Gaja Stirbys

Integrated Unit

Unit Topic: Physical, Internal and Community Change Over Time 1 Stage 1 Desired Results

Grade level:

Content Standard/Established Goals(s): Students will observe and discuss change that can occur on a physical, internal and community level. Spanning Science, Literacy and Social Studies: a. students will explain and record the transformation that occurs within the plant life cycle b. students will identify the changes characters undergo in literature and c. will relate these dynamics to their own lives and communities. Understanding(s) Students will understand that: Plants are living organisms and require basic need for survival. (Physical) Characters in literature often undergo personal changes when faced with adversity. (Internal) We belong to family, neighborhood and cultural communities that express change over time. (Community) Student objectives (outcomes): Essential Question(s): How do living organisms change over time? How have you and will you change(d) over time? What kind of changes do characters undergo in literature? What does change look and feel like?

Students will be able to Orally and in writing recognize, Plant Life Cycle Observation label and communicate changes Journal that occur during the plant life cycle. I was, I am, I will be poems Evaluate characters in literature, Describe the life cycle of identify changes and utilize different types of plants character traits appropriately. Create intentional change when working with two-dimensional shapes and everyday objects. Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Other Evidence: Daily observation journal will be kept to record plant changes and student reflections. Graphic organizers will be used to help students respond to literature and support identification of pivotal changes in characters. Students will co-construct an evolving definition of change as a concept.

Performance Task(s): Students will author and illustrate I was, I am, I will be poems that liken changes that plants undergo in their life cycle to personal changes they have undergone along with their hopes for their future.

Gaja Stirbys

Integrated Unit Students will develop a character trait word bank over the course of the unit. Stage 3 Learning Plan

B e g i n n i n g C u l m i n a t i n g

Learning Activity

Objectives/Goals Week One Students will activate their prior knowledge, discuss what they want to learn about plants. Introduce students to the time commitment and reward of growing plants. Also, discuss whether theyve ever waited a long time for something to happen. Students will use a class determined unit of measurement effectively. Place beans in plastic sandwich bags for sprouting. Introduce students to the many shapes seeds take. Students are given a variety of seeds and asked to try and match it to a photograph of a plant. In small groups extend the seed reading by observing seeds through a magnifying lens. Students plant Brassica Rapa, discuss daily responsibilities. KWL chart and story led discussion about how seeds are dispersed? Students learn a song to help them remember the elements plants need.

Formative Assessment Participation based, all students write down a question with partner about what they wonder about plants. Participation based. Students also write one thing they've had to wait for on sticky note, we post on class wall. Exit Slip: Can students measure a seed with their unit of measure? 1-4 Rubric: Are students able to follow directions? Activity, posted below. Check list, participation based. Are students using their reasoning skills? Are they using materials properly? Check list. Students practice observing and noticing things about tools. Are they using them properly? Student generated list of classroom agreements. Participation and Exit Slip: List two ways seeds are dispersed? Participation based. They write down words and are asked to perform for

KWL chart with introduction of I wonder chart Read and then its spring by Fogliano

Units of Measurement What is a seed? Read A Seed is a Suitcase Seed to Plant Match Up

The tools of observation

Planting Seeds Read A Seed is Sleepy Plants Needs Song

Gaja Stirbys family. Story of How Plants Got their parts Student use movement to help associate the elements of the plant life cycle. Students begin using a journal to record and observe daily changes in the plants. They are presented with three examples, differing in quality. Anchor charts presented. Students set up an experiment to observe what happens when a flowering plants have light and when theyre not exposed to light.

Integrated Unit

Ongoing Plant Life Cycle Observation Journal

Participation based. This is a total physical response style activity that requires student to be actively involved. 4 point rubric: Students include labels, draw with intention, represent figures and information accurately

Experiment: Plant with light/no light

Experiment: Plant with water/no water

Students set up an experiment to observe what happens when flowering plants have water regularly and have no water.

Reading Its Mine! By Leo Lionni

Students read this story in order to discuss the changes that the main character goes through in the story. Students read this story. We begin a character trait and feeling vocabulary list. Students have an ongoing poetry writing project.

Students are able to make predictions that are appropriate to the experiment. Post experiment: Students record whether their predictions were/weren't correct with at least one observation. Students are able to make predictions that are appropriate to the experiment. Post experiment: Students record whether their predictions were/weren't correct with at least one observation. Students fill out a simple illustrated graphic organizer and choose the appropriate character trait to describe the pre- and post- change behavior. Students fill out an illustrated graphic organizer and write in the appropriate character trait to describe the pre- and post- change behavior. Writing conferences: Where are they now?

Reading When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang Writer's Workshop

Gaja Stirbys They establish a rough draft during this week. Establish writing partners. ReadingYour Pal Mo Willems Presents Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems Seasonal change charades Students read this story and discuss sequencing and character traits. How did the character change? Students identify changes that occur in each season. They develop and practice using season appropriate vocabulary in a charades game.

Integrated Unit What are they working on? Students answer the question: What would you have done if you were Leonardo? Check list. Each student will have an opportunity to participate in charades. Did they attach appropriate meaning to their clue word? Exit Slip: When do the leaves change colors? When do birds migrate? When can we walk around wearing shorts in Philadelphia? (multiple answers.) Exit Slip: Outline the square in these pictures.

Read This is Not a Box mini-lesson

Students work with twoshapes. Attempt to find squares in every day objects. Week 2 Students identify the change that Amelia goes through. Additionally, they begin relating the idea of change to their own lives. Students expand their idea about change by looking at how a character uses imaginary change and transformation as a coping mechanism. Visit a garden through the internet. Prepare a list of questions to ask neighborhood gardeners. Plan a class visit. Students compare and contrast how characters in those two stories changed and dealt with conflict. In this ongoing writer's

Read Amelia's Road

Shared writing about the change that Amelia goes through. We vote on a time when we feel poorly, individually self-select what animal we would transform into to feel better. Illustrate, share out. Exit Slip: What would you do if you could change an empty lot in your neighborhood into anything you wanted? Exit Slip: Compare/Contrast Writing conferences. We

Read Migrant

Read City Green

Comparison of Amelia's Road and Migrant Writer's Workshop

Gaja Stirbys workshop students focus on free verse poetry writing skills, sharing and helping classmates Students watch a video about different pollinators By using food coloring and water students will explore the purpose of stems and how water travels through them to disperse nutrients Plants are put in a global context. Students compare and contrast how two plants grow differently by observing their own plants. Students learn and explore the different ways that plants are used Students help fill out the I learned section of their initial KWL chart.

Integrated Unit identify where students are in their writing and what they will continue working on. Potentially, they pollinate our Brassica Rapa plants depending on their life cycle stage. Science Journal: Students make predictions with one because justification. Science Journal: Students complete a compare and contrast of two plant diagrams using describing words. Students begin making informational packets with their tables. Students vote on what we should grow next for our classroom vegetable garden.

Pollinators: Expanding our understanding of plant needs The purpose of stems and leaves on flowers using celery and food dye Discovering World Plants

From plant to plate, how plants are used Celebration and author's share their work