Download Understanding By Design Unit Template

Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Drafted 6/19/13
Title of Unit
The Geography of the United States
Grade Level
4 Unit 1
and New York
Subject
Social Studies
Time Frame
Developed By
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
The geography section introduces students to the U.S. regions and then the N.Y.S. regions. Geography is explored to understand
how it drives human events. The history section begins by studying how Native Americans used nature before Europeans arrived.
Ultimately Europeans began to settle in what is now America, claiming land. The environment is altered as people meet their needs
to live.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the
history of the United States and New York.
Standard 3: Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local,
national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over Earth’s surface.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired?
Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
4.3.a Physical maps of the United States illustrate the many lakes, rivers, mountains,
woodlands, and plains of the United States and New York.
4.3.b The physical features, climate, terrain, and natural resources throughout the
United States and New York allow different kinds of economic activity and
production.
4.3.c The United States can be conceived as having geographic regions in which
states are grouped by common physical features and economic systems, and New
York is part of the Northeastern region of the United States.
4.4.a Physical and political maps of New York show the location of rivers, lakes,
mountains, waterways, highways, and railroads, all of which have an impact on
where and how people live and interact with each other.
How did environment and natural resources influence the
development of the Native American Communities in New York
State?
How have humans used the extensive, diverse, and unique geography
comprised of different regions, physical features, and climates to form
communities in the United States?
How do the geography and natural resources of New York affect where
and how people live?
How have humans modified their environment by altering the physical
landscape and harvesting or mining natural resources?
4.4.b New York is organized into counties and regions and has both industrial and
agrarian areas where people have developed lifestyles that support these modes of
economic production.
4.4.c Some areas of the state have been reserved as state parks or preserves to
allow for various types of recreation and to preserve the natural landscape and
native species of New York.
4.4.d Types of housing, forms of agriculture and economic production, development
of cities, and the construction of transportation systems and structures are
examples of ways in which people have adapted to and altered the physical
environment in New York.
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit?
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
Students will be able to…
 Interpret data from physical and political maps
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How to read physical and political maps of the United States
How geography determines the lifestyles and economy
How to locate New York State in relation to other states
Geographic features (bodies of water and landforms) of New York
State and New York City determine how people live and interact with
each other
Natural landscapes of New York are reserved as state parks
Humans alter the environment for housing, economy, development of
cities and transportation systems
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Classify the location of New York State in relation to other states.
Describe important geographic features of the United States and New York State
Categorize common features in regions
Develop arguments for the preservation of land
Design plans for humans to alter the environment without consequences
Ask authentic questions.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Part I
Students will use various maps to describe the following information:
(A) What information on the map are you able to use to locate places and identify features?
Describe where New York State is located? What geographic features (bodies of water and landforms) can you identify in and
around New York State?
(B) What information can you identify about the United States? Which map or maps helped you?
*Use the above as a pre assessment. After teaching the unit the above will be the post assessment where students must provide evidence from the Unit.
Rubric for Assessment:
Social Studies
Framework Key Ideas
Maps illustrate physical
features, climate, terrain,
and natural resources
Level 4
Exceeds Standards
Demonstrates a thorough
and insightful
understanding and
application of mapping
concepts, content and
vocabulary and the
relationship between
ideas.
Level 3
Meets Standards
Demonstrates an
understanding and
application of mapping
concepts, content and
vocabulary and
recognizes relationships
between ideas.
Level 2
Approaching Standards
Sometimes demonstrates
an understanding of
mapping concepts,
content and vocabulary
and sometimes
recognizes relationships
between ideas.
Level 1
Not Meeting Standards
Rarely demonstrates
understanding of
application of mapping
concepts, content and
vocabulary or
relationships between
ideas.
The United States has an
extensive, diverse, and
unique geography
comprised of different
Uses social studies
vocabulary when drawing
conclusions, relevant
inferences, and making
Makes relevant
inferences and draws
conclusions about the
unique regions of the
Makes relevant and
irrelevant inferences and
conclusions pertaining to
the unique regions of the
Attempts to make
inferences and draw
conclusions about the
unique regions of the
regions, features, climates generalizations of the
and communities
unique regions of the
United States.
Geography and natural
Analyzes and evaluates
resources affect how
the relationships between
people live and their need people and their need to
to alter the environment
alter their environment
orally, in writing, and
using visual
representations.
Extends thinking and
applies information to
analyze and evaluate
relationships between
ideas, different
perspectives, global
issues and identifies and
provides solutions to
problems.
United States.
United States.
United States but are off
topic or irrelevant.
Communicates relevant
ideas and information and
explains relationships of
people and their need to
alter their environment
orally, in writing, and
using visual
representations.
Uses information to
makes connections
between content and
concepts of local and
world issues and
discusses problems and
possible solutions.
Does not communicate
information or any
attempt is not relevant.
