Guide to Curriculum Units by Fellows of the Yale National Initiative 2008

by Kristen Kurzawski

This unit is designed for a twelfth grade English class in an inner city high school, but can be easily adapted for anyone teaching a Shakespeare comedy or tragedy at the high school level. The unit centers on two plays by William Shakespeare, first the tragedy, Macbeth, and then a comedy, The Taming of the Shrew. The use of two Shakespeare plays from different genres is to add a depth of learning which I crave for my students. It will allow my students to study the conventions of two Shakespearean genres, and examine the effect of those conventions on the characters. Specifically we will look at how the genre influences the gender roles in the play. While learning the conventions of Shakespearean tragedy and comedy, the students will examine how those conventions force characters of a specific gender to behave in certain ways. It is my belief that in most cases the way men and women think and behave in Shakespearean comedy and tragedy is decided by the conventions of the genre.

(Developed for English IV, grade 12; recommended for English IV, grade 12)

by Marialuisa Sapienza

This unit is primarily focused on the analysis, interpretation, and role of rhetoric in identifying and determining race and gender in some of the most important plays composed by William Shakespeare in comparison with today's expressions and/or belief(s) either in writing or in speech. The unit will start with the following two essential questions: "How do race and gender contribute to my individuality?" and "How do certain beliefs become transparent and obvious in the words I use?" It will present various documents: excerpts from Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Go Back to Black by K.A. Dilday, published in The New York Times, February 27, 2008, The Words We Use to Talk About Race, published in The New York Times, March 3, 2008, and Think Gender Is Over? Think Again by Susan Faludi, published in The New York Times on June 15, 2008. Various written documents will be analyzed in order to understand, to compare and contrast, to synthesize, and to evaluate and discuss the concept of race and gender, and the words or phrases that are used to identify or stereotype, and relative causes and effects. The unit will also require numerous writing activities and a final project - a documented essay and a presentation, or a simple documented visual for those students who have special needs.

(Recommended for College English, grades 11 and 12)

(Developed for College English and AP English Literature and Language, grades 11-12; recommended for English, grades 11-12)

by Barbara Ann Prillaman

Many teachers tend to stay away from using challenging subject matter such as Shakespeare with English Language Learners (ELLS). Do not be afraid! This curriculum unit was created with this in mind and is for middle school ELLs although it can be adapted to include high school ELLs or struggling readers at any secondary level. It spans four weeks and uses three Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. The reading process is scaffolded by using comic strips, children's versions and original acts/scenes from the plays.

In this unit, students will focus on identity: their own, Shakespeare's, and that of his characters. As they have recently immigrated here, they are acclimating themselves to a new way of life, culture, language, country, and school system. In addition, they are going through adolescence! Imagine the turmoil of this experience for a moment. In fact, it might involve enough traumas to rival a Shakespearean tragedy! In scaffolding this process of learning about and analyzing self, Shakespeare, and then Shakespeare's characters, students will be able to better develop and comprehend the meaning of identity, answering the questions: Who am I? and What are the characteristics that make me unique from others?

(Developed for English Language Learners and English Language Arts, grades 6-8 multi-grade; recommended for English Language Arts for English Language Learners, grades 6-12 with modifications)

by Jennifer Dienna Sandoval

The students will read Macbeth, Othello, and The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare and choose from the major characters in each of the plays to create six visual analyses. The plays will be assigned for reading outside of class while some close readings will be done in class.

The visual portraits of specific characters from each of the plays will be an analysis of the characters with emphasis on physical attributes, symbols relating to the character, motivation, important lines, internal and external perspective, and figurative language used to develop the character. The elements of the analysis will be represented on the body with placement of the symbolic and textual attributes in the appropriate places on the figure itself.

The main objective of this unit is to analyze characters in Shakespeare's plays. To this end, the students will need to recognize and analyze methods of characterization as they relate to the meaning of the work as a whole. We will apply close reading analysis skills. The final assessment will be a formal essay analyzing three characters from Othello, Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew.

(Developed for English, grades 11-12; recommended for English, grades 9-12)

by Kimberly Kellog Towne

This unit was written for eighth grade students enrolled in an Art I high school credit course. Concurrent to the teaching of this unit in the art class, the students will be involved in a unit of instruction on Romeo and Juliet in their English class. The focus of the unit will be on identity and how identity is communicated visually. We will examine how identity is communicated in Tudor portraits and then have the students use the techniques of Tudor artists to create their own "portrait" of a Shakespearean character. During this unit the art students will select one play (Othello, Macbeth, or The Taming of the Shrew) to explore and will look in depth at one of the main characters from their chosen play. I want them to learn how identity is conveyed, both by writers and artists. They will be exposed to the complex characters of Shakespeare and how he developed those characters. They will also be exposed to the development of portraiture, and how artists contemporary with Shakespeare were also creating "documents" showing identity. This in turn will enable them to begin to be able to read portraits for their complex, deeper meanings.

(Developed for Art, grade 8; recommended for Art, Middle and High School grades 8-12)

by Catherine Perez

This unit is designed to be used over a six week period across the subject areas followed by another six weeks of drama. It is heavily weighted toward the arts, with hands-on opportunities for drama, dancing, theater, and visual arts. It additionally has lessons in the core subject areas of literacy, math, science, and social studies. These lessons will provide interesting and challenging curriculum based tasks for students to master while they simultaneously learn about Shakespeare and the 16th century. As they study the past, I would like students to realize how much we have changed as a society, to understand that we all have a rich and interesting past and history, and to perhaps develop an appreciation for classic literature and arts through early and appropriate exposure to Shakespeare.

To begin this unit I have gone into some history and background information on Shakespeare and what 16th century England, particularly London, was like. I will need this information to teach the unit to my students so that I can explain to them in vivid detail what life was like back then. I want to be able to answer their questions, draw pictures, and spark their curiosity.

(Developed for all curriculum areas, grade 3; recommended for all curriculum areas, grades 3-5)

by Sarah B. Humphrey

When Elizabeth I gained the throne in 1558, women began to receive a voice in literature. England had not before had such a dynamic and intelligent female regent. Elizabeth was celebrated in poetry and was herself an accomplished poet. As a woman with a man's job, Elizabeth had to adopt various personas to appease her advisors and subjects. She invoked her father's strength when she needed to overcome her femininity. Elizabeth's ability to transform herself as necessary is what makes her a model for strong women who use disguise as a means to an end. I chose this unit topic as a way to expose my students to several of Shakespeare's plays and an epic poem with strong female heroines and villains. We will examine the role of female disguise in Shakespeare's As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, and Macbeth. We will also examine the disguised female knight, Britomart, in book 3 of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene.

(Developed for AP Literature, grade 12; recommended for Language Arts, grades 11-12)

by Raymond F. Theilacker

This 10 day, 90 minute block-scheduled curriculum unit directs students to three of Shakespeare's plays: Macbeth, As You Like It, and Romeo and Juliet. The unit has the purpose of exposing twelfth grade students to themes, conflicts and characterizations in the plays. Using an analytic protocol, students turn a critical eye toward understanding power. Power is defined at three distinct levels early in the unit. The unit also focuses on the poetic features of the language, especially as specific words and phrases emphasize an understanding of power. The goal is to provide students with a clear linguistic and literary focus as they study requisite Shakespearean writing. The lessons are designed for collaborative teamwork, and for some direct instruction toward literary and linguistic analysis and literary evaluative writing. The work of the unit coheres throughout in small and large group activities and discussions, culminating in an evaluative piece of writing, as well as in opportunities to respond in creative performances. By the conclusion of the unit, students have encompassed the enduring understanding that power plays an intimate and inextricable role at all levels of human activity, and that Shakespeare's language and poetry explore issues of power in most ingenious ways.

(Developed for English and Honors English, grade 12; recommended for English, grade 12)

by Pamela Louise Ronson

This Hamlet unit is designed to enlighten students about the influence, permanence, and potency of religion in our lives. By looking at a Shakespearean play through a religious lens, students can comprehend more deeply the context within which the play was written. Once they understand the religious allusions made within the play, they can then analyze their purpose. Afterwards, students are able to interpret and discuss religious influence, permanence, and potency in contemporary society. My aim with this unit is to illuminate religion's influence in the decisions of people during the 16th Century, and then pose the question to my students: Is this still the case today? I want my students to understand how religion, according to believers of various faiths, may serve as a guide for personal improvement and as a foundation for ethics.

(Developed for AP English Literature, grade 12; recommended for English, Language Arts, and Literature, grades 6-12)

by Deborah Samuel

In this curriculum unit, students will do close readings of Shakespeare's sonnets, connecting the nuances of his language, meter, and structure to the meaning. We will review the structure of a sonnet and notice its rhyme scheme, learn to scan the sonnet, interpret its meaning, and look for the shift in tone. Students will be working in groups and examine a number of sonnets organized by theme. The four themes are those found quite frequently in the sonnets: the power of love to change reality, attitudes toward love and lust, the never ending passage of time, and the power of poetry to bestow eternal life. With my guidance, students will search and hopefully find much evidence to discuss each theme intelligently, and will learn to carefully explicate the intricate workings of the sonnet. The culminating activity would be for each group to teach the class what they have discovered, proving their theses with evidence presented in power point presentations.

