PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW - WordPress.com · PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW ... V. Introduce the scope of...

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW

Name of Project: Made in China: Ancient and Modern Silk Roads Duration: 4 - 5 weeks

Subject: Social Studies

Teacher(s): Robert Wallace Grade Level: 6th

Other subject areas to be included, if any: ELA

Design Team: Emily Semmes & Briana Perry

Significant Content Key Knowledge and Skills derived from CCSS and/or other standards/scope and sequence

Social Studies

6.32 Explain how the regions of China are isolated by geographic features, making governance and the spread of ideas and goods difficult, and served to isolate the country from the rest of the world. (G, H)

6.36 Detail the political contributions of the Han Dynasty and determine how they contributed to the development of the imperial bureaucratic state and the expansion of the empire. (H, P)

6.37 Cite the significance of the trans-Eurasian “silk roads” in the period of the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire and their locations (E, G, H)

ELA

W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.6.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

W. 6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

21st Century Competencies

To be taught and assessed (such as critical

Collaboration: Students will be required to collaborate to create a final class presentation surrounding the history of China’s geographical isolation, the Silk Road, and the connection to modern trade and the Fair Trade movement. Students will provide peer feedback on key assignments (i.e. creative writing assignment, trade item pages, practice final presentations). Students will also be placed in research groups as they complete the unit; students will serve as resources to one another as they gather information.


thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity)

Communication: Students will be required to communicate clearly within their research groups to accomplish assigned tasks and complete their final project. Students will also be asked to participate in several whole-class discussions and contribute to meaningful conferencing sessions with the teacher in their research groups. Communication expectations for small groups will be addressed in a mini-lesson and these norms will be posted in the classroom for the length of the project.

Critical Thinking: Students will be asked to participate in many activities requiring critical thinking, such as considering equity issues surrounding ancient and modern trade. Students will be conducting group-based research as well as continuously reflecting on their learning through a research log and a final written reflection. Rubrics for all projects will emphasize the importance of synthesis and critical reflection on the topics being studied.

Creativity and Innovation: For several of their products, students will be required to utilize creativity and innovation skills. For example, students will imagine themselves as travellers along the Silk Road and craft a short story surrounding their chosen character’s experiences. They will create a poster featuring their research surrounding an item commonly traded along the Silk Road. Student posters will be compiled into a class “Big Book” on ancient trade in China.

Project Summary

Include student role, issue, problem or challenge, action taken, and purpose

The goal of this PBL is to connect themes surrounding China’s geographic isolation with trade and resource availability. The first portion of this project will focus upon the history surrounding the creation of the Silk Road. We would like for students to examine how geographical barriers created isolated pockets within China and the sociopolitical implications of such geographical isolation. Students will explore how, under the Han dynasty, China employed trade through the Silk Road to overcome its isolation. Students will consider the ways in which the Silk Road both solidified and expanded Chinese culture, how the Silk Road was both an exchange of goods and ideas, how it has impacted modern societies, and the continued importance of trade today. The second portion of the unit will focus upon equity surrounding both the ancient Silk Road as well as modern trade. Students will employ what they have learned about the Silk Road and trade, create a presentation arguing for modern Fair Trade goods and practices, and present to local business leaders, parents, and classmates.

Driving Question: Challenging Problem or Question(s)

In what ways might trade influence a society?

Entry Event I. Discuss the word “isolation.” What does it mean to be isolated? Lead the discussion towards isolation resulting in a lack of varied resources.

II. Present task to the students. o Task: Construct a freestanding marshmallow tower out of marshmallows, toothpicks, straws, and marshmallow

tower building instructions/ suggestions. o Students will first complete the task silently and individually with only marshmallows. o Next, students will break into groups and complete the task with marshmallows and toothpicks. o Finally, still in small groups, students will construct a marshmallow tower with the full amount of resources


(toothpicks, straws, building examples). III. Discuss the activity.

o Discuss the different levels of given resources and their affordances. o What was it like each time you completed the task with varying levels of isolation?

*Teacher note - connect back to idea that isolation can also mean isolation from sufficient/varied resources Implications of such isolation from varied/sufficient resources for Chinese communities Resources weren’t just objects but ideas as well

o Explicitly connect back to ancient China and the lack of varied resources pre-Silk Road. IV. Write

o Reflect upon the day’s experiences. Was it easier or harder to complete the task with different levels of resources? To accomplish a task and/or work in a community, is it easier or harder to work in isolation?

