EDU 603 FINAL PROJECT
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EDU 603: Curriculum 2.0 Complete Unit Final Project
Beth-Ann Pervetich
Post University
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EDU 603: Curriculum 2.0 Complete Unit Final Project
Part I: Statement of Educational Philosophy
Children have already begun to formulate their own biases and worldviews at very young
ages, but particularly in the highly socialized k-12 years; what they are presented, and with what
attitudes will have a dramatic effect on those biases and worldviews. Most children will spend
more time in an educational environment than anywhere else during these years, with a goal, or
at least imposed goal, of learning. In the process though, they will continue to formulate their
own value systems. Learning is defined as “a persistent change in human performance or
potential… [and] the assumption [that] to be considered learning, a change in performance must
come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world” (University
College Dublin (UCD), n.d., para.10-11). Dewey (1938) felt that learning “need[s] to be both
active and hands-on and… truly meaningful… [with] authentic tasks that will help to fully
engage learners” (as cited in Wojcik, n.d., p.1).
The constructivist theory holds that education should be student-centric, with the child as
the “’protagonist’ on the world’s stage of learning” (Ogunnaike, 2015, p.11), and one in which
the student creates knowledge through experience and interaction with the environment and with
people. In this context, learning that builds on itself to allow for understanding first of simple
ideas and then more complex concepts can take place. This type of learning directly affects and
is affected by social and cultural context, and is enhanced by caring and nurturing individuals
(Ogunnaike, 2015, p.11-12). The Human Factors perspective operates on the belief that spiritual,
moral, aesthetic, and human capital, and human abilities and potential affect and ultimately
enable one’s performance and effect on the functioning of social, economic, and political
institutions (Ogunnaike, 2015, p.19-20).
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These two perspectives can be combined with the principle of Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) which is an instructional model that centers on cooperation between teachers
and students to design student-centric instructional goals that are achievable and track-able, and
can also include goals towards social-emotional and behavioral stability (Post University, n.d.) to
create an optimal learning environment. One of the most significant facets of UDL is the
involvement and empowerment of the student, which ultimately increases the student’s level of
responsibility and ownership of his or her learning. To enable this process to happen, the teacher
needs to create a learner profile for each student, because no student can be assumed to learn or
perform a certain way based on an assumed culture (Pollock, 2012). Then there must be a
determination of the most effective methods of teaching to those diversities. These will vary in
teaching (lecture, student research, internet, guests, games, videos, trips, tutors/specialists, etc),
classroom setup (individual versus group learning), and assessment (speech, writing assignment,
quiz/test, group project, civic involvement, etc).
Dewey (1938) felt that “when learners are engaged in both the process of learning and in
the development of their final products, they are more inclined to believe, or ‘buy into’ the
experience of learning (as cited in Wojcik, n.d., p.1). To engage the learners and embrace the
diversity in the classroom, several UbD and UDL principles will be utilized. The principle of
representation “requires that educators offer learners multiple approaches to learning” (Post
University, n.d., p.4), and includes methods such as research, written work, group work, and
real-world problems. The principle of action and expression, according to Post University (n.d.),
is ensuring that students have “the use of multiple tools for their learning… [and] that teachers
provide a variety of reinforcement tools” (p.4). The principle of engagement involves ensuring
that students have a variety of ways to achieve the goals assigned, as well as the teacher assisting
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in this by providing clear expectations, feedback and assessment, and facilitating student
reflection throughout and after the process (Post University, n.d., p.4). To accomplish this in a
meaningful way, authentic assessment is most beneficial because it is typically based on real
world problems or “worthy intellectual tasks” (Wiggins, 1990, p.1), with multiple forms of
performance measurement (Callison, 1998, p.1).
Authentic assessment takes into account the many ways students learn and are best able
to demonstrate their understanding. Although traditional assessment typically tests a student’s
mastery of isolated, more “discrete skills and [does] not contain authentic representations of
classroom activities, social interactions, use of multiple resources, or real-life situations”
(Callison, 1998, p.1), it is also still essential to an effective classroom and authentic learning.
