UnitTitle

Whoarewe?

Designedby

SamanthaVogel,CassidyClaar,RachelSmith,TaliaHoward

Course(s)

English,Math,History(7th/8thgrade)

TimeFrame 3weeks

Stage1DesiredResults

EstablishGoals

Fullstandardsmatrixaccessibleat:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YWYpkGUB21G6vaC99sA9ABCJILROKqJXPxgqtI7mX7w/pubhtml

AcademyPrinciples:
Deeperlearning
Studentvoiceandagency
Personalizedlearning
Experimentationanditeration
Acceleration
Universalgoalsandhighexpectations
Studentpassions,curiosity,interests
Commitmenttocommunity
Promotingcharacter
Social/emotionallearning

Transfer
Studentswillbeabletoindependentlyusetheirlearningto....

Evaluatecultureandhistoryandtheireffectsonthepresentday
Explorepersonalidentity(ies)andrecognizehowdifferentforcesandexperiencesshapeidentity(ies)
Applymathematicalskillstoorganizeandanalyzeinformation
Identifyandevaluatehumanimpactonthenaturalworld(spacesandplaces)

 Considerandevaluatealternativesandmakechoices

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS

EssentialQuestions

Culturesconstantlyevolveandchange
Personalidentitiesconstantlyevolveandchange
Geography,migration,andculturaldiffusionareactive
forcesthataffectcommunitiesandindividuals
Theetymologyofnamingandhow
culture(s)/language(s)affectnaming
Demographicsimpacttheculturalandphysical
landscapeofacity
Thereareavarietyofvalidprocessesformakinga
decision(personaldecisions,schoolwide,societal)
Literaturecanbothinfluenceandbeareflectionof
cultures
Predictedeconomicimpactofvariousscenarios
influencescommunitydevelopment
Weightedvotingcanleadtofairerresults

Howdoesthewaysomethingisnamedaffectperception
ofit?
Whatisthemeaningofaname?
Howdoesmeaningofanamechangeovertime?
Whatisthepurposeofnamingsomething?
Whoplaysaroleinthefutureofourcity?
Howdowemediatebetweenourpersonaland
communityidentities?
Whyarediversityandmultipleperspectivesimportant
forcommunities/cities?
Whatmathematicalmodelsbestrepresentdata?Howdo
wechoose?
Howcanvotingproducefairresults?

Acquisition

Studentswillknow...

Studentswillbeskilledat...

ThehistoryofFoxTechHighschool,AustinAcademy
withinthegreatercontextofgreaterSanAntonios
historyanddevelopment
Thecausesandeffectsofculturaldiffusionand
intersection
Thewaysinwhichgeographyandnaturalforces
impact/affectsettlement
Localgeography
CurrenteventsinSanAntonioandhowSanAntoniois
changing/growing
Howindividualsformulateidentity
DesignprinciplesoftheAcademy
Theirownlearningstylesandtheirownrespective
strengths&growthareas

Readingmaps(includingroadmaps,demographics
maps,publictransportationmaps)
Accessingsourcesforresearchandusinginformation
Conductinganinterview
Makingconnectionsbetweenliterature/artandculture
Makingdecisionsinagroup
Navigatingpublictransit
Analyzingdataandstatisticsusingchartsandgraphs
Creatingandstayingwithinabudget
Calculatingpercentages
Usingtechnologytorecordphotography/audio/video

Stage2Evidence

Code

TM

TM
U

Evaluation
Criteria

Rubriccriteria:

IdentityMap
Coherenceand
Quality

Written
Rationale

SelfAssessme
ntand
Reflection

PeerFeedback

SanAntonio
Exploration

Presentation
Compositionand
Organization

VisualProduct

Interview

PERFORMANCETASK(S):
Studentswillshowthattheyunderstandbyevidenceof...

Manypeopleputthoughtandcareintodesigningthisschoolbeforeyougothere,andnowyouare
chargedwiththetaskofdesigninganameforournewschool.Wewillinvestigateourpersonal
identities,lookathowotherplacesgottheirnames,andconsiderthepurposeofnamingthisschool.
Youandyourgroupwilltakewhatyoulearnandapplyittodesignaname.Thisprojectisachance
foryoutoleaveyourmarkandimpactthefutureofyourschool.

