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TE803 SS2016

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Economic Excitement in Michigan


b) Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:
Macro Level:
Locations influence economic activity
Lesson Level:
Agriculture, Manufacturing, Farming, Lumbering and Tourism contribute to the economic growth of a state
People adapt, use, and modify natural resources
Scarcity, opportunity costs, and choices affect what is produced and consumed
c) Essential Questions:

How have the geography and economy of Michigan shaped our past?
What is the importance of major products produced in Michigan?
What do people consider when they want to produce and consume things in Michigan?
How might Michigan tourism positively affect our state economy?

d) Key Concepts:
Third Grade [impact of geography on economic activity and interactions; natural resources; human resources; capital resources;
manufacturing; agriculture; tourism; environmental impact; interdependence; scarcity; opportunity costs]
Natural Resources: Things in nature that people find useful
Human Resources: Workers and their skills
Capital Resources: Goods that are used to produce more goods and services
Economic Activities: Different ways people use resources and produce goods and services
Manufacturing: The making of goods in a factory
Agriculture: Another word for farming
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Tourism: An economic activity where people(tourists) visit an area and spend money
Environmental Impact:
Interdependence: When people are dependent on other people in order to get the things they do not produce
Limited Resources: There are only certain amounts of resources
Scarcity: Not enough of something so people have to make choices
Opportunity Costs: When you make a choice, your opportunity cost is the second thing you wanted most
e). Rationale:
Teaching students about economics is a lifelong lesson. Students are already interacting with the economy using natural
resources, seeing capital resources everyday, and having many parents and family members as human resources. I am teaching this
because it is culturally and timely relevant as we are focusing on the economy of Michigan, their own state. We will touch a little on
the history of the economy but also how the geography of Michigan and its natural resources effect and influence our economy to
produce goods and services. Students will have plenty of opportunities to inquire about certain products or services they are familiar
with and be able to dissect and discover all the resources that go into that specific good or service. Michigan tourism is another big
concept in our unit. Making capital in our state only helps to fuel our home. Students will have a chance to learn about how the state
earns and uses its resources and how students can help now and in the future, their home state.
f). Unit Objectives:
1. Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today.
2. Explain and understand the importance of tourism and recreation in Michigans economy.
3. Identify major products manufactured, farmed, and mined in Michigan including where theyre made and why.
4. Display using a graphic organizer the relationship between scarcity, choice, and opportunity costs.
5. Create a Michigan travel brochure emphasizing tourism areas and attractions.
6. Compare and contrast human, capital, and natural resources.
7. Exhibit how scarcity happens when wants are unlimited but resources are limited.
g). Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs), Content Standards, and Anti-Bias Standards:
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs)


3 - E1.0.4:
Describe how entrepreneurs combine natural, human, and capital resources to produce goods and services in Michigan.
3 - E1.0.1:
Explain how scarcity, opportunity costs, and choices affect what is produced and consumed in Michigan.
3 - E1.0.2:
Identify incentives (e.g., sales, tax breaks) that influence economic decisions people make in Michigan.
3 - G4.0.1:
Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today, such as agriculture (e.g., corn, cherries, dairy),
manufacturing (e.g., automobiles, wood products), services and tourism, research and development (e.g., Automation
Alley, life sciences corridor, university communities), and explain the factors influencing the location of these
economic activities.
3 - E2.0.1:
Using a Michigan example, describe how specialization leads to increased interdependence (cherries grown in
Michigan are sold in Florida; oranges grown in Florida are sold in Michigan).
3 - G5.0.2:
Describe how people adapt to, use, and modify the natural resources of Michigan.
Content Standards
Integrated GLCEs
R.IT.03.02 Identify informational text patterns including descriptive, sequential, enumerative, compare/contrast, and problem/solution
(English Language Arts)
E. ES. 03.41 Identify natural resources (metals, fuels, fresh water, farmland, and forests). (science)

