FACILITATION
Focus on Teacher
Specific plan with complete examples of the facilitation and questioning strategies you will use during the unit
Specific questioning strategies for each activity are available on the Activities tab under Facilitation and Grading, and a list of resources is available on the Online Resources tab. Some examples of questions that may be asked are, "Why do you think the temperature on our planet rising? How can we combat this issue? Will the use of biofuels have any impact on global warming? In what ways do you think global warming is affecting world hunger?". By initially modeling this type of questioning, students should slowly adopt this questioning method.
Examples of you how will collaborate with students and offer assistance without giving them answers
During this project teachers will have to offer students assistance without directly giving answers, considering different groups will be researching different topics. In order to do this successfully, teachers need to ask appropriate questions and have a few sources on hand to guide students during the unit. Specific questioning strategies for each activity are available on the Activities tab under Facilitation and Grading, and a list of resources is available on the Online Resources tab.
Detailed description of how will facilitate student self-‐questioning
The timeline of this unit will help facilitate student self-questioning. We start the first day with an activity on wealth distribution which will lead to a discussion on world hunger, and on the next day we jump into the carbon cycle and a discussion on biofuels. Naturally students are going to begin to question what the two activities have to do with each other, encouraging appropriate questioning. Also at the end of each day students will have to use self-questioning to make connections between the activities and the driving question in their journal entries.
Detailed description of how students will be grouped, including examples of how roles will be assigned, to facilitate student collaboration
Students will be placed in groups of 3-5 students, depending on the size of the class. These groups will be chosen by the teacher. One way groups can be created is by randomly drawing popsicle sticks with students' names on them and placing them into groups. A sample map of classroom seating arrangement can be found at the bottom of this page. Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. There must be at least one group leader.
Plan for helping groups set and agree upon goals
Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. They will create a contract that they all must sign, describing what each of their roles entail. This contract will help ensure effective group work and can be referred to throughout the unit if problems arise. There must be at least one group leader, and he/she will meet with the instructor to report on group progress.
Plan for ensuring effective group work (using class time efficiently, ensuring equal participation among group members) – include copy of prompts or activities designed to assist students
Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. They will create a contract that they all must sign, describing what each of their roles entail. This contract will help ensure effective group work and can be referred to throughout the unit if problems arise. There must be at least one group leader, and he/she will meet with the instructor to report on group progress. During this meeting the team leader can express any concerns with effective group work he/she may have. A group leader may also request meetings with the instructor outside of the designated time if issues are prohibiting progress on the project.
Focus on Students
Detailed description, with examples, of how you will promote inquiry and ensure student engagement and direction of conversation
To insure inquiry and student engagement, hands-on activities are being used to clearly illustrate different aspects of the topic of biofuels and world hunger. For example, students will physically represent populations of different continents and will receive cookies to represent wealth. When debriefing after each activity, students will discuss connections made between biofuels and hunger and the ethics behind certain practices. For example, following the Supply Chain Losses activity, students will discuss what supply chain losses mean in terms of world hunger and the amount of food wasted after it enters the home.
Example tools and techniques you could use to ensure student engagement
This unit is designed for classrooms in a 1:1 setting, so every student will have access to individual laptops throughout the unit. The use of technology will ensure student engagement. Along with that, many activities use foods, which not only grabs students' attention, but it also goes along with our project theme. The use of team leader meetings will ensure engagement because groups will have to be at a certain point on their projects when they meet with the instructor. Also peer evaluations will keep students engaged and on task, especially after the first week because they will get feedback on any issues they need to work on.
Detailed plan, with examples, for how will help students reflect on and debrief on each of the following: their progress with the project, group process and peer roles, content being learned
Students are required to do journal reflections so that they can make connections between the day's activities and the driving question. These journals are designed to keep them focused on a daily basis. They will also allow students a chance to debrief and reflect individually on content learned following class discussions. They will have group meetings prior to the team leader's meeting with the instructor to discuss their progress with the project. They will also have a chance to reflect on their peer roles when they do peer evaluations.
Detailed plan for how you will help students develop and reflect on their skills as team players and problem solvers. Include copies of prompts or activities used.
Groups will choose roles for each individual member to insure that everyone contributes to the project. They will construct a group contract that all members must sign. The group leader will meet a few times with the instructor throughout the unit to report on his/her group's progress. Halfway through and at the end of the project they will have a chance to conduct peer evaluations within their groups using the TEAMMATES website. By using this website, students not only have to reflect on their peers' contribution to the project, but they must reflect on their own contribution.
Sample map of the classroom showing seating arrangement
Desks will placed in clusters to separate groups. Students will sit facing each other with their backs to the left or right side of the classroom (no student's back will be towards the blackboard or the teacher's desk). Below is a sample of a classroom setup for a class of 20 working in groups of 4.
Focus on Teacher
Specific plan with complete examples of the facilitation and questioning strategies you will use during the unit
Specific questioning strategies for each activity are available on the Activities tab under Facilitation and Grading, and a list of resources is available on the Online Resources tab. Some examples of questions that may be asked are, "Why do you think the temperature on our planet rising? How can we combat this issue? Will the use of biofuels have any impact on global warming? In what ways do you think global warming is affecting world hunger?". By initially modeling this type of questioning, students should slowly adopt this questioning method.
Examples of you how will collaborate with students and offer assistance without giving them answers
During this project teachers will have to offer students assistance without directly giving answers, considering different groups will be researching different topics. In order to do this successfully, teachers need to ask appropriate questions and have a few sources on hand to guide students during the unit. Specific questioning strategies for each activity are available on the Activities tab under Facilitation and Grading, and a list of resources is available on the Online Resources tab.
