2016

Egypt, Religion and the Nile

Violet R. Brooks
Understand by Design Portfolio
12/4/2016
 Table of Contents
Full Unit
Lessons
 Egypt, The Sun and the Nile Pg. 7
 The People’s Nile Pg.9
 The Book of the Dead Pg.12
 Research and Destroy Pg.15
Performance Tasks
 Travel Time! Pg. 19
GRASPS Pg. 19
Student Prompts Pg. 21
Rubric Pg. 22
 Living Museum Pg. 23
GRASPS Pg. 23
Student Prompt Pg. 25
Rubric Pg. 27

Test Items Pg. 29

Assessment of Student Work Pg. 35

Analyzing Student Standardized Test Data Pg. 41

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Understanding By Design Unit
Unit Overview

Seasons in Egypt
Egyptians and the Nile
The Book of the Dead
Research and Destroy

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 Backward Design Unit Overview
Candidate Name: Violet Brooks Host Teacher Name: Bauman
School: Knik Elementary Grade Level: 5 # of Students: 28
Date Range Unit: (TBA) Length of Unit – 5/6 weeks
Overall Theme of Unit : EGYPT Past Content Area:
History/ science/ social studies/Art/ Geography
and Present
Describe the demographic make-up of your target classroom:
28 students, 3 with IEP, 4 with minor movement issues, 4 people pleasers, 1 with an
authority issue. All roughly middle-low income families.

Alaska Content and Subject area Standards

1.Science D3: develop an understanding of the cyclical changes controlled by energy from the
sun and by Earth’s position and motion in our solar system (Flooding of the Nile and how it
affected Egypt)
2.Geography D1: know that the need for people to exchange goods, services, and ideas creates
population centers, cultural interaction, and transportation and communication links;
(Alexandria as a port city, cultural exchange with Europe)
3.History A6-know that cultural elements, including language, literature, the arts, customs, and
belief systems, reflect the ideas and attitudes of a specific time and know how the cultural
elements influence human interaction; (Rome Vs. Egypt)
4. Art D5- consider other cultures’ beliefs about works of art (Book of the Dead/Rosetta stone)
5. Library- A5- identify and use search strategies and terms that will produce successful results.
(“The Google Code”, Research Project)

TRANSFER GOALS (Unpacked Standard(s)

1. You will understand that even though the food is available year round, food is still dependent
on a growing cycle connected to the seasons made by earth’s rotation around the sun.
2. You will be able to read a map and understand why major cities might be there, or why
capitols might have moved over time.
3. You will be able to use ancient deities to make meaningful connections to a society’s daily
needs and their understandings of the world.
4. You will be able to identify the importance of iconography in both familiar and unfamiliar
artwork.
5. You will be able to use tools to find information more effectively on the Internet and in the
Library.

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STAGE 1 – Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that….
1.)Food still comes from fields where it must be
grown and harvested and is dependent on a
growing cycle.
2.)Why points of the concentrated population
such as villages and cities appear along river
ways.
3.)Different cultures make different folklore to
explain the world around them. Although these
ideas may not be ‘true’, they are true to the
culture that holds them and can give outsiders
key understandings into the workings of that
society.
4.)How multiple peoples and cultures identify
importance and meaning with symbols in their
artwork.
5.) Know how to use a computer, textbook, or
library to research and gain knowledge on
assigned topics.
STAGE 1
OBJECTIVES/ Learning Targets
LTs - What students should know….
1.) KT: Legacy, Nile, Silt, Rosetta Stone,
Pharaoh, Iconography
2.) Location of Major cities along the Nile
and their importance.
3.) The major gods of Egyptian Mythology
and why they were important.
4.) Why Egyptians made Pyramids and how
class and status made a difference in their
burial rituals.
5.) How to use key terms to find information
on a general idea in order to narrow
research to produce reports.
Stage 1 - Essential Questions
What Essential Questions will be Considered?
1.)How do we depend on nature to help us
survive?
2.)Why do people choose a location to live
and work?
3.)What does it mean that something is
‘true’?
4.)Why might cultures choose similar
symbols in their iconography?
5.) How will I know if a resource can be
trusted?
STAGE 2 –
ASSESSMENTS -
Assessments/Evidence of Student Learning
1.) Students will complete a vocabulary
definition worksheet and use these terms to
create simple sentences.
2.) Students will be able to identify major cities
along the Nile and explain (verbally)key reasons
for their construction.
3.) Students will read short stories about Key
Egyptian icons in groups (4-5 readers)and
summarize for the class in short presentations.
From these presentations, we will try to
understand what an ancient Egyptian might
have been afraid of and what was important to
them.
5

