Innovation Academy
Unit Plan Template
Unit 3: Agriculture
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ELA:
Agriculture
Persuasive
Writing
Math:
Science:
Interdependence
Grade Level
Unit
Overview
6th Grade
Ratios and
Proportions
Unit Length
Social Studies:
Two Weeks
Agriculture is a two-week standards-based unit that includes a three-day landscape architecture
design project. The project, Landscape Design, requires students to create a landscape design for
one area of the campus. The students will create a proposal that will include a landscape design
plan, an elevation drawing, a budget for the proposed project, and rational for the design element
choices made. Creating the landscape design will require students to work in groups of four and
to utilize concepts and skills from Science, Math, ELA, and Social Studies.
The relevant strands are:
Science – Interdependence
Math – Ratios and Proportions, Expressions and Equations
ELA – Writing, Nonfiction Text
Social Studies – Geography and History
This unit culminates with presentations of designs. The four groups with the most promising
designs will present to a panel of community members. The panel will determine which group’s
plan will be implemented at Innovation Academy.
The project supports state standards in science (identifying abiotic and biotic elements, identifying
environmental conditions and interdependencies), math (ratios and proportions), ELA (persuasive
writing and nonfiction text), and social studies (timelines and agricultural revolution history).
Within the persuasive essay, students must consider cross-curricular factors, such as ecological
elements related to the landscape area, plant choice, cost analysis, and demographics of the site.
Science and math standards will be used as evidence throughout the essay to support their thesis
statement of persuasion.
Grouping Strategy – For this project students will be grouped according to math achievement.
Students from like math classes will be grouped together.
Unit
Essential
Question(s)
Culminating
Event
What are the major abiotic and biotic factors in our biome? (What factors must be considered for
the landscape design project?)
What are the environmental conditions within our biome? (How do these conditions affect the
landscape design?)
What are the interdependencies within our biome? (How will your design affect
interdependencies?)
How do I use proportional reasoning to create a landscape design?
How can persuasion be used to acquire agricultural supplies to complete your design?
How can persuasion be used to gain approval of your design?
What was the Agricultural Revolution?
What effect did the Agricultural Revolution have on peoples’ lives?
The culminating event is a Landscape Design Proposal presentation prepared and delivered by
each group of four students. Two days of project work and six days of classroom work will
precede the delivery of the final presentation. Project Days 1 and 2 will start with instruction from
a Landscape Architect. On the first day of instruction, the architect will explain to the students
how to interview a client. On the second day of instruction the architect will show the students
how to do an effective presentation to a client. Students will create their proposal as they
complete the research throughout the project days. The students will deliver their presentations
and watch other groups present on the final project day. The four most promising designs will be
picked to present to a panel of community members. The remaining groups will present their
designs to their peers and teachers. The total number of project days is three: two for designing
their proposed changes to the landscape and one to create and deliver their presentations.
STEM Project Rubric
Common
Assessment
Math
Components
Ratios and
Proportions
25%
Advanced
Proficient
Needs Improvement
Proposal includes a Plan
View and an Elevation
Drawing. Both plans
include the north arrow,
written scale,
graphic
scale,
and the title block.
Drawings are done to
scale.
Proposal includes a Plan View
and an Elevation Drawing.
Both plans should include the
north arrow, written
scale,
graphic scale,
and the
title block, with no more than
one of these items missing.
Drawings are done to scale,
with no more than 2 items not
drawn to scale.
Proposal includes a Plan View
and an Elevation Drawing.
Both plans should include the
north arrow, written
scale,
graphic scale,
and the
title block, with more than
one of these items missing.
Drawings are done to scale,
with more than 2 items not
drawn to scale.
Detailed budget for the project
is included. Final cost of the
project is somewhat realistic
compared to the scope of the
project and is within $100 of
the actual cost.
Detailed budget for the
project is included. Final cost
of the project is unrealistic
compared to the scope of the
project and your anticipated
cost is not within $100 of the
actual cost.
