ThematicInterdisciplinary Unit

1
Thematic/Interdisciplinary Unit

• Many content areas are integrated to provide a
  focus on a specific theme
• Helps students visualized connections
• Learners conduct research with others and use
  materials independently
• Learners can make predictions and evaluate

2
Thematic/Interdisciplinary Unit

• Extend from one to four weeks
• They ADD to the curriculum guides by engaging
  them in the learning process
• Higher levels of behavior are rarely achieved in
  a single lesson--units build on previously taught
  behaviors
• High motivator for poorly motivated learners

3
Planning a Unit

• 1. Select theme\grade level
• 2. List goal(s) overview/framework of what unit
  is about (Parent letter?)
• 3. 10 learner outcomes and instructional
  objectives (Use SOLs) for 10 activities
  (minimum)
• 4. Detailed instructional procedures resources,
  feasible activities, intro activities,
  culminating activities
• 5. Assessment

4
Thematic/Interdisciplinary UnitSample (continued)

• THEMATIC UNIT MMs/Grade 1
• Objective 1 The student will be able to count by
  2s, 5s, and 10s
• Activity 1 Counting a bag of MMs
• Integrated subjects math, reading, writing
• Assessment observation of student counting by
  2s, 5s and 10s

• Materials a bag of 30 MMs for each
  student/placemat for candy
• Procedure1. The student will demonstrate how to
  count by 2s, 5s and 10s by using the MMs on
  their placemats. 2. Read Even Steven and Odd
  Todd and discuss. 3. Write about splitting a
  bag of MMs with a friend and there isnt an
  even number.

5
Thematic\Interdisciplinary Unit Sample
6
Michael Ward (Walter Reed) ECI-595 Elementary
Methods December 7, 2002
Our Journey Through Italy (A Thematic Unit)
7
GOALS

• Students
• Engage in high levels of thinking and meaningful
  learning.
• Increase their motivation to learn through
  individual and cooperative efforts.
• Are able to visualize connections between
  classroom subject matter and the real world.
• Develop a broad appreciation for Italian
  influences to American culture.

8
Overview Framework

• Theme Travel (Journey Through Italy) -- 6th
  Grade
• Type of Thematic Unit Interdisciplinary
  (Language Arts, Science, Geography, Computers,
  Art, Music, and Math)
• Start Date Either during or soon after
  students study the Roman Empire (Social Studies)
• Duration Conducted over a 3-week period (3
  days per group x 5 groups) one or two classes
  per day.
• Procedure My class of 31 students is already
  divided into 4 groups of 6 and one of 7. I am
  the class tour guide and begin the unit by
  describing how we will conduct the unit, organize
  the groups and assign roles functions for the
  members of each group. Each group is headed by
  an assistant tour guide, responsible for
  providing the entire class with information about
  the city/location we are going to and how we will
  get there. At each city/location, we will
  accomplish our thematic unit objectives
  designated for that place.

9
Overview Framework (Continued)

• Procedure (cont) As the homeroom teacher for
  the 6th Grade at my school, I teach Language
  Arts, Science, and Math. For this unit, I have
  prepared the lesson plans for those subjects and
  Geography. In addition, I have coordinated with
  the Computer, Art, and Music teachers to build
  lesson plans for those subjects they will teach.
  All objectives stem from curriculum guidelines
  from my school (Nativity Catholic School, Burke,
  VA). Prior to accomplishing the first two
  objectives, I will present information and lead
  a class discussion about Italy. Before
  accomplishing the objectives assigned under each
  group, the group and I will present information
  and lead a class discussion about the groups
  assigned city/place. For these events, I will
  use audio-visual aids at my disposal, such as a
  travel video and slides I have accumulated over
  the years.

10
Overview Framework (Continued)

• Assigned Cities/Respective Lessons/Schedule
• Entire Class Travel to Italy
  
• Introduction - Process
• Objective 1 - Italy
• Objective 2 Research/ Travel Brochures
• Group I Rome
• Objective 3 - Roman Numerals
• Objective 4 - Daily Journal
• Objective 5 - Distances

11
Overview Framework (Continued)

• Assigned Cities/Respective Lessons/Schedule
  (cont)
• Group II Pompeii, Mts. Vesuvius and Etna
• Objective 6 - Volcanoes
• Group III Florence
• Objective 7 Renaissance da Vinci
• Objective 8 Italian/English Words
• Group IV Venice
• Objective 9 Concertos Vivaldi
• Objective 10 Personal Letter
• Group V Verona the Alps
• Objective 11 Plate Tectonics
  Mountain-Building
• Entire Class Wrap-Up