V. Introduce the scope of the PBL unit

Products (throughout unit and/or culminating unit)

Individual: Creative Writing Assignment Students should imagine themselves as a traveler on the Silk Road (merchant, camel, warrior, bandit, trade item, the road itself, etc.) and craft a narrative from the perspective of one character. Students should consider what selected character sees, hears, and obstacles they may encounter throughout their travel.

Research Log

Students will keep a research journal documenting all they learn over the course of the unit. Included in the journals will be: student notes, graphic organizers, and mini-lesson notes.

ELA




Social Studies

6.32 Explain how the regions of China are isolated by geographic features, making governance and the spread of ideas and goods difficult, and served to isolate the country from the rest of the world. (G, H)



Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking

Team: Trade Item Page

Social Studies

6.32 Explain how the regions of China are isolated by


Students will work in pairs to research an item commonly traded along the Silk Road (e.g. gold, silk, tea, jewels, paper, incense, etc.). They will answer questions such as: what the item was used for, why it was important, its value, who bought the item, who sold the item, and its role today. Students will create a poster of their item. Each team’s poster will be compiled into a class “Big Book” entitled “C is for China!” focusing on the Silk Road.

Final Presentation

Students will work in groups based on the following topics: history of China’s geographical isolation, the Silk Road, connection to modern trade, and the Fair Trade Movement. In each group, students will work on a presentation for each topic that bridges together the other topics (ex: discussing how the Han dynasty developed plans to overcome China’s geographical isolation as a transition for the Silk Road group). Overall, the presentations will lead up to an argument for the Fair Trade Movement.

geographic features, making governance and the spread of ideas and goods difficult, and served to isolate the country from the rest of the world. (G, H)

6.36 Detail the political contributions of the Han Dynasty and determine how they contributed to the development of the imperial bureaucratic state and the expansion of the empire. (H, P)


ELA




W. 6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.


Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Research Skills

Public Audience

Experts, audiences or product users students will engage with during/at end of project

Local business leaders, parents, classmates, employers from businesses that promote Fair Trade (ex. Trader Joe’s, Bongo Java, Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co.)


Resources Needed On site people, facilities: McKissack school librarian, Exceptional Education teacher (for additional scaffolding and support)

Equipment: Computers/iPads, library books, projector

Materials: Blank notebooks, posters, art materials, sticky notes, notecards, marshmallows, toothpicks, straws, building examples (Entry Event), writing utensils, graphic organizers (writing), graphic organizers (social studies)

Community Resources: local businessmen/experts on fair trade

Reflection and Revision

Individual, Team, and/or Whole Class (such as journal, whole class discussion, or peer feedback)

Students will have the opportunity to continually reflect upon, build upon, and revise their thinking throughout the course of the unit. Students will keep a research log documenting their learning throughout the course of the unit. In this log, students will have the opportunity to record their understandings and revise/build upon their understandings as they gather new information. Students will engage in class discussions and write reflections periodically over the course of the unit, and they will have the opportunity to receive peer feedback on both their creative writing pieces as well as their final presentations. Additionally, students will submit daily exit tickets reflecting upon their learning each day.

Notes - This unit delves deeply into a narrow standard and assumes students have already learned a few key concepts (i.e. Chinese geography, Chinese geographical isolation implications of the isolation, previous steps taken to unify China). We envision this unit taking place halfway through the last quarter in order for students to have developed a sufficient prior level of understanding. The unit itself is organized into learning events, rather than daily lesson plans. Attached with this unit is a resource packet containing both example and supplementary materials (i.e. example graphic organizers, example marshmallow towers, etc.). This unit incorporates cross-curricular activities; students will be asked to write a short story about the Silk Road (ELA standards). The authors assume that as students write their stories, the teacher will take class time to conference with students and provide individual, specific scaffolds in order to best support student writing. Also, throughout the unit, the teacher might give weekly participation grades to students to provide accountability. Finally, the final product of this unit is not a physical item. Rather, it is a presentation of an argument for widespread Fair Trade practices.


PROJECT DESIGN: STUDENT LEARNING GUIDE

Project: Made in China

Driving Question: In what ways might trade influence a society?

