic unit presentations
This week we posted our thematic units and received feedback from our peers. Please view my reflection/caption on their feedback by clicking the button below. You will be taken to the finished version of my SIOP thematic unit and can see my work. Thank you to everyone who left me a comment, and I am so proud of all my classmates for their hard work on the Thematic Unit outlines!
Amanda's post on May 5, 2014:
Here is my outline for SIOP thematic unit. I decided to do an EcoLiteracy theme through Langauge Arts which could be coordinated with the science teacher when they discuss ecosystems and the Earth.
Here is my outline for SIOP thematic unit. I decided to do an EcoLiteracy theme through Langauge Arts which could be coordinated with the science teacher when they discuss ecosystems and the Earth.
Sahal's response:
Amanda
You always have a distinguish post and this one is no different. however, I am really surprise that student in the sixth grade have this type of grammar. I though function like summarizing main ideas is a skill of intermediate level. Finally, I have one question: do the classrooms in your school support the cooperative learning?.
I think you did a great job.
Amanda's reply:
Thank you Sahal. Yes summarizing is a standard of major focus in middle school. It is a useful skill to practice at any grade level and in all subjects/classes where students are asked to practice literacy; my second year teaching I was able to attend a presentation by Rick Wormeli: it is from his work that I learned the most about summarizing strategies. Students do not necessarily need to write summaries: They can be verbal, artistic, symbolic, or kinesthetic. Summarizing requires several sub-skills which take years of practice to develop mastery, like analyzing what is the most important or main idea, disregarding unimportant info, and reflecting/processing on the meaning of what has been read. His book is called "Summarization in Any Subject: 50 Techniques to Improve Student Learning." (2004)
The same district also sent me through periodic training sessions in Kagan Cooperative Learning. I think CL materials can give teachers good strategies but that training and the support of the whole school is required to have optimal levels of student participation and understanding of -why- and -how- to do CL. With support, we had a school-wide quiet signal, the students knew many of the routines we used for our content practice (because other teachers had taught them how to do it: if I said we are going to do FanNPick for example my students would automatically know the rules for the card game before we began because I've taught with the same structure in my other lessons). Without the district's support, training, Instructional coaches, and materials I would have not felt confident and believe it would have been less successful, but now that I have seen it work I plan to use it in my classroom from now on. "Group Work" and "work with a partner" are no longer in my vocabulary as a teacher because I know how to structure students to be successful when working together.
Kaylee's response:
Amanda,
I'm currently a science teacher and I often try to plan cross-curricular lessons with our language arts teacher, so I absolutely love that you are doing a cooperative teaching unit. That's not only easier on the teachers, it's so beneficial for the students!
I thought all of this was really appropriate for a sixth grade classroom, and the accommodations for your ELLs should prove to work well! :)
Ryan's response:
Amanda,
It looks like you have done a good job on this assignment. I like many aspects of your PowerPoint including your use of K-W-L strategies to make use of student prior knowledge as well as use of "cohesion" language in addition to useful vocabulary words.
Starian's reponse:
Amanda, I really like the choice to teach Eco Literacy. I think that this can be an incredibly flexible unit in terms of cultural accommodations. Natural disasters happen all around the world and every country does something different to deal/cope. Every country also has different opinions on which animals to save and which ones are endangered. I actually think your target vocabulary is realistic for 6th grade. Ambitious, but definitely realistic.
Jennifer's response:
Amanda,
Nicely done unit over ecosystems! Since I am a science teacher this unit really sparked my attention. I liked how you clearly stated your language goals. Also, collaborating with the science teacher will be great for your learners so there is a connection to their learning from your classroom to the science classroom. I got some great ideas from your unit! Good job!
comments on other students' unit lesson plans
Amanda's comments for Ryan:
Hi Ryan,
Your plans look really well-made. The narrative description of your student demographics (and the page of cross-cultural considerations) is useful for understanding how they will approach the lessons. Since some of your students will be familiar with some of the Medical practices of other cultures perhaps there are experts or family members with Funds of Knowledgw who could come speak to your classes about the type of medical care they are used to seeing.
The other thing I like is the way you included a listening activity on slide 24. I think I should have a few of my activities centered around listening, perhaps as a counter-activity while other students are practicing speaking, which I've planned for in their presentations. Great work overall!
Amanda's comments for Jennifer:
Hi Jennifer! I have fond memories of dissecting owl pellets when I was in elementary and middle school so I know your students will love the hands-on activity of your lab.
What level of English proficiency are your students on average? I think it will make a difference in which forms and functions you need to choose for the English Learners' language objectives. I saw that a number of your vocabulary that you want students to use correctly are verbs, so maybe present tense or past tense verbs could be the form and writing sentences describing the steps they took could be the function. Great work so far with all of your planning and graphic organizers. I think the modeling you will do for the ESL students will help them feel confident about the explorations.
sss