Understanding by Design Unit Plan

Andrew Letts
260869374
McGill University

EEEC 253-002: Kindergarten Classroom Pedagogy

Dr. Sheryl Smith-Gilman
Rationale for choosing this theme:

I chose this theme for my unit plan for several reasons. Firstly, I find the ocean a fascinating subject to learn about and the prospect of introducing the subject to children is exhilarating to me. I always have a fun time when I teach
something that I love, and I want that love of learning to be transmitted to my students. Secondly, it is my experience that children are intrinsically interested with water and animals. This theme seemed to be a beautiful marriage between
the two themes, and, because of films such as “The Little Mermaid”, “Finding Nemo”, and “Moana”, children already carry some knowledge about the ocean. Lastly, and most importantly, the oceans are an integral part of Earth’s
ecosystem that is home to a host of marine life. Educating our students early on the importance of this marine life and the impact that humans have on the oceans is integral to creating a healthy and sustainable environment in the future.
 Kindergarten Understanding by Design Unit
Title of Unit
The Wonderous Ocean
Time Frame 2 Months (minimum)
Developed By Andrew Letts
Good Shepherd School
School
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Domain Areas:
Competency 1: to perform sensorimotor actions effectively and in different contexts
 Children will have multiple opportunities to stimulate themselves in sensorimotor activities.
They will have access to natural materials that come from the ocean such as shells, sea-glass,
sand, and of course, water. They will have opportunities to develop dexterity and fine motor
skills by using tool, and whole body movements, such as yoga, to develop gross motor skills.
Competency 2: to affirm his/her personality
 Students will express their interests and emotions throughout the unit. The class will be
dubbed as a “crew” (submarine crew) throughout the unit; each day a new student will
become the “captain” and will sit at the front of the group while the rest of the class interviews
them. This activity will help students develop self-confidence and present personal ideas while
also developing oral language skills. The activity will also help children watch the writing
process.
Competency 3: to interact harmoniously with others
 Throughout the unit, students will be contributing to classroom decorations and class books.
They will need to participate and work together as a team in order to take part in the decision-
making process. Students will also need to manage how they move around the room between
the different learning centers and share the space with their peers. They must also be
respectful in their comments to the productions of classmates’ work.
Competency 4: to communicate using the resources of language
 Students will demonstrate what they know, feel, and have learned about oceans as they
progress through the unit. In small groups or one-on-one interviews, the children will
communicate what they have learned. They will be able to name the individual creatures, and
restate stories that have been read.
Competency 5: to construct his/her understanding of the world
 Students will have multiple opportunities to experiment with tools, natural materials from the
Curricular(subject) Areas:
Language and Literacy
 Throughout the unit, we will be reading different books on the ocean and the different
creatures that live in the ocean during shared reading time.
o We will learn new vocabulary associated with the oceans and aquatic life and new
words will be added to a word wall.
 Students will work with me at the Reading Center to practice oral language development.
o In one-on-one sessions, I will conduct running records to assess the child’s oral reading
skills and early literacy development.
Social Studies
 Students will learn about how the lives of certain sea animals are affected by human pollution.
o Using the book “Seymour’s First Journey into the Sea of Debris”, I will guide the class
into a discussion about plastic pollution in the ocean.
 New words, such as “debris” will be added to our Word Wall.
o The pages of the book will be displayed on the SmartBoard, and students will be invited
to come up and identify the things that do not belong in the sea by drawing a circle
around it.
 At the Sand Table, where students are interacting with the shells and other natural materials,
there will plastic items hidden under the sand. I will observe how students respond to the
“debris”. I can also probe student thinking by asking questions such as “Remember in
Seymour’s Journey, there were a lot of things in the ocean that did not belong there? Is there
anything you noticed in the sand that also does not belong?”
o A similar activity can be accomplished at the Water Table.
Science
 Students will learn about different depths, or “layers” of the ocean and why some creatures
live there.
 Creating a periscope for the class.
 They will learn the difference between Fish vs Whales (or other sea mammals like dolphins)
 ocean, and artistic mediums to demonstrate their understanding.
 Students will make associations between their experiences and learning material, and be
encouraged to ask questions and test their ideas.
 Students will learn how to organize their ideas in class books on various oceanic animals and
share what they have learned with their peers.
Competency 6: to complete an activity or project
 The children will work on and complete activities related to this unit. They will create different
types of fish, mammals, plant life, etc. and add their work to the “Class Aquarium.”
 Students will write and draw their own books on what they have learned and then share what
they have produced with their peers.
 Students will create several artistic artifacts that demonstrate their understanding of the ocean
and the animals they are studying.
 Students will show their interest and their satisfaction with what they have produced by
selecting work to include in their portfolios.
Essential Questions
Open-ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked to the content of the
enduring understanding.
 What do you know about the ocean?
 Have you ever seen the ocean? Or been to a beach that was on the ocean?
 What would you like to know about the ocean?
 Are fish the only creatures that live in the ocean?
 What are some animals that live in the ocean?
 Are all fish the same or do they have special differences?
 How are people changing the ocean?
 Can oceans be kept clean?
 What are the challenges of keeping the oceans clean?
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
What assessment strategies /tools will help check for understanding?
To evaluate student progression through the unit, and to inform my teaching, I will use the following
assessment strategies:
 Anecdotal Records as a means for observation in order to briefly document events children
experience in the classroom. Useful for assessing social development and activity involvement.
 Observe and document the lifecycle of fish in a real aquarium.
Mathematics
 Thematic elements of the ocean will be integrated into Math. For example, each day we add a
new magnetic fish to our fishbowl (also magnetic) and count each one we have on that day.
o After 5 fish are added we remove them and add a bigger fish with the number 5 on it.
Students will learn to count by fives.
 Using seashells, students can learn numbers and their meaning by playing a matching game.
Numbers (1-20) and the word for the numbers will be printed on the inside of the shell. In
pairs, students turn over the shells to try and match the numbers together.
 Seashells of various sizes, shapes, and colours will be provided at the Math Center. Students
can engage with these natural materials and practice pattern making, as well as sequencing.
o Differentiation: Challenge cards can be added to the center with different arrangements
of the materials. There will be blank spaces in the patterns and the child will have to
find the missing piece to complete the pattern or sequence.
Enduring Understandings
What do you want students to understand & be able to use several years from now?
 Students will know different types of sea creatures.
 Students will recognize the differences between certain ocean animals.
o Ex: Sharks = Fish & Whales = Mammals
 Students will understand that different creatures live on different depths of the ocean.
 Students will understand that humans have an impact on the oceans and marine life.
 Students will understand how to be responsible for the Earth and its oceans by learning how to
recycle their plastic products.
Performance Task (Overview)
Anecdotal Records
 Takes place as students are working at the different learning centers.
 Observation for social development: observe the children’s social interactions
o Are the children interacting with each other? Are they working harmoniously
together? Are the children participating?
 o How are students engaging at the various centers?
 Conversations such as mini-conferences with students o How are they handling the materials and tasks?
o Either one-on-one or in small groups when working on oral reading skills when o Can the task be simplified/extended to meet learning goals?
assessing student literacy. o Are new/different materials required to enhance learning?
o Assessment tool used: Running Records. o Are there any misunderstandings?