Finally, perhaps the most critical requirement of education today is “helping students ‘learn how
to learn’ and ‘how to perform,’ [since it] is both a vital mission and a commonly overlooked
one” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p.59) to allow “every student [to] have an equal opportunity to
achieve… her or his full potential” (Gorski, 2010). With an emphasis on positive values,
challenging the current level of mastery, teaching for transfer, preparation for real-world problem
solving, embrasure of UbD and UDL principles, and authentic learning and assessment, a
classroom environment can achieve responsible and positive global citizens who care about
others and are successful in life.
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Part II: Rationale of Curriculum
The students participating in this social science unit are 3rd or 4th graders in northern
Virginia. The mean household income is approximately $81,000, 33% of households are
described as under age 18, and it is an area described as 50% white, 25% Asian, 10% African
American, and 15% other ethnicities (US Census Bureau, 2015).
The curricular choices and sequence of choices are based on state standards and universal
requirements supported by the constructivist learning theory. In order for students to be
responsible citizens, they must understand what makes up the world around them, including what
sustains it and them, and finally, how they interact with that world. If we are to have a
sustainable and thriving environment for these students to grow up in, they must know how to
conserve it, and how much of an impact they can and do have on it. Part of this is knowledge,
part of this is the examples set by those around them, part of it is values, and part of it is practical
tools to achieve it. This unit aims to provide all of these things, whilst being engaging and fun.
Appendix (A), a planning pyramid, is a general outline of the priorities of the unit, based
on the unit goals as well as the needs and abilities of the students (Post University, n.d., p.3).
These priorities are designed around the Virginia Department of Education Standards of
Learning (Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), 2010), and the Universal Design for Learning
concept. They are designed to answer essential questions, which require “student’s … to dig
deeper into a topic” (Cash, 2014, para.4), because they are larger than just the goals for the unit.
They are universal and multi-faceted, but answering them will require “deliberate inquiry as a
follow-up to our asking the question” (as cited in Huff, 2007, para.6). They also allow for
transfer of understanding to other disciplines, such as government and economics, history, and
even sociology/anthropology.
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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional model that centers on
cooperation between teachers and students to design student-centric instructional goals that are
achievable and track-able, and can also include goals towards social-emotional and behavioral
stability (Post University, n.d.). One of the most significant facets of UDL is the involvement
and empowerment of the student, which ultimately increases the student’s level of responsibility
and ownership of his or her learning. To enable this process to happen, the teacher needs to get to
know his or her students and then create a learner profile for each. There are numerous ways to
do this, or at least start the process, such as team building activities to find strengths and
weaknesses, surveys, group work, and questions (British Columbia Ministry of Education, n.d.),
but it requires an understanding of the student’s individual needs. “The primary goal of
developing learner profiles is for the educator to understand learning from the perspective of the
learner” (Post University, n.d., p.1), and these profiles are then used to design the learning
environment in such a way that the student has the best opportunity to learn for understanding.
Getting to know the students and their needs, considerations, and variability will allow
the teacher to understand how each of them takes in and processes information best. If it is
known from the beginning where the students struggle, particularly in relation to a specific
subject or unit, the unit can be tailored to meet the strengths of each learner, or at least avoid the
specified weaknesses. Without getting to know the students on a personal level, there is no way
to achieve learning at its most effective level; learning for understanding and transfer.
Variability presents a challenge, particularly the more diverse the group, because there
are a limited number of ways to teach a lesson, depending on resources and time. However, with
an understanding of the students, lessons can be designed that encompass the majority of the
students, and efforts can be made to work more individually with those the teacher already
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knows have a higher likelihood of struggling. To meet the needs of those diverse learners,
different teaching methods (lecture, student research, internet, guests, games, videos, trips,
tutors/specialists, etc), different classroom setups (individual versus group learning), and
different methods of assessment (speech, writing assignment, quiz/test, group project, civic
involvement, etc) will be employed. This approach to learning is incredibly powerful in the
opportunities for extremely effective learning, and increased ownership of learning for the
students. It is also a great tool for teacher and student interaction in meaningful ways.
