Douglas County Feeder adapted MYP unit planner

Unit title
(Title engages Chemical Interactions and their Consequences
student inquiry)

Kristy Lathrop Who filled out this planner? Kristy Lathrop and
Teacher(s) Jullie Roach Anthony LaCombe
Anthony LaCombe

Subject and grade level Physical Science 8th Grade

Time frame and duration Approximately 4 weeks

Stage 1: Integrate significant concept, area of interaction and

unit question

Area of interaction focus Significant concept(s)

Which one area of interaction fits naturally and will (Content and /or skills)
be our focus? Teachers of the same subject and level should
Why have we chosen this? refer to their horizontal planning documents.
What are the big ideas? What do we want our
students to retain for years into the future?

Environments Every chemical change has a

consequence. Our students need to see
We are examining the results of our that there are predictable effects of causing
actions. chemical interactions.

MYP guiding unit question

This question reflects the struggle between the AOI and the significant
concept(s). It must be kid friendly, engaging and meaningful for both
students and teachers.

How do our choices affect our environments?

Assessment
What task(s) will allow students the opportunity to respond to the unit question?
What exemplars will students see so that they understand what is required?
What will constitute acceptable evidence of understanding? How will students show what they have understood?

Power Plant Presentations: We will investigate various aspects of Nuclear and Fossil fuel. Each group of
students will evaluate aspects such as environmental effects, health impacts, cost, etc. These groups will
present their findings to the class in a multimedia format.
Town Hall Meeting: Each person attending the Town Hall meeting will have a “role” or varying perspective
such as farmer, lawyer, Chamber of Commerce, environmentalist, and business owner. We will be

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addressing this hypothetical question: “Castle Rock is growing quickly and will need more power. What
type of power plant would best address our needs: Nuclear or Fossil Fuels?”
Students will respond to the unit question and their perspective(s) on nuclear versus fossil fuel power
plants via a public blog. Their reactions will be based on their personal research and the Town Hall meeting
in which the stakeholders will discuss what hypothetical solution is best for Castle Rock.
Students will see rubrics that guide their comments.

Blog Transcripts of the lesson will be read and students will have a chance to add further comments and
reflect upon their previous and future choices.

Which specific MYP aims and objectives will be addressed during this unit? (Found in your MYP subject area guide)

A One world
B Communication in science
Which MYP assessment criteria will be used? (Use at least two criteria)
Describe the summative performance assessment task(s) that used the MYP assessment rubrics.

Energy Plant Presentations:

IB Criterion C: Knowledge and Understanding of Science “Scientific Ideas & Concepts”
IB Criterion B: Communication in Science “Presenting Scientific Information”

Town Hall Meeting:

IB Criterion A, Benchmark 1: One World “The student describes and explains ways in which science is
applied and used to solve local and global problems”
IB Criterion B, Benchmark 3: Communication in Science “The student communicates scientific
information while properly acknowledging sources”

Stage 2: Backward planning: from the assessment to the

learning activities through inquiry

Content
What knowledge and/or skills (from the course overview) are going to be used to enable the student to respond to the unit
question?
What (if any) state, provincial, district, or local standards/skills are to be addressed? How can they be unpacked to develop the
significant concept(s) for stage 1?

Science
1 Students apply the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate
about, and evaluate such investigations.
2 Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes
in matter and energy.

Content Area and Other Great Questions

Never throw out a great question.

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If Castle Rock were to build an energy plant, should we choose fossil fuels or nuclear
energy?
Is nuclear waste bad for the environment?
Is acid rain a factor to our health?
Do we have enough water for the future?
Are there sources of energy that are better for everyone?
What can we do about this?

Approaches to learning (This AOI will always be a consideration in every unit plan)
How will this unit contribute to the overall development of subject-specific and general approaches to learning skills? Identify
unit ATL skills. How will we use these identified ATL skills to facilitate vertical articulation?