Does not show an
understanding of the
relationship of people and
their need to alter the
environment.
Human need to preserve
land as state parks
Collects, organizes and
explains information
from various sources
listened to, observed, or
read.
Knows and describes
relevant ideas and
information.
Applies understanding of
content to explain
concepts.
Communicates relevant
as well as irrelevant
information when
attempting to explain
relationships of people
and their need to alter
their environment orally,
in writing, and using
visual representations.
Sometimes uses relevant
information to make
connections between
content and concepts of
local and world issues
and tries to discuss
problems and their
solutions.
Collects information from
various sources listened
to, observed or read
however it is not
organized.
Sometimes ideas
described are not
relevant, therefore
understandings are not
clearly explained.
Independently collects,
organizes, and analyzes
relevant information from
numerous sources
listened to, observed, or
read.
Information from various
sources listened to,
observed or read is not
relevant.
Ideas and understandings
are not described in clear
language or sentences.
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate
achievement of the desired results?
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Map Display of US including regions, climates, and geographic features
Map Display of NYS including physical features and economic focuses driven by those physical features
Cause and effect chart of humans need to alter the environment and the outcome
Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both?
Listed Aim or Learning Intention
of Each Lesson.
Assessment
Resources
Bold words are academic language (vocabulary words) that teacher should introduce AND display on word walls to students
Analyze physical and political maps of Lesson Focuses:
Attachment on Server:
1. Reading Maps: Physical Maps, NYS Blank Map Template
the United States in order to identify
*** Trade Books and Social Studies Unit
Political Maps
and illustrate the many lakes, rivers,
Guides****
2. Understanding the Key Features
mountains, woodlands, and plains of
**** http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/
of the Maps.
the United States and New York.
****
3. Explore various maps of
different regions; understanding
New York State is in the
Northeast region.
World Continents Map
4. Explore the lakes, rivers,
mountains, woodlands and
www.eduplace.com
plains of the United States and
New York
Learning About New York State
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historyby-era/americas-1620
Understand how the climate, terrain
and natural resources throughout the
United States and allow different
kinds of economic activity and
production.
Lesson Focuses:
1. Understand climate,
terrain, and natural
resources throughout the
United States.
2. Discover the connection
between economic activity
and production with the
climate, terrain, and natural
resources of the state.
Attachment on Server:
Regions Activity Sheet (0ngoing
assessment)
Geographic regions of the United
States are grouped by common
features and economies
Lesson Focuses:
Cause and Effect chart
Region/Feature/Economy/Lifestyle
(students must have specific
reasons with evidence describing
1.
2.
Identify common geographic
regions
Chart features and economies
Attachments on Server:
NYS Landform Organizer
(Landform/Who or What Lives There)
NYS Regions Organizer
(Region/Pictures/Facts)
how the features of the region have
determined the economy and
lifestyles)
New York is part of the Northeast
region and has physical features that
determine its economy.
Lesson Focuses:
1. Zoom in on the Northeast
region to draw conclusion
on how physical features of
the region influence the
economy.
2. New York counties and
regions have industrial and
agrarian areas where
people have developed
lifestyles based on the
economic production
New York’s physical and political
maps show the location of features
that impact the lifestyles and
interactions of the people inhabiting
the state.
Lesson Focuses:
New York is organized into counties
and regions where lifestyles are
developed based on their common
features
New Yorkers have altered their
environment to meet their needs
Lesson Focuses:
Natural landscapes and native species
have been reserved as state parks
Lesson Focuses:
1. New York has reserved and
preserved areas as state
parks for recreation and the
preservation of natural
landscapes.
1.
2.
1.
Assessment: Choose one NYS
region and describe why you
would like to live there based on
its geographic features.
http://www.nygeo.org/regions.html
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/newyor
k/regions.htm
Review the features of New
York States on the maps
Determine connections between
the features, lifestyles, and
interactions of the people.
Categorize the regions and
lifestyles
Lesson Focuses:
1. Humans have modified and
altered their environment
to harvest resources, develop
housing, industrial areas, and
create transportation
systems
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning..
ACTION & EXPRESSION
ENGAGEMENT
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning…
Visual Representation
 video clips
 enlarged text and images
 Brain Pop Jr
 Discovery Education
Vocabulary
 Explicit teaching-pre-teaching through
content area texts
 Content word walls
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Collaborative learning
Small group instructions
Read Aloud/ Guided Reading/Writing
Shared reading/writing
Independent Reading/writing
Graphic organizers
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Question and questioning
Multimedia
Smart board lessons
Explicit teaching modeling
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
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Independent, partner, small group work to
research and discuss ideas
Understand the part geography plays in shaping
the economy and lifestyles of the people
Reinforce awareness of humans altering the land
to meet their needs
Understand the need to preserve natural
landscapes
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)