In an effort to adhere to the principle of representation, which “requires that educators
offer learners multiple approaches to learning” (Post University, n.d., p.4), students will be
assigned research, both hands on and electronic, as well as questions to answer after their own
research and teacher presentation. They will also work in groups to apply their learning, share
ideas, and problem-solve real-world problems. In order for the unit goals to be met, the learning
needs to be “thoughtful and specific about [its] purposes and what they imply” (Wiggins &
McTighe, 2005, p.14), and so these multiple methods of learning, assessment, and presentation
will be designed to be purposeful, as well as to ensure the students must think on their own and
draw from the knowledge they are acquiring, as well as that of their peers. This, in addition to
field trips, will also adhere to the principle of action and expression, which according to Post
University (n.d.), is ensuring that the students have “the use of multiple tools for their learning…
[and] that teachers provide a variety of reinforcement tools” (p.4).
To adhere to the principle of engagement, which involves ensuring that the students have
a variety of ways to achieve the goals assigned, as well as the teacher assisting in this by
providing clear expectations, feedback and assessment, and allowing student reflection
throughout and after the process (Post University, n.d., p.4), students will be presented with all of
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the aforementioned learning methods, as well as periodically required to provide feedback in
journals that are kept in the classroom throughout the year. This feedback will inquire about their
understanding of the assignment(s), thoughts on it, and perception of what, if anything, has been
learned. Multiple forms of assessment will be utilized, such as quizzes, written explanation, and
group projects.
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Part III: Unit Plan
Stage I
3rd and 4th Grade: Ecosystems and the Aquatic World Around Us
Students will explore the world around them, specifically aquatic ecosystems, to include
bodies of water, and the plants and animals that live in them. They will also explore the scope
and effects of human interaction on these ecosystems.
STAGE 1- STANDARDS/GOALS
What should students understand, know, and be able to do? Stage one identifies the desired
results of the unit including the related state content standards and expected performances,
enduring understandings, essential questions, knowledge and skills.
Content Standard(s)
Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do.
Content Standards
Primary Expected Performances
Students will know the different types of
aquatic ecosystems by their physical
characteristics and the different types of
plants and animals that live in each.
Be able to identify the common types of
ecosystems in their community by their
physical characteristics and identify several
examples of what can live there.
Students will know how each ecosystem is
different and why the plants and animals
that live there are different.
Be able to explain why different plants and
animals are in different types of
water/environments, and how they can survive.
Students will understand how humans
interact with these ecosystems.
Produce a presentation of compiled information
on the human footprint on our environment and
that effect on the atmospheric environment.
Students will understand how to positively
interact with ecosystems and preserve
natural resources.
Generate real-world ideas/projects to
preserve/interact with the ecosystems around us
and preserve our natural resources.
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Enduring Understandings
Insights learned from exploring
generalizations via the essential questions
(Students will understand THAT…)
K-12 enduring understandings are those
understandings that should be developed
over time, they are not expected to be
mastered over one unit or one year.
Overarching Enduring Understandings:
Every action has an effect on one’s
environment and those with whom we
interact.
Unit Specific Enduring Understanding:
Every aquatic ecosystem is sustained due to
a precarious balance, and our interaction
with those environments can affect that
balance.
Essential Questions
Inquiry used to explore generalizations
-In what kinds of ways do humans interact with
the environment?
-Are ecosystems different for humans, animals,
and plant-life?
-How is water essential?
-What is necessary to sustain life on earth
physically and culturally?
Knowledge and Skills
What students are expected to know and be able to do
Knowledge
The aquatic worlds around them and the plants and animals that live therein, as well as how
they affect those and other ecosystems. They will know how to conserve natural resources.
Skills
Interact with the environment and ecosystems around their immediate surroundings with a
positive or negligible footprint, as well as conserve natural resources.
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Stage 2
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings,
knowledge, and skills? (describes the learning activity in “story” form. Typically, the P.T.
describes a scenario or situation that requires students to apply knowledge and skills to
demonstrate their understanding in a real life situation. Describe your performance task scenario
below)
By what criteria will performances of understanding be judged?
