Building an Integrated Unit of Instruction

1
Building an Integrated Unit of Instruction

• Elementary Module 3

2
What is a Unit?

• A unit is a sequential series of lessons that
• Introduces a topic to the learner
• Assesses what the learner knows about a topic
• Develops the learners knowledge/understanding of
  the topic
• Assesses what the learner has learned during the
  unit

3
What is a Unit?

• A unit may address objectives or state standards
  in only one content area such as science
• Or, a unit may integrate multiple content areas,
  such as science, mathematics, and language arts

4
How many lessons are in unit?

• For younger children, a unit may include only two
  or three lessons
• For older children, a unit may contain 10 or even
  more lessons

5
How do you develop an integrated instructional
unit?

• First, you need to identify your unit topic.
  This can be done by reviewing your grade level
  curriculum standards. Look at the standards in
  each content area. Are there standards in one or
  more content areas that overlap or seem to fit
  together?

6
How do you develop an integrated unit?

• For example, look at the Virginia state standards
  below
• Science K.6 The student will investigate and
  understand basic needs and life processes of
  plants and animals. Key concepts include
• Living things change as they grow and need food,
  water and air to survive.
• Social Sciences K.5 The student will match simple
  descriptions of work that people do and the names
  of those jobs with examples from the local
  community and historical accounts.
• Curriculum for young children should begin with
  concepts and understandings that are directly
  related to the children. Thus, if we want
  children learn about the basic needs and life
  processes of plants and animals, we first need to
  help them understand their own basic needs and
  life processes. We can begin teaching the
  science standard with a unit on the human body.
  The social sciences standard fits nicely with
  that because we can include activities on
  professionals who help us keep our bodies
  healthy.
• Using these two standards, we can identify a
  topic for our unit My Body, Inside and Out
• In this unit, students will learn about their
  bodies, how they function and what they need to
  stay healthy. They will also learn about adults
  who help them take care of their bodies.

7
Once you have chosen your unit topic

• Sit down and do some brainstorming
• Free associatewrite down every word or phrase
  that comes into your head when you think about
  your unit topic and the state standards you will
  be teaching
• Sometimes it helps to do this brainstorming with
  a partner
• Look at the example on the next slide

8
Brainstorming on My Body, Inside and Out
9
When your brainstorming is complete

• Look carefully at the words and phrases youve
  written down
• Are there connections between the items?
• Can you cluster them around similar themes?
• Organize your topics and attach a title to each
  of the themes.
• Look at the example on the next slide

10
Brainstorming Themes
11
Brainstorming Themes

• The themes youve identified in your
  brainstorming become the topics of the individual
  lessons in your unit.
• Look carefully at each of the themes. Consider
  the age and level of understanding of the
  students to whom you will be teaching this unit.
  Some of these themes may be thoroughly addressed
  in one lesson. Others will need several lessons
  in which to build childrens understanding. Some
  of these themes may be a review for your
  students. Others will be introducing new
  information.
• Now you need to decide in what order you will
  teach these lessons.
• The order in which you teach the lessons is very
  important for your students mastery/understanding
  of the topic.
• Begin with the themes that will likely be a
  review, and use these themes as a base on which
  to build new knowledge and understanding.
• In My Body, Inside and Out, we will begin with
  the theme Things on the Outside of My Body
  because it is likely that the children can
  already identify their arms, legs, hands, feet,
  head, etc.

12
The First Lesson in the Unit

• The first lesson in a unit needs to be an
  introduction to the topic.
• The introduction should explain the topic to your
  students, outline what is to be learned in the
  unit, and explain why the topic is important.
• The introduction should also give you an
  opportunity to discover what your students
  already know about the topic.
• The introduction should also excite the students
  about the topic so they will want to learn more.

