An Interdisciplinary Unit on
Patterns

• Mary Bojarski
First grade LI Teacher at Shamrock Gardens Elementary
• Emily Foley
LI/TD Magnet Coordinator at Irwin Academic Center
• Amber Golfe
First grade LI Teacher at Mallard Creek Elementary
• Nancy Halvorsen
TD Teacher at Smithfield Elementary
• Ashley Hines
TD Teacher at Grand Oak Elementary
• Lisa Pagano
Academic Facilitator at Irwin Academic Center

1. Define concept-based instruction.
2. Examine the research behind conceptbased instruction.
3. Discuss why a concept-based unit on patterns is important.
4. Explore the concept-based unit on patterns.
5. Collaborate with colleagues about implementation.

1. Define concept-based instruction.

• It approaches content area standards from the perspective of an over-arching concept.
• Concept and Generalizations- Transferable understandings
• Example: Patterns are everywhere.
• Factual and Critical Knowledge- Non-Transferable
•
Example: Understand holidays of various cultures.
• Skills and Processes- Transfer within and sometimes across disciplines.
•
Example: compose a poem (to a repetitive beat)
Erickson, H.L. (2008)

Backwards Planning
Concepts/
Generalizations
Patterns can be found in nature.
Knowledge Skills
Seasons follow a pattern and change over time.
Record observations in a notebook.
Compare and contrast pictures.
Concepts vs. Topics
Concept Topics
Change
Patterns
Weather
Animals
Relationships Characters
Systems Government
Power
Structure
Grammar
Geometry
Erickson (2008) and Tomlinson (2003)

2. Examine the research behind conceptbased instruction.
What Does the Research
Say about Concept-Based Learning?

“Concept-based curricula are more effective than topic-based curricula, for the world of today and tomorrow, because they take teaching and learning to a higher level as students analyze, synthesize and generalize from facts to deeper understanding.”
Erickson (2008)

Taba identified patterns of discussion in concept-based learning lessons and found an effective discussion is one in which the teacher remains at the lower levels
(facts and topics) long enough for students to acquire enough information before moving them up to the higher levels (concepts).
Maker and Sciever (2005)

 1. What is concept-based learning?
 2. How could it help your students become better thinkers?

3. Discuss why a concept-based unit on patterns is important.
A Pattern Unit :
Why is it important and how will it help me and my
LI first grade students this year?

• A variety of skills and abilities
– This unit is designed to challenge your bright and potentially gifted students at the highest level, while still meeting the standards for all students.
• Accelerated, Enriched Curriculum
– This unit provides depth and complexity to the common core and state standards. It gives students the conceptual framework to build knowledge.

• This unit will help first graders show growth because it provides …
– solid instruction for K-2 gifted students
– exposure to various holidays from different countries
– work with a purpose via a “Nationality Pattern
Festival” task
– transfer of knowledge to a variety of different settings
– opportunities for children become thinkers and problem solvers, not just memorizers of facts or producers of “fluff”.

• Certifying LI students strengthens the magnet.
• LI/TD Magnets tend to have diverse socio-economic populations and under-represented racial populations.
• Exposing students to conceptual learning will provide them will experiences that can build background for the CogAT.
– CogAT Quantitative Practice
–
CogAT Verbal Practice

4. Explore the concept-based unit on patterns.
Patterns- First Grade
2 nd Quarter

1st grade concept-based instruction pattern unit
• Three-dimensional unit:
– Factual content = holiday traditions
– Skills = First grade common core
– Larger disciplinary concept with generalizations = Patterns
• Integrates 21st Century Skills
–
Communication
– Collaboration
– Creativity
– Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
– Digital Literacy

– how and why things work
– predicting future patterns
– organize our lives
– Patterning ourselves after influential people
– natural or man-made
– may be found in many places
Patterns Book 1 : Literature, Arts, and Science (Differentiated Curriculum for Grade 1)
Patterns Book 3: Economics, Biographies, and Citizenship (Differentiated Curriculum for Grade1) by Angie Harrelson

 3. How could learning first grade standards through the concept of relationships, and in particular analogies, help your students?

Really….
Another thing to do!!??
• The lessons should be very easy to implement.
– All ideas are clearly laid
– All handouts are attached
• Lessons correspond to the first grade common core state standards.
• Lessons tie into curriculum, but can also
“stand alone” if the subject is not yet touched upon.

• Unit is split up into 15 different lessons and paced for approximately 21 sessions about 45 minute in length.
• Lessons are set up by:
– Measurable Learner Objectives
– Common Core Standards
– 21 st Century Skills
– Patterns Generalizations
– Materials
– Instructional Strategies
– Assessment
– Resources

• Open-ended
• What ideas do students already have about patterns?
• What concepts and generalizations have they already established?

Examples Categories
Non-Examples Generalizations

Sessions #2, #3 & #4:
Concept Development
(cont.)

Sessions #2, #3 & #4:
Concept Development
(cont.)

