Name: Travel the Valley

 

Grade Level: 5th Grade

 

Summary: Students will be asked to work for a travel agency in order to entice visitors to the Valley based on its historical as well as leisure interest.

 

Duration: One semester

 

 

REVISED FACTS LESSON 

Foundations

 

Activities

Contents

Tools

Systems of Assessment

Learning Environment

To Do

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foundations

Literacy: There are many different ways that marketing material is used to attract buyers. We encounter persuasive materials every day whether its watching television, going to the grocery store, or just driving down the highway. It is important for students to see how the use of marketing material has been instilled in our society as well as the influences of these materials. Students need to become informed on the publishing tools and concepts responsible for creating desired effects. The ability to use material to communicate a message, a mood, or a perceived need can have tremendous impact and influence the community. During this unit students will explore and examine the use of marketing material and their application towards communicating a message or a desired visual effect for a specific purpose. Students in this unit will learn to use publishing tools and functions to create and communicate via print, presentation, and virtual software to attract visitors to the area.

Discourse: Another domain of literacy for an advertising agency would be for students to develop a general understanding of art concepts and how they are used in composition, advertising, and the media. By developing a brochure, a presentation and a virtul field trip of various locations and their historic as well as well as interest value students will examine a multitude of artistic solutions and problem solving techniques and strategies. Cognitive Process: Students will learn that their decision making skills will increase with confidence of skill repetition, consistent and ongoing portfolio development and innovative use of publishing materials. Through the unit activities, students will be able to analyze and interpret marketing material by analyzing its composition, use of design elements, and use of persuasive information used.

Problem-Solving: Strategies Historical research, data analysis, persuasive speech, persuasive writing, Authentic Anchored Problem Students will explore how do we attract new tourism to the Valley? Students will role play they are an advertising agency. Students will examine what types of promotional material may help bring tourism to the area. Students will learn about the historical content that is rich throughout the Valley and create a virtual field trip to help entice visitors to the area. Students would be required to research sites, takes pictures of historical as well as attraction areas and using software design a brochure as well as marketing material. They will also be asked to create a presentation incorporating PowerPoint or Photo Story showcasing the Valley as well. They will determine what sources should be utilized to attract new commerce.

Knowledge:

Disciplinary structures: (real-world background knowledge aligned with TEKS) Students would need to be aware of the various types of ways to attract visitors. What type of tourist attractions do we currently have in the Valley? Are there types that could be showcased more? What monetary value does each type of tourism bring? What types of promotional materials lead to the attraction of tourists? Local economics. Marketing materials. Historical research. Public relations.

Disciplinary processes: (critical thinking skills needed to solve the problem) Data analysis. Historical fact-checking. Persuasive speech Problem solving. Persuasive writing

Disciplinary discourses: (stories or data that help students understand the underlying problem more effectively) commmerce, trade, resources, marketing, publishing,promotions, economics, free enterprises, needs and wants, supply and demand,

 

 

Using Information: During this twelve-week unit, students will have many opportunities to experience the real-life of a advertising agency through role-playing. Students will be able to utilize and apply their artistic and computer graphic skills with knowledge attributed to their research towards a variety of activities. There will be critiques and analysis of various marketing material and strategies on the best uses to attract visitors to the area. Use of composition and design elements will be reviewed. By developing brochures, presentations, as well as a virtual field trip, students will develop a deeper appreciation and meaning through reflection. They can draw upon these experiences and connectively apply with other topic areas, as a advertising agent would be asked to do.

 

Community: The unit focuses on the collaboration of the students sharing of ideas and exchanging information in developing marketing materials within an advertising agency in order to attract visitors to the Rio Grande Valley. A) Promoting individual research and technical skills B) the use of commercial art, advertising within our school, culture, environment-trends. C) Develop an awareness of visual representations D) Exchange/sharing of ideas and artistic implementation E) Forum open to discussion and critique of student publications F) Platform to provide power point presentation-response. G) Display areas to exhibit work--generating feedback

 

Activities

Authentic Activities: Students will be asked to conduct research, conduct interviews, make decisions based on their audience, as well as organize material and presentations in an informative and appealing manner. They will not only gain an appreciation and understanding of the area in which they live but also use persuasive skills of speaking and writing to entice vistors to the area. All of these skills would be quite transferable into any work place environment. Background Building Activities: Students will begin by researching historical sites of significance and determine what sites they plan to include in their marketing material. They will need to keep in mind to showcase all of the Valley and not just a particular area as well as to consider the various audiences they will be addressing and include areas of interests for all types of populations. They will also be required to collect a variety of brochures and marketing materials from a variety of business to gain insight into how these publications are organized. In addition, the students will be asked to contact a local tourism company and advertising agency and conduct interviews to also gain more insight.