Task:ThedrivingquestionforthistaskisWhoarewe?Similarly,youaregiventhequestionWhat
shouldwenameourschool?Investigatingandexploringthefirstquestionwillhelpyoudesigna
comprehensiveproposalforthenamingofourschool.Thetaskpresentedtoyounotonlyasksfora
name,butforareasonandjustificationbasedontheexplorationyouwilldoaboutidentity,history,and
culturebothindividualandcollective.
Inaccordancewithcooperativelearning,youwillbecompletinganddesigningbothgroupproductsaswellas
individualproducts

GroupRequirements:

Groupcontract

GroupinterviewquestionsforSanAntonioexploration

1015minutegrouppresentation
Technologicalvisual
Proposedname
Yourgroupsrationaleforyourchosenname

T
M
A

A
M
A
M
M
M/A/T
M
A

Thinkaboutyourinterviews,identitymaps,schoolandcitydemographicsand
history,etc.
IndividualRequirements:

Individualidentitymap

Writtenindividualjustificationofgroupnameconnectedtoyourownidentity

Individualselfandpeerassessmentandreflection

OTHEREVIDENCE:
StudentswillshowtheyhaveachievedStage1goalsby...

WhatotherevidencewillyoucollecttodeterminewhetherStage1goalswereachieved?

GraphsofdemographicdatawithmapofSanAntonio
Exitticket:Whyisitimportanttohaveadiversepopulationinaschool?Inacity?
SanAntonio/Localhistorygraphicorganizer
Writtenreflectiononpromptre:literaturepiece(TheHouseonMangoStreet)
Classcreatesvisualrepresentationofwhotheyareasaclass
SanPedroCreekinvestigationdecisionmakingmatrixandpersonaljustification
Weightedvotingexploration
Village/classandfullschoolgraphicrepresentationofvotingdata
WrittenjournalresponsetoBlood
Poemaboutthemselves(couldbeusedintheiridentitymap)
WrittenjournalresponsetoHouseonMangoStreet
GraphicorganizernotesfromCircleofKnowledge

Stage3LearningPlan

Code

A,M

LearningEvents

Preassessment
Shortquizonpercentagestoassesswherestudentsarewiththistopic
Matchingquizonvariousvotingmethodsandtheirdefinitions
Writtenquizsummary,mainidea,drawingconclusions(seedifferentiation
matrix)
SocialstudiesKWLchartandExitSlip

Key:
MathLessons
EnglishLessons
HistoryLessons

Week1:

Day1Introductiontoschool,class,andproject.
StandandShare
Namegames/nameicebreakers
IntroduceanddiscussAcademyDesignPrinciples
Preassessmentsimplerversionofidentityreport(withguidedquestions)
Presentanddiscusstheperformanceassessment.Whatisourstory?
Learningstrategiesandgrowthmindset
Lessononchoosingthecorrectmathematicalmodeltorepresentdata(bar
graphs,piecharts,histograms,etc.).Aninductivelearninglessonwherestudents

ProgressMonitoring

M/T

T,A

A,M

A,M

A,M
M,T

groupvariousrepresentationsofdataandmakeconnectionsbetweenthetypesof
graphandwhatdatawouldbeagoodfit.Attheendofclassstudentswillbe
askedtocompleteananonymousonlinesurveyonsomeaspectsoftheir
demographicinformation(ethnicity,race,religion,howlongtheyhavelivedin
SanAntonio,andthesizeandmakeupofyourimmediatefamily).
Localhistory(demographicmap)Mystery
Studentsgivenimageofademographicmap,andsomecluesastowhatitmay
show.

