Fall Semester Theme: GETTING ORIENTED: Exploring Points, Lines, Intersections, & Angles
Spring Semester Theme: NAVIGATING: Exploring Systems, Cycles, Spirals, Perspectives & Connections
MONDAY
| 9:00 | Weather Data Collection Students will create a weather station for measuring temperature, rainfall, etc. and record daily on calendar grid. Results used in science/math. | December Weather Data Calendars for recording daily precipitation, high and low temperatures, daylight hours, wind speed/direction for these locations: Asheville, NC, Quito, Ecuador, and Cape Town, South Africa http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.68816 |
| 9:15 | Centering/Class Meeting Class Meeting Agenda: Review World Class Explorers Positive Discipline Plan for Individual and Collective Space and Respect Expectations Environment Questions Quests Ideas Itinerary Self-organization: Homework folder, math and writing journal, field notebook for science and social studies notes; Explorer Book Club reading log and literary analysis; sketchbook Goals and Reflections: Resources & Self-organization GOALS & REFLECTIONS Notebook: Students will write a self-reflection about how ORGANIZATION helps in the IRP processes of research, creating, and presenting. . Set forth a personal goal with a plan and realistic timeline for achievement of that goal. Review work to date, then: Homework this week (before Friday): Students will use Essential Learning skills in self-reflection of work (process and product) to select pieces for PassPortFolios. They will write an explanation of their work, what they learned, an d why they have chosen this example for their portfolios. They will create a digital archive using the document camera and post to their own individual page on the class blog. These presentations will be made in class on Friday to share with peers and as practice for the student-led conferences later this year. | Class Meeting Agenda: Passportfolios Presentation Schedule for Ecuador Projects Self-reflection/Goals Weekly Itinerary Week 10 Spelling Quiz Sight words, cher pattern, and academic vocabulary 1. town 2. I’ll 3. unit 4. figure 5. certain 6. field 7. travel 8. wood 9. fire 10. upon 11. bleacher 12. richer 13. voucher 14. teacher 15. catcher 16. urban 17. suburban 18. rural 19. estimate 20. approximate 21. reasonable |
| 9:30 | Daily Journal & Explorer Publishing Students respond to writing prompt/morning discussion in daily personal journal. Risk-taking; cooperation; literacy, communication, trust Math Journal: Explorers use math to count, number, name, measure, order, document, analyze, locate, time, compare, predict, etc. Time and Place: Measurement notes on units of time (millennium to millisecond); Place: Circle Facts for creating compass rose with cardinal directions Students will use word wall to write a paragraph about how Explorers Use math. | Reflection: Following our class discussion, students will complete a self-analysis reflection and rubric assessing their individual and collective presence, responsibility, participation, and effectiveness in the Performances: Festivals of Light and Chocolate. Students will write an assessment and set a goal for each of these perspectives, responding to each question and supporting their statements with specfic examples: first person singular (I, the performer, creator, and presenter) What did I do well? What was the most fun? Why? What am I most proud of? What will I do differently next time? What did I learn? What goal can I set for the future and how will I measure my progress/achievement in reaching that goal? first person plural (We, the audience and hosts/representatives of the school community) What did we do well as a group of performers? As an audience? What should we do differently next time? How can we achieve these collective goals? second person (You, my peers and teachers) What did you do well? These are ways that I would like you to help me in the future: |
| 10:00 | Math Groups Students grouped according to achievement in math with vertical lift | MATHLETE TRAINING (warm-ups with multiples and square roots) MATH REVIEWS (per grade level) |
| 11:00-11:55 | Story from the regions of Ecuador THREE MAGICAL LEGENDS FROM ECUADOR (hovercam shared reading) List of indigenous species and origins of mountains, people, animals, night, light, and day Students will summarize literary elements in the story and record notes in field journals for Ecuador books; character, plot, theme, conflict, origin, setting Andes:Web site, www.ecuador365.com/andes.html. | |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch & Recess | |
