Strategies
Differentiated Instruction
In order to meet the needs of all the learners in my classroom, I will use Differentiated Instruction. Differentiated Instruction is an approach to teaching content in ways that address a variety of learning styles and needs of students while maximizing the potential of all learners. This will help me to accommodate the diversity of academic needs present in my classroom. My instruction as well as the students' research can be differentiated in a variety of ways. I will be able to differentiate according to content, process, or product. Through differentiated content students will have access to a varied level of texts and/or websites and could possibility be "buddied" with a partner at a different level to assist with the learning. Differentiated process refers to activities that help the students make sense of the skills being taught. These activities can be modified to enable students of varied readiness to work on their level. When differentiating products, students are given choices to create different products based on their individualized learning style.
The digestion research project portion of this unit lends itself very well to Differentiated Instruction on each of the mentioned levels. Students will be provided texts at an appropriate level and other sources to enable them to have access to all necessary information on their ability level. As the students create the final product, they will have the opportunity to decide how they want to present the information they have gathered.
Word Sorts
Another strategy implemented in this unit will be the use of word sorts. Word sorts are a hands-on instructional tool used to teach vocabulary. Words or pictures can be categorized based on pre-determined labels. Word sorts enable students to compare and contrast items through a variety of criteria. Students use reasoning skills to categorize and discover patterns that they can later apply to unknown words they encounter. This activity is very easily leveled to meet the needs of the diverse learners in my classroom.
Vocabulary instruction will be enhanced not only through word sorts in which students will be able to develop the criteria for sorting, but also through picture sorts. Students will use magazines to find examples of a variety of foods and will sort these pictures according to the food groups.
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning is a successful teaching strategy in which teams of learners of varied abilities and interest come together to help each other to improve their understanding of the subject matter. Cooperative Learning is used to promote student learning and retention of material, foster positive social relationships within the classroom community, and enhance student satisfaction with the learning experience. The following are examples of a variety of cooperative learning activities that I will make use of throughout this unit.
Jigsaw
This activity is useful when the workload is larger and can be divided up. Groups of three to five students are formed and the text is broken up into smaller chunks. Each member of the group is assigned a portion to learn. The group reassembles and each separate member serves as an expert on the portion they have learned as they become the teacher. When the students are beginning their research on digestion, a preliminary information packet or non-fiction book will be useful to help guide their learning. During this initial phase of research, students can be divided into small groups and each member will become the "expert" on one portion of the digestive process such as the mouth or the stomach. Students will then have some valuable information pertinent to their research and will feel confident as they begin to put the pieces together with their group members.
Think-Pair-Share
This approach involves three steps. During step one, students "think" silently about the topic or a question about the topic. After a pre-determined time frame, generally one to two minutes, students "pair" up and discuss their thoughts or responses on the topic. After another minute or two, students "share" their thoughts or response with other "pairs" or the entire group. Informal assessments are key to checking for understanding and a good way to accomplish this is to pose higher order thinking questions at the end of a daily lesson. A question will be posed by me and the students will answer the question using this method. Participating in this activity helps students analyze and evaluate their learning as well as clear up confusion or misconceptions in a non-threatening way as they answer a daily question in smaller less threatening groups.
Team-Pair-Solo
This approach is similar to but opposite of Think-Pair-Share. During this approach, students first complete a problem as a "team". Next they complete a similar problem as a "pair". Finally students complete problems "solo". This approach is designed to help students engage and succeed with problems which can initially be beyond the ability but can be solved within the context of a group, this is based on the concept of mediated learning. By allowing students to work on problems they could not do alone first as a team and then with a partner, they move to a position that they can do alone what at first they perhaps could not complete or could only do with help. As the students are looking up the calorie content for the food on their food logs, this approach will be a helpful way to differentiate and assist students who may feel overwhelmed with the task individually. Only the students who need support will take part in this approach. As a small group students will access designated websites and look up calories for foods on a sample list. As they become more proficient, they will move toward looking up their personal calorie intake.
