Download Grade 5 Project Challenge Curriculum

5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
Timeline
Topic
September
October
The New
Jersey
Pinelands
Essential Questions
Why is the New Jersey
pinelands such a unique
environment for plants and
wildlife?
What kinds of plants and
wildlife call the New Jersey
pinelands their home and
how are these living things
adapted for living in such a
unique environment?
How has development
affected the New Jersey
pinelands and what is the
best way to preserve the
pinelands habitat? Why is it
important to preserve the
New Jersey pinelands?
Why was the New Jersey
pinelands the heart of the
iron industry of the 1700’s
and 1800’s?
How do plant and animal
relationships affect the
pinelands environment?
Content/
Focus
New Jersey
History
Life Science
Environmental
Science
Activities
Mapping the pinelands –
students will use a map of
New Jersey to show the
portion of our state that is
covered by the pinelands
Students will choose a
plant or animal species
native to the New Jersey
pinelands to research and
create a presentation
using the information
they find
Students will learn about
the bog iron industry of
the 1700’s and 1800’s
and why this industry was
so important to our young
nation
Field trip to Whitesbog –
Pine Barrens Ecology
Assessment
New Jersey map
Presentation on plant or
animal species and its
role in the pinelands
ecosystem
Class discussions
Written evaluation of
field trip to Whitesbog
for the Pine Barrens
Ecology field trip
Resources
Various classroom books on the New
Jersey pinelands,
Videos
Various websites on the New Jersey
pinelands
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
November
December
Topic
Ancient
Egypt
Essential
Questions
What conditions
are necessary for a
civilization to
begin to develop?
What events in
Ancient Egypt
shaped their early
civilization?
What economic
and geographic
factors led to the
rise of the Ancient
Egyptian
Civilization? Why
was the Nile River
important to life in
Ancient Egypt?
Why was religion
so important to the
Ancient Egyptian
way of life?
How did the
Ancient Egyptians
influence modern
day life
Content/
Focus
World History
Ancient
Civilizations
Activities
Assessment
Students will create a
cartouche using ancient
Egyptian hieroglyphs to write
their own name
Written explanation of
canopic jar design
Students will create and
decorate canopic jars and learn
what the jars were used for
and their significance in
ancient Egyptian culture
Class discussions
Resources
Various classroom books on ancient
Egypt, Egyptology, pyramids, mummies,
and archaeology
Book on research topic
Videos
Students will choose a topic
that pertains to ancient Egypt
for further research (i.e.
pyramids, mummies, gods and
goddesses)
Students will create a book
based on their research
findings using the information
they found and illustrations of
their subject matter
Field Trip – University of
Pennsylvania Museum
Written evaluation of field
trip to the University of
Pennsylvania Museum
Websites for kids about ancient Egypt,
Egyptology, pyramids, mummies, and
archaeology
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
Topic
Essential
Questions
Content/
Focus
Activities
Assessment
January
Advertising
What are the different
purposes behind
advertising?
Social Studies
Students will watch
and rate
commercials for
different products
Create-a-commercial –
students will create a
commercial and print
advertisement for a
product using the
various advertising
techniques they learned
about
How carefully are
advertisements
constructed to convey
their message?
What elements and
tactics do advertisers
use to get your
attention?
What is propaganda?
What are the goals of
propaganda in
advertising?
Do advertisements
influence or reflect
our culture and
values?
How do
advertisements affect
our decisions to buy
things?
Students will
compare and
contrast
advertisements
from different eras
of American
history
Students will
compare and
contrast different
logos, jingles, and
slogans used in
popular advertising
today
Class discussion
Resources
Many examples of ommercials and
print advertisements
Websites for kids about advertising,
marketing, and propaganda
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
February
March
Topic
Space
Exploration
Essential
Questions
What do we
know about space
exploration?
How far away is the
moon?
Why should we want
to explore the surface
of the moon?
What explorations
have been done in
space to date?
Should the United
States continue with
its space program?
Why or why not?