| 1:00-1:30 | Multi-sensory Language Arts Students will explore different ways of learning, practicing, using language, reading, listening, writing, and speaking (includes vocabulary, spelling, phonics, phonemics) | 5th Graders: Reading Comprehension Essay Questions on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Students will go up the steps of the Bloom’s Taxonomy pyramid, practicing the processes from lowest to highest thinking skills (Questions on take-home essay prompt pages) DUE THURSDAY! |
| Or Back Porch Time (individual research, math, and reading projects) | ||
| 1:30 | Explorations Shared origin stories, myths, legends, modern literature, poetry, non-fiction, and drama from the region of the world we are studying. Students will practice Essential Learning Skills as they complete a set of Explorer challenges pertaining to the context of the geographical region they are “visiting,” virtually. Objectives: Students will view images of different parts of South America; define terrain , population , and rainfall ;select an appropriate map based on context clues; examine the human geography of South America; examine the physical geography of South America; and understand the relationships between factors such as terrain, population, animal life, and culture. | Ecuador Project Time Natural and Cultural History Exploration of Ecuador!!! Students will use resources to gather information about our questions for natural and cultural history of Ecuador. Focus: Galapagos Islands (model website resources below as search tools) Ecuador facts Andes: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/andes.html. Coast: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/canoal.html. Amazon: Web sites, www.ecuador365.com/jungle.html , www.Matuschek.net/vacation/ecuador2002/gal1/index.html Each Explorer will design a book, travel guide, prezi, or other format for sharing results of research by December 7. http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/ecuador http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/world-factbook/country/ec--Ecuador http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/world-factbook/country/ec--Ecuador http://www.ecuador.org/country_information.htm https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/document/d/1BUWVp3GF8aINoUfLgNO5y9ImR7ZfREENVSHP_ksGWlk/edit Andes: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/andes.html. Coast: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/canoal.html. Amazon: Web sites, www.ecuador365.com/jungle.html ,Andean Explorations http://www.galapagos-islands-tourguide.com/cotopaxi.html Condor: http://www.galapagos-islands-tourguide.com/andean-condor.html www.Matuschek.net/vacation/ecuador2002/gal1/index.html. Related Links: Dictionary.com National Geographic: Xpedition Hall—Locator Booth National Geographic: Xpeditions Atlas—South America Map Using Cartograms to Learn About Latin American Demographics http://www.capilladelhombre.com/ |
| 3:00-3:25 | PE | |
| 3:25-3:30 | Pack up and clean up | |
| 3:30 | Afterschool |
Notes:
Materials:http://www.k12reader.com/spelling/Fourth-Grade-Master-Spelling-Lists.pdf
Ecuador Resources:
http://www.k12reader.com/spelling/Fourth-Grade-Master-Spelling-Lists.pdf
Reflections/Goals: IRP outline resource https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/file/d/0B-ZzPsZYpj7NeVgwVUNTWlVLVXc/edit
http://whoopingcrane.com/whooping-crane-man/
TUESDAY
| 9:00 | Weather Data Collection Students will create a weather station for measuring temperature, rainfall, etc. and record daily on calendar grid. Results used in science/math. | December Weather Data Calendars for recording daily precipitation, high and low temperatures, daylight hours, wind speed/direction for these locations: Asheville, NC, Cape Town, Africa, and Quito, Ecuador. |
| 9:30- 10:00 | Centering/Class Meeting | Circle of Stones listen: LIFE ON EARTH birdsongs http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=12-P13-00043 |
| 9:45 | Daily Journal & Explorer Publications Students respond to writing prompt/morning discussion in daily personal journal. Multi-sensory Language Arts Students will explore different ways of learning, practicing, using language, reading, listening, writing, and speaking (includes vocabulary, spelling, phonics, phonemics) Risk-taking; cooperation; literacy, communication, trust Students will work in teams and independently to conduct qualitative and quantitative research | Coast: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/canoal.html. Amazon: Web sites, www.ecuador365.com/jungle.html , www.Matuschek.net/vacation/ecuador2002/gal1/index.html.Story from THE EMERALD LIZARD Literary elements and pyramid map of plot sequence |
