Unit Planning
I. Walk Two Moons-
Fiction Unit
This unit was made for the fifth grade but could be adapted for middle
school or maybe even forth grade. This unit will revolve around
the book Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech and will incorporate reading, language arts and social
studies. The main character in the books travels through
northwestern America so we will follow her journey as a class, chart
it, and study the lands. We will also discss National Parks and
write letters to some requesting information.
III. Enabling Objectives
- I. SOCIAL STUDIES COMPETENCY GOAL 1:
The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and
other countries of North America.
- II. COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS COMPTENCY
GOAL 2: The
learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computers
and other technologies.
- III. LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 2:
The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is
read, heard, and viewed.
- 2.02: Interact with the text before,
during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- making
predicitions.
- formulating
questions.
- supporting
answers from textural information, previous experience, and/or other
sources.
- drawing
on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
- seeking
additional information.
- making
connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
- IV. LANGUAGE ARTS COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will make connections through
the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
IV. Introduction
V. Development
- Lesson
2 - Chapters 6-10 - Trace the journey on a virtual map - Five more
chapters will be read aloud to the class. We will explore where
Sal and her grandparents traveled that day. Online we will go to
www.roadtripusa.com and enter the beginning and ending
destinations. The students record this onto their maps and into
their travel logs. We will go to different national parks
websites to explore the terrain of each state traveled that day.
This will also be recorded in their travel logs. We will also
concentrate on the quote "Don't judge a man until you've talked two
moons in his moccasins" and have a writing activity related to
it. Give the project assignment: to choose, research and make a
poster about a state.
- Lesson 3 - Chapters 11-15 - Trace
the journey on a virtual map
- After reading the chapters aloud to the cllass we will go on
roadtripusa.com and trace the journey for that day. Students will
record this on their maps and in their journals. We will also
explore the terrain of each state traveled that day. We will
concentrate on the quote "Everyone has their own agenda" and have a
writing activity related to it.
- Lesson 4 - Chapters 16-20 - Trace
the journey on a virtual map
- After reading the chapters aloud to the cllass we will again record
our journey. We will concentrate on the quote "In the course of a
lifetime, what does it matter?" and have a writing activity related to
it.
- Lesson 5 - Chapters 21-25 - Trace
the journey on a virtual map - We will trace our journey for that day
and concentrate on the quote "You can't keep the birds of sadness from
flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair"
and have a related writing activity.
- Lesson 6 - Chapters 26-30 - Trace
the jouney online - We will trace the trip for that day and discuss why
the sense of urgency in the book. Why the "rush, rush" and "slow down, slow down".
Students will make predictions for the rest of the book. Who is
sending the messages? Who is the "lunatic"? What is her
mother doing?
- Lesson 7 - Chapters 31-35 - Trace
the journey online - We will trace the journey and explore the
terrains. We will concentrate on the quote "You never know the
worth of water until the well is dry".
- Lesson 8 - Chapters 36-40 - Trace
the journey online - We will trace the journey and explore the
landscapes. We will discuss Phoebe's story as well as
Sal's.
- Lesson 9 - Chapters 41-44 - Trace
the journey online - We will trace the journey and explore the
landscapes. We will discuss the ending of the book and come up
with signs that should have given us hints of the ending.
Students will have to write in their travel logs about their trips.
VI. Conclusion
Last 6
point lesson plan
VII. Materials/Resources Available/Needed
These information resources include references to people, items on
shelves and items in computer storage (diskettes, hard drives, and
networks).
- Expert from the United States: - Department of the Interior, 1849 C
Street, N.W., Washington DC 20240
- Email Conferences
- Set of Books for BK-12 students: -A set of
age-appropriate
books and/or instructional materials for this unit plan.
- Curriculum Library Resources (info):
Maps of the United States
- Video Resources (info)
- Explore National Parks Video by National GGeographic
- Web sites
This is a list of useful web site addresses for this unit plan found
using the web search engines from each of these headings.
- Instructional Software (info)
- Unit Plan Topic Database: This database file will not
display on
a web page. To see and use the database, you must download it to your
computer
and open it running the same application as was used to create it.
- Application file: Microsoft Access
- Comparison Spreadsheet:
- Application file. This spreadsheet file will not
display
on a web
page. To see and use the spreadsheet, you must download it to your
computer
and open it running the same application as was used to create it-
Microsoft Windows Excel
- Web Page View: Comparison.html
VIII. Equipment Needed
Tasks:
- This is a list specific equipment needed and where equipment
will be
secured
in the room or returned after its checkout.
- Computer with projection system (on cart)
- Computers for each student (computer lab)
- Classroom layout.
- Two dimensional
view.
- I
think the room is set up how I need it. The computer with the
projection system is on a cart so it is easy to move it around so that
the whole class can see.
- Wishlist Shopping Spreadsheet
- Microsoft
Excel - wishlist.htm
- It is easy for Technology Shopping Lists to go beyond your
classroom or
even your school budget. To find that funding, one can consult the
Grant Development Process site.
IX. Evaluation
- Did students enjoy the book?
- Could they describe how landscapes vary across the United
States? Identify bodies of water and their names?
- I will also judge their mastery by the final assignment.
- To assist in this evaluation, one can use the video composition
begun
and
continued from section IV. above. Use an easy to use video editor such
as iMovie which uses your added footage from this experience to create
a video composition that tells the story of the teaching of this unit.
From time to time in your editing add your own narration to the
videotape
reflecting on things that went well and deserve repeating and those
things
that need modification or deletion from the plan. Keep this video on
file
for the following year to review before you teach the unit again or
"burn"
the digital video version of the file to a CD or DVD disc. Keep the
disc
in your teaching and technology portfolios and reuse the videotape.
- Further technology integration:
- Grading Spreadsheet:
- Application file. This spreadsheet
file will not display on a web page. To see and use the
spreadsheet, you must download it to your computer and open it running
the same application as was used to create it- Microsoft Windows Excel
- Web page view. Click this file name to see a web
view of
this spreadsheet Grades.html
- Student information Database: (used for grades,
comments
on assignments
and general student information such as emergency phone numbers and
health
issues) This database file will not display on a web page. To see
and use the database, you must download it to your computer and open it
running the same application as was used to create it
- Application file: Microsoft Access - ks_studentinfor
X. Time Period
This unit will
last approximately two weeks.
- 10
days
- About 45-60 minutes a day
Unit Plan Author: - Katie Starkey\ Back
Unit
Plan Grading Template.