Design for Deeper Learning

Students will collaborate to develop a proposed school-uniform policy and write an evidence-based argument explaining why their policy should be adopted. Students will clearly present their ideas, respond respectfully to classmates’ perspectives, and revise their proposals using feedback.

I want to design a final project for murals (fresco) and Chemistry. I want students to make connections between the chemicals in materials like ink and plaster- have them understand chemical reactions.

I want students to create a playlist to invoke a mood of their choice. Tied into "After DarK" by Murakami. Students will publish a blog as a collective. Student will review the music in a pitchfork style based on how it shifts mood. Project should start after chapter 11.

Ancient Greek Advent Calendar - Students build and design advent calendars based on various elements discussed during ancient greece, i would give them a menu of options do build a countdown for the final 12 days til christmas. thye pick varous elements to shwo a diverse understanding of the ancient greeces unit including the geography, religion, achievenemtns, politics economics social structire of ancient greece. they design the advent calendars using carboard boxes and cutters to make the shape and style of the calendar, this would be a 3-4 person project.

Mars Rover Facts Longevity Mars Facts Robotics Solar Exploration Science

how students can engage in end of module task essential question: how do animals bodies help them?

"Water is the key to life—it drives human and animal migrations, powers ecosystems, and shapes how civilizations grow from surviving to thriving." Student Notebook 📅 Week 1: Animal Migrations & Sensory Poetry Day 1: Shared Motives—Human vs. Wildlife Migrations Objective: Students can compare human migration patterns in A Long Walk to Water with the seasonal migration patterns of diverse organisms across freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems while identifying shared resources (such as water and food) needed for survival. The Bridge: Connect Salva’s forced flight from conflict (a push factor) and Nya’s daily walk to water (a pull factor) to general wildlife ecology. Animals across biomes migrate thousands of miles, driven by extreme environmental push and pull factors like drought, changing water temperatures, seasonal rainfall patterns, and intense competition for limited survival resources. The Reading: Read Chapters 1–3 of A Long Walk to Water. Introduce Salva and Nya's journeys. Epic! Connections: Introduce animal migration concepts using popular Epic! titles about sea turtles or salmon. Activity: Create a "Migration Motives" anchor chart. Compare why Salva/Nya move with why salmon or sea turtles migrate across their habitat range to survive. Exit Ticket: "Explain one way an animal's search for clean water or vital resources is similar to Nya's daily walk to the pond." Day 2: Sensory Mapping—From the Dry Savanna to Water Ecosystems Objective: Students can extract 5-senses details from A Long Walk to Water and contrast them with the sensory environments of aquatic and wet ecosystems that support rich biodiversity. The Reading: Read Chapters 4–6. Focus on the grueling descriptions of the dry terrain, the muddy water, and dehydration. Poetry Mini-Lesson: The 5 Senses in Nature. Teach students how writers use sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste to paint a picture. Contrast the dry, harsh heat of Southern Sudan with cool, fluid water ecosystems that sustain plant producers and animal consumers. Activity: Students create a "Sensory Brainstorm T-Chart" using a 5-Senses graphic organizer: Side A (Sudan): Thorns (touch), blinding sun (sight), cracking earth (sound), dry dust (smell/taste), hollow thirst. Side B (Water Ecosystem on Epic!): Cool river currents (touch), rushing waterfalls (sound), filtered light beneath aquatic producers like kelp (sight), damp soil (smell). Day 3: Composing a Sensory Water & Ecology Poem Objective: Students can write a sensory-rich poem (8–10 lines) focusing on imagery and sight/sound/touch details to describe an animal or character navigating a water journey through their habitat. The Reading: Read Chapters 7–8 (The Akobo Desert and the Nile River crossing). Poetry Workshop: Beginners can choose one of two beginner-friendly structures: Option A: 5-Senses Journey Poem (Focuses purely on an animal swimming up a river tributary, navigating a wetland, or Salva crossing the desert). Option B: "I See / I Feel" Contrast Poem (Stanza 1 = Dry Desert Journey; Stanza 2 = Cool Water Ecosystem). Scaffolded Template / Drafting Example (Option A): Line 1 (Sight): I see the rushing blue water of the river tributary. Line 2 (Sound): I hear splash after splash against the slippery rocks. Line 3 (Touch): I feel the icy cold current pushing against my silver fins. Line 4 (Smell/Taste): I taste the fresh, clean stream as I swim upstream. Line 5 (Movement/Emotion): The long journey is tireless, but I push forward to find my home. Assignment: Finish the poem draft for homework. 📅 Week 2: Environmental Informational Reports & Illustrations Day 4: Ecosystem Research (Selecting an Epic! Topic) Objective: Students can select a threatened aquatic ecosystem, a water-dependent biome, or a migrating animal to research for an informational report on energy transfer in a food web. The Reading: Read Chapters 9–12 (The desert journey and the refugee camp). Report Mini-Lesson: 🌊 Epic! Ecology Topics & Guided Questions Choose one research topic below. Search the keywords in Epic! Books to find matching texts (National Geographic, PebbleGo, Biomes Alive!). Topic Option 1: Freshwater Rivers & Migrating Salmon Epic! Search Keywords: Salmon Migration, River Biomes, Freshwater Ecosystems Question 1: Where does your chosen river animal start its journey, and which smaller tributary or stream does it travel through to reach its spawning ground? Question 2: What body parts or physical adaptations help this primary consumer or predator swim through rushing waters without getting exhausted? Question 3: What environmental threats create competition or danger for this animal as it searches for vital resources like food and clean water? Topic Option 2: Oceans & Coastal Coral Reefs Epic! Search Keywords: Sea Turtle Journey, Coral Reefs, Ocean Biomes Question 1: Which ocean habitat are you studying, and how do plant producers and animal consumers live together in this community? Question 2: How do living things in this marine food web depend on shared