Impact Project - Epidemiology

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Impact on Student Learning Project

Cranberry Middle School
English Language Arts
8th Grade
Ashley Waldroup
CI 4490 Dr. Thornton
Fall 2015
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School Information:
School: Cranberry Middle School
Address: 6320 US-19E
Elk Park, NC 28622
Phone Number: 828-733-2932
Website: averyschools.net/cms
Principal: Justin Carver
Cooperating Teacher: Kimberly Tufts
Internship Information:
Appalachian State University
Middle Grades Block II
CI 4490
Dr. Thornton
Student Information:
Ashley Waldroup
Major: Middle Grades Social Studies & Language Arts Education
Minor: K-12 General Special Education
Appalachian Community of Education Scholars Member
Email: waldroupaf@appstate.edu or ashleywaldroup@averyschools.net
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Context for this Project:

The following IMPACT Project was conducted in an 8th grade language arts classroom at
Cranberry Middle School in Avery County, North Carolina, which is in the heart of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Cranberry and its students are very unique in the fact that it is a considerably small, rural
middle school attached to a separate elementary school. At the time this took place, there were only 52
students in the entire 8th grade class, 10 of which were receiving special education services and 11
identified as academically gifted. All students were part of the same team, but divided into three
different classes based on achievement levels in math.
This sequence of lessons launches a unit on epidemiology, or the study of epidemics, that asks
the essential question, How do we handle difficulty in our life? This particular unit serves to integrate
science and language arts, which is why science is such a major part of this project. In language arts,
students will be reading various novels centered on different epidemics based on their book club
selection. In particular, this project attempts to get students to research an epidemic and create an
alternative research paper. In this case, students will create an informative picture book which they will
share with college students at Appalachian State University. This learning opportunity will not only
provide them with background knowledge of epidemics, but also prepare them to write a major
research paper, which is required by the science class.
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Table of Contents
Component #1: Learning Goals and Objectives........................................................................5
Component #2: Student Background................................................................................... 12
Component #3: Plan for Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning......................................17
Component #4: Essential Content....................................................................................... 35
Component #5: Resources, Materials, and Preparation for Instruction..........................................43
Component #6: Instructional Methods and Procedures.............................................................45
Component #7: Curricular Adaptations and Instructional Modifications........................................76
Component #8: Classroom Management Considerations...........................................................82
Component #9: Results and Analysis of Student Learning.........................................................85
Component #10: Reflection on Teaching and Learning.............................................................91
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Component #1:
Learning Goals and
Objectives
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Common Core State Standards & NC Essential Standards:

English Language Arts:
Informational Text:
Key Ideas and Details
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1 - Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Craft and Structure
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the
impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to
other texts.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.5 - Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a
text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6 - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text
and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or
viewpoints.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7 - Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular
topic or idea.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in
a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and
sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Writing:
Text Types and Purposes

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and
analysis of relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.a - Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to
follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories;
include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.b - Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen
facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.c - Use appropriate and varied transitions to create
cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.d - Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.e - Establish and maintain a formal style.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.f - Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
Production and Distribution of Writing
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5 - With some guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been
addressed.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and
publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently
as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 - Conduct short research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital
sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Language:
Conventions of Standard English

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.b - Form and use verbs in the active and passive
voice.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.c - Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative,
interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2.a - Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to
indicate a pause or break.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2.c - Spell correctly.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from
a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4.c - Consult general and specialized reference
materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to
find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its
part of speech.
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o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.6 - Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general
academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Science:
Understanding the Functions of Living Organisms:
8.L.1 - Understand the hazards caused by agents of diseases that effect living organisms.
o 8.L.1.1 - Summarize the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites
relating to the spread, treatment and prevention of disease.
o 8.L.1.2 - Explain the difference between epidemic and pandemic as it relates to the
spread, treatment and prevention of disease.
New Age Learning Goals

Health Literacy:
Understanding national and international public health and safety issues
Creativity and Innovation:
Work Creatively with Others

o Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively
o Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world limits
to adopting new ideas
Implement Innovations
o Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the
innovation will occur
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
Reason Effectively
o Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation
Make Judgments and Decisions
o Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
o Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments
o Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
Communication and Collaboration:
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Communicate Clearly
o
Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal
communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts
o
Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and
persuade)
o
Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a
priori as well as assess their impact
Information Literacy:
Access and Evaluate Information
o Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
o Evaluate information critically and competently
Use and Manage Information
o Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand
o Manage the flow of information from a wide variety of sources
ICT Literacy
Apply and Use Technology Effectively

o Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information
o Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc.),
communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage,
integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a knowledge
economy
o Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access
and use of information technologies
At Cranberry Middle School, each student is assigned their own MacBook computers as part of
a county-wide one-to-one initiative. These MacBooks follow them until they graduate high school.
Haiku is the countys online school management system that allows teachers to go in and upload
information specific to their classes. In relation to my unit, students will utilize their laptops to create
their picture books and digitally distribute them to a larger audience. Most of the class handouts that I
created are distributed on Haiku. This way, the students, who are already proficient in online work, can
keep track of these papers online. In addition, students will be able to digitally save their research and
picture books to help them when they write their major research papers in science class.
Students will be using their picture books as a means to inform the greater community. Students
will share their picture books with a group of students at Appalachian State University. Because
students will be distributing their products, they must be high-quality. They will be taking a wide array
of health-based information that they have researched and synthesizing it into a book that teaches
others about a particular epidemic. This entire process places students in the role of community helpers
and provides the project with a higher purpose.
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Connections to Additional Content Areas (Integration)

This project serves to integrate science and language arts. The unit on epidemiology has been
integrated in the past by the science and language arts teachers. My job has been to launch the entire
unit for both classes and bring science and language arts together for students. For my piece in this
much larger unit, students are instructed to write informational picture books based on an epidemic of
their selection. Students have the ability to choose smallpox, yellow fever, polio, leprosy, and AIDS as
their topic. These topics were derived from the topics of novels that will be taught by my cooperating
teacher after students create their picture books. In science class, students will be writing research
papers on other infectious diseases and epidemics. After planning with the science teacher, we
determined that my lessons would prepare students to write their research papers. The websites that I
provide students to use as research sources are the same ones that the science teacher will ask them to
use in preparation for his paper. We also decided to have students cite their sources in the same way.
The information that students learn from my project will provide them with the background knowledge
that they need to read the novels provided by my cooperating teacher, understand the material in
science, and write their science papers. The science standards being covered as part of my unit have
already been listed in the above section of this document.
Essential Questions
How do we handle difficulty in our life?

Does microscopic matter have big effects?
Why is it important to practice good health?
Topical Questions
What is an epidemic?
What causes epidemics?
How have epidemics impacted people?
What does it mean to be a successful researcher?
How do I create an informative story?
How can I become a better writer?
How can I use my knowledge to better the community?
Student-Friendly Objectives
I will know the definition of epidemic.

I will understand how diseases spread.
I will understand who can catch an infectious disease.
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I will know some examples of epidemics.

I will understand the concept of an informational picture book.
I will create an informational picture book.
I will analyze informational picture books in order to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
I will work collaboratively with my peers.
I will understand how to research effectively.
I will understand the difference between reliable and unreliable internet sources.
I will research information independently.
I will organize my information into meaningful categories.
I will properly cite my sources.
I will know the history of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the cause of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the effects of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the methods of prevention for an epidemic of my choosing.
I will learn interesting facts about an epidemic of my choosing.
I will be able to take my research and turn it into an informative story.
I will understand the process of creating a story.
I will be able to gauge my process while I create my story.
I will support my story with real information.
I will select appropriate pictures to use in my book.
I will strengthen my writing by replacing common words with better synonyms.
I will use descriptive language in my book.
I will successfully peer edit a classmates book.
I will successfully revise my own book.
I will have a strong understanding of the revision process.
I will understand how revision can strengthen my work.
I will share my work with my peers and with a larger community audience.
I will appropriately critique products of my peers.
I will reflect on my growth of knowledge over the course of this unit.
I will reflect on the unit and how it has impacted me.
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Component #2: Student

Background
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Student Characteristics
For this section of the Impact project, I decided to focus only on Core 1, which is the first of the
three classes. The three classes are leveled by math achievement. Core 1 is classified as the grade level
class, so they are neither in the advanced class nor the class with students who struggle academically.
In Core 1, there are currently 18 students, one of which may move after Christmas break. This class is
very talkative and has high-energy. I find this class the easiest to work with because they are eager to
discuss. The other two classes are vastly more reserved and it can be difficult to get them to
communicate. Core 1 also has a wide variety of abilities and personalities. There is one student with an
IEP (for Other Health Impairment), two 504 Plans, and two students who are identified as
Academically Intellectually Gifted, one for math only and one for reading and math. Three of the
students in this class were recently moved to Core 1 after being switched out of the high-achieving
class. It is important to point out that Core 1 is a better fit for these students and all three are
performing better than they were in the other class. Interestingly, this class also has the only Hispanic
student in the entire 8th grade. There is not much diversity at Cranberry Middle School due to its rural,
mountain location.
Student Characteristics for Core 1:
Student
7th grade
EOG
reading
Results
Student
#1
Percentil
e 3%
504/IEP
Mods
(Disability
Identificatio
n)
N/A
AI
G
Gende
r
Race
LE
P
Economically
Disadvantaged
Environmental
& Cultural
Factors
Characteristics &
Descriptors
N/A
White
No
Yes
No home support
N/A
N/A
White
No
Yes
Lives with
grandparents
504 Vision
disorder
Yes/
Yes
White
No
No
Mother has
college education
Very quiet and

shy/self-conscious;
likes to talk about
going to church; very
sweet; struggles
academically
Easily distracted,
distracts others, likes
to talk, funny, class
clown
Class clown, very
verbally expressive,
funny, can get offtask
Quiet, highperforming, likes A
Day to Remember
and other rock bands
Forgetful, struggles
academically, asks
questions, very
sweet, crafty
Level - 1
Student
#2
Percentil
e 52%
Student
#3
Level - 4
Percentil
e 85%
Student
#4
Level - 4
Percentil
e 80%
N/A
Yesmat
h
White
No
Student
#5
Level - 4
Percentil
e 25%
N/A
N/A
White
No
Level - 2
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Student
#6
Percentil
e 63%
Student
#7
Level - 4
Percentil
e 31%
Student
#8
Level - 2
Percentil
e 93%
Level - 5
Student
#9
At other
school
Student
#10
Percentil
e 76%
Student
#11
Level - 4
Percentil
e 25%
N/A
N/A
White
No
No
Split family, 2
homes
N/A
N/A
White
No
Has brother with

special needs
IEP Other
Health
Impairment
(brain tumors
& seizures)
504 ADHD
N/A
White
No
N/A
White
No
No
Parent is a
professional
N/A
N/A
White
No
Yes
N/A
N/A
White
No
Yes
Terminally ill
parent
N/a
N/A
White
No
Parent works at
prison
N/A
N/A
White
No
N/A
N/A
White
No
Level - 2
Student
#12
Percentil
e 89%
Student
#13
Level - 5
Percentil
e 31%
Level - 2
Asks questions,
quick to answer,
high-performing,
plays basketball
Likes to talk to
friends, is very girly,
will occasionally ask
questions
High-performing,
very articulate, quiet,
very involved in
Church
Walks around, very
chatty, struggles to
complete work, class
clown, likes to joke
Quiet, likes to talk
about rock bands like
My Chemical
Romance
Likes to answer
questions, asks
questions, sweet,
likes to listen to rock
music
Quiet, articulate,
plays on the
basketball team
Extremely quiet, has
history of not talking
in class, likes to wear
camo, is absent
frequently
High-performing,
likes to read, funny
Student
#14
Percentil
e 98%
Student
#15
Level - 5
Percentil
e 49%
N/A
N/A
White
No
Very quiet, polite,

girly
Student
#16
Level - 3
Percentil
e 85%
N/A
N/A
Hispa
nic
No
Comes from
bilingual
Quiet, has very nice

handwriting, likes to
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household
Student
#17
Level - 4
Percentil
e 59%
N/A
N/A
White
No
Family involved
with Christmas
trees
Student
#18
Level - 4
Percentil
e 83%
N/A
N/A
White
No
Level - 4
Student
Student #1
Student #2
Student #3
Student #4
Student #5
Student #6
Student #7
Student #8
Student #9
Student #10
Student #11
Student #12
Student #13
Student #14
Student #15
Student #16
Student #17
Student #18
joke around with the

boys at his table
Talkative, funny,
class clown, gets
serious when needed
High-performing,
voices opinions,
strong-willed, likes
Fall Out Boy
Student Lexile Level for Core 1:

Lexile Level
630L
1145L
1380L
1335L
960L
1220L
1005L
1475L
At other school
1310L
960L
1430L
1005L
1595L
1125L
1380L
1195L
1360L
Collaboration with Colleagues

The planning and instructional phases of this project required very close work with my master
teacher and her husband, the science teacher. It is critical that the three of us closely collaborated in
order to integrate the material as much as possible; thus, making all of our lessons super effective.
During the planning phase for my project, I met several times with the science teacher. Because
my summative assessment, creating an informational picture book, builds up to his major assignment, a
research paper, we needed to make sure that what I was having students do aligned with what he
expected them to do in his class. We decided to have students focus on the same set of websites when
they research their material. This way, students would already be familiar with the sources prior to his
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class. In addition, we decided to have students cite their sources the same way. I followed his plan and
also instructed my students to use an online citation creator to make their citations. We made sure that
the epidemics that I am having students research were different than the ones that he would be using so
there would not be too much overlapping between the classes. I also made the decision to have students
complete their multiple-entry journals and citations handouts online so that they could access the
information again in his class without losing papers.
My master teacher and I did some planning together prior to the delivery of my lessons. Much
of what we did together focused on organizational aspects because she wanted to see what I could do as
a teacher. We determined that my lessons would come before hers in the epidemiology unit. Therefore,
the students would have no prior knowledge of epidemiology when I begin teaching. She will have five
different novels about a different epidemic for students to read after Thanksgiving. I decided to allow
students to choose from these five different epidemics when doing my project. This way, students could
use the knowledge that they gained in my lesson sequence to not only select a novel, but to understand
it as well. In addition, my master teacher also helped me differentiate my lessons between the three
classes. The classes are all very different and one class is very low. She helped me modify the revision
lesson to meet the needs of all of the students. For example, the high achieving class will generate their
own revision checklist. The middle class will receive some items on a checklist and generate the rest.
The lower level class will receive a checklist and we will go over it together. She was very helpful in
helping me make these decisions and determine which students needed support and which students
needed to be challenged.
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Component #3: Plan for

Assessment and
Evaluation of Student
Learning
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Pre-assessment
Description: The pre-assessment for this project in an anticipation guide that asks students to agree or
disagree with a statement related to epidemiology and explain why they agree or disagree. This
assessment is formative and will not be graded because students have had no instruction in this area in
any of their current or previous classes. I anticipate that students may not know what an epidemic is, so
I included the definition of that word on the top of this assessment.
Rationale: I chose this type of assessment to see how much students actually know about
epidemiology to determine where everyone is as a whole. I included the piece that asks students to
explain their decision because it makes them think about the question at hand. It also makes the
assessment a bit more metacognitive than having them just mark whether they agree or disagree.
Students will not be graded on whether or not they answered the questions correctly. I do not expect
them to have an understanding of epidemiology because they have had no instruction on this topic in
any prior grades. Rather, they will be given a pass/fail grade based on if they completed the
assignment. I will make the students aware of this and encourage them to answer the questions to the
best of their ability. I just want to gain an understanding of how much students actually know about
infectious diseases in order to gauge their growth at the end of my unit.
The pre-assessment is featured on the next page.
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Anticipation Guide
Directions: Read the statements below and mark whether you agree or disagree. In the Why
column, please explain your thinking.
Epidemic: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time
Statement
It is impossible to get rid of an
entire disease.
Vaccines actually inject the disease
it is meant to prevent into your
body.
Only small children, the elderly,
poor people, and people who live in
unsanitary conditions catch
infectious diseases.
Epidemics do not occur in firstworld countries, like the United
States, because they have access
to advanced medical technology.
Epidemics have the ability to kill
millions of people, especially when
there is no cure.
Diabetes and lung cancer are
examples of epidemics.
Agre
e
Disagr
ee
Why
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Epidemics spread very quickly to a
large number of people.
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Formative Assessments
Day #1: The pre-assessment will be given on this day. The pre-assessment in itself is a formative
assessment. I will not be grading students on their depth on prior knowledge. Rather it will be
graded pass/fail based on whether or not they completed the assignment or not. For more
information about the pre-assessment, please see the above section.
Day #2: There will be two different forms of formative assessment on this day. First, students
will fill out the Take a Look at a Book handout. Using this handout, students will analyze an
informational picture book example of their choosing. The handout guides students through the
process of analyzing the books and gets them thinking about what their end products should
resemble. The handout will be graded on completion rather than accuracy of answers. This
decision was made based upon the fact that many questions on the handout are opinion based.
The second formative assessment is the popplet. Students will log onto popplet.com and
describe how well they understand the concept of an informational picture book. Because the
entire period is dedicated to understanding this concept, I hope that the vast majority of students
will say that they have a firm grasp on it. Popplet will allow me to see how classes as a whole
feel about what they are preparing to do for the summative assessment.
Day #3 & #4: First of all, it is important to point out that students may not need two days to
research their selected topics. However, I included a second day just in case students need more
time. On day #3, there are several forms of formative assessment that take place. To begin with,
students will use padlet to answer the question What must a good researcher do in order to
successfully research information? Their responses will allow me to gain an understanding of
what my students consider to be strong research skills. This will also provide me with insight as
what to expect from them. Next, during the mini-lesson, I will be asking students to guide me
through the process of researching the bubonic plague. Students will not be researching the
plague, so it is perfect to use as an example. By allowing students to guide me, I will gain a
better understanding of how much I need to support them when they research on their own.
Lastly, the exit slip serves as a formative assessment. On a scrap piece of paper, students will
write 0-3 indicating how well they feel their research process is going. 0 means that students are
completely lost. 1 and 2 mean that students are in the middle and 3 means that students feel
completely confident in what they are doing.
On day #4, if this lesson is needed, I will focus on conducting mini-conferences with
each student. As students are working independently, I will go around to each individual and
check in on their progress. I will help them with any questions and guide them towards new
resources. I will provide each student with a sticky note with comments that help them continue
their research.
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Day #5 & #6: Just like the previous lesson, day #6 may be unnecessary if students finish their
work more quickly than anticipated. However, both of these days will provide time for students
to actually create their picture books. On day #5, students will fill out an outline for their book
before logging onto the digital story book creator. This will be treated as a formative assessment.
I will walk around to different students and assess whether or not they have the foundation of a
story line. It is important that they get this piece right because it will ultimately affect the
outcome of their books. I anticipate that this piece will take the majority of the class period. At
the end of this day, we will openly discuss why we are creating the picture books by beginning
with an online, writing the text, and selecting pictures last. This way, I will be able to determine
whether or not students understand the importance of getting down the facts before they begin
decorating their books.
Day #6 will continue the creation process for students. As students are working with the online
story book creator, I will engage in another round of mini-conferences in order to gauge student
progress and understanding. I will provide them with concrete feedback on a sticky note and help
guide them if needed. For the high-achieving students, I will push them to include many more
supporting details in order to strengthen their work. For struggling students, I will encourage
them to think through their story line and fill in any gaps and find key places that could use
supporting facts. Students will complete an exit slip that asks them to explain whether or not they
like the process of creating a picture book and why.
Day #7: This day is dedicated to revision. The beginning prompt for the day is Why is it
important to use a wide variety of words? This is to be answered in the form of discussion and
will allow me to assess whether or not students know the importance of using descriptive
language, which is the focus of the day. When working with the paint strips during the shades of
meaning mini-lesson, I will be able to formatively assess how well students are able to find
synonyms and insert appropriate descriptors in their writing. While students are working on peer
editing, I will be walking around listening and interacting with them.. I have never seen this
group engage in peer editing, so I do not know how well they can do it on their own. If students
are having a hard time with this, I will know that I need to stop the class and go over the process
again. If students have begun to revise their books independently before class is over, I will have
them describe how they feel revision has helped strengthen their books.
Day #8: This will be the final day of my portion of the unit. On this day, students will fill out the
post-assessment, which will be a form of formative assessment. This will allow the students and
me to see how much knowledge they have gained over the past week. For more information
about the post-assessment, please see the post-assessment section in the following pages.
Waldroup 23
Summative Assessment
Picture Book Project Description
You have the opportunity to become an author by creating your very

own informational picture book! Refer to the rubric for more specific
information on how to get a good grade.
Step 1: Choose one of the five topics below:
Smallpox
Yellow fever
Polio
Leprosy
AIDS
Step 2: Using the multiple-entry journal on haiku, you will research

your topic. There is a reliable websites page that you can use to find
information. You MUST use at least 3 different websites. You MUST
cite the sources that you use. You can cite your sources using
easybib.com. Copy and paste your citations on the cite your sources
handout on haiku.
Step 3: When you finish researching your topic, you will create an
informational picture book! You will create a story that explains the
epidemic you have selected. Your story needs to be creative, yet
include actual facts. Think about the examples you have seen in
class. The direction you take this in is largely up to you.
Fill out the creating a story outline (in class)

Go to mystorybook.com and write your book!
PUT THE IMAGES IN LAST! Do not begin putting pictures in
your book until you get the words down!
Step 4: Revise your book! Good authors always revise to make their
work better. We will do most of this in class.
Step 5: Publish your work! Not only are you going to be sharing your
books with each other, but your books will be read by a group of
college students at Appalachian State University!
Waldroup 24
Upload your shareable link to the Google doc in haiku!
Description: For the summative assessment, which is separate from the post-assessment,
students will be creating an alternative research paper. This alternative research paper will be in
the form of an informational picture book. Students will independently complete research on one
of the following epidemics:
Smallpox
Yellow fever
Polio
Leprosy
AIDS
Using a multiple entry journal guide, students will take notes on the research they look up. A
list of four reliable websites has been provided for them in order to help jumpstart this process.
However, students are not limited to the websites on this list. Students must use at least three
different resources, which have to be cited properly. They will be provided with an online
handout to keep track of their citations.
After students complete the research process, they will engage in the creation process. Using
mystorybook.com, an online book creator, students will design and construct an informational
picture book which explains the topic they have chosen. Story outline handouts are provided in
class, which is also where the revision process will take place.
After picture books are complete, students will publish their work. Volunteers may share their
work in class. If there are not very many volunteers, students will participate in a gallery walk. In
addition to the in-class sharing, students work will be shared with the Appalachian Educators
club at Appalachian State University where they will receive specific feedback from an outside
audience.
Rationale: I wanted my lessons to not only focus on teaching valuable content, but also focus on
allowing students to engage in a process. In addition to a focus on process, I wanted my students
to be masters of their own knowledge. Therefore, I made the decision for students to generate
their own knowledge through research.
Because my students are in the 8th grade, it is important that they begin to develop skills
that will help them in high school, college, and the working world. Conducting research and
seeking new information is one of those skills. My cooperating teacher already places a major
focus on helping students be prepared for the high school, so the students are already used to
pushing themselves academically. In my opinion, this summative assessment is the perfect way
to help students continue to reach higher expectations. This summative assessment drives
students to synthesize research from multiple sources and turn that into a new, inventive product.
In conjunction with research skills, I want this group of students to create original work.
This group of 8th grade students has a particularly hard time being academically independent.
They want to be given answers, mostly because they are afraid of providing an incorrect answer.
Waldroup 25
By asking them to create a picture book, students have to generate this on their own. There is no
specific right answer. The construction of this picture book provides students with the
opportunity to be creative and confident in school.
My cooperating teacher and I determined that students need to have a way to share their
work with the community. Students need to have a target audience when writing their books.
Also, if they know that their work will be shared, they will understand that what they produce
must be to the best of their abilities. I made the decision to not only have students share their
work with each other, but to also share it with the Appalachian Educators club at Appalachian
State University. This group of college students is made up of individuals who are working
towards earning an education degree. The club is eager to work with local schools and help
children in surrounding communities. On December 2nd, I will attend the club meeting in which I
take online links to the students books. I have organized a group of volunteers to read the books
and provide feedback on sticky notes. The next day at school, I will return the sticky notes to
students so they can see the effect that their work has had on the community. Not only will this
project serve to impact positive learning among my students, but it also allows my students to
positively impact the community by raising disease awareness.
Waldroup 26
Rubric for Summative Assessment