LTs - What students should be able to do…
1.) Identify the growing cycle and explain
why agriculture is important to maintain a
country.
2.) Explain the reasons a major city might
have been built in a specific location.
3.) Synthesize a deity of their own and give
it a name/function. (Mathimus, The god of
Geometry and Homework)
4.) Identify iconography in familiar and
unfamiliar settings.
5.) Use a computer to research Egypt and
present on their findings.
4.) Students will answer a 10 questions quiz on
the Egyptian book of the dead.
5.) Student will use computers, libraries and
other resources to research any aspect of past or
present Egyptian culture, then create a short
report complete with bibliography.
Assessments/Evidence of Student Learning –
1.) Students will create flashcards that show the
position of the earth to the sun and how the
fields of Egypt would look during that time and
what season it would be.
2.) Students will create a picture of the Nile
complete with depictions of the river being used
for 3 Specific purposes.
3.) Students will create a deity, give it a name,
an occupation and tell us why a person might
find that deity important in an illustration or
paper. Students should also include 3-5 items
that deity might want as payment for their help.
4.) Students will create an essay with all the
things they would want to take with them to
help them when they woke up in their ‘new life’.
Students will create a list, then use magazines to
make a collage of their pyramid. What would it
be shaped like, what would be inside. Students
should have at least 10 items. They may include
words as well as pictures and they may draw the
structure of their pyramid by hand before filling
it with things and words.
5.) Students will create a 2 page report on any
one interesting subject related to modern or
ancient Egypt.
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LESSON # 1: Egypt, the Sun and the Nile
Title and theme of the lesson: Content areas addressed in this lesson:
Egypt, the Sun and the Nile Science

Materials and technology needed for this lesson:

Smartboard or world map, ideally multiple small maps (or printouts) of Egypt that include the
Nile. Coloring instruments, posterboard, KTL board, globe, internet connection, youtube
player, flashcards for students.
Links to visual Aides:
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/seasons/seasons.en.jpg
Handouts for Students to Keep:
http://passporttoknowledge.com/scic/sunandseasons/educators/sunseasonssw1.jpg
Differentiation Worksheets: (To be cut out and glued on flashcards)
https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/564x/54/7d/b5/547db502a227377e3e193777e505175d.jpg
https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1d/15/67/1d1567939fa6a04e9cd6811fc580d9a3.jpg

Lesson Objectives for this lesson: Assessments for this lesson – Students will
Students will be given an introduction to Egypt complete a vocabulary definition worksheet
and earth’s rotation and how this is important to and use these terms to create simple
the growing cycle of a country through a sentences. (formative) Students will also be
graphic organizer. KT: Nile, Silt, Tilt, able to determine the season in different
Hemisphere, Equator. locations on the globe by studying the tilt of
the planet and it’s relative location to the
equator. (summative)
Introduction/Hook for this lesson: Introduce Egypt as a country and present a few pictures to
get the students brain’s going (Pharoahs, Sphinx, Pyramids, Eye of Anubis, Rosetta Stone, I’d
start with a picture from Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’). Create a Know/Want/Learn chart about the
country. Give students about 5-10 minutes in groups to decide on ideas and then add them to the
poster board in set columns.

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Processes and Products: Opportunities to Learn for this lesson - What is the Teacher
doing? What are the Students doing? Strategies and Instructional Activities.
Introduce seasons and earth tilt by having students watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzr0Ju0kqko “Why the earth has seasons”.
Use the globe and tilt it towards or away from your hand, have the student’s talk among their
table groups and decide as a group if it is “winter” or “summer”. When they have a firm
understanding of the Summer/Winter for the northern hemisphere, move on to the Southern
Hemisphere. Point out that when it’s Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s Winter in the
Southern and Vice Versa. Ask them how they think that might effect countries closer to the
equator, like Egypt.
Explain that due to the Nile’s flooding in the spring, Egyptians were able to create huge harvest
in rich silty soil in the summer, but come the fall the soil would dry up and during the winter, the
fields would be more or less sand. The heavy rains in Africa would start again in the Spring and
the cycle could continue.
Have students make flash cards of the seasons with the name of the season on one side and an
illustration on the other. They can show either the Sun and Earth, OR they can show what an
Egyptian field might look like during that season.

DIFFERENTIATION:
For students who have trouble holding pencils, hand out the generic sheets that already have the
words printed on them and the pictures of the sun in the rotation. Hand out 4 index cards with
these as well. Have the students color the pictures, cut them out and then glue them to the index
cards.

If students are still uncomfortable, pull a small group aside of any students that require a little
more help. If there is a language barrier, have one of the students translate if they can. If that is
not available, work with the small group to complete the project and drill as you go along. Use
the “Season” cards provided and have them point to the correct season for each picture of the
Sun and Earth you show. Sometimes just the extra time can help by leaps and bounds, especially
if you’re a fast talker like me.

Closure: Have students quiz each other, or even adopt a few of the flashcards and quiz the class.
Have students save these in a specific class location until their next EGYPT lesson.

Have students told you how they know the seasons are changing in their home, what does it
look like to them? Talk briefly about the spring Cherry Blossom Festivals in Japan or the Fall
“Leafers” that travel outside of New York City to see the changing leaves. Some students
might point out Halloween for fall, Christmas for Winter, Easter for Spring. I would talk about
how in our family we celebrate the summer and winter Solstices by eating hotdogs on the
grill, even in the middle of Winter.

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LESSON # 2: The People’s Nile
Title and theme of the lesson: Content areas addressed in this lesson:
The People’s Nile Geography

Materials and technology needed for this lesson: Smartboard, Youtube, Egypt Map, lined
paper, blank paper, coloring tools.
Links to Visual Aides:
http://images.slideplayer.com/23/6645882/slides/slide_5.jpg
http://assets0.learni.st/learning_preview/1120509/image/w583h583_437716-assignment-
discovery-uses-of-the-nile-river-howstuffworks.jpg
http://egyptiansyear4.weebly.com/uploads/9/6/2/4/9624810/5975770.jpg?353
http://www.ushistory.org/civ/images/00003045.jpg
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4024/4423150592_2db46df693_o.jpg
http://www.oddizzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/img-egypt-nilecattle.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xh0UmtTrRsE/hqdefault.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/07/23/08/2AC39FDF00000578-3171745-image-a-
5_1437634978041.jpg
http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/images/geog11b.jpg
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/A79YR3/egypt-nile-a-few-kilometers-upriver-from-cairo-farmer-
uses-the-ancient-A79YR3.jpg