(Developed for AP English Literature and Composition, grade 12; recommended for English, High School grades)

by Octavia L. Utley

This curriculum unit entitled "Voice in Poetry: Dream a World with Langston Hughes" is designed to teach voice in poetry to 3rd - 5th grade students. The students, who are predominantly African American, have diverse learning needs, experiences, and ways of learning. Poetry by Langston Hughes is used to teach voice in poetry. Hughes expresses different voices through his poetry using language, experiences, and musical forms of the African American culture. Hughes's poetic voice calls attention to words and sounds. This unit is implemented in a standard-based classroom during the two-hour literacy block. The three-part lesson framework is used during Reader's and Writer's Workshop. The three-part lesson framework consists of a mini-lesson (before the learning), student work time (during the learning), and sharing (after the learning). Students will be provided with oral and written language experiences that enable them to develop their unique voices in writing. During Reader's Workshop, students will read aloud, analyze, and listen to the powerful voices in the poems by Hughes. During Writer's Workshop, students will learn about poetic devices and elements of voice. Hughes's poems will be used as writing samples, as students follow the steps of the writing process to write their own poems.

(Developed for Language Arts, grade 3; recommended for Language Arts, grades 3-5)

by Zuri M. Bryant

After teaching middle school students for a few years, I've realized that these students are mere clones of what they see on television and in movies. They have no idea of who they are as individuals. While teaching them poetry will not be the answer to all the questions they may have about who they are, where they've come from and where they're going, it can help them voice some of the emotions they may begin to feel along their journey to self-discovery. Throughout this unit, students learn to appreciate the difference that using their own voice can make in the interpretation of a piece of writing. They learn that there are many ways of expressing themselves and see that they have a voice that can become powerful, whether or not it is heard. The students will learn that their voices are essentially their backgrounds or identities. They've come from somewhere that is important and it's now necessary that everyone knows.

This unit, produced as a result of the American Voices seminar, combines poetry writing and interpretation, poetry in performance, and various American authors and poets. I teach eighth grade Communications (English grammar and Reading combined) at an arts academy. Our school works in partnership with a local arts organization, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG) to integrate arts into the curriculum.

In this unit, the students will find their voices by completing a myriad of reading and writing exercises. Those newly found and/or formed voices will enable the students to create their own individual poetry anthologies, a class anthology, and to deliver a poetic monologue, about a topic of their choosing, to an audience. With the assistance of MCG, the monologues will be audio and/or video recorded for the students.

(Developed for English, grade 8; recommended for English Language Arts and Poetry, grades 6-9)

by Nicole Marie Schubert

This unit is designed for my eighth grade Language Arts class; however, it can easily be adapted to work in a high school English or U.S. History class because the readings and activities are interdisciplinary. The theme of this unit is particularly important to me as a middle school Language Arts teacher because my students tend to feel like their voices are not being heard by their communities. Instead of focusing on the components of an autobiography, I will use this book to teach voice in writing; immersing them in lessons and discussions about the power of voice in writing, thereby helping them develop their voice in writing. Students will be exposed to many different texts written, or spoken, by Frederick Douglass in order to gain an understanding of the role of rhetoric in the Abolition Movement and to develop their own sense of voice. Although Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave will be the main text used in this unit, many letters and speeches will be supplemented throughout the unit so students can understand how one's voice may differ from text to text; the relationship between the writer and his audience; and the different rhetorical devices employed in various texts.

(Developed for Language Arts, grade 8; recommended for Language Arts, grades 7-8 and English, grade 9)

by Bonnee L. Breese Bentum

This unit explores, discovers and recognizes how vocalizations of poetry and political speeches by African-Americans have influenced the students' community and American society. Students will learn to become listeners as another part of oral presentations. Students will be given opportunity to perform at spoken word venues and witness performances of speeches, spoken word poetry, and oral recitations.

Students will reflect on historical implications and political overtones of the oral performances. Students will learn prominent uses of vocal incantations, tone, lexis style, physical expression, and vernacular dialects. Students will be exposed to oral, video and audio recordings of spoken word poetry, and speeches drawing attention to their social function highlighting political occurrences in American society and the Black community. This unit gives a broader knowledge of orality and important texts, speeches and performed works in the history of African-Americans.

The unit is designed for use in an English Language Arts, American History, Civics, and General Law classroom at the high school level. The lessons can be adapted for use in Advanced Placement courses, as well as, in a learning support environment. This unit uses the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards from Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening; Arts & Humanities; and History.

(Developed for English I and IV, grades 9 and 12; recommended for English Language Arts and American History, grades 9-12)

by Sharon Monique Ponder Ballard

This guide is currently not available.

(Developed for Language, Visual, and Performance Arts, and Social Studies, grades 7-10; recommended for Language, Visual, and Performance Arts, and Social Studies, grades 7-10)

by Victoria Lyn Deschere

Voice is the connective tissue that holds reading and writing together. It is the personality, intonation and enthusiasm in communication. Without it, literature would be form without life, words without sense. Voice is found in the relationship between writer, composition and reader. It is crucial to foster, especially in the teen years when self-concept is newly burgeoning. To develop voice, students must read quality literature and emulate the techniques in their own writing. Furthermore, the students must copy what they hear in their everyday lives: not just to take from the masters, but their familiars as well. The students' personalities blossom in their writing and their lives. Additionally enthusiasm is fostered through the writing of personal narratives: teenagers' lives revolve around themselves. The story they most want to tell is their own, and this passion comes through in their writing. Using the writing process, writing traits, reading strategies, guided comprehension, read alouds and metacognition, teachers will help students walk with another author's stride: deciding if it fits their own personality and intentions. In this unit, students will read autobiographies from a culturally diverse set of writers to analyze and emulate the authors' techniques to develop an authentic, individual voice.

(Developed for English Language Arts, grade 7; recommended for English Language Arts, grades 6-8)

by Karlene E. McGowen

A good writer can write from the voice of someone unlike himself. This is what professional authors do all the time, they take a fictional character and give him voice and thought and sell it to the reader as something believable. Middle school students can do this very task, if given the right instruction and right models. This unit is designed to exemplify uses of voice in young adult contemporary realistic fiction. Writing a character in realistic fiction requires that the author use a style that is indicative of human nature. The unit is designed for an eighth grade literacy classroom that is implementing the readers/writers workshop. The unit will introduce and discuss various use of voice in young adult novels, whereby students will be able to apply that knowledge to their own writing strategies and write from different voices/different character voices. The goal is for these middle school students to use voice as a means of writing fiction through the perspective of characters unlike themselves and create an original short story in the genre of realistic fiction. Writing from this outside voice allows students to strengthen themselves as writers.

A variety of contemporary realistic fiction novels will be used as guides. The following books are used as guides for this unit: Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, Heat by Mike Lupica, Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman, The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama in Poems by Mel Glenn, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Don't Call Me Ishmael by Michael Bauer, Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick, and I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter.

(Developed for Language Arts and Literacy, grade 8; recommended for Language Arts, grades 7-8)

by K. Gothie

This unit is designed to teach "voice" to sixth grade students by incorporating reading and writing activities. Voice is a writing trait that brings personality and depth to an individual's written expression. Voice will be taught through three different genres: picture books, poetry, and novels. The unit will take about three weeks to complete. Voice can be an abstract concept to teach. It is critical that teachers model voice by reading very rich descriptive poetry and literature to their students. I will structure this unit by using picture books for read aloud, poetry books for small group instruction, and the unit will culminate with the reading of age appropriate novels written in first person that the students will be exposed to through read aloud, literature circles, and independent reading.

(Developed for Language Arts, Writing, and Reading, grade 6; recommended for Language Arts and Reading, grades 5-6)

by Adam J. Kubey

This unit will cover the many facets of the campaign for presidency: public opinion, political socialization, political participation and voting, the media, and the election process. While the goal of the unit is for students to better understand the election and post of the presidency, my true hope is that the students will become informed citizens, making educated, calculated decisions in the election process.

Upon completion of this unit, students will have learned about the presidency and the election process. Students will apply that knowledge through research and a debate about the 2008 presidential election. Students will work in small groups to research one issue currently being discussed/debated by the candidates, as well as finding the current US stance on this issue with supporting laws. In addition to researching each candidate's stance on said issue, students will also look at the implementation plans upon election. Students will use this information to determine the most effective compromised policy for local constituents and the US. Students will conduct a poll of local community members to determine their stance and reasoning on the issue, to ascertain the needs of their constituents. By analyzing media coverage and opinion polls, students will establish the reasons behind the candidates' stance on the issue. Collecting data from various sources will enable students to make a compromised policy plan.

The information that the students gather will allow them to participate in a debate with Yale National Teaching Initiative classes around the country, who will be completing a similar project. As students from classrooms across the country share the concerns of their specific constituents, all students will gain a deeper appreciation of how complex and multidimensional these issues truly are — as complex and multidimensional as the office of the presidency itself.

