Jen Curry, Lauren Olson, Carly Sullivan & Jenna Nicolas
EDT 252, EDT 246 & EDL 318M
Spring 2013
Team Organization
1. Organizational Structure of Orbit Intermediate
Belief Statement:
At Orbit Intermediate, we believe that students should be the center of all
curriculum and school organization. We believe that the immersion of our
students into the community and our community into our classroom is
crucial for success, and that the best way to achieve this balance is through
service learning and hands-on involvement. We believe the middle childhood
student is an individual and learns best when they are interested in what
they are learning, and immersed through bodily-kinesthetic and tactile
learning. We believe that the teacher’s biggest role is to be a mentor to his or
her students, to be an advocate in the ability of every student to succeed, and
to be a guide to them in their journey to reach their full potential and selfawareness. We believe that the best way to develop literate students is to
immerse them in literacy and allow them to develop alongside their peers
and have support from their home environment. We believe that students
are most engaged with literacy when they are correctly supported but have
adequate options based upon interest. Finally, we believe that the purpose of
school is to instill in students a love of learning, a passion for continuing their
education and a belief that their contributions can make a difference.
Team Expectations:
o The teacher should involve the family in his or her classroom as much
as possible, and make the education of the student a community
endeavor.
o Family should encourage reading in the home environment and spur
the early development of literacy. The parent/guardian should act as a
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model for the student in both reading and writing. This is supported
by the family literacy theory, which according to Diane H. Tracey and
Lesley Mandel Morrow in the book Lenses On Reading, is a theory that
says “although excellent formal reading instruction can ensure
success in literacy even for high-risk readers, substantial efforts to
recruit the partnership of families greatly increase the chances of
success” (Tracey & Morrow, 2012, p. 102).
The wellness and health of the student is important; students should
leave our school feeling safe, confident in themselves, and aware of
their health.
The students should have opportunities to explore any interest they
have through extracurricular activities.
Students should be aware of their place in the larger Chicago
community and be an active participant within it.
The curriculum should have a strong component of service learning
and the student should be involved in the process of organizing any
project that they want to be a part of.
A relationship of mutual respect should be developed between
teacher and student. When students are given more responsibility and
treated as individuals, they are more likely to step up, take charge of
their learning, and treat teachers with respect.
Homeroom teachers are an advocate for their homeroom students.
These teachers should focus upon establishing true connections with
their homeroom students, getting to know these students, and helping
connect these students with other resources and personnel in the
school building and surrounding community. These teachers are a
mentor and role model for their assigned homeroom class.
Students should be encouraged to work with others and successfully
cooperate with all types of learners and people.
Students will get over 2 hours of choice reading time a week during
the school day to improve literacy skills, language, and develop an
inclination toward reading. According to Rousseau, children’s
curiosity in learning plays a central role. Reading materials should be
of interest to a variety of learners, according to his Unfoldment
Theory (Tracey & Morrow, 2012, p. 32-25).
Teachers should be approachable, open-minded, and make an effort to
get to know each their students.
Teachers should not pass judgment on a student or his or her family.
Teachers should make an effort to be welcoming and open to all
individuals they interact with.
Teachers should reach all Ohio Standards for Education, but through
creative activities; teachers should be open to teaching beyond the
textbook, and are encouraged to do so.
Orbit Intermediate is a place for 5th and 6th graders to feel accepted,
challenged, and valued.
Organizational Structure of The Team:
o Blocked scheduling
o 9 week grading periods; student schedules remain the same for the
entirety of the school year. Orbit Intermediate feels that students
should have more variety in coursework throughout the entire school
year, which occurs through the variety that the special/cluster block
schedule provides.
o Clusters:
Clusters take place each Wednesday afternoon. They are
designed to fit both student strength and interest. Cluster
groups are not divided by age, grade, or academic ability. 5th
and 6th grade students will have the opportunity to interact
and develop relationships with each other because they will
be spending time together in their clusters each week. They
strictly focus upon student passions, and potential future
career exploration. Student cluster groups will be divided
based upon multiple intelligence/modality tests and student
interest surveys that give students a voice as to what cluster
they will be a part of. These unique classes will include
mentors from the community guest speaking, hands on work
and volunteering, and field trips to locations in Chicago that fit
the specific cluster’s interests. Each cluster will also take a
field trip to the Wrigley Corporation to see how their interests
and strengths fit into real world scenarios through the
corporation that sponsors us. Lastly, each cluster group will
work together to choose a text quarterly as a group. Choosing
class texts supports the ideals of the Unfoldment Theory,
which emphasizes the growth of children’s knowledge base
spurred by natural curiosity of surroundings. (Tracey &
Morrow, 2012, p. 32-25).
o Example Clusters:
o Art
 Art History
 Contemporary Art Museum
 Wrigley (marketing design)
 Volunteer (painting fences or walls within
the community)
o Kinesthetic/Tactile
 Wrigley Field
 Sport History and sport health
 Kid’s Science Museum COSI
 Oberweis Dairy (hands on work)
 Pack food for local shelter (Lincoln Park
Community Shelter)
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Verbal
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Wrapping Holiday gifts
Cooking, visit a local chef
Food pantry
Kids Science Museum COSI
Adler Planetarium
Wrigley (package design)
Volunteer for the day painting rundown
buildings
Creative Writing
Speech and debate
Attend speeches, author talks
Book club
Children’s Theater
Comedy Theater kid friendly workshop
Community problem awareness speeches,
writing thank you notes to local
businesses
Deliver mail to Nursing Home Residents
Spatial
Navy Pier layout
Skydeck (architecture)
Help clean up a park or community area
Auditory
 Concert
 Broadway show
 Opera Theater
 Benefit concert
Math/Logic
 Business
 Volunteer (help tutor other kids)
 Naturalistic
 Shedd Aquarium
 Community gardening (important for
inner city)
 Adler Planetarium
 The Field Museum
 Volunteer (community garden,
planting seeds in the Beaubien Woods)
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Team Organization
 Teams are organized by grade, clusters are organized by
interest/multiple intelligence (age/grade are not factors;
multigrade).
 2 teachers per “teaching team” (who work together to plan
lessons according to curriculum)
2 teaching teams per grade
4 general ed teachers PER GRADE LEVEL
 5th grade
o 2 LA/SS teachers
o 2 M/SCI teachers
 6th grade
o 2 LA/SS teachers
o 2 M/SCI teachers
 2 foreign language teachers (1 spanish, 1 ASL)
 1 music teacher
 1 art teacher
 1 PE teacher-this teacher also incorporates health studies into
the PE program
 1 “Skills for Adolescents” teacher
 2 gifted and talented teachers, 1 per grade. These teachers will
pull out specific students during the week to further enhance
their learning.
 2 special ed teachers, 1 per each grade. Special ed teachers
have their own classroom for specific pull-out necessities,
providing them with the Least Restrictive Environment.
 4 floating aids, to be used where needed
 1 floating ELL teacher, to be used where needed.
Technology
 Technology will be heavily incorporated into each classroom.
Students will each have individual laptops/cases that they will
use in class and have the opportunity to take home. These
computers will be carried to all of their classrooms, and be
used for in class activities, as well as their textbook
information. Thanks to these laptops, there will be no need for
computer labs nor textbooks signed out to each student (there
will be just one classroom set of texts per teacher) within Orbit
Intermediate. Each teacher will have a printer in his/her
classroom, that the student’s laptops will be able to print to
during the class period. This process will make turning in easyto-read essays, graphics, and assignments a quick and
convenient process. This constant interaction with laptops will
help further students’ typing abilities and computer usage
skills. Each classroom will have a smartboard, and each teacher
will have an ELMO projection system as well.