12
Geography
Earth Science
Math

• Map of Italy Familiarization with
  Cities Terrain

• Volcanoes
• Plate Tectonics (Mountain Building)

• Roman Numerals
• Calculating Distances (Miles vs. Kilometers)

Journey Through ITALY
Language Arts Writing
Language Arts Spelling/Vocab

• Daily Journal
• Personal Letter

• Italian English Words

• Groups Prepare Travel Brochures of Assigned
  Cities

ART
MUSIC
Computers (Research)

• Concertos (Vivaldi)

• The Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci

13
OBJECTIVES

• Students will familiarize themselves with the map
  of Italy and be able to locate Italys major
  cities places.
• Using the internet, books, and magazines from the
  library, students will prepare travel brochures
  for their assigned cities/places.
• Students will be able to read and write Roman
  Numerals, be able to convert them into Arabic
  numerals, and use them to solve problems.
• Students will start and maintain a daily journal.
  
• Students will be able to find the distances (in
  kilometers) between locations on a map of Italy
  and convert these distances into miles.
• Students will learn how and why volcanoes form,
  where they occur, and what their effects are..

14
OBJECTIVES (CONTINUED)

• Students will familiarize themselves with the
  Renaissance in Florence and Leonardo da Vinci.
• Students will recognize, know the meaning of, and
  spell correctly Italian words that have been
  adopted into the English language.
• Students will familiarize themselves with
  Venetian Baroque Composer Vivaldi and his Four
  Seasons.
• Students will write a personal letter, describing
  their trip, to their relatives.
• Students will learn about how plate tectonics
  changes the surface of Earth and how mountains
  are formed.

15
(No Transcript)
16
OBJECTIVE 1
Students will familiarize themselves with the map
of Italy and be able to locate Italys major
cities places.

• Activity Students will color a map of Italy
  by following written directions.
• Materials Maps of Italy with instructions
  (www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/italy/italyactiv
  ity.shtml) , coloring pencils, overhead
  projector, and transparency of Map of Italy.
• Procedure After working 1 together, students
  will pair up to complete this activity.
• Evaluation Quiz (www.enchantedlearning.com/eur
  ope/italy/italybwquiz.shtml)

17
OBJECTIVE 2
Using the internet, books, and magazines from the
library, students will prepare travel brochures
for their assigned cities/places.

• Activity Create a travel brochure of an
  Italian city/place by writing, drawing, and using
  materials from reference sources.
• Materials Computer/internet, books
  magazines from the library, blank sheets of
  paper, folded for draft brochures,construction
  paper, scissors, glue, markers, maps of Italy.
• Procedure Provide directions for making
  brochures. Show examples of travel brochures.
  Pass around the first handout and as a group,
  read the directions together and brainstorm a few
  possible ideas. Hand out a sheet folded exactly
  the way the final brochure should be so that
  students can do their rough draft on the blank
  sheet.
• Evaluation Brochures will be assessed
  according to the level of work produced by the
  student by looking at the quality of handwriting,
  the effort put in, neatness, and details
  provided.

18
OBJECTIVE 3
Students will be able to read and write Roman
Numerals, be able to convert them into Arabic
numerals, and use them to solve problems.

• Activity Introduce Roman Numerals through
  class discussion and use of the chalkboard,
  students use manipulatives to create Roman
  Numerals, and class works conversion problems
  together.
• Materials Different forms of dry pasta.
• Procedure After a good introduction to Roman
  Numerals, students use dry pasta to create Roman
  Numerals. Together, practice converting from
  Arabic Numeral to Roman and vice versa practice
  adding and subtracting Roman Numerals.
• Evaluation Hand out Doing Math the Roman
  Way at (www.education-world.com/a_lesson/TM/WS_l
  p276-03.shtml). Students solve 8/10 correctly.

19
OBJECTIVE 4
Students will start and maintain a daily journal.

• Activity Introduce journal-writing ask
  students to write their first journal entry
  together in class. For the remainder of the
  trip, as homework, students will make entries in
  their journals concerning trip related activities
  they participated in each day.
• Materials Composition books.
• Procedure Students are asked to include, as a
  minimum, the following topics in their daily
  write-ups (1) What they experienced, (2) What
  they enjoyed or did not enjoy about the days
  activity(ies) and why (3) How they can apply
  what they experienced and (4) Ideas they might
  have for follow-on activities related to what
  they just experienced.
• Evaluation On a weekly basis, assess journal
  writing based on creativity, correct use of
  grammar, sentence structure, and spelling.

