Rationale
In my six years of teaching elementary on the South side of Chicago, I consistently try and stay informed about our school and neighborhood to understand the domains that may affect and influence the planning of my units/lessons. I know that, of 592 students currently attending Seward, 98% are Hispanic and 100% come from low-income families. Unfortunately, the neighborhood itself is not considered the safest due to its high crime rate and gang activity. In a CPS survey where students were asked if they felt safe traveling to school as well as in and around the building, the school ranks "weak." This has greatly impacted attendance and academic performance. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated this outcome. Our school's test scores fell far below the state average. The percent of proficiency in reading currently stands at 13% and proficiency in math stands at 10%. There is no doubt that there are many other factors that affect this outcome, but I try my best to develop units that support our students academically by incorporating subjects that pique their interest and motivation since motivation can overcome many types of handicaps. To reiterate, my center focus for this unit is to increase their critical thinking skills through observation and creativity. Critical thinking is, undeniably, an essential skill through which students can actively conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. More importantly, this can be transferable to other disciplines as well as real-world matters.
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