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TRANSCRIPT
Global Issues Lesson Plan
Running head: GLOBAL ISSUES LESSON PLAN
Global Issues Lesson Plan
Rhodora Dela Cruz
TESOL 507
December 23, 2013
Mrs. Cindy Perez
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Global Issues Lesson Plan
Global Issues Lesson Plan
Global Issue: Taking Care of Our Earth
Grade level: Pre-Kindergarten (3, 4, and 5-year-olds)
Duration of Activities: 90 minutes
Content Areas: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Illinois Early Learning & Development Standards (Aligned with Common Core State Standards):
2.D.ECa With teacher assistance, discuss illustrations in books and make personal
connections to the pictures and story.
5.B.ECc With teacher assistance, use a combination of drawing, dictating, or writing to
narrate a single event and provide a reaction to what happened.
5.C.ECa Participate in group projects or units of study designed to learn about a topic of
interest.
12.E.ECb Participate in discussions about simple ways to take care of the environment.
14.A.ECb Contribute to the well-being of one’s early childhood environment, school, and
community.
Key Vocabulary: Earth, environment, reduce, reuse, recycle, pollution, problem, solution
Materials:
Dear Children of the Earth, by Schim Schimmel
Sheet of songs about Earth (see Appendix A)
Anchor chart paper
Markers
Students’ Writing Journals
Colored Pencils
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Computer with Internet connection
Globe and world wall map
Learning Goals: Students will become aware of issues related to the environment. They will be
able to identify problems and generate solutions to taking care of the Earth. Students will
collaborate and gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make positive changes to nurture
Mother Nature.
Content Objectives:
1. Students will be able to identify problems with the Earth’s environment on a local, national, and
international level.
2. Students will be able to design a plan to solve these environmental issues.
Language Objectives:
1. SWBAT use new vocabulary to sing and tell about problems and solutions with the
environment.
2. SWBAT write (with teacher assistance) and draw their problems and solutions for the Earth.
Principles That Guide Culturally Responsive Teaching (Chartock, 2010):
2. Utilization of diverse learning strategies.
4. Positive perspectives on parents and families of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
6. Reshaping the curriculum.
7. Culturally mediated instruction.
Instructional Content:
1. Motivation: (Building background)
Sing “The Earth is Ours” (see Appendix A), which is among the songs the students have
been practicing for the upcoming school assembly.
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2. Activate prior knowledge:
Based on the songs and stories read so far, have students share what they know
about the Earth. Create a word web together to record the students’ ideas.
3. Read aloud Dear Children of the Earth, by Schim Schimmel.
4. Ask questions to guide comprehension: Who is telling the story? What is Mother Earth
telling us? What problems does She tell us we have? How can we solve those problems?
5. Sing “Love Our World” (see Appendix A) as a brain break. Have students stand and stretch
before sitting down again.
6. As a class, collaborate to create a Problems and Solutions Chart on anchor chart.
7. Show pictures from the story as well as photographs of environmental issues (see Appendix
B) including pollution, littering, filled landfills, polluted animal habitats, dirty water, etc. to
help students generate ideas for “Problems.”
8. Use role play, gestures, and photographs (see Appendix C) to assist students with generating
ideas for “Solutions.”
9. Ask the Questions of the Day: What will you do to help save our Earth?
10. Students Think-Pair-Share their ideas.
11. Students transition to Centers Time by verbally sharing their ideas with the class: Students
will work in small groups with teachers circulating and facilitating in the following centers:
Library: Includes books about the Earth, Recycling, etc.
Housekeeping Area: Converted into a Recycling Center, where students can sort
recyclable materials and pretend to recycle materials.
Art: Students can paint the Earth at the easel or make Earth sun catchers out of reused
materials. Make signs about how to keep the Earth clean, which will be posted around the
school and community.
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Writing Center: Students write their ideas about how to help the Earth in their Student
Journals. Teachers will discuss their pictures and ideas and act as the scribe as students
dictate their problems and solutions in their journal entries.