20
OBJECTIVE 5
Students will be able to find the distances (in
kilometers) between locations on a map of Italy
and convert these distances into miles.

• Activity Introduce the metric system with
  respect to measuring distances. Using
  worksheets, students will plot distances (in
  kilometers) between major cities/places in Italy
  practice converting kilometers into miles and
  vice versa.
• Materials Paper copies of map of Italy (slide
  10) worksheet with distances between key
  cities/places ruler.
• Procedure Following a class discussion on the
  metric system and the formula for converting
  kilometers to miles (and vice versa), practice
  converting distances students will practice
  converting and labeling distances, in kilometers,
  on their maps.
• Evaluation Using another copy of the same map
  of Italy, students will correctly convert
  distances in kilometers to distances in miles. A
  minimum of 8/10 distances should be converted and
  labeled on the map correctly.

21
OBJECTIVE 6
Students will learn how and why volcanoes form,
where they occur, and their effects.

• Activity Explain how and why volcanoes form,
  where they can be found, types of volcanoes and
  their effects. Relate this information to Mt.
  Vesuvius and Mt. Etna. Students then color and
  label the parts of a volcano on a worksheet and
  conduct a cloze activity.
• Materials Worksheets at www.enchantedlearning.c
  om/subjects/volcano/activities.shtml, overhead
  projector, transparency of the inside of a
  composite volcano.
• Procedure Provide information to students
  concerning volcanoes. Using the overhead
  projector describe the parts of a composite
  volcano then, leaving the projector with
  transparency on, ask students to label and color
  their worksheet. Following this activity, do the
  Cloze Activity together.
• Evaluation Quiz at www.enchantedlearning.com/su
  bjects/volcano/activities.shtml students should
  correctly answer 80 of the questions.

22
OBJECTIVE 7
Students will familiarize themselves with
Leonardo da Vinci the Renaissance.

• Activity Introduce the Renaissance period in
  Florence and Leonardo da Vincis contributions.
  Conduct an activity on perspective in drawing a
  scene.
• Materials Picture of the Mona Lisa,
  worksheets, sheets of acetate, masking tape,
  bandanas.
• Procedure After introducing the subject
  matter, students will conduct the activity
  described at www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/UsingLeosWin
  dow.html to gain an appreciation for perspective
  when drawing.
• Evaluation Students will color in the Mona
  Lisa outline provided at www.enchantedlearning.com
  /artists/davinci/coloring/monalisa.shtml.
  Students will be assessed according to the
  quality of their work.

23
OBJECTIVE 8
Students will recognize, know the meaning of, and
spell correctly Italian words that have been
adopted into the English language..

• Activity Students are given a list of some
  common Italian/English words (next slide). The
  words are written on the chalkboard, defined and
  illustrated. Where possible, pictures of the
  items represented are shown or actual items are
  brought in and shown. Students then practice
  spelling the words and work two puzzles prepared
  from (puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com) and
  distributed to them (1) word search, and (2)
  crossword puzzle.
• Materials Word Search and Crossword Puzzle
  visual depictions of Italian/English words.
• Procedure Described above.
• Evaluation A two-part quiz is administered to
  check for spelling and vocabulary definitions.
  Students are expected to achieve a minimum score
  of 80.

24
OBJECTIVE 8
Students will recognize, know the meaning of, and
spell correctly Italian words that have been
adopted into the English language.. (cont.)
List of Some Italian Words Adopted Into the
English Language -- pizza -- spaghetti
-- ravioli -- linguini -- pasta
-- tortellini -- solo -- macaroni --
lasagna -- prosciutto -- salami --
gorgonzola -- cafe latte -- grotto -- antipasto
-- gondola -- zucchini -- graffiti
-- fiasco -- cappuccino -- espresso --
violin -- volcano -- design --
portico
25
OBJECTIVE 9
Students will familiarize themselves with
Venetian Baroque Composer Vivaldi and his Four
Seasons.

• Activity Introduce the Baroque period of
  music and discuss composer Vivaldis biography.
  Play excerpts from Vivaldis Four Seasons
  students draw or write their impressions of what
  they heard.
• Materials Audio recording of Vivaldis Four
  Seasons art tablets colored pencils.
• Procedure After introducing the subject
  matter, an audio tape recording of the Four
  Seasons is played. At key point during and
  after each season, the class will discuss their
  interpretation of the season. Students are asked
  to jot down notes concerning their impressions.
• Evaluation Students may choose to either draw
  or write their interpretation of the Four
  Seasons. Their must be a minimum of one scene
  for each season (if they choose to draw), or a
  minimum of one descriptive paragraph for each
  season.

