a model unit for grade 7: diversity and interdependence · scientific classification proton...

A Model Unit for Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence

Ways of Life in Asia, Africa, and Australasia; Global Quality of Life; Particle Theory of Matter

Jennifer Katz

Tools for InsTrUcTIon AnD reADInG AssessMenT

TtD_Gr7_Model.indd 1 10/1/13 1:31 PM

© 2013 by Jennifer Katz

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Contents

Plan for School Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction to Unit Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Theme: Diversity and Interdependence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Instructional Planner: Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Suggested Materials for Unit Lessons and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Other Recommended Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Plan for Integrating Social Studies and Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Plan for English Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Plan for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mathematics Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Assessment Rubric for Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Assessment Rubric for Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Assessment Rubric for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Preparations for MI Activities and Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Introductory Work with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Brainstorming Activity Ideas for MI Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Inquiry Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Project Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Project 1 (Group) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Project 2 (Individual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Assessment and Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Activity Cards for MI Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


4 Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence

© Portage & Main Press, 2013, A Model Unit for Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence, ISBN: 978-1-55379-413-4

Gra

de 7

Scho

ol Y

ear

Sept

embe

r to

Dec

embe

r Te

rm/U

nit O

neJa

nuar

y to

Mar

ch

Term

/Uni

t Tw

oA

pril

to J

une

Term

/Uni

t Thr

ee

ThEM

ES C

hO

SEn

TO

In

TEG

RATE

DIS

CIPL

InES

Div

ersi

ty a

nd In

terd

epen

denc

eCa

nada

and

the

Arc

ticEa

rth:

Abo

ve a

nd B

elow

RATI

On

ALE

An

D

COn

nEC

TIO

nS

PTO

M s

how

s up

in th

e en

viro

nmen

t in

proc

esse

s su

ch a

s th

e m

eltin

g of

gla

cier

s an

d ris

ing

of s

ea le

vels,

des

ertifi

catio

n,

and

so o

n, a

nd a

ffect

s th

e da

ily li

fe

of th

ose

livin

g in

regi

ons

whe

re th

ese

proc

esse

s oc

cur.

A u

nit a

bout

glo

bal w

arm

ing

(follo

ws

natu

rally

on

the

PTO

M).

Wha

t goe

s on

bel

ow E

arth

’s cr

ust,

and

the

forc

es th

at c

ause

cha

nges

in th

e cr

ust (

i.e.,

mov

emen

t of t

ecto

nic

plat

es),

affe

cts

wha

t w

e se

e ab

ove

Earth

’s cr

ust.

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l, bo

th

man

ufac

ture

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d na

tura

l stru

ctur

es a

re

affe

cted

by

or e

ngin

eere

d to

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st th

ese

forc

es (e

.g.,

earth

quak

e pr

oofin

g), w

hich

co

nnec

ts to

“sa

fety

” in

PE.

SOCI

AL

STU

DIE

S

Way

s of

Life

in A

fric

a, A

sia,

and

A

ustr

alas

ia; G

loba

l Qua

lity

of L

ifeh

uman

Impa

ct in

the

Am

eric

asW

orld

Geo

grap

hy

Skill

s, K

now

ledg

e, V

alue

s –

App

licat

ions

all

year

SCIE

nCE

Part

icle

The

ory

of M

atte

rIn

tera

ctio

ns in

Eco

syst

ems

Eart

h’s

Crus

t, Fo

rces

, and

Str

uctu

res

Skill

s, K

now

ledg

e, V

alue

s –

App

licat

ions

all

year

MAT

hEM

ATIC

S

Mea

sure

men

tSt

atis

tics

and

Prob

abili

tySh

ape

and

Spac

e

Num

ber c

once

pts

and

num

eric

al o

pera

tions

all

year

PhYS

ICA

L A

nD

h

EALT

h E

DU

CATI

On

Mov

emen

tH

ealth

y Lif

esty

leSa

fety

/Fitn

ess

Man

agem

ent

Pers

onal

and

soc

ial m

anag

emen

t all

year

LAn

GU

AG

E A

RTS

ACT

IvIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar

FIn

E A

RTS

ACT

IvIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar

Plan

for

Scho

ol Y

ear


Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence 5


Introduction to Model UnitThe publications included in the series Tools for Instruction and Reading Assessment support the three-block model of universal design for learning, presented in my book Teaching to Diversity (TtD). For each grade from 1–12, this series offers two tools:

1. A Model Unit in two parts: (i) the instructional manual for one integrated thematic unit of the school year plan; (ii) a full set of activities drawing on the concept of multiple intelligences (MI). Note: Part ii is not available for grades 11 and 12.