GRASPS Elements of the Performance Task
G – Goal
GOAL: The goal within this scenario is to create your own
What should students
ecosystem using the mind mapping section of the Mindmeister
accomplish by completing
page created for your class and then a poster representation with
this task?
oral presentation
R – Role
What role (perspective) will ROLE: You are an animal caretaker at a zoo assigned to create an
aquatic animal enclosure.
your students be taking?
A – Audience
AUDIENCE: The target audience for this task is the zoo curator.
Who is the relevant
audience?
SITUATION: You will need to individually research the animal in
question, its environment, food sources, predators, and the role of
S – Situation
humans in its natural habitat to demonstrate an understanding of
The context or challenge
the interactions and balance within an ecosystem, as well as
provided to the student.
human impact.
P – Product, Performance
What product/performance
will the student create?
S – Standards & Criteria
for Success
See Appendix (B) for rubric
PRODUCT/PERFORMANCE:
-Mindmap – present the mindmap that each student used to
brainstorm the ecosystem and show the research they did
individually.
-Poster - the product you are creating will demonstrate a
sustainable ecosystem that takes into account the animal in
question, the environment required to sustain it, the plant life
required, the food source(s), and safety of the animal and zoo
staff. You will create in groups a poster with all of this
information.
-Presentation – you will orally present your findings to the class.
-Minecraft – you will virtually create the ecosystem as you go to
aid in understanding.
The ecosystem (project) will need to include:
-The mindmap of each group member
-Two plants either preferred or required for the animal
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-Two natural predators of the animal and their food sources
-Two food sources for the animal and ability to acquire them
-Three natural resources that are present in the animal’s natural
environment (this can include the food sources, but can also be
other plants, water sources, or weather)
-An explanation of known human interaction with the animal’s
natural habitat and at least two impacts it has on the ecosystem.
-A list of safety requirements, based on the animal’s
characteristics
-A neat and organized poster depicting all of this, including
illustrations
-A virtual representation of the ecosystem
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence (work samples,
observations, quizzes, tests, journals or other
means) will students demonstrate achievement
of the desired results? Formative and
summative assessments used throughout the
unit to arrive at the outcomes.
•Students will have parental interaction
worksheets as homework.
•Students will be able to demonstrate their
understanding through individual study, a
presentation, a field trip and post field trip
journal entry, creation of a theoretical
ecosystem, and proof of a resource
conservation technique at their home.
•Students will also engage in written work,
peer review, quizzes, oral presentation, peer
collaboration/discussion, hands on experience,
collaboration with parents and the classroom
aquarium, and minecraft to virtually create the
ecosystem for the poster/presentation.
Student Self-Assessment
How will students reflect upon or self-assess
their learning?
•Students will be able to rethink, revisit, and
sometimes revise their work throughout their
group projects, as well as throughout and after
the completion of their webquest. Through the
creation of a poster/presentation that will span
the entire unit, they will be rethinking all
aspects as information is added and revisited.
They will also write a journal entries.
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Stage 3
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
What teaching and learning experiences will you use to:
 achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1?
 equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the
students know where they are going?
What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners
been ascertained? Have the learners been part of the pre-planning in any way? What
individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed?
Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical
environment be arranged to enhance learning?
•By the end of the unit, students will have a better understanding of the environment around
them, specifically aquatic ecosystems. They will understand that humans play a key role in
maintaining the balance of these ecosystems. Finally, they will understand natural resources and
how pivotal humans are to conserving them through critical decision making and responsible
use.
•Learners will know and understand the components of aquatic ecosystems, how they are
sustained, and how humans interact with them. They will also know and understand what natural
resources are, where they come from, and how to conserve them.
•Learners will be pre-assessed in their knowledge, skill, understandings, and attitudes of
ecosystems, human interaction with the environment, and resource preservation using surveys
and a quiz. They will not have been part of the pre-planning.
