A reflection on my unit plan
My biggest takeaway from writing this unit was getting my head wrapped around the breadth of information that I needed to include. It was a challenge to think in terms of Big Ideas without getting too hung up on details that one would find in a lesson plan.
One of the connections that I had made during this project, was between specific learning goals that I wanted to include and the science standards that aligned with those goals. At one point I was unsure if I would be able to connect the important elements that are found in the ground needed for ultimate plant health to a standard. Thankfully, with a little tweaking, I was able to do just that.
The next time that I would build a unit, I would like my students to study a specific Colorado ecosystem and why certain plants and animals choose to reside there. We could compare those in the prairies with the organisms that live in higher altitudes.
For the students who come after us, I would say to absolutely take a moment and reflect on what your dream unit would be, but also keep your standards close by. Both need to work symbiotically for a solid unit plan.