Lesson Objectives for this lesson: You will Assessments for this lesson –
be able to read a map and understand why Students will be able to explain why living
major cities might be there, or why capitols near a river has both advantages and
might have moved over time. disadvantages and why people may choose
to live there despite the dangers. Have
students draw a picture of Ancient
Egyptians using the Nile in 3 different ways.
Introduction/Hook for this lesson: Why should you live near a river you know is going to
flood? There has to be a better place. Have students work independently to make out a list
of reasons they might choose to live by a river. Remind them that ancient Egypt didn’t
have many of the tools we have today. After 5 minutes of independent writing, have them
work with a shoulder partner for another 5 to share ideas. Call on a few students with
different ideas and compare them, have their fellow students comment or defend ideas.

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Processes and Products: Opportunities to Learn for this lesson - What is the Teacher
doing? What are the Students doing? Strategies and Instructional Activities.
Introduce the video for the day:
http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-miles-impact-on-the-development-of-egyptian-
civilization.html
Have students take notes on SPECIFIC ways the Egyptians used the Nile.
After the video has them come together again and get ideas, writing them on the class
chalkboard /smart board/ promotion board. Ask them if they can think of any OTHER rivers
that are used for these reasons. (In Alaska, point out barges are often used to move goods
along rivers because they’re cheaper than airplanes, can go further distances, carry more
cargo. The Mississippi is another example.)
Introduce the assignment: The People’s Nile!
Have students pick three of the ways the people use the Nile and have them draw an
illustration for each use. (Farmers, soldiers moving on the Nile, people moving shipments of
grain, people harvesting papyrus, fishermen, etc).
They may draw all three together or separately, but they must give a caption for each image.
DIFFERENTIATION:
(For the movie, if you know the language of your class, please turn on the subtitles in their
native language.)
For student notes, I’m not picky. As long as they understand what their notes are telling
them, do not judge too harshly. I’m a huge fan of pictorial notes or ‘cartooning’ notes. The
students have already seen the video on this.
Again, if you need to pull aside a small group, do so, but for this lesson, in particular, I would
recommend letting students problem solve during the assessment. If students are still having
trouble, ask them what people use rivers for today, or in their own homes.

Remind students how grain was an important food to the Egyptians, and how the Nile helped
them carry it up and down the river. It also produced fish and other animals for the people to
eat. These were ‘staple’ foods. Ask the students what’s a common or important food in their
own homes. Give examples if you can; Turkey on Thanksgiving, we have black-eyed peas on
new years day from the Christmas ham bone, etc. Other countries have traditional foods as
well, Borsch from Russia, Poke from Hawaii, Rice from Japan, curry from Apache Fry bread,
Eskimo ice cream, etc. If they don’t know, encourage them to go home and ask their families.

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Lesson #3 The Book of the Dead
Title and theme of the lesson: Content areas addressed in this lesson:
The Book of the Dead History

Materials: Youtube, lined paper, handwriting correction sheet, pencil, paper, images from
tombs, sarcophagi, pictures of a book of the dead.

Visual Aides:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mQnXFDohH8E/hqdefault.jpg
http://www.crystalinks.com/papyrusofani.jpg
http://www.historyofinformation.com/images/3627a%20Large.jpg

Lesson Objectives for this lesson: Understand Assessments for this lesson Students will be
the importance of religion to the ancient able to explain why the Egyptians built
Egyptians. Compare the ancient Egyptian pyramids and what was kept within.
beliefs to modern human behavior. Students will be able to explain why the
Pharaohs wished to be buried with their
possessions and the importance of the book
of the dead.
Introduction/Hook for this lesson: An Unexpected Journey: Tell the students that they
are going to be going on a long, long journey and they may never come back. Ask them to
brainstorm in groups what they might want to bring. They don’t know for sure where
they’re going, or what will be waiting for them, but they should be prepared for anything;
shopping, eating, monsters, family, climbing, sailing…. ANYTHING!
Give students 5/10 minutes to brainstorm with their tables, making 1 list of everything they
find important per group.

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Introduce the Book of the Dead: Start off with a short warning for the students that today
we will be talking about what the ancient Egyptians believed. That we might agree with
what they believed, but to many of them, it was absolutely true. We don’t have to agree
with what they believed to learn something from what they did with their money and what
they felt was important.

Today’s Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le7YxCRVVWM

Why did the Egyptians need a Book of the Dead?

