Guide to Curriculum Units by Fellows of the Yale National Initiative 2023

“Museum people are mistaken when they believe museums collect “things.” They collect memories, meanings, emotions, and experiences. Without the “things,” the collections would not exist, but without the memories, meanings, emotions, and experiences, museums would not exist.” - Fred Wilson

Museums are a foundational civic institution. The range and diversity of museums is remarkable. Museums collect, preserve, and present artifacts of cultural and scientific importance, educating the public, aiding researchers, and preserving heritage for future generations. But, like any institution, museums can fail to serve society, and like any institution, if we want them to improve, they can be and should be critiqued.

In this unit, students will be exploring the value of art and the job of a curator by participating in an art auction and then building a museum model for their art. Then, we will explore ethical dilemmas generated by modern repatriation debates by researching how museums acquired select artifacts, including through colonial and imperial violence, and develop and argue their opinions for an ethical resolution for the museum community and the community of origin for the artworks. We will look at the way that curatorial choices help build the narrative of the artwork. By re-curating select artworks through an exhibit of our own design, we will expand the narrative to include more people, because art history reflects the history that affects us all.

(Developed for AP Art History, grades 11-12, and Art 1-2, grades 9-12; recommended for Art 1-4, grades 9-12)

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble.” The Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible have fascinated students and teachers alike for many years.This play does have it all -- the scandal of an affair, accusations of witchcraft, a girl gang like no other, unfair trials, multiple layers of meaning, and finally, there are the probing questions that get asked by students reading through their modern lens. These questions inevitably turn into heated, healthy discussions of problematic characterization, connections to our current world, patriarchy, racism, and using fear as a means of control. In this unit, I use objects and artifacts to help my students truly grasp the historical context of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. This visual examination will also help my students understand the emotional intensity of Puritan cultural conformity, which generated a type of hysteria represented in the play. Through this study of the Puritan way of life and the images and rhetoric of witchcraft pamphlets circulating in the 16th/17th century, students will be able to clearly see the oppression, within the Puritan world, of those considered to be “others,” such as people of color, women and those who refused to conform to social norms.

(Developed for IBHL I, grade 11; recommended for IBHL I and AP Language and Composition, grade 11; and AP Literature and Composition, grade 12)

This unit will bring together art, race, literature, and history in the minds of my students. The unit will start with students analyzing art as it relates to the ugly history of art meant to project racial hierarchies in the early 20th century in order to introduce concepts of art interpretation in a way the students can relate to on a personal level.  From there, the students will read The History of Mary Prince and study works of art that depict aspects of slavery and abolition that relate to events in the story as they read.  The student will improve their reading skills of visualization, artistic analysis, writing, and a attain a greater understanding of the history of America, England, the Caribbean in the 18th and 19th centuries. The students will also see the enslaved people as individuals worthy of empathy, develop a respect for their struggle, and recognize the contribution they made to the trans-Atlantic world.  The students will feel a sense of catharsis as Mary leaves her slave owners for the last time at the end of the narrative.  These skills will be synthesized in a final product,  an argumentative essay in which the students will be given a variety of works of art and then write an essay arguing that one of those pieces should be the cover of the book.

(Developed for English 4, grade 12; recommended for English 3, grade 11, and World History, grade 10)

The Navajo Long Walk is a historical traumatic event whose story is told generation to generation. From the time of migration to the west, official documentation from the U.S. Government, soldiers, and other officials allows us to piece together a history. We also make our own inquires about what the Navajo People have gone through when trying to be exiled from their homeland. The stories and photographs taken of that time still impact the Navajo People today. Navajo children on the Navajo reservation live in two cultures, the traditional Navajo and westernized U.S. cultures. Some have learned to balance the two, while others still struggle because of this historical trauma. This curriculum unit is designed for sixth grade elementary students. The unit will have students reading, writing and researching while incorporating culturally responsive relevancy. The unit will cover Navajo Nation, Arizona Social Studies, Art and World Language standards. Students will research and analyze stories and photographs about the Long Walk. They will discover that any type of art created have different stories to tell. They will learn about the powerful messages of beliefs and practices of earlier generations that impacted the Navajo People. Students will form their own perception of the event by creating their own artwork to tell about the Long Walk.

(Developed for Navajo Studies, grade 6; recommended for Navajo Studies, grades 5-6, and Navajo Government, Junior High and High School grades)

This course unit will take students through American History, with a particular focus on colonialism in the era of 1492-1865.  The focus will be on comparing, contrasting, and analyzing artwork from both colonial powers and colonized people, especially how they depict one another.  Even those with only a bare bones understanding of art history and analysis will benefit from this unit, as it provides questions and activities to engage your students and guide discussion.  The unit is meant to last approximately three weeks, and is chronologically organized within the three sections.  It first looks at art by the colonial powers, both of Native Americans and Africans, takes a brief detour to analyze the founding principles of the various regions of what will eventually become the United States, and then looks at the same period through the eyes and artwork of the native peoples and enslaved Africans, and in particular their depictions of European culture and people.