| 10:00 | Math Groups Students grouped according to achievement in math with vertical lift | 5th Grade: REVIEW for Cumulative Assessment (Wednesday) 4th Grade: |
| 11:00- 11:30 | SMART BOARD/COMPUTER LAB Technology | Lesson plan— Presentation prepositions (2).ppt (362kb, Powerpoint document) PREPOSITION PRACTICE |
| 11:30- 12:00 | BIRD BOOK PROJECTS THE ART OF BIRD ILLUSTRATION, by Maureen Lambourne Art Explorations: Introduction to Ornithology and Illustration of Birds (Audubon and books from library, features of birds, etc.) Explorers will have centers to “fly to” in migrating groups of three or four to examine sample plates, field guides, and internet examples of bird illustration following an overview of tasks at each station (needed: field guides and sketch books, colored pencils) Discussion: How do early civilizations portray birds in art and stories? (Selected pages shown with doc camera to prompt discussion.) Compare an early sketch of an owl with owls drawn in each century. Begin sketch of condor. | Students will create folders to organize notes, illustrations, and materials for creating these books. Over break, each Explorer should complete the birds selected from Ecuador. We will have one hour block of time each week to work on these books until April. AROUND-THE-WORLD Bird Books (table of contents) http://www.ornithology.com/Lectures/Introduction.html Students will add notes to categories in our ornithology on-going research project; creating a template for each bird selected for an Alphabetical Around-the-World Field Guide to birds from our adventures. Based upon this template (created last week) students will use the categories and questions we brainstorm collectively to create a template for research and observations, notes, and illustrations for our AROUND-THE-WORLD adventure in Ecuador. Students will read a series of myths, legends, and folk tales from Ecuador. They will discuss how the characters and setting of these stories came from the natural world. Make a list of natural elements (landforms, animals, seasons, etc.) indigenous to Ecuador that appear as characters, symbols, or settings in these stories. (See bibliography at end of lesson plans) |
| 12:00- 1:00 | Outside Play & Lunch | |
| 1:00- 1:30 | INDEPENDENT READING | . |
| 2:55 | EXPLORATIONS Around-the-World Adventures (Multi-sensory centers which include: Scientific Inquiry, Social Studies & Science, Cultural Arts & Humanities, Visual Arts, Games and Logic, History, Language, Diversity of Life Exploration) Students will practice Essential Learning Skills as they complete a set of Explorer challenges pertaining to the context of the geographical region they are “visiting,” virtually. | ART: Ecuadorian Art http://www.olgafisch.com/andean-art-ecuador/ (Modern and Ancient); Students will examine the themes of balance, equivalency, and intersections in Art. Continue to brainstorm examples of these themes as a class. Look at examples in Modern and traditional art of Ecuador. See 2nd lesson at NGA: http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/elements/index.shtm After viewing and discussing the slides about lines and form, students will create original pastel studies of line to represent the traditional themes listed above. Each student will create a title for his or her work and write a paragraph of at least five sentences (for homework) to describe their original work. Label exhibit in hallway; Sketch design for 3D project. |
| 2:45- 3:30 | Spanish Students will explore different ways of learning, practicing, using Spanish language, reading, listening, writing, and speaking (includes vocabulary, spelling, phonics, phonemics) | Travel vocabulary for Ecuador trip |
| 3:30 | Afterschool |
Notes: https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/document/d/1J9LwWZ7n22Jv-4RnW9BQ9cHIfhx7NLg5KzAJQfBuxVM/edit
Materials:
Reflections/Goals:
http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/bulletins/1/pdf/3257220.pdf.bannered.pdf
Oswaldo Guayasamin was an Ecuadorian artist that dedicated his entire life to painting, sculpting, collecting and fighting the injustices of life.
