Unit Plan and Analysis
Brittany Peters
1. Context
The following unit plan and analysis reflects the work and data gathered from a five
week long unit on Brazil. The unit took place in a general education third grade classroom
at Hyde Park Elementary School. The classroom is a tight knit community in which all of
the children engage with on another. There are few conflicts and behavior management is
well established in the classroom and is rarely a serious issue. The 15 students in this class
are all a part of Project Child. This program allows the students to rotate classes for
writing, reading, and mathematics. Three teachers form a cluster with each teacher taking
on the responsibility for one subject area for three grade levels ( in this cluster it is
3rd,4th, and 5th grade). The third grade students remain in the classroom for mathematics
and their other content areas including science and social studies.
The class is composed of 15 students. These students vary widely in their academic
abilities and social backgrounds. Of the 15 students, 9 of the students are male and 6 are
female. All of the students were 8 or 9 years old during the time of the unit. The majority
of the students are Caucasian, two students are Hispanic and student is African American.
English is a first language for all of the students. The socio economic statuses of the
students vary. Hyde Park Elementary is a Title I school with many students being from
low income families. Additionally, the family dynamics are quite different among the
students. During my placement, the students faced many hardships such as the death of a
close loved one and domestic violence within the home.
As previously mentioned, the classroom has a strong sense of community. Students
engage in many group activities that encourage peer relationships. This is particularly
evident because of the structure of Project Child. Project Child is designed so that
students engage in traditional lesson plans in addition to working at stations. For example,
stations in math include textbook, challenge, teacher, and exploration. The design for
these stations affects the set up of the classroom for all activities and lessons. The
classroom is designed so that students sit at round tables that generally accommodate 4
or less students. In the class, students sit at 4 separate tables and have assigned seats
during traditional lesson time. This set up was the basis for my lessons throughout the
unit. It is also important to note that the classroom is well designed for easy student
movement and is also bright and welcoming which leads to student achievement. The
emphasis on group work enhances the sense of community among the students. The
students were especially connected during this time as the community was presented with
the possibility of having to close Hyde Park Elementary for economic reasons. The
students have a strong sense of school pride and a love for Project Child. They were
particularly upset at the idea of their school closing and potentially losing their cohort and
Project Child. Extending beyond the classroom, Hyde Park Elementary is a school with a
strong sense of community with a heavy emphasis on student success and comfort.
Diverse learning needs were a driving factor in the development of this unit plan. In
the class of 15 students, five of the students are classified with IEPs. Of the five
students, one male student is classified with speech and language deficits, two boys have
learning disabilities and ADHD, one boy has a learning disability in reading, and one girl has
learning disabilities. These students all receive services including push in and pull out
services in their areas of need. In addition to those five students, three students
including one female and two males receive AIS services in reading. Also, two female
students receive AIS services in mathematics. There is also one student who suffers
from anxiety. Students in the class vary widely in their academic abilities with several
high and low achieving students as well as many students who are performing on grade
level. Additionally, the achievement level varies greatly depending upon the subject area.
All of the students in the class are of normal physical development; therefore, this is not a
factor affecting their academic achievement.
Objectives:
It is important to note that the following objectives are for the span of the unit which
spanned a five week period. The following objectives are written with Bloom’s taxonomy
and diverse learners in mind. The objectives are goals that students of all ability levels will
be able to achieve after proper instruction and accommodations. The objectives are all
derived from the New York State Standards and are aligned with the New York State
Learning Standards in mind including specific performance indicators. The objectives are
listed below with the New York State Standards and performance indicators beneath for
support and reference.
Students will:
a. Understand the importance of, identify, and replicate geographical features
of Brazil
b. Read, comprehend, and analyze information on the history of Brazil to
develop a sense of time and to identify differences and similarities among
cultures and across time periods
c. Explore the lifestyle, culture, beliefs, and values of the Brazilian people in
the past and present to develop an understanding of how Brazil’s history
shaped modern day Brazil.
d. Discover similarities and differences between themselves and Brazilian
children
New York State Standards:
Standard 2: World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and
examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Key Idea 1: The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and
civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and
traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and
interactions of people across time and space and the ways different people view the same
event or issue from a variety of perspectives.
Performance Indicator: read historical narratives, myths, legends, biographies, and autobiographies
to learn about how historical figures lived, their motivations, hopes, fears, strengths, and
weaknesses
Performance Indicator: study about different world cultures and civilizations focusing on their
accomplishments, contributions, values, beliefs, and traditions
Key Idea 2: Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes
across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history
help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.
Performance Indicator: develop timelines that display important events and eras from world history
Key Idea 3: Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in
world history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals
and groups.
Performance Indicator: gather and present information about important developments from world history
Key Idea 4: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and
competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why
interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical evidence, and
understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.
Performance Indicator: explore the lifestyles, beliefs, traditions, rules and laws, and social/cultural needs and
wants of people during different periods in history and in different parts of the world
Standard 3: Geography
use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of
the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the
distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.