Constructing Activities: Students will be asked to create three different marketing projects: 1) brochure 2) Power Point or Photo Story 3) Virtual Field trip In order to construct these projects, students will need to visit or obtain photos of the selected sites to incoporate into their marketing materials. Sharing Activities: Once students have constructed their projects they will be asked to distribute the brochure, present the Power Point or Photo Story to local chamber of commerces, as well as share their virtual field trip with these entities.

 

Contents

Contents: 1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. The student is expected to: (A) determine the purposes for listening such as to gain information, to solve problems, or to enjoy and appreciate (4-8); (B) eliminate barriers to effective listening (4-8); and (C) understand the major ideas and supporting evidence in spoken messages (4-8). (2) Listening/speaking/critical listening. The student listens critically to analyze and evaluate a speaker's message(s). The student is expected to: (A) interpret speakers' messages (both verbal and nonverbal), purposes, and perspectives (4-8); (B) identify and analyze a speaker's persuasive techniques such as promises, dares, and flattery (4-5); (C) distinguish between the speaker's opinion and verifiable fact (4-8); and (D) monitor his/her own understanding of the spoken message and seek clarification as needed (4-8). (3) Listening/speaking/appreciation. The student listens to enjoy and appreciate spoken language. The student is expected to: (A) listen to proficient, fluent models of oral reading, including selections from classic and contemporary works (4-8); (B) describe how the language of literature affects the listener (4-5); and (C) assess how language choice and delivery affect the tone of the message (4-5). (4) Listening/speaking/culture. The student listens and speaks to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. The student is expected to: (A) connect his/her own experiences, information, insights, and ideas with the experiences of others through speaking and listening (4-8); (B) compare oral traditions across regions and cultures (4-8); and (C) identify how language use such as labels and sayings reflects regions and cultures (4-8). (5) Listening/speaking/audiences. The student speaks clearly and appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. The student is expected to: (A) adapt spoken language such as word choice, diction, and usage to the audience, purpose, and occasion (4-8); (B) demonstrate effective communications skills that reflect demands such as interviewing, reporting, requesting, and providing information (4-8); (C) present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays to communicate (4-8); (D) use effective rate, volume, pitch, and tone for the audience and setting (4-8);

 

Tools

Tools: In order for this course to function, computers, access to the Internet, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Power Point, and Photo Story, and Adobe Photoshop 6.0 are required. In addition, supporting tools (components) necessary (for a class of 20)are:printers, scanners, digital cameras, TV monitor for demonstration. Spreadsheets (Excel) will be used along with PageMaker for brochures. Research materials will include the use of books, magazines, library materials, web sites, brochures, and virtual games. Students will be required to maintain a portfolio (hard visual copies) and need to use Power Point at the end of the unit for classroom presentation. Teacher will need to use a Eiki projector, an Elmo, and a screen illustrate examples of brochures, Power Point presentations, and virtual trips.

 

Systems of Assessment

Assessments: A number of forms of assessment are going to be used in this unit: 1) test or quiz on vocabulary terms both marketing as well as historical information 2) worksheets-activities geared for pre-project preparation. 3) rubrics for assessing exercise projects 4) open verbal critiques and student/peer feedback 5) progress portfolio-self assessment-reflection 6) student-teacher interview-gives both insight on attitudes, feelings, interest, motivations, and thinking process. 7) critique sheets for each project for students and teacher to provide written responses

 

 

Design Challenge 2  

The Efficiency Model A Learning Design Top 10 Principles of the Efficiency Model

10. Isolated facts and skill 9. Sequencing of Instruction 8. Appropriate reinforcement (as in the candy I give when students are correct) 7. Programmed instruction (set curriculum) 6. Learning for mastery (as required on my lesson plan what will I be assessing, teach, retesting, and reteaching) 5. Specify Objective 4. Time to learn 3. Drill and kill (especially for TAKS) 2. Assessment and evaluation 1. Teacher possess all knowledge