Science Center: Students can plant seeds in recycled containers.
12. Cleanup Time.
13. Gather students on the rug for Circle Time. Sing “We’ve Got the Future in
our Hands” (see Appendix A).
14. Show students the globe. Point out the country from where the global pen pals originate (to
be determined upon registering with iEARN). Announce to the students that we will be
making friends on the other side of the globe. Get students excited about making friends from
another country. Ask if anyone has been to this country or knows anything about it. Point to
it on the wall world map. Explain that for the rest of the year, we will all be writing letters
and collaborating on projects to help the environment in our respective regions of the world.
Let students guess how they will talk to students who are so far away. We will be meeting
them tomorrow in the computer center using iEARN Skype video-conferencing. Students will
introduce themselves and sing the Earth songs to their new friends. Teachers will act as
facilitators but allow students to begin interacting and carrying the discussions. They can use
the Problems/Solutions Chart to help generate ideas about their plan to save the Earth.
15. Recess: While outside, students will have the option to help clean up the playground. While
playing, teachers will discuss any students’ ideas for further projects, such as cleaning up the
community, recycling, and parading around the community.
Modifications and Accommodations for Students with Special Learning Needs:
1. Use gestures, facial expressions, visuals, and an appropriate rate of speech.
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2. To make concepts more comprehensible, use music and movement and the five senses to make
connections, and cooperative learning.
3. Strategies include scaffolding learning and differentiated instruction.
4. Provide visuals with labels, including posters, photographs, and an interactive bulletin board,
along with real artifacts to investigate.
5. Stop to ask questions and discuss the details of each page to check for comprehension.
6. Reinforce vocabulary with repetition, appropriate rate of speech, visuals, and pointing to
examples in the book.
7. Small-group and one-on-one assistance, particularly with writing dictations.
8. According to IEPs and Behavior Plans, students may need brain and movement breaks
during Circle Time and extra incentives such as a sticker chart and a visual sand timer.
Assessment Plan:
1. Head Start utilizes the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System. Teachers document
students’ progress in meeting objectives through observations during classroom activities.
Documentation includes photographs, videos, and anecdotal notes. Teachers select which
objectives the documentation reflects, and complete a Checkpoints Rating Scale to indicate where
each student falls along the performance spectrum (see Appendix B).
2. Students’ Journal writing will be evaluated based on a teacher-created rubric (see Appendix C).
Ancillary Materials:
1. Songs about Earth: see Appendix A.
2. Visuals for Environmental Issues: see Appendix B.
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3. Visuals for Solutions to Environmental Issues: see Appendix C.
4. Teaching Strategies GOLD Performance Rating Scale: See Appendix D.
5. Writing Rubric: See Appendix E.
Extension:
In subsequent lessons, students will extend their learning by regularly collaborating with their
classmates and with their global pen pals. They will learn about environmental issues in each
country and what they can all do to take action and spread awareness. Students will sing the Earth
songs in the school assembly and during our parade around the community. Students will create
posters to carry and then post throughout the school and neighborhood. Student groups will also
cooperate to create a mural motivating others to keep the Earth clean, which will be publicly
displayed in the school and potentially the local public library. Students will enlist the help of
parent volunteers to initiate a school-wide Recycling Program, community cleanup, and a school
garden. Students will share these projects on the iEARN collaboration center, so the message can
be heard throughout the world.
Reflection
Global education aims to transform students into responsible citizens on a global scale. It
extends the focus beyond local and national levels to the human race, which shares the same
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world. Suarez-Orozco (2007) explains that global education bridges “the gap between what is
taught in schools and the realities of the world” (cited in Focho, 2010). The curriculum
considers global issues and how it affects Americans on an international level. Students discuss
what problems exist, and how they could be solved. Teachers emphasize cultural pluralism,
interconnectedness, and interdependence as a planet. Students develop an appreciation for the
similarities and differences of world cultures and viewpoints. Students are empowered to act as
citizens at local, national, and international levels, working toward positive change in our
“multicultural global village” (Brown & Kysilka, 2009, p. 10).
The global issue addressed in this lesson plan is the environment. Students will learn
about the issues facing our planet including pollution, littering, overflowing landfills, the lack of
water and natural resources, and polluted animal habitats. They will consider the causes and
effects of these issues and collaborate to come up with solutions. The three and four-year-olds in
this author’s classroom are learning to take responsibility for themselves and are beginning to
extend this responsibility toward others. In one instance, a student threw away trash she found
on the school playground. The other children followed her lead and excitedly began cleaning up
as well. They have demonstrated an interest in keeping the school clean. In this unit, the
children will extend this responsibility to the community, country, and world.
The biggest challenge in teaching these students about issues with the environment is that
the concepts may be abstract for three and four-year-olds. The idea of the environment and
helping others they have never met and will never meet is new to them. Every effort will be
made to make concepts concrete. The teacher will differentiate instruction, which is tailored to
students’ needs, strengths, and interests. English Language Learner strategies that will be
implemented to teach this global concept include utilizing manipulatives, realia, visuals, videos,
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hands-on learning, interactive activities, cooperative learning, project-based assessments, and
experiential learning. By interacting with global pen pals via Skye, the students will develop a
connection with children on the other side of the world. This will expose them to multiple
perspectives and establish a sense of interconnectedness with them. This sense of
interdependence can then be applied to the entire planet.
Teaching about the environment can easily be incorporated into public education and to
classrooms of all grade levels. This is an issue that is pertinent to all of humanity. While
teaching children to take care of the Earth is typically only addressed during Earth Day, this unit
aims to celebrate Earth Day everyday. The need to preserve our resources and nurture Mother
Earth is something that should be taught throughout the curriculum. This can be achieved
through on-going projects such as school-wide recycling, community cleanup, partnerships with
community and environmental organizations, performances and exhibitions of students’ projects
in the newspaper, public library, and other galleries in the city, murals, and continued
collaboration with global pen pals throughout the world. The curriculum should encourage
students to ask questions, debate, and investigate controversial issues. This global issue will
emphasize taking social action to affect positive change on our planet (Chartock, 2010).
The need to care for the Earth is a universal issue. The nature of how it manifests itself
may differ in different regions of the world. For example, the children in India or Africa may be
concerned with finding clean drinking water. Students in Japan may focus on the Fukishima
nuclear disaster and its effects on sea creatures and their food supply. People in the Amazon
may worry about the diminishing rain forest. While the particular issues may be different around
the globe, the pressing need to make change is the same. Citizens of the world must cooperate to
care for the Earth.
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With this global issue, the activities develop students’ self-affirmation. As they generate
their own ideas and participate in projects, they will develop confidence in their knowledge and
skills to successfully engage in projects that benefit others. The lessons also teach the concept of
empathy. While communicating and collaborating with classmates and with their global pen
pals, students will be flexible and open to other viewpoints. They will be exposed to thoughts,
feelings, and opinions from multiple perspectives. Students from both countries can discuss
global issues that affect both homelands and the world at large. Recognizing the negative effects
people have on the world as well as the potential to nurture the Earth will develop the concepts
of co-responsibility in a global society. They will use creativity and critical thinking skills as
they set and achieve goals (Brown & Kysilka, 2009). The experiences working on an
international level will demonstrate the concepts of interconnectedness and interdependence.
Students will feel empowered to participate in making positive change for the Earth.