Why did they take so much stuff into the crypts with them?
Why did they spend so much time and money on such amazing tombs?
10 questions true or false quiz “What was the Book of the Dead For?”
Writing prompt: “If you were a Pharaoh and had all of the money in the world, what
would you want to be buried with you to use when you re-awoke in the afterlife?”
After the 10 minutes writes, have the students take a piece of 17x11 paper and draw the
outline of their pyramid. Supply them with the magazines and newspapers and place the
Egyptians Alphabet on the board. Give students free rein here and let them color, write,
draw the exterior, then fill it with whatever they would want to show the world how
powerful they are (must be school appropriate).
At the base of their pyramid, they must include 3 ‘spells’ they want to use to protect them
from things in the other world. I.E. “A crocodile repellant spell.” “An invisibility spell.”
Spells to summon monsters to fight for them. Spells to summon food.
DIFFERENTIATION:
For the T/F quiz, read all questions out loud to the class and let them pick their answers.
Do a short warm up if need be.
During a free write, hand out the differentiation sheet titled “I will bring…” It has 4
columns, “Food”, “Toys”, “Tools”, “Fun” and is labeled 1-5. Students don’t NEED 20
things, but sometimes offering a list instead of that evil lined piece of paper goes a long
way.
If the student is uncomfortable with the assignment for religious reasons, have them draw a
picture of where their family practices their religion. Do they read at home together, do
they go to a church, do they wear something important to their culture?
If a student is having trouble with a drawing they may use pictures from magazines, or
they may write words and use different colors to make them stand out.
Closure: Have students discuss their items within their groups. Ask them what a poorer
pharaoh might have in his tomb, a slave. Remind them that having these powerful items was a
show of strength and power and a way for them to be safe and show their superiority in the
afterlife. Have them save their lists with their illustrations and other projects in a safe space to
use at another time.
 Describe how this lesson increases your students’ access to “Cultural Capital.”
Ask students about what’s important to their families. Is it important to have a big house, a
big family? Is there anything their parents would like for them to do when they grow up? Is
there any important items in their family that they would need to protect, or any special way
to protect them? (Think ‘Photo album’, I would want a fire-proof, water-proof cover for it to
keep it safe. If there is a family pet, a way to make food for it).

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 NAME: _____________________________________

Book of the Dead QUIZ

1.) T F Everyone had a Book of the Dead

2.) T F The Book of the Dead was a list of dead people.

3.) T F The Book of the Dead was full of Spells.

4.) T F Every Book was the Same.

5.) T F It took at least two people to make each book.

6.) T F The book told people how they could travel through

the afterlife.

7.) T F Your tongue would be weighed against a feather.

8.) T F Some books only had pictures.

9.) T F There were spells to call on clay servants to do labor.

10.) T F The book of the dead had more than 180 chapters.

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Lesson # 4: Research and Destroy
Title and theme of the lesson: Content areas addressed in this lesson:
The Final Countdown Library

Materials: Computer, lined paper, library, previous Egypt assignments, google. Google
scholar, textbooks, computer lab, a parent volunteer.

Lesson Objectives for this lesson: Know how Assessments for this lesson: Students will
to use a computer, textbook, or library to use online and standard research tools to
research and gain knowledge on assigned access information in the school library and
topics produce a 1-page report on any subject
related to Egypt. This paper should be
properly formatted and contain at least 5
facts about Egypt, one of which should be
about the Nile river. Students should also be
able to write 1 paragraph about how their
life is similar to that of ancient Egyptians.
Introduction/Hook for this lesson: Bring it all together. Have students work in groups to
come up with things that still want to know about Egypt. Bring out the Question Board
from the first lesson to help them form ideas. Give them 5minutes to brainstorm, then ask
them to pick three of their choices for today’s final project.
Processes and Products: Opportunities to Learn for this lesson - What is the Teacher
doing? What are the Students doing? Strategies and Instructional Activities.
Give students the evaluation rubric for the assignment. Go over with them as a group and
point out the specific things they will be graded on (number of facts, spelling, and
punctuation, fact about the Nile).
Ask for any questions, take about 3/5.
Break students into two groups. Group A will use the computer lab first, while group B
will research in the library. Each group will get 15 minutes to research. In the computer
lab they will need to work independently, but due to slim resources, they will be allowed to
research in groups in the library.
Tell students it is okay to change their topic, but they still must present 5 facts on Egypt.
Have students spend 15 minutes per group, then switch.
When they return to class, give them 20-30 minutes to write their rough drafts of their
essay on paper and pencil. Have students exchange, then copy-proof each other’s works.
Closure: Ask students what issues they had when researching. Ask if anyone ran into
conflicting information and what they decided to use. Remind students that the internet
can be a strange resource since not everything on it is true. Have students save their
papers for a final draft at a later period.

Students should be able to look at their previous notes and reflect on the similarities between
Ancient Egyptians and themselves today. Do their families have anything in common? Do they

16
have some of the same needs? Some of the same fears? Did the students have a favorite part,
or was there something VERY different from the ways they do things at home?

17
18
Performance Tasks

Travel Time

Living Museum

19
 TRAVEL TIME: GRASPS

Enduring Understandings (Big Idea) Essential Questions

1.)Food still comes from fields where it must be grown 1.)How do we depend on nature to help us survive?
and harvested and is dependent on a growing cycle. 2.)Why do people choose a location to live and work?
2.)Why points of the concentrated population such as 3.)What does it mean that something is ‘true’?
villages and cities appear along river ways. 4.)Why might cultures choose similar symbols in their
3.)Different cultures make different folklore to explain iconography?
the world around them. Although these ideas may not 5.) How will I know if a resource can be
be ‘true’, they are true to the culture that holds them trusted?
and can give outsiders key understandings into the
workings of that society.
4.)How multiple peoples and cultures identify
importance and meaning with symbols in their
artwork.
5.) Know how to use a computer, textbook, or library
to research and gain knowledge on assigned topics.

A local travel agency is wanting to make a pamphlet to encourage people to go

to visit foreign countries. They’re asked our class to make a tri-fold brochure complete
with pictures, important information, tours people can go on and a short segment about
what people can do while visiting. The pamphlet should include a map, information on 3
major cities, and name one fictional airline (they’re still in negotiations with the airlines,
they’ll replace this later).
Describe:

You are to design, copy, print, research and present this pamphlet to the class in a
short presentation.

