Common Core Interdisciplinary Unit 1 Planning
21st Century Interdisciplinary Themes
Global Awareness
Financial, Economic, Business, & Entrepreneurial Literacy
Civic Literacy
Health Literacy
Environmental Literacy
Grade: 5th
Interdisciplinary Theme(s): Health Literacy and Environmental Literacy
Title of Unit: Human and Environmental Interactions
Enduring Understanding:
Understanding how humans and the environment interact helps us to develop a positive
relationship between humanity and nature.
Essential Questions: Key understanding goals of the unit. Makes the enduring
understanding relevant to the student by providing questions that foster inquiry and
understanding, ownership, choice, and voice. Guides learning targets to accomplish unit
performance tasks/project. Connects the standards to 21st Century themes and skills.
*3-5 Essential questions per unit that incorporate DOK levels 3 and 4
Essential Question 1: How does the movement of water through the
environment affect humanity?
Science:
3. Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the
processes of evaporation and condensation.
Essential Question 2: How did geography and climate influence the way
various Native American nations lived and adjusted to the natural
environment?
1. Describe how geography and climate influenced the way various
nations lived and adjusted to the natural environment, including
locations of villages, the distinct structures that they built, and how
they obtained food, clothing, tools, and utensils.
Science:
3. Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the
processes of evaporation and condensation.
4. Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that
result in changing weather patterns.
Essential Question 3: How did geography and climate influence the
economies and systems of government in various nations?
Science:
3. Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the
processes of evaporation and condensation.
4. Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that
result in changing weather patterns.
21st Century Themes and Skills
(P21) 21st Century Learning Map
21st Century Skills Student-friendly Poster
DOK, Depth of Knowledge
Level 1: Recall & Reproduction 7%
Skills & Concepts 12%
Strategic Thinking 55%
Level 4: Extended Thinking 25%
Levels of DOK the lesson will target to
demonstrate student understanding of the Big
Idea, knowledge, skills, and processes.
Hess Rigor Matrix
DOK Info NYC
DOK Chart
Variations and Strategies
RTI
ELD
GATE
Differentiation
Project G.L.A.D, Guided Language
Acquisition Development
Concept mapping/graphic organizers
(Thinking Maps, Inspiration, Timeliner)
UNRA(A)VEL Larry Bell
Studyjams (Science)
Easybib (bibliography / citations)
Literature Resources
Possible Examples:
Sign of the Beaver
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Fear Place
My Side of the Mountain
Hatchet
Where The Red Fern Grows
The Hunt
The Incredible Journey
Call of the Wild
Julie of the Wolves
Rigor The What and How
Social Studies:
5.1 Students describe the major pre-Columbian settlements,
including the cliff dwellers and pueblo people of the desert
Southwest, the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest,
the nomadic nations of the Great Plains, and the woodland
peoples east of the Mississippi River.
Considerations and Resources
Social Studies:
5.1 Students describe the major pre-Columbian settlements,
including the cliff dwellers and pueblo people of the desert
Southwest, the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest,
the nomadic nations of the Great Plains, and the woodland
peoples east of the Mississippi River.
3. Explain their varied economies and systems of government.
.
Essential Question 4: How did the weather influence early American folklore
traditions and customs?
Science:
3. Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the
processes of evaporation and condensation.
4. Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that
result in changing weather patterns.
Social Studies:
5.1 Students describe the major pre-Columbian settlements,
including the cliff dwellers and pueblo people of the desert
Southwest, the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest,
the nomadic nations of the Great Plains, and the woodland
peoples east of the Mississippi River.
2. Describe their varied customs and folklore traditions.
Essential Question 5: How do human and environmental interactions play a
role in themes of literary works?
Students will develop skills for the following taught Standards:
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what
the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from
details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to
challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the
text.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters,
settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
(e.g., how characters interact).
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of
view influences how events are described.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what
the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and
explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between
two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or
technical text based on specific information in the text.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic,
noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the








development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to
interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of
keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1 Engage 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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is
supported by reasons and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical
relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).
NOTES:
Unit 5 Assessments (Tied to enduring understanding)
Embedded Assessment (s)/Products(s): How students will demonstrate mastery.
Teacher provides a variety of project/product options for students to demonstrate
understanding that have real-world connections, 21st Century themes, student ownership
opportunities, and differentiated instruction.