Org aniz at io n –
Co lla bo ra ti on-
Co mm un ica ti on-
Inf orma ti on Li te rac y-
Re fle cti on -
Thi nki ng -

Learning experiences Teaching strategies

How will students know what is expected of them? Will
they see examples, rubrics, templates?
How will students acquire the knowledge and practise
the skills required? How will they practise applying
these?
Do the students have enough prior knowledge? Is pre-
assessment needed? How will we know?
How will we use formative assessment to give students feedback
during the unit?
What different teaching methodologies will we employ?
How are we differentiating teaching and learning for all? How have
we made provision for those learning in a language other than their
mother tongue? How have we considered those with special
educational needs?

PLEASE INCLUDE SAMPLES OF KEY MYP ACTIVITIES IN FIRST CLASS

Students will be given a rubric to guide them in

their research. An additional rubric will be given
to assess their participation in the Town Hall
meeting, either as a debater or blog
participant—the rubric will address both roles.

Interdisciplinary Links
Arts Language B Science X
Humanities Mathematics X Technology X

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Language A X PE & Health Education X
Description: Students will use communication skills such as researching, reading,
writing, and note taking to formulate opinions and decisions about the topic of
nuclear versus fossil fuel plant. Others will use further skills in the debate or
persuasion of their opinion(s), and yet others will use language arts conventions to
state opinions or observations via the blog. Students will be required to read and
interpret a pie chart. All students will be expected to know the health risks involved
with either of the two plant options. Finally, science and technology will weave
throughout the entire lesson.

Fundamental Concepts
Communication X How is this evident? As mentioned earlier, students will
Holistic Learning research, read, and write about either nuclear or fossil
Intercultural Awareness X fuel plants and use their research to formulate an
opinion/argument. They will state that argument/opinion
either orally or written on the blog. Students have to
consider the cultures of a variety of stakeholders within
our community.

Learner Profile
Inquirers X Knowledgeable X
Thinkers X Communicators X
Principled X Open-Minded X
Caring X Risk-takers X
Balanced X Reflective X

Resources
What resources are available to us? What resources do I need (differentiation, equipment, materials)?
How will our classroom environment, local environment and/or the community be used to facilitate students’ experiences during
the unit?

We used a variety of library books to conduct the research (see attached sheet).
We used iMovie, Keynote, webs.com, Garage Band and Power Point for the presentations.
Internet websites and word processing software such as Microsoft Word will be used to type their research.
Enough computers to research, and then use of the computer lab to conduct the Town Hall meeting.
The internet website used to conduct the blog is;
http://www.coveritlive.com

Ongoing reflections and evaluation

In keeping an ongoing record, consider the following questions.

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Students and teachers
What did we find compelling? Were our disciplinary knowledge/skills challenged in any way?
What inquiries arose during the learning? What, if any, extension activities arose?
How did we reflect—both on the unit and on our own learning?
Which attributes of the learner profile were encouraged through this unit? What opportunities were there for student-initiated
action? How did we deepen our understanding of the AOI?

Possible connections
How successful was the collaboration with other teachers within my subject group and from other subject groups?
What interdisciplinary understandings were or could be forged through collaboration with other subjects?
Assessment
Were students able to demonstrate their learning?
How did the assessment tasks allow students to demonstrate the learning objectives identified for this unit? How did I make
sure students were invited to achieve at all levels of the criteria descriptors? At what level of Bloom’s Taxonomy does this task
ask the student to engage?
Are we prepared for the next stage?

Data collection
How did we decide on the data to collect? Was it useful? How will it be used?

This unit has exploded! The students found the guiding question to be extremely relevant and engaging.
They want to learn more about energy and they want to do something with their learning. We are going to
use this to bridge into a unit on energy and as a natural segue into Community and Service. The next unit
will require the support of teachers on my team in all content areas.

I feel that most of my students did an excellent job with their presentations and with the town hall meeting.
They demonstrated thought on the highest levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. They also engaged in several 21st
Century skills.
Next time, I might tape the rubrics to tables to remind students what characteristics they need to
demonstrate during our presentations and discussions.

Figure 12
MYP unit planner