Key Idea 1: Geography can be divided into six essential elements which can be used to
analyze important historic, geographic, economic, and environmental questions and issues.
These six elements include: the world in spatial terms, places and regions, physical settings
(including natural resources), human systems, environment and society, and the use of
geography.
Performance Indicators: identify and compare the physical, human, and cultural characteristics of different
regions and people
Draw maps and diagrams that serve as representations of places, physical features, and objects
2. Pre-Assessment and Analysis
a. The pre-assessment was developed based upon the major areas the learning
objectives cover including geography, history, and culture. Questions were
presented in a true/false format to develop an understanding of what students
already knew about Brazil. Additionally, the questions were authored at the third
grade level. To accommodate for students who have learning disabilities, questions
and directions were read to students verbally two times and students could ask to
have difficult words read aloud again during the assessment. A scaled down copy of
the Pre-assessment is below.
Decide if the following statements are true or false. Write true or false on the
line next to each statement.
____1. Brazil is located in South America.
____2. The official language of Brazil is Spanish.
____3. The Amazon Rainforest has more plants and animals than anywhere else in the world.
____4. Carnival is a festival held every year in May.
____5. The Amazon is the longest river in the world.
____6. Brazil is the second largest country in the world.
____7. The capital of Brazil is Rio de Janeiro.
____8. Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world.
____9. More than 150 million people live in Brazil.
____10. Most of Brazil is warm all year round.
Share one thing you would like to learn about Brazil:
b.
Student Responses to Pre-assessment
16
14
12
10
8
6
Correct
Incorrect
4
2
0
Above is a graph of the number of students who got each response correct or incorrect.
Based upon this data I recognized several patterns of student performance. Students
appear to have a strong grasp and understanding of the geography and climate of Brazil
and had difficulty with cultural questions. Looking at the two most extreme responses,
most students did not know the capitol of Brazil; however, most students did know that
Brazil has a generally warm climate. Based upon the information I gathered from the preassessment I drew several conclusions that shaped my instruction on Brazil. I decided to
spend more instructional time on culture and less time on geography because I feel
students would have a stronger grasp on this information. Looking at the pre-assessment
data also helped me realize that students did not know a lot about Brazil and I would start
from the very basics and work my way up to more challenging information rather than
starting off with the assumption students knew some information about Brazil.
During this time, I identified three students who I felt were below, on, and above grade
level performing students. For privacy reasons I will refer to them as students 1(above
grade level), 2 (on grade level), and 3 (below grade level).
Below is the pre-assessment of student 1:
Below is the pre-assessment for Student 2:
Below is the pre-assessment for Student 3:
3. Lesson Plans
I.
Topography Lesson Plan
II.
Postcards from Brazil Lesson Plan
III.
Cinderella in Brazil Lesson Plan
4. Formative Assessments
Throughout the course of the unit, I developed several assessments to monitor progress
and student understanding. Assessments included activities such as writing assessments
(such as writing postcards as if students had visited Brazil), group activities (monitoring
the room and checking for student understanding), and asking summary questions at the
end of every lesson. These assessments provided me with important feedback regarding
student comprehension and learning styles. From these assessments I discovered when I
needed to slow down, when students were not challenged enough, and when I made the
material too difficult. The assessments also made me realize when I needed to
differentiate activities for students as well. While some students had no difficulty with
tasks, others needed assistance or had to have the task modified to make it easier for
completion. This did not just apply to students who were having a difficult time; I also had
to modify the curriculum for students who were not challenged enough. One formative
assessment that I gave to the students was what I called a “how are you doing” activity.
The information that was provided from this was critical for altering the curriculum. From
the assessment I was able to see what the students’ area of difficulty in the middle of the
unit and change it dramatically. Below are samples of the “how are you doing” activity from
the three students mentioned previously.
Student 1 (on grade level)
Student 2 (On Grade Level)
Student 3 (Below Grade Level)
5. Post-Assessment and Analysis
a. For the post-assessment I created a traditional test for the unit. It included questions
that cover all three major focus areas (culture, geography, and history). The assessment
was comprised of three parts (multiple choice, true/false, and extended response). Like
the pre-assessment, I read all questions and directions out loud to students before they
began and circled the room to read the questions additional times to students who needed
assistance. Below is a scaled down copy of the final assessment:
Final Assessment
Directions: For the following questions circle the correct answer.
1.
What is the capital city of Brazil?
a.
Rio de Janiero
c. Peru
b. Brasilia
d. Parana
2. What continent is Brazil located on?
a.
South America
b. Asia
c. North America
d. Europe
3. What is the official language of Brazil?
a.
English
c. Portuguese
b. Spanish
d. Mandarin
4. Which of the following is a geographic feature of Brazil?
a.
Indian Ocean
b. Nile River
c. Sahara Desert
d. Amazon Rainforest
5. What is the name of the famous festival held in Brazil every year?
a.
Carnival
b. Brasilia
c. Rio de Janiero
d. Equator
6. Which ocean borders Brazil?
a.