You will present this not only to the class but at the end, students and teachers
will vote on the best pamphlet and it will be sent to that countries department of tourism.

A local travel agency is wanting to create a new tourism brochure for kids. The
point of the brochure is to empower children to want to visit other countries and explore
the world. They want their designers to research and report on things they find
20
interesting on the different countries. They need the pamphlets to be fun, but also
informative, talking about the important foods of that country, landmarks, religions,
natural landforms, tours, airlines and 3 major cities. When finished, they would like you
to present your information to the class and then displayed in the hallway and voted on
by teachers and classmates.

A pamphlet about a country of their choice. It will include the following:

1 map
5 pictures (1 of the native people, 1 of a special local food)
3 “Fun things” to do. (1 paragraph each)
1 fake Airline
A “basic information” square (will be provided with template)

Students will be creating this product to further build on their research skills
developed throughout this unit. This project will help students to synthesize an
authentic understanding of the similarities between other countries and our own.

Students will be sharing this product with their class (fellow students and children
who the product is intended for). Students will decide which pamphlet is most
effective by voting for which location they would most like to go to.

Your work will be judged by your peers and teachers within the school.
Your pamphlet must be clearly typed or written. It should be well designed and
enticing to a student your age or a little older. It should have color photographs
with captions, fun activities, the basic information square, 2 ‘fun facts’ and a map
with 3 major cities marked in it to help people plan their vacation. When you give
your presentation, you should be able to clearly present this information and
answer basic questions about your chosen country.

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 TRAVEL TIME!
ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!

“LET’S GO!” Travel agency wants to encourage tomorrow’s adventurers and is

holding a contest in your school to design fun, interactive and inviting pamphlets
to students ages 8-12! These pamphlets will be important to help families decide
where they want to go on their summer vacations and what they want to do.

How do I win?

Pamphlets must be completed by *Date here*

They should have ALL of the following:
Made on an 11x17 tri-fold sheet of paper (Front AND back).
Neat hand-writing or be typewritten.
Have AT LEAST 5 color photographs
1.) 1 of an important food in the country.
2.) 1 of the people who live there
3.) 1 of a landmark
4.) 2 fun things to do
Must have a map with 3 important cities marked.
2 fun facts.
3 “Fun things to do” paragraphs.
Fill out the accompanying “Basic Information” square and add it to your work.
Make their own airline name!
*note* Remember, there should be something fun for the WHOLE family. Try to
remember everyone involved while making your brochure. Is there something a
mom might want to do? A dad? A grandparent? Maybe something for a younger
brother or sister?

Before submitting, please see the attached checklist. No pamphlet will be

considered that hasn’t included all the above information.

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Travel Time Rubric

23
 LIVING MUSEUM: GRASPS

Enduring Understandings (Big Idea) Essential Questions

1.)Food still comes from fields where it must be grown 1.)How do we depend on nature to help us survive?
and harvested and is dependent on a growing cycle. 2.)Why do people choose a location to live and work?
2.)Why points of the concentrated population such as 3.)What does it mean that something is ‘true’?
villages and cities appear along river ways. 4.)Why might cultures choose similar symbols in their
3.)Different cultures make different folklore to explain iconography?
the world around them. Although these ideas may not 5.) How will I know if a resource can be
be ‘true’, they are true to the culture that holds them trusted?
and can give outsiders key understandings into the
workings of that society.
4.)How multiple peoples and cultures identify
importance and meaning with symbols in their
artwork.
5.) Know how to use a computer, textbook, or library
to research and gain knowledge on assigned topics.

Your goal is to create a Diorama that reflects a real community and its’ needs
including food, safety, identity, pleasure, and culture.

Students will learn how to identify different cultural needs and resources and
understand how communities are shaped by their environments.

You will be presenting these to teachers, fellow classmates and a class from the
school below the grade level.

Create a diorama of your choice population form 500-1000 years ago. Your
diorama needs to be complete with a name, landmark, and people. You need to tell me 3
different crops the people of your diorama have. You need to show me how they travel,
what they eat, do they have any natural resources, a form of writing? Do they have a
religion? Do they have an enemy group nearby? Do they get anything important by
trading with nearby groups? Are there any natural disasters that happen that the people
have to work around (think the Nile)? Do they have any favorite games or hobbies?
What do the kids do for fun? Do they have a limited growing season? Why?

24
 A diorama complete with explanation given orally by student. At the end of
the project, other classes will be invited in and students will explain their diorama to
groups explaining what resources they use, what they do for work/play, what a
child’s role is in this community, how they use the environment to sustain their
culture, ect. Student’s goals in this endeavor are to consider how daily life was in
their time/culture.

This Diorama will need the following to be marked a success:

An in-box diorama, at least 8”x11”x15”.

Name your community, give a location. Label your diorama.

3 Characters (2 adults, one child)
1 Landmark
What kind of home?
What do they eat?
How do they Travel?
Who do they protect themselves?
How do they have fun?
What clothes do they wear for the weather?
Do they keep animals as pets? As food?
A well-painted Box
3 Three-Dimensional objects of any type (this could be people, a food
item, a tool, a weapon their home, etc.)

