Rationale/ Demographics
“Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.”― Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Air pollution takes a toll on each of us because we need to breathe. Every breath we take is critical to sustaining life to all humans and animals, but the vulnerable, including children are at the helm of the impacts of contaminated air more. Children are not in control of where they reside or attend school. In the rural area of Bryan, Texas, the area in which my school is located, has seen tremendous economic growth in the last ten years. In this geographical location, there has been business development including restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, an oil and gas industry, and a high school. Bryan/College Station has seen massive influx of people migrating to the area and raising families due to the university, the small-town big city feel in the atmosphere, being a hub between the larger cities of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, and due to the available real-estate for development in the area. Teachers express the magnitude of changes saying the school used to be considered far out and filled with trees and prairie, but has now been inundated with the expansion of the city now consumed with traffic, businesses, constant construction and the development of nearby subdivisions all impacting current neighborhoods and student’s health. As a result, today, the air quality has developed to a much more polluted environment bringing more pollution into the homes that students reside in. My students are faced with polluted air within indoors and it’s a domino effect that contributes to their well-being.
Sam Rayburn Intermediate School is a Texas public school within the Bryan Independent School District system. The Bryan Independent School District is located in close proximity to Texas A&M University and College Station Independent School District. Sam Rayburn is one of two intermediate campuses in this rural area that educates grades fifth and sixth only. The school is a Title I campus, thus having students predominantly from families that are socioeconomically disadvantaged. The population of the school is made up of approximately 1,195 pupils with about 636 fifth grade students and 559 sixth grade students. The student body consists of 52% Hispanic-Latino, 20% Black-African American, and 25% of White students. Of those students, 66% receive free lunch, 64% are at-risk with 72% being economically disadvantaged. About 7% of the population receives some form of bilingual services and about 14% receives special education services. The families are living below the poverty line with large families of four or more individuals or are living with grandparents. Many parents or grandparents work in the area’s large production plants such as Sanderson’s Farm which is a poultry plant, Alenco, which is a mass production for windows, VT Industries making countertops, and in the fast food industry. In these areas of employment, they are exposed daily to irritants which heightens the risk of the development of health issues especially chronic respiratory issues.
This unit is created for approximately 100 fifth grade general education students. Prior to the 2020 school year, these students experienced being home for COVID-19 for an extended time during the school year. They also experienced minimal exposure to science in elementary school on a higher level due to science not being assessed by standardized testing. Students only begin structured instruction in their fifth-grade year in preparation for the state’s testing. The classes are mixed in a heterogeneous nature; meaning in one class there can be English as Second Language learners, special education learners, gifted learners and regular education learners. The lesson focus has to be differentiated in order to provide equity for all learners. This unit will encompass a variety of learning methods such as whole group, individualized learning, peer assistance, group activities, and small groups. This grade level has a state assessment that is rigorously designed for science, so the unit will not deviate away from those curriculum areas. While the focus is heavily in science, aspects of math will be incorporated bridging the gap between the two tested content areas.
My particular school is a fifth and sixth grade campus that is offering home learning and face to face learning this school year. The students have a choice in staying home for six weeks to protect themselves against COVID-19 or coming into the building for instruction either daily or on an A day/B day schedule. In a class, I typically have 25-30 students, but this new model will reduce classes by 50%. I will still be responsible in teaching students in a virtual method, thus still being responsible for 100 students. This unit will incorporate in-person approaches, virtual approaches along with other learning methods.
This unit is designed to align with the state of Texas’ fifth grade science and math Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. The state standards for this unit will include data collection, constructing appropriate simple graphs, tables, maps and technology, analyzing, evaluating, recording and critique of scientific explanations by using evidence. The students will also apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society and the workplace. This unit will focus on evaluating the impact of air quality from home and school. The students will also be conducting investigations to determine the major contributors to respiratory health.
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