(Developed for World History, grade 10; recommended for World History, grades 9-11, and U. S. History 1, grades 6-8)

This unit is designed for a US History or Ethnic Studies Class.  Its content is historical images from North America in the Colonial and Antebellum periods. It focuses on two groups of people who do not “speak” loudly in most standard narratives of US History. This unit seeks to amplify the voices of marginalized groups and center their experiences as much as possible.  This unit uses visual images to humanize people who are often “invisible” in the mythology of American history.

The skills goal of the unit is to teach students the tools they need to critically analyze visual information from the past. We need to be as critical of visual sources as we are of written sources. This uncritical use of sources fails to account for the conventions of the time, the ideological position of the artist and the extent to which the person(s) depicted controlled the manner in which they were depicted. Additionally, the language of fashion, and its contemporary associations are difficult to interpret without the historical context. Focus questions for each work are provided at the end of the unit plan.

(Developed for U. S. History Ethnic Studies, grade 11; recommended for U. S. History, grades 10-12)

This unit was written as part of 2023 cycle of Yale National Institute. Its purpose is to address the lack of diverse representation of the Francophone world currently found in many novice-level French language curriculums. Written for 8^th or 9^th graders taking French I, the unit centers on using art from the French-speaking areas of Africa and the Caribbean to emphasize the demographic range of la francophonie. Using paintings from Haiti, Senegal, and New Orleans, among others, it presents themes found in works by people of color that are important to understanding the impact that colonialism has had on these places and their cultures. The unit also utilizes the content to create a meaningful context for introducing the concept of noun/adjective agreement to beginner students of the target language. Using their newly-acquired background on the subject, students participate in classroom activities that encourage communicative competence by asking them to interpret the art work of others, discuss their observations of different pieces, and present their own recreations of Francophone art as “curators" of their own installations. Simultaneously, the unit’s objective is to broaden students’ understanding of linguistic diversity and their own identities as speakers of the target language.

(Developed for French I, grade 8; recommended for French I, grades 8-9; French II, grades 9-10; and Intro to Language Study, grades 6-8)

In the world after the George Floyd uprising, how have we as educators discussed race in the classroom? This unit provides tools on how to address race, in part, through the famous Shakespearean play Othello and the novel There, There. Through art, we are able to confront the frays of our human condition in order to explore ourselves and our deepest wants and desires. In the play Othello (c.1603), we are going to explore the art The Miracle of the Relic of the True Cross on the Rialto Bridge by Vittore Carpaccio (c.1496),b Altarpiece with St. James in the central panel. Chapel of the Alcazar of Segovia (c.15th century) and The Return of Othello, ‘Othello,’ Act II, Scene II by Thomas Stothard (c.1799). In There, There (2018) we are going to explore Native American stereotypes and narrative archetypes by exploring the paintings such as RCA Indian Head Test Pattern (c.1947) by Brooks, Captain Cold or Ut-ha-wah (c.19th century)by William John Wilgus , and  The warriors making their grand entry into the Medicine Lodge (c.1875) by Howling Wolf. Through this unit, students will be empowered to explore how race, religion and identity has changed over time and tools for bridging difference in the present.

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

America’s history of slavery is one many of us would like to forget. And when we do revisit this history, it is often from a too-distant vantage point that allows us to oversimplify. We scorn the oppressors’ violent injustice but too easily ignore how present-day systems allow injustice to continue. We pity the victims of the atrocities without realizing that pity alone can strip people of individuality, identity, and strength. But August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, the opening play of his Century Cycle representing the African American experience through each decade of the 1900s, challenges readers to come face-to-face with the difficult past to heal and move forward.  Wilson expects his readers to have a level of cultural understanding to appreciate the depth of his allusions to African heritage and spirituality. This unit will use images ranging from historic to contemporary to help students gain understanding of the play’s cultural and historical context. Through this process of examining images, students will strengthen their close reading skills, which they will apply to their reading of the play. Then, as they read the play, they will examine images that will help them gain knowledge related to allusions they’ll encounter later in their reading or develop a richer understanding of what they’ve already read. At the end of the unit, students will create a museum exhibit entry with a piece of visual art, a passage from Gem of the Ocean, and their own analysis writing that explores the unit’s guiding question: How can representation of African diaspora history and culture enslave people, empower people, or overcome the past?

This unit was designed for a Grade 11 IBDP Literature course but could be adapted for Grades 10-12.

(Developed for International Baccalaureate Diploma Program English Literature, Year 1, grade 11; recommended for English Language Arts, grades 10-12)

This is America: Images and Histories of Racism and Exploitation is an educational unit that links the history of slavery, segregation, and racial injustice from the end of slavery, 1852 to the present. This unit is intended for grades 11 and 12. The unit was created in response to the George Floyd riots and students asking the question, “What is the difference between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter?” The unit will cover the texts, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass, “Strange Fruit” written by Abel Meeropol and recorded by Billie Holiday, and “This is America” by Childish Gambino. Each of the texts will have several images that will help give visualization and deeper understanding to the time period of each text. The images were inspired by the Yale National Initiative seminar, “Histories of Art, Race, and Empire: 1492-1865” led by Timothy Barringer. The images selected feature visualizations of enslaved people as well as free Black people from the same time period. Segregation photography by Gordon Parks and photography from James Van Der Zee during the same time as segregation with contrasting images of Harlem. Images by Lorna Simpson and Fabiola Jean Louis will show visualizations and reimaginations of the current racial injustice from the present.