The activities in the global issues lesson plan are effective for preparing a culturally
responsive community. Among the principles incorporated that guide Culturally Responsive
Teaching (Chartock, 2010) include: 2. Utilization of diverse learning strategies. The lesson plan
incorporates differentiated instruction and multiple modalities, including music and movement,
literature, art, science, writing, and dramatic play to get all students engaged in learning. The
students are able self-select the Centers activity that interests them. They are able to work in
pairs, small groups, and to collaborate as a class and with their global pen pals. 4. Positive
perspectives on parents and families of culturally and linguistically diverse students. The teacher
works toward creating a classroom community, which includes knowing students’ and families’
culture, background knowledge, and experiences. In a culturally sensitive model, native
languages and cultures are viewed as resources. This will engage all students and involve
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parents, who are invited to help organize and implement school-wide and community-wide
projects. Parents and community members are also welcome to speak to students and share their
expertise on topics. 6. Reshaping the curriculum. The curriculum is interdisciplinary. This
lesson plan integrates Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. By beginning where students
live, play, and go to school, it is relevant to their lives. This helps them develop higher-order
thinking skills and make connections. They are motivated to extend their learning beyond
themselves to the country and to the world. 7. Culturally mediated instruction. Every student’s
culture is respected as a resource for learning. This cultural appreciation is applied to the
cultures of their global pen pals. “[T]he classroom is used as a microcosm of the global world.
What is learned in the classroom about multicultural and global concepts is constantly applied
there as well as in the world beyond” (Brown & Kysilka, 2009, p. 31).
The activities in this lesson plan will give meaning and purpose to the subsequent
projects in this unit. Students will work collaboratively on projects that require higher-order
thinking skills and provide experiential learning, which will help them develop deeper
understandings and connections. Students will reflect upon and discuss issues with the
environment in their community and extend it to the entire planet. The most beneficial aspects
of the activities is that they encourage cross-cultural dialogue, investigation, shared
responsibility, and action to create a more just world.
Teachers will know that the lesson plan was effective in teaching about the environment
based on students’ interest and engagement in the projects. If they are able to identify Earth’s
environmental issues and come up with possible solutions, this indicates that the lesson was
effective. In addition, it demonstrates that they understand the purpose of the subsequent
projects in the community and with their global pen pals. Using the assessments, teachers can
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keep track of students’ progress. For the unit as a whole, if students are able to collaborate to
plan and implement projects, such as a community cleanup, a recycling parade, and a mural, the
unit was effective in meeting the objectives. Ultimately, the Thematic Unit of which this lesson
plan is a part, strives to develop students’ “knowledge, skills, and values to participate actively in
a complex, pluralistic, and interconnected world society and to work together for change”
(Brown & Kysilka, 2009, p. 11) to create better world.
References
Brown, S. C., & Kysilka, M. L. (2009). What every teacher should know about multicultural and
global education. Boston, MA: Pearson.
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Chartock, R. K. (2010). Strategies and lessons for culturally responsive teaching: A primer for
K–12 teachers. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Children's Songs and Action Rhymes for Earth Day. Retrieved from Holiday Zone website:
http://www.theholidayzone.com/earth/songs.html. Focho, G.N. (2010). Language as tool for a global education: Bridging the gap between the
traditional and a global curriculum. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching, 3(1),
140-153.
iEARN Collaboration Centre. Retrieved from iEARN website: http://www.iearn.org.
Illinois Early Learning Standards (2013). Retrieved from Illinois State Board of Education
website: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/earlychi/pdf/early_learning_standards.pdf .
Marshall, H. (2007, September). Global education in perspective: fostering a global dimension in
an English secondary school. Cambridge Journal of Education, 37(3), 355–374.
Music and Songs. Retrieved from Preschool Education website:
http://www.preschooleducation.com.
Teaching Strategies GOLD Checkpoints. Retrieved from Teaching Strategies GOLD website:
http://www.teachingstrategies.com.
Appendix A: Songs about Earth
Retrieved from http://www.preschooleducation.com and http://www.theholidayzone.com
The Earth Is Ours(to the tune of "This Old Man")
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The Earth is ours—Yours and mine. Ours to live on, ours to share,
Ours to guard, regard, and tend with gentle care. The earth is ours—Yours and mine.