25
 The Living Museum:
Dear Class,
Recently I was talking with one of the second-grade teachers and she informed
me that she was most upset. He classes plan to go see the Anchorage Museum
was postponed due to some bad luck on the part of the bus barn and someone
wishing to make the dates ‘British’ and ‘Fancy’. Her students were somewhat
distraught, and the thought bothered me as I was teaching you yesterday.
However, I believe I have a solution

We shall make a museum.

Using your travel brochures and previous information, I want you to research your
country again, but this time I want to know how your people lived 1000-500 years
ago. Not just in a picture, but in a 3-dimensional space. I will give you class time
and as many materials as I can, but this will require some homework as well. This
will be a ‘slice of life’ diorama. I will need to see a whole family unit (at least 2
adults and a child), a way they can defend themselves from the weather, animals
and other people, what they do for fun, important tools, important foods and of
course, a name. You need to make 3 objects that are 3 dimensional (clay pots,
serving dishes, animals, the people themselves, their home, a landmark). The
diorama overall should be visually appealing so that students want to look at it.
Include at least 1 landmark and explain it’s importance. Additionally, you need to
be able to explain to the second graders all the pieces of your diorama, who is
doing what and why. You should be able to answer basic questions about what is
presented in your slice-of-life.

Remember your audience is 2nd graders. Make it entertaining for them (students
usually like it when they can see themselves in the project). Include things that a
2nd grader might enjoy seeing.

26
Remember:

Name your community, give a location. Label your diorama.

3 Characters (2 adults, one child)
1 Landmark
What kind of home?
What do they eat?
How do they Travel?
Who do they protect themselves?
How do they have fun?
What clothes do they wear for the weather?
Do they keep animals as pets? As food?
A well-painted Box
3 Three-Dimensional objects of any type (this could be people, a food
item, a tool, a weapon their home, etc.)

27
A Day at the Museum

28
Test Items
Multiple Choice
True/False
Fill in the Blank
Matching

29
 Test Item Construction template
MULTIPLE CHOICE (3 test items) Topic: The Nile

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3

1.) When the earth’s rotation The Nile Flows from ____ to The Ancient Egyptians were ...
puts Alaska closest to the sun, ____.
the season is… A.) Monotheistic
A.) Winter A.)North to South B.) Polytheistic
B.) Fall B.) South to North C.) Atheistic
C.) Spring C.) East to West
D.) Summer D.) West to East Answer B: Polytheistic
Answer D: Summer
Answer B: South to North
SHORT ANSWER ITEMS (3 test items) Topic: Egypt and Religion

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3

Why did the Ancient What are 3 different ways that What was the book of the dead
Egyptians need the Nile so ancient Egyptians used the and why was it so important to
badly? Nile that we can still use it for the Egyptians?
today?

TRUE -FALSE ITEMS (3 sets of 3) Topic: Daily Life

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3

1.) All countries experience
the seasons at the same time.
(f)
2.) The Nile flooded twice a
year. (f)
3.) The river flows North to
South. (f)
COMPLETION ITEMS – Sentence and Cloze
Item 1
The earth is on a _______
which causes it to wobble as it
rotates around the sun.
A: axis, angle
1.) Egyptians would collect
reeds from along the Nile to
make boats and paper. (T)
2.) Egyptian farmers used the
Nile’s flooding to fill
irrigation ditches and pools for
summer farming. (T)
3.) The Egyptians would
often make only enough food
to feed themselves. (F)
Item 2
The Egyptians stored excess
________ in silos to preserve
it for when it was needed.
Examples: grain, food, wheat
1.) Every book of the dead
was exactly the same. (F)
2.) In the book, a person’s
tongue would be weighed
against a feather. (F)
3.) There were spells that
would bring to life clay
soldiers to do the person’s
bidding. (T)
Item 3
The book of the dead was
filled with ________ to help a
person through the
underworld.
Examples: Spells,
hieroglyphics, pictures, stories

30
CLOZE PASSAGE COMPLETION ITEMS (3 passages) TOPIC: Ancient Knowledge

You can either set these up with spaces for students to write in or with
NOTE:
numbered answer blanks below the passage to write the answers in.
Passage 1 Passage 2 Passage 3
The Nile was much like our
When the Earth is highways. Huge barges were The Pharaoh’s build the
__________ to the sun in used to transport _______, pyramids for many reasons,
Northern Hemisphere it is _________, animals and even but one was to secure their
summer. That means it is __________ up and down the _______ so they would never
__________ in the southern river. be forgotten. Scientists now
hemisphere. (Ex. Give 3 things transported believe the tops of the
down the Nile.) pyramids were covered in
_________ while the sides
Possible answers: Closest, Food, soldiers, tribute, royalty, were made of smooth, white
nearer, next to fish, papyrus, all reasonable ______________.
#2: winter, fall, ect. answers accepted.
Answers: Legacy, gold,
limestone

31
 NAME: _______________________

Match the images to their names.

#1

Ra

Shaduf

Papyrus

Rosetta Stone

Giza

32
 NAME:________________________
Match the images and the vocab
#2

Nile

Khopeshe

Sarcophagus

Book of the Dead

Heiroglyphics

33
 NAME: _______________

Match the question and answer, draw a line

How many days to complete a mummification? Hatshepsut

Whose tomb was the greatest archeological find Senet

Purpose for building the pyramids Africa

Which continent the Nile is on Tutankahum

Where the Pyramids are located 77

The first female ruler of Egypt Legacy

Egyptian Board Game Giza

How many judges in the afterlife? 42

34
Analysis of Student Work

35
 ANALYZING STUDENT WORK: CONTENT BASED
ASSESSMENT
Name of the assessment: Lesson 11 Journey’s Test Grade 4

STEP 1: Assessing and Identifying Proficiency

 What are the students expected to do?