Day2Lessononpercentages,convertingdecimalstopercentages,andfinding
percentagesofwholenumbers.Thiswillserveasbackgroundinformationfor
futuretopics.
InductiveLearninglessonplanregardingaspectsofidentityandwhatmakesup
identity.Therewillbeagraphicorganizerstudentswillfillouttowriteout
ideas/findingsoveridentity.
Localhistorymakingconnections(settlementandgeography)
Mapskillsrevisited

Day3Directinstructionlessononrepresentingdemographicinformationwith
appropriategraphs.TheywillgraphaspectsofthedemographicsofSanAntonio,
class,andwheretheyfitindividually.
HouseonMangoStreetdistributed.Studentswillhavetimetocompletethe
reading(s)andRfMgraphicorganizer,followedbydiscussion.Assignadditional
vignettestoreadfornextday.
Discussschoolhistoryanddistricthistorylitcircleoverarticles
PersonalHistoryHumancontinuum(Howfardoyoulivefromtheschool?How
longhaveyoulivedhere?)

Day4FurtherdiscussIdentityMapassignmentandbeginbrainstorming
formatsandcomponentsasaclassandinsmallgroups

Informalcheckinsduringthe
lesson(thumbometer).

Exitslipwillpromptstudentstoanswer:
HasSanAntoniosracial/ethnic
demographicschanged?Justifyyour
answer3bulletpoints

InductiveGraphicorganizer

Guidedpracticewillinvolve
teacherchecksforunderstanding

Graphicorganizer,teacherwill
guidestudentswhento
answer/reflect

M,T

T,M

Lessononcomparingthedemographicsgraphsofthevariousgroups.Whatare
theimportantattributestocompare?Exitticket:Whyisitimportanttohavea
diversepopulationinaschool?Inacity?
HouseonMangoStreetcontdusingCircleofKnowledge,thiswillentailaclass
discussion.Alsobegindiscussionovercommunityidentity.4Cornersonidentity
issues
IntroOralHistory(draftingquestionspracticeinterviewskills)

Day5Classcreatesavisualrepresentationofwhotheyareasaclass.
Performanceassessmentgroupsassigned.Studentsmeetingroupstodogroup
contracts
Coteachwithhistoryandmath:Lessononnavigatingpublictransportation
inpreparationfortheSanAntonioexplorationthenextweek.Thisincludesusing
mapstonavigateandunderstandingpaymentandmoney.
Submitinterviewquestionsforreview

Week2:

Day6IdentityMapsaredueatthebeginningofclass.Studentssharetheir
mapswitheachotherandtheclass.
LessononusingandmanagingmoneyduringtheirSanAntonioexploration.This
shouldincludetipping,areviewonpayingfortipping,andcreatingandsticking
toabudgetfortheirhalfdaysinthecity.
DirectInstructiononhowtoreadpoetry.Studentswillpracticetheskillinclass
andashomeworkw/CarmenTafollapoem
Refineinterviewifneededpracticewithinterviewrecording

Day7
HalfdaySanAntonioexploration
SanPedroCreekinvestigation.Lessononreadingandinterpretingvariousgraphs
fromtheSanPedroCreekeconomicimpactreport:

321Cards

Exitticket

AllstudentsturninKWLchartabout
interviewskills.

Eachgroupwillsubmitinterview
questions/procedures(addasasection
ofgroupcontractoraddasan
amendment?)

Budgetingandtippinggraphic
organizer

Preinterviewsurvey(for
intervieweesandinterviewers)

A,M

M,A

A,M,T
M,A
A

T,M

http://spcproject.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/03/San_Pedro_Creek_econom
ic_impact_report__final_2.pdf
Studentsingroupswilllookatthevariousgraphsandlearnaboutthethe4
differentscenariosfortherevitalizationoftheSanPedroCreekareaandthe
impacttheywouldhaveonthedifferenteconomicconsiderations.
MindsEyelessonplanwithBloodbyNaomiShihabNye
Mapandinterviewcheckin:technologyisready,questionsareprepared,groups
areclearoftheirrole(basedontheircontract)

Day8
HalfdaySanAntonioexploration
SanPedroCreekinvestigationday2.Decisionmakingstrategyusingthe
informationfromtheeconomicimpactreportandcriteriadevelopedasaclass.
MetaphoricalExpressionusingBloodbyNaomiShihabNye
Mapandinterviewcheckin:firstdayrecordedproperly,transportationplan,
groupmemberssharingroles

