ISLAND DREAMING

Introduction

This unit was developed at San Diego State University in EDTEC 596, Interdisciplinary Teaching with Technology, Donn Ritchie, Instructor.

This unit will reach across the curriculum to combine various disciplines as students research and create their own personal islands.

Content Areas and Grades

This unit is anchored in social studies and branches out to science, English and language arts. This unit can be used in a high school or middle school setting.

Curriculum Standards

Students will learn about different cultures, government, geography, geology, language, biology, and math. Students will, after having researched the geographic location of their island thoroughly, create their own island including aspects ranging from geography to language and culture. This activity will allow students to think creatively as they apply their reading, writing, and analytical skills.

LANGUAGE

• Students will develop language skills as they write about their island's in the target language.
• Students will gain insight into culture and cultural symbols.

WRITING

• Students will write a creation myth for their Island.
• Students will use writing skills to explain the process and final result of creating an island and its culture.

READING

• Students will read various creation myths from the internet and also from the book In the Beginning, Creation Stories from around the World..

SCIENCE

• Students will research the theory of Pangea, and Plate Tectonics.
• Students will examine the science of Geology, it's importance.
• Students will observe different types of islands, focusing on the Hawaiin Islands.

Skills

Creative thinking skills are an integral part of this lesson. Students will also need analytical and research skills in order to complete the assignment. Critical thinking, problem solving, observation, and comparison will also be a part of this project. Students will be required to work in teams and learn to work together and compromise.

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Organizing Theme and Guiding Questions

Diversity is the unifying theme of this project. Describe the theme in terms of three to six guiding questions and elaborate on the questions to the extent needed to make it clear to another teacher reading this.

Guiding Question	Knowledge	Comprehension	Application	Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation
How are national symbols reflective of cultural values and traits.	Cultural, linguistic, geographical, environmental, historical, and population	How well student's flag and Bill of Rights is compatible with various elements.	Students will create their own flag and Bill of Rights.	Students will research aspects of culture in Frech speaking areas.	Explain the various consequences of creating an island.	Present and explain your island to the class
Understand how geology relates to island formation ?	An understanding of geographical, botanical, and environmental.	The island's habitat will fit within its environment	Students will create a living environment for their island.	Students will compare and contrast environments and continents.		Present and explain your island to the class
How does culture affect written language?	Understanding of linguistics, written and oral language.	Students ability to create a creation myth	Develop creation myths and stories about your island	Analyze the stories of similar cultures		Present your stories to class.

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Implementation Overview

This unit is organized around the idea of creating an island based on research regarding the surrounding environment, social systems, language arts. This is an interdisciplinary unit that will take approximately 1 week.

Material Resources Needed

• Class sets of books
• Computers with Internet access for all students
• Hyper Studio Programs for all computers
• TV and VCR. Movies
• Stereo
• Specific reference material in the classroom or school library
• Encarta 97
• In the Beginning, Creation Stories from around the World..

Human Resources Needed

Three teachers; Science, Language, and English will be necessary to develop and implement this lesson. A field trip to an actual island, Catalina or Todos Santos, would be ideal.

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge

Learners will need research skills and minimal computer and library skills. Critical thinking skills are also necessary.

Teachers will need creativity. They will need some experience with computers and knowledge regarding their subject area.

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Outline of Activities

For long units, there need not be a sub-document for every single day or session. Where there is no lesson document, be sure that the paragraph in the table above is sufficiently detailed to get the basic idea across to your audience.

If the unit involves parallel activities going on in several classes, the following format might be more appropriate:

Language Arts	Science	Foreign Lang	Description
main page	main page	Main Page
Day 1 and 2	Day 1 and 2	Day 1 and 2	General description of islands and research.
Day 3 and 4	Day 3 and 4	Day 3 and 4	Specific investigation of islands, culture, literature, language, and habitat.
Day 5	Day 5	Day 5	Create islands, with specific creation myths habitat, and language.

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Evaluation

Language Arts:

• How well students are able to write a creation myth which describes their culture and resembles the various characteristics of myths which we explored in class.
• The visual project and how well it represents their culture.
• Their presentation to the class

Foreign Language

• How well they present write and present a Bill of Rights which represents their culture.
• How well they create and present a flag which represents their culture.

Science

• How well they can include researched information into project.
• Use of creativity and support in Island formation.
• Desription of demographics of the Island.

Conclusion

This unit will teach students about culture, geography, language, and literature. Students will get a holistic experience and perception of society. Students will learn to apply information and make connections across disciplines. And finally, students will learn to work cooperatively and negotiate with other students.

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