Working on the Trash (Sung to: "I've Been Working on the Railroad")
We've been working on RECYCLING all the trash we can.
We've been working on recycling. It's a very simple plan.
Separate your glass and paper. Separate your plastic and tin.
Take the trash that you’ve recycled to your recycling bin!
We've been working on REDUCING all the trash we can.
We've been working on reducing. It's a very simple plan.
Don't go wasting any products. Use just exactly what you need.
Don't buy things in extra wrapping. Reduce and you'll succeed!
We've been working on REUSING all the trash we can.
We've been working on reusing. It's a very simple plan.
If it's a paper bag you're using, don't use it once, use it twice!
Give old clothes and toys to someone. To reuse them would be nice!
Pollution Song (Sung to: "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean")
The litter blows over the highway. The litter blows over the park.
Unless we do something to stop it, the world will be literally dark.
Pick up, pick up, oh pick up the litter you see, you see.
Pick up, pick up, oh pick, the litter you see.
The cars that drive over the highwayare spewing exhaust in the air.
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We're leading our world to extinction.And just don't seem to care.
Bring back, bring back, bring back a clean word to me to me.
Bring back, bring back, please bring back a clean world to me.
Bring back, bring back, bring back a clean world to me to me.
Bring back, bring back, please bring back a clean world to me.
This Land Is Our Land! (Sung to: "This Land Is Your Land")
We must take care of the world we live in.We must not waste what nature has given.
We need clean air, soil, and water, too. This land was made for me and you!
Chorus:This land is our land. We must respect it. We must protect it, and not neglect it.
If we take care of what we've been given, this land will stay for you and me!
We breathe the air and we feel the sunlight. Our plants need water and soil to grow right.
We need both plants and animals, too. This land was made for me and you! Repeat Chorus
Pollution poisons our air and farmlands. It's not from nature, but from our own hands.
The health of nature rests on what you do.This land was made for me and you! Repeat Chorus
We've Got the Future in Our Hands(Sung to "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands")
We've got the world around us in our hands. We've got the world around us in our hands.
We've got the world around us in our hands. It's ours to take care of.
We've got the birds and the bees in our hands.
We've got the creatures of the seas in our hands.
We've got the tigers and the bears in our hands. They're ours to take care of.
We've got the future in our hands. We've got the future in our hands.
We've got the future in our hands. It's ours to take care of.
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Love Our World (Sung to "If You're Happy and You Know it")
If you love our world, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you love our world, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you love our world, really love our great big world;
If you love our world, clap your hands! (clap, clap)
If you love our world, plant new trees (new trees!)
If you love our world, plant new trees (new trees!)
If you love our world, plant new trees for birds and bees;
If you love our world, plant new trees! (new trees!)
If you love our world, recycle (recycle!)
If you love our world, recycle (recycle!)
If you love our world, then recycle and reuse;
If you love our world, recycle! (recycle!)
If you love our world do your part (do your part!)
If you love our world do your part (do your part!)
If you love our world, really love our great big world;
If you love our world, BE SMART! (be smart!!)
Appendix B: Sample Visuals for Global Environmental Issues
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Appendix C: Sample Visuals to Generate Ideas for Solutions to Environmental Issues
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Appendix D: Performance Rating Scale Teaching Strategies GOLD
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Based upon observations, documentation, and anecdotal notes uploaded to the Teaching
Strategies GOLD system, teachers complete the above Checkpoint Rating Scale per child, per
objective three times a year. Children who are age cycle 3, are in the green color band, and age
cycle 4 is the blue color band. Based upon where students fall along the spectrum, teachers and
parents see where the child compares to expectations for their particular age cycle. Teaching
Strategies GOLD also includes specific activities and strategies to assist students with
developing each particular objective. Teachers can run reports to share with parents.
Appendix E: Rubric for Writing Skills: Used to Assess Writing in Journals
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