An 8th Grade Interdisciplinary Unit
|
|
Key Objectives and Approaches
Approaches to Learning:
- Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, through descriptions, explanations and examples - By exchanging thoughts, messages and information effectively through interactions, students will: * Use intercultural understanding to interpret communication * Use a variety of media to communicate with a range of audiences - By reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information, students will: * Use and interpret a range of discipline-specific terms and symbols * Write for different purposes * Structure information in summaries, essays and reports |
Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of subject-specific content and concepts, through descriptions, explanations and examples - Students will communicate ideas and information in a way that is appropriate for the audience and purpose - Students will structure ideas and information according to task instructions - Students will create a reference list and cite sources of information |
Summative Assessment:
- Create a visual representation (ie infographic, poster, collage, etc.) to assess the reasoning and social consequences of the Civil Rights Movement. Root causes, key figures, key events, and rationale must be evident and thoroughly explained. - Compare and contrast the US Civil Rights movement to the civil rights movements found in South Africa, India, or any of the more recent South Asian countries |
Rationale:
The Civil Rights movement is not conceptually difficult; however students must delve "below the surface" to understand the multi-layered conflict that resides underneath. |
CONTENT
Knowledge and Skills: Students should ultimately understand the interactions and interdependence of individuals and societies in different contexts, as this is the key to understanding the desires of all of the various groups involved in this movement.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
This is one of the last units covered in Year 3, so by this time, students have worked for months within the frame work of high expectations. Students, at this point, are familiar with the IB rubrics, so the seamless integration of Global Competencies shoulod not be too cumbersome. Because the conditions experienced by oppressed groups are so different from anything the students have probably experienced in their own lifetimes, we will need to establish the time through primary source readings and oral histories (such as those found in Voices of Civil Rights). These will allow students to balance the opposing weights of tradition and progressivism across cultural and geographical boundaries to see why changes take so long to occur, and why even the smallest changes are met with controversy.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Formative assessments are especially important during this unit to ensure that students have the proper deep understandings of the major issues involved. Feedback should include many written or oral questions to extend student conceptualization of events and issues.
Because student experiences will vary greatly, seminar-style discussions will be even more valuable during this unit.
DIFFERENTIATION
Because so much of this unit has to do with the experiences of various social groups, these can be understood in a variety of ways. Strong readers can gain much background through print and primary sources. There is sufficient variety in this unit to appeal to all learning modalities.
Knowledge and Skills: Students should ultimately understand the interactions and interdependence of individuals and societies in different contexts, as this is the key to understanding the desires of all of the various groups involved in this movement.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
This is one of the last units covered in Year 3, so by this time, students have worked for months within the frame work of high expectations. Students, at this point, are familiar with the IB rubrics, so the seamless integration of Global Competencies shoulod not be too cumbersome. Because the conditions experienced by oppressed groups are so different from anything the students have probably experienced in their own lifetimes, we will need to establish the time through primary source readings and oral histories (such as those found in Voices of Civil Rights). These will allow students to balance the opposing weights of tradition and progressivism across cultural and geographical boundaries to see why changes take so long to occur, and why even the smallest changes are met with controversy.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Formative assessments are especially important during this unit to ensure that students have the proper deep understandings of the major issues involved. Feedback should include many written or oral questions to extend student conceptualization of events and issues.
Because student experiences will vary greatly, seminar-style discussions will be even more valuable during this unit.
DIFFERENTIATION
Because so much of this unit has to do with the experiences of various social groups, these can be understood in a variety of ways. Strong readers can gain much background through print and primary sources. There is sufficient variety in this unit to appeal to all learning modalities.