The final presentation
includes an evaluation of the
impact the design may have
on the local ecosystem. The
evaluation must include:
1. A list of at least 5 abiotic
factors.
2. Explain how 3 of these
factors will be altered by
the project.
3. Explain in detail how 2
of these factors will
change the interactions
between two or more
organisms in the
environment.
Detailed budget for the
project is included. Final
cost of the project is
realistic compared to the
scope of the project and is
within $50 of the actual
cost.
Science
Components:
Interdependence
25%
Social Studies
Component
What does
landscaping tell us
about our society?
Project Title: Agriculture
Student Name: _______________
Date: _______________________
The final presentation
includes an evaluation of
the impact the design may
have on the local
ecosystem. The evaluation
must include:
1. A list of at least 5
abiotic factors.
2. Explain how 4 of these
factors will be altered
by the project.
3. Explain in detail how
these 4 factors will
change the
interactions between
four or more
organisms in the
environment.
Student supports their
position with 5 or more
evidences from the unit’s
content in a well written
essay with almost no
grammatical errors.
The final presentation includes
an evaluation of the impact the
design may have on the local
ecosystem. The evaluation
must include:
1. A list of at least 5 abiotic
factors.
2. Explain how 3 of these
factors will be altered by
the project.
3. Explain in detail how
these 3 factors will change
the interactions between
four or more organisms in
the environment.
Student supports their
position with 4 evidences from
the unit’s content in a solid
essay with a few grammatical
errors.
Student supports their
position with 3 or less
evidences from the unit’s
content in an essay with a
good number of grammatical
errors.
Student earns 14 - 16
points on the rubric
Student earns 11 – 13 points
on the rubric
Student earns <11 points on
the rubric
25%
ELA Component
Persuasive Writing
Using the TN
Writing Rubric
25%
Unit
Objectives
I can give a persuasive presentation focused a landscape design to present to local community
leaders.
I can write a business letter to request donations from local nurseries for agriculture supplies.
I can write a persuasive essay to the school’s principal to demonstrate the importance of a
landscape design that I created.
I can use proportional reasoning to create a scale drawing of my landscape design.
I can identify abiotic and biotic elements in the local ecosystem and compare them to abiotic and
biotic factors in the world’s major biomes.
I can identify interdependencies among organisms in the local ecosystem and compare them to
interdependencies among organisms in the world’s major biomes.
Strands (main ideas taught in unit)
ELA
Writing, Nonfiction Texts
Math
Ratios and Proportions, Expressions and Equations
Science
Interdependence
Social
Studies
Geography and History
Vocabulary
ELA
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Math
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Science
Social
Studies
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Persuasive Essay- a formal paper in which you support an opinion on an issue and
persuade the reader to adapt to the same thinking
Impress - make an imprint; mark, stamp, press, print, engrave, shape; antonym:
discourage
Argument- a discussion involving differing points of view
Thesis statement- a short statement that summarizes the main idea of an essay
Ethos, Pathos, Logos- three methods of persuasion
Scale—the ratio of the length in a drawing (or model) to the length of the real thing.
Scale Factor—a number used as a multiplier in scaling
Scale Drawing—a drawing that shows a real object with accurate sizes except they have
all been reduced or enlarged by a certain amount.
Scale Model—A three-dimensional representation of an object or structure having all parts
in the same proportion of their true size
Proportion—equal ratios.
Biosphere – region of Earth where life exists
Population – more than one organism of the same species in an ecosystem
Habitat – where an organism lives
Biotic factors – living factors in an ecosystem
Abiotic elements – parts of ecosystem that are nonliving
Nomad: A person living the Neolithic Era, held no permanent residence, hunted and
gathered their food.
Irrigation: Manipulating of landscape to funnel water through ditches to dry farmland.
Civilization: Living in the same location for long periods of time, based on agricultural
surplus, advancement of human society.