Three Minute Review
In this approach, the teacher stops at any time during instruction or discussion, a timer or other signal may be used to begin, and gives students three minutes to review what has been said or ask or answer questions about the lecture. This activity will be useful when new vocabulary is being introduced. Students can then discuss, act out, illustrate, or choose a way that will help them to remember the new words they are learning. Since this activity is timed, the focus is not on the product it is on the varied way students choose to represent the vocabulary. After introducing and explaining carbohydrates, we will stop, drop our voices, and draw, sing, or perform like a carbohydrate.
Partners
The class gets divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side of the room. Half of each team is given an assignment to master to be able to teach to the other half. Partners work to learn the material, they may consult with other partner groups working on same material. Teams go back together with each set of partners teaching the other set. Partners can quiz and tutor teammates. Four stations will be set up around the room with each pair only visiting two stations. At each station, students will learn about serving sizes and caloric value of foods. They will then return to the foursome and teach the other members of the group proper serving sizes for given foods and have to create a day's menu, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack and stay within a caloric goal.
Journals
Students will be keeping daily journals throughout this unit. They will begin journaling by keeping a daily food log. This will help students to become aware of what they are eating and how their bodies feel after they ate. By asking them to explain how they felt after they ate, students will start to become more in tune with how food effects not only hunger and or satiety levels, but also hopefully their energy levels and moods. As a class we will develop a rating system to record this. This will be done as a class so students have input to express their own satiety feelings, energy levels, and moods in their own words as we translate this information into a numerical rating system, i.e. rate your fullness level 1-still feel hungry to 5-couldn't eat another bite; rate your energy level 1-I felt like I wanted to sleep to 5- I felt like I could run around the block; rate your mood after eating 1-I was in a bad mood to 5-I felt happy. Students will also be keeping a daily activity log. This log will help show the students how much physical activity and thus how many calories they burn during the day. We will develop a rating system similar to the food log ratings to chart how physical activity makes them feel, once again helping students to learn and keep track of what their bodies are telling them. Finally, students will keep a sleep log. This sleep log will follow the same structure as the other logs helping students to recognize the importance of sleep for a healthy body.
Technology Integration
Recently, a growing number of researchers have published studies that provide substantial evidence that technology can play a positive role in academic achievement. 8 My students will be using technology while proceeding through this unit. As students study the digestive process, they will be using internet search procedures to locate information on this topic. After their research is complete, students will create power point presentations to share the information they have learned. Students will visit websites related to calories to determine the amount of calories in certain foods and the amount of calories burned during a variety of activities. In addition, I will use United Streaming to expose my students to a variety of videos on Nutrition.
Experiential Education
Students learn by doing. My students will take part in Yoga classes one hour a week. Exercise and yoga are about mind, body, and spirit. The ultimate goal is to achieve a balance in life. Experiencing Yoga will provide my students with an overall awareness of their bodies and will give them a positive outlook on physical fitness. Yoga will provide a variety of benefits to my students, including kinesthetic awareness where students will become aware of their bodies in space. It has been shown to improve self-esteem, physical health, and academic performance. By incorporating sound and movement it can be used as a springboard into education. Yoga not only will enable my students to strengthen and stretch, but also to focus their minds. You have to empower and excite them about being physically and mentally fit. To them, it's fitness, fun and feeling great.
My female students will also have the opportunity to participate in the program "Girls on the Run". This program's mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Girls on the Run is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the program are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. The Girls on the Run objective is to reduce the potential display of at-risk activities among its participants. Girls on the Run delivers the message to young girls through volunteer coaches and mentors. The 10-week character building program of experiential learning through running teaches very specific and well-defined social and personal skills. The program culminates in a non-competitive 5K run event which gives the girls a chance to shine and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. 9
The Reading Basketball Association enables both boys and girls to participate in team sports. My students will be included on teams consisting of third, fourth, and fifth graders. The students benefit on a multitude of levels. Students are learning how to participate on a team and follow the rules of the game. They are learning social skills as they work together as a team toward a common goal. Students are interacting with students from a variety of grades and backgrounds. In addition to these benefits, students are engaging in physical activity in a safe environment.
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