Design for Deeper Learning

My math students need to show their understanding of acute and obtuse angles. They have already learned about obtuse and acute angles; this is for their final project. I want them to show their understanding through an artistic medium.

I am trying to create a unit that focuses on explicit vocabulary instruction for my sixth grader that teaches them about World War 2 using the graphic novel, The Complete Maus. I am focusing on teaching them about morphemes and etymology. I would like for the unit to culminate into a creative project that allows students to draw, but also makes sure that it showcases comprehension of the topic using writing. This class has no more than twelve students, so group instruction needs to be suitable for a small class.

Un Viaje de un País Hispanohablante How can we, acting as travel agents, plan a trip to a Spanish speaking country for our client? What are different geographic features of the countries that speak the target language and how do they differ from your geographic location? What modes of transportation would you use to travel within the country of the target language and which would be most effective for the geographic location? What travel issues might you encounter and how would you handle them? What types of weather may you encounter and how might they affect your trip? I can appropriately use the past tense verbs to discuss things that I and others have done in the past. I can identify geographic features from the target language countries. I can identify and rationalize different modes of transportation within the target countries. I can describe a vacation I have taken in the past using travel vocabulary. I can give a detailed account of the weather, including the temperature, forecast and seasonal information. NH.CLL.1.1 Use simple phrases and short sentences to exchange information about familiar topics. NH.CLL.1.4 Use simple questions about familiar topics to acquire needed information. NH.CLL.2.3 Summarize simple texts containing familiar vocabulary in terms of the main ideas and supporting details. NH.CLL.4.1 Classify basic cultural practices of people in the target culture and the students’ culture. Students will work in cooperative groups to act as travel agents for clients who want to vacation to a Spanish-speaking country. Students will receive a client profile of who will be traveling and what types of activities/amenities they would like for their vacation. Choosing a country: · Srta. McKoy will assign you a country randomly. · Srta. McKoy will also give you an “Uh Oh” Situation. · Create a Google Slideshow for your project. Share with Srta. McKoy before adding any information to the Slideshow. However, you can create a multimedia presentation. How will you catch your client’s eye and get them excited about their trip? Guidelines for trip: · Must be at least five nights · Must have availability in April/May · Find one tourist attraction, excursion, activity to explore each day. · If the prices you find are in the currency of the country, you must convert them to US Dollars. Welcome: · Give the location of where you are going. (City, Country) · Give the reason that you chose the city for your client. The country was assigned to you but you can choose the city in which you stay. · Give the dates of your trip. Section One: How To Get There? 1. Find an airline ticket. You can use travel sites or airline sites. 2. What airline? 3. Include the price of the airline tickets (Is this for one person or for two?) 4. Are there connecting flights or is it direct? 5. Where do you depart from and when? 6. Where do you arrive in your target country and when? 7. What is the return flight information? Section Two: Accommodations 1. Where will you be staying? 2. How far is the hotel from the airport? 2. What is the total cost of the stay? 3. What amenities does the hotel have? Pool? Gym? Car service? Restaurants? Wifi? Free Breakfast? Etc? 4. Why did you choose this hotel? Section Three: Tourist Attractions, Excursions, Activities 1. Must include FOUR tourist attractions, excursions and/or activities. EACH ON A SEPARATE SLIDE! 2. How will you get to these attractions? Rental car? Bus? Train? 3. How much time does the entire activity take, keeping in mind travel to and from? (May need to use Map Quest to get directions and time from hotel) 4. What do you do there? Why is it a popular tourist attraction? 5. What is the cost of the activity and what is included? i.e. lunch, snacks, souvenirs 6. Why did you choose this activity? Section Four: Weather 1. Find a weather forecast for the dates of your trip. If it is too far in advance to have a forecast, find the typical weather for the dates of your trip. Section Five: What to pack 1. Make a list of all the things that you need to pack. These should be in English and Spanish. (AT LEAST 10 ITEMS) 2. Explain why you decided that you needed those things. The explanations can be in English. Section Six: Food 1. Plan ONE days meals including Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks (YOU CANNOT INCLUDE FOOD FROM THE HOTEL) 2. Where are you going to eat? Choose nearby restaurants You should not be staying on one side of the country and choosing a restaurant from the other side of the country. 3. How much is your chosen meal at each restaurant? Remember you must convert into US Dollars if given in your country’s currency. You should actually look up their menu and make selections. 4. What is the total cost of all meals for the day per person? 5. What foods/dishes are popular in this country? (Include pictures, recipes, etc.) Section Seven: Travel/Tourist tips for traveling to this country. 1. Must include FIVE tips, advice, etc that you can find on this country. You can read reviews, go to travel websites (Tripadvisor.com could be useful) You can include information like can you use your cell phone? Are there dangers to avoid? Section Eight: Current Event/News Article 1. Find a current event from this country within the last SIX months. 2. Be sure to include either the article or a link to the article. 3. Give a group opinion of the current event. (3 sentence MINIMUM) Section Nine: Uh-Oh Situations 1. Your group will be assigned an “uh oh” situation. 2. What would you do to get out of the situation? Be specific. Include steps. This CANNOT be hypothetical. It has to be researched. 3. What Spanish vocabulary would you need to know to help get out of the situation? (Must list TEN) Section Ten: Reference Page · If you do not want to create a page itself to cite where you got your information, then you MUST cite your sources on EACH page of where your information came from. I will check for plagiarism so be sure to use your OWN words and thoughts BASED on the research you do.

My students are coloring and labeling maps of the continents over the course of the first semester (1 per unit). At the end of the semester, I'd like to hand back all their maps and have them create some type of atlas.

Project: Reading the Lives of Stars Students investigate how observations and mathematical models reveal the lives of stars, the properties of their planets, and the effects of extreme gravity. They develop a short scientific report and a public science story using the same evidence. Guiding question: How do we build—and communicate—a trustworthy explanation of something we cannot directly explore? The general sequence is: 1. Investigate stellar populations. Build on their current H–R diagrams by comparing star clusters, identifying patterns, and using evolutionary models to explain their histories. Distinguish observations from predictions. 2. Explain stellar interiors — AST.STE.1. Mathematically compare pressure support and gravity across different stellar masses, connecting equilibrium and structural changes to stellar evolution. 3. Investigate exoplanets — AST.EXO.1. Analyze transit and radial-velocity data to calculate planetary radius, mass, and density, then evaluate potential habitability and its uncertainties. 4. Investigate extreme gravity — AST.REL.1. Model spacetime curvature algebraically, calculate Schwarzschild radii, and predict gravitational light deflection. 5. Review, revise, and communicate — SL.11–12.4. Critique scientific methods and conclusions, revise the research reports, and translate the findings into an understandable public exhibition with questions and discussion. Throughout the project, students practice traceable sourcing, reproducible calculations, evidence-based arguments, explicit uncertainty, and revision after feedback. These practices prepare them for next semester’s independent research. Growth becomes visible through initial explanations, guided analyses, increasingly independent investigations, and revised final arguments. Students collaborate on the exhibition while individually demonstrating the targeted standards