 Participation charts to record children who are participating and when throughout the day. KWL Chart
 One chart for the entire class.
 KWL chart – implemented at the beginning of the unit and returned to frequently as the unit  Begin the unit by introducing the chart and going over the three sections. I would start by
progresses. asking students what they know about the ocean and record anything they say in the
o Used as pre-assessment and post-assessment of student understanding. “Know” section of the cart. After filling out the “Know” section, I will ask students what
o Allows me to identify any misunderstandings. they want to know about the ocean in order to add their questions to that respective
 Activity Reports section of the chart. We will continuously return to the chart as we progress through the
o Students self monitor each learning center they go to each day and rate their feelings unit to add to the “What We Want to Know” section. At the conclusion of each lesson, the
when they are done. class will come together to tell me what they have learned about the ocean so that I may
fill out the “What Did We Learn?” section of the chart.
To report student work to parents and other stakeholders, the following assessments will be used: 
Documentation
 Documentation of student work in the form of portfolio entries.  Science journals: Observing the life cycle of fish in our fish tank.
o Photos of students working at different centers. o Students observe the transformation that fish go through starting from eggs (or fish
o Samples of student work. spawn). They will draw pictures, and record what they see.
 Weekly class books on the ocean animal of the week.
 Science Journals o Each week, we learn about a specific sea animal. Through class experiences, such as
reading books about them or creating our own, for example, the students will take
 Personal books on sea animals what they have learned to produce a small book about what they have learned.
 At the end of the unit, the class can compile all they have learned about the ocean and its
 Art Productions/Artefacts creatures into one cumulative book for the entire class to enjoy.

Conversation
 Short one-on-one interviews with students or in small groups. Asking questions and
recording their responses. Question such as:
o “Tell me something you think is interesting about whales?”
o “Are whales fish?”
o “Do whales breath air like you and me, or do they breathe underwater as fish do?”
 Running records to assess individual children’s reading fluency.