All of Guayasamin's paintings or sculptures evoke an immediate reaction. The strong colors, often disturbing images and forceful themes are meant to make the patron stop and take notice. Since early in his career, Guayasamin used Ecuador art to fight against the cruelty of life, violence and injustice.The Guayasamin Foundation was created to showcase his most important works. It includes a collection of pre-Colombian sculptures, Ecuador colonial art and his contemporary masterpieces.
http://www.galapagos-islands-tourguide.com/ecuador-art.html
WEDNESDAY
| 9:00 | Weather Data Collection Students will create a weather station for measuring temperature, rainfall, etc. and record daily on calendar grid. Results used in science/math. | December Weather Data Calendars for recording daily precipitation, high and low temperatures, daylight hours, wind speed/direction for these locations: Asheville, NC, Quito, Ecuador, and Cape Town, South Africa http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.68816 |
| 9:15 | Centering/Class Meeting Class Meeting Agenda: Review World Class Explorers Positive Discipline Plan for Individual and Collective Space and Respect Expectations Environment Questions Quests Ideas Itinerary Self-organization: Homework folder, math and writing journal, field notebook for science and social studies notes; Explorer Book Club reading log and literary analysis; sketchbook | Andean Explorations Story from Andes THE EMERALD LIZARD List of indigenous species and origins of mountains, people, animals, night, light, and day Students will summarize literary elements in the story and record notes in field journals for Ecuador books; character, plot, theme, conflict, origin, setting |
| 9:30 | Daily Journal & Explorer Publishing Students respond to writing prompt/morning discussion in daily personal journal. Risk-taking; cooperation; literacy, communication, trust Math Journal: Explorers use math to count, number, name, measure, order, document, analyze, locate, time, compare, predict, etc. Time and Place: Measurement notes on units of time (millennium to millisecond); Place: Circle Facts for creating compass rose with cardinal directions Students will use word wall to write a paragraph about how Explorers Use math. | (see above) |
| 10:00 | Math Groups Students grouped according to achievement in math with vertical lift Promethean Board | 5th Grade: CUMULATIVE REVIEW ASSESSMENT 4th grade: CUMULATIVE REVIEW ASSESSMENT |
| 11:10-11:55 | Language Arts Explorer Publishing Computer Lab and Smart Board | Ecuador Research Presentations |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch & Recess | |
| 1:00-2:30 | ART EXPLORATIONS: Art History and Studio OVERVIEW The goal of this unit is to introduce students to the basic elements of art (color, line, shape, form, and texture) and to show students how artists use these elements in different ways in their work. In the unit, students will answer questions as they look carefully at paintings and sculpture to identify the elements and analyze how they are used. Students will also learn about individual artists and their methods of emphasizing the elements of art. | Ecuador Research Presentations |
| Or Back Porch Time (individual research, math, and reading projects) | Ecuador Research Presentations | |
| 2:30 Key Unit Questions: How do the geographic features of a region affect the people who live there? How can the activities of people affect the local environment? How do the stories people tell reflect where they are from? How can stories be used to persuade people to act in a particular way? | Explorer Book Club Shared origin stories, myths, legends, modern literature, poetry, non-fiction, and drama from the region of the world we are studying. Students will practice Essential Learning Skills as they complete a set of Explorer challenges pertaining to the context of the geographical region they are “visiting,” virtually. | Ecuador Research Presentations |
| 3:00-3:25 | Music Practice | |
| 3:25-3:30 | Pack up and clean up | |
| 3:30 | Afterschool |
THURSDAY
Notes:
Materials:https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/file/d/1XLBNSJTYMfLVTMVqhcvUw1Wgty33gFLOX0R3WBskZlUz_OFFOId753zlVCWp/edit
Reflections/Goals:
FRIDAY TEACHER WORK DAY
Common Core Standards:
4.W.5With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
4.RIT.3Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
5.SL.1Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
4.SL.2Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
4.SL.1Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.W.9Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
5.W.7Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
5.W.8Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/document/d/1-ePYcaK7Wd3QtQVSpJ65DVwQY9ngcsmNNBOcjgTKPto/edit
Bird Book resources
Notes: Review of latitude and longitude, equator, and prime meridianMaterials:https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/document/d/1-ePYcaK7Wd3QtQVSpJ65DVwQY9ngcsmNNBOcjgTKPto/edit
Reflections/Goals: Big Projects: IRP, Around-the-World Alphabet Book of Birds, Trip to Ecuador https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/file/d/1XLBNSJTYMfLVTMVqhcvUw1Wgty33gFLOX0R3WBskZlUz_OFFOId753zlVCWp/edit
https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/file/d/1XLBNSJTYMfLVTMVqhcvUw1Wgty33gFLOX0R3WBskZlUz_OFFOId753zlVCWp/edit
On-going: BIRD BOOK PROJECTS
THE ART OF BIRD ILLUSTRATION, by Maureen Lambourne
Art Explorations: Continued work on Ornithology and Illustration of Birds (Audubon and books from library, features of birds, etc.)