Part III: Knowing Your Students and their Prior Knowledge


a). Students knowledge:
This year my students have learned a bit of Geography. They have learned the states in the Midwest region as well as the great
lakes surrounding Michigan. We have touched on our state bird, animal, and tree. Students have had a lot of practice with writing and
with reading. I will be integrating both of those literacy areas within this unit. With students extensive practice on writing, I plan to
have a few writing prompts for students to compare and reflect on their learning. We will be reading also about different economic
activities.
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Reading different life stories about famous entrepreneurs and other famous economic influences will help integrate the unit.
We will be reading about Henry Ford, which students have had an introduction to already, different lumberjacks, a miner, and also a
Michigan farmer. All readings are intended to draw students into the authenticity of Michigans history.
b) Students preconceptions and interests:
Unfortunately I was instructed to work with students on the post assessment (used as a pre-assessment) in order to see growth from
start to finish. After this was given I took a look at the common areas where students lacked understanding and really focused on those
areas as I led this unit.
1. Capital Resources. One area I noticed students have no knowledge of is capital resource. No one could give an example or
definition so this was where I started my unit - talking about different kinds of resources. Some examples that were given by
students were: wood, water, Lansing resources
2. Opportunity Cost. I wasnt surprised that my students had not learned this term and were very unfamiliar with its definition. I
feel that choice and opportunity cost are everyday concepts so I wanted to make sure to teach these concepts in a hands-on
activity where students could see it play out. Only 5 out of 25 students chose the correct letter on the matching section of the
pre-assessment.
3. Carpet sitting. I began teaching this unit by giving the pre-assessment and introduction lesson at the rug. I quickly found that
with my students their learning preference was not going to be at the rug. Immediately I altered the plan and taught the
students from their seats or moving around (if the activity required movement). My students struggled to stay seated and quiet
and engaged in the lesson from the carpet. I had established many procedures and students helped to create expectations as
well but I chose to keep students at their seats where they were able to focus better and learn more effectively.
c). Linguistic, social and academic challenges, resources and supports:
For the child that wont sit down, I have designed several lessons that require movement and out of your seat participation.
This helps the child stay focused and works with their inability to sit still for a long period of time. For the child who lacks interest or
attention, I intend to use popcicle sticks to keep all students involved and accountable for their own learning. However, I also have
students who are shy and refuse to talk out loud when called on. In that case, I plan to host several turn and talks to give students a
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

chance to share in a small group or with their peers before sharing out in the group. That gives those students an extra step of
confidence or something to say if they are struggling to come up with an answer.
I have a few students who are not at grade level on their reading. During the lessons where I require students to read a story, we
will be reading the story together as a class. I will choose readers who wish to read aloud as the rest follow along. Even though I have
planned to integrate reading into my unit, the focus still lies on the social studies concepts. For my advanced students, I will be issuing
a few chances for group work where my advanced students will be split up in order to lead and assist different leveled groups.

Part IV: Overview of Lessons and Assessments


a) Narrative Overview:
Lesson #1: The first lesson will begin with setting expectations of Social Studies time in the classroom and at the back rug. The
content will begin with going through what a natural resource is. Students and teacher will co-create an anchor chart listing natural
resources used in Michigan to create products. Students will work to come up with a list of natural resources needed to produce a
pencil. Then students will then work with a partner on a picture worksheet, listing the natural resources needed to produce different
products.
Lesson #2: We will start by reviewing expectations and natural resources from the lesson before. Introduce students to human
resources and capital resources. Go back to the pencil example and identify the human and capital resources needed to produce the
pencil. Go through an example chart of how to produce a car. Come up with items as a class to fill in under each resource column.
Explain how an entrepreneur combines all three resources to produce or create a good or service. Watch biography of Henry Ford and
talk about how he began as an entrepreneur outside of Detroit. Create a foldable with the class to label and differentiate the three types
of resources.
Lesson #3: Continue with the foldable. Have students write down definitions for each resource. Have students write down their own
examples so they remember the differences. Finish foldable by illustrating a little picture of the given resource. Finish the lesson with
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