Science Drawings
 Draw and label the parts of a shark
 Draw and label the lifecycle of a fish/seahorse

Personal books
 As we finish lessons on different sea animals, the children will write their own picture books
on the animal of the week/lesson. They will include pictures, as well as their own sentences
that they may write themselves.
 I will also help them record their thoughts if they are unable to write it themselves.

Art Productions: 
 Accurate or fanciful creations of the various sea creatures we are studying.
 Learning Plan (Stage 3)
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)
What events will help students experience and explore the enduring understandings and
essential questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and
knowledge? How will you organize and sequence the learning activities to optimize the
engagement and achievement of all students?
Using the class environment of the classroom as a hook:
The classroom will be decorated to look like the inside of a submarine. Cardboard portholes will be
affixed to the walls and as the unit progresses, I will place a picture of a new sea animal in the
porthole for students to peer into. This is an effective method for introducing new lessons each week
as it fosters children’s natural curiosity.
The class will become the “Crew” and at the start of each day, a new “Captain” will be chosen.
There will be a section of a wall decorated to look like a large aquarium. This will be referred to as
our “Class Aquarium” and will be used to display the student’s artwork for the unit.
Images and charts of different sea creatures will be displayed around the room.
New books on the ocean will be added and prominently displayed in the class library at the Reading
Corner.
Using a new book to hook the students:
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
We will read this book at the beginning of the unit to expose students to some new sea animals. We
will go back to this book in future lessons.
One of the main things that students will be learning about is the various types of animals and other
forms of life in the ocean. This will be accomplished through a variety of activities and interactions:
 Begin the unit with a KWL Chart by listing what the students know and what they want to
know about the ocean.
 Read “Mister Seahorse” by Eric Carle. Students can interact with the book as we read: trying to
find the various fish hidden in the images and turning the semi-transparent pages to reveal
them.
 Learning a new song: “Down in the Deep Blue Sea”. A repetitive song that helps children
remember the name of different sea animals. Highly flexible as new animals can be added with
each lesson. This song will be sung each day, perhaps multiple times.
 Movement game connected to the song: imitate the various animals we sing about. Ex:
dangling arms to imitate a jellyfish or octopus; making a dolphin gesture with our arms; shark
find on our backs (or chomping motions with our arms).
 Create their own seahorses and print scales on them by dipping bubble wrap into paint. Ask
students individually what they can recall about seahorses and record their answers. The
responses will be typed up and posted under the respective students’ seahorse on the “Class
Aquarium” portion of the wall.
 Math Center is now provided with a bin that contains an assortment of shells of varying sizes,
 shapes, and colours for practicing sequencing and pattern making. Challenge cards will also be
included as a means of beginning the process, and as a tool for differentiation.

 Math Center will also have a bin of seashells with numbers (represented by the number and
the word) printed on the inside of them. Students will take turns turning over the shells to try
and match the numbers together (1-20).

 The Reading Center will have new picture books of the ocean such as “Baby Beluga”, “The Big
Book of the Blue”, and “1,2,3 Who’s Cleaning the Sea?”.

 Excerpts of the books will be selected to read with children in small groups.

 One-on-one meetings with students will be conducted in the Reading Centers to perform
Running Records as a form of assessment.

 A Water Table and a Sand Table will be included in the class as part of the Science/Social
Studies Center. Natural materials from the ocean and beaches will be included so students can
have hands-on experience with nature.

 Buckets and cups of various sizes will be provided at the Water and Sand Tables and students
can experiment with mathematical concepts such as volume, displacement, and conservation.

 “Shell Sort”: At the Nature Center, various trays will be prepared with a mix of shells, sea
glass, coral, and other natural materials. Using a small set of tongs, the children have to try
and sort the materials into the appropriate container. Good for developing fine-motor skills.

 A real aquarium will be brought in with saltwater fish. Fish eggs/spawn will be brought in and
students will observe and document the lifecycle of our class fish.

 Sand dough at the Nature Center. Students can shape sandcastles or take make patterns in
the dough by pressing them into the sand.

 Brain breaks spread out across the unit: Movement cards/yoga exercises.

o Ex: Walk side to side like a crab. Jump like a dolphin. Swim like a fish. Move your arms
like an octopus.

 Read “Seymour’s First Journey into the Sea of Debris” and introduce the issue of plastic
pollution in our oceans. The reading is interactive as students come up to the smartboard and
identify the plastic in the ocean.

