Strategies
Guided Math Workshop Model
I will have students for 90 minute periods twice a week when we will employ a workshop model to allow students time and space to work on their research and production while we build common math content knowledge. Each class period will begin with a whole-class mini-lesson to build math content knowledge of functions and statistics. Students will then rotate through stations, including reading, book club discussions, research, writing, and math (to reinforce content skills we are learning), and meeting with me to synthesize the data they are finding and to fine-tune the mathematics of their arguments. We will end each day with a whole-group summary that will highlight any discoveries students made that connected their projects to our mini-lesson content, answer questions, and set up a plan for their day off from math class as well as our next session.
Jigsaw Reading
I will launch the unit by modeling the strategy of jigsaw reading with students using an article from Scientific American that gives an overview of environmental issues related to food. This strategy involves dividing a reading into sections and assigning 4-6 students to each section which they will read to become experts. The experts meet with the others in their fields to come up with a cohesive summary of what they read that will be communicated consistently to the others who did not read that section. Then, the students go back to their original groups where they hear from experts from all the sections. This approach allows students to take on manageable chunks of nonfiction text that is often daunting to them, it holds them accountable for what they read, and it promotes discussion. I hope that students will employ this strategy in their book clubs at times they deem it appropriate and helpful.
Book Clubs
Students will form book clubs based on one of five interests under the umbrella of food and the environment: waste, bottled water, school lunches, where food comes from, and fast food. I have selected anchor texts for students to use in book clubs where they will schedule reading and discussions for three weeks to build common knowledge on their topics, and to spark discussion and debate that will ultimately enhance their solutions. I learned firsthand at the Yale National Initiative the importance of common readings to give purpose and direction to collaboration while we branched off into our specific topics from the broader topics of our seminars. Students will have this same model to follow as they navigate nonfiction text and refine their foci.
Graphic Organizers
I will provide students will graphic organizers to help them throughout the process of researching, writing, and communicating their topics. A basic web will be used for brainstorming, with their problem in the center and questions coming out in different directions. I have developed a table that helps them refine those questions and include information gathered as well as another point of view to use as they clarify their arguments. Next, students will use a Making Connections organizer to help them synthesize their research into their own schemas. Finally, they will organize problems and solutions they identify from their research in a T-chart to see which they want to pursue as their final product. For the public service announcement, students will plan using a storyboard to chunk information.
Differentiation
This unit is structured to allow for many natural differentiation opportunities. Students working together in small interest groups will promote the sharing of strengths within those cohorts. The workshop model will allow me to provide assistance as needed, and to adjust the depth of that assistance to meet the needs of individual students. In addition, there are no strict deadlines for students to meet along the way, offering the opportunity for me to plan with students benchmarks they will need to meet in order to complete the work.
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