Dear (_______) First Graders,
Hello! This is your Mayor (Patsy Kinsey) of Charlotte.
Did you know that we have several different nationalities from all around the world, right in our community here in Charlotte? Each nationality is from a different part of our world. People from these different nationalities had to fly in planes or take large ships across the ocean to come here to the United
States. These different nationalities are represented in all different ways, such as: their languages, holidays, foods, plants, animals, clothes and even music and games! That means that there are other students just like you, who live here in Charlotte, that may speak a different language, or may eat different foods and even celebrate different holidays! Even though we all might not do everything the same, there are patterns of all kinds to find in each and every nationality… and that is your job!
This is why I am inviting you to hold the First Ever Nationality Pattern Festival!!! You and your classmates will need to learn about different holidays and patterns around the world so you can become experts and teach our community! You and your classmates will create a real festival, with seven different booths. Each booth will showcase artifacts and offer something new to learn about from each nationality you have researched together! I know I can count on you to help educate our community about the patterns in different nationalities around our world!
I look forward to hearing about your great Nationality Pattern Festival!
Sincerely,
Mayor Patsy Kinsey

The students will recognize color, shape, and rhythmic patterns found in holiday wrapping paper, holiday greeting cards, and
Christmas Carols.
• Whole group story/articles on how Great Britain celebrates Christmas and their creation of greeting cards, Christmas Party Crackers, and Christmas
Carols.
• The students will observe and describe how each of these traditions have patterns (color, shape, or rhythmic)
• The students will create Christmas wrapping paper that is patterned to cover their Christmas Party Cracker.
• The students will create holiday greeting cards using more than one pattern characteristic.
• The students will create their own rhythmic pattern stanza to a famous
Christmas Carol.

• Students will learn when, why, and how
Chinese New Year is celebrated throughout the world.
• They will explore patterns using a product created in China —dominoes!
• Students will learn and explore the Zodiac
Calendar.
• Students will explore the Lunar Calendar.

• Students will learn about Carnaval, celebrated in South
America.
• Students will notice patterns represented in the various costumes, masks, dances and music. Students will imitate one of the patterns noted through their own decoration of a mask.
• Whole Group story, video, and discussion
• Think-Pair-Share
• Small Group work

Students will recognize patterns within Kwanzaa as well as between Kwanzaa and other holidays from around the word.
• Whole group story and discussion
• Pattern exploration with rhythms and create rhyme
• Whole group story and discussion
• Individual writing about patterns in Kwanzaa
• Small group with teacher making Mkeka Mat

• Students will learn about Hanukah while looking for the pattern followed when celebrating each of the eight days of
Hanukah.
• The students will notice how patterns help in understanding Hanukah traditions.
• To synthesize, each student will use what was learned about Hanukah to write a poem with onomatopoeia.

• Students will explore patterns and
Christmas traditions established by Mexico.
• Interact with The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie DePaolo in a variety of different ways (listening & speaking, writing, and illustrating).
• Jacob’s Ladder D– Paraphrasing,
Summarizing, Creative Synthesis

• The students will discover patterns found in United
States symbols and character traits of influential people
Independence Day-
• The students will recognize color and shape patterns on the United States flag.

• The students will discover patterns found in United
States symbols and character traits of influential people.
Presidents’ Day -
• The students will explore patterns/traditions established by the first president of the US and solve word problems related to money and the US presidents depicted on the bills/coins.

• The students will discover patterns found in United
States symbols and character traits of influential people.
Constitution Day-
• The students will explore patterns/traditions established by the US Constitution.

• The students will discover patterns found in United
States symbols and character traits of influential people.
MLK Day-
• The students will learn about Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day. They will discover the pattern he set for others. To honor his life and legacy, students will write “good news, bad news” short stories.

• The students will discover patterns found in United
States symbols and character traits of influential people.
Memorial Day -
• Students will gain an understanding of why
Memorial Day is celebrated in the United States and understand how the date is determined each year. They will interact with a piece of digital media, use Thinking Maps to organize information learned, and create a diamante poem about
Memorial Day to show what they have learned about the holiday.

• Students will be grouped into 7 different groups: Great Britain,
China, South America, Africa, Israel, Mexico and the United
States
• Each group is to become “experts” of his/her topic to create an informational “booth” for the First Ever National Pattern
Festival!
• Students should incorporate artifacts, as well as information to educate the community.
• Depending on resources and location, students may invite family to this celebratory event.

• Identical to pre-assessment
• Used as a way to gauge how much students have learned about patterns through these integrated experiences
• Compare pre and post-assessment results to measure growth. 

 4. Explore the unit. Padlet

Connecting the Content to the Concept
Relationships
People
Involve Can be found Are used for
Things In my life In School
Understanding ideas better
Making life more enjoyable
Friends, family, pets, stores, playground
Math, science, literacy, social studies
Friends, teachers, classmates
Addition problemsnumbers and signs
Relationship between matter and what we use it for
Relationship between money and needs and wants
Relationships between words

• Building Thinking Skills
• PETS
• Jacob's Ladder Primary 2 book
• Patterns: Differentiated Curriculum for Grade 1 (Books 1,2 & 3)

5. Collaborate with colleagues about implementation.
How can you implement this in your classroom?

• Plan to implement second quarter
• Provide feedback via notes/comments
* look for a survey monkey questionnaire!
• Share and support each other through email
• Contact one of us with questions/concerns!

• Mary Bojarski
– maryk.bojarski@cms.k12.nc.us
• Emily Foley
– emily.kendig@cms.k12.nc.us
• Amber Golfe
– amberc.golfe@cms.k12.nc.us
• Nancy Halvorsen
– nancyp.halvorsen@cms.k12.nc.us
• Ashley Hines
– ashley.hines@cms.k12.nc.us
• Lisa Pagano
– lisa.pagano@cms.k12.nc.us