a formative assessment. Students will complete a worksheet where they must identify the three different types of resources and give 2
examples of each resource for the production of Corn Flakes.
Lesson #4: This lesson will focus on the vocabulary term scarcity and opportunity cost. Students will be playing a scarcity game
where they must trade and make choices based on their wants and needs. We will then go over the concept of scarcity, choice, and
opportunity cost. Students will then work to create their own flash cards of the vocabulary words thus far.
Lesson #5: After reviewing and discussing the last lessons activity we will go through what an incentive is. Teacher will model what
an incentive is and how that causes us to make choices. Students will come up with other examples they can think of for incentives.
We will create a graphic organizer filling in the vocabulary. Students will see how resources, scarcity, incentives, and choice connect
and affect one another.
Lesson #6: The next lesson will focus on goods and services. There are many Michigan products that students are familiar with. We
will discover those different products. Students will then pin the product on the state. Students will get a chance to color their product
and place it on a big Michigan map where its location is.
Lesson #7: This lesson will first focus on mining in Michigan. Students and teacher will co-create an anchor chart of what they know
about mining, what they want to know, and what they learned after discussing the concept and products of mining. We will then move
to agriculture and farming in Michigan. We will create another chart of what we know, what we want to know, and then what we learn
after discussing Michigan farming products. Students will then create a writing of which they would rather do- be a miner or a farmer.
Their writing must include reasons why they choose what they did.
Lesson #8: We will continue our discussion on mining and agriculture. We will play a matching game to practice the difference
between how products are produced, whether they are mined or grown. Students will then have independent practice on their Chrome
books to do an activity on agriculture/farming.
Lesson #9: Today we will focus on lumbering in Michigan. This is a huge economic activity in the state of Michigan. Students will
read about lumberjacks and their job. We will then watch a video of why they lumbered. Students will then participate in an activity
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TE803 SS2016

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

where they must choose how a product is produced. Is it mined? Is it grown? Is it cut down from trees? We will play a four corners
game will students must choose a designated corner and defend their answer.
Lesson #10: This lesson will focus on tourism in Michigan. Tourism today is a large portion of our economic activity. Students will
compare and contrast different tourism sites and events. Students will create a travel brochure that will encourage others to visit
Michigan. The remainder of this lesson will be used to review for the summative test. Students may work with a partner on their
flashcard vocabulary words.
Lesson #11: Today we will be playing jeopardy to review all the key concepts and ideas for the unit test. I will be counting off students
1,2 and divide teams accordingly. I will choose one person from each team to the be a score keeper. By drawing sticks I will choose
students to have their turn. When it is their turn they will choose a category and point value. Students understand that higher the point
value means the more difficult the questions.
Lesson #12: Assessment
b) Assessments:
Assessment: Create a chart listing 3-4 of the major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today. Illustrate a small sketch for
each activity.
Objective: Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today.
Assessment: Design a travel brochure emphasizing 2-4 tourism sites in Michigan.
Objective: Explain and understand the importance of tourism and recreation in Michigans economy. AND Create a Michigan travel
brochure emphasizing tourism areas and attractions.
Assessment: Writing prompt with examples of manufactured goods.
Objective: Identify major products manufactured, farmed, and mined in Michigan including where theyre made and why.
Assessment: Observe as students create their graphic organizer. Ask students to verbally convey the connections between
concepts.
Objective: Display using a graphic organizer the relationship between scarcity, choice, and opportunity costs.
Assessment: List resources and at least 2 examples of each according to a Michigan product (Kelloggs Corn Flakes)
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Compare and contrast human, capital, and natural resources.


END of UNIT assessment: I will be issuing the district assessment in place for this unit. Students will complete a 3-page assessment.
The first is a matching section with vocabulary terms and definitions. The second section is focused on natural, capital, and human
resources needed in the production of a pencil. Students are given different resources needed in each of these categories and are
required to write a sentence for each resource and how it is needed in the production of a pencil. The final page of the assessment is
about different economic activities. For each economic activity, mining, farming, and lumbering, students are required to list 2
products that are needed in order to complete the activity or products that are produced during the activity. The final assessment has 20
possible points.

Part V: Individual Lesson Plans


(Notes these lessons are not necessarily in order of the unit sequence)

Lesson #1
Your Name: Abby Straszheim
Grade Level: 3rd grade
School: Lakeside Elementary
Date: February 8th, 2016
Overall lesson topic/title & Duration of time: How

do people interact with the

environment of Michigan?
Objectives for todays lesson: Students will be able to identify natural resources and understand
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

where they come from and how they help to produce goods and services.
MI GLCEs
3 - E1.0.4:

Describe how entrepreneurs combine natural, human, and capital resources to


produce goods and services in Michigan.