(Developed for U.S. Government and World History, grades 9-12; recommended for U.S. Government and U.S. History, grades 8-12)

by Lisa Kate Lee

One of the most important legacies which we can provide our students is an understanding of the importance of being informed citizens. It is easy to take the privilege of living in a democratic society for granted. I find that my students are often cynical about our government, and I worry that this will translate into future apathetic citizens. This unit will focus on what the Framers of the Constitution intended when they created the roles of the President and the Electoral College. Students will study the two major political parties, focusing on their differences and the platforms each has presented for the 2008 election. It addresses the voting process and voter apathy, culminating with a community voting drive, and school wide mock election.

Although this unit is intended to be taught prior to the 2008 election, it can be presented at anytime. It was written for eighth grade, but the information and lesson plans can be modified for middle and high school. It includes background on the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and incorporates graphs, surveys, and editorial cartoons. Students will also critique presidential speeches as they write their own. Socratic Seminars and numerous debates are used throughout the unit.

(Developed for Social Studies, grade 7, and Georgia Studies, grade 8; recommended for Social Studies and Civics, Middle and High School grades)

by Ralph E. Russo

I propose that critically examining two crisis elections in American history in my 10th grade United States History I class will allow my students and me to address questions about crisis elections and the electoral process while we cover required historical material from the district curriculum. The elections of 1800 and 2000 were knife-edge elections that raise important issues about the form and function of democracy in America. From an historical perspective, one can gain much knowledge of the electoral process in studying these elections. "Who can vote?" and "how they vote" in each election reveals a cultural portrait of democracy in America over the course of 200 years. Additionally, how these crisis elections were resolved also demonstrates procedural differences in the electoral process from then to now. Moreover, the Supreme Court's role in the resolution of the election of 2000 distinguishes the Supreme Court as a factor in national politics today. This unit contains assignments in reading multiple texts and ideas for class simulations. The readings and activities blend historical study with the work of political theorists.

(Developed for U.S. History, grade 10; recommended for U.S. History, Civics, History, and Social Studies, grades 9-12)

by Jesse Senechal

The primary purpose of this unit is to create an historical and theoretical framework that can be used by the students to understand African American Literature as a potential resolution to the fundamental contradiction between the rhetoric of democratic ideals and the realities of racial injustice. The texts for this unit will include some excerpts from the primary documents of our democratic republic (the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers), a number of arguments and historical accounts from both black and white perspectives about racial injustice in the 19th century, and a variety of early 20th century African American writing (both essay prose and poetry) that speaks to this issue. African American writers covered include Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, James Weldon Johnson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, and Claude McKay This unit culminates with classroom project that involves students writing about and publishing poetry and personal essays that address issues of injustice in their community.

(Developed for American Literature and English, grade 11; recommended for American Literature and U.S. History, grades 9-12)

by Artnelson Concordia

"Why should I learn this?", "This shit doesn't matter.", "Things will never change, anyway." These are the sentiments of many of my students - black, Latino, Chinese, Filipino, Samoan, white, Cambodian, among many others; poor and working-class; male and female; cynical and at times angry. The purpose of this unit will be to engage my students to hold established power and themselves, accountable to actualize the vision of the founders of America - to unite democratic theory on the one hand with conscious youth and student action on the other.

Given the rate of incarceration, violence and other social ills afflicting working-class, poor, youth of color, any level of participation in the democratic process (traditional or otherwise) needs to be furthered exponentially and in a way that more effectively reforms, alters, challenges and even counters the existing prescription for change. That prescription being: follow the rules, go to school, work hard, get a good job and live "the Dream".

In my process of coming into consciousness, I realized that the recipe for improving one's life is actually more complex than that. Indeed, our students need to do these things, but they must do more. The commonly held belief that the existing system is fine and the cause of failure is intrinsic to the students themselves, denies the institutional nature of the problem. This is an attempt to expand my students' analysis of the various problems facing them and their respective communities, as well as compel them to take critical action to address the problems.

This unit, Democracy (in) Action: Promoting Critical Youth Consciousness and Participation, will be implemented in my 12th grade, American Democracy class, at Balboa High School. Couched in the Southeast section of San Francisco - an historically working-class and immigrant community of the City - my students will have a broad range of issues and problems from which to apply their newly learned tools.

As they enter broader society, I wish for this 6-week series of lessons to provide concrete, relevant and convincing responses to their queries - that they may answer definitively, "I need to learn this, because this can change my life and the lives of my people."

(Developed for American Democracy, grade 12; recommended for American Government, grade 12)

by Elouise E. White-Beck

Whatever I know about history began with stories. This unit is centered on a single novel, Bryce Courtenay's The Power of One, the Classic Novel of South Africa. Beginning with a chart on government types, students discuss what they know about government, leading to the study of the novel as a contrast to democracy. This 7-week unit treats the novel as a classic bildungsroman/coming-of-age novel. The main character's development is shaped by the split between the three distinct groups of individuals that comprise his society, the black Africans, the Afrikaners, and the English. His movement among these disparate groups shows him as an iconoclast, a man for all peoples. His relationship to many groups of people, speaking their language, and Courtenay's use of boxing as a transcendent activity bringing boxers together from these groups show our hero as the coalescent force in his society, played out against the background of impending war (WWII), and post-war conditions. Study questions, three essay exams, a final essay, research project, and video guides are included.

(Developed for English IV PSP Scholars, grade 12; recommended for English IV PSP Scholars, grade 12)

by Sarah Pooner

In this unit students learn about the causes of fall of the Roman Empire and compare those factors with some of the challenges America faces today. In this way students examine conditions toward the end of the Roman Empire in relation to our American society today, ultimately drawing lessons, if any, for the United States to learn from Rome. This unit is designed to meet established History-Social Science content standards for California public schools for seventh grade students. The overarching standard applicable for this unit calls for students to analyze the causes and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire. In addition, students will be able to understand and explain problems that contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire through analyzing American political cartoons as an entry point into gaining an understanding of the complexities for why Rome fell, which can extend to why civilizations end in general. Students will also be able to identify democratic practices in Rome and the United States as both aspired to mold their government to follow democratic principles. Through learning the definition of democracy students will be able to judge whether or not these ideals were achieved or merely aimed for. Lastly, students will be able to compare and contrast reasons for the fall of Rome to conditions in the United States today. After students are grounded in popular theories for the fall of Rome and can clearly decipher between ideological ideals and practices, in this case democracy, they will be well-equipped to participate in a culminating class debate over whether or not the United States is doomed to follow Rome's demise, through using as evidence all they have learned about both societies.

(Developed for World History and History, grade 7; recommended for World History and Social Studies, grades 7, 9-10)

by Meagan C. Rubino

This unit is intended to introduce students to the concept of American democracy and the United States Constitution. The original audience for the unit is high school aged United States History students. Students at this level have previously studied United States History. The hope is that this unit will approach the idea of democracy from a few unique perspectives; first looking at what defines "democracy" and "successful democracies", second exploring the intentions of governments in general, third comparing possible democratic styles that America didn't adopt, and fourth rating the successfulness of our American democracy. In so doing, students will be given the opportunity to reflect upon the democracy in which they live. The key question posed is "are we a successful democracy?" The unit makes a comprehensive study of the question by recreating the conventional context in which our democratic system is studied, making it a global comparative study that addresses both past and present perspectives. In this way teachers may teach democracy outside of the bubble of the American past and appeal to the desires of students to create a relevant and present-focused discussion on topics previously considered as archaic and extraneous.

(Developed for U.S. History, grade 11; recommended for U.S. History and U.S. and Comparative Government, grades 10-12)

by Valerie J. Schwarz

This unit is written for a fourth grade Virginia studies class, but large parts of it could be used or adapted for middle and even high school classes. It is designed to be taught for 45 minute periods for 20 days. The unit spans from the causes of the American Revolutionary War through the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The students experience taxation in a token economy until a rebellion ensues. The students write their own Declaration of Independence and use a primary resource as their declaration is compared to parts of the actual document. The main emphasis is on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It has numerous simulation activities designed to teach the Proclamation of 1763, forms of government, James Madison's fear of tyranny of the majority, equal representation vs. representation by population, the three-fifths compromise, and the freedom of religion clause of the Bill of Rights. The activities are engaging and involve discussion and debate to recreate what the founding fathers went through at the Constitutional Convention.

(Developed for Virginia Studies and Social Studies, grade 4; recommended for U.S. History Middle School grades, and Elementary School grades 4-5)

by Samuel A. Reed

This unit draws upon social studies, and media literacy and inquiry to explore how social networks and media technologies promote and disrupt democratic practices. It is intended for middle grade students (grades 6th-8th). Students will conduct inquiry on how the proliferation of social networking sites, search engines, and electronic media shapes democratic practices. Inquiry and critical thinking will be core skills students will master. To lead students to master research skills this unit will use media literacy and free speech topics to provide students with seed ideas for their own inquiry. Students will analyze, explore, compare and contrast the impact various communication technologies have had on the press and free speech practices. Students will research, and explain pros and cons of "cyber" free speech. Students will use critical thinking skills to evaluate and assess the credibility, accuracy, and reliability of search engines and social networking sites. Students will conduct Webquests to evaluate internet safety websites for their relevance, bias, reliability, media style and persuasion techniques. Furthermore, students will learn effective searching technique and safe practices for using the Internet. Lastly, students will synthesize what they have learned to create their own media public service products. Students' public services media products will model internet safety practices, and the role search engines and social networking sites play in providing youth a voice in democratic societies. Ultimately, students will conduct inquiry on free speech and information technologies, using the very technologies and social networks that interplay to promote and disrupt democratic practices.

(Developed for Social Studies, grade 6; recommended for Social Studies and Media Literacy, Middle School grades)

by Christine Shaub

The topic of terrorism can be overwhelming for an adult, let alone a child. America's children may be overlooked when dealing with something as serious as terrorism. All young people face the same thoughts and fears of being attacked by terrorist activities.

Through Theories and Practice of Democracy, students will get an overview of the criminal justice system and the new challenges it face in the "war on terror." This unit was devised so students could learn more about these challenges as it relates to law enforcement and the courts, including counterterrorism, the USA Patriot Act, high court decisions and more.

Students will produce a video against terrorism, participate in a mock trial, develop a PowerPoint presentation from research obtained on a terrorist organization that will be incorporated into a classroom informative book on terrorist organizations, and write a journal on hate crimes. Each activity is related to the topic of terrorism with the emphasis of learning more about this topic to diminish fears.

(Developed for Legal Administrative Assistant and Introduction to Criminal Justice, grade 10; recommended for Social Studies, grades 10-12, and Legal Administrative Assistant and Criminal Justice, grades 10-11)

by Meredith Charlton Tilp

"Who decides who benefits in New Mexico?" This curriculum unit will enable 75 Capital High School seniors on the south side of Santa Fe to explore democracy and distributive wealth, as well as take a provocative look at current values of our society, fellow classmates and elected representatives.

My students live in Santa Fe—a $ 10.50 an hour minimum wage mecca for New Mexicans—the capital of Native American culture and art—profit center to many Mexican laborers, and the offbeat hub of alternative ways of thinking and living. 'Our city different' attracts both Tibetan monks and citizen legislators who think creatively and proactively. And therefore, hopefully, my students will learn to think in novel ways.

This curriculum unit features student investigations on the citizen legislature, the governor and the checks and balances they exercise. It juxtaposes the New Mexican law making process against economic choices of state, tribal and local government. The values of a good society are the touchstone for evaluating the costs and benefits of raising taxes, efficient use of government funds and the economic outcomes which they produce. Because all priorities in the generation of wealth are not equal, students will be able to see the tradeoffs between capital reinvestment, small business development, jobs and services. And because all legislative actions reflect compromise, they will be able to see the political 'horse trading' involved in decision making.

Using three economic initiatives near Santa Fe: The New Mexico Film Industry, the Buffalo Thunder spa and resort and Santa Fe's school educational plan, students will reflect on and assess their role and responsibility in a democracy. They will compare the New Mexico, Pueblo of Pojoaque and Santa Fe government's resource allocation and decision making process. Students will develop a lens of analysis about their own values and those of their elected representatives. They will learn to ask critical questions, will see how they can participate in a democracy and make choices about their future.

This curriculum unit culminates in a class visit to the Pueblo of Pojoaque about 10 miles north of Santa Fe, and New Mexico's film office and Legislature, known as "the Roundhouse." Mayor David Coss of Santa Fe will visit our school and discuss Santa Fe's economic development plan. Students will apply their knowledge by listening, observing, asking questions of presenters, and remaining engaged in political decision making in their lives.

By the end of the first Semester, students will be more knowledgeable about the choices they make. They will have a firm foundation to interact with their classmates on issues of local concern, will be challenged to participate and will have knowledge of the state and local democratic process at work.

(Developed for U.S. Government, History, and Economics, grades 11-12; recommended for U.S. Government, History, and Economics, grades 11-12)

by Maria Cardalliaguet

As a result of this unit students will learn history- how different civilizations settled in the Iberian Peninsula and contributed to shape the identity of today?s Spain, how the Romans invaded Hispania and built aqueducts, bridges, roads, theaters. Students will also learn basic art history features in order to recognize and differentiate styles and also, basic architecture concepts such as form, materials, construction methods, aesthetics, etc. They will reflect on how bridges are built in order to connect people and communities. Students will also learn Spanish geography as well as the importance of identity in the different regions that divide the country.

Puentes, civilizaciones y cultura intends to present a multilayered purpose. First of all, it aspires to introduce students to art. A second goal, would be to introduce students to Santiago Calatrava, a brilliant contemporary Spanish architect, engineer and artist. We will take a close look at his architectural and engineering designs first in order to be able to value and appreciate many of the bridges he has designed through Spain.

The unit is recommended for Spanish students with at least an intermediate level.

(Developed for Spanish III, grades 9-12; recommended for Spanish, grades 9-12)

by Lisa A. Ernst

In order for students to be motivated and concerned for their community, I have designed an integrated curriculum unit called, "Building Bridges in Earthquake Country: From the Past to the Present" to be taught to sixth grade students. In the Bay Area there are numerous bridges that are the key to the economic growth, transportation, and cultural diversity. In a given day in the Bay Area, an individual can expect to travel over at least two to three bridges. Over time, many geologists have stated, "Earthquakes do not kill people, but buildings do". The centerpiece of the unit is the connection of the structural design of bridges being built in Earthquake Country. In order for the students to apply their knowledge, the integrated unit includes the content areas of Earth Science, Ancient History, Language Arts, Technology, Art and Physical Science. There are five goals in this unit. The first goal in this unit is for the student to use the scientific method as well as an inquiry based labs to decide the structural design of bridges being built in the Bay Area. The second goal is the building of a bridge to be placed on a shake table to interact with an earthquake. The third goal is for students to role-play and apply an active approach in the decision process of building bridges in Earthquake Country. The fourth goal is for the students to use technology to build a bridge, to withstand a simulated earthquake, with epicenters located on the San Andreas or the Hayward Fault. The final goal is for the students to summarize their knowledge as well as their application of studying bridges in Earthquake Country with a poster presentation.

As an educator, the labs and the activities are designed to be station driven, but the lessons can be used in a small group or a whole group setting. The teaching strategies as well as the modifications that are addressed in this unit, can apply to a special needs student, the gifted student, as well as the English language learner in the classroom. Through the exposure to the content, along with an integrated curriculum unit, which includes a variety of labs, technology, and project-based activities, the students will be inspired to be an active participant in the development of structures in Earthquake Country.

(Developed for Earth Science and Ancient History, grade 6; recommended for Science, upper Elementary and Middle School grades 5-8)

by Shelley Freedman-Bailey

In this unit middle school students will gain insight into the technology and evolution of bridges. Using research and an interdisciplinary approach, they will learn the history of bridges, specifically bridges that have encountered structural or environmental challenges. In the first lesson students will research the history of bridges constructing a classroom time line to display the evolution of materials and technologies. In the second lesson, students will select an activity according to their favorite subject. Students may select to build a cofferdam as the Romans did for their bridge foundations. Other students may choose activities where they may construct an arch, or determine the relationship between a bridge's span and load. They may choose to paint a famous bridge, or reconstruct a famous battle of war in a diorama. In the 3rd lesson students will select a famous bridge that has failed. Using the information in this unit as a starting point, they will reconstruct the bridge and determine the reason for its demise. In the 4th lesson students will research the condition of bridges in their local areas, becoming advocates for bridge safety. At the conclusion of the unit, students will be knowledgeable about the history of bridges, and the technology that has led to the incredible bridges of today. They will be able to reason why bridges have failed in the past, and hypothesize about what bridges might fail in the future.

(Developed for Gifted and Talented, grades 6-7; recommended for Gifted and Talented, Middle School grades 6-7)

by Kennan Eugene Girdner

This curriculum unit examines the role of art in bridging the gap between school and community by using local bridges as a metaphor, and as actual structures of importance throughout neighborhoods. The curriculum will help students understand the diverse nature of the community where they live. The work to replace and repair several of these bridges caused great changes in the traffic patterns in the surrounding neighborhoods. Road closures lasted as long as a year. The importance of timely completion of these projects became very clear to members of the community as walking and driving times lengthened and new traffic routes had to be established.

As students look at the problems which arise when reconstruction starts, they will also study the rather lengthy planning process the community must go through before any of the actual bridge work begins. They will learn that the process is very complex and is filled with controversy, particularly for art work on any of these bridges. Students will examine the reasoning behind the upkeep of bridges of historical interest. Architects, engineers, and city planners can help with these explanations, and we will enlist the help of City of Santa Fe Public Works staff and representatives from the various trades involved in creating these structures.

Additionally students will use the local crossing as inspiration to create prints in the classrooms. Students will be introduced to several printmaking processes, and will create and display their finished works throughout the school.

(Developed for Art, grade 8; recommended for Art and Social Studies, Middle and High School grades)

by Joan Henderson

This unit on bridges, good for grades 5-9, will address through a history of great thinkers the development of understandings about forces and give students a variety of opportunities, including hands on activities, to demonstrate and experience the dynamics and equilibrium of forces in bridge structures. It creates opportunities to develop understanding of balancing equations through looking at and working with cantilever bridges and the concept of equilibrium, and integrates the application of cross multiplication. Additional activities address proportion and measurement through students' scaled bridge and truss drawings, and graphing through plotting the stress vs. strain of fishing line. Students will begin to work with the following science concepts: force, compression, tension, stress, strain, elasticity, and plasticity. Finally, this unit on bridges develops students' understanding of how math and engineering is used in the real world through examples, hands-on experience, and interacting with architects and engineers.

(Developed for Math, Pre-Algebra II, and Algebra I, grade 8; recommended for Science and Math, grades 5-8)

by Stephanie Louise Johnson

What is so fascinating about the truss bridges? The truss explains the forces of bridge making to the early childhood student. What is it about bridges that make it a common structure? You can cross obstacles that would otherwise be a problem. This connection that they make from community to community provides a chance for the neighborhoods to be explored. This unit the Four Ts is a way of looking at bridges through the assistance of shapes, technology and bridge design. Histories of bridges that are located in the Pittsburgh area have been included. This unit can be adapted at every elementary level. There are several skills that are used in this unit. The literacy component includes reading and a drawing portfolio. The math has included an interactive computer software game that can be accessed through the Public Broadcasting System. The software game explores the tangram puzzle. Math also looks at the triangle in its relationship to the truss bridge. It is one of the truss major shapes. The unit has included a field trip to John Heinz History Center which has a display about bridges. This field trip will also include a visit to several bridges.

Information is given on bridge development history. This history can be used to develop a concept of time and show progress and growth of bridge design. Throughout the unit there are exciting activities that will keep the student's interest. The students will be making a basic truss bridge and discussing some of the principles of the design based on scientific facts on compression and tension. This unit can be adapted to any learning style. The adaption can be done through the countless ideas that can be developed from the information in the unit. The learning standards have been closely aligned with the activities. Any student or teacher can use this unit and learn some invaluable lessons.

(Developed for Social Studies, Math, and Writing, grade K; recommended for Social Studies, Math, and Writing, grades K-2)

by Debra Blake Semmler

The main goal of this curriculum unit is to use the bridge structure to aid students in the analysis of static structures. The unit includes activities in the drawing of free-body diagrams, graphical analysis and mathematical analysis of static structures. Most physics students have difficulties with the drawing of free-body diagrams and the mathematical analysis of Newton's Laws and this curriculum unit will include a greater emphasis on the graphical analysis of static structures. Students will research bridge design and materials and apply what they have learned about force analysis to design their own model of an elevated trussed bridge structure. The students will draw a full scale diagram of the bridge and construct their bridge models out of dry pasta and hot glue. The bridge model will be tested for its mechanical efficiency after completion of the force analysis. A discussion of the bridge failure will follow the testing and students will evaluate the weakness in their design.

(Developed for Physics I, MYP, Honors AP Physics I, grades 10-12; recommended for Physics, grades 10-12)

by Stuart Surrey

Bridges are unique structures that are able to traverse natural and/or manmade obstacles. They have been used throughout civilization for transportation, commerce, and communication. They have been used in times of peace as well as during periods of conflict. The aim of this curriculum unit is to use bridges and their different designs to teach mechanics to students enrolled in a traditional high school physics course. Initially, the history of bridges will be presented with emphasis being placed on the correlation between advances in civilization and developmental changes in bridge design and construction. The second goal of this unit is to examine which type of bridge would be best suited for a given situation and what underlying factors govern its use. The primary objective of this unit, however, deals with static equilibrium and the forces associated with bridges such as: compression, tension, stress, and strain. Students will be engaged in graphical analysis, free body diagrams and vector resolution. This unit has been designed to be in alignment with both Pennsylvania's State Standards for Science and Technology in addition to the School District of Philadelphia's standardized curriculum for physics.

(Developed for Physics, grade 12; recommended for Physics, grade 12)

by Karen Ruth Sturdy Yarnall

This unit is designed to spark students' interest in and appreciation of bridges. Through the suggested activities in this unit, students will develop an understanding of the rationale for creating bridges, study bridges in their historical contexts and follow the development of new ideas, techniques, processes, materials and other considerations for the building of bridges. They will become aware of bridges as paths of travel that impact the communities that they connect. Architect and artist Santiago Calatrava will be studied because of the way that he has incorporated the principles of structures found in nature (such as a leaf) into the design of some of his architectural structures. Calatrava will serve as an inspiration for the students. The students will build their own individual bridges that have been inspired by nature, assessing both their own and those of their peers. This unit will culminate with an art exhibit of the students' bridges and their drawn plans on graph paper. Even though this unit has been created for high school 3-D Design art students, it can be adapted for use in other disciplines, particularly those of science and math, and other grade levels.

(Developed for 3-D Design and Art, grades 9-12; recommended for Art, grades 7-12)

by Carol P. Boynton

This unit seeks to give first grade students a robust beginning to their study of arithmetic through a stronger understanding of place value. The focus of the unit will be understanding ones, tens, and hundreds, their relative sizes, and how they are used to express any number up to 100.

The key ideas of the unit are adapted from the Singapore mathematics program. This curriculum has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of Singapore's consistent first place finishes in the TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study) international comparison of mathematics achievement. The unit seeks to bring the insights of the Singapore program to a typical American first grade classroom.

The first main goal of the unit is to achieve strong mastery of the addition and subtraction within 10. This is facilitated by the idea of number bonds, in which three numbers are related by addition: for example (3, 4 and 7) form a number bond. The number bond is a more tangible analog of the fact family. When addition and subtraction within 10 is solidly in place, the rest of the addition and subtraction facts are learned via the process of "making and unmaking 10". This provides a principled way to learn the addition facts, and couples it with a beginning of learning place value.

The next stage is to learn to think of two digit numbers as combinations of some tens and some ones. This is combined with addition and subtraction, first without regrouping, and then with. This will include understanding that the tens always account for most of the number, and that, in comparing two numbers, the number of tens is decisive. The unit will culminate, on the hundredth day of class, with the understanding that 100 consists of 10 tens, and makes a new, larger unit that will allow us to deal with yet larger numbers.

(Developed for Math, grade 1; recommended for Math, grade 1)

by Sarah Hall Kiesler

This unit is intended for second grade students after they have had sufficient time to build a solid foundation in numeracy. It is designed to integrate the study of place value, measurement, order of magnitude and estimation. It intends to impress that there is a significant difference in the value of a digit when it is written in different places in decimal notation. Specifically, it seeks to show them that tens are a lot bigger than ones, and hundreds are a lot bigger than tens. It also seeks to further enforce the difference in the "places" using digits other than 1. For example, we'll explore the difference between 5, 50 and 500. These extensions will help solidify the idea that place value is a significant aspect of our numerical notation system. The activities are also built to integrate linear measurement and the study of perimeter. All of the experiences are constructed to give the students enough background knowledge to be able to estimate length with more accuracy.

(Developed for Mathematics, grade 2; recommended for Mathematics and Science, grade 2)

by Vivienne Fae Gadsby-McClellan

This unit, "The Amazing Zero Starring in Place Value, Estimation and Order of Magnitude" was created for a third grade class. It will show the children how important the number zero is in mathematics. It will especially focus on the use of zero in our base ten place value system for writing numbers. It will also delve into how numbers with lots of zeros, round numbers, help us with estimation by concentrating our attention on the relative sizes of numbers, rather than being mesmerized by their digits. The unit will begin with the importance of zero in place value and then finish with the importance of zero in order of magnitude in real life situations such as adding and subtracting. The main objective for this unit is to build a strong foundation of the concept of Order of Magnitude. Within order of magnitude falls the concepts of place value, place holder, with zero being the main character in the scenario.

(Developed for grade 3; recommended for Elementary Math, grade 3)

by Sharyn Fisher Gray

This integrated unit teaches explicit estimation skills through examining environmental issues at the school site. The overall goal for the unit is for students to make sense of statistical reporting and very large numbers through evaluating use and waste habits of the school community. By using estimation techniques and manipulating quantities, students will be able to evaluate numbers over 1000. Beyond recognizing large numbers and understanding their value, these techniques will also provide them with the skills necessary to multiply and add large numbers and evaluate their own multiplication and addition processes to see if their solutions are reasonable. Besides merely recognizing and computing large numbers, students will be able to use estimation and relative place value to compute quantities of length, area and volume using various units of measurements. These skills will be applied to a final project in which students design investigations of use and waste in the cafeteria and present their findings using comparative language as well as graphics.

(Developed for Math and Science, grade 4; recommended for General Elementary Math and Science, grade 4)

by Kathryn Lee Kinsman

Estimation is an immense topic that unfortunately gets forgotten because, in most classrooms, it is simply merged with rounding. It's not really our fault though; the little curriculum we have on this subject leads us to assume they are basically the same thing. As adults, we use estimation throughout the day without even realizing it. Just think, how many times today have you asked yourself questions like: What time do I need to leave to beat rush-hour traffic? How long will that gallon of milk last? Do I have enough gas in the car to get home? You didn't round anything! Estimation is so important and needs to be emphasized to our students throughout the year.

Because estimation is so broad, I've focused this unit on introductory topics such as the decimal place value system and relative order of magnitude. It uses quantitative aspects of baseball as the underlying inquiry and motivation for students. It will take approximately two weeks and is intended for 5th or 6th grade students. It starts by developing the basic conceptual idea of place values from the thousandths to the billions place. We want to teach more than whether one number is larger than another, we want to teach how much larger it is, or that certain numbers are close to one another. Students should understand the size of a number before operating with it, and they should understand the relative values of the places. They will then explore larger, base ten numbers by expanding each of the places as a digit multiplied by a power of ten. For example, 6345 = 6 X 1000 + 3 X 100 + 4 X 10 + 5 X 1. Students will eventually notice that the leftmost place value is larger than all the rest of the place values combined. Many students have a hard time conceptualizing, lets say, a hundred thousand dollars compared to a million dollars. By breaking down each place value of a given number, students will realize that each order of magnitude (the place just to the left) represents numbers 10 times as large as the given place! The ultimate goal is for students to fully understand the value of these very large numbers, such as the salary of a major league ballplayer. When students are familiar with this idea, they will calculate real-life estimation problems using baseball facts found on the Internet. Next students will explore relative sizes related to attending a typical professional baseball game and make reasonable estimates for each quantitative aspect, such as concession sales per game vs. per season. After estimates are made, they can be checked for accuracy by using the percent difference formula. An answer less than 10% indicates that a reasonable estimate was made. The unit will culminate with an Internet research-based project. This project can be used as an assessment as well. Students will research given topics for two chosen countries. They will apply their skills by making reasonable estimates and formulating an opinion from what their data shows. The goal is for students to decipher whether large numbers such as population density results in a greater human impact on the environment in one country versus the other.

(Developed for Math and Number Sense, grade 5; recommended for Math, Place Value, Estimation, and Number Sense, grades 5-6)

by Francisca Eunice Gomez Rebullida

This curriculum unit teaches estimation in an explicit and practical way. It is designed for fifth grade Math in English as a Second Language class and could be modified for students in the regular class. This unit presents the key concepts in estimation such as place value and the order of magnitude, relative place value, expanded form in relation to rounding off numbers, using area models and sampling to produce estimates. Estimation is more than just "taking a guess". It requires reasoning to find a useful approximation. The order of magnitude demonstrates the importance of the power of ten in affecting real world quantities or approximations. Students make meaningful connections to the values of numbers. The sampling method is a strategy for estimating numbers of irregularly scattered objects. Literature books are incorporated in teaching the unit to help English language learners learn the mathematical concepts as well as develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Furthermore, the unit provides essential vocabulary words that they can connect to their native language. Each book shows estimation concepts and strategies. The integration of math/reading language arts incorporates the skills of estimating, calculating and reasoning. Do the students really understand the value of one million? Read and enjoy A Million Dots written by Andrew Clements. Students will see what a million looks like when they read the book. Be fascinated when you see how the power of ten dots gets magnified to 100, to 1000 to 10,000, to 100,000 to 1,000,000. How long would it take you to finish reading A Million Dots? It would take you eleven and a half days!

(Developed for Science and Math, ESL grade 5; recommended for Math and Science, grade 5)

by Elaine Yee Lun Tam

This is a unit written for 6th grade classes in a Chinese Immersion school in San Francisco. A cooking lesson for the Dragon Boat Festival is the catalyst for this unit. The students explore and synthesize math skills and concepts to make estimations about rice demands and land requirements to produce the rice. There are four sections in this unit. The first part, students will learn about the notation of large numbers. They will build number sense by comparing numbers in terms of the multiplication factors. In the second part, students learn about unit rate and proportions using a variety of units of measurement, including mass, length, area and volume. Students learn to choose the appropriate units of measure and perform unit conversions for the scale of things being measured. In the third section, students explore the relationship between mass, area and volume to find solutions for rice storage. In the last section, students estimate the area of land needed to produce quantities of rice. In a final cumulative unit project, students will define a situation, gather the information they need, calculate the estimates and present their findings to the class.

(Developed for Math, grade 6; recommended for Math, Middle School grades 6-7)

by Brian Patrick Bell

Estimation is a vague topic in most Math classes, regardless of the grade level. In most of the workbooks that I use with my sixth grade students throughout the school year, we see the word estimation in many of the questions. What we don't see however, is an explanation as to what estimation is, what it is used for, or how to use it. Too often estimation is thought of as merely a guess and not much more. Estimation is in fact not a guess, nor an educated guess, but rather an effective way of calculating an approximate answer to a question. Estimation is based on Math, not on a guess, educated or otherwise. There are several math concepts that students must be familiar with in order to effectively utilize estimation in the classroom including, place value, expanded notation, very round numbers, and order of magnitude. A familiarity with the powers of 10 would be beneficial as well. Using the horseshoe crabs of the Delaware Bay, this unit focuses on the correct methods necessary for teaching middle school students estimation in an exciting and engaging way.

(Developed for Math, grade 6; recommended for Math, grades 6-8)

by Patricia Lee Marasco

This is lesson on estimating with large numbers and is designed for High School students. We have done a problem on estimating the number of bottles of water needed to fill Heinz Field. The first estimation was done using a 3 foot crate filled with 20 oz bottles and the second was done just using the water from the bottles. The numbers were obviously different and the difference was then compared and talked about. The range of these types of problems is endless and can easily be transferred to real world problems such as the number of miles the average American drives a year, or the amount of paper used in a school year or any number of other problems. These types of problems take on a life of their own and can be very interesting to watch the students solve using different approaches and in the process, find more and more questions to answer.

This lesson covers a range of topics and is a great refresher on several others such as conversions, scientific notation, rounding, percent of error and estimating.

(Developed for High School grades)

by Emily Betts

I wrote this unit for my freshman Biology class to teach the macronutrients -carbohydrates, fats, and proteins - in context of the foods that we eat. My overall strategy in designing this curriculum unit is to use hands-on labs experiences that incorporate actual food items. Through these activities, students should understand how the nutrients that they consume are digested and what their role is in the body. It is also important that they understand how eating certain foods in excess can lead to obesity, and potentially to diseases like diabetes. My students will study the causes, symptoms and treatments of diabetes, as well as the importance of diet in controlling the disease. As a final project, they will research healthy recipes that they would enjoy cooking and eating, and plan a Healthy Eating festival for the entire school.

(Developed for Biology, grades 9-10; recommended for Biology, grades 9-10, and Life Science, grades 7-8)

by Karen L. Brinkley

What fats and sugars are included in the fast foods that you eat? What happens to the digested food? Do you think we can solve the obesity epidemic? These are a few essential questions that students will analyze throughout this curriculum unit intended for seventh and eighth grade students. Therefore, the main goal of this unit is to help students discover proper nutrition and become aware of alternative methods and resources to incorporate a healthy diet.

Why is nutrition information important? Often we eat without any conscious thought about the innumerable complex structures that work as a cohesive group to bring food on our plate. A tremendous concern for me is that my students do not understand what they are eating. I think it is vital that students become knowledgeable about the food they ingest; I want them to understand how the food impacts their digestive system and overall health. Students need information to counteract the escalating obesity epidemic, because a major portion of their diet consists of processed foods obtained from fast food restaurants. Also, included in the equation are the long- term negative health consequences experienced by low-income people who often eat a deficient diet that consistently lacks the essential minerals and nutrients to fuel the body. Regrettably, deficient nutrition generally results in significant life-threatening illnesses and a restricted quality of life when they reach old age.

(Developed for Reading, Literacy, Science, and Math, grades 7-8; ; recommended for Literacy, Science, and Math, grades 7-8 and High School grades)

by Brian Donald Coons

The primary purpose of this unit is for students to gain a better understanding of the basic principles of both good nutrition and exercise. Students will be presented with information on ways to address their personal eating and exercise habits. Students will participate in activities that identify what makes up the proper components of a nutritiously balanced diet. Children are taught how the human body processes the foods it takes in. The parts and functions of the digestive system are both identified and explored. Students discover how the human body breaks food down into all the necessary nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, lipids (fats), protein, and sugars it needs to maintain proper weight, body mass index, and metabolism. The nutritional content of manufactured food products vs. real "whole" foods are compared and contrasted. Lastly, students gain an appreciation for simple physical activities that will lead to overall improved fitness. They will engage in simple exercises they can do in as little as 30 minutes. This unit was written with 4th graders in mind, however any upper intermediate grade could use this unit.

(Developed for Food Science and Nutrition, grade 4; recommended for Food Science and Nutrition, Elementary School grades 4-6)

by Kathleen Geri Gormley

Making healthy choice regarding nutrition and exercise can be a daunting and confusing task. Through participating in hands-on activities and using real life situations, my goal is to give my students valuable information so they can begin to make choices that are healthier and beneficial. This unit has been developed using an interdisciplinary approach to instruction. Students will learn science content through direct instruction as well as through reading non-fiction text, journal writing, math problem solving, and physical education.

This unit is designed for a third grade classroom and is divided into three concept areas. The first concept focuses on calories in and will teach students about food calories and what is in the food we eat as well as components of a healthy diet. The next concept deals with digestion and in this portion of the unit students will develop their own research project to learn about the digestive process. After they have completed their research, students will be responsible for creating a presentation of the research using, but not limited to power point, posters, or plays. The final concept spotlights calories out and will expose students to the benefits of physical activity.

(Developed for Science, Math, and Physical Education, grade 3; recommended for Science, grades 3-5)

by Aruna Kailasa

Food is one of the most important basic needs of life and most of us love food. This unit associates the promotion of healthy food habits with understanding of key chemistry concepts. One key concept is stoichiometry, which is a necessary tool for chemists - this unit connects food with stoichiometry to drive student's interest towards chemistry. One particular goal of the unit is for students to do calculations without using the word "stoichiometry". A second goal is to educate students to make the right choices in selecting healthy food, which is good for their body This helps students to be physically healthier as they may tend to choose the right food and would be active in chemistry class, as well. Throughout the unit the activities will involve food and chemistry, which emphasize the importance of chemistry concepts in making healthy food choices. The activities incorporate math calculations that will lead students to stoichiometry and limiting reactant concepts of chemistry.

(Developed for Chemistry and AP Chemistry, grades 9-12; recommended for Chemistry, grades 9-12)

by Lori Paderewski

Food Allergies Beware: We know your secret!, is a unit designed for third grade students, which can be adapted for all learners. Learning about nutrition and food allergies can be exciting for third grade students, yet at the same time, scary. The concepts and ideas presented in this unit, as well as most information on the role of the immune system in allergic reactions, are difficult for most people to understand, particularly young children. The goal of this unit is to deliver content information to assist the students in answering the following questions: What are food allergies? How does a person develop a food allergy? What are foods that commonly cause allergic reactions? What happens to our body when we have a reaction? How do we treat the symptoms of an allergic reaction? Can we prevent food allergies? How can we be safe with allergies?

(Developed for Science, Human Body, grade 3; recommended for Elementary School grades 2-4)

by Christina Marie Pavlak

"Feeding our Bodies, Fueling our Minds" is a three to four week curriculum unit designed for sixth grade students. It can, however, be easily adapted to meet the needs of students in grades 3-8. The material, created especially for second language learners, is based on Howard Gardner's work with the Multiple Intelligences and encompasses learning standards from language arts, math, and science. It addresses three major questions: How do we make healthy food choices, why do we need to eat, and what is the importance of exercise? Through a hands-on study of nutrition, students will learn that there is a connection between food choice, exercise, and academic achievement. Key vocabulary and concepts such as micro- and macro- nutrients, calories, digestion, metabolism, and the importance of eating a balanced diet will be examined. Additionally, students will develop critical thinking skills as they compare and contrast two popular versions of the food pyramid and reflect about their own eating habits. As a culminating activity, they will complete a series of activities from a Nutrition Multiple Intelligences Contract and will present their work to the class. The unit, therefore, enhances language acquisition for English language learners through content area instruction.

Developed for Science, Language Arts, and Math, Bilingual grade 6; recommended for Science, Math, and Language Arts, upper Elementary and Middle School grades 3-8)

by Kristin Nissa Anton

Why eat? Every day we must feed our bodies, yet many of us pay little attention to the food we put in our mouths. With rates of obesity and diabetes on the rise, nutrition is becoming an increasingly large concern in today's society, especially amongst our youth. This unit, designed for an advanced-level high school biology course, examines nutrition on a molecular and somatic scale. Students will start by learning about the short-term effects of food: what the food molecules are, their role in the body, how they are digested and metabolized, and the body's energy needs, balance, and storage. In the second part of the unit, students will examine the long-term effects of food: the way that nutrition affects our bodies over the course of a year or a lifetime, the effects of too much food, or deficiencies or excess in certain nutrients or types of food. In addition to learning the biology of eating, students will also gain an understanding of nutrition that will empower them to make better food choices and educate those around them.

(Developed for IB Biology I, grade 11; recommended for Biology, grades 10-12)

by Sara E. McGrimley

Due to income levels, television commercials, and lack of parental involvement many of my students are not even aware of what type of food they should be putting into their bodies. Add to that the confusion created by the media, fad diets, and ever-changing recommendations from experts (in the form of food pyramids) — how can anyone know what they should be putting in their body? Students will compare different dietary guide graphics to determine who creates the graphics and how you can determine whether or not they are reliable. Students will then choose a guide to follow and create healthy school meals from that dietary guide. Their final project will be to create a tri-fold brochure aimed at convincing the Board of Education to invest in food service programs that bring more fresh, healthy foods into the cafeteria. The tri-fold brochure will contain three parts: an eye-catching print ad comparing the nutrition they currently receive with what they should be receiving, a section showing options and benefits for bringing in fresh, locally grown produce, and a section containing a recipe for a school lunch and breakfast using fresh produce.

(Developed for Digital Art, grades 9-12; recommended for Digital Art, grades 9-12)

by Huwerl Thornton

This unit takes a look at the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup and its potential link to the obesity problem in the United States. It examines the complicated process of making High Fructose Corn Syrup and its make up as compared to conventional sugar. This unit also explores how the human body processes High Fructose Corn Syrup and how it is different than traditional sugar. This unit includes information on the history of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which gives an important example of how food production and agriculture have changed in the US over the past few decades. The unit also discusses how High Fructose Corn Syrup achieved mainstream use in the 1980's. As the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup began to rise, so did the level of obesity in the United States. This unit particularly looks at childhood obesity and some of its causes. Some obese children are exhibiting the health problems of a 40-year-old.

The unit also provides some strategies as to how the childhood obesity problem in the United States can be beat. This unit shows how eating habits can be changed to include more healthy foods. This unit will attempt to start with children, changing how kids look at soft drinks and attempting to choose alternative drinks such as 100 percent fruit juice or water. This change will hopefully spread to their families and beyond.

(Developed for Nutrition and Health, grade 3; recommended for Nutrition and Health, grades 3-6)

by Cynthia Baker Woolery

Developing Student Leaders through Nutritional Empowerment is a unit developed to empower my fourth grade students to demonstrate leadership qualities. Students will be asked to first take responsibility for making their own healthy choices, then use information gained through the study of food science to inform others (students, staff, community) in a variety of self-selected ways by designing and creating a service learning project. The focus of their project will be on sharing the knowledge/insights gained through this unit with others to help all make healthy, wise choices. The unit will build leadership skills and communication skills through service to others.

(Developed for Science and Food Study, grade 4; recommended for Science and Food Study, grades 4-5)

by Myrna Merana Alvarez

No matter where we live, how old we are, or what we do, we have at least one thing in common, we need food to survive. Food will always be a part of our lives. Majority of food provides a feeling of fullness and satisfaction, and, we seldom consider its implications to health and the environment.

Why should we care about what we eat? What chemicals are in food? How do these chemicals affect human health and the environment? What recommendations can students make for the school cafeteria to offer better choices? These are the key questions that this unit will try to explore.

This unit addresses the State Science Standards that focuses on the importance of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Class activities that will engage students to the processes of the nature of science and scientific inquiry includes; reflecting on their own diet, analyzing the various chemicals found in foods, identifying the three major nutrients needed by the body, discovering chemicals that leach from plastic containers and contaminate foods that result to disorders and diseases, visiting and observing a landfill, and preparing a school-lunch program plan.

This unit is recommended for tenth grade chemistry class.

(Developed for Biology, grade 9 and Chemistry, grade 10; recommended for Biology, grade 9 and Chemistry, grade 10)

by Ram Bhagat

Eat, Drink, and Be Wary is an inquiry-based unit designed to connect high school Chemistry students to relevant environmental issues. The primary purpose of this unit is to explore the effects and potential dangers of plastic packages on environmental and human health. My overall goals are to motivate urban minority youth to develop creative problem-solving skills and enhance their social and emotional intelligence through the performing arts, particularly drumming.

Yet, the underlying goal of the unit is to stimulate youth activism. To engage my students in this experiential unit, I will focus on an array of plastic packages used for various foods, beverages, and cosmetics that American teenagers consume. In order to build the momentum of my students, towards involvement in social change, I will integrate this unit into three sections of the course (atomic structure, nomenclature, and molar relationships).

During the final stage of this educational process, I will guide the students in the production of an Eco Arts and Science Project that demonstrates the knowledge and insight gained throughout the semester. Ultimately, I want to inspire my students to formulate a viable set of solutions to the mounting problems associated with single-use plastic H2O bottles.