(Developed for English IV Self-Contained, grade 12, and Argumentative Literature, grades 11-12; recommended for English, Social Science, and Art History, grades 11-12)

In this unit students will be introduced to wood engravings from the Antebellum period, murals from the Harlem Renaissance and Black Wall Street/Tulsa Race Massacre, and collage work done by modern artists.  Students will also read pieces of writing that reflect the time periods and struggles of the day, as well as their hope for the future.  Each time period reflects the last.  Each new era is growing from the struggles of the last.  This is about the growth of the nation as displayed by people that helped build it.  When introducing this unit to students I want them to understand this is not representative of all black people, everywhere, but images and stories of real struggles and the legacies these struggles have stamped on the art world (and the world at large) to gain independence and equality, and the security of self-actualization and self-expression.  Art, history, writing, and the American Dream of freedom, equality, and justice make this unit informative and beneficial for high school curriculum.

(Developed for Art 2 and Advanced Art 2, grades 9-12; recommended for U. S. History, ELA, and Art History, grades 9-12; and Art, grades 8-12)

This unit considers the benefits of spending regular periods of time in nature. The approaches and concerns of three different people who frequented nature are considered in great detail: Transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau, Rachel Carson, and J Drew Lanham. From their teachings and concerns, it is hoped that students will recognize the importance of observing carefully and developing a sense of responsibility to address problems related to nature like environmental injustice and climate change. Finally, students will engage in nature writing after reading mentor texts that create strong details in the reader’s mind from their own observations during “spirit walks” and other guided observation activities.

(This unit would be appropriate for middle school or early high school English Language Arts or Social Studies classes.)

(Developed for Reading and Writing, grade 6; recommended for English, grades 6-10)

In this multisensory unit designed for a World Language class, I will focus on providing opportunities for my Spanish students to connect to the natural world through place-based education. Over a span of six weeks my students will explore and observe various aspects in nature.  My students will spend time in nature writing in the target language. This unit will include, but is not limited to, a nature journal written response to nature in the target language, a visual depiction labeled in the target language of an observation in nature, and an oral presentation of a selected journal entry. My plan is for the unit to culminate with each student selecting an entry from the entirety of their natural journal entries to present as their final entry, their summative assessment. Students will share the end product, their updated and enhanced journal entry, with classmates digitally using a learning management system like Schoology. They will also have the opportunity to present their final product to the larger school community during one of our weekly middle school meetings. This unit addresses the World-Readiness Standards for Language Learning of Interpersonal Communication and Global and School Communities.

(Developed for and Spanish 1B, grade 7, and Spanish 2, grade 8; recommended for Spanish, grades 6-12)

This curriculum unit addresses challenges faced by English Language Development middle school students, fostering connections to nature and self-identity growth. It utilizes literature analysis, journaling, and reflective writing to promote a sense of belonging. Key strategies include nested language supports such as exemplar works, journaling, familial interviews, and nature readings. Extracting "juicy sentences" from complex texts enhances vocabulary and comprehensio

Narrative writing helps students process traumatic experiences and develop storytelling skills. Emphasizing a balanced and diverse teaching approach, the unit incorporates various methods and student-led discussions. The purpose is to promote critical thinking, core language standards, and exploration of "Writing About Nature" for personal growth and identity in America.

Overall, the objective of the unit is to have cross-curricular applications and promote the exploration of narrative writing to understand oneself, foster a sense of belonging, shape personal growth and identity relevant to students’ experiences in Nature.

(Developed for English Language Learning, grades 6-8; recommended for English, grades 6-8)

When I asked my secondary students if they ever metaphorically stopped to smell the roses, they looked at me like I was crazy. I was met with, “Mrs. Jenkins, we ain’t white.” “Man, gone on somewhere, Mrs. Jenkins, ain’t nobody got time for that.” Why do my students, who are not white, feel that being in nature is only reserved for certain people? Could it be that Hearne is considered a nature desert, or students have not been provided ample time and opportunities to engage meaningfully with nature? Why does their ethnicity seem to be so prevalent in relation to occupying these publicly shared spaces? This unit will explore ways to engage with nature and family members’ experiences with nature to form an appreciation of sorts of nature using painting, journaling, and storytelling to hone their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Conversations and readings taken from the seminar led by Jill Campbell inform the unit. The standards addressed will be for students at the secondary level to form a new opinion of their interpretation of what nature means to them.