Agriculture: Cultivation and domestication of plants for consumption.
Technology: Any tool developed to meet a given need.
Key Questions
ELA
What type of
language do you
use when
writing a
persuasive
business letter
requesting
donations?
Why is it
important to
support your
claims with
clear reasons
and relevant
evidence?
Hook for
Unit
Literature /
Informative
Text
Component
Math
How do I use
scale to create a
plan drawing?
How are
equivalent
fractions related
to scale
drawing?
How do I solve
problems
involving scale
and scale
drawing?
Science
What are major
abiotic factors in
the local biome
and how do they
compare/contrast
with the same
factors in other
biomes?
(Example:
compare rainfall
amounts we
experience with
the precipitation
amounts that
occur in the
boreal forest.)
Social Studies
CTE &
Technology
What changed
as a result of the
Agricultural
Revolution?
What
innovations
aided the
occurrence of
the Agricultural
Revolution?
When and
where did the
Agricultural
Revolution take
place?
What are the
interactions
among
organisms in the
local biome and
how do they
compare with
other biomes?
Landscape Architecture is a STEM career. Students will learn about this STEM career by
watching “Eddie George: On Discovering Landscape Architecture”. Students will hear from a
former NFL player who is now a Landscape Architect. He explains why he became a Landscape
Architect and what he enjoys about his career.
“Working with plant life to prevent bird strikes against planes.”
Remediated DI: 820 Lexile leveled article
Enrichment DI: 100 Lexile leveled article
After reading the article, “Working with plant life to prevent bird strikes against planes,” small
groups of students will create a general outline focused on the persuasive argument that every
airport should have a wildlife biologist on-staff. A graphic organizer will be available for
reference purposes.
“California farmers rediscover method of growing crops using only rainwater”
Remediated DI: 860 Lexile leveled article
Enrichment DI: 100 Lexile leveled article
The students will read the article on their own making notes of any new vocabulary, section
summaries, and any questions they may have.
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Give the students the opportunity to talk to peers for clarity.
Read the article aloud, one section at a time with the class. Discuss each section of the
article separately.
Answer several comprehension questions
The students will use the article to complete a persuasive essay.
Essay: Using the information you’ve learned by reading “California Farmers rediscover method of
growing crops using only rainwater,” write a persuasive essay to convince other farmers to adopt
this method of farming. Use the graphic organizer for prewriting.
Writing
Closure
Persuasive Essay– For the final product, the students will be asked to produce a persuasive essay
to a panel of STEM Professionals. This essay should be formatted with an introduction, body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. It should follow the same organization as the persuasive outlines
and persuasive paragraphs that the students have been practicing.
So that the students construct their persuasive essays using the same method as before, the
students will be required to complete a persuasive outline and a rough draft before completing
the essay:
Take on the role of a landscape architect who is writing a proposal to a panel of STEM
Professionals for a project on the school’s property. Your goal is to persuade him/her to accept
your plan to improve the school’s environment. You must include the exact location of the site,
biological reasoning behind plant choices, environmental conditions, cost analysis, and clear
reasons and relevant evidence.
The essay must include a sufficient line of argumentation with at least 3 reasons, 3 examples of
corresponding evidence, and a comprehensive conclusion. The length of the essay will be at least
five paragraphs. Grammar and spelling errors should be avoided since this is formal writing.
Materials
Needed for
Culminating
Event
Graph paper
Google Earth
Pencils
Rulers
iPads
More materials will be determined after students design their projects.
Standards: Common Core Standards, Tennessee State Standards
ELA
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
Common
inferences drawn from the text.
Core
RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
Standards.
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Math
Common
Core
RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall
structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that
are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.6.1.a Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
W.6.1.b Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible
sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
W.6.1.c Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and
reasons.
W.6.1.d Establish and maintain a formal style.
W.6.1.e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
STEM Math IA
8.EE.7 Solve linear equations in one variable.