Class Types
 Homeroom every morning
o Attendance taken and turned in
o Announcements
o Pledge of Allegiance
o Each morning, one student will share an artifact,
quote, or “first word” to get the day started. This
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should be something that is meaningful to the
student and inspiring to his or her classmates.
This activity will spark a community
environment within the homeroom. The
homeroom teacher will also share regularly
during this activity.
o The most important role of the homeroom
teacher is to be a mentor and advocate for their
homeroom students.
Math & Science
 Blocked together; these teachers will have flexibility to
create lessons, assignments, and activities that
incorporate the interaction of these two main subject
areas. It is up to the teachers’ discretion how this time is
divided up (for example, if one full day needs to be
spent focused upon a heavy math subject, that could be
the objective of the entire block period).
Language Arts & Social Studies
 Responsible for getting students to the library once a
month to check out books.
 Every Language Arts classroom should provide a
literacy center to foster student curiosity toward
reading and social collaboration with texts. This should
include a variety of levels of text that are
developmentally appropriate, comfortable seating such
as bean bag chairs or rugs, and a check-in/check-out
system. This is supported by the Lenses text; it discusses
how literacy centers “are designed to capture and build
on children’s natural curiosity about their
surroundings” (Tracey & Morrow, 2012, p. 33).
 Blocked together, identically to the math and science
block.
Daily Specials
 Foreign Language & Literacy
o Spanish (option 1)
o American Sign Language (option 2)
o Literacy time spent reading (comes with either
option)
 Time will be spent doing outside reading
in a quiet environment. According to John
Dewey, though a teacher’s job is to create
an exciting and interesting classroom, in
the end, a student’s motivation comes
from within. A student “must actively
create his or her own learning” (Tracey &
Morrow, 2012, p. 60-61).
This time can also be used as a flexible
study hall time where students have the
opportunity to get extra help from
teachers, make up tests, or get ahead with
assignments.
Art & Music Class
o Art Units
 Fiber Arts
 Digital Image Design
 Drawing
 Sculpture
 Photography
o Music
 Each student receives a recorder and also
learns how to play various classroom
instruments (drums, xylophone,
tambourine, cymbals, etc)
 All students learn music and sing, for a
concert they put on each semester
together
 Study of music, musical history
 Electronic Music
P.E. & Health
o Units
 Dance
 Yoga
 Individual Fitness
 Group Sports
 Sex Education - usually called Human
Sexuality
 Health lessons and exercise during this
block
 Visits from school nurse, dietitian,
cafeteria workers, etc.
Skills for Adolescence
o Students will be encouraged to further
themselves as individuals and figure out how
they can best contribute to society.
o Helps students communicate better with family
and friends, and improve peer relationships.
o Helps students strengthen self-esteem.
o Explore and celebrate family diversity
o Develop an awareness for negative effects of
alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, and gun violence.
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Discuss gun violence in depth, how to deal with
hazardous situations, and mentality behind gun
safety.
Set goals for healthy living.
Learn about different occupations and their
contributions.
Promotes decision making.
Solving problems based upon facts rather than
through peer pressure and the media.
Manage emotions in positive ways.
Creates support system for students going
through this transition period within their lives.
Students create projects, watch videos, and talk
to one another about various subjects such as
bullying, friendship, and relationships.
Counselors will be in and out of skills classes
constantly, helping teach lessons and giving
advice, as well as acting as resources for students
to talk to.
Programs and Policies The Foster Health, Wellness & Safety
o Currently at Miriam G. Canter Middle School (the school that Orbit
Intermediate is revamping), 96.6% of misconducts end in suspensions
with an average of 2.5 days.
 To eradicate this, our counselors and teachers will work
together to promote good behavior and promoting
accountability and respect.
 Level 1: discussion with teacher
 Level 2: meeting with parents, teacher, counselor
 Level 3: meeting, write an essay and figure out a way to
make up problem, then do that
 Level 4: meeting, essay, suspension.
o 4 Counselors each have their own program/area of focus that they go
to conferences about and put programs together about for each
semester.
 Assembly is presented to the school once a month that
counselors rotate between. Guest speakers, important topics
also included on Wednesdays during cluster.
 PROGRAM 1: D.A.R.E.
 Red Ribbon Week
 D.A.R.E graduation assembly
 Guest speakers
 PROGRAM 2: Health and Hygiene
 Sex education
 5Ks
Triathlon
“Fun” ways to be active
Dieting and Healthy Eating
o After school program that shows them how to
eat healthy
o Helps school decide what food is served for
lunch
 “How to wear your backpack!” Program
 Guest speakers
PROGRAM 3: Bullying and Social Relationships
 Diversity talks
 Anti-Suicide programs
 Bullying
 Tragedy discussions (September 11th, Sandy Hook, etc.)
 Grief
 Guest Speakers
 Anti-Violence
PROGRAM 4: Head of the Clusters
 Helps to place and test all students
 Gets the mentors from the community
 Helps to organize field trips
 Tries to constantly update the list of available clusters
to fit the needs/wants of the student
 Distributes the intelligence and color test. Also collects
interest surveys and creates cluster system.
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Safety
Fire Drill, Tornado Drill, Lockdown Drill--responsibility of
school officer to organize, arrange, and teach students
procedures. Each classroom should have exit strategies and
instructions for each drill in a visible spot.
Keeping the family updated:
 Each teacher must have a classroom blog updated on a daily
basis, as a way to keep parents, teachers, and families
connected to the classroom. For families who do not have
access to the internet, caretakers can request hard copies of
the blog entries to be sent home daily.
Safety Officer
Metal Detectors for safety in entrance of Orbit.
Character Word of The Month--recognize 2 students from each team
that exemplify this word and invite their parents to hear their
teachers talk about them.
 Friendship
 Community
 Giving
 Passionate
 Accepting
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Helpful
Etc.
Free breakfast and lunch programs offered based on need
Carrot/fruit vending machines, only sell water in vending machines
Snack Shop: healthy options
 Baked chips
 Fruit
 Water
 Etc.
Recycling Programs
Students should wait 24 hours after a fever breaks to re-enter school
building.
**If an extracurricular is not offered that a student believes would be
a valuable addition to the school, they will have the opportunity to
petition for funding to create their own club.**
Extracurricular Ideas
 Power of the Pen: Writing competition group
 Destination Imagination: creative problem solving group that
goes to competitions across Chicago area.
 CODING: Learn how computer coding works, design different
games, design websites, etc. Prepare students for a possible
future in coding because it is a growing field.
 Theater
 Acapella Group/Glee Club
 Go Green Club: Promotes “green” activity throughout the
school and local community.
 Newspaper
 Homework Club: place to go after school for help from teachers
and peers, good for students who don’t have adult supervision
at home right after school.
 Yearbook
 Newscast: Puts together monthly newscast video about what is
happening at Orbit Intermediate.
 Anti-Bullying Campaign: Promote different friendship
activities, random acts of kindness, etc. throughout Orbit
Intermediate.
 Sports—intramural
 Choir/band/electronic music
 Community Service Club: Monthly service projects of student
choice
 Art Club
 Technology Club
 Student Council
 Foreign Language Club
 Film Club
 Science Fair
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Outdoor Adventure Club
Best Buddies: students who volunteer to spend time with
disabled adults and children in the community--go bowling, do
crafts, watch movies, play games, etc.
 Community Shadowing/Mentor Program
 Ski Club
 Cooking Club
 Math Counts: math competition team
 Book Club
 Scholastic Book Fair
 As stated above, anyone can petition for clubs based on student
interest!