Materials & supplies needed:


Chart paper, vocabulary cards, pencil and book for demonstration, Resource chart handout
LAUNCH (BEFORE)
As questions are posed
Geography. What does it mean? Can someone give me an
example or describe what they know about Geography?
Turn to your neighbor and tell them what you think Geography
is.
Now turn and face me and tell me either what you said or what
your partner suggested.
It is the study of places as well as how people interact with the
environment of different places.
How do people interact with the environment of Michigan?

Academic, Social and


Linguistic Support during
each event for my focus
students:
Turn and talks give students
who need academic or
linguistic support to talk with
and confer with a peer before
sharing out in class. Also I
encourage students to either
share their thoughts or their
partners to alleviate some
pressure if they are called on.

Very important example is the way in which people have used


natural resources.
EXPLORE (DURING)
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TE803 SS2016
Card #1: Natural Resources
We are going to create on our chart paper natural resources that
you know of in Michigan and what kinds of goods these
resources produce
Ideas:
Fertile soil- corn, soybeans, potatoes, apples
Trees- lumber, furniture
Water- manufactured goods (cars)
Iron- cars, tools
Limestone- steel, cement
Oil- plastic
Sand- glass

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric


I use a lot of visuals to help
with linguistic and academic
support. Such as chart paper,
vocabulary cards, pencil/book
example. It also helps to hold
the attention of some of my
students who require social
support.

CARD #2 Economics- is the study of how people use limited


resources to produce goods and services that people want and
need.
The list we just created was actually studying economics!
This unit is going to be all about the Economy of Michigan.
*Hold up a pencil. Ask students to identify natural resources
needed to produce the pencil. Then hold up the book.
Send students back to the seats to do some practice.
I am going to hand out a worksheet now where you can list
natural resources needed to produce this jar of Vlasic Pickles, a
Michigan product. I will give you some work time then we will
go over it all together.

After modeling and going


through a we do phase
giving students independent
practice allows me to walk
around the room and one on
one work with some students
who need extra academic
support.
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

SUMMARIZE (AFTER)
Go over worksheet- some possible answers might be water, soil,
cucumbers, salt, sand(glass jar)
So a natural resource is any resource that is used to produce
goods that is found in NATURE.
Our next card is about human resources, which will start with
tomorrow.
Assessment:
Collecting the resource chart that students came up with will
be a good indication is they were listening and caught on to
the concept or if you need to begin tomorrows lesson with
natural resource review.

Lesson #4a
Social Studies- Economy of MI

SCARCITY- 35-40 minutes


Date: February 10th, 2016
Objective(s) for todays lesson: Scarcity happens when wants are unlimited but resources are limited.
Essential Questions: What do people consider when they want to produce and consume things in Michigan?
CCSS: 3 - E1.0.1: Explain how scarcity, opportunity costs, and choices affect what is produced and consumed in Michigan.
Rationale: Now that we have learned about the three different types of resources, students learn how when resources are limited but our wants

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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

remain unlimited the item becomes scarce. This is a concept of daily economics in our classroom and in their lives. When there is only one prize
and everyone wants it, that item becomes scarce.
Materials & supplies needed: Scarcity game rules, envelopes with tokens printed (2 per bag)
Introduction to the lesson
Place the objective statement under the document camera. Read through it once. Ask the
students which words they are familiar with in that objective. Go through how we know what
resources and what the concept of a want is compared to a need.
We will play a game about scarcity today. My scarcity game has very specific rules. Lets
listen closely to the rules because if we dont follow them our game will have to end. (5
minutes)
OUTLINE of key events during the lesson
Place game rules under the document camera and read through.
1. Each person will get a bag of 2 tokens or items.
2. You will trade or barter for an item that you want or need.
3. You MUST trade at least one of your items in the first round and also during the second
round you must trade at least one of your items.
4. We will play 2 rounds only.
5. Only trade with one person at a time.
6. We will be trading at a level 1 voice.
Go through each rule and model rule 2, 5, and 6.
Briefly look at a few envelopes and point out several items. (10 mins)

Academic, Social and/or Linguistic


Support during each event

Scarcity rules placed under the document


camera to support those students who need to
read rules instead of only hearing them.

Model the rules and the game for social and


linguistic support. Modeling helps visual
learners as well.

