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Big Understanding Pre-Test:
Divide the class into two groups. Pass out one understanding per group.
Using the round table cooperative learning structure, groups will define the
understanding in their own words.
Communication is the process of observing or gathering information and
recording it so the observer can accurately recreate the original image or
concept.
Communicating with words is a process, which is always evolving.
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Activity: Is What You SEE, What You GET?
Students will be assigned a partner. The partners need to be sitting at a
desk across from each other with a divider blocking their each other's view.
One student will be the artist and the other student will be the
communicator. The communicator will be given a card with a name of an object
and the artist will need a piece of scratch paper and a pencil. The
communicator must describe the object named on the card to the artist without
looking at what the artist is drawing. The artist must draw what is being
described without asking any questions of the communicator. When the
communicator is finished describing the object, the card and drawing will be
compared. Roles will then switch. This activity can be timed.
The first two essential questions are introduced and applied to the lesson:
How can I understand others and how can others understand me?
How does word choice impact meaning?
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Week 1-4:
Reading/Vocabulary:
Students will begin a literature study using the following novels:
"Frindle", "The Landry News", "The School
Story", and "The Word Eater". During the literature study
students will focus on narrative elements, how words give meaning to the
text, and how they impact the story.
Students will participate in a Word of the Day study to increase their
vocabulary. (See Resource links)
Word Wall Activities: "Students will be learning the ninety commonly
misspelled words using Month-By-Month Phonics for Upper Grades" program
(See resource reference)
Writing/Grammar:
Students will be involved in the following writing activities: Autobiography
Poems, Wanted Posters using PowerPoint, Make-A-Word (See Resources links for
activity directions)
Who's on First Script: This script will be used to discuss the play on words.
Students will be divided into partners and act it out the script.
Teacher-student discussions will occur after the students have had time to
act it out to discuss the importance of word choice. (See URL link for
script)
Multisensory Grammar and Written Composition will be introduced to the
students. This program uses color codes to introduce and reinforce the
definitions of the parts of speech in a sentence. Patterns of color are used
to help students compose original sentences of varying lengths and
complexities.
Students will also be taught the "Shurley Method" jingles to
reinforce the parts of speech.
Science:
Students will participate in a scavenger hunt called "Sherlock Combs the
Yard" by Aims. Each group will be secretly handed a card with a property
listed on it. (e.g. green, shiny, dull, sharp, pointed) They will go outside
and collect objects that have that property without the other groups knowing
their property. Once they have 5 to 10 objects in their bag, they will return
to the classroom. The objects will be placed on the group's desk. Students
will then rotate to each table trying to guess the property. After all
guesses are in and the properties have been revealed, a teacher-led
discussion will take place focusing the quality of their observation skills.
Finally, students can display their objects on a piece of tag board for Open
House.
A "What Box" will be introduced to the class to sharpen their
observation skills. Students will reach their hand into a box with a hole in
the lid. A piece of fruit will be inside for the students to feel. They must
draw in their science journal what they think the object looks like and
describe in detail what they felt.
Students will be using the scientific method and science process skills
(observing, classifying, measuring, interpreting and collecting data,
creating, inferring, hypothesizing) while they conduct various experiments
from the FOSS curriculum. The first unit of study is Variables. (See UBD
titled: "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super Flyer" for more
information of the content of the unit - http://www.cheney268.com/UBDUnits/CES/Reif1.htm)
Math:
Students will apply their computation, estimation, geometry, algebra, and
problem-solving skills when they become owners of a Video/DVD Store. They
will discover the importance of communication as they solve everyday problems
faced by business owners. (See UBD titled: Movie-Matics for more information
on the unit - http://www.cheney268.com/UbDUnits/ces/conrad3.htm)
Social Studies:
How do we learn about our past?
This will be a focus question as students begin digging into America's past.
A nature walk will begin the investigation. Following the walk, students will
classify items gathered into two categories: man-made or natural. The natural
objects will be used for a Native American mask that the students can create.
Next, the students will become archeologists. They will dig up the past
through an activity called a Midden dig. (See Resource "Midden
Dig")
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Using the Television Show rubric, the students will write down the key points
that they want their classmates to learn about their news topic. They will
then practice their presentations in groups and their groups will write down
what key points they learned about the topic. The two will then be evaluated
by a class discussion.
Teacher guided discussion about essential questions.
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The television show will be produced by the students and evaluated using the
local speaking rubric (see URL link) and broadcast on the school cable
channel.
Big Understanding Post-Test:
Collect the definitions. This activity will be given again at the conclusion
of the unit. The groups will then compare their definitions for insights and
knowledge gained.
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