Create an Island/Culture
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Project1/IslandCulture.html
Unit Authors
This unit was developed by Family G (Liz Laughlin) and Family H (V.C.
Groves) and delivered to 7th and 8th graders at O'Farrell
Community School in several forms over the last three years.
Content Areas
The Island Project has previously been introduced in the Humanities
(English and Social Studies) classroom, but is intricately involved with the
Science, Computers, and Mathematics curriculum . This year's Island Project
involves the geological development of the island, therefore it will be
introduced in the Science and Computers classes with the volcanic creation
of the island.
Organizing Theme
The Island Project contributes to the students' awareness of the causes and
effects of environmental influences and resources on the development of a
species and its individual cultural idiosyncrasies. The project allows the
students to research and analyze evidence available in current
civilizations and draw conclusions about the earlier developmental
influences.
Implementation
The project was introduced and completed by the students in a parallel
subject form. The students had subject specific projects assigned in each
discipline. Many assignments were completed by group collaboration, but
each student was responsible for retaining an individual completed
assignment packet for portfolio exhibition. Each subject chose to assign
the discipline specific projects during the same time frame, this means
that during the same month each of the subjects were working on their
portions of the package. Most of the assignments were completed in the
specific discipline, but many of the completed projects were then used to
influence another subject area projects. The Island Project was enacted in
different Families during the same year, but the students did not interact
outside of their own Family. The entire timeline for the Island Project
from creation to portfolio exhibition has been from 4 to 6 weeks, this
time frame is influenced by the number of projects chosen to complete each
year.
Outline of Activities
The Island Project as planned for this year will begin with the Science and
Computer classrooms as a study into the volcanic creation of an island, the
weather effects on that formation, species development based on
environmental influences and some genetic/hereditary results. There will be
island models, species models, computerized habitats generated and
Humanities (Language Arts and Social Studies) classrooms will then help in
the location of the students' Island and research into environmental and
resource factors for that location. Once information has been gathered
that provides the students with geographical background the human cultures
and politics can be developed.
In the Mathematics classes the students will be working to scale a model of
the island (the model will be made in Science). An analysis of elevation of
the island and its affect on the annual temperature and rainfall will be
done using bar and line graphs.
A listing of curriculum in the order of that it needs to be accomplished is:
Week one:
- Island Development-Volcanoes (Science)
- Weather changes (Science)
- Locate island and determine latitude and longitude (Humanities)
- Complete a World Map with continents, oceans, and the location of the
Island labeled. (Humanities)
Week two:
- Calculate the area, perimeter, and scale needed to construct a model of
the island. (Mathematics)
- Construct a relief map of the island using research on the
environmental effects of weather and climate. (Science)
- Create and interpret a bar and line graph that reflect the island's
annual temperature and rainfall. (Mathematics)
- Determine appropriate species development of plants, animals and the
characteristics of humanoids base on location and environmental factors.
(Science)
- Research the resources available to the island's location, can use
Internet sources.(Humanities and Computers)
Week three:
- Determine 5 elements of culture that would be appropriate to a time
period of early development, about 1500 AD. Examples would be diet,
trade/exchange, daily home life, beliefs, political organization, art or
origin history. (Humanities)
- Create models of animal species. (Science)
- Create models of human habitats. (Computers)
- Calculate scales for above models. (Mathematics)
Week four:
- Write a myth about a natural phenomena that occurs on the island.
(Humanities)
- Create a Time Line of the history of the Island including the
appearance of species. (Science & Humanities)
- Create a national anthem, flag, constitution, list of laws and
punishments. (Humanities)
- Design a boat that would enable the immigration of persons to the
island. (Science & Computers)
- Create a Travel Brochure to describe the island, print copies.
(Computers & Humanities)
Week five:
- Presentation and Exhibition of Island Package. (All Disciplines)
Student Products
The students would have discovered what influences an island's and a
culture's development. They would have created for exhibition:
- A World Map with the Island's location noted.
- A scale relief model of the Island.
- Bar and line graphs representing annual rainfall and temperature.
- Models of animal species.
- Models of human habitats.
- Cultural reflections of the Island's people: Art, Mythology, Tools, etc.
- Political reflections of the established community.
- A Travel Brochure.
- A model boat.
Thinking Skills Engaged
This Unit encourages the students to conduct research and obtain evidence
of the areas current cultural developments. They then decide which
influences they can control in the development and which they will have to
allow to influence their own cultures development. The students then apply
critical thinking skills to determine what will "create" the culture they
desire. They then use their creative skills to produce representations of
their culture's existence.
Lessons Learned
The teachers involved with Family G would have given the students more
structures assignments to guide in the completion of the project. Family H
has already decided to not have the project based in a Humanities
classroom, but initiate the project in a Science classroom.
This description was written by Rhonda Wixom.
Last updated on March 6, 1996.
Return to the Index of Example
Units Page