(Developed for Dyslexia Intervention, grades 7-12, and ESL Beginner and ESL Intermediate, grades 9-12; recommended for Dyslexia Intervention, grades 7-12, and ESL Beginner and ESL Intermediate, grades 9-12)

The following unit unpacks reasons school leaders should invest resources in creating an annual trip abroad for their students. The unit surveys several teachers and students who have taken trips to Central and South America's rainforest and natural parks to gain a greater perspective on the region's natural habitat and the culture of the people living within it. The unit argues that international travel to settings in nature is even more beneficial for the most vulnerable children as it presents a learning opportunity away from community distractions and responsibilities. In order to make this a reality, the unit takes a deep dive into philanthropy, understanding the annual financial requirements of such a large undertaking. The following research describes how private enterprise and foundations have provided travel and accommodations for urban children who may only have been able to study abroad with their annual charitable giving. The unit includes plans for a trip to Ecuador and a sequence of classroom lessons to prepare students to engage deeply with their experience in natural settings on the trip.

(Developed for U. S. History, grade 11, and Social Justice, grade 12; recommended for Business, Foreign Language, and Spanish, grades 6-12, and Social Justice, grades 11-12)

Our seminar titled, “Writing about Nature” led by Jill Campbell, introduced me to something I took for granted: the nature of the urban setting and how this setting can aid in the world of self-discovery. Can nature be the guide which points me in the right direction towards self-discovery?

The first section of three from the unit will concern the magic and mythology of the unit. It also gives us the opportunity to begin laying down a foundational aspect as to how we can find this idea of self-identity.

The second and middle of the unit’s three sections will be on immigration. I sought to compare and contrast the mythology and magic of indigenous gods to an issue which I found to be grounded in reality, which represented a realistic perspective of the Latin American experience in America: immigration. The journey of immigration is not only a physical journey but one in which the spirit and dreams of the people are represented.

The third and final section of the unit’s three sections is a convergence of the magic of the gods with the reality of a people traveling across landscapes in search of a better life.

(Developed for Reading and Writing, grade 8; recommended for Reading, grades 7 and 9)

As a Navajo Language Teacher teaching on the Navajo reservation, I have developed a curriculum called “Through the Eyes of a Navajo: Nature Writing” for high school students (grades 9-12). This curriculum gives explanations to the following areas of Indigenous cultural knowledge: the Navajo Philosophy which is the foundation of learning in balance and harmony; the Dualities (male and female concepts) which are the environmental and universal teachings connected to the human being; and the importance of a proper self-introduction in the Navajo language which is part of the language, culture, and way of life. To establish awareness of the environment, students will be introduced to the sit spot, nature journal writing, and poems and children’s literature by Navajo authors, and they will learn to identify the male and female concepts of the environment and universe from the Navajo point of view. The unit will bring awareness of the true internalization of knowledge, the cultural richness of storytelling, and the journey of nature writing.

(Developed for Navajo Language 2; recommended for Secondary grades)

This unit is built around a repeated, regular practice of Nature Journaling as a means for students to improve observation and reflection as well as to develop their affinity for nature.  The unit will emphasize the importance of slowing down and of regularity and routine as students return to "sit-spots" in the school's well-maintained urban garden and to possible locations in a nearby public park.  In the course of the unit, we will be learning the process of journaling along with learning new and refined writing and drawing skills, with equal emphasis on verbal and visual expression. Students will be working over a six to eight-week period to create, reflect upon, and revise their journals as we go. We will be following a strict framework but one that allows a great deal of artistic freedom for the students (and myself) inside that framework. Students will be journaling during at least part of every class for those first six to eight weeks of school.  I am looking forward to seeing how this process will positively impact student learning and retention, along with providing a fun and memorable experience for my students.

(Developed for Visual Art, grades 4-5; recommended for ELA, grades 4-5, and Visual Art, grades 3-12)

This curriculum unit, Teaching Elementary Fractions using Fractions Strips, is intended as an introduction to fractions for elementary students. In this unit, students will be introduced to fractions using different models, with emphasis on fractions strips. It provides different teaching strategies to help students learn and enjoy working with fractions. By the end of the unit students will learn that fractional parts are equal shares or equal-sized portions of a whole or unit. A unit can be a single object or a collection of things. Fractional parts have special names that tell how many parts of that size are needed to make the whole. For example, thirds require three parts to make a whole. The more fractional parts used to make a whole, the smaller the parts. For example, eighths are smaller than fifths. Partitioning shares involves dividing an object, set of objects or number into parts. Knowing that shapes, sets and quantities can be partitioned into equal-sized parts, and understanding the importance of equal-sized partitions, is fundamental to recognizing the part-whole relationship between the numerator and denominator in fractions. An area model represents a fraction as a certain part of a rectangle divided into equal parts. It can provide students with a visual way to think about fractions.

Fraction strips are a versatile and engaging tool for teaching fractions in the classroom. They essentially provide a length model for thinking about fractions. By using fraction strips, students can develop a deep understanding of fractions and build their math skills in a fun and interactive way. Teaching with fraction strips can help struggling students who have spatial abilities. This unit is designed for second and third grade students to build a foundation in fractions. However, it can be used to introduce fractions to all students.