Guidance and Support Services:
o Opportunities for students to assist them with guidance and support
within the school building.
 Academic Advisors:
 2 total
o 1 for 5th grade
o 1 for 6th grade
 In charge of arranging scheduling.
 Meets with every student to help create a schedule that
works for them.
 Office Hours daily for availability to students.
 Counselor
 4 Counselors
o Students have the same counselor for both years
spent at Orbit.
 Has to meet with every student once a semester, at
minimum.
 Counselors are available to help students in making important decisions
regarding courses of study, vocational or career plans, college plans or to
discuss any problem in or out of school that may be causing a student
concern.
 Students, parents, and teachers are urged to consult with the counselors
regarding a student’s academic progress. Students may check on their classes
by making an appointment with one of the counselors.
 If students need help with a problem, they should secure an appointment
with one of the counselors. It is very important that appointments be kept or
to notify the counselor if there is a need to reschedule.
 The Guidance and Counseling Office administers a selected number of tests
for the purpose of helping students to determine aptitudes, scholastic
achievement, and career preferences. The counselors will interpret any of the
results of these tests and inventories to students and parents. Most tests will
be administered to a class as a whole but in some cases, tests will be given to
individuals or small groups.
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The Guidance and Counseling Office has vocational and educational material,
which is available for student use. Students are invited to use this service for
career exploration, and to assist parents and students.
Any student who feels they have been sexually harassed should report the
incident to a counselor or the principal’s office.
2. Background of Students & Community
Students:
 Demographic of Chicago student population
 Socioeconomic Status:
 84% low income students
 Ethnic Groups/English Language Learners:
 91.5% African American students
 4.1% Hispanic students
 3% Caucasian Students
 1.4% Other
 0.4% ELL
 Gender:
 Male: 49% of students
 Female: 51% of students
 Exceptionalities:
 15.7% Special Education
 12.3 % Gifted
 Number of Kids
o 223 Students
o Grouped by grade with the exception of cluster classrooms (explained
below) that are grouped by interest, strengths, and modality.
 109 5th graders
 2 LA/SS teachers
 2 M/SCI teachers
 114 6th Graders
 2 LA/SS teachers
 2 M/SCI teachers
Why Did Wrigley Revamp This School?
Wrigley took on Miriam G. Canter Middle School in their Wrigleyville
community school because it was about to be shut down. It was on probation and
doing poorly, and Wrigley saw this as an opportunity to give children in their
neighborhood a great opportunity.
The students in the school are mostly African American and low income. We
want to make sure that our school provides them with the nutrients and materials
that they need to meet their full potential. We also want to make sure that our
course options, extra curriculars, and school programs help them embrace their
culture, and not make them think that they need to conform to a certain stereotype.
Since our community is low income, we also want to make sure that our
students come out of Orbit Intermediate with the drive and knowledge on how to
make positive changes in their community. Through volunteer projects, mentorship
programs, and field trips the students will have a multitude of experiences that will
help them to become agents of change and positivity in their community.
Highlighting diverse, positive role models in both the world, the country, the
community, the school, and their families will be encouraged and promoted.
High school students in neighboring schools that are chosen as good role
models, based on grades, leadership experience, extracurricular involvement, and
the ability/desire to work with kids, will be a part of the Big Brother Big Sister
program at Orbit Intermediate. They will be paired with students identified as being
high risk in Orbit Intermediate.
Learning Modalities and Multiple Intelligences
 Learning Modalities
o Dominant
 Tactile/Kinesthetic
 Verbal/Linguistic
 Mathematical/Logical
 Multiple Intelligences
o Dominant
 Bodily Kinesthetic
 Linguistic
 Mathematical/Logical
 How we approach these
 Orbit Intermediate tests our students in the beginning
of the year on their “color,” their preferred learning
modality, their multiple intelligences, and survey their
interests. This is a combination of responsibility
between the specific student’s homeroom teacher and
the guidance counselor.
o Place students in the cluster that fits their
learning best so that they have a time every
week to approach learning through their
preferred avenue.
o Also, these test results are given to each of the
student’s academic teachers so that they know
about their students and how they should craft
their lessons based on who is in their classroom.
This also helps the teacher to be able to guide the
student towards a service learning project that
would adequately fit both the curriculum, the
student’s interests, and their strengths.
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Tensions:
While there are many benefits to being located in inner city Chicago,
there are still many issues that our students and community members face. A
crucial one is poverty. 84% of our students come from low-income families
meaning they are likely to face poverty-related issues such as home
problems, low parent involvement, poor diet, and neglect from more affluent
community members. This affects the school environment because middle
childhood students need the correct amount of nutrients and sleep to
function to their full potential in school. If they are not getting the support
from home due to parents working multiple jobs and having to buy nonnutritious food due to lack of funds, our students will be less able to focus
and get the full experience of their education. School lunch and breakfast
programs will be provided to students who are in need and nutrients needed
will try to be provided as much as possible to help this problem.
Due to the high poverty and lack of resources, adults in the home may
not feel comfortable being literacy mentors for our students. Because of this
we will offer a free monthly adult literacy course, taught by our Language
Arts teachers, that available to the whole community. Parents/guardians will
be sent a letter that encourages them to attend these if they feel it will be
beneficial to them and their student learners. According to the Family
Literacy Theory, teachers should create partnerships with parents. These
relationships should be founded upon mutual respect, two way
communication, distribution of reading information to promote their child’s
literacy growth (Tracey & Morrow, 2012, p. 109-110).
Inner city students may have difficulties getting to and from school,
which would negatively affect their attendance, participation, and overall
success in school. One of the issues hindering their attendance may be the
dramatic increase in gun violence in recent years. According to PBS, “not yet
two months into 2013, and the death rate from gun violence in Chicago has
exceeded what it was this time last year. And last year's numbers were awful,
506 total murders in 2012, 16 percent higher than the previous year.” There
have been reports of children being killed, including Hadiya Pendelton, age
15, and Jonylah Watkins, 6 months in recent months, which have both been
tied to family gang association.
We value our students safety above all else, at Orbit Intermediate. We
believe that our students need to be protected. Some safety measures that
have been put into place are metal detectors and a strong anti-drug and antigang stance. These are all issues that will be addressed in our “Skills for
Adolescence” classes as well as school-wide programs and discussions.
But, the major element of Orbit Intermediate that will help with
poverty, violence, and lack of community interest/involvement is our service
learning approach to learning. Service learning not only gives students a way
to apply their learning to the real world and make them have a sense of selfefficacy, but also it helps to generate more community support for our school
and a genuine interest in helping Orbit succeed. We believe that service
learning is the answer to this inner city Chicago school district’s past
struggles, and are passionate about incorporating it as much as possible.
Description of the connections among home, school, and community that our school
and team structure and new curriculum help support
Chicago is an increasingly diverse community. In our particular
location, the S Lake Shore Dr / E 49th St neighborhood, we have more people
of Haitian and Jamaican descent than nearly any neighborhood in America.
1.1% of this neighborhood's residents have Haitian ancestry and 1.3% have
Jamaican ancestry. At Orbit Intermediate we value diversity and encourage
our students to embrace their cultures. Therefore, some Culture Cluster
options we try to offer each semester are Reggae music, Haitian/Jamaican
cooking, and performances by people of these backgrounds.
The neighbors in the S Lake Shore Dr / E 49th St neighborhood in
Chicago are lower-middle income, making it a below average income
neighborhood. Neighborhood Scout's research shows that this neighborhood
has an income lower than 63.6% of U.S. neighborhoods. In addition, 10.9% of
the children seventeen and under living in this neighborhood are living
below the federal poverty line, which is a lower rate of childhood poverty
than is found in 55.9% of America's neighborhoods.
Our curriculum helps to support and improve these conditions. One
major aid in doing this is financial aid from the Wrigley Corporation. Wrigley
simply sponsors our school by giving us funding for facilities, transportation,
and clubs. We are still a public school. Wrigley does this because they have a
strong belief in community and they want to see their surrounding students
have possible job opportunities in their company so that it stays a Chicago
entity. They allow students with an Orbit Intermediate ID to tour things like
Wrigley Field, their factory, their marketing department, their finance
department, etc. We are very grateful for their generosity towards us and try
to give back to them as much as possible.
The biggest way that Orbit Intermediate tries to incorporate the
strengths and weaknesses of the community into the classroom is by having
the approach of our curriculum be service learning. Teachers will
incorporate service projects into the curriculum that go along with the state
standards directly, but also give back to the Chicago community and give the
students a purpose and application to their learning (examples can be seen in
our lesson plan excerpts). This will help them to have authentic assessment
and also give back to the community and create lifelong learners.
3. Lesson Plan Organizers
Lesson Plan Organizer 1
1. TITLE: Fixing the Chicago River Pollution Problem Research
Project
Academic Content Standards: Social Studies
Topic: Civic Participation and Skills
Content Statement: Individuals can better understand public issues by gathering and
interpreting information from multiple sources. Data can be displayed graphically to
effectively and efficiently communicate information.
Grade Level Indicator: Fifth grade
Student Performance Objective:
 Students will be able to use the sources given to identify key problems facing the
Chicago River today.
 Students will be able to create a graphic organizer of their choice to visually
display the main issues facing the Chicago River.
 Students will be able to identify elements of what makes a source a quality
educational resource.
 Students will be able to state and explain what they think is the worst problem
the Chicago River faces today.
Academic Content Standards: Science
Topic: Interactions Within Ecosystems
Content Statement: Organisms perform a variety of roles within the ecosystem.
Grade Level Indicator: Fifth grade
Student Performance Objective:
 Students will be able to perform a simple litmus test on samples of water from
different sources.
 Students will be able to identify the difference in pollution levels.
 Students will be able to explain the negative physical effects of pollution on
bodies of water, the organisms it contains, and the surrounding environment.
 Students will determine how different organisms in the Chicago River and
outside of the Chicago River affect its pollution levels.
New Common Core Standard: Writing
Domain: Writing
Cluster: Research to Build and Present Knowledge
Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several
sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Student Performance Objective:
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Students will be able to find information through different forms of research
(academic journals, news articles, books, educational websites).
Students will present to their classmates in an original video presentation about
pollution that demonstrates the research they accumulated.
Students will be able to utilize effective persuasive strategies.
Students will gain experience with different forms of technology
Students will correctly cite their sources where they found their data and
information.
Key Academic Language: Social Studies
 Chicago River
 Source
 Bias
 Interpreting
 Public Issues
 Civic Participation
Key Academic Language: Science
 Chicago River
 Litmus test
 Pollution
 Chemicals
 Hazard
 Water sources
 Physical effects
 Organism
 pH level
Key Academic Language: Writing
 Audience
 Sources
 Citations
 Research
 Persuasive writing
 Ethos
 Logos
 Pathos
Materials:
 River water samples (from environmentalist speakers)
 Litmus paper
o Class set
 KWL Charts
 Video camera software
o Enough for each partner group
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Library reservation during research days, possibly a book cart from the library is
available
Peer Evaluation forms
o Class set
Voting ballots
o Class set
Grading rubrics to distribute for presentation
o Class set
Projection screen/projector to display videos
5 different types of sources (informational, persuasive, video, audio, historical)
for each partner group
o Half class set
Guest speaker
Make sure students have laptops with them
Procedure
Day 1:
Students will be given a KWL (“Know,” “Want To Know,” “Learned”) chart to fill
out the “K” and “W” portions of upon entry to the classroom with a partner. The KWL
chart is consistent with the Constructivism theory and is thought to be based “on the
belief that children construct their own knowledge during the reading process and that
this construction process can be facilitated through learning experience that activate
existing schemata and build new schemata prior to learning” (Tracey & Morrow,
2012, p. 78). These portions of the chart should be filled out when students are
prompted about pollution problems in the Chicago River. After completing two-thirds
of this chart, students will turn it back into their teacher. On Day 1, a guest speaker will
then come into the class from a Chicago environmentalist group. This advocate will
describe the Chicago River pollution problem in more depth with the students, allowing
them to ask questions and hear firsthand about this environmental issue. Hands on
activity with the guest speaker will include doing a litmus test of varying samples of
river water.
Days 2-5:
Students will be given these class periods as work time to complete their
creative research project. Library access will be permitted, and students can work with
their partners to research on laptops and create their video projects. Teacher will be
readily available to answer questions and provide resources. Teacher will begin the first
day of research with an introductory lesson on persuasive writing and the different
strategies that can be used such as ethos, logos, and pathos. Before the students can
begin their research project, they must fill out a graphic organizer including the
problems facing the Chicago River, why it is a problem, and how it can be fixed.
Day 6:
Partner pairs will present their video project to the class. Teacher will evaluate
project according to her rubric. Students will also fill out a peer evaluation for each pair
of presenters. At the end of the block, students will choose vote on the best video, to be
sent to the Chicago city council.
Day 7:
Students will fill out the “L” portion of their KWL charts, and hear the results of
the vote for which video will be sent onto the Chicago City council.
Differentiations
Learning Modalities
Orbit Intermediate has a majority of students with tactile and kinesthetic
modalities. When the guest speaker comes and has the students do tests on the water
they will be able to experience hands on the effects of pollution on the Chicago River.
The guest speaker’s audio presentation will also appeal to auditory modality
preferences. Also, the visual modalities will enjoy making a video presentation.
Multiple Intelligences
Most of our students are bodily-kinesthetic intelligence which will be utilized
while the guest speaker is at Orbit and they get to do the hands on Litmus test. We also
have a lot of linguistic learners that will benefit from reading the sources, putting the
information in a graphic organizer, and forming the video project. The video project
itself hits on other intelligences including musical, visual, and interpersonal since they
are working in groups.
ELL and Special Education
Appropriate accommodations and support will be given to students who
need it by the ELL teacher and aides.
Background and Culture
At Orbit Intermediate we place a strong emphasis on community involvement,
and this lesson heavily incorporates this. Environmentalists from the community will
be coming in to teach students about the pollution problem in Chicago’s water sources,
specifically the Chicago River. Students will become more aware of the problems facing
their environment, and ways in which to improve conditions. This project will again
encourage students to become active citizens by presenting a video to the city council,
giving them a voice and showing them that they can be agents of change.
Assessment
 Students will perform their own litmus test with the guest speaker who visits
during Day 1.
o Students will be able to perform a simple litmus test on samples of water
from different sources.
o Students will be able to identify the difference in pollution levels.
 Students will turn in a completed KWL chart at the end of the lesson.
o Students will be able to use the sources given to identify key problems
facing the Chicago River today.
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Students will turn in a graphic organizer of their research.
o Students will be able to create a graphic organizer of their choice to
visually display the main issues facing the Chicago River.
o Students will be able to identify elements of what makes a source a
quality educational resource.
o Students will be able to explain the negative physical effects of pollution
on bodies of water, the organisms it contains, and the surrounding
environment.
o Students will determine how different organisms in the Chicago River
and outside of the Chicago River affect its pollution levels.
o Students will be able to find information through different forms of
research (academic journals, news articles, books, educational websites).
Students will present a video research project to the class.
o Students will be able to distinguish what they think is the worst problem
the Chicago River faces today.
o Students will engage their classmates in an original video presentation
about pollution that demonstrates the research they accumulated.
o Students will be able to utilize effective persuasive strategies.
o Students will gain experience with different forms of technology.
o Students will correctly cite their sources where they found their data and
information.
Students will complete peer evaluations of one another’s presentations.
Students will vote on which video they find most effective and persuasive.
Tools to assess:
o Teacher rubric for video project that includes grading points on stating
what they think is the biggest problem with the Chicago River and why,
whether they used at least two of the persuasive strategies discussed in
class, whether they correctly cited the academic sources they used,
correct grammar, and a score category for engagement and creativity.
o Graphic organizer is a formative assessment: used to make sure the
students are getting the correct information before they go onto the
research project.
 Incorporate peer evaluations into score
Lesson Plan Organizer 2
1. Title: Where Plants Like To Grow
Academic Content Standards: Science
Topic: Interconnections within Ecosystems
Content Statement: All of the processes that take place within organisms require
energy.
Grade Level Indicator: Fifth Grade
Student Performance Objective:
 Students will be able to distinguish the different types of tropisms.
 Students will be able to identify specific plant types in the Chicago area.
 Students will be able to choose healthy place for a plant to grow in Chicago.
 Students will be able to verbally explain the scientific method.
 Students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis.
New Common Core Standard: Writing
Domain: Writing
Cluster: Production and Distribution of Writing
Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Student Performance Objective:
 Students will write a letter to a city representative explaining why we should
plant more community gardens, and where they would be most effectively
located based on location.
New Common Core Standard: Mathematics
Domain: Measurement and Data
Cluster: Represent and Interpret Data
Standard: CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.B.2 Make a line plot to display a data set of
measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Use operations on fractions for this
grade to solve problems involving information presented in line plots.
Student Performance Objectives:
 Students will create a line plot to display data collected at each location.
 Students will be able to determine what fraction of the whole each tropism is.
 Students will be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions in order to
measure and compare growth of plants.
Key Academic Language: Science
 DNA
 Environment
 Tropism
 Gravity
 Gravitropism
 Phototropism
 Stem
 Thigmotropism
 Growth hormone
 Vacuoles

Photosynthesis
Key Academic Language: Writing
 Persuasive writing
 Target audience
 Professionalism
 Purpose
 Heading
 Date
 Address
 Salutation
 Body
 Complimentary Close
 Signature
Key Academic Language: Math
 Line Plot
 X-axis and Y-axis
 Labels
 Data
 Fractions
Materials Needed
 Clipboards
o Class set
 Worksheets for lab information/notes
o Class set
 Lab worksheet to take on field trip
o Class set
 Graph paper to create line plots
o One for every group of 4
 Colored pencils for creating line plots
o Class set
 School busses--transportation to various venues to see plants
 Cameras to shoot photos of plants
o One for every group of 4
 Congressman’s address
 Stationery, envelopes, stamps
o One for every group of 4
Procedure
Day 1:
Teacher will give an introductory lecture about the different types of
tropisms and what tropism means. The students will fill out the fill-in-the-blank
worksheet that goes along with the presentation. This worksheet will give them a
guide to look back on when identifying plants in the field. There will also be a photo
display for students to see different plant types and tropisms.
Day 2:
Bus to 3 locations that students voted upon. The field trip will take up both
academic blocks of this day.. During this field trip, students will use their lab
worksheet and clipboard to record the tropisms they see. Cameras will be passed
out to lab groups as well, so students can shoot photos of plants they see so they can
use the evidence in their final project and as evidence for their letter to the
Congressman.
Day 3:
Back in the lab, lab groups will spend time analyzing data, making sure all
group members have completed lecture and lab worksheets, and creating line plots.
Students will turn in these 3 completed elements at the end of the period. This
element of the lesson is consistent with the Inquiry Based Learning theory.
According to Lenses, “to optimize learning students need to formulate hypotheses,
collect data to test hypotheses, draw conclusions, and reflect on the original
problem and the thinking processes need to solve it” (Tracey & Morrow, 2012, p.
60). We are using this theory when the students go through the scientific process.
Day 4:
Teacher will begin the class with a review on letter writing. Students will
write a letter to their to their local congressman, explaining their findings on where
gardens grow productively in Chicago, why gardens are important to the
community, and where they wish to plant more healthy, productive plants. By the
end of the period, students will each turn in a letter to their local congressman. They
will also complete an exit slip to prove their understanding of tropes, line plots, and
letter writing.
Day 5:
Students will spend their block period planting flowers in their community,
in an area in need that the class votes upon where they believe their new garden will
grow productively.
Differentiations
Learning Modalities
The majority of our students prefer learning through tactile and kinesthetic
lessons. accommodate this need, the lesson includes a lot of hands on activities and
gets them out in the field to experience the real world application of tropisms.
Through touching the plants and seeing what direction it is leaning towards, taking
pictures of the plants, and planting the actual garden at the end of the lesson,
students will have a lot of hands on experience.
We also incorporate visual and auditory modalities through the beginning
note session.
Multiple Intelligences
Most of our students are bodily kinesthetic, linguistic, and mathematicallogical intelligences. This lesson tries to incorporate these intelligences as much as
possible while also including intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences as well.
The bodily kinesthetic students will find comfort in physically planting the plants
and going out into the field to handle the different types of tropisms that they have
learned about. The linguistic learners will enjoy writing a letter to the Congressman
to explain verbally what they have learned and how it applies to the community.
Through the line plots and data collection, mathematical-logical students will find
their comfort zone.
Also, through working in a group setting, we are helping the students grow in
their interpersonal intelligence and through planting the plants and dealing with
nature we are touching upon naturalistic intelligences.
ELLs and Special Education
Appropriate accommodations and support will be given to students who
need it by the ELL teacher and aides.
Background/Culture Connections
Our school has a strong emphasis on giving back to the community. We
decided to incorporate an aspect of service learning at the end of this project. The
students will vote on a good place to go and plant flowers in the community. This act
of kindness will be a way for the students to better the community and keep their
environment pretty. The letter writing portion will encourage students to take their
ideas and concerns to their government representatives, helping them to feel
empowered by being able to voice their views and opinions.
Assessment
 Students will return a fill-in-the-blank worksheet, completed during the Day
1 lecture at the end of Day 1.
o Students will be able to verbally explain the scientific method.
o Students will be able to explain the process of photosynthesis.

By the end of the Day 2 field trip, students will turn in their completed lab
worksheet.
o Students will be able to identify specific plant types in the Chicago
area.
o Though the lab worksheet will be done in groups, students will return
a worksheet that states the contributions of each group member (peer
assessment), as well as his/her individual contributions to the group
(self-assessment).
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Students will turn in completed line plots, showing the data they recorded
during the field trip. These will be due at the end of Day 3.
o Students will be able to distinguish the different types of tropisms.
o Students will be able to choose healthy place for a plant to grow in
Chicago.
o Students will create a line plot to display data collected at each
location.
o
o
Students will be able to determine what fraction of the whole each
tropism is.
Students will be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions in
order to measure and compare growth of plants.

Students will turn in a letter to their senator at the end of Day 4, which is
formatted according to the lesson given.
o Students will write a letter to a city representative explaining why we
should plant more community gardens, and where they would be
most effectively located based on location.