Embedded Assessment suggestions for essential question 1:
How does the movement of water through the environment affect
humanity?
Create a project/presentation that answers the essential question.
Create a digital portfolio that answers the essential question.
Embedded Assessment suggestions for essential question 2:
How did geography and climate influence the way various Native
American nations lived and adjusted to the natural environment?
Write an informative essay that answers the essential question

Embedded Assessment suggestions for essential question 3:
How did geography and climate influence the economies and systems
of government in various nations?
Create a newscast explaining the economic effects of severe weather.

Embedded Assessment suggestions for essential question 4:
How did the weather influence early American folklore traditions and
customs?
Create a folktale explaining how weather can affect specific tradition
or customs in your culture.

Embedded Assessment suggestions for essential question 5
SBAC Aligned Assessment: Key vocabulary terms, selected response (multiple choice)
questions with increasing levels of DOK, constructed response questions, a multi-process
performance task, ongoing embedded assessments
Authentic Performance Tasks
Project/presentation
: debate, career simulation
Flocabulary rap/chant
21st Century Skills
Learning and Innovation
Communication and
Collaboration: ask questions, build an
effective team, organize group discussions,
resolve conflicts, present effectively, present
effectively, write effectively
Critical Thinking: identify problems,
evaluate options, make decisions, synthesize
information, justify arguments,
Creativity and Innovation: Imagine,
brainstorm, invent, create, design
Information, Media, and Technology
Information: Access, evaluate, use, and
manage
Media: Analyze media, create media
products
ICT (Information, Communications and
Technology Literacy: Use and apply
technology effectively o successfully function in
a knowledge society
College, Workplace, and Life Skills
Flexibility and Adaptability: Adapt to
change, be flexible
Initiative and Self-Direction: Looking at
problems in a new way of thinking learning
across subjects and disciplines
Productivity and Accountability: Manage
products, produce results
Leadership and Responsibility: Guide, lead,
and be responsible to others
Cross-cultural and Social Skills: Interact and
work effectively with others work effectively
with others
Rubric Samples:
Rubric
Rubric 21st Century Learning
Weeks-at-a-Glance
3-6 Concept Lessons: Sequence of Tasks, Problems, or Activities
Suggested Online Resources
http://expertspace.com
Purpose: To develop specific concepts, designed to scaffold, outcome is a delicate (fragile)
understanding.
http://brainpop.com
Week 1
http://studyjams.com
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
http://flocabulary.com
http://pearsonsuccessnet.com
Suggested Literature
Week 7
Week 8
21st Century Strategies, Resources, and
Tools for Strategic and Extending
Thinking
Flocabulary (Vocabulary Acquisition)
Go Grolier, Expert Space True Flix)
Electronic reference material (online libraries,
databases, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs,
E-texts
Search engines (KidRex)
Literature-Teacher Vision, Reading Rockets
Primary Sources (text, graphic, audio,
multimedia, & material culture)
Print sources (newspapers, journals,
books, magazines, maps)
Graphics software (drawing, painting)
hoto editing (Picasso, Instagram, Adobe
Elements/Photoshop)
Video editing (Movie Maker-PC; iPhoto/
iMovie- Mac)
Publishing & multimedia creation (clip art,
video, sound, animations, Photo Story3)
Web authoring, blogging, word processing &
layout program (WordPress, Eduplace, Edlio,
Weebly)
Data collection, manipulation, & storage tools
(spreadsheets, graphing, databases, digital
cameras, surveys)
Presentation tools (software, PowerPoint,
Prezi, iWork, Keynote -Mac)
Projection devices, Digital Document
Cameras
Digital Devices (Laptops, Smartboards, Mobi,
iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, Nook,
Promethian Boards)
Student/Group Reflection(s): Students reflect upon their learning target mastery and
Student/Group Reflection(s)
performance task(s)/project
-directed debrief
Teacher-directed debrief
Adapted from “Integrated Unit of Study Planning Considerations 6/20/2012, Unit of Study Curriculum Planning: Standards & Performance-Based
Considerations, Orange County Department of Education, Dec – 2011, Partners for 21st Century Skills,
Works Cited/Resources for Designing Units of Study
ACSD http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/books/learning-targets-sample-chapters.pdf
Orange County Department of Education | Office of Academic Content http://www.ocde.us/CommonCoreCA/Pages/CCCSDesigning-Units-of-Study.aspx
Partnership for 21st Century Skills http://www.p21.org/
“Crafting a Task”
http://www.ocde.us/CommonCoreCA/Documents/crafting_task_planningconsiderations_informational_text.pdf
“21st Century is an era of great promise and great challenge. Advances in technology have improved many aspects of life. But
war, climate change, hunger, and other problems persist. How can we work together to make a better world.” -Expert Space
California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov