Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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What in the world
WHAT IN THE WORLD
This activity uses project based learning to help students gain practical skill sets while completing a project that feels meaningful. It will increase their level of “cognitive flow” by working in teams to stimulate discussion and share ideas. Students will use their reading, writing, and speaking skills in an applicable manner through this project-based learning.
Project Objective
Students use the target language to explore a significant theme in current events (migration and refugees, environmental sustainability, economic justice, or human rights). Students will work in teams building up on collaboration skills, research skills, reading skills, writing skills, and speaking skills. The purpose is to build skills in English Language Development through completing a social studies project.
Social Studies for Language Learners Grade 9-12 (Two Weeks)
Project Idea
Standards addressed
State Standards Addressed
Standard addressed- Common Core State Standards Arizona – ELA-Social Studies (11-12th)
Key Ideas and Details:
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Craft and Structure:
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
| Success Criteria | Insufficient | Basic | Proficient | Excelling |
| Learning Objective – The student can plan, research, and gather information and provide sources. | The student did not conduct any research or gather any information for their project. Project is insufficient in length and lacks quality. The central question is not addressed and project does not mistreat reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, collaboration, or research skills. | The central question was addressed. The target language was used. Skills including reading, writing, and speaking with demonstrated through the required activities. | The central question was addressed. The target language was used. Skills including reading, writing, and speaking with demonstrated through the required activities. Some, but not all skills are demonstrated, and the quality of the submissions could benefit from additional research or better address target skills. | The central question was addressed. Target language is used including skills with reading, writing, and speaking in a way that involves critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self management. Research skills are demonstrated in the activity. |
| Process – The student can collaborate with teammates and members of the community. | The student did not provide sources.Students completed less than the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did not fully reflect the topics covered. Themes and central question were not addressed. | The student provided sources, used sources to plan the blog and discussion. At least three sources were used. Students completed the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did fully reflected the topics covered Themes were addressed including migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. | The student provided sources, used sources to plan the blog and discussion. At least five sources were used. Students completed the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did fully reflected the topics covered Themes were addressed including migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. Reflection exercises are completed. | Students completed 5000 word reflection and recorded panel discussing project. Students adequately addressed research and all group members participated. Student used seven different types of sources or more, and a total of five sources, and appropriately cited sources and incorporated it into the panel discussion and writing project. The central objective is address and high quality discussion and reflection is submitted. Themes are operably addressedincluding migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. Reflection exercises are completed. |
| Monitoring – Students shall complete the required activities that demonstrate their progress on the project and personal contributions | Work is not completed gradually and assessments are incomplete. It is unclear to grader which project members completed the involved tasks. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is lacking in quality or unclear to the teacher. Organization is in need of improvement. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is detailed and quality of writing skills are reasonable. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is detailed and quality of writing skills is exceptional. |
| Final Product – The student addresses the components of the project and meets the project goals, central question, and research. | The project is not focused on a central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); or the problem or question is too easily solved or answered to justify a project. Research was minimal or not completed Activities are not submitted or incomplete. | The project does not adequately address the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); or the problem or question is too easily solved or answered to justify a project. Research was minimal or not completed Activities are not submitted or incomplete. | The project adequately addresses the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); Research was thorough and activities are submitted | The project adequately addresses the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); Research was thorough and activities are submitted and complete. Work is high quality and meets the project objectives of language acquisition through reading, writing, and speaking as project based learning. |
Monitoring of Project
Students will have “mini-goals” where students have checklists to make sure that the project is being completed accordingly and timely. The students will submit components of project to show progress. There will be a daily log where students will check-in with students during class (especially students that don’t always stay on task or complete work). The tools used will be formative assessments using Google Forms to write what they completed each class and to show the different ways that they were gathering data during the project. Students submit outline with facts, figures, and sources through Google classroom and will also use Google forms with her to questions that can be transferred to Google sheets. The final evaluation includes weighted grades that incorporate the earlier components of the project such as research. The self-evaluation by the students will also be a way for the student to clarify portions of the project for the teacher who is giving them love final grade. The materials will be smothered together for the final project.
WHAT IN THE WORLD
This activity uses project based learning to help students gain practical skill sets while completing a project that feels meaningful. It will increase their level of “cognitive flow” by working in teams to stimulate discussion and share ideas. Students will use their reading, writing, and speaking skills in an applicable manner through this project-based learning.
Project Objective
Students use the target language to explore a significant theme in current events (migration and refugees, environmental sustainability, economic justice, or human rights). Students will work in teams building up on collaboration skills, research skills, reading skills, writing skills, and speaking skills. The purpose is to build skills in English Language Development through completing a social studies project.
Social Studies for Language Learners Grade 9-12 (Two Weeks)
Project Idea
Standards addressed
State Standards Addressed
Standard addressed- Common Core State Standards Arizona – ELA-Social Studies (11-12th)
Key Ideas and Details:
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Craft and Structure:
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
| Success Criteria | Insufficient | Basic | Proficient | Excelling |
| Learning Objective – The student can plan, research, and gather information and provide sources. | The student did not conduct any research or gather any information for their project. Project is insufficient in length and lacks quality. The central question is not addressed and project does not mistreat reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, collaboration, or research skills. | The central question was addressed. The target language was used. Skills including reading, writing, and speaking with demonstrated through the required activities. | The central question was addressed. The target language was used. Skills including reading, writing, and speaking with demonstrated through the required activities. Some, but not all skills are demonstrated, and the quality of the submissions could benefit from additional research or better address target skills. | The central question was addressed. Target language is used including skills with reading, writing, and speaking in a way that involves critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and self management. Research skills are demonstrated in the activity. |
| Process – The student can collaborate with teammates and members of the community. | The student did not provide sources.Students completed less than the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did not fully reflect the topics covered. Themes and central question were not addressed. | The student provided sources, used sources to plan the blog and discussion. At least three sources were used. Students completed the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did fully reflected the topics covered Themes were addressed including migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. | The student provided sources, used sources to plan the blog and discussion. At least five sources were used. Students completed the minimum word count/reflection and discussion did fully reflected the topics covered Themes were addressed including migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. Reflection exercises are completed. | Students completed 5000 word reflection and recorded panel discussing project. Students adequately addressed research and all group members participated. Student used seven different types of sources or more, and a total of five sources, and appropriately cited sources and incorporated it into the panel discussion and writing project. The central objective is address and high quality discussion and reflection is submitted. Themes are operably addressedincluding migration and refugees, environmentalsustainability, economic justice, or human rights).They engage with authentic news sources in the targetlanguage—podcasts, television shows, magazines,newspapers, and blogs. Reflection exercises are completed. |
| Monitoring – Students shall complete the required activities that demonstrate their progress on the project and personal contributions | Work is not completed gradually and assessments are incomplete. It is unclear to grader which project members completed the involved tasks. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is lacking in quality or unclear to the teacher. Organization is in need of improvement. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is detailed and quality of writing skills are reasonable. | Student completes project outline, project research form including sources, updates are provided via google forms, And the self-assessment activities completed. Information is detailed and quality of writing skills is exceptional. |
| Final Product – The student addresses the components of the project and meets the project goals, central question, and research. | The project is not focused on a central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); or the problem or question is too easily solved or answered to justify a project. Research was minimal or not completed Activities are not submitted or incomplete. | The project does not adequately address the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); or the problem or question is too easily solved or answered to justify a project. Research was minimal or not completed Activities are not submitted or incomplete. | The project adequately addresses the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); Research was thorough and activities are submitted | The project adequately addresses the central problem or question (it may be more like a unit with several tasks); Research was thorough and activities are submitted and complete. Work is high quality and meets the project objectives of language acquisition through reading, writing, and speaking as project based learning. |
Monitoring of Project
Students will have “mini-goals” where students have checklists to make sure that the project is being completed accordingly and timely. The students will submit components of project to show progress. There will be a daily log where students will check-in with students during class (especially students that don’t always stay on task or complete work). The tools used will be formative assessments using Google Forms to write what they completed each class and to show the different ways that they were gathering data during the project. Students submit outline with facts, figures, and sources through Google classroom and will also use Google forms with her to questions that can be transferred to Google sheets. The final evaluation includes weighted grades that incorporate the earlier components of the project such as research. The self-evaluation by the students will also be a way for the student to clarify portions of the project for the teacher who is giving them love final grade. The materials will be smothered together for the final project.
Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated Instruction for 9th Grade US History: It All Begins With Pre-Assessment
The three groups will receive differentiated instruction based on the results of pre-assessments that provided a broad overview of the competencies of the students in terms of language and the content of ninth grade US History. Students will have been placed in the three groups. This will include modifying some activities to better fit the student’s abilities and language skills. Differentiated instruction will be based off of the pre-assessment. It will be done efficiently considering the attention that will be required to manage groups at once and students that are struggling. There will be an emphasis on technology and adaptations of the core lesson plan. Students will be required to complete the course content, but will be given extra assistance in key areas, or will be challenged and others depending on ability level.
Group 1
This group is composed of the 5 students who answered most, including the most difficult, of the pre-assessment questions correctly. These students are champions and the greatest challenge for teaching Will be to make sure that Their time is well spent and they are learning New content rather than Just reviewing content that they’ve already mastered.
Pre-Assessment: Students will complete a series of short essays to gauge their abilities on the subject assess their potential for growth. Students will complete a standardized test for US History. The test will look at areas that they are already confident in and look for areas or time periods where they will need additional study. A Google forms sheet will allow students to state their goals and interests in the subject matter to allow for differentiated projects that will supplement the basic course material. This assessment will assist the teacher in finding possible gaps the students will need to review and helping the teacher pick areas of the course that they can challenge students and in a way that best interests them.
Differentiated Instruction: Students will study additional content that will prepare them for taking more advanced courses at a later date or exams for college credit at a later point. This is meant to be an introductory history class, but the students are already very competent in the coursework, and should be working on more advanced content while also working on peripheral skill set such as reading and writing skills. Supplementing the coursework or moving through it at a faster pace can be done through Khan Academy and Kahoot. While typically not something done in ninth grade, they will be well-prepared for taking more advanced history courses by mastering content areas. Students will complete an alternative set of assignments that emphasize writing and presentationsStudents will be allowed to work at a faster pace separate from the general population. Students will be able to read out a textbook on their own and can use Google classroom to view lectures rather than sitting through your discussion with but broader class. Students will have additional activities and robust study guides for alternative tests that will help prepare them for more advanced courses in US History.
Group 2
This group has 5 students who appear to have limited knowledge about the topic, of which 3 are struggling with language and are at different reading levels and 2 students who have little to no comprehension of the topic and need to be tested further for special needs.
Pre-Assessment: Students will complete a series of short responses to writing prompts to better gauge the understanding of language and content. A Kahoot will utilize pictures and simple vocabulary to test content. This will separate content from language skills. A Google forms will allow students to answer a series of questions based on what they have learned in past courses. It will give the teacher a better idea of what foundation have had for the US history course. For example, a migrant student that recently immigrated may not have had the emphasis on US history in their native country.
Differentiated Instruction: Students will be able to utilize pictures that supplement the writing on the page. Vocabulary will be carefully worded so as not to be difficult or the page will include additional information to help students decipher the vocabulary. Questions are broad in nature allowing for multiple routes to demonstrating knowledge of content. Short written responses that can be supplemented by pictures. Directions are “laconic” and use basic vocabulary.A greater emphasis of the grade will be placed on the content versus the ability of the student to use language skills. The students will not be rated lower for poor grammar or misusing words on essay assignments for example.Students will be allowed to record a presentation rather than present live. This will allow for students to start and stop activity and practice key vocabulary and phrases. It will allow them for multiple opportunities to perfect their activity.
Group 3
The 12 students who have some knowledge about the topic as shown in their score, but need to develop higher order thinking skills.
Students will take a broad comprehensive standardized test to determine which areas of history they understand or are in need of growth. Students will take a Google Forms survey that states their goals for the course and their background that has prepared them for the course such as other history classes that they’ve taken in the past. The Google Forms will also assess interests in history. Students will complete a series of short answer quiz questions that assess critical thinking skills as relevant to US History. These three sets together will provide a snapshot of how the students can be best served by differentiated instruction.
Students are required to complete additional coursework in areas that they tested low during assessments. This will involve completing worksheets that have important events, dates, people, etc. from the area of history to supplement the lectures and to challenge their critical thinking skills with conclusions that they must write about to summarize historical significance. Students will answer questions from a Kahoot specifically designed to challenge critical thinking skills. There will be an explanation for each answer, why it was correct, and the thought process that can support those conclusions. Students part of the “general population” will complete regular coursework. This will involve textbook and lectures. In the course of these regular lessons, and in order to develop higher order thinking skills, a greater emphasis will be placed on writing assessment; the students will be required to complete a series of short responses at different points of the lecture to challenge critical thinking skills. This will target key portions of the lesson and make sure that students are fully absorbing the information.
Introduce Yourself (Example Post)
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Site Title 