 

Top 10 Challenges to the Efficiency Model

 

10. Learning does not translate to real world application. 9. Learning should be scaffolded when necessary. 8. Learning is a social activity. 7. Learning should be differentiated. 6. Real learning does not occur more rote memorization. 5. Doesn’t allow for other resources to construct knowledge such as technology. 4. Doesn’t allow for multiple ways of assessing. 3. Teach to the test 2. Presents learning of content areas in isolation. 1. Students are not allowed to construct knowledge.

 

Step One: Define a Learn Goal

Define a Learning Goal: Students will understand how to make an inference

Step Two: State Objectives Lesson Objectives: The learner will be able to make an inference using their background knowledge and text clues. They will demonstrate this understanding by creating a presentation where the audience has to make inferences based on information they have provided. The assignment will be rubric assessed. Students will also be given TAKS formatted assessment.

Step Three: Sequence Instruction Instructional Sequence:

1) The teacher will introduce concept by modeling with a shoe and having student’s decipher who it belongs to using clues and their background knowledge. Teacher will create anchor chart based on their responses. Teacher will also introduce a hand signal to show inferring. Teacher will explain how we infer in our everyday lives and provide verbal examples.

2) The teacher will then present a power point slideshow showing a backpack where students must infer who the backpack belongs to. Each subsequent slide will provide items that are contained in the backpack and students will continue to infer.

3) Teacher will then model an inference using the Magic Square activity and by reading Oliver Button is a Sissy while creating magic squares with students.

4) If students, still need further clarification the teacher will use other instructional activities such as looking at a receipt to try and determine who this type of receipt would belong to based on the item clues. In addition, comic strips could also be utilized to make inferences.

5) Students will then learn a song about inferring.

6) Next, students will be asked to work in groups and choose from the following projects

• view a wordless picture book and write the story based on their inferences. They will create a Power point or Photo Story sequence that is aligned with the picture book.

• They may also create a Power Point or Photo Story in which clues are given so that inferences are made from each slide. 

• Create another means of providing evidence of their understanding of an inference

7) Students will then present their projects to the class. Step Four: Determine Learning Success Determining Learning Success Students will demonstrate success based on their projects and presenting the information regarding their inferences. In addition, a TAKS reading passage will be given focusing solely on questions about inference with a 70% mastery defined as meeting success.

 

A Reflection and Critique of the Design Critique of the Lesson

The strengths of the lesson are that different modalities are incorporated such as the tangible shoe, hand signal for inferring which reaches kinesthetic learners, visual with the power point, auditory with the song, and print with the text. In addition, cooperative learning is emphasized by having the students work in groups. The limitations as with everything in education is the time needed to complete the lesson and have students create these projects. The consistencies are that Power point is frequently used by teachers and students for presentations. I believe my lesson reflects constructivist learning because it does take into account different learning styles, real world application is presented, the lesson is scaffolded, and students have the opportunity to choose a way they will demonstrate their learning.

Design Challenge 3

 

 A Cinquain Poem

Teacher,

Guide, Planner

Caring, Encouraging, Supporting

Facilitator of Knowledge

Life-Long Learner

 

Teachers as Designers: A Diamente Poem

 

Teacher

Supportive, Creative

Caring,Designing, Mentoring

Teacher is a co-constructor of knowledge

Learning, Growing, Developing

Diligent, Multi-Tasker

Educator

 

The FACTS Model: A Summary

Dynamic system for creating the learning opportunities necessary for children to become life long thinkers and learners.

The F is for Foundations

The necessary tenets of learning that encompass basic educational skills including technology, thinking skills, and interpersonal and interpersonal skills.

The A is for Activity

Applying learning in a real world context and providing hands on learning where students form the bridge between classroom learning and life application.

The C is for Content

The necessary objectives which must be taught to the students but can also be grounded in overarching concepts students should also learn.

The T is for Tools

Providing opportunities for teachers and students to choose wisely the tools that will enhance their learning.

The S is for Systems of Assessment

Understanding that assessing can take many forms and provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning in a multitude of ways.