Day9
HalfdaySanAntonioexploration
GroupworktimeforgroupstodebrieftheirSanAntonioexplorationanddiscuss
howandwheretheysawthedemographicinformationtheyexploredinthecity.
CompareandContrastthetwotextsused(CisnerosandNye).Developingabetter
understandingofculture/identity.
Mapandinterviewcheckin:recordingsorganizedandsynthesistaskreflecting
onOralHistory

Day10Group/researchtime.Studentsshouldleavethedaywithaweekend
planforworktocompleteovertheweekend,includingpotentialmeetup.
Teachersactasconsultantsandcoaches.
Groupandresearchtime.Studentswillbeabletoaskquestionsandclarify
anythingbeforetheweekend.

Talktogroupsandstudents
duringguidedandindependent
practice(coach)

Reflectiondiscussiononstrategy
andhowithelpedthemwiththe
poem
Decisionmakingstrategychart

A,M

A,M

A,M

NewAmericanLectureonvariousvotingmethods.Day1shouldcoverrunoff
voting,rankedvoting,andrangevoting.
NALaboutlocalhistory(water/SanPedroSprings)

Week3:

Day11Checkin:studentsratehowtheyredoingonascaleof110andexplain.
Group/researchtimeinHistoryandEnglish.
Groupssharetheirprogresswiththeclassandgiveeachotherfeedback(read
warmfeedbackcoolfeedback).Teachersactasconsultantsandcoaches.
Day2ofNewAmericanlectureonvariousvotingmethods.Day2shouldcover
approvalvoting,andweightedvoting.

Day12Connectionsinthemorning.
Group/researchtimeinHistoryandEnglish.
Teachersactasconsultantsandcoaches.
Weightedvotingexploration.Lessononfairnessofvotingandwhyweighted
votingisimportant.Assignmentshouldbetodeterminewhatweightsshouldbe
appliedtothegradelevelstocreatethefairestoutcome.

Day13Presentations.Questionandanswertimeforeachgrouppresentation.
Preassessmentmatchingassignmentwithvotingmethods.Groupsofstudents
(23students)willbeassignedavotingmethodandcomeupwitha
recommendationforusingthismethodtodecideonaname.Presentthe
recommendationstotheclass.(Thiswillservetoshowtheirunderstandingofthe
votingmethods,nottoactuallydecideonthevotingmethod.)

Day14Villages/classescometoconsensusononenameinpresentations.
Reflectionactivitypersonalreflectionsonlearningexperiences

Graphicorganizerforvoting
methods
GOwithNAL

Graphicorganizerforvoting
methods

Studentswritethankyounotestointerviewees
SelfAssessmentsstudentsevaluatetheirownstrengthsandgrowthareas
Peerfeedbackstudents(usingdispositions)
Lookatvillage/classnamedatadata.Analyzethisdatathroughgraphingand
variousrepresentations.Studentsshouldturninagraphicalrepresentationof
thisdataintheformtheyfindmostappropriate.

Day15Schoolvotesonaname
Debrief
Lookatschoolvotingresultsdata.Analyzethisdatathroughgraphingand
variousrepresentations.Studentsshouldturninagraphicalrepresentationof
thisdataintheformtheyfindmostappropriate.
Reflectonthechosenname

Resources/Materials:
HouseonMangoStreet
CopiesofBloodbyNaomiShihabNyeandpoembyCarmenTafolla
Computers
Ipads
Graphicorganizersandassignmentsheetsforallstudents(andeachlesson/strategy)
Copiesofschool/schooldistricthistoryarticles
SanPedroCreekeconomicimpactreports(eitherdigitalorphysicalcopies)
Variousgraphsforinductivelearningsort

Informalchecksfor
understandingduringgroup
worktime

 Surveymonkeydemographicsurvey

MissionBayHighSchoolUbDUnitPlannerisfromWiggins,GrantandMcTighe,Jay.UnderstandingbyDesignGuidetoCreatingHighQuality
Units.Alexandria,VA:AssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment.2011.