Response:
Students are expected to complete a multiple choice assessment in which
they will answer questions related to three different aspects of a week's
worth of knowledge. These categories are comprehension, spelling, and
vocabulary.

 Which standards (CCSS or content standards) or curriculum expectations

are being assessed?
Response: Alaska Reading Standards: Key Ideas and Details 1. Read closely to
determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from
the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 3. Analyze how and
why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Craft
and Structure 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific
word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how
specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter,
scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how the point of view
or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well
as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 9. Analyze how two or more texts
address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors take.
 What assistive devices, if any, will students be able to use (i.e. calculator,
ruler, protractor, number charts, graph paper, scrap paper, etc.)
Response: ELL learners are taken aside to have the questions read aloud
and to clarify what words within the question mean, but not define the
answers. Students with trouble focusing are provided earphones to allow

36
 them to concentrate. Students who need are allowed an extra 10 minutes
of class time.

 What do you consider to be a proficient response to this assessment?

Exactly what do students need to say or write for you to consider their
work proficient?
Response:
Students, when given the test, will need to give correct answers to at
least 70% of the questions. In order to pass without having to do
corrections, students will need to achieve 80%. Those scoring less will be
given an opportunity to correct their answers before being given a final
score. Students should be able to read, comprehend and accurately
assess the information provided.

 Does the assessment give students a clear opportunity to demonstrate

what they know or have learned? Provide a clarifying statement for
how…
Response: No. I don’t feel that multiple choice tests measure learning
completely. I believe when there is a 25% chance for a student to be right
simply from guessing that a score can be considered an accurate measure
of a child’s growth. I do understand that multiple choice answers are a
simple way to measure some students learning, but a multiple choice
sheet does not provide room for explanation or empowered thinking,
which is odd considering that is what the program itself totes.

37
Sorted lists

HIGH EXPECTED LOW

(Objectives met) (Objectives partially met) (Objectives not met)
5 14 4

21 % OF CLASS 60 % OF CLASS 17 % OF CLASS

Both of these students had Middle achievers who One student missed 3 of
perfect attendance often had one or two the 5 days of class.
through the lead-up errors. These students Although she took some
coursework. Both already understood the work home and finished it,
students were already high basics of what they were she did not have the in-
achievers who showed no working with a rough class time she needed to
struggle in daily class. comprehension fo the succeed. She is scheduled
Both students had vocabulary. for a re-test.
completed all daily and
This student has a
coursework and showed
behavioral issue and was
no issue in daily
having trouble dedicating
coursework.
himself to the work that
day. This student selected
‘C’ for every question and
rejected extra time.

38
 HIGH EXPECTED LOW
(Objectives met) (Objectives partially met) (Objectives not met)
No issues. One wrong Some lapses in vocab. Student one was sick and
answer between the two. Students confusing missed a great deal of
The student stated she had definitions in vocab words. instruction time. Student
been rushed and misread Students having trouble two should have been
the word. reading directions and assessed at a later date,
picking synonyms instead once he had returned to
of antonyms. homeostasis after his
behavioral issue.

What patterns or trends are noted for the whole class?

Most of the class ran into difficulties in the decoding portion, due to
skipping the instruction at the home teacher’s request. The home teacher felt
that the energy spent on the section would be better spent on the spelling and
reading comprehension portions.

What instructional strategies will be beneficial for the whole class?

I believe a short period before testing for studying would help. The
problems that most students missed were the sections involving science, things
that I would want some time to refresh before being tested on (I.E. “Hurricanes
are formed by…”, “What was the date of….”, “The difference between and
hurricane and a tornado is”. Also spending more time throughout the week
reviewing vocabulary.

39
Based on your diagnosis of student responses at the high, expected, and low
levels, what instructional strategies will students at each level benefit from?
All students would benefit from more time spent on vocabulary.
Encouraging the high achievers to slow down and better concentrate on the
questions. For mid-level achievers, perhaps reading the directions out loud
would be best. Maybe the audio version would help them better understand
the directions and instructions. The antonym questions really hit some kids
hard. For low achievers, additional time and focused study groups during
independent work time.

Final Reflection:

There’s still a great deal of information I need to learn about this process. I
look forward to talking with our instructional coach at the school and learning from
her. I know she’ll have a wealth of resources I can draw from and I love being
able to sponge up all that information to help my classroom.

I think that this will work to help me with my practicum in two ways: One it
will show me where the student’s struggles will come from. I can use testing data
and info on IEP’s to craft my class around each year’s students. I love this puzzle,
it’s part of the reason I love subbing so much, each class is its’ own culture and
finding the best structure and method for a class is amazing.

I think another way would be to allow students to see where they could
improve. I think a lot of parents and students alike see this information and
immediately feel helpless or disappointed. That’s not the culture I will curate.
Students should see these as a stepping stone, the first block they will use to build
their own road to success. Not everyone’s score will be the same, and some
people will learn things faster and slower than others. Each person has the ability
to succeed, but each person will have to find their own way there. That is a
teacher’s calling, guiding a student to success, not dragging them there by the nose.