Lets see you might receive an envelope with a free bathroom pass. You could get a cookie, a
pack of stickers, a first in line for recess pass, a homework pass, a lunch bunch ticket, and
others.
I will be pulling sticks for the first three bags and then the rest I will place on your desk.
Social support- Fair treatment to start the
game so there is no discrepancy of who
received those hot items

Pull stick for the bag with a cookie in it, smartie pack, and stickers.
Then place a bag on everyones desk. Set the timer for 2 minutes.
The trade is OPEN.
Students will roam around the room looking for someone to trade with. After the two minutes is

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Movement activity provides students to get out

TE803 SS2016

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

up have students return to their seats.


Trade is CLOSED.
Raise your hand if you have the....
Cookie
Smarties
Stickers
Bathroom pass
Drink pass
Homework pass
Homework help
Lunch bunch ticket
Choose the energizer

of their seat, actively engage learning a


concept.

Consistent timing also helps for social


support. It provides them with a specific time
they must be held accountable for.

Set the timer again for 2 minutes.


The trade is OPEN
After timer dings and everyone heads back to their seats begin discussing.
(10 minutes)
What happened in the game? What was the hot item? Raise your hand if you had the cookie?
(Observe the single hand) Now raise your hand if you WANTED the cookie. (observe about 20
hands)
Closing summary for the lesson
That cookie is a scarce item. There were unlimited wants (or lots of wants) raise your hand
if you wanted it and limited resources (or only one) raise your hand if you had a cookie.
This is what scarcity looks like.
What are some other things in real life that are scarce? Or can be scarce. Students will
attempt to come up with other items- prompt for gasoline, water in a drought, or sometimes
certain toys at Christmas)
(10 minutes)
Transition

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This closing summary does not require a


whole lot of talking, different then the activity,
which required talking. This is supportive for
linguistic and academic purposes. Alternate
structures of participation.

TE803 SS2016

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

All right boys and girls you now need to tear off a small piece of paper, write your name on
it, and then place it in your baggie.
Once I pick up your bag off your desk you may go back and get your book box for read-toself time.
Assessment I will be looking for and listening to participation and their own observations as
we compare the scarce item raised with the rest of the wants raise their hands.

Lesson #4b
Your Name: Abby Straszheim
Grade Level: 3rd grade
School: Lakeside Elementary
Date: February 11th, 2016
Overall lesson topic/title & Duration of time: Choices

and Costs 35/40 minutes

Objectives for todays lesson: When we have to make a choice, our second choice is the
opportunity cost.
MI GLCEs
3 - E1.0.1:

Explain how scarcity, opportunity costs, and choices affect what is produced and
consumed in Michigan.
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

Materials & supplies needed:


Picture to color
Crayons
Scissors
LAUNCH (BEFORE)
Today I have something for you to color. On one side of the
paper is a picture of a cute turtle and the other side has a
picture of a rabbit for you to color. Heres the deal- I would like
you to color these pictures like masterpieces! You should work
hard to stay inside the lines and take your time to make these
excellent pictures to post in the hallways. Only rules are:
1. You may only use crayons or color pencils.
2. You must color both sides in the amount of time I give
you.
3. You are an artist and an artist works in silence so they
can put all of their energy into their artwork. SO I
expect a 0 level work time.
Go!
(Set a timer for 10 minutes) (Play soft music in the background
for work music)

Academic, Social and


Linguistic Support during
each event for my focus
students:

During work time, I often play


music. This helps students
keep their voices off and their
minds busy as they work or
color. I also give explicit
instructions about what
coloring items to use to avoid
the issue of markers bleeding
through the page to the other
picture. This is mostly used as
social support.

*Remind students that if they cannot hear the music then it is


too loud in the room.
(10 minutes)
Quietly reminding students

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TE803 SS2016
EXPLORE (DURING)
Walk around as students are coloring and point out how
beautiful different pictures are.
While students are working, walk around and place a pair of
scissors on every desk. Quietly remind students not to touch or
play with the scissors; they should only be coloring right now.
After the timer goes offOkay class now I would like you cut out the pictures.
What do you notice?
Which animal did you start cutting out first?
What happened to the other animal?
(15 minutes)
SUMMARIZE (AFTER)
Draw popcicle sticks to begin discussionWhat animal did you choose to cut?
What did you notice happen to the other animal?

Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric


who might need extra social or
linguistic support to focus on
coloring not on the scissors
that I place on their desk. You
will not need to remind every
student, but certain ones will
need that extra
support/instruction.