(Developed for Mathematics, grade 2; recommended for Mathematics, grades 2-3)

This unit is intended for third-grade students at Kayenta Elementary School. It is imperative for Kayenta Elementary School to improve in all areas of mathematics to help the school get a passing Grade from Arizona Department of Education. I developed this unit because fraction is one the hardest lessons to teach and even harder for students because fractions forces students to think of integers in a different way.  Up to this point, students have been taught in base-ten whole numbers.  The difficulties come from the mind-set that larger numbers mean more in terms of relative size, however, that is not the case with the denominators of fractions.

Third graders are expected to identify and create fractions using shapes with fractions that are chopped into intervals of 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8.  An additional standard states that a number line can be utilized.  After the initial introduction to fractions expected by Arizona Department of Education, I will extend the lesson by teaching students to create number lines, learn to plot number lines, and use number line to compare fractions, and finally use number lines to find equivalent fractions.  While using number lines, I will emphasize that number lines are intended to measure length and distance.  The goal is to establish fraction number sense.

(Developed for Mathematics, Diné Studies, and Social Studies, grade 3; recommended for Mathematics and Social Studies, grades 2-4)

A “decimal fraction” can be easily converted into a decimal using the base-10 number system. For example, 95/100 is equivalent to 0.95, and its expanded notation is: (9 × 10^-1) + (5 × 10^-2). Because of their unique features, decimal fractions can help students bridge their understanding of whole numbers’ place value in relationship to those of decimals, fractions, and percentages, and have the potential to better cement the arithmetic-to-algebra transition from concrete to more abstract thinking. The curriculum unit titled Money, Money, Money: Decimal Fractions in $ and ¢ is designed to promote two main learning objectives:

• familiarize students with the history of U.S. coins;
• guide students to use coins like quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies to develop greater understanding of place values;

The unit is developed for 5th Grade U.S. History, and addresses the Math Common Core Standards 5.NBT.A.1 (place value), 5.NBT.A.3 (decimals), and 5.NF.A (fractions). It is suitable for grades 3^rd to 5^th.

Keywords:decimal fractions, place value, number lines, U.S. Mint, U.S. coins, dollars, cents, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies, financial literacy.

(Developed for Mathematics and Social Studies, grade 5; recommended for Mathematics, grades 3-5)

This is a curriculum unit designed to work with Eureka Math. The framework uses mathematical discourse as students collaborate to create word problems for a given scenario. Then students use the collection of word problems they created and solve them with tape diagrams. Next, they categorize the problems to identify schemas based on the number of steps and the operations. Connections are made between the tape diagrams and the solutions. All the NCTM Process Standards are incorporated throughout the unit. The curriculum unit is designed for grade 4 students but could easily be adapted for grades 1-6.

(Developed for Mathematics, grade 4; recommended for Mathematics, grades 2-6)

While teaching my Geometry, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus students, I have realized that using fraction notation as well as comparing, adding, subtracting, and dividing fractions is usually a big problem for them. As a result, they struggle to identify parallel and perpendicular lines and slopes in the equations of linear functions; they have difficulties with topics such as similarity, dilation, transformation of geometric figures, and other mathematical concepts. Later, in upper-level Math they struggle with trigonometry, derivatives (aka slopes), definite integrals and their applications to name just a few. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The lack of their knowledge of fractions leads to their failure in other Math- related fields, such as Physics, Biology and Chemistry. During their high school career, many students will have to take a standardized test like the SAT and/or an AP exam. Half of the Math portion of these tests is non-calculator. Our job is to get them ready; soon-to-become young adults need fractions in their local grocery store calculating seasonal discounts!  This curricular unit will help teachers build students` competence in computation of expression with fractions, solving equations and word problems that require students to compare, add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. 

Recommended for Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, PreCalculus and AP Calculus students.

(Developed for Math Analysis, grade 11; AP Calculus, grade 12; and Geometry, grade 9; recommended for Mathematics, grades 3-7; Algebra I, grades 8-9; and Geometry, grades 8-9)

This curriculum unit focuses on word problems whose solution requires the division of fractions in Algebra II for High School 9 to 12 graders.  Specifically, this unit aims to teach how to solve real-life applications using one simple algebraic equation, which will require the division of fractions in the problems I will pose to them. Students will learn models of fraction division, i.e., the number line and the rectangular and symbolic models. Particular interest is given to practicing reading and translating word problems into symbolic representations. Developing this skill requires a careful analysis of the information provided, which has to be represented by a set of constants and a variable to be determined. Students will be given the opportunity to work independently and in small groups to explore the given word problems and refine the relevant information to produce the correct equation.

Once the students have reached the equation representing the given problem, they will use the rules of arithmetic to solve it by a general procedure involving fractions division. The students will employ various methods to perform the divisions at this point. They will be encouraged to use and compare the solutions obtained by the different methods and to reflect on which of these they are more confident, sharing with their peers in small group discussions and the entire class at large.