Below is the rubric used for the informational picture book.
Informational Picture Book Rubric

Student Name: ______________________________
_______________
Grade:
Title of Book: __________________________________________________________________

Quality &
Use of
Research
Outstanding
Information
clearly relates
to the main
topic. It
includes many
supporting
details and/or
examples.
Very clear
evidence of
research
found
throughout
book.
Stays on
Topic
Topic is clear.
Writer does
not stray from
the topic.
Appropriaten
ess of
Images
Images go
well with the
text and add
to the
readers
understanding
of the
story/topic.
Proficient
Information
clearly
relates to the
main topic. It
provides 5
supporting
details
and/or
examples.
Clear
evidence of
research
found
throughout
book.
Topic is clear.
Writer briefly
strays from
the topic.
Images go
well with the
text, but
there are so
many that
they distract
from the
text. Adds to
the readers
understandin
g of the
story/topic.
Sufficient
Information
clearly relates
to the main
topic. 3-4
details and/or
examples are
given. Some
evidence of
research
found
throughout
the book.
Needs Work
Information
has little or
nothing to do
with the main
topic. 2 or
fewer details
and/or
examples are
given. Little
evidence of
research found
throughout the
book.
Topic is
somewhat
clear. Writer
strays from
the topic
occasionally.
Images go
well with the
text, but
there are too
few and the
book seems
"text-heavy".
Somewhat
adds to the
readers
understandin
g of the
Topic is
unclear. Writer
does not seem
to have a clear
focus.
Images do not
go with the
accompanying
text or appear
to be randomly
chosen and
does little to
add to the
readers
understanding
of the
story/topic.
Comments
Waldroup 27
Mechanics
No
grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors.
1-2
grammatical,
spelling or
punctuation
errors.
story/topic.
3-4
grammatical
spelling or
punctuation
errors.
More than 4
grammatical,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
Post-assessment
Description: Students will complete part two of the anticipation guide for their post-assessment.
This assessment is almost identical to the one that students filled out for the pre-assessment. All
of the questioning statements are the exact same. Students will still mark whether they agree or
disagree with each statement. When students receive the post-assessment, they will also get back
their pre-assessment so that they can compare whether or not their agree or disagree marks have
changed. On the post-assessment, students will write whether or not their answers have changed
over time and why or why not. On the back of the post-assessment, students will fill out the
wrap-up questions.
Rationale: I wanted the pre-assessment and the post-assessments to be very congruent. This
way, it will be easy to gauge student progress over time. By the end of the unit, students should
be able to correctly determine which states are true and which are false. I really wanted students
to be able to see their own progress, which is why I will return their pre-assessments. I still
wanted to keep the same metacognitive bit that was featured in the pre-assessment, so I decided
to ask students why or why their answers changed. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on
their own thinking and what they have learned. The back of the post-assessment asks students
four different questions. Because this unit focuses so much on process, these questions encourage
students to reflect on the unit as a whole. I want to know if the students gained anything from
this project, so I asked them. Furthermore, because I am continuing this placement throughout
student teaching, I want to know how I can support my students. Therefore, I ask them how I can
help them and other students in the future.
See the following pages for the post-assessment.
Waldroup 28
Anticipation Guide (Part Two)

Directions: Read the statements below and mark whether you agree or disagree. In the last
column, please explain whether or not your answer has changed over time compared to the
first anticipation guide.
Epidemic: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time
Statement
entire disease.
body.
there is no cure.
Agre
e
Disagr Did your answer change? Why or why not?

ee
Waldroup 29

Waldroup 30
End-of-Project Wrap-Up
Please answer the following questions honestly.
1 Do you believe that this process has helped you gain a better understanding of epidemics? Why or
why not?
2 Do you believe that this process has helped you improve your writing ability? Why or why not?
3 What can Ms. Waldroup do differently next time to help you or future students?
4 Any comments/questions/concerns?
Waldroup 31
Alignment to Standards
Assessment
Pre-assessment
Day
Common
Core/NCESS
New Age Learning Goals
#1
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1
Understanding national and

international public health and
safety issues
I will know the definition

of epidemic.
#2
CCSS: RI.8.1,
RI.8.7

safety issues
Use various types of reasoning
(inductive, deductive, etc.) as
appropriate to the situation
Interpret information and draw
conclusions based on the best
analysis
Access information efficiently
(time) and effectively (sources)
Evaluate information critically and
competently
analysis
competently

of epidemic.
I will understand the
concept of an
informational picture
book.
I will analyze
books in order to
determine their strengths
and weaknesses.

concept of an
book.

competently
Effectively analyze and evaluate
evidence, arguments, claims and
beliefs
Synthesize and make connections
between information and
arguments
analysis
I will understand how to

research effectively.

difference between
reliable and unreliable
internet sources.
I will organize my
information into
meaningful categories.
I will properly cite my
sources.
(Formative)
Take a Look at a
Book Handout
(Formative)
Popplet Exit Slip
#2
CCSS: RI.8.7
(Formative)
Padlet Research
Prompt
#3
CCSS: W.8.7
(Formative)
Mini-Lesson
Discussion
Objectives
#3
CCSS: RI.8.1,
W.8.7, W.8.8,
(Formative)
Gauging Research
Exit Slip
(Formative)
#3
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2
CCSS: RI.8.1,
RI.8.4, RI.8.5,
RI.8.6, W.8.7,

I will research
information
independently.
Waldroup 32
Mini-Conferences
during Research
#4
(Formative)
W.8.8
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2
CCSS: RI.8.1,
RI.8.4, RI.8.5,
RI.8.6, W.8.7,
W.8.8
competently
safety issues
beliefs
arguments
analysis
competently
Manage the flow of information
from a wide variety of sources
Book Outline
Handout
#5
CCSS: W.8.2.a,
W.8.2.b, W.8.4,
W.8.5, L.8.4
(Formative)
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2

safety issues
Develop, implement and
communicate new ideas to others
effectively
Demonstrate originality and
inventiveness in work and
understand the real world limits to
adopting new ideas
Act on creative ideas to make a
tangible and useful contribution to
the field in which the innovation
will occur

difference between
internet sources.
I will research
information
independently.
I will organize my
information into
sources.
I will know the history of
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the cause of
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the effects of
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the methods
of prevention for an
epidemic of my choosing.
I will learn interesting
facts about an epidemic of
my choosing.
I will be able to take my
research and turn it into
an informative story.
process of creating a
story.
I will support my story
with real information.
Waldroup 33
Story Process
Discussion
(Formative)
Mini-Conferences
during Story Creation
(Formative)
#5
CCSS: W.8.2.a
#6
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2
CCSS: W.8.2,
W.8.2.a, W.8.2.b,
W.8.2.c, W.8.2.d,
W.8.2.e, W.8.2.f,
W.8.4, W.8.5,
W.8.6, L.8.1,
L.8.1.b, L.8.1.c,
L.8.2, L.8.2.a,
L.8.2.c, L.8.6
beliefs
arguments
analysis
Use information accurately and
creatively for the issue or problem
at hand
effectively
safety issues
effectively
inventiveness in work and
understand the real world limits to
adopting new ideas
beliefs
arguments
analysis
Articulate thoughts and ideas
effectively using oral, written and
nonverbal communication skills in
a variety of forms and contexts
Use communication for a range of
purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct,
motivate and persuade)
creatively for the issue or problem
at hand

story.
I will create an
book.
story.
I will be able to gauge my
process while I create my
story.
I will select appropriate
pictures to use in my
book.
Waldroup 34
Process Exit Slip
#6
CCSS: W.8.5
(Formative)
Importance of
Descriptors
Discussion Prompt
(Formative)
Mini-Lesson Paint
Strips Activity
#7
CCSS: L.8.4
#7
CCSS: W.8.5,
L.8.4, L.8.4.c
(Formative)
Peer Editing
Checklist
(Formative)
#7
CCSS: W.8.2,
W.8.2.a, W.8.2.b,
W.8.2.c, W.8.2.d,
W.8.2.e, W.8.2.f,
W.8.4, W.8.5,
W.8.6, L.8.1,
L.8.1.b, L.8.1.c,
L.8.2, L.8.2.a,
L.8.2.c, L.8.6
NCESS: 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2

Use technology as a tool to
research, organize, evaluate and
communicate information
Use digital technologies
(computers, PDAs, media players,
GPS, etc.),
communication/networking tools
and social networks appropriately
to access, manage, integrate,
evaluate and create information to
successfully function in a
knowledge economy
arguments
analysis
Use technology as a tool to
research, organize, evaluate and
communicate information
safety issues
Use communication for a range
of purposes (e.g. to inform,
instruct, motivate and persuade)

story.
I will strengthen my
writing by replacing
common words with
better synonyms.
common words with
better synonyms.
I will use descriptive
language in my book.
I will successfully peer

edit a classmates book.
I will have a strong
understanding of the
revision process.
I will understand how
revision can strengthen
my work.
Waldroup 35
Post-Assessment
#8
(Formative)
Informational Picture
Book
(Summative)
Throughou
t

safety issues

international public health and safety
issues
Develop, implement and communicate
new ideas to others effectively
inventiveness in work and understand
the real world limits to adopting new
ideas
Act on creative ideas to make a tangible
and useful contribution to the field in
which the innovation will occur
evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
between information and arguments
conclusions based on the best analysis
nonverbal communication skills in a
variety of forms and contexts
Use communication for a range of
purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct,
motivate and persuade)
Utilize multiple media and
technologies, and know how to judge
their effectiveness a priori as well as
assess their impact
Access information efficiently (time)
and effectively (sources)
competently
creatively for the issue or problem at
hand
Manage the flow of information from a
wide variety of sources
Use technology as a tool to research,
organize, evaluate and communicate
NCESS: : 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2
NCESS: : 8.L.1,
8.L.1.1, 8.L.1.2
CCSS: RI.8.4,
.RI.8.5, RI.8.6,
RI.8.7, RI.8.8,
W.8.2, W.8.2.a,
W.8.2.b, W.8.2.c ,
W.8.2.d, W.8.2.e.
W.8.2.f, .W.8.4,
W.8.5, W.8.6 ,
W.8.7, W.8.8,
.L.8.1, L.8.1.b,
.L.8.1.c, L.8.2,
.L.8.2.a,
.L.8.2.c, .L.8.4,
L.8.4.c, L.8.6
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
I will reflect on my
growth of knowledge over
the course of this unit.
I will reflect on the unit
and how it has impacted
me.
of epidemic.
diseases spread.
I will understand who can
catch an infectious
disease.
I will know some
concept of an
book.
I will create an
book.
I will analyze
books in order to
determine their strengths
and weaknesses.
I will work
collaboratively with my
peers.
difference between
internet sources.
I will research
information
independently.
I will organize my
information into
sources.
I will know the history of
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the cause of
Waldroup 36
information
Use digital technologies (computers,
PDAs, media players, GPS, etc.),
communication/networking tools and
social networks appropriately to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create
information to successfully function in
a knowledge economy
Apply a fundamental understanding of
the ethical/legal issues surrounding the
access and use of information
technologies
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the effects of
an epidemic of my
choosing.
I will know the methods
of prevention for an
epidemic of my choosing.
I will learn interesting
facts about an epidemic of
my choosing.
story.
story.
I will select appropriate
pictures to use in my
book.
common words with
better synonyms.
I will use descriptive
language in my book.
I will successfully peer
edit a classmates book.
I will successfully revise
my own book.
I will have a strong
understanding of the
revision process.
revision can strengthen
my work.
I will share my work with
my peers and with a
larger community
audience.
I will appropriately
critique products of my
peers.
I will reflect on my
Waldroup 37
growth of knowledge over

the course of this unit.
I will reflect on the unit
and how it has impacted
me.
Waldroup 38
Component #4:
Essential Content
Waldroup 39
Content Outline
When it comes to content acquisition, I made the decision that students would generate
their own knowledge in relation to information about epidemics. Because my students are
participating in a research expedition as part of my unit, I will not be standing in front of the
classroom handing feeding them content. Instead, students will be responsible for their own
learning. Due to the fact that my students will be going to high school next year, I believe it is
critical that they enter that world with strong research skills. My cooperating teacher and I
discussed ways to incorporate high school and career readiness skills into this unit and the year
as a whole, as I will also be student teaching with her. We determined that the ability to research,
cite sources, and synthesize the information will be most definitely required by them in the
future.
In the following pages, I have included a multiple-entry journal example for each of the
epidemics students can choose from. Each example models what students on grade level should
find out by themselves.
Waldroup 40
Example Multiple-Entry Journal: Smallpox