(Developed for Chemistry, grades 10-12; recommended for Chemistry and Environmental Science, grades 10-12, and Human Anatomy, grades 11-12)

by Ella M. Boyd

This unit is meant for a middle school science classroom, but could be adapted for upper elementary grades. The primary purpose of the unit is to look at the air quality in our county and relate it to human health, particularly respiratory health. There will be a focus on lung function, particularly how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the alveoli. There will be a focus on asthma and how students can look at daily air quality data to help them make decisions about whether or not to spend time outdoors on a certain day, particularly if they plan to exercise. This unit is also meant to make students aware of environmental issues and how all individuals can have an impact on what goes into our air. Students need to be the catalyst for change in their own homes and neighborhoods. They will be looking at the habits of their own families and try to make changes that will reduce the amount of pollution going into our air.

(Developed for General Science, grade 7; recommended for General Science and Earth Science, Middle School grades)

by Michell Carter

I want my fourth grade gifted students to be more aware of what they are throwing away, how their trash is affecting the environment and their health, and to see an overall reduction in the amount of food packaging in the wastebasket. I will assess this by having the students collect data on the amount of food wrappers being thrown away in the fourth grade and to draw conclusions via researching the most common plastic found in our trash and discovery lessons about the implications for the environment and human health. Next, they will design a new recycling labeling system for plastic and create a campaign to encourage the use of reusable food containers (hopefully an easy to conclude solution). Finally, they will continue to collect and analyze data on food wrappers to see if there is indeed a reduction due to campaign efforts by asking the questions: Did I make a difference? How can I find out? If not, how could my campaign be more effective? If so, how can I get more people to make the switch to reusable packaging?

(Developed for Gifted, grade 4; recommended for Gifted and Regular Elementary Education, Reading, and Science, grades 4-5)

by Jeffrey C. Davis

Students will learn how environmental disasters can happen, what the costs and consequences are, and how they can ascertain culpability. They will watch Civil Action to see how the system works when companies and citizens do battle. They will study the Exxon Valdez disaster, Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath, the plutonium contamination of Acid Canyon in Los Alamos, and the current oil drilling controversy in the Galisteo Basin in Santa Fe County. In addition, we will learn how to analyze case studies through short, simple cases on ethical situations. They will also work with a model aquifer to see how the water table reacts when substances are introduced. Finally, they will learn public speaking by listening and debating. We will have a good time learning important skills and standards.

This unit can be taught with a few different emphases; the properties and behavior of matter, hazardous chemicals and the environmental consequences of waste, and civics, economy, communication, and rational reasoning. Useable strategies in teaching the unit include case studies, guest speakers, debaters, presenters, and field trips. We will also use the Internet for research, a model aquifer, and student presentations.

(Developed for Science and Social Studies, grade 5; recommended for Science and Social Studies, grades 5-10)

by Jennifer B. Esty

The ninth grade integrated science curriculum spends an entire quarter of the year exploring polymers, including plastics. This unit will be used to teach most of the topics in the second quarter.

The unit will begin with an introduction, which is designed to show the students generally where we are going with the unit. The family history section will come next as a way to introduce students to the concept that humans have existed for thousands of years without plastic water bottles. The conceptions phase of this unit is about the bottle design. The design of an object has a large impact on how easily the object may be reused or recycled at the end of its life, so this phase is really the beginning of the life cycle, as it largely determines the eventual fate of the bottle. The section on the birth of the bottle discusses how the chemicals that make up a bottle came to be and come together. Adolescence in a bottle is the time when the character of the bottle is formed, in this case the physical processes that are used to transform the amorphous PET into the bottle itself. Adulthood, and the working life of the bottle, follows, after which, seniority ensues. The discussion about seniority will focus on how bottles can be reused and if they really should be reused. Finally, death, and the possibility of recycling if you like are discussed, which brings back the idea of the importance of design which was discussed at the very beginning of the unit.

(Developed for Integrated Science, grade 9; recommended for General Science, grades 6-10, and Chemistry, grades 9-12)

by Elizabeth Harvey

Mercury is as ubiquitous as it is toxic, but people don't know where it is, what it is, or what we can do to change levels of it in the world around us. To a great extent, we also may not know how to regulate our exposure. The purpose of this unit is to teach learners about the natural and anthropogenic ways that mercury cycles through our environment, to teach about the different types of mercury, and to teach about the different impacts that mercury in the environment has; on top predators in a food chain, on the ecosystem as a whole, and on human health. Additionally, the unit examines that mercury is a known pollutant with health risks, yet is still is widely used to make energy efficient and electronic devices. The final outcome of the unit of study will be an action plan- learners will be active in changing the status of mercury in the environment by building a recycling plan than allows the community to recycle electronics in our school. Additionally, learners will understand that individual choices balance risk, and that to navigate decision making, the risk involved in all factors must be known and assessed.

By looking at different types of pollutions and green technologies as systems of decisions and actions, and balancing themselves and their decisions within those systems, they can learn to make decisions that are more positive for the environment, and they can learn to share that information with the greater community, further solidifying their roles as active participants in society. Furthermore, they'll realize that each decision has a risk/benefit analysis which is never simple. When you realize the complexity of the decisions involved, you're able to make informed decisions because you're able to look at both sides of an issue. This lofty goal is one that I hope to achieve using this unit.

(Developed for Environmental Science, grades 9-10; recommended for Environmental Science, grades 9-12)

by Sally Meneely

The purpose of this unit for me is to motivate students to practice thinking scientifically about things they already care deeply about: their safety in their homes and communities in relation to knowledge they gain about elements and compounds. The topic for this unit will be the historic use and current status of the Hunters Point Naval Station in San Francisco and its ongoing effects on local air and water quality, as well as its impact on potential future use of the area. My goal in bringing this topic to my classroom is to relate it to our study of characteristic properties of elements and compounds to events and conditions in the world, specifically my students' world. To understand and interact safely with any urban land area, its historic uses should be known. The fact that those historic uses involve toxins and may very likely be negatively impacting the health of many people, should be known by not only the adjacent neighborhood, everyone in the San Francisco community has the responsibility to become aware of such hazards.

by Ronni Esther Rossman

Air pollution can be caused by the release of small particles into the air or by noxious gases being released into the atmosphere, whether by natural or fabricated sources. These gases include methane, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, or chemical vapors. The gases can also lead to a chain-reaction event that includes acid rain, smog, and the greenhouse effect. If left unchecked, the chemical aspect of air pollution could become the largest contributor to premature death in the world, higher than the rate of cancer, AIDS, automobile accidents, or any other cause of unnatural or premature death. Most people make the assumption that the greatest single cause of air pollution is the big factories that dot our landscape, especially in our big cities, however, the greatest single contributor to the pollution problem facing not only the United States but also the entire world is automobile emissions which come mainly from cars and other types of automobiles, as well as off-road vehicles. In 2006, the United States was responsible for 21.3% of all cars registered in the world, with a total of 135,047,000 cars. It was also responsible for 42.7% of all the trucks registered in the world, with 108,975,000 trucks registered This curriculum explores, in depth, a number of the specific pollutants and their resulting health issues released from on- and off-road vehicles, and is designed for use in the mainstream high school classroom.

Developed for Life Science, Grade 7; recommended for Biology I and II and Chemistry, grades 9-12, Health Sciences and Environmental Science, grades 8-12)

by Nancy Rudolph

The last time you grabbed an apple, rinsed it off and took a bite, did you think about pesticide residues on it? If your food was not labeled "Organic" it came to you with pesticide(s) added. In this unit, I want my students to learn about potential health risks from common pesticide products in order to make informed decisions about their use and consider "green" alternatives. In the process of learning about health risks from pesticides, I will interject mathematics. Students will use government-published data to consider their potential level of exposure to pesticides from multiple sources: ingestion (food or water), inhalation (breathing), and dermal (skin contact). A critical math skill necessary for these calculations is converting units; therefore, the overriding mathematic theme of this unit will be Dimensional Analysis, sometimes referred to as the Factor-Label Method. This unit, as written, can be used for math students in middle or high school; however, the data sources referenced in this unit can also be applied to Statistics, Algebra 2, and even Pre-Calculus math courses. The unit also makes connections to English and Science with suggested reading activities and practice interpreting tables and graphs.

(Developed for Intermediate Algebra and Pre-Calculus, grades 11-12; recommended for Math, grades 7-12, and Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science, grades 9-12)

by Francisca Sorensen

Most reports indicate that nearly 100 billion pounds of plastic are produced in the United States each year. They are found in everything from the packaging of food and beverages to furniture, toys; medical devices, building products, electrical wiring and vehicles. Mention is made to their durability and effects on the environment as well as the consequences that two of the compounds found in plastics: Diethylhexylphtalate (DEHP) and bisphenol A (BPA) have on normal endocrine systems in different species of animals. A number of animal case studies are presented here along with the substantiating findings that point to the deleterious effects that the aforementioned compounds have had on them. This short analysis is designed to create awareness in teachers in the hope that the information will reach their students and their parents. Perhaps together we will be able to assist in finding ways to combat the growing threat to the earth's biota.

(Developed for Science and Social Studies, grade 2; recommended for Science and Social Studies, grades 2-5)