Week 1-2 Content Focus: China’s geographical isolation, the Silk Road

Project Progress: Brainstorming, research skills, Silk Road content, trade item research

Materials: marshmallows, toothpicks, straws, building examples (for Entry Event), Computers/iPads, books, research journals, writing utensils

Learning Experiences

Provided by teacher, other staff, experts; includes scaffolds, materials, lessons aligned to learning outcomes, and formative assessments

Scaffolds and Supports

To address and support individual student learning goals/needs

Formative Assessments

To check for learning and

ensure students are

on track

1 Entry Event & Debrief of Entry Event (Discussion) · Resources are important because…

· Isolation à limited resources

· What is trade? Who trades? What do people trade? Why do people trade? Why is trade important?

Entry Event: o Discuss the different levels of given resources and

their affordances. o What was it like each time you completed the task

with varying levels of isolation? *Teacher Note - connect back to idea that

isolation can also mean isolation from sufficient/varied resources

implications of such isolation from varied/sufficient resources for Chinese communities

o Explicitly connect back to ancient China and the lack of varied resources pre-Silk Road.

Discussion questions to guide the debrief of entry event

Exit Ticket


Brief Unit Overview (ideas/purpose and assignments) Exit Ticket: Reflect upon the day’s experiences. Was it easier or harder to complete the task with different levels of resources? To accomplish a task and/or work in a community, is it easier or harder to work in isolation?

2 Mini-Lesson: What is the Silk Road?

Provide notecards to students with words associated with the Silk Road (gold, paper, language, religion, etc).

Teacher leads the class in discussion about how words connect (general consensus should be that the words all relate to trade)

Class Discussion: We will be learning about something called “The Silk Road.” What do you think is? Why do you think that? Is it an actual road or more of a metaphor? Why do you think that? We’re going to be researching the Silk Road and its impact on China in the coming weeks. It still has an impact today. Explain final public product.

Show BrainPop Video about the Silk Road o https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/

silkroad/

Mini-Lesson: Research Skills

Teacher will go over research skills with class Discuss:

o key words o reliable, reputable sources o internet safety o citations

Concluding learning event - students generate three questions they have about the Silk Road with corresponding key-word search items.

Provide a Unit Overview (assignments/expectations for PBL unit) Exit Ticket

Mini-Lesson led by teacher to introduce the Silk Road and go over research skills in preparation for research assignment

Link to BrainPop Video:

https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/silkroad/

Exit Ticket

3

Mini-Lesson: Refresh Research Skills

Reputable, reliable sources Citing Key word searches

Begin researching the Silk Road at the library. The school

Mini-lesson led by teacher to refresh research skills

Class brainstorming guiding research

questions

Exit Ticket


librarian will also provide books about Ancient China and the Silk Road as resources. Students will complete research individually but will be assigned to “research groups.” If they have questions, they can first consult with members in their groups before asking teacher. Students will record their findings in their Research Logs. Class Discussion/Debrief (Come back together as a class and discuss what they’ve discovered. What is the Silk Road?)

o Brainstorm as an entire class guiding research questions

Assign Trade Items for “Made in China” Assignment (Students will work in pairs on this assignment)

Students will sign up to research a specific item often traded along the Silk Road to research.

Students will answer questions like What is the object? Why was it important? Who wanted to buy it? Who was selling it? What was its value? Its modern value? How was the item used? How is it used today?

Students will create a poster detailing their findings on their objects. All of the students’ posters will be compiled into a class “Big Book” entitled Made in China.

Exit Ticket

4 Research Trade Item on Silk Road (students will complete research individually and consult with their partner later)

Students should focus on the following:

why item was important its value how it was used who traded it (i.e. where did the item come

from, who bought it) its role today

Research Silk Road

Exit Ticket

Exit Ticket

5 Research Check-In

Teacher will lead a discussion about what students have learned thus far through their research as an opportunity for students to ask questions and clarify understandings.

Using information gleaned from the class discussion, teacher has discretion to

scaffold individual learners as needed.

Exit Ticket


Work on Trade Item Page in Pairs Silk Road Game (Refer to resource packet) Exit Ticket

Graded Assessments: At the end of the week, teacher will look over Research Logs. The students will receive a completion grade, as they will be graded on the amount of entries they have rather than content. The teacher will set a standard of expected entries (Ex. 3 per week).