https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/document/d/1-ePYcaK7Wd3QtQVSpJ65DVwQY9ngcsmNNBOcjgTKPto/edit
Explorers will have centers to “fly to” in migrating groups of three or four to examine sample plates, field guides, and internet examples of bird illustration following an overview of tasks at each station (needed: field guides and sketch books, colored pencils)
Discussion: How do early civilizations portray birds in art and stories? (Selected pages shown with doc camera to prompt discussion.)
Compare an early sketch of an owl with owls drawn in each century.
http://www.galapagos-islands-tourguide.com/galapagos-birds.html
for January:
| FACT vs FICTION writing project (on-going) Introduce creative writing challenge (Students will pick an interesting fact or phenomenon that they have discovered in their research this year...ornithology, weather, adaptations, botany, etc....and develop a fictional short story to explain the “origin” of this fact. For example: Why the whooping crane has a red spot on its head and why it can change the color of that spot...) Stories due next Wednesday with an illustration and an explanation of the FACTUAL origin. |
| (see above) Leaf identification: NGM article: Why Leaves Evolved |
The Dollhouse Project: A 5th Grade Lesson in Measurement, Area, Perimeter, Conversion, Scale, Ratio & Design Edie McDowell 2012
Dear Explorer,
As you may remember, this dollhouse was saved from a terrible fire in San Francisco, California ages ago (even before I was born). The dolls and pets were safely evacuated and have been living considerably less comfortably in a variety of places, including the sewing basket, Emma’s sock drawer, the scary territory under her bed, up in the attic packed with winter scarves, mittens, and gloves, etc. Some have even been tucked away (along with their very own furniture) into the dark cold corners of the bin for “Toys Not Played With That Much Anymore.”
Before my friend moved away from Asheville to travel the world in her retirement, she gave me this dollhouse on the conditions that I remodel it, fill it with imagination, stories, art and beauty, and paint a compass rose design somewhere in the house to keep it oriented (and never lost). My friend had tea one afternoon at my house and saw the compass rose I had painted on our stairs. She thought this dollhouse should have one too.
I completely agree, and so...
I am asking for your help in giving this house a complete MAKEOVER so that the inhabitants will want to come back to live happily ever after in its rooms! Please bring all of your CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS (for taking accurate measurements, calculating area, perimeter, etc.) and your CREATIVITY (for interior design and imagination) and help with this project! Once you have gotten started, we will write letters to the previous inhabitants to keep them informed of our progress and to try to coax them back to live in the house again, once it’s all finished.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Write your name and the room or rooms that you will be working on.
Name____________________________________Room:________________
2. Take accurate measurements of the shape (triangle or rectangle) that is the OPEN SPACE to your room. Calculate the AREA and the PERIMETER of this opening in either inches or centimeters. (You will be converting later on to the unit of measurement you did not choose to use in this step.)
BASE:
HEIGHT:
FORMULA FOR THIS SHAPE:
AREA:
PERIMETER:
3. Measure the inside square area of each surface in your room (walls, floor, ceiling, window, doorway). Record those measurements below and label AREA. Also calculate PERIMETER for each 2 dimensional shape.
4. Draw a bird’s eye view architectural map of the floor space of your room on graph paper. Label the SCALE. (We will do this together in a lesson in class next week.)
5. Clean the cobwebs and tidy up the room. Make a list of artifacts from the old dollhouse, and write down any questions you may have about what you found. Take these artifacts and store them safely during the remodeling project.
