http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Units/Waves/WaveUnit.html
Designed by
Jennifer
Norum
Kent
Hudson
Jeffrey
Swartwood
Tracy
Vaden
Roy
Youngs
This unit was developed at San Diego State University in Spring of 1997, by Student Teachers at the O'Farrell Community School site. EDTEC 596, Interdisciplinary Teaching with Technology, Bernie Dodge, Instructor.
This unit introduces students to activities and research centered around the ocean and more specifically waves. The unit connects waves to several topic areas and real life applications.
This is an interdisciplinary unit designed for 7th and 8th grade students. In this unit we will explore how waves are related to science, social studies, language arts, and math. These lessons can be adjusted to use in a high school classroom.
Students will address California State educational standards throughout the addressed content areas. The specific standards covered in each area are listed below.
We want students to think about waves in both concrete and thematic terms. Our guiding questions lead students to see how waves transcend and affect many aspects of life. This critical analysis will also help them to see the interconnectedness of content throughout the disciplines.
| Guiding Question | Knowledge | Comprehension | Application | Analysis | Synthesis | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What are different wave types? | Events happen in waves | Waves of exploration and immigration | Students will recognize physical and perceived waves across the discipline. | Students identify the presence of various wave patterns. | Students will work individually and in groups, creating a variety of projects and presentations which will be evaluated. | |
| How do waves influence our lives? | Waves influence literature by influencing people. Students will learn to describe their experiences in literary forms. | Most human events occur in waves. Students will learn to recognize these patterns throughout their lives. Will gain practical knowledge of light, sound, and ocean waves. | Students will examine various literary forms, recognizing effective elements of descriptive writing. | Students will write about their own experiences with surfing. | ||
| Where do we find waves? | Do waves exist in history? In literature, math, and science?
|
How do ocean waves work? What are the elements in waves in history? | Students will locate wave patterns in exploration and immigration, science, and mathmatics. How do they connect? | |||
| How do we ride waves? | Students will learn about surfing. They will also explore participation in various types of waves. | Learners will recreate the experience of explorers in their writing. They will be able to explain the wave connections through the disciplines. |
The unit is designed as a two-week multidisciplinary unit with interdisciplinary elements which may be maximized or minimized according to the desired learner outcomes. Thematic connections between courses will be emphasized. Simultaneous instruction across curriculum is desirable.
Materials necessary for unit instruction are listed below. This list may be amended as desired or required by availability.
The unit is designed for instruction by teachers in the four content areas listed: social studies, math, science, and language arts. Due to the intricacies of subject matter in these areas, personnel should be qualified in their fields. The presence of TA's and volunteers would be beneficial in the monitoring of group work and class debates. A high level of coordination and cooperation between the teachers in all areas would be most effective for ensuring continuity of themes and expectations for production, behavior, etc.
Basic reading and writing, as well as communication skills are essential to the successful completion of this unit. Students with special needs (ESL, Special ED) can be accommodated through special planning and variation of the assignments.
The lessons are designed to be instructed by personnel with background in the subject areas addressed. This allows greater thoroughness and depth during instruction, as well as better response to student generated queries. Knowledge of instructional media (internet, video cameras, etc..) are required as designated in specific lesson templates. Substitute teachers can continue instruction with minor modifications and by following teacher prompts.
Skills that are essential include the capacity to facilitate student discussions and group work. Knowledge of class management, group instruction, and small group monitoring are also helpful.
The following outline will provide links to specific lessons in the subject areas for each day of instruction. The courses are intended for simultaneous instruction, but individual lessons and units may be taught independently as required.
A major focus of this unit is student ability to recognize waves in different forms and throughout subject areas. The interconectedness of this theme should be readily apparent to all students upon completion. These outcomes will be assessed through a variety of means in the covered disciplines. A combination of formal written work, informal reflections, and authentic assessment via discussions and quick writes will be utilized to determine if students are meeting these goals.
Individual units may be used without the interdisciplinary context. Content and instructional techniques may be varied to accommodate different grade levels and student ability ranges. Changes may also be implemented to accommodate student interest and backgrounds.
An educational unit on waves? The lesson draws attention to the cycles of waves in history, literature, math, and science. This instruction develops students' knowledge bases and applicable skills in an interactive, student-centered learning environment.
Last updated on May 16, 1996. Return to the
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