(Developed for Algebra II, grades 9-12; recommended for Algebra I, grades 9-10; Algebra II, grades 9-12; and Precalculus, grades 11-12)

High school students arrive in my classroom lacking number sense and the reasoning skills necessary for success in high school math and science. This deficit results in my students’ struggle to engage in grade level course work. This unit will provide a starting point for some targeted acceleration of learning. The number line will anchor our work to improve student number sense. It will also serve as the space in which students build fluency and deepen their understanding of fractions. Work comparing fractions and discovering equivalent fractions will build some of the skills students need to become proficient at proportional reasoning. Exploring many types of proportion and ratio problems will allow students to discover patterns and strategies for solving these problems as they build their proportional reasoning skills. After completing this unit, my hope is that my students will have stronger number sense and be more adept at proportional reasoning.

(Developed for Geometry; recommended for Mathematics, grade 8, and Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry)

As the great mathematician George Pólya once said, “It is better to solve one problem five different ways, than to solve five problems one way.” I’ve found this to be especially true with word problems. A given linear word problem can be solved in a multitude of ways; one can solve it algebraically (with “variables”), arithmetically (with constants), or illustratively (with pictures or use of manipulatives). When students engage in all three methods of solving linear equations, they build on prior knowledge and foster a more comprehensive understanding of variables and manipulation of algebraic equations. 

This curriculum unit focuses on students’ conceptual understanding of the role of variables and their units in linear equations. It relies heavily on the Japanese teaching strategy of Kikan-jyunshi or Kikan-shido, in which the teacher identifies individual student work to discuss with the whole class. The unit follows the BSCS 5E Instructional Model phases: engage (solve one word problem three different ways), explore (translate other word problems into equations), explain (justify the use of operations in translated equations), elaborate (create word problems that exemplify given equations), and evaluate (assess formatively).

Key Words: word problems, linear equations, variables, algebra, algebraic equations, units, Kikan-juynshi, Kikan-shido, BSCS 5E Instructional Model

(Developed for Integrated Mathematics I, grades 9-12; recommended for Pre-Algebra, grade 7; Algebra I, grade 8; and Integrated Mathematics I, grades 9-12)

This three-to-four-week English language development curriculum unit is designed for middle school multilingual learners and explores the inequitable distribution of health, housing, and economic burdens that result from the effects of climate change. In this unit, students will analyze and gather data from case studies of communities affected by climate-fueled flooding events, and the subsequent government response. Students will read and learn about historic government policies of racial discrimination in housing and how this has segregated communities along racial and socioeconomic lines. At the end of this unit, students will develop evidence-based arguments about the disproportionate effects of flooding on the community of Southbridge, a predominately Black, low-income community in urban Wilmington, Delaware. In addition, students will learn about the advocacy of Southbridge residents to fight for and acquire flood-mitigating resources to protect their community. This unit will intentionally scaffold student understanding of environmental justice and argumentation skills for future application in response to environmental justice issues.

(Developed for English Language Development, grades 6-8; recommended for English Language Arts, grades 6-12, and Environmental Science, grades 6-8)

This unit, created for High School World History and Ethnic Studies classes, focuses on environmental racism and environmental injustice by examining the loss of land and resources that indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of European explorers and their descendants. Focusing on the Sioux nation in present day United States and the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest, the unit looks at both historical and contemporary injustices in the environmental arena. Deforestation of the Amazon and the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline are both examples of recent ongoing environmental injustices that students will study. An inquiry driven culminating project will task students with individual research, interpretation of data, and presentation of conclusions and potential solutions, as well as peer review and comment. Although designed for High School students this unit could be adapted for Middle School grades as well and adjusted to focus on a United States History classroom if desired.

(Developed for Ethnic Studies, grades 9-12; recommended for World History, grade 10, and U. S. History, grade 11)

This five-week science curriculum unit is designed for 8th grade students and explores the connection between the practice of redlining by the federally funded Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) during the 1930s and its direct effect on air pollution more than 80 years later. Students will use the Not Even Past: Social Vulnerability and the Legacy of Redling site to compare redlining maps of the 1930s to contemporary maps of the Center for Disease Control's Social Vulnerability Index. Students will then use the EPA’s EJScreen: Environmental Justice and Screening Mapping Tool to gather and compare data, such as particulate matter 2.5, asthma, and life expectancy of two Chicago neighborhoods, Back of the Yards and Little Village. Throughout the unit, students will learn about several environmental studies, grassroots efforts, and their influence on the environmental justice movement. This unit addresses the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the International Baccalaureate’s key concepts, related concepts, and global contexts.

(Developed for Science, grade 8; recommended for Science and Social Studies, grades 7-10)

In this unit, students will learn the cycle of plastic production and lack of proper disposal in the United States and globally. Students will understand that humans take materials from the Earth to create plastic. Then they dump the plastic back into the environment. The essential question for students to answer throughout the unit will be: Where does our trash go? Students will be challenged to think about the environmental and sociological impacts of the plastic pollution generated in wealthy nations and how they impact lower income and poorer nations.