How does space
exploration help
humans to solve
problems on Earth?
Content/
Focus
Astronomy
Activities
Students will
construct a timeline
of the US space
program and research
dates and purposes
of space missions/
projects.
Students will
research
information about
the instruments:
- Hubble Telescope
-Radio Telescope
- Spectroscope
- Satellites
-Probes/ Fly-bys
Pre-field trip
activities and
selection of crew
roles: mining activity,
survival activity
Field Trip to Buehler
Challenger Space
Science Center for
simulated moon
mission
Assessment
Timeline
Research report
Resources
Various classroom books on space
exploration, the US space program,
the moon, and the solar system
Videos
Class discussion
Materials from Buehler Challenger
Space Science Center
Websites for kids about space
exploration, the US space program,
the moon, and the solar system
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
February
March
April
Topic
Economics
and the
Stock
Market
Game
Essential
Questions
What are the essentials
of good money
management?
How can I spend
money effectively on
recreational activities,
everyday expenses,
and transportation?
Content/
Focus
Economics
Consumer
Education and
Mathematics
Activities
Assessment
Resources
Personal Budget
Worksheet activity
Analysis of personal
budget worksheet
Various classroom books on economics,
money, finances, and the stock market
Students will play the
lemonade stand online
game to learn about
supply and demand and
the economics of
business ownership
Play-Dough Economics
assessments
Websites for kids about economics,
money, finances, and the stock market
Successful completion
of the Stock Market
Game
Videos on economics, money, finances,
and the stock market
Checking
account/banking activity
Class discussions
Lemonade stand online game
What are the essentials
of being a smart
consumer?
Why are taxes
necessary and how are
taxes used to provide
services?
What is the stock
market and how are
the values of stocks
determined?
How is the stock
market affected by
everyday worldwide
events?
Why did the Stock
Market crash of 1929
occur?
Play-Dough Economics
activities
Students will participate
in a session of the online
Stock Market Game
session
Play-Dough Economics activity book
The Stock Market game online
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
April
May
Topic
Careers
Essential
Questions
What skills or
education would be
needed for a particular
career?
How are educational
goals and career goals
related?
How do interests and
personality connect to
career choice?
What is the labor
market?
What are some nontraditional occupations
for males and
females? What are
some advantages of
non-traditional
occupations?
Why is choosing the
right career and
preparing for that
career important?
Content/
Focus
Social Studies
Economics
Activities
Students will select one
career of interest to them
to research; Students will
find pertinent
information about their
chosen career, such as
education/training
needed, projected salary,
special skills needed, etc.
Career Day – Guests will
be invited to visit the
students to talk about
their careers and answer
questions that the
students may have
Job application/resume
writing – students will
fill out a mock job
application and create a
resume’ and cover letter
Assessment
Presentation of career
report – students will
present their chosen
career to the class and
use a visual aide
(costume, prop, etc.)
related to that career
Resources
Online career inventory survey
Various classroom books on careers and
jobs
Websites for kids about careers
Videos on careers and jobs
Written assessment of
Career Day
Class discussions
Occupational Outlook Handbook
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Timeline
June
Topic
Essential
Questions
Evaluation of the
PC experience this
year
What has been the
value of the PC
experience for each
student?
What has worked
well?
What could be
changed or
improved?
Content/
Focus
Activities
Students will
evaluate their
experience in
Project Challenge
this year by
completing a
questionnaire
Students will reflect
on the year in PC
and share their
favorite projects,
trips, activities, etc.
Assessment
Assessment of the
year is completed
by each student.
Class discussion
Resources
Questionnaire
5th Grade Project Challenge Curriculum
10/3/11
Ongoing
Throughout
the Year
The following activities will be done throughout the year in our Project Challenge sessions and are ongoing
parts of the program:
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Contests
Poetry
Games
Discussion
Tangrams
Attributes
Logic
Inventing
Art interpretation
Puzzles
Vocabulary development
Creative writing
Critical thinking
Presentations
Plays
Current Events
Problem Solving