History
Smallpox emerged in the human
population thousands of years ago
1970s smallpox was eradicated
worldwide
The last case of smallpox in the United
States was in 1949
The first smallpox vaccine was created
by infecting people with cowpox and

then infecting them with smallpox
2002 the U.S. government created
smallpox response teams just in case
terrorists used smallpox as a method of
bioterrorism
Smallpox is not currently a threat
What are the Effects of the Disease?

Smallpox is a serious, contagious, and
sometimes fatal disease

Raised bumps appear on the face and
body of the infected person
7-17 days can pass before an infected
person has symptoms
Flu-like fatigue, high fever, mouth sores,
skin rash
The rash moves from flat to raised red
bumps, the bumps turn into blisters that
fill with pus, blisters crust over and turn
into scabs that leave permanent scars
Blindness can occur if it gets too close to
the eyes
What Causes this Disease?
Smallpox is caused by the variola virus

There are two forms of smallpox
Variola Major is the most severe type
Variola Minor is the least severe and
most common strand of the virus
The virus is spread by breathing, face-toface contact, sneezing, coming in
contact with saliva, or touching the
sheets of an infected person
A person is considered the most
contagious when they first see
symptoms of the disease
A person can still spread smallpox until
they are completely symptom free
How can this Disease be Prevented?
There is no known treatment for the

disease
Getting a smallpox vaccine within 3-4
days of getting smallpox will only lessen
the symptoms
The smallpox vaccine is the best way to
prevent against the disease many
living adults would have received this as
a child
Antibiotics might be prescribed if
someone gets a bacterial infection in the
lungs while they have smallpox
The vaccine uses the cousin of the
variola virus, the vaccinia virus, today
The vaccine makes the body produce
Interesting Facts
Today, scientists in the U.S. and Russia keep a very small
sample of smallpox in a highly secured lab

Variola Major killed about 30% of people who contracted it
Variola Minor killed about 1% of people who contracted it
Animals and insects do NOT spread smallpox
Nobody knows how long the smallpox vaccine protects against
the disease
People believe that smallpox could be released from the
containment labs and used for bioterrorism
One case of smallpox would be considered an international
health emergency
Waldroup 41
Example Multiple-Entry Journal: Polio

History
1940-1950 polio affected over 35,000

Highly infectious disease caused by a
U.S. has been polio free since 1979

1955 the polio vaccine was introduced
The virus lives in the throat and
Americans each year
in the U.S.
Before 1955, tens of thousands of small
children contracted paralytic polio

1984 first U.S. polio epidemic
1929 the iron lung was invented
Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine and
began its testing in 1951

Polio invades the nervous system and
can paralyze a person within hours

Polio mainly effects children under 3
Nonparalytic polio fever, sore throat,
headache, vomiting, back/neck
pain/stiffness, muscle weakness,
meningitis
Paralytic polio loss of reflexes, severe
muscle pain and weakness, loose and
floppy limbs which are worse on one side
of the body
Post-polio symptoms muscle and joint
weakness, fatigue, pain, muscle atrophy,
swallowing problems, breathing
disorders, mood swings (can last 35
virus that effects the nervous system
intestinal tracts
People catch polio by coming in contact
with stool of the infected person or by
nasal and mouth secretions
There is paralytic polio and nonparalytic
polio
Paralytic polio is the rarest form of the
disease
Polio can spread through contaminated
water and food
People with polio can spread the virus for

At 2 months old, babies should get four
doses of the polio vaccine in the arm
Most people should get a polio vaccine

when they are children
There are two types of polio vaccines,
IPV and OPV

The OPV is taken orally and the IPV is
injected in the arm
The OPV has not been used in the U.S.
since 2000
There is no cure for polio
We try to make people with polio
comfortable by using bed rest and
muscle therapy
Interesting Facts
Polio is still a threat in other countries
President Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio during his time in
office
Roosevelt started the March of Dimes charity to help fight

against polio and other infantile diseases
Inadequate sanitation leads to polio developing

Polio is only spread through humans and the environment
Some polio patients used to have to wear an iron lung
Waldroup 42
Example Multiple-Entry Journal: Yellow Fever
History
1648 yellow fever causes a quarantine
in Boston
1699 yellow fever invades the U.S.
colonies
1897 doctors believed yellow fever
was caused by a bacteria instead of a
virus
1900 the U.S. army discovers the
cause of yellow fever
1905 North America has the last yellow
fever epidemic
1936 Max Theiler invents the yellow
fever vaccine
1964 U.S. implements major anti-

Yellow fever can damage the liver and
organs and can be fatal
There is a yellowing of the skin,

Yellow fever is transmitted through the
bite of an infected mosquito
Yellow fever is caused by a highly-
infectious virus
People cannot casually spread the
disease themselves
Yellow fever is only transmitted by
people if they use a contaminated
needle
Yellow fever is spread by the Aedes
aegypti mosquito
This mosquito can breed in the cleanest
water
hepatitis, caused by liver damage

First phase - fever and chills, flue-like
symptoms
Second phase remission, person feels
better for 48 hours
Third phase hemorrhaging caused by
high fever, internal bleeding, jaundice,
blood vomiting, shock, organ
failure/death
50% of people who get yellow fever
reach stage three
There is no cure for the viral infection

itself
Treatment is focused on making the
infected person feel comfortable
Do not take aspirin if you believe you are
infected
Vaccines are recommended for babies
over 9 months who are entering an
area/country where yellow fever is
present
The vaccine needs to be repeated every
10 years
People with yellow fever are immune to
it for the rest of their lives
Interesting Facts
Yellow fever still occurs in tropical regions of
Africa and South America

Travelers can still be at-risk for catching yellow
fever
44 countries are currently at-risk for yellow fever
Mosquitos cans transmit the disease to monkeys
and people
You have to have proof of a yellow fever
vaccination to go to African or Latin American
countries
Waldroup 43
Example Multiple-Entry Journal: Leprosy

History
Before the cause of leprosy was
discovered, many people thought it was

brought on by a curse
People with leprosy used to be isolated
in small areas because they were
thought to be cursed
1982 the World Health Organization
made two categories of leprosy to help
treatment efforts
1985 5 million cases worldwide
2000 less than 1 million cases of the
disease worldwide
Leprosy remains a misunderstood
disease all around the world

Leprosy is caused by the Mycobacterium
leprae bacteria
Leprosy is believed to be spread from
person to person through respiratory

droplets
There are six different types of leprosy
Tuberculioid and lepromatous are the two
most common types of leprosy
Studies show that armadillos may be the
cause of leprosy in the United States
The risk of catching leprosy from animals
is very low
Doctors are often unaware that a patient
has leprosy because the condition is so
rare in the U.S.
The disease affects the skin, mucus

membranes, eyes, and the nervous
system
Severe cases sensation loss, muscle
paralysis of hands and feet,
disfigurement, blindness
Tuberculoid small amount of bacteria is
in the body, small skin lesions that are
dry, hairless, and numb to the touch
Lepromatous widespread bacteria
throughout the body, thickening of
nerves, involves other organs, extreme
skin condition
Individuals can continue their normal
lives while receiving treatment

The disease can be treated with
antibiotics
The disease is treated through multidrug therapy that includes taking
Rifampin, Clofazimine, Dapsone,
Oflaxacin, and Minocycline
People with one lesion take a single dose
People with more than 5 lesions take 12
sessions of medicine that last from 12 to
18 months
Interesting Facts
Also known as Hansens Disease
People who have leprosy are known as lepers
100 cases of leprosy occur in the U.S. each year,
mostly in the South, California, and Hawaii where

it is warm
1-2 million people are disfigured by the disease
worldwide
There is no medical justification for isolating
people with leprosy today
95% of people are not susceptible to leprosy even
if they came in contact with large quantities of
Waldroup 44
Example Multiple-Entry Journal: AIDS

History
The AIDS epidemics began in the 1980s
1983 the cause of AIDS was discovered
1987 Liberace dies of AIDS
1988 December 1st is declared World
AIDS day
1993 the first Hollywood film about
AIDS is released, called The Philadelphia
1994 AIDS becomes the biggest cause
of death among people age 25-44 in the
U.S.
2007 565,000 people have died of
AIDS in the U.S. since 1981
2009 President Obama calls for the

The immune system becomes severely
damaged making it easier for an infected

person to get sick
Soaking night sweats, recurring fever,
chronic diarrhea, persistent white spots
in the throat and mouth, unexplained
fatigue, skin rashes
People with AIDS have less than 200
white blood cells
AIDS can lead to death

AIDS is the late stage of HIV
AIDS is caused by the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Spread by having unprotected sex or

using an infected needle
AIDS can be spread from mother to child

during pregnancy or during
breastfeeding
AIDS is NOT spread through casual
contact, water, or mosquitos
It takes about 10 years for HIV to
progress into AIDS
HIV kills white blood cells

There is no treatment for AIDS
Get tested for AIDS after unprotected sex
Avoid unprotected sex
Practice abstinence
Do not use drugs or needles
Current medications do not stop AIDS,
but drastically slow the progression of it
It takes up to 12 weeks for the virus to
be detected after catching it
Interesting Facts
Contrary to popular belief, AIDS is not limited to
homosexual males
In poor countries, most people with AIDS also
catch tuberculosis
There are home tests for AIDS
At least one case of AIDS has been reported in
every region of the world
AIDS became a major crisis in Africa and still
remains an issue today
Waldroup 45
Explanation of Content Relevancy