Students will turn in an exit slip at the end of Day 4, to reveal their growth
and understanding of tropisms, line plots, and letter writing.
o Encompasses all performance objectives.
4. Ohio Standards for Educators
1. Focus of teaching and learning
a.
Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the
diversity of the students they teach
i.
At the beginning of each school year, students will be asked to take interest
surveys, learner modality profile questionnaires, intelligences surveys, and student
“color” evaluations.
1. The results of these will be used to create cohorts based
upon student needs and interests, so they can benefit most
greatly from cohort involvement.
2. In addition, all content area teachers will be able to know
how to best curtail lessons and assignments to their
students.
b.
Teachers know and understand the content area for which they have
instructional responsibility.
.
Teacher responsibilities are strictly laid out. The previous text outlines their
responsibilities as homeroom teacher and advisor to these students, as well as their
responsibilities as an academic teacher. Teaching teams have been designed to keep
educators on task, on track with the school’s curriculum, and on course with the state
standards.
i.
With the service learning projects, teachers need to know the standards that
their students much reach in their chosen project inside and out. This way, they can
help their students fine tune their projects so that they are learning what they need to
know for end of the year assessment without just teaching to the test.
c.
Teachers understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction,
evaluate, and ensure student learning.
.
Service learning
1. Must be extremely autonomous to the student with
teacher intervention as far as time management and state
standard completion.
a.
b.
Clear learning goals
How it relates to each subject
2. Must fit the student’s strengths and interests so that they
are interested and motivated to do it.
d.
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of
each individual student.
.
Intelligence Testing
1. Knowing how the students learn best and what would be
the most fair way to assess their learning
i.
Teachers are encouraged to bring in community members into their classrooms
to serve as guest speakers, mentors, and helpers within their classroom.
1. Creates lifelong learners and gives students positive role
models to look up to.
ii.
Clusters
1. These are organized by student interest and intelligence
so that students know that learning is not all about what
you “have” to do, it is also what you “want” to do and how
to use your strengths to benefit both yourself and the
community.
iii.
Service Learning
1. Each student has a project that they work on the entire
year to help their community and that connects to all of
their academic courses and standards they need to meet.
2. Research shows that this creates more meaningful
learning and it sticks with students better and gives them
higher test scores.
2. The Conditions for Teaching and Learning
.
Teachers create learning environments that promote high levels of learning and
achievement for all students.
.
We have teacher advocates (homeroom teachers) that know and understand
what each individual student needs to succeed.
i.
The service learning aspect of our curriculum promotes high levels of learning
because it is student based and curiosity driven.
ii.
Block scheduling promotes an open environment for teachers to accomplish
what they want without being constricted by time restrictions, as long as everyone
cooperates together.
3. Teaching as a Profession
.
Teachers collaborate and communicate with students, parents, other educators,
administrators, and the community to support student learning.
.
Cluster classes headed by community members
i.
Students go out into the community frequently to work, learn, and experience
their community.
ii.
Parent involvement is strong and homeroom teachers must have personal
relationships with guardians and the home in general so that they understand the
student and the community as much as possible.
a.
Teachers assume responsibility for professional growth, performance, and
involvement as individuals and as members of a learning community.
.
Each counselor needs to attend programs each semester to further their
understanding and knowledge base about their assigned policy or program.
i.
Each new teacher has a mentor veteran teacher that guides them and is their
person to go to in the first few years. This is a way to get professional development for
the veteran teachers and a way for the new teachers to establish themselves in the
learning community and feel connected to it and supported right away.
ii.
Much of the professional development is focused on two aspects: the content
area for which they are responsible and learning more about the Chicago community
and how to best incorporate the culture and diversity into the classroom. We have
learned in class how it is important to not stifle it but to embrace it so this will be a big
part of professional development because that is crucial for the success of Orbit
Intermediate.
Curriculum Development
5. Develop a conceptual map of the course6. Develop a Curriculum Rationale
for the Course
Orbit Intermediate is a school founded upon several ideals as to what the
best setting would be for a middle childhood student. Our main focuses for our
school are to have a student centered learning environment and to have a reciprocal
relationship with our surrounding community of inner city Chicago through service
learning projects. Service learning is vital to our school because the surrounding
community needs our help. Not only is it extremely high poverty, but gun violence is
currently at an all time high. Issues like this make it a very tough environment for
people to feel positive and proud about. But, if we inspire students early on in life to
believe that they can make positive change that really makes a difference, the
community will benefit for years to come. And, most importantly, it will give our
students a sense of self worth and purpose in their lives which is a gift that keeps on
giving.
But, while the community is high poverty and high violence, it also has
different businesses (like Wrigley) and people that can bring skills and aid to our
school. According to the National Service Learning Clearinghouse, “community
members who interact with the young people frequently say that they change their
perceptions of youth, seeing them as assets and resources that contribute to the
community in positive ways. There are also a number of cases where service
learning was directly associated with more support for the school in the form of
increased number of school volunteers and passage of tax levies in support of
schools”. This community support would be great for many reasons. Not only would
it help Orbit Intermediate through community volunteers and cluster speakers, but
also it would create a positive, supportive culture in this inner city Chicago
neighborhood that would inevitably help the entire community as a whole. So if a
reciprocal relationship between Orbit and Chicago is established, everyone benefits.
There are four aspects of our school that we need to focus on in order to
meet our main goals: the role of teacher leaders, creating a classroom community,
having effective professional development, and the value of family and community
involvement. If we approach these topics effectively, we believe that Orbit
Intermediate will be extremely successful.
The teacher leader is an important aspect in any school. At Orbit, we believe
that a very important part of being a teacher leader is to have the ability to know
our students on an individual basis—know what inspires them and how they learn
best. One way we plan on making this happen is to have each teacher be “in charge”
of a homeroom of about 15-20 students. This teacher is in charge of knowing the ins
and outs of these specific students and being the teacher advocate for them.
Teachers should inspire students to use their gifts and interests in a way that
contributes to the good of their school and community. Again, the use of service
learning helps accomplish these goals.
This teaching approach will help the students feel a sense of self worth and to
recognize their importance in the world. The National Service Learning
Clearinghouse supports this statement because it says studies show that students
who participate in service learning display strong effects on several areas related to
character, reduction of risk behaviors, and promoting an ethic of service. Servicelearning, for example, has been shown to promotes responsibility, trustworthiness,
and caring for others”. As we have discussed in class, these are all important traits
that are established in middle childhood. So while service learning is beneficial at all
grade levels, teacher leaders at Orbit Intermediate believes that 5th and 6th graders
can benefit the most from this because it helps teach them life skills that they yearn
for at this age.
In Teacher Leadership for the 21st Century by Thomas Poetter, he
addresses how teacher leaders need to help “students to see how their present and
future lives have to do with participating wholly in a democracy where individual
and community opinions, passions, commitments, and actions matter to themselves
and to others over the short and long terms” (Poetter, 2012, p. 61). We believe that
the best way for our teachers to do this at Orbit Intermediate is to support our
students in service projects around the community that connect to the curriculum
and to keep our students aware of their surroundings.
Another important aspect of being a teacher leader at Orbit Intermediate is
to be able to work with other teachers in a collaborative effort. With our block
schedule, teachers need to be flexible and have strong communication with each
other in order for each subject to get adequate attention and also to work together
to incorporate multiple subjects together. The results of a 2005 study conducted by
Kim Mattox, Dawson R. Hancock, and J. Allen Queen, showed that the introduction of
block scheduling showed great improvements in students’ achievement in
mathematics. One potential reason for block scheduling’s success is that students
are able to take more classes, specifically electives that they otherwise would not
have been able to take. Second, block scheduling allows for longer class periods,
which allows teachers to teach a greater amount of information, incorporating many
different activities and teaching methods into their lesson plans. Mattox claims that
students are more focused on their academic work because there are fewer
distractions, especially reduced amount of time changing classes. Lastly, according
to the article, block scheduling allows for teachers to tailor their teaching methods
to suit their students’ individual needs, especially because they have more planning
time each day.