•Students will be given an outline of the unit itself, and the required assignments for the unit, as
well as rubrics for the poster/presentation, webquest, and post-field trip journal entry. They will
also have a checksheet for the poster project.
•Variability of learners is considered and addressed by utilization of many different modalities of
learning and assessment incorporated into the learning plan. Lecture and accompanying visual
presentation, computer/internet use, written work, self-assessment and peer review, quizzes,
mindmapping, oral presentation, visual art creation, peer collaboration/discussion, hands on
experience, collaboration with parents and the classroom aquarium, and minecraft to virtually
create the ecosystem for the poster/presentation will all be utilized to make the unit effective and
promote transfer of knowledge and understanding.
•The learning environment will be the classroom, online, in peer groups, at home, and on a field
trip. The physical environment will be enhanced by enabling group work, as well as with the
classroom aquarium.
How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)
•Students will be engaged first by asking essential questions, discussing the natural environment
that surrounds each student every day, and by presentation of the pieces of a class aquarium that
will be assembled as more and more information is discovered in the unit.
What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and
essential questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and
knowledge?
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#
Lesson Title
Lesson Activities
1
-Have students fill out survey to assess
understanding of and interest in aquatic ecosystems
and natural resource conservation.
-Present essential questions and unit outline.
-Have students complete quiz on various aspects of
unit.
-Introduce components of classroom aquarium that
will be built as knowledge increases throughout the
unit.
-Present lecture on ecosystems, what makes them up,
Water Cycle and how they balance.
and Aquatic -Present lecture on water cycle and types of water.
Ecosystems -Students conduct individual research through
Webquest on ecosystems and human interaction.
-Students complete journal entry and have teacher
led discussion about the essential questions.
-Present lecture on natural resources.
Natural
-Have discussion about natural resources in the
Resources
immediate community.
and
-Guest lecturer from waste treatment plant/recycling
Conservation plant visits and discusses resource conservation.
-Complete quiz on unit material thus far.
-Field trip to nature center.
-Complete homework with parents on resource
conservation in the home and community.
-Add elements to classroom aquarium.
-Present rubric and outline for zoo project.
Zoo Project -Students conduct individual research.
-Students complete mindmap.
-Students get together in group and appointed group
leader takes charge to begin creating poster utilizing
checksheet and rubric.
-Students utilize Minecraft to virtually create the
enclosure they are envisioning.
-Students present project orally.
-Students evaluate peer projects utilizing rubric and
checksheet.
-Have discussion about essential questions and
ability to answer them, or portions of them.
-Add elements to classroom aquarium.
-Students complete journal entry.
Post
-Students complete pre-assessment quiz.
Assessment -Complete set up of classroom aquarium by adding
plants and animals.
CCCs
Resources
Introduction
2
3
4
5
Zunal.com
Community
nature
center and
community
services
Mindmeister
Minecraft
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Checking for UDL Principles
Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)
Considerations
Comments
Required Areas of Study:
Is there alignment between
outcomes, performance assessment
and learning experiences?
As per Appendix (C), there is direct alignment
between the desired outcomes of the unit, the
performance assessments utilized, and the learning
experiences.
Adaptive Dimension:
Have I made purposeful adjustments
to the curriculum content (not
outcomes), instructional practices,
and/or the learning environment to
meet the learning needs and
diversities of all my students?
For struggling students:
-There is time built in during individual investigation
periods, as well as group work, for teacher-student
interaction.
-The pre-assessment is designed to highlight which
students may struggle due to knowledge level.
-Feedback to parents who will be engaging during
homework will enable additional assistance.
-Students who need additional challenge will be
assigned as mentors and tutors for those students really
struggling.
-Webquest, mindmaps, and journal entries will quickly
show who is struggling the most, and so more
individual attention can be paid to those students
through teacher-student interaction and feedback on
the webquest, mindmaps, and journal entries.
-Multiple forms of teaching and assessment are built
into the curriculum to enable all students to succeed.
For students who need a challenge:
-Multiple forms of teaching and assessment are built
into the curriculum to enable all students to be
challenged and succeed.