The essential content featured in this project is very relevant to 8th grade students. Not
only is it relevant to other academic areas, but it is relevant to the current world as well. I really
did not get a choice in the content that students are expected to learn because my project had to
fit into the unit on epidemiology. Therefore, I had to do something related to epidemics.
However, I think that this subject is something that all of the students have the ability to relate to.
First of all, the content I am teaching is easily related to other content areas. The five
epidemics that I have students choose from directly correspond to the topics of the five novels
students will be reading with my master teacher. I chose to use the same five epidemics so that
students could take the knowledge gained from creating the picture books and apply it to the
novels that they will be reading after Thanksgiving. This way, students will have background
knowledge of the disease that their novel focuses on and be able to make connections between
the text and the real world.
This essential content is also extremely relevant to what the students are doing in science
class. Because the epidemiology unit is integrative, the science and language arts classes are
working together to tackle the subject of epidemics. In science, students will be writing research
papers about an epidemic. By working with an epidemic with me, students will be able to bridge
the gap between language arts and science class and truly become experts of a particular disease.
I explained to all three classes that everything we learn doing the picture book project will build
so that they will be able to make connections across content areas. They seemed to like that idea
that what we are doing with the picture books will help them get a leg up when they work with
the novels and write the research papers.
Epidemics and infectious diseases are not foreign concepts. What we are learning directly
relates to the real world. We constantly see something about diseases in the news. For example,
the Ebola epidemic happened recently as it became a global issue. My students are very aware of
this and are able to see how what we learn in class connects to real life. While there might not be
a smallpox story in the news this week, there are still instances where it affects the world today,
like in the case of bioterrorism.
Lastly, the study of diseases is a piece of health, which impacts us daily. Students need to
be aware of their own bodies and the importance of practicing good health. They need to be
made aware of the causes of disease and methods of prevention in order to keep themselves
healthy. Now, the chances of students contracting these infectious diseases are pretty low.
However, it is critical that students understand the importance of being sanitary, washing hands,
avoiding people who are contagious with any kind of sickness. Through learning about infectious
diseases, students will also learn how to take care of themselves.
Waldroup 46
Component #5:
Resources, Materials,
and Preparation for
Instruction
Waldroup 47
Materials and Equipment
Individual student MacBooks (this is a one-to-one school)

Access to mystorybook.com
Handouts listed in lesson plans
Document camera
Projector
Picture books (listed in lesson plan day #2)
Paint strips (for shades of meaning mini-lesson day #7)
Sticky notes
Rationale for Material and Equipment

Most of the materials and equipment for this project are computer/web-based. Students
will be working, for the most part, individually on their laptops to conduct research and create
their informational picture books using an online story book creator. The handouts featured in the
lesson plans are meant to guide students through this process and organize their thoughts.
Consideration of Space and Facilities

For the most part, the classroom really worked towards my advantage. However, I did run
into problems with technology. I intended to do some things with the SMARTBoard, but the pen
feature on ours does not work. Therefore, I stuck with paper and the document camera. I also ran
into a projection issue. I have a Dell laptop while everyone else in the school is using Apple
products. Because of this, I am unable to hook my laptop to the projector since the dongle cords
do not match up. The school does not have an RBG-HDMI converter, so I had to borrow my
master teachers laptop to display digital material or verbally explain things to my students while
they looked on with their own laptops.
Waldroup 48
Component #6:
Instructional Methods
and Procedures
Waldroup 49
Lesson Plans
Day #1: Completing the Pre-assessment
***This lesson is very brief as students will be working on their weekly daily language quiz for
at least half of the class***
Standards:
Science:
o 8.L.1.1 - Summarize the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria, fungi and
parasites relating to the spread, treatment and prevention of disease.
Essential Questions:
Objectives:
New Age Learning Goals:

Health Literacy:
Pre-assessment for the Unit (formative): This piece will launch the entire unit on
epidemiology for all classes. For the pre-assessment, students will be asked to complete an
anticipation guide. This guide will ask students to agree or disagree with predetermined
statements and explain their decisions. Statements are aimed to get students to consider
information surrounding diseases and epidemics. The guide is featured on the next page.
Extension Activity for Core 3: Core 3 is the high-achieving class. They may finish their quiz
and pre-assessment prior to the ending of class. In order to keep students thinking, the ones who
finish early may begin looking up preliminary information about each of the five epidemics.
They will fill out a notices and wonders chart for each of the diseases.
Waldroup 50
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Read the statements below and mark whether you agree
or disagree. In the Why column, please explain your thinking.
Epidemic: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community
at a particular time
Statement
entire disease.
body.
there is no cure.
Agre
e
Disagr
ee
Why
Waldroup 51
Day #2: Launching the Unit What is Epidemiology?

Standards:
Informational Text:
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1 - Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports
an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7 - Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a
particular topic or idea.
Science:
o 8.L.1.2 - Explain the difference between epidemic and pandemic as it relates to
the spread, treatment and prevention of disease.
Objectives:

I will analyze informational picture books in order to determine their strengths and
weaknesses.

Health Literacy:
Waldroup 52
Reason Effectively
Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation
Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
Texts Used:
I know How We Fight Germs by Kate Rowan

Your Body Battles a Cold by Vicki Cobb
Im Tougher than Asthma by Alden R. Carter and Siri M. Carter
My Grandpa Had a Stroke by Dori Hillestad Butler
Germs Make Me Sick by Melvin Berger
Hook: Students will receive an invitation to the unit that is featured on the following page. The
purpose of this is to get students interested in the topic of study and make them aware of goals
for the unit. There will be a discussion of the meaning of epidemiology and what students
should look forward to in the upcoming days.
Lesson: In this lesson, students will be exploring model texts in order to gain an understanding
of what their picture books should look like in the end. The class will look at the picture book I
created for the bubonic plague and talk about what makes it a good example and what could be
changed. Then, students will break out into small groups and explore the remaining model texts.
If it seems that students are struggling with this concept, this can be done whole class again.
Questions will be provided.
Closure: Using popplet, students will write a brief description of their understanding of an
informational picture book.
Waldroup 53
Picture Book Project Description
You have the opportunity to become an author by creating your very

own informational picture book! Refer to the rubric for more specific
information on how to get a good grade.
Step 1: Choose one of the five topics below:
Smallpox
Yellow fever
Polio
Leprosy
AIDS
Step 2: Using the multiple-entry journal on haiku, you will research

your topic. There is a reliable websites page that you can use to find
information. You MUST use at least 3 different websites. You MUST
cite the sources that you use. You can cite your sources using
easybib.com. Copy and paste your citations on the cite your sources
handout on haiku.
Step 3: When you finish researching your topic, you will create an
informational picture book! You will create a story that explains the
epidemic you have selected. Your story needs to be creative, yet
include actual facts. Think about the examples you have seen in
class. The direction you take this in is largely up to you.
Fill out the creating a story outline (in class)

Go to mystorybook.com and write your book!
PUT THE IMAGES IN LAST! Do not begin putting pictures in
your book until you get the words down!
Step 4: Revise your book! Good authors always revise to make their
work better. We will do most of this in class.
Step 5: Publish your work! Not only are you going to be sharing your
books with each other, but your books will be read by a group of
college students at Appalachian State University!
Upload your shareable link to the Google doc in haiku!
Waldroup 54
Informational Picture Book Rubric

Student Name: ______________________________
_______________
Grade:
Title of Book:
__________________________________________________________________
Quality &
Use of
Research
Stays on
Topic
Appropriate
ness of
Images
Outstandin
g
Information
clearly
relates to
the main
topic. It
includes
many
supporting
details
and/or
examples.
Very clear
evidence of
research
found
throughout
book.
Topic is clear.
Writer does
not stray
from the
topic.
Images go
well with the
text and add
to the
Proficient
Sufficient
Needs Work
Information
clearly
relates to
the main
topic. It
provides 5
supporting
details
and/or
examples.
Clear
evidence of
research
found
throughout
book.
Information
clearly
relates to
the main
topic. 3-4
details
and/or
examples
are given.
Some
evidence of
research
found
throughout
the book.
Information
has little or
nothing to do
with the main
topic. 2 or
fewer details
and/or
examples are
given. Little
evidence of
research
found
throughout
the book.
Topic is
clear. Writer
briefly
strays from
the topic.
Topic is
somewhat
clear. Writer
strays from
the topic
occasionally.
Images go
well with the
text, but
there are too
Topic is
unclear.
Writer does
not seem to
have a clear
focus.
Images do
not go with
the
accompanyin
Images go
well with
the text,
but there
Comments
Waldroup 55
readers
understandin
g of the
story/topic.
Mechanics
are so
many that
they
distract
from the
text. Adds
to the
readers
understandi
ng of the
story/topic.
No
1-2
grammatical, grammatica
spelling or
l, spelling or
punctuation
punctuation
errors.
errors.
few and the

book seems
"textheavy".
Somewhat
adds to the
readers
understandi
ng of the
story/topic.
g text or
appear to be
randomly
chosen and
does little to
add to the
readers
understandin
g of the
story/topic.
3-4
grammatical
spelling or
punctuation
errors.
More than 4
grammatical,
spelling, or
punctuation
errors.
Exploring
Epidemiology
This is a story all about how
Anybodys life can get flipped-turned upside down.
And Id like to take a minute just sit right there
And Ill tell you how infectious diseases spread through bodily fluid contact and air.
If you havent guessed it, were moving into a unit on epidemiology,

or the rapid spread of infectious diseases! You are going to become
an expert epidemiologist. This means that you will learn about all
sorts of infectious diseases and how they spread in language arts
and science class!
What can you look forward to?
Waldroup 56
With Ms. Waldroup, you will be making your own picture book about
an epidemic that you choose!
With Mrs. Tufts, you will be reading exciting novels about an
epidemic through book clubs!
With Mr. Tufts, you will be playing the role of a true scientist by
studying the causes and spread of diseases as well as creating an
expert essay!
Get excited because this is going to be one wild ride that youre
sure to enjoy
if you survive!
Take a Look at a Book
1 What is the title and author of the book?
2 Who is telling the story? What is the perspective?
3 Is this story fictional or not? How do you know?
4 Does this story convey factual information? If so, provide

three examples.
Waldroup 57
5 What are the strengths of this book?
6 What could be done differently?
Waldroup 58
Day #3 & #4: Diving into Research

Standards:
Informational Text:
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1 - Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports
an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
Craft and Structure
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings;
analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including
analogies or allusions to other texts.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.5 - Analyze in detail the structure of a specific
paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and
refining a key concept.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6 - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a
text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting
evidence or viewpoints.
Writing:
Research to Build and Present Knowledge

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 - Conduct short research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of
exploration.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and
digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy
of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Science:
Waldroup 59
Objectives:

I will understand how diseases spread.
I will understand who can catch an infectious disease.
I will know some examples of epidemics.
I will understand how to research effectively.
I will understand the difference between reliable and unreliable internet sources.
I will research information independently.
I will organize my information into meaningful categories.
I will properly cite my sources.
I will know the history of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the cause of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the effects of an epidemic of my choosing.
I will know the methods of prevention for an epidemic of my choosing.
I will learn interesting facts about an epidemic of my choosing.

Health Literacy:
Reason Effectively
o Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the
situation
Waldroup 60
Hook: The class will begin with students responding to a prompt below using padlet. This will
prepare students for what they will be doing in this day and the next. In addition, it allows the
teacher to gain an understanding of what the students prior knowledge surrounding research
skills.
Prompt: What must a good researcher do in order to successfully research information?
Lesson: After going over the padlet prompt, the teacher will go over a list of topics that students
can choose from for their picture books. Next, students will engage in a brief mini-lesson about
how to research information successfully. The teacher will use the bubonic plague as an example
and model the process of seeking information on the internet, recording it in a multiple entry
journal, and citing the source. When students research independently, they will be following this
same exact process after the mini-lesson is over. For this independent piece, the teacher will pass
out a list of reliable websites that students may use, but are not limited to, in order to find
information. The teacher will also pass out a multiple entry journal handout for students to fill in
while they are doing this. During the independent research, the teacher will assist students,
especially on day 3. On day 4, the teacher will focus on conferencing with each student and
providing concrete feedback.
Topics:
Smallpox
Yellow fever
Polio
Leprosy
AIDS
Closure: On a piece of scrap paper, students will complete an exit slip. They will write 0-3 to
indicate how they feel their research process is going.
Waldroup 61
Reliable Websites for Research

Here is a list of RELIABLE websites you can use to research your
selected topic. Keep in mind that you can use other sources you
find on the internet. Make sure you cite what you use!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/

WebMD - http://www.webmd.com/
Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.org/
North Carolina Division of Public Health http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/
This is what you can use to cite your sources. Please use MLA
format.
Easybib - http://easybib.com/
Waldroup 62
Multiple-Entry Journal
History
Interesting Facts
Waldroup 63
Citing the Sources

You need to use AT LEAST 3 different sources to gather your
information. Go onto easybib.com and click on MLA citations. Copy
and paste the website into easybib.com and fill out the boxes. Paste
your citations here.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Waldroup 64
Day #5 & #6: Creating the Picture Book