Pacific Ocean
b. Indian Ocean
c. Atlantic Ocean
d. Arctic Ocean
7. Which of the following is the most popular sport in Brazil?
a.
Baseball
b. Basketball
c. Golf
d. Soccer
8. Who were the first Europeans to arrive in Brazil?
a.
The Portuguese
b. The Germans
c. The British
d. The Dutch
Directions: For the following questions write if the statement is true or false.
__________1.The Amazon Rainforest is the largest in the world.
__________2. The climate is cold everywhere in Brazil
__________3. Two important crops in Brazil are coffee and rubber.
__________4. Toucans and jaguars are animals found in the Amazon rainforest.
Directions: Write one difference and one similarity between you and a child in Brazil.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
c. The students improved quite a great deal from the pre-assessment to the postassessment. Had the pre-assessments been graded more than 75% of students
would have failed. On the post-assessment, however, every student passed with
the average grade being in the high 90’s. Below I have attached a graph that
shows the accuracy of student responses for all questions besides the extended
response due to the fact students received partial credit.
Post-Assessment Student Responses:
16
14
12
10
8
Correct
6
4
2
0
Incorrect
The graph above shows quite a significant improvement from the pre-assessment results.
During the pre-assessment the number of correct and incorrect responses was roughly
equal as opposed to the results seen above in which the majority of students responses are
correct. This shows that my instruction had a direct and positive impact on the student’s
learning. I would like to note that the majority of students received full or partial credit
on the extended response question which was not displayed above.
c.The final assessments of the three different leveled students mentioned during the preassessment and formative assessment section can be seen below:
Student 1 (Above Grade Level)
Student 2 ( On Grade Level)
Student 3 (Below Grade Level)
It is evident through their pre, mid, and final assessments that all three of the students
improved their knowledge of Brazil immensely. Student 1 (above grade level) was quick to
pick up all of the information. This was evident throughout the course of the entire unit.
The student’s learning style was best enhanced by working individually rather than in
groups, but the student picked up the material quickly and regardless of the activity.
Student 2 (on grade level) picked up some information faster than other information. This
student, in particular, benefited from visual demonstrations and information particularly
videos and picture books to enhance understanding. Once I picked up on this learning style,
I was able to incorporate more visual information into lessons and the student began to
excel. Student 3 (below grade level) did well in group activities but struggled during
independent work, especially work that involved writing. To assist the student and
accommodate the learning needs, I allowed the student to write thoughts rather than full
sentences so that the content was emphasized and writing did not become an overwhelming
stressor. This appeared to help the student quite a bit as the student’s overall
comprehension improved.
6. Reflection
When reflecting on my unit and the assessments I gave, I feel it was an overall
success. The students showed a dramatic improvement from the pre-assessment with the
majority of students receiving over half of the questions wrong to the post-assessment
which resulted in all of the students passing with most scores in the 80-90 range.
Students showed an overall enthusiasm for the material and were actively engaged
throughout the course of this unit.
T he unit certainly had its strengths. Strengths included a high level of student
interest in most activities, a dramatic increase in student knowledge, strong group work,
and a successful use of differentiation. The students remained actively engaged in
activities and displayed a high level of interest. They would ask to continue with projects
and showed a genuine interest in the material. Students increased their knowledge in the
subject area dramatically throughout the unit. They particularly increased their knowledge
after the mid assessment when they realized they did not remember all of the
information. This was a success because the students realized they could improve and
showed a genuine passion for learning the material. A strength was the level of maturity
and productivity that resulted from group work projects. Students worked well with one
another with little to no conflicts and they made good use of their time with little time
wasted. The unit also made good use of differentiation, students of all levels were
successful in learning and applying information on Brazil with specific adaptations and
changes made to the curriculum. These results will affect my teaching in the future
because I will implement the same level of enthusiasm and creativity into other units after
seeing the results it can create.
Of course, the unit had its weaknesses as well. They included a high level of
difficulty with certain reading materials, lack of attention, lack of clarity, and time
management difficulties. Some of the reading materials provided were above grade level,
and although broken down for students caused a high level of stress among some of them.
Additionally, many times students were not fully paying attention during the lesson and
this lead to deficits during assessments later on. At times, I did not make objectives clear
enough and students were confused about what was expected of them. There were also
points during the unit that were lacking careful time management. Activities would run
over time which would spill into other instructional time. To improve these weaknesses and
improve myself as a teacher I would make sure to break down all reading materials for
students who did not understand and be sure to pick out grade level materials, check more
frequently for attention and understanding, and carefully consider how much time each
activity would likely take and what obstacles may come during the lesson.
The assessment data was extremely helpful throughout the course of this unit. It
enabled me to understand what areas the majority of students were struggling in and
which once they understood best. This allowed me to modify instruction as needed so I
could improve understanding. It helped me understand which lessons were more successful
than others. I would use assessment data such as this in the future so I could analyze
what students could spend more time on and to look for patterns. Patterns may include
information such as which questions students frequently had correct and incorrect.