Teacher leaders should also be agents of positive change in the
community without having negative effects on the established culture and
expectations of the neighborhood. They should not be afraid to approach other
teachers, the principal, the superintendent, or anyone in the community to spark a
change that they strongly believe will be crucial to the success of their students and
the community in general. In Teacher Leadership for the 21st Century, Poetter
explains this by saying teacher leaders must “agree not to run from or avoid conflict
and conversely to construct conflict positively” (Poetter, 2012, p. 149). In a
neighborhood like inner city Chicago, there will be conflict. Low income, stress, and
other such things will be brought into the picture of Orbit Intermediate and things
will not always be “sunshine and rainbows”. We want all of our teachers to be
leaders and feel comfortable addressing these issues and coming up with ideas on
how to solve them. But, as always, it is important that the teacher leader
understands how to do this in a respectful and professional manner.
Creating classroom community is another important aspect that we need
to focus on at Orbit Intermediate. In an academic article titled “Classrooms as
learning communities: a review of research” by Chris Watkins, it states that
“students with higher sense of school membership report higher grades, and a more
internal locus of control, the sense that success was more in their hands than in the
hands of others (Watkins, 2005). These are all goals that we have for our students at
Orbit Intermediate and we believe that they are all crucial to the success of the
community, the school, and the student.
In order to create classroom community, we want our teachers to plan
activities that involve interaction between different groups of students to break
down preconceived notions they may have about each other. It is hard to be able to
help a bigger community if the students don’t feel a sense of a tight knit community
in their own classroom. We also want each classroom to be an atmosphere where
students are comfortable with sharing not only academic thoughts and ideas but
also sharing who they are as an individual and to not feel pressured to be anyone
else. Having an open forum makes it so students can bounce ideas off of each other
and can end up with the most effective projects. Forming an individual identity is
crucial to student success in middle childhood so we want to make sure that no one
feels pressured to be someone they aren’t.
Teachers are never done learning, and there are always new opportunities
to grow professionally. One impactful method for keeping teaching skills sharp is
teacher mentorship programs, in which veteran teachers guide new teachers
through their first year of teaching. An analysis done on the benefits of teacher
mentorship programs by the University of New Brunswick “ found that 96 percent
of the beginning teachers and 98 of the experienced teachers in the study felt that
they benefitted from the program” and it also found that the “experienced teachers
were particularly enthusiastic because they believed that mentoring allowed them
to help others, improve themselves, receive respect, develop collegiality, and profit
from the novice teachers' fresh ideas and energy.” (Holloway, 2001). This helps new
teachers to feel supported at a time when they may be overwhelmed, as well as
included in the teaching community. Veteran teachers can help new teachers create
lesson plans, provide advice on classroom management, lesson delivery, school
procedures, and simply how to go about everyday life as a teacher in their specific
building. And, the veteran teachers better understand the surrounding
neighborhood community because they have been a part of it longer. They can then
help new teachers to fine-tune their lessons and approach to the community in a
way that will be most effective and helpful for all involved. Due to this, Orbit
Intermediate believes that this is a crucial element of professional development at
our school.
Furthermore, at Orbit Intermediate, we place a high value of family and
home life. When teachers have the support of the parents they are able to effectively
work together to make sure the students completes and excels at homework and
other assignments. Teachers should make every effort to establish a strong line of
communication between themselves and parents to collaborate to provide students
with the best educational experience possible. Parents are the students’ first
teachers, the ones who have the most influence over their development for the first
crucial years of their lives. This involvement should continue throughout their
educational process. Parents know their child best and have a lot of time with their
children at home. They should know what the goals of the school, class, and student
are and should be adequately prepared to help his or her child to reach these goals
at home.
Also, the parents and family members are direct members of the
community. They should be our first people that we go to when we want advice as
to what needs to be helped in the surrounding community. Each family structure
and home environment is different and that should be taken into account and
embraced. Acknowledging certain differences and challenges can help to
individualize the education of our students to help them learn in the best way
possible. When parents and students feel accepted despite differences or tough
conditions at home, they are less likely to be defensive and more open to working
with the school to do what is best for their children.
In conclusion, Chicago is a city full of rich opportunities for community
members. At Orbit Intermediate, we believe that the community and its school must
have a reciprocal relationship. While it is important that the community helps Orbit
Intermediate, it is also equally as important for Orbit Intermediate to give back and
make a positive impact. While the city of Chicago has a lot to offer, it struggles in
many areas. We believe that we have a school full of staff and students that have the
potential to be positive agents of change and to create a legacy and example that
lasts for years to come.
7. Develop a Course Description
Our course has been organized chiefly based upon our Community-Based
Learning concept map, answering the question, “How can we learn from our
community?” The goal of our course is to spur student learning through experience
both inside and out of the classroom, through a variety of mentors--both educators
within Orbit Intermediate, and volunteers from the greater Chicago area.
Our first area of focus will be “history,” as seen on the concept map. We will
encourage students to investigate the progression of their society through
exploration throughout Chicago and other formal research within the classroom.
Through provided history courses, Orbit Intermediate students will grow in their
understanding of world history, as well as receive special lessons to further their
knowledge base about Chicago and the Wrigley Company. This can be furthered
through teacher lessons, research projects, and field trips (to places such as the
Field Museum, the Art History Museum, and the Wrigley Field Sports History
Museum). Teachers should encourage students to develop a desire to further their
historical knowledge, and an understanding that the past directly affects both our
present and future. Within the school building, students will get to hear from a
variety of guest speakers who visit Orbit Intermediate and speak about the various
roles they play within the community itself. Guest speakers chosen will be curtailed
to student interests based upon the “clusters” they’ve been assigned to according to
their learning styles, intelligences, and curiosities. We want the students to have an
active role in planning the curriculum because we strongly believe that students
learn better when they are more interested in the topics being presented. At the
beginning of each school year the students will take an interest survey and multiple
intelligence test. Throughout the year, the teachers will refer to the results and
incorporate the needs/wants of the students in the everyday curriculum. We
understand that all students learn differently and we want to incorporate a variety
of learning styles inside and outside of the classroom in order to meet all of the
students needs. We recognize that each student is a unique individual and we
encourage our teachers to get to know their students on a personal level in order to
understand them as people and as learners. There should be open communication
between students and teachers, where the kids feel comfortable expressing their
needs and asking for help. The environment of Orbit Intermediate will be
accommodating and comfortable to all students where they feel equal and that their
voice is being heard. The main way we will do this is by incorporating their interests
into the curriculum and give them a say in their education.
Our second area of focus is “volunteering.” Orbit Intermediate heavily
emphasizes service learning in our school, as we send students regularly to
community centers, to tutor others, to food pantries, and to other volunteer
organizations that need the help of our students. We feel that all students have
talents, and students need to realize that they should use these abilities for the
greater good. Allowing our students to explore the ways that they can use these gifts
will hopefully encourage them to continue volunteering, even outside their school
requirements. In addition, Orbit Intermediate wishes to repay the individuals and
businesses who have chosen to help give our students these opportunities through
our ability to volunteer regularly as a student body. We believe that student learning
is most successful when the students play an active role in their education and have
a variety of hands-on experiences. Through volunteering students will not only
learn a great deal about their surroundings and diverse people, but also about
themselves. We obviously want our students to receive the basic academic skills
that are the focus of any traditional school, but we believe learning should go above
and beyond the academic realm. We hope that students will develop a sense of self
and play an active role in their community. Learning should be student centered and
focus on building the students as individuals and preparing them for a successful
future, no matter what direction their life takes them.