Academic support: drawing


popcicle sticks keeps students
accountable for their own
learning. It also allows fair
opportunity for all to answer
summary questions.

Okay so you had to make a choice. If you chose to cut out the
turtle, the rabbit picture that you worked so hard on got all cut
up and could no longer be represented in the hallway.
Draw sticks. Show me your choice picture. Now show me your
second choice. Your second choice is the one you gave up, or
the one that got cut up.
Your second choice is called the opportunity cost.
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

(10 minutes)
Assessment:
Whole class formative assessment:
Hold up in the air and show me your choice.
Now show me your opportunity cost.
Show me choice.
Show me choice.
Show me opportunity cost.

Students will be able to see


their partners answers and
we will do this assessment a
few times so any student
who was struggling initially
can catch on.

Part : Post-Teaching Reflection


A) Reflection:
Part 1: Students and the unit experience
As a result of this unit, I feel that students gained a new understanding of how the state of Michigan uses its resources to
produce goods and services. Students have a new understanding of the difference between natural, capital and human resources.
They can identify examples of these resources and understand the purpose of putting all three of these together. Students also
gained knowledge of economic activities and how farming, mining, and lumbering are used in Michigan to produce goods.
Students learned a little about the history of lumbering in Michigan and of car manufacturing.
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

The unit was designed upon 7 different unit objectives. Most of these objectives were met and students mastered according to
their post-assessment. I was not able to sufficiently teach about tourism. This economic activity was not focused on due to time
constraints and was not a part of the district assessment. Had I had more time, we would have completed those unit objectives as
well. Not only did I have students identifying products made through manufacturing, farming, and mining, but I had students
identify what kinds of resources are needed in the process of these economic activities.
As a class we focused on one specific economic activity for one given lesson. After discussing and exploring an activity like
farming, we created a circle-thinking map to convey all our new information. Students were able to use all these thinking maps to
help them study for the assessment. These worked as nice visuals for students to compare and contrast the different economic
activities that contribute to the economy of Michigan. Below, under the artifacts section, you will see an example of a circle map
and another activity we did to compare resources.
Along with learning about the actual activities and what they look like, students also gained an insight into those careers or
fields. We talked a lot of the working conditions of a miner and the areas of focus for farmers. This took the learning outside the
test for students to see the real-life connections.

Part 2: Assessing the unit and recalibrating


Most everything I expected to happen this unit, happened! I felt that overall this unit was a success and it showed in my post
assessment data. The structure of the unit was designed so students could build on the past lessons information. I did however,
expect more group discussions to happen. I attempted to structure those at the beginning of the unit and decided based on time to
reduce the amount of discussion. This was a weakness of my unit. I enjoy discussion and I believe that students gain a lot of
understanding from a well-prompted discussion. In the future, I would keep the discussion elements and increase time allotment or
increase discussion procedures. I felt that my planning and structure for this unit was a definite strength. I followed along with the
MAISA pacing guide; however, I broke up certain lessons to focus on specific concepts. One area that I had intended on teaching
but was unable to get through was tourism. We touched on what the term means but did not get a chance to apply it to Michigan
economy. I feel that this is a huge contributor to the economy and would have enjoyed focusing on it more. My lessons centered
on scarcity, choice, and opportunity costs were the strongest part of my teaching. I had hands-on activities planned taking into
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Unit Plan Assignment & Rubric

account all procedures, students, and schedule conflicts. One of my lesson plans included in this document provides a copy of the
scarcity game rules that we played. Students really seemed to grasp the concept without even really knowing the specific
vocabulary and its textbook definition. This was a feature in the unit that I know went over well when referring to my post
assessment data. The data showed which area most or all students did well on.
One area that I learned after teaching this unit is to provide examples, examples, and examples. I found that modeling is
effective, group work is effective, and small groups are effective. However, putting all three of these teaching methods together
provides students with enough examples to fully understand and succeed. When topics are very broad, I have found that you need
to focus on specific areas of study and then dig deep within those concepts. Giving students a deep understanding of a few Social
Studies concepts is more beneficial than a surface level of too many concepts. If students have a deeper understand then they are
able to apply it to their lives, see the concept in real life, and then draw from that knowledge when learning a new concept.

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