Standards.
Science
Tennessee
State
Standards.
Social
Studies
Tennessee
State
Standards.
Notes
STEM Math IB
6.RP.1. Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship
between two quantities. For example, “The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo
was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak.” “For every vote candidate A received,
candidate C received nearly three votes.”
6.RP.2. Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a:b with b ≠ 0, and use
rate language in the context of a ratio relationship. For example, “This recipe has a ratio of 3
cups of flour to 4 cups of sugar, so there is 3/4 cup of flour for each cup of sugar.” “We paid $75
for 15 hamburgers, which is a rate of $5 per hamburger.”1
6.RP.3. Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by
reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or
equations.
a. Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole number
measurements, find missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs of values on the
coordinate plane. Use tables to compare ratios.
b. Solve unit rate problems including those involving unit pricing and constant speed. For
example, if it took 7 hours to mow 4 lawns, then at that rate, how many lawns could be
mowed in 35 hours? At what rate were lawns being mowed?
d. Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units
appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.
SPI 0607.2.1 Classify organisms as producers, consumers, scavengers, or decomposers according
to their role in a food chain or food web.
SPI 0607.2.2 Interpret how materials and energy are transferred through an ecosystem.
SPI 0607.2.3 Identify the biotic and abiotic elements of the major biomes.
SPI 0607.2.4 Identify the environmental conditions and interdependencies among organisms
found in the major biomes.
6.3.spi.3. Identify the location of early civilizations on a map (i.e. Mesopotamian, Egyptian,
Ancient Chinese, Indian.).
6.5.spi.2. Recognize the types of early communities (i.e., nomadic, fishing, farming).
6.5.spi.5. Identify major technological advances (i.e., tools, wheel, irrigation, river dikes,
development of farming, advances in weaponry, written language, and printing press).
6.5.spi.7. Recognize major historical time periods (i.e., Early Civilizations, Classical Period, Dark
Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance).
6.5.spi.12. Recognize the possible causes of change in civilizations (i.e., environmental change,
political collapse, new ideas, warfare, overpopulation, unreliable food sources, diseases).
6.5.spi.13. Identify the impact of advances in technology on history (i.e. agricultural revolution,
Renaissance scientists, exploration during the 1400s).
Agenda for Project Days
Day 1 (October 11, 2013)
9:10-10:10—Mr. Jeffery N. Stapleton, a Landscape Architect from Stapleton Landscape Architecture,
PLLC, will present to the students in the Science Lab. Mr. Stapleton will present on the techniques of
interviewing a client. Mr. Stapleton presentation will include, but is not limited to :
o Develop a Client “Wish List”
o Review the Space with the Client
o Discuss Budget (Does it match the Project Scope?)
o Get a Feel for the Client (Wants, Needs, and Abilities)
o
Request existing information (surveys, deeds, etc…)
10:10 – 11:10 After Mr. Stapleton’s presentation, students will have a time to interview Mrs. Watkins as
a group. Students will need to take notes during this time.
11:40 – 2:00 When this is completed, students will work with their project group to start to develop their
landscape design plan.
Students will need to do the following:
Landscape Design Plan
Elevation Drawing
Budget
Day 2 (October 23, 2013)
9:10-10:10—Mr. Jeffery N. Stapleton, a Landscape Architect from Stapleton Landscape Architecture,
PLLC, will present to the students in the Science Lab. Mr. Stapleton will explain to the students how to
present a proposal to a client. He will model a presentation.
10:10 – 2:00 After Mr. Stapleton’s presentation, students will continue working on their landscape design
and presentations.
At the end of the day, teachers will decide which groups will be presenting to the panel of community
members.
Day 3 (October 24, 2013)
9:10-10:10—Students will polish their plans and presentation.
10:10-11:10—Students will present their proposals.
11:10-11:40—Lunch
11:40-2:00—Finish proposal presentations and reflection.