resources and each other to survive? Question 3: What human-made threats (like plastic waste or warming waters) reduce the biodiversity of this reef, and how can we protect it? Day 5: Scientific Research & Data Extraction Objective: Students can extract factual data about producers, consumers, food webs, and natural habitat threats from reliable Epic! non-fiction books. The Reading: Read Chapters 13–15 (The journey to Kenya and flying to America). Activity: Students complete a 3-Box Fact-Catching Worksheet matching the three research questions from Day 4 using their chosen Epic! e-books. Day 6: Blueprinting the Visual—Scientific Illustration Objective: Students can create a labeled, accurate scientific illustration of their researched animal, plant, or ecosystem habitat to accompany their poem. The Reading: Read Chapters 16–17 (Salva's life in America and planning his project). Art Mini-Lesson: Scientific Illustration vs. Free Drawing. Explain that scientific artists use accuracy, clear lines, and detailed labels to teach readers about structures, adaptations, and ecosystem relationships. Activity: Students create their Ecology Illustration. Requirements: Must depict the primary organism or ecosystem researched. Must feature at least three anatomical or environmental labels using domain-specific science vocabulary (e.g., producer, consumer, tributary, food web, habitat, resources). Day 7: Drafting the Informational Report Directions, Sentence Starters and Rubric Objective: Students can draft a 3-paragraph informational report explaining how producers and consumers interact within their chosen food web and ecosystem. The Reading: Read Chapter 18 (The conclusion, drilling the well, and Nya meeting Salva). Writing Session: Students draft their reports following the three-part structure: Paragraph 1: Topic Introduction, Location, & Habitat Description Paragraph 2: Scientific Mechanisms (Producers, Consumers, & Food Web Interactions) Paragraph 3: Threats to Resources, Biodiversity, & Conservation Solutions Day 8: The Water & Ecology Gallery Exhibition Objective: Students can constructively critique peer writing and celebrate their finished interdisciplinary portfolios. The Showcase: Students arrange their final portfolios on their desks. Each portfolio contains: The Sensory Ecology Poem (Day 3) The Labeled Scientific Illustration (Day 6) The Ecology Informational Report (Day 7) Activity: Half the class walks the room conducting a peer review using sticky notes to highlight the strongest sensory detail line in the poem and the most accurate use of science vocabulary (biodiversity, tributary, food web, etc.) in the report. Switch groups halfway through the period. 💧 My Water & Ecology Journey Portfolio Final Project Checklist Name: ___________________________ My Epic! Research Topic: ________________________ Book Title Used on Epic!: ________________________ We have traveled a long way! We learned about Salva and Nya's journeys to find safety and water in A Long Walk to Water, and we explored how plant producers, animal consumers, and entire ecosystems depend on water resources to survive. Your final project combines your reading, your science research, and your art into one portfolio. Use this checklist to make sure you have everything ready for our Gallery Exhibition! 📝 Part 1: The Sensory Water & Wildlife Poem A sensory-rich poem describing an animal's journey or water ecosystem. [ ] Sensory Details: My poem includes at least 4 clear sensory words describing what I see, hear, feel (touch), or taste/smell (for example: rushing tributary, icy water, burning heat, damp moss, roaring current). [ ] Ecology Connection: My poem paints a clear picture of my chosen animal, character, or water ecosystem habitat. [ ] Clear Lines: My poem is at least 8 to 10 lines long. [ ] Neat Format: I wrote my poem clearly or typed it so my classmates can read it during the gallery walk. 🎨 Part 2: The Labeled Scientific Illustration A scientific drawing that shows exactly what your animal, plant, or ecosystem looks like. [ ] Matches My Topic: My illustration accurately draws the specific creature, plant, or habitat I researched on Epic! Books. [ ] Scientific Details: I used clean, careful lines and neat coloring rather than a quick scribble. [ ] Three Science Labels: I drew clear arrows to label at least 3 specific parts using our science vocabulary (examples: producer, consumer, food web, tributary, habitat, taproots, gills). 📑 Part 3: The Ecology Informational Report A short report that uses the facts from your 3-box Epic! research worksheet. [ ] Paragraph 1 (The Intro): I introduced my topic, identified its habitat, and explained where in the world it is located. [ ] Paragraph 2 (The Science): I used my research facts to explain how plant producers and animal consumers get energy within their food web OR how animals migrate through a river tributary or biome to find resources. [ ] Paragraph 3 (Threats & Solutions): I wrote about one danger facing my topic (like competition for water, pollution, or loss of biodiversity) and what people can do to help protect it. [ ] Vocabulary Check: I circled or underlined at least 3 of our official science vocabulary words in my report (producers, consumers, food web, habitat, tributary, resources, competition, biodiversity). 🎒 Part 4: Ready for the Gallery Exhibition! Getting your desk ready for our classmates to visit. [ ] All Together: My Poem, Illustration, and 3-Paragraph Report are neatly displayed on my desk. [ ] Name Check: My name is written clearly on all three items. [ ] Sticky Notes Ready: I have a pencil and my stack of sticky notes ready so I can leave positive feedback on my classmates' work! 💡 Quick Self-Check before turning it in: Read your report and your poem out loud to yourself. Did you include sensory words in your poem and science words in your report? If you checked off every box above, you are officially ready for the exhibition!

Third grade teachers will lead students through a real world learning unit integrating math, science and english language arts. They will focus on invasive species in Hawaii. Our school campus has a problem with mongoose. We would like the students to take action to help problem solve this issue because they bring germs, create holes, leave feces, etc. We thought they could hear from animal control, design and prototype pest traps, and even present some solutions to reducing the population of mongoose on our campus. They will also present their learning at a real world learning showcase at the end of the quarter.