13
The First Lesson in the Unit

• The introductory lesson plan for the unit My
  Body, Inside and Out with the teacher leading the
  children in a group movement activity in which
  the children move different parts of their bodies
  according to directions given in a song. After
  the movement activity, the teacher questions the
  children about which body parts they moved in
  which ways. This activity provides a review of
  body parts for the children and allows the
  teacher to make sure that each child can indeed
  identify those body parts.
• After group discussion and brainstorming, the
  children then trace each others body outlines on
  large sheets of butcher paper, allowing a further
  review, as the teacher circulates among the pairs
  of children and asks questions to check their
  knowledge.
• Review the introductory lesson plan in the sample
  unit plan at the end of this module. Does the
  introductory lesson plan
• Introduce the unit topic?
• Explain what is going to be learned in the unit?
• Assess what the children know about the topic?
• Motivate the children to learn more about the
  topic?

14
The Body of the Unit

• The lessons after the introduction form the body
  of the unit.
• In these lessons, you will teach the content of
  the state curriculum standards you identified
  earlier.
• These lessons should present what is to be
  learned in the unit in integrated learning
  experiences that are developmentally appropriate
  for the learners.

15
The Body of the Unit

• Examine the themes in your brainstorming
• Arrange the themes in a sequence in which each
  lesson will build on experiences from the
  previous lessons
• Remember, some themes can be addressed in one
  lesson plan, while others may need several lesson
  plans to develop understanding
• Consider what children will need to know and
  understand prior to each lesson

16
The Body of the Unit

• As you develop lessons in the body of your unit,
  keep in mind what you know about how children
  learn best
• Your lessons should involve students in
• Researching topics through books and on-line
  resources
• Conducting experiments to see how their body
  works
• Interviewing people who can help them learn about
  their bodies
• Just telling the children information isnt
  enough for them to learn! CHILDREN LEARN BY
  DOING!!!

17
The Body of the Unit

• Regardless of the content area(s) addressed in
  your unit, each lesson should involve tradebooks.
• Fiction or nonfiction tradebooks can be used to
  reinforce the objectives of each lesson and to
  reinforce literacy skills.
• Tradebooks can be included in each lesson for
  whole group or independent reading.
• Check with the media specialist at your school to
  identify tradebooks that will support your unit
  objectives.

18
The Body of the Unit

• Along with tradebooks, look for songs, movement
  activities, and art experiences that will help to
  teach the objectives of your unit.
• Remember, children learn best through integrated
  activities.
• Some children may not truly understand a concept
  until they have acted it out or made a visual
  representation of it.

19
The Body of the Unit

• Look at Lessons 2 through 7 in the sample unit in
  the resource file for this module
• Do these lessons
• present what is to be learned in the unit in
  integrated learning experiences that are
  developmentally appropriate for the learners?
• Build on what the learners have learned in
  previous lessons?
• Involve the learners in active learning
  experiences?
• Include quality fiction and nonfiction
  tradebooks?
• Include art, music, and movement activities?

20
Closing The Unit

• The final lesson in the unit serves multiple
  purposes.
• The final lesson should summarize the major
  concepts that have been addressed throughout the
  unit.
• The final lesson should give the students the
  opportunity to demonstrate what they have
  learned.
• The final lesson should bring closure to the
  study of the unit topic.

21
Closing the Unit

• Look at lesson plan 8 in the sample unit provided
  in the resource file for this module.
• Does the closing lesson plan
• Summarize the major concepts addressed in the
  unit?
• Allow the children to demonstrate what they have
  learned?
• Bring closure to the study of this topic?

22
Finishing Up

• Check out the instructional units on the
  following web-sites
• Seasons Thematic Unit - Youngsters learn about
  the four seasons of the year, calendars, and
  seasonal activities with this integrated thematic
  unit.
• A History of the Settlement of Southwest Virginia
  - Lesson plans with stories, maps, and resources
  for teaching about southwest Virginia's
  settlement.
• Partners in Pollination - Lessons and printable
  handouts exploring the interaction between
  flowering plants and animals.

23
Finishing Up continued

• Let's Learn About Frogs - Students study the
  development of a frog from an egg, practice
  measuring with inches, feet, and yards, and
  complete a slide for a slide show with this mini
  unit.
• Ancient Egypt - A thematic unit that teaches
  students about mummification, pyramid
  construction, hieroglyphs, and the Nile River.