-Students who need a challenge will be utilized to
mentor and tutor those students who are struggling,
and will be assigned as group leaders.
-Students who need a challenge will be assigned to
search for and evaluate related and useful webquests,
and will be given the opportunity to work with the
community to come up with additional natural
resource management and conservation practices.
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References
Callison, D. (1998). Authentic Assessment. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 14(5).
Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/edchoice/S
LMQ_AuthenticAssessment_InfoPower.pdf.
D Huff. (2007, Jun 16). Understanding by Design: Essential Questions. [Web log comment].
Retrieved from
http://www.huffenglish.com/understanding-by-design-essential-questions/.
Gorski, P. (2010). The Challenge of Defining Multicultural Education. EdChange. Retrieved
from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/initial.html.
Ogunnaike, Y. (2015). Early Childhood Education and Human Factor: Connecting Theories and
Perspectives. Review of Human Factor Studies, 21(1), 9-26.
Pollock, M. (2012). Stereotype Threat. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abi_KPVlLJo.
Post University. Developing Instructional Goals: Universal Design for Learning Instructional
Model [PDF document]. Retrieved from
https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-2855805-dt-content-rid24103450_1/courses/EDU603.901202035642/Documents/EDU603%20%20Unit%201%20Lecture%20Notes.pdf.
Post University. Learner Profiles and Planning Pyramids [PDF document]. Retrieved from
https://post.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-2855810-dt-content-rid-
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24103452_1/courses/EDU603.901202035642/Documents/EDU603%20%20Unit%202%20Lecture%20Notes.pdf.
Post University. Using the GRASPS tool for authentic assessment [PDF document]. Retrieved
from
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R Cash. (2014, Aug 28). Cash in on Learning: Engaging and Authentic Learning Through
Essential Questions. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from
http://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2014/08/28/cash-in-on-learning-engaging-andauthentic-learning-through-essential-questions/.
Standards of Learning Documents for Science – Adopted 2010. (2010). Fairfax County Public
Schools. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/index.shtml.
Student Profiles. (n.d.). British Columbia Ministry of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.udlresource.ca/?p=1632.
University College Dublin (UCD). (n.d.). Education Theory. Retrieved from
http://www.ucdoer.ie/index.php/Education_Theory.
US Census Bureau. (2015). State and County Quickfacts. Retrieved from
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51000.html.
Wiggins, G. (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research &
Evaluation, 2(2). Retrieved from http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=2&n=2%20.
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Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Assoc. for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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Appendices
Appendix (A): Planning Pyramid
KNOWLEDGE:
Some students will know:
• the water cycle involves several processes.
• organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate.
• the different sources of salt water and fresh water.
• how plants and animals, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with one another and with
the nonliving components in the ecosystem.
Most students will know:
• the energy from the sun drives the water cycle
• the effects of human activity on the quality of air, water, and habitat.
• conservation and resource renewal.
• how to make informed decisions regarding contemporary issues, taking into account public
policy and legislation, economic costs/benefits, respect for living things, and personal
responsibility.
• how salinity and oxygen levels in water are affected by humans and by natural means.
• how to interact with the environment and ecosystems around their immediate surroundings with
a positive or negligible footprint.
All students will know:
• there are many sources of water on Earth.
• water is essential for living things.
• water on Earth is limited and needs to be conserved.
• natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species and ecosystems.
• the interdependency of plants and animals.
• the major components essential to sustain life in each type of body of water.
• influences of human activity on ecosystems.
• why life is more sustainable in shallower water.
• the different ways that humans and animals utilize water.
• how fish breathe and how mammals that live in the water breathe.
• practical ideas for water resource conservation in our homes.
• aquatic ecosystems around them and the plants and animals that live therein.
UNDERSTANDING:
Some students will understand:
• the water cycle involves several processes.
• how plants and animals, including humans, in an ecosystem interact with one another and with
the nonliving components in the ecosystem.
• organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate.
Most students will understand:
• the energy from the sun drives the water cycle
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• the effects of human activity on the quality of air, water, and habitat.