26
OBJECTIVE 10
Students will write a social letter, describing
their trip, to their relatives.

• Activity After a class discussion on the
  types and parts of social letters with an
  emphasis on the friendly letter, students are
  asked to pick one activity they enjoyed so far in
  the trip and write a brief thank-you letter to
  the tour guide, thanking him for the opportunity
  to participate in the activity. As students
  finish, their work is critiqued and they write
  their friendly letters to their relatives.
• Materials Unlined paper, pen.
• Procedure Students will write 2 social
  letters first, a short thank-you letter (for
  practice) and then a 2-page minimum friendly
  letter to one of their relatives, describing
  their trip so far!).
• Evaluation Students will be assessed
  according to the level of work produced by the
  student by looking at the quality of handwriting,
  the effort put in, neatness, correct use of
  grammar, sentence structure, and spelling.

27
OBJECTIVE 11
Students will learn about how plate tectonics
changes the surface of Earth and how mountains
are formed.

• Activity After describing the chemical and
  physical layers of the Earth, introduce the
  historical development of the plate tectonic
  theory, describing the location and types of
  plate boundaries. Then, demonstrate plate
  tectonic theory. Students do a jigsaw puzzle and
  word search to reinforce their understanding.
• Materials Map of the world, cardboard box,
  tape, sheets of paper, scissors, worksheets.
• Procedure Following a class discussion on the
  layers of the Earth, plate tectonic theory, and
  the plate boundaries, demonstrate plate tectonic
  theory by conducting the activity at
  volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/activities/
  p_number5.html students will then do the 2
  activities at volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwless
  ons/activities/p_number6.html and (same site, but
  substitute the number 8 for 6).
• Evaluation Students correctly answer 80 of
  the questions at volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwl
  essons/activities/p_number7.html.

28
WRAP-UP
Final Project Students prepare a report on the
trip, using information already gained and
assimilated from brochures, journals, letters,
other activities and classroom discussions.
Report will be a minimum of 3 pages in length and
will contain the following topics (as a minimum)
1. Title and description of the Thematic Unit
2. The Itinerary 3. A paragraph of what you
observed/learned at each Italian city/place 4.
What you thought of the Thematic Unit (What did
you like, and what didnt you like? and 5. An
answer to Do you think you would like to take an
actual trip to Italy? Why or why not?
29
Thematic/Interdisciplinary Unit(Sample Topics)

• Legends
• Ghosts/Witches
• Computers
• Cartoon/Comic Strips
• Native Americans
• Apples
• Space
• Animals
• Military Ships

30
Spelling Row(Spelling Game)

• Divide class equally
• Put teams in rows
• Player 1 Pronounce word and say first letter
• Player 2 say next letter, etc
• Last player says last letter and has to
  repronounce the word
• Miss, go to next team

31
SPELLING GAMES

• QUICK SPELL weekly spelling, vocabulary study
• CIRCULAR SEARCHcommon words with repetitious
  pattern of letters
• B,O,N, bonbon
• V,E,R,I, river

32
SPELLING GAMES

• E,R,A,S,erase
• L,E,M,B,emblem
• I,N,G,R,A,ingrain or grain
• A,T,O,M,tomato
• R,A,P,H,O,T,O,G, photograph
• R,E,T,I,retire
• E,R,E,V,ever,revere

• S,I,C,L,A,S,classic
• E,C,I,D,decide
• E,G,I,B,L,legible
• A,T,O,R,orator
• E,R,M,I,T,termite
• L,I,V,E,N,enliven
• R,O,N,G,E,S,T, strongest
• H,U,R,C,church

33
SPARKLE(Spelling Game)

• Single file line
• Pronounce word
• First student spells first letter, etc
• Student who says last letter must turn to next
  student and say Sparkle and next student
  returns to desk
• Continue until one student is left standing

34
MIRAGE (Spelling Game)

• For practicing spelling words
• Any grade level
• Need a bucket of water, sponge, and two pieces of
  stiff cardboard

35
BEAN DIP(Spelling Game)

• Need coffee can, fine line permanent marker,
  large dried lima beans, scoop
• Make label for can
• Letter on each bean (two of every consonant, 5
  beans for every vowel, and extra S,T,L,M,N
• Set timer/make as many words as possible/check

36
More Spelling Ideas!

• Pudding
• Playdough/toothpicks
• Step writing
• Picture dictionary
• Shower curtain and bean bag toss
• Holiday (color) links