2. A Reading Assessment Program Guide, also in two parts: (i) the guide with templates and grade-specific rubrics; (ii) four levelled Reading Passages to use for assessment throughout the school year.

In chapter 4 of Teaching to Diversity, I described the rationale for planning thematic units for a full academic year. I also included an overview of “how-to” procedures. In this book, I include a working plan for the school year (see chart, opposite page). The plan integrates major themes from Manitoba’s curricula into manageable units of study that correspond to three terms in one school year.

In this model unit for the first term of grade 7, teachers will find planners that outline the essential understandings, essential questions, and final inquiry projects for the unit. The rubrics included are based on Bloom’s taxonomy; that is, the criteria in the rubrics show a progression of conceptual thinking from rote, basic understanding to synthesized, higher-order analysis.

Be aware that the language of Bloom is unique to cognitive thought, and is developmental. For instance, identify or recognize means the teacher has provided examples, and students can “pick the right one,” or reiterate a fact taught earlier, such as “Aboriginal peoples were the first people in Canada.” Describe means students can provide supporting detail. Explain, assess, and analyze require students to provide multiple perspectives; that is, the pros and cons, or both sides, of an argument. Finally, evaluate means students, after considering both pros and cons or differing perspectives, form an opinion; that is, place a value on the analysis. For young children, this might simply mean explaining likes and dislikes, or being able to say, “Sometimes…, but sometimes….” For example, grade-one students may tell us how their families’ cultures have aspects that the students like and enjoy because they are their favourite ___. These same students may tell us aspects that make them feel ___. These students are meeting the criterion for “Evaluates how his or her family’s culture influences who he or she is.”

The material shows how I integrate the social studies and science topics while bringing them into other disciplines—mathematics, physical education and health, language arts, and fine arts—particularly through the lens of the multiple intelligences (MI). Differentiated activities based on MI approaches, as sketched out in the brainstormed ideas on page 18, are chosen to inspire diverse students and accommodate their individual learning styles. The MI activity cards that flesh out the topics for such centre-based activities follow the list on page 23.

As implied by the title, A Model Unit for Grade 7, I encourage teachers not only to adapt my ideas and materials as needed for their own class but also to apply what they learn from working with their own students to their planning, whether individually or collaboratively, for the second and third terms.

TtD: pp. 74–85


6 Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence


Throughout this model unit, you will see the acronym TtD with page numbers from Teaching to Diversity. Refer to these pages to find fuller explanations, descriptions, or examples of strategies and procedures.


Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence 23


Activity Cards for MI Work Centres

Money and “The Good Life”

Creating Problems

Life Abroad

A Good Life

Poetic Expression

Snail Mail home

Artistic Expression

Landscapes

Gender Roles

Scientific Classification

Proton Symphony

Musical Expression

Interpersonal Connections

Equality

Global vision

Culture, Environment, and the Good Life

3-D Mapping

PTOM in Deserts and the Arctic



INTR

APE

RSO

NA

LLi

fe A

broa

d

Imag

ine

you

and

your

fam

ily a

re m

ovin

g to

the

cou

ntry

you

are

stu

dyin

g.

How

will

you

r lif

e be

the

sam

e as

it is

now

? H

ow w

ill it

be

diff

eren

t?

Cre

ate

a V

enn

diag

ram

, wri

te, o

r dr

aw t

o sh

ow t

he c

ompa

riso

n.



NATU

RALIST

PTOM

in Deserts and the A

rctic

Particle Theory of M

atter (PTO

M) refers to m

atter existing in states as solids, liquids, and gases and about how

matter can change from

one state to another. H

ow is PT

OM

evident in deserts? How

is PTO

M evident in the A

rctic?

Draw

, sing, or write to show

your thinking.


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