5. Use your creativity and imagination to design a wonderful new living space inside the room you are in charge of. Make a list of materials and and tools you will need for the redesign project. Use your graph to locate furniture, rugs, etc. and write the coordinates for these items.
More instructions will be coming as this project progresses. Thanks for your great work in MATH and best of luck in taking on this “real life” math challenge! I am sure you will succeed and that the house will be an amazing and wonderful place for adventures.
Happy Measuring! Edie : )
Part Two: Convert inches to centimeters. Make a SCALE drawing of the floorplan or your room. Design and redecorate the room with materials that are correctly measured. Visit the furniture shop to “purchase” materials and furniture for your room. Include these items in your bird’s eye sketch. Use centimeter graphing paper for your final design notes.
The Dollhouse Project: A 5th Grade Lesson in Measurement, Area, Perimeter, Conversion, Scale, Ratio & Design Edie McDowell 2012
Dear Explorer,
As you may remember, this dollhouse was saved from a terrible fire in San Francisco, California ages ago (even before I was born). The dolls and pets were safely evacuated and have been living considerably less comfortably in a variety of places, including the sewing basket, Emma’s sock drawer, the scary territory under her bed, up in the attic packed with winter scarves, mittens, and gloves, etc. Some have even been tucked away (along with their very own furniture) into the dark cold corners of the bin for “Toys Not Played With That Much Anymore.”
Before my friend moved away from Asheville to travel the world in her retirement, she gave me this dollhouse on the conditions that I remodel it, fill it with imagination, stories, art and beauty, and paint a compass rose design somewhere in the house to keep it oriented (and never lost). My friend had tea one afternoon at my house and saw the compass rose I had painted on our stairs. She thought this dollhouse should have one too.
I completely agree, and so...
I am asking for your help in giving this house a complete MAKEOVER so that the inhabitants will want to come back to live happily ever after in its rooms! Please bring all of your CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS (for taking accurate measurements, calculating area, perimeter, etc.) and your CREATIVITY (for interior design and imagination) and help with this project! Once you have gotten started, we will write letters to the previous inhabitants to keep them informed of our progress and to try to coax them back to live in the house again, once it’s all finished.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Write your name and the room or rooms that you will be working on.
Name____________________________________Room:________________
2. Take accurate measurements of the shape (triangle or rectangle) that is the OPEN SPACE to your room. Calculate the AREA and the PERIMETER of this opening in either inches or centimeters. (You will be converting later on to the unit of measurement you did not choose to use in this step.)
BASE:
HEIGHT:
FORMULA FOR THIS SHAPE:
AREA:
PERIMETER:
3. Measure the inside square area of each surface in your room (walls, floor, ceiling, window, doorway). Record those measurements below and label AREA. Also calculate PERIMETER for each 2 dimensional shape.
4. Draw a bird’s eye view architectural map of the floor space of your room on graph paper. Label the SCALE. (We will do this together in a lesson in class next week.)
5. Clean the cobwebs and tidy up the room. Make a list of artifacts from the old dollhouse, and write down any questions you may have about what you found. Take these artifacts and store them safely during the remodeling project.
5. Use your creativity and imagination to design a wonderful new living space inside the room you are in charge of. Make a list of materials and and tools you will need for the redesign project. Use your graph to locate furniture, rugs, etc. and write the coordinates for these items.
More instructions will be coming as this project progresses. Thanks for your great work in MATH and best of luck in taking on this “real life” math challenge! I am sure you will succeed and that the house will be an amazing and wonderful place for adventures.
Happy Measuring! Edie : )
Part Two: Convert inches to centimeters. Make a SCALE drawing of the floorplan or your room. Design and redecorate the room with materials that are correctly measured. Visit the furniture shop to “purchase” materials and furniture for your room. Include these items in your bird’s eye sketch. Use centimeter graphing paper for your final design notes.
Key Questions:
How do the geographic features of a region affect the people who live there?
How can the activities of people affect the local environment?
How do the stories people tell reflect where they are from?
How can stories be used to persuade people to act in a particular way?