Standards:
Writing:

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.a - Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what
is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader
categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.b - Develop the topic with relevant, wellchosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.c - Use appropriate and varied transitions to
create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.f - Provide a concluding statement or section
that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5 - With some guidance and support from peers and
adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience
have been addressed.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas
efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Language:

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.b - Form and use verbs in the active and
passive voice.
Waldroup 65
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.c - Form and use verbs in the indicative,
imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital,
to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning or its part of speech.
academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Science:
Objectives:

I will create an informational picture book.
I will be able to take my research and turn it into an informative story.
I will understand the process of creating a story.
I will be able to gauge my process while I create my story.
I will support my story with real information.
I will select appropriate pictures to use in my book.
Waldroup 66
Health Literacy:

o Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world
limits to adopting new ideas
o Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in
Reason Effectively
o Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the
situation
Communicate Clearly
o
o
Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate
and persuade)
o
Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their
effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
o Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand
ICT Literacy

o Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate
information
Waldroup 67
communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a
knowledge economy
o Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the
access and use of information technologies
Lesson: On these days, students will dive into the process of creating their picture books.
Students will take the notes from their multiple-entry journals and use that to create an
informational picture book. This book can be more realistic or center on an imaginative story; it
is up to the student to choose. First, students will create an outline of their book before actually
writing it. Students who need support may need to use the teacher-created outline. Students who
do not need support may generate their own outlines. After students complete an outline, they
will flesh it out using supporting details from their journals. Lastly, students will select pictures
and decorations for their books. During this independent work, the teacher will be engaging in
mini-conferences with the students and providing concrete feedback for all.
Closure:
Day 5 The class will openly discuss why we created the picture book in that order (i.e. with the
pictures being selected last).
Day 6 Students will complete an exit slip in which they respond to the following questions:
What are things that you like about creating an informational picture book?
What are things that you do not like about creating an informational picture book?
How do you feel about your progress?
Any other comments/questions/concerns?
Waldroup 68
Picture Book Outline

Setting
Supporting Details/Facts
Characters
Problem
Climax
Resolution
Waldroup 69
Day #7: Wrangling with Revision

Standards:
Writing:

o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.a - Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what
is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader
categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.b - Develop the topic with relevant, wellchosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.c - Use appropriate and varied transitions to
create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.2.f - Provide a concluding statement or section
that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
audience.
Language:
Waldroup 70

standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.b - Form and use verbs in the active and
passive voice.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1.c - Form and use verbs in the indicative,
imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital,
to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning or its part of speech.
academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Science:
Objectives:
I will strengthen my writing by replacing common words with better synonyms.

I will use descriptive language in my book.
I will successfully peer edit a classmates book.
Waldroup 71
I will successfully revise my own book.

I will have a strong understanding of the revision process.
I will understand how revision can strengthen my work.

Health Literacy:

Communicate Clearly
o
o
and persuade)
ICT Literacy

information
Hook: Students will consider the prompt below and answer orally. This will be a lead-in to the
mini-lesson and the editing process.
Prompt: Why is it important to use a wide variety of words?
Lesson: Students will begin with the shades of meaning mini-lesson. The teacher will pull up
some example sentences on the SMARTBoard. These sentences are purposefully going to be
uninteresting and lack descriptive language. The teacher will ask students how to improve the
sentences by inserting descriptive words and phrases. Next, the teacher will pass out a paint strip
to each student. Students will be divided into pairs. In pairs, students will go through their books
and find at least one word that could be improved using a stronger synonym. Students will write
the word they wish to change in the top box of their paint strip. Students will find better words
using the thesaurus to replace their bland word and write them in the remaining boxes on the
paint strip. Students will share out.
After the mini-lesson, students will work on editing their books. Core 2 will receive the editing
checklist and the teacher will go over this with them. Core 1 will receive part of the editing
checklist and generate other items to put on the list. Core 3 will generate their own editing
Waldroup 72
checklist. Students will be divided into pairs, instructed to trade products, and peer-edit their
work. As students finish up, they will work on revising their books.
Closure: On a sticky note, students will describe how their book has strengthened after the
revision process.
Waldroup 73
Mini-Lesson: Shades of Meaning Example Sentences
1. I want to go on vacation.
2. The wind was blowing.
3. The black dog was sad.
4. The garbage smelled bad, he said.
5. I was happy to drive the red car.
Waldroup 74
How Many Ways Can You Say Said
muttered
explained
hollered
shouted
cried
regurgitate
exclaimed
stammered
expressed
stuttered
opined
mumbled
whispered
grunted
mused
croaked
screamed
grumbled
claimed
sang
roared
complained
chide
sighed
chastised
wheezed
Peer Editing Checklist

Peer Editor:
___________________________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________
Title:___________________________
Ye
s
1. Does the title make sense with the
book?
2. Does the beginning of the book

make you want to read the rest?
Explain.
3. Do you see a clear purpose in

what I have written?
4. Is there enough supporting

evidence throughout the book?
5. Is the writing interesting?
6. Does the book flow in a logical

order?
7. Does each sentence begin with a

capital letter?
8. Does each sentence end with/
Book
N
o
Comment
punctuation?
9. Does the writer stay on topic?
10. Is the conclusion effective and

relevant?
Day #8: Prepare to Share

Standards:
Writing:

audience.
Science:
Objectives:
I will share my work with my peers and with a larger community audience.
I will appropriately critique products of my peers.
I will reflect on my growth of knowledge over the course of this unit.
I will reflect on the unit and how it has impacted me.

Health Literacy:

o Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world
limits to adopting new ideas
o Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in
Communicate Clearly
o
o
and persuade)
o
Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their
effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact
ICT Literacy

information
communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create information to successfully function in a
knowledge economy
Lesson: On this final day, students will share their books with each other and the larger
community. Volunteers may read their books aloud to the class. If there are not any volunteers,
students will pull up their books on their computers and participate in a gallery walk. On a piece
of paper, students will anonymously write down one strength and one suggestion for each book
they read.
Students will have the opportunity to share their work with the Appalachian Educators club at
Appalachian State University. On December 2nd, I will go to a club meeting and allow volunteers
to read student work. The club volunteers will provide feedback via sticky note and I will give
this to the students the following day.
After students spend half of the class sharing, they will complete the post-assessment. This will
be treated as a piece of formative assessment so that the teacher can gauge how much the
students learned over the course of this lesson sequence.
Closure: On the back of their post-assessment, students will answer the following:
Do you believe that this process has helped you gain a better understanding of epidemics?
Why or why not?
Do you believe that this process has helped you improve your writing ability? Why or
why not?
What can Ms. Waldroup do differently next time to help you or future students?
Any comments/questions/concerns?
Anticipation Guide (Part Two)

Directions: Read the statements below and mark whether you agree
or disagree. In the last column, please explain whether or not your
answer has changed over time compared to the first anticipation
guide.
Epidemic: a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community
at a particular time
Statement
entire disease.
body.
Agre
e
Disagr Did your answer change? W

ee

there is no cure.
End-of-Project Wrap-Up
Please answer the following questions honestly.
5 Do you believe that this process has helped you gain a better
understanding of epidemics? Why or why not?
6 Do you believe that this process has helped you improve your writing
ability? Why or why not?
7 What can Ms. Waldroup do differently next time to help you or future
students?
8 Any comments/questions/concerns?
Component #7:
Curricular
Adaptations and
Instructional
Modifications
Required Adaptations and Modifications