Detailed description of how will facilitate student self-‐questioning
The timeline of this unit will help facilitate student self-questioning. We start the first day with an activity on wealth distribution which will lead to a discussion on world hunger, and on the next day we jump into the carbon cycle and a discussion on biofuels. Naturally students are going to begin to question what the two activities have to do with each other, encouraging appropriate questioning. Also at the end of each day students will have to use self-questioning to make connections between the activities and the driving question in their journal entries.
Detailed description of how students will be grouped, including examples of how roles will be assigned, to facilitate student collaboration
Students will be placed in groups of 3-5 students, depending on the size of the class. These groups will be chosen by the teacher. One way groups can be created is by randomly drawing popsicle sticks with students' names on them and placing them into groups. A sample map of classroom seating arrangement can be found at the bottom of this page. Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. There must be at least one group leader.
Plan for helping groups set and agree upon goals
Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. They will create a contract that they all must sign, describing what each of their roles entail. This contract will help ensure effective group work and can be referred to throughout the unit if problems arise. There must be at least one group leader, and he/she will meet with the instructor to report on group progress.
Plan for ensuring effective group work (using class time efficiently, ensuring equal participation among group members) – include copy of prompts or activities designed to assist students
Every group member must take on one or more role that they deem important for the completion of their project. They will create a contract that they all must sign, describing what each of their roles entail. This contract will help ensure effective group work and can be referred to throughout the unit if problems arise. There must be at least one group leader, and he/she will meet with the instructor to report on group progress. During this meeting the team leader can express any concerns with effective group work he/she may have. A group leader may also request meetings with the instructor outside of the designated time if issues are prohibiting progress on the project.
Focus on Students
Detailed description, with examples, of how you will promote inquiry and ensure student engagement and direction of conversation
To insure inquiry and student engagement, hands-on activities are being used to clearly illustrate different aspects of the topic of biofuels and world hunger. For example, students will physically represent populations of different continents and will receive cookies to represent wealth. When debriefing after each activity, students will discuss connections made between biofuels and hunger and the ethics behind certain practices. For example, following the Supply Chain Losses activity, students will discuss what supply chain losses mean in terms of world hunger and the amount of food wasted after it enters the home.
Example tools and techniques you could use to ensure student engagement
This unit is designed for classrooms in a 1:1 setting, so every student will have access to individual laptops throughout the unit. The use of technology will ensure student engagement. Along with that, many activities use foods, which not only grabs students' attention, but it also goes along with our project theme. The use of team leader meetings will ensure engagement because groups will have to be at a certain point on their projects when they meet with the instructor. Also peer evaluations will keep students engaged and on task, especially after the first week because they will get feedback on any issues they need to work on.
Detailed plan, with examples, for how will help students reflect on and debrief on each of the following: their progress with the project, group process and peer roles, content being learned
Students are required to do journal reflections so that they can make connections between the day's activities and the driving question. These journals are designed to keep them focused on a daily basis. They will also allow students a chance to debrief and reflect individually on content learned following class discussions. They will have group meetings prior to the team leader's meeting with the instructor to discuss their progress with the project. They will also have a chance to reflect on their peer roles when they do peer evaluations.
Detailed plan for how you will help students develop and reflect on their skills as team players and problem solvers. Include copies of prompts or activities used.
Groups will choose roles for each individual member to insure that everyone contributes to the project. They will construct a group contract that all members must sign. The group leader will meet a few times with the instructor throughout the unit to report on his/her group's progress. Halfway through and at the end of the project they will have a chance to conduct peer evaluations within their groups using the TEAMMATES website. By using this website, students not only have to reflect on their peers' contribution to the project, but they must reflect on their own contribution.
Sample map of the classroom showing seating arrangement
Desks will placed in clusters to separate groups. Students will sit facing each other with their backs to the left or right side of the classroom (no student's back will be towards the blackboard or the teacher's desk). Below is a sample of a classroom setup for a class of 20 working in groups of 4.
Classroom layout created on http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_setup/
SCAFFOLDS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS' EFFORTS
Focus on Teacher
List of areas where students are likely to have difficulty
- Independent vs. Dependent Variables
- Creating Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit:
- Calculating with Ratios, Proportions, and Percentages.
- Writing a professional letter
Explicit plans and materials for scaffolds in these areas
-Just In Time Activities
-Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Focus on Content
List of areas where students are likely to have misconceptions
- The graph of a linear function can only go through the origin
- A negative correlation means there is no correlation
Specific examples with sample materials of how you will address misconceptions
- Climate Change Activity: If students believe that the graph of a linear function can only go through the origin, refer back to this activity and discuss how the y-intercepts of each of the graphs is not zero. This will illustrate that many different graphs do not go through the origin.
- Correlation Discussion: Discuss the differences between positive, negative, and no correlation. Video with examples.
Focus on Teacher
List of areas where students are likely to have difficulty
- Independent vs. Dependent Variables
- Creating Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit:
- Calculating with Ratios, Proportions, and Percentages.
- Writing a professional letter
Explicit plans and materials for scaffolds in these areas
-Just In Time Activities
-Purdue University Online Writing Lab
Focus on Content
List of areas where students are likely to have misconceptions
- The graph of a linear function can only go through the origin
- A negative correlation means there is no correlation
Specific examples with sample materials of how you will address misconceptions
- Climate Change Activity: If students believe that the graph of a linear function can only go through the origin, refer back to this activity and discuss how the y-intercepts of each of the graphs is not zero. This will illustrate that many different graphs do not go through the origin.
- Correlation Discussion: Discuss the differences between positive, negative, and no correlation. Video with examples.