Pullin Teacher Work Sample

TopicandUnitRationale:MapsandGlobes

FormyteacherworksampleIchosetoplanathematicsocialstudiesunitabout

mapsandglobes.Ichosethisparticulartopicforthreesignificantreasons.Firstand

perhapsmostimportantlythistopicalignedseamlesslywiththecurriculummymentor

teacherandhergradelevelteamhaddesignedforthistimeinthesemester.Olander

ElementarySchoolisaProjectBasedLearningschoolandthemapsandglobesunitfit

nicelybetweenourtwospringprojects.ThefirstPBLunitbeganimmediatelyafterwe

returnedfromWinterBreak.ThisprojectcoveredUnitedStatessymbolsandleaders.

WhileIwasveryintriguedbythetopicthetimingwouldhavemadeitdifficulttoplan

andimplementmyTWSunitasIwaseasingintothenewdemandsofstudentteaching.

Teachingthemapsandglobesunitallowedmemoretimetoplanandmoreautonomyto

createnewlessons.

Anotherimportantfactorinmydecisionwasthatthistopichasastrong

connectiontotheColoradoAcademicStandards.Asthegeographystandardsnote

understandingaspatialperspectiveisimportantinunderstandinghowplacesare

connectedatthelocal,nationalandglobalscales.Geographyhelpsstudentsappreciate

therelationshipsandinterrelatednessofpeople,placesandenvironments.InApriland

Maythestudentswouldundertaketheirplantsandgardenproject,whichincorporates

wellness,socialstudiesandreading,writingandcommunicatingstandards.Oneofthe

importantthemesofthatprojectiswherefoodcomesfromandhowfoodisoften

producedinotherpartsoftheworldandtransportedfardistances.Ifeltthatintroducing

mapsandglobescouldhelpbuildfoundationalknowledgethatwouldsupporttheir
Pullin Teacher Work Sample

gardenprojectlearning.Thestandardstaughtinthemapsandglobesunitdiscussed

belowwouldhelpstudentstograspthesubsequentstandardsdevelopedduringtheplant

andgardenunitincludingGeographyStandard2:a)Identifyexamplesofboundaries

thataffectfamilyandfriendsandb)Giveexamplesofhowpeopleuseandinterrelated

withEarthsresources(DOK12).

MyfinalreasonforchoosingtoteachaboutmapsandglobeswasbecauseI

rememberlearningaboutthesevencontinentsinfirstgradeandhavingtrouble

conceptualizingtheideathatpeoplelivedindifferentplacesandthatcities,states,

countriesandcontinentswereseparateandsomehowrelated.Oneofmygoalsbecameto

ensurethatstudentscouldidentifytheseaccuratelyandexplaintheirrelationshiptoone

another.