Day #1: All students in all three classes filled out the same pre-assessment. It was very
straightforward and probed students for their thoughts rather than correct answers. I made all
students aware that their responses would not be graded based on accuracy.
Day #2: Because this was my first actual day of teaching, I really did not know what to expect in
terms of differentiation between the three classes. The classes are leveled and the low-achieving
class is very unresponsive and struggles. Due to the fact that I did a great deal of explaining on
this day, I decided to use it to determine how I would adjust for the rest of the week. For the most
part, all three classes did the exact same work.
Core 1: This is the grade level class. During our class discussions, I understood that the majority
of these students got the concept of an informational picture book. Therefore, I decided to have
students discuss the connection between text and images and how images contributed to a
readers understanding. We talked a great deal about the difference between using realistic
images versus cartoon images and how that could change the mood of a book. For their exit slip,
I asked them to explain how well they understood the concept of an informational picture book
and describe the things they liked in the examples we examined in class and why.
Core 2: This is the low-achieving class. We had technical difficulties during this period, so I was
unable to read them the example book I created. During our discussions, I focused mostly on the
concept of an informational picture book. We spent a great deal of time trying to figure out what
informational picture books are supposed to do and determining that they use words and pictures
to convey information. For their exit slip, I asked them to explain how well they understood the
concept of an informational picture book.
Core 3: This is the high-achieving class. When we analyzed the picture books, I chose to focus
on specifically how word choice and audience was critical to the outcome of the books. This was
evident through our discussions. The students had a great deal of input and really understood
these intentional decisions used when the picture books were created. In addition, I changed their
exit slip. Not only did they have to explain how well they understood the concept of an
informational picture book, but they also had to describe strategies and techniques that they
wanted to include in their own books and how that would strengthen their products.
Day #3: On this day, I really began to differentiate my lessons between the three classes. In my
lesson plans, I wrote a general description of how I figured the day would go. However, I did not
know how students would respond until after I went through day two. Using observations and
exit slips from the previous day, I made the following decisions in the three classes.
Core 1: For the most part, I stuck very close to the lesson plan with this grade level group. I took
the time to model to them how we effectively research material on the internet by using reliable
websites, taking notes in the multiple-entry journal, and citing the sources we used. The students
were very responsive to this process, so I let them have at it. While they were working
independently, I went around and helped students with their questions.
Core 2: I really changed the layout of the lesson for this group of students. Almost three-fourths
of this class receives special education services and I knew I needed to make the material more
accessible and understood for them. Just as I did with Core 1, I modeled the ways in which
students should research and cite their information. However, when I did this, I was much more
explicit in my wording and focused a lot on thinking aloud. Instead of asking this group to type
the information on their multiple-entry journals, I printed them out and asked students to
physically write their notes. I thought that this would be easier for them to manage rather than
flipping back and forth between tabs on their laptops.
Core 3: I have to challenge this group in order to make the lessons cognitively appropriate.
Instead of providing students with the multiple-entry journal, we brainstormed the ways in which
we could organize our research notes. Each student came up with their own graphic organizers
that they could use to keep track of their information. These students have conducted internet
research multiple times before, so I made the decision not to model the process like I did with the
other two cores. Instead, we had a discussion about the process and I allowed them to break out
on their own.
Day #4: I spent the entire day in all three classes differentiating for the students. I decided to do
mini-conferences with individuals and small groups as students continued research on their
selected topics. I feel like the conferences were very successful for all periods.
Core 1: As students were working on independent research, I gathered their exit slips from the
previous day. I decided to conference with the students who said they needed help first. I asked
students to individually come to the den (an area of the classroom with fun couches and chairs)
and bring their notes. I reviewed each students notes and asked them to explain to me what they
had looked up. On a sticky note, I drew a smiley face and wrote down the things that they were
doing well. I made it a point to find something positive about each students progress. After
looking for praises, I asked students where they felt like they had some gaps in their research.
Based on the students response, I directed them to another resource online or gave them
instructions on how to chunk the research to make it more manageable. I wrote these steps on the
same sticky note. Occasionally, I would take a break between conferences and walk around the
room to make sure that all students were on task and not looking up unrelated websites. There
were a few students who really needed to be walked through the research process through
chunking. After these students finished one chunk, I asked them to come back to the den so I
could give them instructions and a resource for the next chunk.
Core 2: Prior the beginning of this class period, I met with the special education teacher because
almost every student in this class receives special services. I got advice on how to help this group
because I felt like they were confused based on their exit slips from the previous day. When class
began, I split students into different groups based on the topic they selected. I instructed groups
to research information together so that they could help each other. I also wrote on the board the
ways that students should be chunking their research. For example, I wrote down Step 1:
History historyofvaccines.com. I told all of the groups to focus just on the history box first by
looking up their epidemic on that website. I wrote similar steps for the remaining four boxes of
the multiple-entry journal on the board. While groups were working on their research, I met with
one group at a time. The groups were small and varied between 2 students and 5 students. I
quickly reviewed each students notes and determined where they were on the progress and what
needed to be filled in. I asked them questions to ensure their understanding of the material.
Depending on the particular students I was working with, I would either direct them to specific
paragraphs of a website or even read the paragraph out loud. For certain students, I would just
read a sentence or two out loud and ask them to tell me a fact that I just read so that they could
write that down on their notes. I provided each student with a sticky note that included praises
and steps for chunking. I asked many students what could be done to be supported.
Core 3: For this group, I did much of the same things as I did with Core 1. However, this core
really needed to be pushed because many of them had the required information by the end of the
previous day. Before beginning mini-conferences, I challenged students to find current events
related to their topics. For instance, I told students that they could find articles about polio in
Pakistan from todays time. While students focused on finishing up their research and looking for
current events, I met with them individually and gave them concrete feedback on a sticky note.
For the majority of these conferences, I asked students to explain their information and what they
could do to extend their research.
Day #5: On day five, two of my classes began the process of creating their informational picture
books while the other class continued researching their selected topics.
Core 1: With this class, I decided to stick very close to my original lesson plan. I had a few
students who were absent the previous day, so they still needed time to complete their research.
On the other hand, the majority of the class was ready to move on to making the picture books.
On the document camera, I showed the whole class how to complete the outline for their books.
We had a discussion about this and students broke out to get started on their work. I went around
the classroom and helped those who had questions.
Core 2: This class still needed to complete their research. I did much of the same with them as I
did the previous day. I split them into groups based on their selected topics. Then, I worked with
each group specifically and helped them fill in the gaps in their notes.
Core 3: I did much of the same things with this class as I did with Core 1. However, I decided to
have this class create their own picture book outline instead of using the one I created. On the
document camera, students discussed the essential components of an outline while I wrote their
thoughts down. Based on their discussion, we drew up an outlined that everyone agreed upon.
Afterwards, they were free to work on their own outlines and begin the book construction.
Day #6: On this day, all three classes worked diligently on creating their picture books using the
digital story creator, mystorybook.com.
Core 1: This class continued working on their story books. While students picked up where they
left off the previous day, I focused on conferencing with each student individually. I wanted to
check their progress and make sure that they were headed in the right direct. I looked over each
students work and gave them positive feedback on a sticky note along with some suggestions.
Core 2: This class began working on their picture books for the first time. On the document
camera, I showed students the outline. We discussed the purpose of the outline and I modeled
how to complete it. When students were working on their own, I walked around and helped those
with questions. I looked over their outlines before I gave them the signal to begin using the
digital story creator. Most students barely finished their outlines before the class period ended.
Core 3: I did the same thing with this class as I did with Core 1.
Day #7: Two classes focused on the revision process while one class continued working on the
construction of their stories.
Core 1: I allowed students to spend roughly 15 minutes at the beginning of class to finish up their
books before moving on to revision. After this brief work time, I did a mini-lesson on descriptive
language and how it enhances writing. We spiced up several sentences as a class before
students partnered up and completed this by themselves in regards to their own books. After this,
we went over the purpose of revision and an editing checklist. Students partnered up and edited
each others books. After this, students worked independently on revising their own work.
Core 2: This class continued working on their picture books. As everyone worked individually, I
worked to conference with each student like I did the other two classes the previous day. I
provided each student with concrete feedback.
Core 3: I did the same things with this class as I did with Core 1. However, instead of providing
the students with an editing checklist, I had them generate their own while I recorded their ideas
using the document camera. The class came up with about 10 things they wanted to include on
an editing checklist. They also decided that they wanted to rate each item 1-10 based on
accomplishment.
Day #8: Two classes presented their picture books while the other class completed editing
activities.
Core 1: I followed my lesson plan closely with this group of students. They did not need any
adaptations or modifications for sharing their stories.
Core 2: With this class, I completed the shades of meaning activity with them. It definitely took
them significantly longer to complete this compared to the other two classes. With some of the
students who are identified as needing special education services, I sat down with them and
helped them complete the activity. In terms of the editing checklist, I strayed from my original
lesson plan, mostly because of time constraints, and asked students to focus on four aspects:
capitalization, ending punctuation, spelling, and overall clarity of the story. This way, they were
able to focus in on these key elements that I knew they struggled with in the amount of time we
had remaining.
Core 3: I did the same thing with this group as Core 1.
Day #9: This was the last day of my impact project in which Core 2 shared their work. Some of
the students get extra time as part of their IEPs and some students were not yet ready to share
their books. For those that were not sharing, I had them write down the anticipated date of
completion along with an active game plan that described the steps they were going to take in
order to complete the project.
Component #8:
Classroom
Management
Considerations
Purposeful Grouping of Students

Day #1: On this day, students were finishing up their weekly daily language quizzes. Because
students were finishing this at different times, I decided to make the pre-assessment an
independent activity. The anticipation guide was easily completed by each student. Therefore,
they did not need a partner while doing this. If students finished these two tasks prior to being
dismissed, they began doing background research on the five possible topics in order to help
them choose one to write their books. This was also done independently.
Day #2: For day two, I did a mix of whole class instruction and collaborative group work. I
determined that it would be best to go over the introduction to the unit and the picture book
project as a whole class. This way, everyone would be on the same page and we could answer
questions together. I also made the decision to go over my example of an informational picture
book with students as a whole class. I treated this activity as a mini-lesson. I read my book out
loud to students while it was projected on the screen. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses
of my book as a class. This way, when students broke out into groups, they would understand
what to do. When I divided students into groups to analyze a picture book, I randomly selected
the groups. I numbered the students off from one to five so that there were three students per
group (the classes are very small). I figured this would be the easiest way to divide them into
groups and it worked out very nicely to my surprise. All groups finished the activity without any
major difficulties.
Day #3: On this day, I used a combination of whole class instruction and individual work. With
all three classes, we discussed effective research skills and expectations together. I wanted all
students to begin the research process with a collective understanding of what they were
supposed to do and how to do it. After our discussions, students began work individually on the
research of their selected topics. Due to the fact that students are creating their own books, it
only makes sense for them to do their own research. Students had the ability to talk to each other
during this time, but they were working on their own.
Day #4: On day four, I decided to do individual work and conferences with Cores 1 and 3 and
small group work and conferences with Core 2. Core 2 struggles academically, so I decided that
it would be most beneficial if they worked with each other and collaborate on their research. I
worked with each small group, groups were based on topic selection, and helped them flesh out
their notes and guide them to specific resources. We did conferences together so that I could keep
everyone on the same page. With Cores 1 and 3, I kept everything individual. Students were
working on their individual research while I conducted individual conferences. I wanted my
feedback to be very specific and tailored to each student. I decided to meet students where they
were at and work from there. As someone who has a minor in special education, I have always
learned that educators should work with students on an individual basis, and mini-conferences
are a great way to do that. However, I will say that as a beginning student teacher, this was a
great deal to manage in all three classes. Not only did I have to focus on the student I was
conferencing with, but I also had to pay attention to the class as a whole in order to ensure
everyone was on task. Even though it was difficult to balance, I did not have any behavior
problems. Also, it was nice to meet with students because not only did I get to better understand
their thinking processes, but I had the opportunity to make individual connections.
Day #5: On this day, I decided to do whole group, individual, and small group instruction. With
Core 1 and 3, I conducted whole class instruction in regards to the outline. Afterwards, students
were free to work individually. With Core 2, I split them into small groups. This way, they could
help each other and I could focus on working with a few of them at a time.
Day #6: Students worked individually on this day because they were working on their individual
books.
Day #7: On this day, Core 2 continued their individual book work. With the other two cores, I
did a mix of whole class instruction, partner work, and individual work. When we did the minilesson and explanation of revision, we were together as a whole class. I allowed students to peer
edit each others work so that their books could been seen by a new set of eyes. Students
individually focused on revision after their work had been peer edited.
Day #8: Core 2 was split up the same way the other classes were on the previous day. For Core 1
and Core 3, I asked students whether or not they wanted to share in small groups or complete a
gallery walk. Both classes decided they wanted to share in small groups. I numbered students off
one to four randomly to create four groups of four students in both classes. There was one group
of five in Core 3. Students read their book aloud to the group while the other students wrote
praises and suggestions.
Day #9: There were 12 students present in Core 2 on this day. Six of them were still working on
their books while six were ready to share. I randomly split the six who were ready to share into
three groups of two. I wanted the groups to be small due to the time constraints with this class
period.
Component #9:
Results and Analysis
of Student Learning
Progress over Time/Performance Data

The chart below tracks the progress of each student from Core 1, the grade level class, based on
data from the pre-assessment and the post-assessment.
8
7
6
5
4
3
Pre-assessment
Post-assessment
2
1
0
Below are the grades for the picture book itself (summative assessment), with the lowest grade
being a 75 and the highest two grades being a 100, for Core 1.
Picture Book Grade

100
95
90
85
80
Picture Book Grade
75
70
65
60
55
50
0
10
12
14
16
18
Interpretation of Results
Pre-assessment/Post-assessment: For these two assessments, most students got 6/7 questions
correct. For the pre-assessment, I did not expect students to get any of these questions right
because they have had no prior instruction on epidemics up until this point. On the postassessment, most students did not change their answers, which was a little disappointing.
However, I feel like the way I presented the statements on the assessments may have had
something to do with this. Many students answered the questions in relation to the disease they
studied rather than in general, which was what I was hoping for them to do. The post-assessment
was not a grade neither because I wanted students to reflect on how much they had grown over
the course of the project. Next time, I think I will ask better questions.
Summative Assessment: For the most part, students across the board did well on this project.
The overwhelming majority of students said that they enjoyed creating their own books, which is
one reason that I believe they did such a great job. Students who received some of the lower
grades did so because of their grammar mistakes or because their stories were not emphasizing
the disease as much as they needed. I do not think it was a struggle for students to receive full
points on the facts portion of the rubric because they found it easy to incorporate at least six facts
into their stories. Based on what I have observed from the students and what I know about them,
most of them really tried their best on this assignment. For some students, this was one of the
highest, if not the highest, grade they have received the entire quarter. Although I am proud of
my students, I think that the rubric I created may have been a tad bit too lenient. I did not want
the rubric to be too easy, but I also did not want it to be so stringent that students could not be
successful. In the future, I would probably tweak the guidelines for the rubric just a little bit.
Patterns of Student Performance

(Cranberry Middle School has a grading policy that states the lowest grade a student can receive
is a 50)
I was very surprised at Core 1s performance throughout the project. I knew that many of
the students in the class would be into the project and do everything I asked of them. This is a
very high-energy class with a vast range of abilities and talents. Some students strengths lie
outside the classroom and this handful of children usually has a hard time focusing on school
work. However, I was so proud of them for actually jumping on board with the book project. I
think that their enthusiasm with their topic and the open-endedness of the assignment caused
them to perform better than they have in the past. However, there are outliers in this group. For
example, I did not anticipate student #8 to receive the lowest score on the project. He tends to be
very thorough and articulate with his work, so I imagined that he would be one of the top grades.
However, his book, although extremely well written, did not focus on smallpox, which was his
epidemic of choice, but rather told the narrative of a fake terrorist attack. I understand that he
made the connection between bioterrorism and smallpox to the terrorism he sees in the media
today. However, I think that he focused too much on the terrorist issue rather than the disease
itself, which is why he received a lower grade.
Analysis of Student Sample