• Build a monster
• Erase a monster
• Eat the words with Alphabet cereal
• Dippity-do and plastic bag
• Hangman

37
We Go TogetherVocabulary Expander

• Toss and TURN
• Up, Up, and AWAY
• Bread and BUTTER
• Hop, skip, and JUMP
• Animal, vegetable, or MINERAL
• Coffee, tea, or MILK
• Rich man, poor man beggarman THIEF

38
We Go Together (Continued)

• Bacon, lettuce, and TOMATO
• Spic and SPAN
• Reading, writing, andARITHMETIC
• Peace and QUIET
• Fish and CHIPS
• Sugar and SPICE
• Rise and SHINE

39
We Go Together (Continued)

• Aches and PAINS Ps and Qs
• Safe and SOUND Dos and Donts
• Whether or NOT
• Nickel and DIME
• Tall, dark, and HANDSOME
• Now or NEVER
• Short but SWEET

40
Tongue Twisters A-Z (for practice with
alliteration)

• SAMPLES
• A Angela Abigail Applewhite ate anchovies and
  artichokes.
• B Bertha Bartholomew blew big, blue bubbles.
• C Clever Clifford Cutter clumsily closed the
  closet.

41
Tongue Twisters(Continued)

• ACTIVITIES
• 1. Select 10 and illustrate
• 2. Extend by adding more adjectives and adverbs
• 3. Make up twisters about famous people
• 4. Make up twisters about products you use
• 5. Make up your own with the letter ...

42
Kangaroo Words (vocabulary and synonym skills)

• Slithered, slid
• Perimeter, rim
• Indolent, idle
• Prattle, prate
• Evacuate, vacate
• Encourage, urge
• Prosecute, sue
• Joviality, joy

• Splotches, spots
• Curtail, cut
• Matches, mates
• Regulates, rules
• Container, can
• Rapscallion, rascal
• Diversified, diverse
• Respite, rest

43
Translating Proverbs

• For practice with figurative language
• EXAMPLE Write
• A vessel under optical supervision never reaches
  a temp. of 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• ANSWER A watched pot never boils!

44
Translating Proverbs(Continued)

• 1. Plumaged birds of the same species congregate
  in the same place. (?)
• 2. Accelerated execution produces faulty results.
  (?)
• 3. Inquisitiveness on the part of a member of the
  feline species was responsible for its
  extinction. (?)
• 4. An individual with poor judgment and his
  collateral are soon estranged. (?)

45
Translating Proverbs (Continued)

• Give beginning and student writes ending
• 1. Theres no fool (like an old fool)
• 2. Beauty is (only skin deep)
• 3. A rolling stone (gathers no moss)
• 4. Dont count your chickens (before they hatch)
• 5. You can lead a horse to water (but you cant
  make him drink!)
• 6. You only miss the water (when the well runs
  dry)

46
CLIPPED WORDS(Vocabulary extenders)

• Pants/pantaloons
• Movie/moving picture
• Prom/promenade
• Chemist/alchemist
• Gym/gymnasium
• Limo/limousine
• Math/mathematics
• Coed/coeducational

• Dorm/dormitory
• Fan/fanatic
• Fridge/refrigerator
• Exam/examination
• Flu/influenza
• Auto/automobile
• Burger/hamburger
• Ad/advertisement

47
CLIPPED WORDS(Continued)

• Zoo/zoological garden
• Bike/bicycle
• Cab/cabriolet
• Clerk/cleric
• Varsity/university
• Lab/laboratory
• Lunch/luncheon
• Typo/typographical error
• Memo/memorandum

48
MUSICAL WORDS(Listening skills and Lang. Arts)

• Adj/verbs in song?
• Write 20 words used in song
• How many nouns and/or verbs?
• Any sensory words? (see, hear,etc)
• Illustrate the song

• Write 5 words youre not familiar with
• Find compound words
• Write 5 interesting questions about the
  song/answer them
• Write 5 sentences that tell about someone in the
  song

49
WHATS WRONG?(word association and main idea)

• Glass, box, dish, cup (box)
• Red, six, three, one (red)
• Pig, duck, lion, hen (lion)
• Swim, run, teeth, laugh (teeth)

50
Talking Flash Cards

• Say word/run through
• For spelling words/reading stories or math facts
• Prerecorded or own custom recordings on blank
  cards
• National Reading Styles Institute
• 1800-331-3117

51
Human Scrabble

• 1. 2 sets of letters of alphabet 2 colors
• 2. Two teams
• 3. Call out word
• 4. Children go to front and spell word with
  their cards