The content will be organized into three sections: 1) How plastic is created 2) Where does plastic go 3) What are the solutions.  Plastic use is emersed into daily life. Individually, people are reliant upon plastic for a range of items such as food packaging, plastic straws, water bottles, food containers, and plastic shopping bags. Plastic production and use are interconnected worldwide. Plastic is produced in the United States and exported to other countries. The US also imports plastic from other countries.  Students will learn how pervasive plastic is in everyday life, the range of plastic products, and the global connectiveness of plastic production, distribution, and use.

(Developed for English Language Arts and Social Studies, grade 5; recommended for Elementary Science, grades 4-5, and Science and World Geography, grades 6-7)

This 2-4-weeks unit 1. humanizes Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, BIPOC’s voices. 2. dispels blaming victims for atrocities committed against them, and 3. provides lessons about Racism, Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice, concepts closely linked and what my students (Ss), my colleagues, and I may have encountered or could encounter in our lifetimes: this idea of the disposable “others”. In your own life, what inspires you to continue or persist after experiencing setbacks and not fully your goals? Courage, a major theme, considers how the marginalized disrupt “specified ignorance,” stand on principle(s), and are courageous, while the “majority” miserably fail; illustrates how small acts can have big impacts. Color is a metaphor for how historically the “majority” painted communities red and dangerous, created dark fallacies about them while drawing lines that prevented them from voicing concerns, and having a place at the table where decisions were made about and for them through single narratives meant to still voices. Eppur si muove, and yet it moves.

Key Words: Environmental Justice, Racism, Environmental Racism, Disposables, Perspectives, Grassroots Movements, Choice Boards, Socratic seminar, Art, Poetry, Documentaries

(Developed for AP Literature and Composition, grades 11-12, and English, grade 11; recommended for AP Literature and Composition, grades 11-12, and English, grade 11)

My unit, Next Generation Learners to Leaders: Intro to Environmental Justice was written as an exploration into environmental justice. It’s designed to introduce the culture of sustainability and environmental literacy focusing on equality in the United States. The unit is structured for use in an English Language Development class however it could be used in a history or social studies class. The unit is written for students on either the junior or senior high school level. The unit presents the environmental concepts of nature deficit disorder, green spaces, environmental justice, and the environmental justice movement. The unit focuses on case studies of air pollution and water pollution exploring both cases in the past and ongoing battles within their back yards affecting the population of their state, Oklahoma. The unit contains many varied activities for both junior and senior high, including a using the Climate and Justice Screening Tool (using data from the 2020 census) to compare equality in neighborhoods, history of the environmental justice movement identifying landmark cases and laws, following up with organizations and activists. By the end of the unit students will be prepared to act and use their voices to educate others about environmental justice. 

(Developed for English Language Development, grade 6; recommended for Science and History, and English Language Development and Language Arts, grades 6-12)

A discussion about environmental justice is a perfect opportunity to introduce interdisciplinary learning into the history classroom. This unit focuses on the interconnections between environmental pollution and the discrimination of historically marginalized groups across the Americas. It explores environmental justice as a catalyst for grassroots protest, social movements, and policy change, as well as influences from the 1960s Civil Rights movement in the US. This unit was written to take place over five, approximately 90-minute class periods culminating in a Socratic seminar. Students will read through specific case studies explaining connections between racial segregation and higher levels of human exposure to pollution in the US, Mexico, and Brazil, analyze historical images and scientific data in connection to air pollution and inequity, compare and contrast different resistance movements to environmental injustice, and gather evidence from these sources in order to answer the question: how do we solve the issue of environmental injustice? This unit connects to the following California Common Core Standards: CCSS RH 11-12 1, CCSS RH 11-12 7, and CCSS RH 11-12 9.

(Developed for IB History of the Americas, grade 11; recommended for U. S. History and IB History of the Americas, grade 11; World History, grades 10 and 12; and Environmental Science, grades 10-12)

In this four-week unit, young students are introduced to the concept of biodiversity and how honeybees play an essential role globally in maintaining and preserving it. To introduce this complex topic to Kindergarteners, the unit begins with a read-aloud, Please Please the Bees by Gerald Kelley. Discussions center on challenges bees encounter, including their recent problems with varroa mites. Students understand the structure of the bee’s body, create honeycomb models, learn bee dances, and design and construct bee boxes, along with joining in to help save the bees by planting nectar-producing plants.

(Developed for Science, grade K; recommended for Science, grades K-2)

Did you know that there are over 4,000 different species of bees in the United States? Many of us only see news about the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), but as a whole, insect pollinators in the U.S. benefit the reproduction of over 100 crop plants. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of the food on your plate is thanks to the efforts of pollinators, but they are doing a lot more than just benefiting food production. The system of pollination is responsible for driving and maintaining biodiversity, in addition to creating a range of ecosystem services that benefit humans, plants, and animals alike. But studies show that our students are not able to articulate knowledge of systems such as pollination. It is critical that our students understand the scientific knowledge of pollination systems in addition to adopting a more equitable approach to learning about and interacting with nature. Through this unit, I use a pollination party to show my kindergarten students the importance of pollination, and how to be more mindful of all the participants in our natural world. It seeks to inspire them to be active participants in caring holistically for our local natural ecosystem, which benefits our local and global ecological health as a living community.