Background Notes:
ECUADOR:
Ecuador is a country rich in natural beauty. While only the size of California, continental
Ecuador spans three distinct geographical zones. Coastal Ecuador stretches along the Pacific Ocean from the northern border with Columbia to the southern border with Peru. This region includes mangrove forests, desert lands, and the bustling port city of Guiyaquil. The coast is also the economic heart of Ecuador. From shrimp farming to banana and cacao plantations, much of Ecuador’s export power is based here. As you move east, you enter the Andean region. This mountainous landscape includes cloud forests, pampas, looming volcanoes, and towering peaks. The Andes are the home of the Quechua people and the richness of the Indian culture is evidenced in the arts and music of the area. The Andes is also where you find Quito, the political and cultural capital of Ecuador. Continuing east, you enter the Amazon rainforest, a region that remained largely isolated from the outside world until recently. The Amazon region contains a relatively small indigenous population within a habitat teeming with biodiversity. The Amazon basin is also home to rich oil deposits and has been the site of intense interest from foreign oil companies. Ecuador also includes the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands.
Our school is situated within the French Broad River watershed. Our class has a local focus on Stream Ecology in the environment of our campus, so that studying the local ecology through school-yard projects is standard practice.
While the students are familiar with the delicate task of balancing the needs of an urban
population with the preservation of the environment, they have not explored how the natural
environment is reflected in culture. Through this unit we plan to bring environmental studies and cultural studies together under the umbrella of a “LiteraryTrip Around the World.”
While the project focuses on Ecuador and the surrounding countries, the basic outline of the unit could be adapted to other regions of the world.
Unit Plan: Looking at Ecology and Culture through Stories: Ecuador
Lesson 1: Introduction and Map Reading
State Curriculum Standards Addressed:
Reading:
Social Studies Objectives:
Describe and classify how natural /physical features, such as deserts,
peninsulas, beaches, and coastlines identify a place
Describe places using weather, climate, vegetation and natural/physical
features, such as mountains, beaches, and plains
Identify the purpose and use of a variety of maps, such as physical
maps, school maps, and neighborhood maps
Identify the equator, poles and hemispheres on a globe
Objective: Students will learn map reading skills by using maps to gather information for their journey to Ecuador.
Motivation: Tell students that today they will begin their visit to a new country. Have the
students take out their desk world maps. Tell them that they will be map detectives and will use clues to figure out what country they are visiting. Give the students clues such as: This country is in both the southern and northern hemisphere, this country is north of Peru, the country is along the Pacific Ocean, the equator runs through this country, or this country is in South America. After giving several clues, ask the students to share what country they think they will be visiting. Have students explain why they think this is the country they are visiting using the clues given (I think we are going to Ecuador because it is in South America, the equator runs through it and it is north of Peru). Once the students have located the country have a student come up to the large world map and put a “we are here” label on Ecuador.
Procedure:
1) Have a student locate Ecuador on the globe. Ask the students to look closely at both the
world map and the globe and tell what they know about Ecuador from the information
given on the maps. Be sure to review how a map key works. Record their ideas on chart
paper/board.
2) Have students discuss different uses for maps. Introduce the class to a variety of maps
and have them identify the different uses for these maps. Model how to gather
information from one of these map types using a map of NC.
3) Split students into small groups and give each group one of the maps of Ecuador (geo
political/ economic/ physical) from www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/map_center.html.
(You may choose to differentiate here by giving the more challenging maps to the
advanced learners.) Give the groups about ten minutes to examine the map, discuss what
the map tells them about Ecuador, and record their ideas to share with the class.
4) Have a reporter from each group share what their group learned about Ecuador from the
map. Compile a master list of information.
5) Ask students to think about the name Ecuador and where it might come from. If
necessary, return to the chart of information gathered from the maps to get the students
to think about the word “equator.”
6) Tell students that on their trip to Ecuador they will be exploring the different parts of the
country. Ask students to think about trips they have taken to other places and how these
places were like and unlike where they live in North Carolina. Be sure to have the students
think about the physical and natural differences of these places. Tell students that
Ecuador differs from place to place just like America. Using the information collected
from the map activity show how Ecuador is divided into three geographic zones.