• conservation and resource renewal.
• how to make informed decisions regarding contemporary issues, taking into account public
policy and legislation, economic costs/benefits, respect for living things, and personal
responsibility.
• how salinity and oxygen levels in water are affected by humans and by natural means.
• how to interact with the environment and ecosystems around their immediate surroundings with
a positive or negligible footprint.
All students will understand:
• there are many sources of water on Earth.
• water is essential for living things.
• water on Earth is limited and needs to be conserved.
• natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species and ecosystems.
• the interdependency of plants and animals.
• the major components essential to sustain life in each type of body of water.
• influences of human activity on ecosystems.
• why life is more sustainable in shallower water.
• the different ways that humans and animals utilize water.
• how fish breathe and how mammals that live in the water breathe.
• practical ideas for water resource conservation in our homes.
DEMONSTRATION:
Some students will be able to demonstrate:
• the water cycle involves several processes.
• the different sources of salt water and fresh water.
• organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate.
Most students will be able to demonstrate:
• the energy from the sun drives the water cycle
• the effects of human activity on the quality of air, water, and habitat.
• conservation and resource renewal.
• how to make informed decisions regarding contemporary issues, taking into account public
policy and legislation, economic costs/benefits, respect for living things, and personal
responsibility.
• how to interact with the environment and ecosystems around their immediate surroundings with
a positive or negligible footprint.
All students will be able to demonstrate:
• there are many sources of water on Earth.
• water is essential for living things.
• water on Earth is limited and needs to be conserved.
• natural events and human influences can affect the survival of species and ecosystems.
• the major components essential to sustain life in each type of body of water.
• the interdependency of plants and animals.
EDU 603 FINAL PROJECT
• influences of human activity on ecosystems.
• the different ways that humans and animals utilize water.
• practical ideas for water resource conservation in our homes.
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EDU 603 FINAL PROJECT
22
Appendix (B): Performance Task Rubric
CRITERIA
Fully Developed
to Proficient
(100 – 85 Points)
Proficient to
Partially
Developed
(85 - 71 Points)
Meets
Minimum
Criteria
(70-61 Points)
Mindmap
All aspects of
ecosystem included
in research and
subsequent
mindmap; clear that
student put time
and effort into
creation.
Most aspects of
ecosystem
included in
research and
subsequent
mindmap; student
put at least some
time and effort into
creation.
Only a few
aspects of
ecosystem
included in
research and
subsequent
mindmap; student
put minimal time
and effort into
creation.
Poster Creation
Student
participates fully
within group in
creation of poster
and contributes
research and ideas.
Student partially
participates and
offers incomplete
research.
Student
participates
minimally and
offers
incomplete
research.
Student
barely or
does not
participate
and offers
little to no
research.
Poster Content
All requirements
laid out by
performance task
outline are included
in poster.
Most required
elements included
in poster.
Some required
elements included
in poster.
Very few or no
required
elements
included in
poster.
Writing/Grammar/
Neatness on Poster
Writing and format
is clear,
grammatically
correct, and neatly
laid out.
Few errors that do
not hinder
understanding;
mostly neat.
Many errors that
somewhat hinder
understanding;
haphazard work.
Deficient
(60-0 Points)
No or little
research
completed and
little to no time
or effort put into
creation.
Errors that
clearly
demonstrate lack
of editing and
significantly
hinder
understanding
and visual
appeal.
EDU 603 FINAL PROJECT
Appendix (C): Unit Self-Assessment Rubric
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EDU 603 FINAL PROJECT
24
Appendix (D): Sample Student Profile
Student Learning Profile in Literature for Toby Toyota
Strengths
Needs
Interests
Good reading
comprehension
Easily distracted and
needs finite directions to
understand tasking
Fiction and graphic
novels
Strategy
Writing and making
connections between
other types of
literature
Verbal expression of
ideas
Drawing/illustrating
Affect
Enjoys being part of a
group and is social
Struggles with solitary
work; needs interaction
Loves stories and
wants to write
graphic novels
Recognition