Three takeaways from this process are: there are multiple forms of
assessment that give us valuable information in different forms, students may
appear to show different aptitudes on similar subjects on different tests, viewing
testing data can help to identify not only need but situations where increased
intervention might be needed. Test scores cannot tell us everything, we’ll need to
assess family, history and the student’s preference to cater to individuals. This will
40
be valuable for figuring out small groups to better support each other in learning.
Plus, I’ll be able to focus my attention towards students with similar needs without
slowing down ones who might be high achievers.

41
 Analyzing Student
Standardized Test Data

42
 Interpretation of Student Reports

Name of the Student: Seri Stefanovic

Background: Seri emigrated from Slovakia two years ago. She transitioned from the English as
a Second Language (ESL) classroom to a regular classroom at the end of last year. Her parents
are educated: her mother is a high school graduate and her father is a college graduate from a
university in the former Soviet country of Czechoslovakia

1. What are Seri's major strengths according to the NNRT scores?

Are they absolute strengths? Explain why or why not.
Seri’s strengths appear to be in math, specifically in knowing how to set
up and solve mathematical equations. Her total scores are astounding
in this test, putting her in the 99th percentile. I believe these are an
absolute strength for her. I believe this is a core knowledge and
something that she may enjoy. I really want to keep encouraging her in
math.

2. In what areas does Seri show a need for improvement, according to

the NNRT scores? Can you be certain whether or not these are
areas that need improvement? Explain why or why not.
According to the test, Seri is having her greatest difficulty in vocabulary,
word usage, and spelling. I think this might be due to her ending the year
in her ELL class and then coming back after a summer where she may
have lost some of that knowledge. The great thing is that it’s probably still
in there, we just need to wake those skills back up. I don’t like seeing her
in such a low percentile, but I feel that having her back in a standard
classroom full time will help a great deal with her scores.

43
3. What cautions must Seri's parents use when reviewing her NNRT
scores?

Keep in mind with these scores that Seri is being compared to every child
tested in the United States, including students that aren’t ESL learners.
Also, remember that this test was administered in English and some of
the words might still be causing her confusion. There are many reasons
that these scores might not be a true measurement of knowledge, but
they are a good test to let us see how we can help Seri grow.

4. Write two or three sentences describing Seri's overall performance

when compared to the state standards for the SCRT. Refer to all
four scores (use numbers and performance levels) to support your
generalizations about her.
Unfortunately, Seri is scoring below expectations in Reading, Writing and
Science on the SCRT. She met standards here, but just barely. I’m
worried that she might be suffering something as simple as trouble reading
the questions. I expected her score to be much higher in math given that
she was in the 99% on the previous evaluation, but she also scored much
higher on these assessments for reading(380) and writing(337). She’s
barely below standard on reading, which may be due to others reading the
sentences to her during testing. I found no data for an IEP for Seri, but I
suspect she would qualify for one and certain accommodations for state
testing.

44
5. How did Seri's performance on the NNRT compare with her
performance on the SCRT? To support your comparison, use
specific scores from the NNRT and specific strand scores of the
criterion-referenced test achievement profile.
The NNRT Showed a more complete image of Seri’s needs. I can tell
exactly where her greatest weaknesses are, and hopefully, by bolstering
those I can use the rising tide to carry her other scores. I think it’s safe to
assume that should her vocab, comprehension, and spelling improve,
other vital reading skills should follow. However, the NNRT failed to
accommodate test for skills like science. I do appreciate the breakdown
by specific category (SCRT Shows specific skills instead of broad ideas.
For writing; content organization and style are missing, whereas in
NNTS we see a percentile and a vague score, but a far less specific
answer.)

6. How can Seri's teacher use the information from these tests during
the next school year?

Really focus on verbal communication. Encourage conversations with

peers and reading activities. Supply audiobooks that she can track
along with to not only hear the words but see them in context. Maybe
supply her with accommodations during the school year like extra
reading supports or lessons designed to help ELL students (certain
reading programs have these included). Seri shows great potential, but
she is suffering from a communication gap that there is no reason we
can’t help her to overcome. I would recommend making moments
during the day to talk with her, simple things that aren’t really going out
of the way. Asking her about her day or giving her a few extra
vocabulary words might help to boost her confidence.

45
7. From what you see in the NNRT and criterion-referenced test
report, what are some specific activities Seri's parents might do at
home to support her learning in the coming year? Refer to specific
NNRT test scores, the SCRT scores, and strand scores to support
your suggestions.

I’m going off the assumption that Ceri’s parents have the internet at home, have the time to help
her and are invested I her future to work with the school.

Vocab- Ceri could do well from simple online tutoring. She may not need to sign up or pay for
them, but there are many sites online to help build both Vocab and Spelling. The Reader Rabbit
series was famous for it. Also, helping her to translate her own language at home, or having her
periodically use weekly word lists. Reading and listening to others reading it both her native and
new language might help as well, depending on what she’s most comfortable with, or small
home assignments where she can use google translate to look up English versions of Slovik
words.

Usage- Helping Seri with additional worksheets she may bring home, or even reading with her
and helping her with sentence structure. According to both tests, Ceri has trouble using
language to express herself. Having her describe things in her community, or even having her
describe things in her room, might help to correct her grammar and give her many opportunities
to practice.

Spelling- Practice, practice, practice. Simple things like spelling lists. Talk to the ELL teacher
and see what she would recommend since the Slovak alphabet looks very similar to English.
Flash cards might be a good start to drive home the English alphabet. Have her practice writing
her words daily, again look for online resources to dovetail into daily work.

46