Materials: Chart paper, large world map, globe, class set of world maps, variety of Ecuador
maps
Summary: Have students look back at the maps of Ecuador and think about where in Ecuador they would like to visit and why. Have students share their ideas.
Assessment: Teacher observation of class and group discussions: were students able to gather
information from the maps?
Extension: This lesson could be used in conjunction with a more in depth study of maps.
Students could also begin their own map of Ecuador that could be filled out as they are
introduced to each region.
Lesson 2-4: Exploring the Three Continental Regions of Ecuador
Curriculum Standards Addressed:
Reading:
Listen to, read, and discuss a variety of self-selected and assigned literary texts representing diverse cultures, perspectives, ethnicities, and time periods
Identify the setting and explain its importance to the story
Social Studies:
Describe and classify how natural /physical features, such as deserts,
peninsulas, beaches, coastlines identify a place
Describe places using weather, climate, vegetation and natural/physical
features, such as mountains, beaches, and plains
Describe ways that people adapt to the natural environment for food,
clothing, and shelter
Describe ways that people modify their natural environment and the
impact of those modifications, such as clearing trees, building dams, and farming
land
Compare elements of at least two diverse cultures
Science:
Recognize and explain how Earth’s natural resources from the natural
environment are used to meet human needs
Recognize and describe that the activities of individuals or groups of
individuals can affect the environment.
Objective: Students will learn to identify the setting of a story and explain how it is important
by examining a text representing one of three regions in Ecuador in relation to a photo journey
to that region.
Motivation: Show PowerPoint presentation or visit a Web site from one of the three regions of Ecuador. Have students discuss what they noticed about the natural environment/people.
Procedure:
1) Revisit the PowerPoint presentation/Web site. Have students note features of the natural
environment and people on a chart. Allow students to discuss what they see.
2) Ask: How have the people of this region adapted to their environment? Have the students
think about the clothes, food, and shelter used in this region. They may come up with
their own ideas or refer to pictures.
3) Ask: What kinds of environmental problems do you think this area may have? How is
this region the same/different from the other regions/Maryland (refer to chart from
previous days)?
4) Introduce the story of the day
• Coastal Region: “The Tree Goddess” from Latin American Tales: From the
Pampas to the Pyramids of Mexico
• Andean Region: “The Yavirac,” in 3 Magical Legends From Ecuador ; or The
Condor Who Fell In Love
• Amazon Region: The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
and tell the students to listen closely to see which observations they made from the slide
show are evident in the text/illustrations.
5) Read the story and ask questions as appropriate
6) Have students discuss how the story reflected the natural environment. Refer back to the
chart and see what elements they found in the story and see if they wish to add anything
to the chart.
7) Ask students if the story promotes protecting the environment and if so, how. Have
students think about how the message may be different from the other regions.
Materials: computer, stories, chart, markers
Andes: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/andes.html.
Coast: PowerPoint, Web site, www.ecuador365.com/canoal.html.
Amazon: Web sites, www.ecuador365.com/jungle.html ,
www.Matuschek.net/vacation/ecuador2002/gal1/index.html.
Extension: There are many non-fiction resources available, particularly for the Amazon region.
You could expand this lesson to include readings from the non-fiction texts. These lessons can be integrated with science lessons on habitat and adaptation. You could also extend your focus on the cultures of the region by examining the food, music, and art. Have the students explore how these aspects of the culture are affected by the natural environment.
Assessment: Teacher observation of class discussion. Were students able to identify the
geographic/natural features that distinguish this region and what role the environment/setting played in the story?
http://www.ecuador365.com/andes.html
http://www.ecuador365.com/andes.html
http://www.ecuador365.com/index.html
http://www.ecuador365.com/index.html
http://www.ecuador365.com/index.html
http://www.ecuador365.com/otavalo1.html
http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension/Gr5_Wk18_Conflict_Over_North_American_Lands.pdf
http://www.
http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension/Gr4_Wk5_Rainforest_Ecosystems.pdfk12reader.com/reading-comprehension/Gr4_Wk2_Ecosystems.pdf
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