Blog #2
- Choose one of the goals that you have chosen for your unit plan. Explicitly talk about it.
The last goal that I chose for my unit plan is for my students to use the learning that they had acquired throughout the unit in order to explain the pros and cons of artificial fertilizer vs natural compost.
2. How could it connect to your students specifically (reference Context for Learning Doc)?
In order to support the ELL students that I mentioned in my CLD, I would create a 3-tiered approach.
- I would have all of my students watch the documentary Kiss the Ground with Spanish subtitles. It would provide the impactful visuals and background knowledge that all my students would benefit from. They would also have access to a link to the web site so that they can replay it as needed.
- As they watch the video, I would have them complete a Note Catcher that would be written in Spanish. They would also have a list of the key vocabulary words in Spanish with definitions. This is a document that we would have worked on in class beforehand.
- I would pair my ELL students with students who are fluent in both Spanish and English. I would then ask the translating student to ask the ELL student what the pros and cons of chemical vs natural fertilizers.
- How would you assess it?
I would assess on the notes they took of the documentary and their oral responses through the translator. Two pros and 2 cons of each type of fertilizer should be an attainable objective for these students.
5. How does the goal connect to language demands? Cognitive demand? Standards?
This plan will cover all 4 of the domains of language demands (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
My ELL students will have one; not multiple sources in which to reference as is listed under Dok Level 2 -Cognitive Demand. I could, however, look for reading materials in Spanish or simplified English that cover this topic.
This lesson coincides with the NGSS:
HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems:Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
6. What is the most important thing you’ve needed to consider about unit planning?
The most important thing that I have needed to consider about unit planning is how I will accommodate all the learners in my class and their specific needs.
7. How does it connect to lesson planning?
It connects to lesson planning in that I want to keep my expectations high, yet support a variety of different types of learners.
8. Give specific examples,
For example, to have the goal of having my students compare and contrast the pros and cons of chemical and natural fertilizers I have to ensure that the materials and texts are accessible to ALL of my students. I may need to provide detailed scaffolds in order for some students to annotate certain texts. The texts themselves will have to vary according to Access Scores and reading levels.