Our third area of focus is “environment.” Students need to learn to respect
their environment, and become knowledgeable about their surroundings. Again,
field trips and activities outside of the classroom can further students’ learning
about Chicago, as well as their appreciation for the environment that they live in.
Field trips to various Chicago venues (such as COSI, Navy Pier, Broadway Shows,
Shedd Aquarium, the Contemporary Art Museum, and Wrigley Field) should
encourage student pride in their home environment. Trips to these various locations
should encourage students to become knowledgeable of their surroundings.
Students should keep the environment clean and tidy itself; other volunteer
opportunities should include picking up trash, planting flowers, and recycling.
Our fourth area of focus is “communication.” Communication should be
emphasized and encouraged throughout Orbit Intermediate. Communication
between Orbit Intermediate and professionals and businesses will hopefully spur
successful reciprocal relationships, allowing Orbit to get regular guest speakers,
mentorship opportunities, and field trip opportunities, while allowing these
professionals to get advertising to our students in, as well as an opportunity to use
some of them as volunteers when needed. Students should also be encouraged to
learn how to effectively communicate with one another, through programs like
DARE, anti-bullying campaigns, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In addition, all Orbit
Intermediate students will take a “Skills for Adolescents” course, in which they will
learn how to foster healthy relationships, communicate effectively, and make
positive, healthy life choices. Our hope for Orbit Intermediate is that our students
needs are met
Our fifth area of focus is “mentorship programs.” First of all, each homeroom
teacher will serve as a mentor and advocate for all of his or her students. Within the
community, a variety of professionals will serve as mentors for students to visit
regularly, in attempt to both help the community out, and prepare them to choose a
profession that best suits them in the upcoming future. Programs like “Big Brothers
Big Sisters” can also provide Orbit Intermediate students with a “big” from our local
high school, to serve as a mentor and role model to these students, who are
preparing to enter high school.
Our sixth and final area of focus is “culture and diversity.” At Orbit
Intermediate, we believe that one of the most effective ways to further student
understanding in this subject areas is through community involvement and
volunteering--in other words, hands on experience. Though students can be “told”
time and time again what to do, how to feel, or what to say, hands on experience is a
much more “real” and effective way for students to learn; this is exactly how we
want them to grow in their knowledge and understanding of culture and diversity.
Our goal is for students to be aware and accepting of the different kinds of people
around them, through experiences both inside and out of the classroom. We push
for professional and business involvement in our classrooms, but we also push for
parent involvement. Through parent involvement, we will continue to develop the
sense of community previously discussed. In addition, students will gain an
understanding that while everyone has a different home life, school can be the
environment that brings them all together. To continue to emphasize this fact,
students will take turns beginning homeroom every morning with a “first word” to
talk about something unique about themselves or their home life.
Orbit Intermediate explores some main, overarching questions within its
content and curriculum: How can students prepare themselves for life outside of the
classroom? How can students, faculty, and members of the community effectively
communicate, and be useful resources to one another based upon their skills? How
can students learn most effectively, based upon their intelligences, learning
modalities, and personal interests? And lastly, how can educators best address the
needs of every student, once again, based upon effective communication with their
students? These questions are the goals the Orbit Intermediate has set out to
answer with the best solutions possible--to achieve growth and understanding both
inside and outside the walls of our school building.
Develop a rationale and means for assessing student performance
Our biggest form of authentic alternative assessment at Orbit Intermediate is
a service learning project for each of our students. Each student should have a
service learning project that they come up with and have as much autonomy as
possible in designing and aligning to the standards that they need to meet in their
academic courses.
According to the National Service Learning Clearinghouse, Ammon, Furco,
Chi, & Middaugh (2002) did a study of inner city California schools that had the most
effective student service learning. They found that “clarity of academic goals and
activities, scope, and support through focused reflection were strongly predictive of
student academic outcomes.” It is of extreme importance that teachers connect
service learning to their curriculum. The same study reported that “students who
participated in service-learning mastered more knowledge and skills than they
would have learned through regular instruction, and that their grades improved and
absenteeism decreased”
In order to reach the academic standards and benefit the community at the
same time, it must be made clear how the following are incorporated in each
student’s project: clearly articulated learning goals, how it is explicitly aligned with
the state standards, and how each student’s skills will translate from the classroom
setting to the community setting. This will be accomplished through focused
reflection throughout the project and frequent teacher “intervention” so that
everyone is accomplishing what they need to at each stage.
We will emphasize progress monitoring through collecting evidence marking
growth and success of service learning projects, to continue to improve our
programs and makes these projects impactful both on the student and the
community.
While service learning will not be the only means of assessment, it will be the
most prominent and heavily weighted. Teachers will have to include formative
assessments throughout their school year so that they can make sure that specific skills
are not getting lost in the bigger picture. But, as a whole, we want to make sure that we
assess the whole student as opposed to a limited set of skills and intelligence types.
LITERACY RATIONALE
Literacy is one of the most important parts of a child’s education, but sadly it is
undervalued in many schools’ curriculum. Literacy should be incorporated into each
policy and classroom no matter what subject area, so that it becomes an automatic part
of our students’ educations and lives.
One of the ways that literacy can be incorporated into curriculum is to establish
literacy centers in every Language Arts classrooms in order to provide students with a
comfortable environment that promotes student interest in reading. These centers will
contain all types of books to involve many different types of students with diverse
interest. Students will be encouraged to choose books to read that interest them and
they are able to relate to. According to the motivation theory, literacy centers are the
best way to “stimulate children’s curiosity to engage with its materials” (Tracey,
Morrow, 2012, p. 33). Half of the battle of literacy is getting students to want to read so
these centers are crucial for these classes.
Another thing that should be promoted to increase literacy in all classes is the
usage of KWL charts in all of our academic classrooms. As seen in the lesson plan
“Fixing the Chicago River Pollution Problem Research Project” seen in the above
curricula, the KWL chart promotes students to activate their previous knowledge while
they form new schemata. This is crucial to a student’s literacy development because it
emphasizes not only what they know but also what they are interested because they
come up with a list of what they “want to know”. This is an effective way to clearly
organize not only the curriculum content but also to show students the progress they
have made in their literacy development.
One of the crucial points that should also be emphasized is family literacy. In the
above project, the school is located in inner city Chicago where literacy rates are at a
disappointing low. It has been studied that children who are raised by parents who are
well-educated, read to their children, and use an extensive vocabulary will in turn
develop into good readers with a well-developed vocabulary. However, when parents
did not graduate from high school or attend college, or work long hours with little time
left to devote to reading to their children, their kids can become stunted in terms of
literacy. In order to address this in the curriculum, Orbit Intermediate offers a free,
monthly adult literacy courses at night so that parents can move forward with their
educations and learn how to best work with their children at home to improve their
literacy.
Overall, literacy is a crucial element of every aspect of the educational
experience and all aspects of the student’s life--their home, their classroom, and their
interests--must be involved in the process.. The overall goal of Orbit Intermediate is to
help our students be prepared for future educational endeavors and to succeed as part
of the community. A combination of theories and models is necessary to achieve this
goal. But, most importantly, all of them are centered around the main idea that all
education must be tied back to student motivation and that literacy is the foundation of
education.