(Developed for Science, grade K; recommended for Science, grades K-2)

This two-week unit on sustainable agriculture is designed for AP Environmental Science but can be easily scaffolded for introductory and intermediate levels of the same topic. Students start by learning about the environmental impacts of the Green Revolution. Focus shifts to less impactful agricultural methods, starting with agroecosystems, which are best defined as seemingly naturally functioning ecosystems that also produce food, fiber, and/or other agricultural products.  Students examine polyculture and integrated pest management to identify and explain features that fit the agroecosystem approach. They also survey Indigenous agricultural practices to look for sustainable features. Classroom activities include the creation of a driving question board, development of explanatory models that showcase the sustainability of agroecosystem approaches, the development of an action plan to increase the sustainability of our campus farm, and taste tests of sustainable and fair-trade coffee and chocolate from Costa Rica. This unit satisfies AP-ES Content Standards EIN-2 and STB-1 and Science Practices 1.C, 4.A, 7.A, 7.B, and 7.E.

(Developed for AP Environmental Science, grades 11-12; Environmental Science Issues, grades 10-11; and Natural Resources and Ecology, grades 9-10; recommended for Ecology and Biology, grades 9-10)

Bacteria and viruses are the most prolific biological entities on Earth. Although they are very small, their impacts have shaped human history. The Bubonic Plague, attributed to the bacteria Yersinia pestis, killed between thirty to sixty percent of those infected, reshaping European labor markets and undermining feudalism as the major political system. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics in the 20^th century, even common bacterial infections could prove to be a death sentence. Once heralded as a “miracle drug,” pharmaceutical antibiotics are becoming less effective due to their widespread overuse, threatening to cause ten million deaths annually by 2050. This is because bacteria are living systems, constantly copying their DNA in order to reproduce. If a random error occurs during DNA replication, and that DNA change helps an individual bacterium survive antibiotic treatment, the mutation can be passed on to other bacteria and will become more common. It is possible that humans could use viruses to kill these antimicrobial resistant bacteria, but it is important to be very intentional about their use to prevent bacteria from evolving resistance to this treatment method as well.

(Developed for Environmental Science, grade 9; recommended for Environmental Science and Biology, grades 9-12)

This unit explores how food and agriculture systems impact the health of people, animals and overall environmental health using the One-Health paradigm.  Our current industrial food system is at the nexus of dietary disease, water and air pollution and climate crisis impacts.  Seen through the view of One-Health, where health outcomes are measured as positive if all aspects of the interconnecting systems are healthy, industrial food production and processing is not sustainable, nor desirable.  There is much to learn from nature as well as indigenous and traditional human cultures around sustainable food growing and health supportive eating practices. Students will be asked to evaluate various practices and policies around food growing, purchasing, marketing, distribution and preparation and diets with an eye towards maximizing One-Health, and identifying barriers to achieving this in the context of their own lives and our community.  Students will have opportunities to visit local farms, purchase and share locally produced food, and meet with public health professionals and to examine to connect this learning to careers and community engagement.  Students will review case studies, complete inquiry driven research, food preparation and sharing, while managing a sustainable garden and fresh food box program in our school.

(Developed for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources CTE, grade 12; recommended for Environmental Science, Health, and General Science, grades 9-12)

Why do a submarine and a whale look so similar? Where did the idea of Velcro come from? Where did the design of airplanes come from? The simple answer to these questions is nature. We have been inspired by nature to solve problems in our world. This four to six-week unit for kindergarten students will serve as an introduction to biomimicry and biodiversity, and how these impact our everyday lives. Students will have an opportunity to learn about many machines, tools, and medicines that have been inspired by the natural world, in order to solve human problems.

(Developed for Science, grade K; recommended for Science and ELA, grades K-2)

This is a kindergarten Social Emotional Learning (SEL) unit connected to underlying science content related to living things and the concept of “One Health”. Animals engage in performing rituals, which allow them to survive in a complicated world, while also strengthening connections to family and community. In kindergarten we also perform rituals, though we call them routines. Classroom routines deliver similar benefits as the animal rituals. The unit will focus on developing communication skills and interpersonal connections. Another focal point will be to build an appreciation for what makes each student unique, as we explore the strength a group gains by being diverse. Open communication and interconnected classroom members will lead to a robust classroom culture, which in turn could offer benefits to the mental health of students and other classroom stakeholders. Delaware SEL standards and NGSS standards will be addressed during unit implementation. The unit should last two weeks, but can be revisited as needed to address issues with routines.

(Developed for SEL and Science, grade K; recommended for SEL and Science, grade 1)