Weekly Product(s) Trade Item Pages for “C is for China” book

Group Individual

Trade Item Pages for “C is for China” book

Exit Tickets; Research Logs based on research of the Silk Road and Trade

Item

Week 2-3 Content Focus: Silk Road, trade

Project Progress: Creative writing

Materials: Research logs, paper, writing utensils, graphic organizers




To address and support individual student learning

goals/needs



ensure students are on track


1 Mini-Lesson: Silk Road Refresher

Teacher designs secondary learning event based on specific misunderstandings/under-development of ideas he has noticed thus far

Fly Swat Review Game o Paper flies printed with key terms surrounding

trade and the Silk Road are taped to the board (or notecards, but flies are cute)

o Class is split into two teams o A team member from each team goes to the board

and is given a fly swatter o Teacher asks a content review questions

surrounding the key terms; the team member who is first to swat the correct fly receives a point for his or her team.

Exit Ticket

Mini-Lesson: Silk Road Refresher

Fly Swat game

Exit Ticket

2 Introduce Creative Writing Assignment Brainstorm with students possible writing perspectives

(e.g. merchant, guard, bandit, the road itself, camel, a specific trade item, etc.)

Students choose a perspective and write a short story centering around the following writing and content guiding questions:

o Writing Guiding Questions: Why are you there? What is your role? What is easy about traveling along the Silk Road? Hard? What are some sights you see? People you might meet? Things you might learn?

o Content Guiding Questions: What is the Silk Road? Why was it created? Why was it important? What groups of people used the Silk Road? What was passed along the Silk Road (goods, ideas, religion, language, inventions, etc.)

Exit Ticket

Writing conferences

Graphic organizers

Writing conferences

Exit Ticket

3 Creative Writing Peer Editing

Mini-Lesson: How to be a Constructive Peer Editor o “I Like…” and “I Wonder…” statements o Assessing peers according to peer review rubrics

Graphic organizers Completed Peer Review Rubrics


Graded Assessments Completed Short Story Assignment, Weekly Participation Grade

Weekly Product(s) Presentations, Performances, Products, and/or Services

Group Individual

N/A Exit tickets, Creative Writing Assignment

Week 3-4 Content Focus: The Silk Road (shortcomings), Modern Fair Trade Movement

Project Progress: Research on the Fair Trade Movement

Materials: Computers/iPads, books about Ancient China/the Silk Road, graphic organizers




To address and support individual student learning goals/needs



ensure students are on

track

1 Mini-Lesson: Silk Road Shortcomings/Modern Fair Trade Movement

From your character’s perspective - was the Silk Road “easy?” What about it was problematic? What might cause these problems?

o Who really benefited from the Silk Road? Introduce equity issues - farmers, miners, etc. were

not always fairly treated or well-compensated for their labors

Mini-Lesson led by teacher that explores the shortcomings of the

Silk Road and connecting it with the shortcomings of trade today

Sample questions to aid students

with brainstorming topics to research regarding the Fair Trade

Movement

Exit Ticket


Modern implications of Silk Road (shortcomings of trade today and the emergence of the Fair Trade Movement)

o Brainstorm questions as a class (examples below)

Example: What is “Fair Trade?” and Why did this movement start? What businesses participate in Fair Trade?

Graphic organizer comparing/contrasting trade issues surrounding the Silk Road with modern trade issues

Exit Ticket

Graphic organizer comparing and

contrasting trade issues surrounding the Silk Road with

modern-day trade issues

2 Begin researching Fair Trade (research is guided by questions that class developed) Teacher will inform students that a guest speaker from a business that participates in Fair Trade (e.g. Trader Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Thousand Villages, etc.) will be visiting in the coming days.

Exit Ticket

Exit Ticket

3 Research Fair Trade

Formulate interview questions for guest speaker Exit Ticket

Teacher will guide the students with formulating interview

questions

EE Exit Ticket

4 Guest Speaker Visits Exit Ticket

Guest speaker will lead a lecture about fair trade practices

E Exit Ticket

5 Reflection and/or news story on interview (Students can choose to either do a reflection or a news story. An example of a news story format is included in the resource packet)

o What did you learn from the speaker yesterday?

o How does this relate to the Silk Road? o Why is fair/equitable trade important?

RReflection/ Newstory


6 Mini-Lesson: Role of/Importance of Trade – Connect to Silk Road

o Fleshing out idea of trade and how the Silk Road influenced trading practices today

o Clothing exercise: Students will look at the tags on their clothing to see where the items were produced. The goal is to show students how trading impacts us all, including our clothing.

o Discussing the affordances and constraints of trade

Discuss Expectations for Final Presentation Exit Ticket

Mini-lesson led by teacher to further explain the concept of trade and how the Silk Road

served as one of the first attempts at globalization. As a result, the Silk Road has influenced trading practices today. The teacher will emphasize how trading impacts as all, including the foods we eat

and our clothing.

