PS 46K: Magnet School of Communications and Media Arts through Applied Learning
Magnet Grant Project Overview
Magnet Integrated Unit Title: Sustain-A-Mania
Grade: K-5
Unit Start Date:
Unit End Date:
Duration:
Teachers: Ms. Febos, Technology Coordinator/Sustainability Coordinator and Ms. Jean-Jacques, Magnet Resources Specialist
March 04, 2015
April 22, 2015
Seven Weeks
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INTERGRATED UNIT/PROJECT IDEA (SUMMARY OF THE UNIT AND PROJECT):
A healthy clean environment is necessary for the survival of the human species. Our sustainability unit
incorporates recycling, composting, and energy conservation.
 Sustain-a-Mania Our second annual Sustainability Event will take place on April 22, 2015
 Guest from the NYC Department of Sanitation, Material for the Arts, Brooklyn, Botanical Gardens, Green
Mountain Energy Conservation Company, NYC Café Garden and others presented hands-on activities for the
students and distributed educational materials related to waste reduction, recycling, composting, energy
conservation and gardening.
 Students also participated in a book exchange; trading books they have finished reading. In addition, we
hosted a “Free Cycling” table for parents where they were able to select from items donated by the staff and
by other parents.
 The curriculum makes connections to relevant issues and to prior experiences. This builds students’ content
knowledge and understanding of the big ideas of sustainability.
DRIVING QUESTION (WHAT IS THE QUESTION THAT WILL GUIDE THIS UNIT/PROJECT?)
How can we make our school and community a better place for everyone today and tomorrow?
UNDERSTANDINGS/BIG IDEAS:
 Ability to make a difference: We are trying to teach the children that they can make a difference in the
world and their actions can affect change. That no task is a small task. Everyone has the ability to affect
change or impact a system, community, self.
 Change over time: all organisms/places/systems are constantly changing.
 Cycles: every organism/system goes through different stages.
 Interdependence: all living things are connected. Every organism/system/place depends on others.
 Limits: every system has a carrying capacity.
 Long-term effects: we can project that actions will have effects beyond immediate reactions.
ENTRY EVENT/LAUNCH (WHAT WILL WE DO TO ‘HOOK’ THE STUDENTS?) THINK:
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We will have GUEST SPEAKER,
The students will take planned FIELD TRIPS, SOMETHING THAT WILL SPARK AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE:
The student will watch a DVD on the 3Rs.
Then the teacher will show the students examples of the 3Rs and
Students will brain stormed ways they could practices the 3Rs. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Then we will play a recycling relay race game. Where students are given trash and they race against another student to
see who could get the trash in the right bin first.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN UNIT
CCLS: Reading:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCLS: Writing:
WS7: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of
a sustainability topic.
CCLS: Science: NYS Common Core Standards for Science
Composting
LE 6.1a-d Classify populations of organisms as producers, consumers, or decomposers by the role they serve in the
ecosystem
Grow to Learn NYC Café Garden
LE 6.2a,b Explore how plants manufacture food by utilizing air, water, and energy from the sun.
CCLS: Math: Standard 4.MDMeasurement & Data
Represent and interpret data.
4. Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit (1/2, 1/4, 1/8). Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of
fractions by using information presented in line plots.
CCLS: ARTS: NYS Common Core Standards for the arts
The Material for the Arts Company–
Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in
the arts in various roles.
TECHNOLOGY:
Standard 5: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and
systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
Standard 7: Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life
problems and make informed decisions.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing :
Production and Distribution of Writing
 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Problem Solving
APPLIED LEARNING STANDARDS (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
Communication tools and
Information Tools and
Learning and Self-Management
techniques
Techniques
Tools and Techniques
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KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED BY STUDENTS
To successfully complete culminating products and performances, and
do well on summative assessments
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SCAFFOLDING/MATERIALS/LESSONS TO BE PROVIDED
By the project teacher, other teachers, experts, mentors, community members
Skills related to interacting with others in the world
Capacity to interact and collaborate with others effectively.
Skills related to thinking about the world
To provide students with opportunities to learn ‘‘how to think’’ rather than
‘‘what to think.’
Skills related to solving problems in the world
The understanding of social and civic responsibilities, human rights and
sustainability.
VOCABULARY NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN UNIT (DOMAIN AND ACADEMIC SPECIFIC)
Sustainable, Carbon Footprints, Energy, Recycling, Reduce, Reuse, environment, fuel, ecosystem, composting, conservation,
DOMAIN SPECIFIC (Content Specific)
ACADEMIC (Tier 2 words- Can be used across content areas)
Carbon Footprints, Recycling, Reducing, Reusing, composting
Sustainable, Energy, environment, ecosystem
CULMINATING PRODUCTS AND PERFORMANCES:
The students will create a garden with the teachers using the money from the Grow NY grant.
Assessments
Diagnostic
Teacher made
Formative
Quizzes/Tests
x Practice Presentations
Assessments
(During
Journal/Learning Log
x Notes
Project)
Preliminary
x Checklists
Plans/Outlines/Prototypes
Summative
Assessments
(End Project)
Rough Drafts
Concept Maps
Online Tests/Exams
Other:
Written Product(s), with rubric
Other Product(s) or
Performance(s), with rubric
Oral Presentation, with rubric
Multiple Choice/Short Answer
Essay
x
x
PROJECT CALENDAR
PROJECT: WEEK ONE and TWO
 Change over time: all organisms/places/systems are constantly changing.
PROJECT: WEEK THREE and FOUR
 Cycles: every organism/system goes through different stages
 Interdependence: all living things are connected. Every organism/system/place depends on others.
PROJECT: WEEK FIVE and SIX
 Limits: every system has a carrying capacity.
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Long-term effects: we can project that actions will have effects beyond immediate reactions
PROJECT: WEEK SEVEN
 PRESENTATIONS