Student #2: This student is one of the outliers in the entire 8th grade in terms of behavior. He
struggles to pay attention and actually do work. Instead of focusing on work, he ends up sitting
in his chair playing with pencils. I was worried about him completing the picture book project
because, in all honesty, it is pretty extensive. However, I was very surprised to watch him
actually get excited about writing his book. The research was a little hard to sell to him, but he
really took off with the writing aspect of it. Normally, he needs almost constant redirection. Even
though I did have to redirect him at times, I did not have to sit beside him and get him to do
every little thing. I am so proud of him for actually completing his work and even earning a high
grade.
Link to Students Picture Book: https://www.mystorybook.com/books/97061/
Grade: 88
I did not pick this student to analyze because his book was the best one of the class. I
chose to analyze his work because of the amount of effort he put forth. Like I said before, this
student usually does not do their work. Looking at his grades from the quarter, he has received
many 50s and his highest grade besides the picture book is a 69. For Student #2, this book is way
above anything he has done so far.
Student #2 really went for the scary vibe when creating his picture book, which is fitting
of his personality. Instead of telling a very factual, nonfiction story, he decided to write from the
perspective of polio and describe how it affected the United States. Even though the part about
Canada is a little hard to understand, the student was attempting to convey the spread of polio.
He incorporated the required number of facts to almost get full credit, but his grammar and
pictures are what hurt his grade. Obviously, his book does not have a good grammatical flow, but
his story makes sense in relation to the information he had been researching. In terms of the
pictures, he needed to break up the text and add a few more. I told the student on his rubric that if
he had included more information about the effects of polio, he would have received full credit.
However, he did a great job on providing details about Jonas Salk and the spread of polio.
Student #18: This student is our very opinionated, strong-willed girl. A little on the edgier side,
Student #18 really excels in her classroom. She is always on top of things and is not afraid to tell
people what she is thinking. She chose to study AIDS as part of her picture book project. On day
#2, I explained AIDS to all of the cores and told students that they should only choose this topic
if they were mature enough to handle the content. This student was very adamant about choosing
AIDS from the beginning and I definitely knew she could handle the material.
Link to Students Picture Book: https://www.mystorybook.com/books/96793/
Grade: 100
Student #18 received one of the top scores for her class. I was really impressed with the
maturity she used when going about this topic. One thing I like about her book is that she does
not sugar coat any of the difficult information. She lays it out there just like it is, which is part of
her personality.
Student #18 did struggle with translating the research notes to a book. I worked with her
several times during the creation process and she told me she did not think it would be
appropriate to tell a story about how someone got AIDS and she wanted to stick to the facts. I
told her that was perfectly fine and probably the best way to go about her topic. Once she got in
the groove of writing her book, it became much easier for her.
I really appreciate the layout and organization of Student #18s book. She has headings
on each page that stand out and separates facts using the ~ symbol. It makes the book look
really clean and easy to read. I also like how her book serves to educate people and prevent
AIDS. I feel like someone could pick up her book and really learn very useful information. Her
pictures are very relevant and I did not see any grammatical errors. She truly deserves full credit
for her work.
Student #10: This student is typically quiet in class and is best friends with Student #18. She is
also on the alternative side and enjoys dying her hair bright colors. Because she is so quiet, I was
not sure of what she was capable of when we started this project. She does fairly well in class,
but I know she has her challenges. However, I was blown away when I read her story. It was
beyond impressive.
Link to Students Picture Book: https://www.mystorybook.com/books/97083
Grade: 97
Like Student #2, Student #10 decided to tell the story in a first person perspective from
the point of view of yellow fever. Even though she did not give a lot of information about the
symptoms of yellow fever, I feel like she excelled in the historical facts. She really used history
as a platform for her story. She likes the dark and scary things, so it really made sense for her
story to be dark and scary.
This student got full credit for her story in every category except for grammar. There are
a couple errors and we did do editing in class and revision was part of their homework. However,
I do like that she chose a black and white font scheme to help achieve the tone of the story. She
talked to me about ways that she could make it seem scary and that was one of the things she
brought up. I am really happy with the amount of creativity she chose to display in her picture
book. When I had students in Appalachian States Appalachian Educators club give feedback for
their books, Student #10s was one of the favorites.
Evidence of Positive Impact on Student Learning

I think that I positively impacted my students learning through the course of this project.
For some of these students, the grade they received on their picture books was the highest grade
that they have of the entire quarter. I feel like this project was pretty rigorous because it required
students to synthesize their research notes and transform them into a story. However, I believe
the open-endedness, creativity, and student-choice aspects of the assignment made students
invested, and, therefore, is why they did well.
Over the course of the project, I had students complete several reflection pieces. Not only
did I ask them questions to assess their own progress, but I asked them questions about my
teaching, what they liked about the project, what they did not like about the project, and what I
could do to support them over the next few months (yearlong placement). I explained to the
students that it was important for them to be honest with their answers and that they would not be
hurting my feelings with anything they said. With that being said, students were very helpful
with their responses. Every student said that they liked the project and it was something that 8th
graders should continue to do in the future. When I asked them what they did not like about the
project, most students said that they did not dislike anything or they did not like the website we
used to create the books. This was relieving for me because I wanted the students to do
something that not only benefited them academically, but they actually enjoyed.
Towards the end of the project, I asked students how they grew as a writer/researcher
over the course of the book project and had them turn in their responses on a piece of notebook
paper. I was really excited to read their responses. Many students said that they learned how to
write a story book and that they felt like they were actually authors. Other students said that they
did not think they would be able to do the project when we went over the project description, but
were happy when they started doing the work and realized they could do it. Other comments
included learning how to strengthen writing, learning how to take notes, and learning all about
their disease.
My students have greatly increased their knowledge of the particular epidemic that they
chose. During class time, many of them were excited to tell me and Mrs. Tufts the things they
were learning and several of them begged us to read their books on share day. With the
knowledge they gained from my project, they can better understand the corresponding novels
that they will read in language arts. Having essential background knowledge is key to
understanding some of the novels because they use a great deal of disease-specific vocabulary.
Being a successful reader is a challenge for some of my students, so setting them up to
comprehend the text is so important. If they had not completed this project, they would most
likely struggle to read the book. This project has also helped my students be successful in the
science classroom. Currently, they are using the notes that they took for my project and applying
them to a science essay. In a way, this project serves as a scaffold for them to be successful for
the rest of the semester.
Component #10:
Reflection on Teaching
and Learning
Self-evaluation of My Performance
This was the first experience I had running an entire class since Teacher Cadet in high
school. However, the bar was kicked up a notch as I was in charge of all three classes and even
the reading enrichment period, which I have been running since my first day of internship. It
really did not hit me that I was the leader until I actually got up in front of the students on day #2
and taught the whole class. At that point, I felt pretty overwhelmed with having to talk so much
and keep everything going for a whole 70 minutes. I did struggle a little bit on the first day
because I had never really got up in front of the students. However, once I finished the first day
and ripped the bandage off, so to speak, things went much more smoothly.
I think I had the most difficulty while teaching Core 2, the class that struggles
academically. They are just so quiet and unresponsive that it was hard to tell if they were
following me or not. Many times I would ask a question and they would just look at me. When I
made it really easy to answer, they would still just look at me. I think that all of them are so used
to flying under the radar because they are not confident in their abilities that they are afraid to
answer anything. I know that they give Mrs. Tufts the same problem. Once this class started to
get used to me, I got more head nods when I asked questions. When I worked with them
individually during mini-conferences and in small groups, they started to respond more. Five out
of the six students in this class are with me during reading enrichment in the afternoons. I think it
helped when the reading enrichment students would talk and joke around with me during
language arts to get the rest of the class responding, somewhat. Up until the last day of my
internship, I did not feel successful with this class even though they really did an excellent job on
the project. However, on my last day, Mrs. Tufts told me that she was proud of the connection I
had made with this class because she felt like she is still struggling to build that with them as
well. I feel way better about my performance with this class after hearing that.
When it comes to decisions I made for the project, I really wish that I had decided to go
with a book creator program rather than using a website. I met with the technology coordinator at
the middle school and asked for tools that I could use for creating the books. We ran into issues
because the students use Macs and I have a Dell and the books needed to be accessible from both
devices. She suggested that I use an online website to create the books and I decided that this
would be the best option since the books needed to be shared with college students as part of the
publishing process. I tested the website out on my own and I thought it worked fine. Of course,
everything turns out great during a trial run. What I did not experience was the glitches that my
students would later find out. The website had a few quirks that made it difficult for students to
add pages and save their work. In addition, some students would forget their passwords to the
website, even though we took time to write that information on sticky notes, and would have to
get technical support or start all over if that did not work. Based on student exit slip responses,
the only criticism of the project was the website. Next time, if I ever do something similar, I will
try to find a better tool to use.
Aside from the struggles, I think the project went really well overall. It gave me the
opportunity to connect with each student through individual conferencing and small group work.
The differences between the classes helped me learn to differentiate, which is something that
college classwork never really gave me the opportunity to do. I learned how to make this project
accessible for all students ranging from those that read on a first grade level to those who read at
the level of high school seniors. In addition to reaching all of my students, I had the opportunity
to work collaboratively with my colleagues at Cranberry. Not only did I plan with Mrs. Tufts, but
I planned with the science teacher, the technology specialist, and the special education teacher. I
feel like this was a very valuable experience and it really put me in the shoes of an actual teacher.
I am so proud of all my students for their amazing work on their picture books. I was a
little nervous about how they would turn out. However, the students were really interested and
ran with it I also think the students are proud of themselves, which is really important to me. I
have always wanted my students to feel successful in school because I know that is something
that not everybody experiences. On sharing day, when I told the classes that they were going to
share their work, they were all very apprehensive and were nervous, aside from a handful of
eager beavers. However, once the students broke out into small groups, they were all super
excited to share. When they were done with the small groups, almost every student wanted to get
up in front of the whole class and read their book to everyone. This was one of those proud
teacher moments I had because, at this point, they felt good about themselves.
On the wrap-up portion of the post-assessment, I asked the students What can Ms.
Waldroup do differently for you or future students and Any comments/questions/concerns.
There were many students who wrote that I had done a great job and that I would make a good
teacher next year. Obviously, this made me smile. I think that if the students enjoyed the project
and the fact that they told me they liked me, it means that I did a fairly decent job. I cannot wait
to be back in the classroom with them in January so that I can continue to develop these
connections and improve on my teaching abilities.

Impact Project - Epidemiology

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Impact Project - Epidemiology

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Waldroup 1

Impact on Student Learning Project

Context for this Project:

Common Core State Standards & NC Essential Standards:

Text Types and Purposes

Conventions of Standard English

New Age Learning Goals

Understanding national and international public health and safety issues

Creativity and Innovation:

Work Creatively with Others

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:

Communication and Collaboration:

Apply and Use Technology Effectively

Connections to Additional Content Areas (Integration)

How do we handle difficulty in our life?

I will know the definition of epidemic.

I will know some examples of epidemics.

Component #2: Student

Very quiet and

Has brother with

Very quiet, polite,

Quiet, has very nice

joke around with the

Student Lexile Level for Core 1:

Collaboration with Colleagues

Component #3: Plan for

You have the opportunity to become an author by creating your very

Step 2: Using the multiple-entry journal on haiku, you will research

Fill out the creating a story outline (in class)

Upload your shareable link to the Google doc in haiku!

Rubric for Summative Assessment

Informational Picture Book Rubric

Title of Book: __________________________________________________________________

Anticipation Guide (Part Two)

Disagr Did your answer change? Why or why not?

Epidemics spread very quickly to a

New Age Learning Goals

Understanding national and

I will know the definition

Understanding national and

I will know the definition

I will understand the

Access information efficiently

I will understand how to

I will understand how to

Popplet Exit Slip

Use various types of reasoning

Understanding national and

I will understand how to

I will understand the

Process Exit Slip

from a wide variety of sources

I will be able to gauge my

I will successfully peer

Understanding national and

Understanding national and

growth of knowledge over

Example Multiple-Entry Journal: Smallpox

The first smallpox vaccine was created

by infecting people with cowpox and

What are the Effects of the Disease?

sometimes fatal disease