Exit Ticket

Graded Assessments: Reflection/News story will be collected for a grade. Teacher will review Research Logs for completion

grade.


Group Individual

Interview Questions

Exit tickets, Research logs, Reflection/News Story

Week 4-5 Content Focus: Ancient Chinese trading practices, modern trading practices, Fair Trade movement

Project Progress: Final Presentations

Materials: Access to all submitted assignments, computers, projector, art supplies, poster board





To address and support individual student learning

goals/needs



ensure students are on track

1 Mini-Lesson: Suggestions for Outlining Presentations

Students sign up for a presentation area: (1) Historic Context: Chinese Geographical Isolation, (2) Historic Context: Trade & The Silk Road, (3) Modern Connections: Modern Trade, (4) Modern Connections: The Fair Trade Movement

Review available methods for students to present their knowledge (Class “Big Book,” posters, research logs, tri-fold boards, PowerPoints, etc.)

Review rubric/presentation expectations

2 Create Presentations

Students will work in groups to design their portion of the presentation

Each group should designate a group liaison to ensure their portion of the presentation flows with the preceding and succeeding portions

As an entire class, students will draft a statement arguing for more local businesses to adopt Fair Trade practices. The statement should include possible suggestions for Fair practices local businesses might adopt

Presentation Outline

3 Practice Presentations

Students will present their presentations to their classmates Students will receive both teacher and peer feedback on the

strengths and potential areas of improvement within their presentations

Peer/Teacher Feedback

Teacher, Peer Feedback

Teacher, Peer Feedback

4 Revise Presentations

5 Final Presentation

Local business leaders (as many as possible, but ideally at least 3 to 5 people) listen to the students present their presentations

Leaders select the best overall presentation and the best overall


presentation section o Winners will be announced over the morning

announcements o Winners receive “bragging rights” and a certificate rather

than extra points for their final grade However, the instructor should feel free to provide

extra incentives as he sees fit

6 Final Reflection

Students reflect upon their experiences participating in the unit o Include:

The most important content they feel they have learned

The most important skills they feel they have learned

Overall feelings towards the project

Graded Assessments: Weekly participation grade, Final Presentation grade, Final Reflection grade


Group

Individual

Final Presentations Reflections on PBL Unit


REFERENCES

Daisy Yellow: Jump into your Art Journal . (2010). Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Daisy Yellow : http://daisyyellowart.com/vividlife/marshmallows.html

KidRex: Kid Safe Search Engine (2015). Retrieved November 27, 2015 from KidRex : http://www.kidrex.org KidzSearch: Kids Safe Search Engine (2015). Retrieved November 27 from KidzSearch :

http://www.kidzsearch.com Let's Write a Newspaper Story! . (n.d.). Retrieved November 2015, 2015, from WD Times : http://wdtimes.net/NIE/Let%27s%20Write%20Newspaper%20Story.pdf

Manis, C. (2011). Daily Teaching Tools . Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Daily Teaching Tools : http://dailyteachingtools.com

Read Write Think Compare and Contrast Chart. (2004). Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Read Write Think: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson275/compcon_chart.pdf

Silk Road: Brain Pop . (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Brain Pop : https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/silkroad/

Tim van de Vall Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer. (2013). Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Tim van de Vall: http://www.timvandevall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Compare-and-Contrast-Graphic-Organizer-3.pdf

Welcome: Current Topics in Science:. (2010, March 16). Retrieved November 27, 2015, from Current Topics in Science : http://ctopicscart.blogspot.com/2010/03/marshmallow-towers.html

RESOURCE PACKET

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jr6CPKJz9rNdqwXSmPEpODjXs96lh-PVilPScqcsTdo/edit

http://daisyyellowart.com/vividlife/marshmallows.html

http://www.kidrex.org/

http://www.kidzsearch.com/

http://wdtimes.net/NIE/Let%27s%20Write%20Newspaper%20Story.pdf

http://dailyteachingtools.com/

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson275/compcon_chart.pdf

https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/silkroad/

http://www.timvandevall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Compare-and-Contrast-Graphic-Organizer-3.pdf

http://ctopicscart.blogspot.com/2010/03/marshmallow-towers.html

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jr6CPKJz9rNdqwXSmPEpODjXs96lh-PVilPScqcsTdo/edit

PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW - WordPress.com · PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW ... V. Introduce the scope of...

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