 Before class, I will hide plastic under the sand at the Sand Table and place some debris in
Water Table. I will monitor how students respond to these foreign objects and see if they can
solve the problem of pollution in their own environment.

 Work with students to figure out a way to reduce plastic pollution in the class, the school, and
even at home. Ex: Finding new uses for plastic bottles.

 Read “Baby Baluga.” Update our “Down in the Deep Blue Sea” song. Explore different types of
 whales on our Whale Chart.

 Begin a craft project: Whale mobiles. Using recycled plastic bottles, students will paint their
bottle to look like a whale from our chart and books. They can re-create their favourite whale
or be creative and design their own. This project will go over several lessons, as students can
create multiple whales, fish, or even other things such as seaweed and shells. They may
choose to attach real shells to their mobiles if they so choose.

 Reading and watching videos of the coral reef and the various animals that live there.

 Challenge cards in the Construction Center: Build a coral reef for fish (toys provided) using the
Lego and/or K’nex.

 Field trip to the Biodome to see some of the real sea creatures we have been learning about.

The KWL assessment is the perfect tool to help students reflect on what they have learned. This chart
will be prominently displayed in the room, and we will return to the chart continuously to update what
we have learned.

As the unit progresses, students will reflect each day on the various sea animals we have
encountered in the lessons. This will be done by singing “Down in the Deep Blue Sea” each morning.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in
When we begin a new lesson a new sea creature will be introduced. This creature will be added to
rehearsing, revising, and refining their work based on your essential questions and
the song at the very end. This process will provide students with an opportunity to recall and reflect
enduring understandings?
on the various sea animals we discussed in the past.

After each lesson, each student will create their own book on the sea animal they learned about.
They are encouraged to write on their own, but I will also assist them in their writing. The purpose is
to see if students can recall important information about the sea creatures we are exploring in class.
They will also draw and label their animals when appropriate.
 Ex: The gills, fins, teeth on a shark.

Students will exhibit their developing knowledge of the ocean and its animals by contributing to the
“Class Aquarium”. This space will display the various fish, mammals, reptiles, and other sea life that
How will you help students to exhibit their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding students create as if it were a real aquarium. Their productions will often be accompanied by a small
throughout the unit? blurb of information that the students write with my assistance.

Students will also make their own books on the sea life they encounter and will contribute to a class
book on the ocean.

Conversations
Environment What open ended questions can I ask to learn through conversations that will scaffold
(What will be added to the environment to support the unit?) children’s learning?

Pictures of sea animals and other marine life will be displayed around the room  Why are whales and fish different from each other?

One section of wall will be reserved for displaying the students' work. This will be referred to as the  What do you want to know about oceans (or any specific animal)?
“Class Aquarium” and as the children complete their various artwork on different sea life, they will be
added to the aquarium.  Why do some ocean animals live in deeper water?
The class list will become the “Crew Manifest” so that the students can check themselves in for
attendance. The individual names on the list are magnetic, so students can arrange themselves into
different centers.
The classroom will be decorated to look like the inside of a submarine. Cardboard portholes will be
attached to the walls and as the unit progresses, I will place a picture of a new sea animal in the
porthole for students to peer into.
Light blue transparent film will be placed on the windows to create the illusion that we are
underwater.
 Some fish can change their colour. Why do you think they do that?
 What are some things that we can do to help reduce the amount of plastic that goes into the
ocean?
 What are the challenges in reducing our plastic pollution?
 How can we transform our plastic bottles or bags into something we can use again?
 What other animals have we looked at that we can turn into a yoga pose?

Sand Table and Water table with natural materials from the ocean will be added to the Science/Social  How do you feel about your addition to our class aquarium?
Studies Center.
 What are most confident about in your portfolio?
Shells and sea glass will be added to the Math Center.
 If we were to write a book about a blowfish, what do you think we should write or draw?
Play
Resources
What interactions (e.g., environment,
What resources will you use in the
conversations) can I offer to maximize Outline of l planned lessons:
learning experiences to meet the
the children’s opportunities for learning
outcomes?
and inquiry?

I will need natural materials from the beach Before Each Lesson:
for the various learning centers. Dramatic interactions, such as singing songs about
the ocean, is one method I will use to help maximize  The class is now called the “crew” and each day we will pick a new captain.
 Sand
student inquiry and learning. The song “Down in the o The “captain” will get to sit in the “big chair” as the rest of the “crew” asks him/her
 Shells
Deep Blue Sea” has a good deal of repetition. The questions about his/herself. This interviewing activity will serve the purpose of allowing
 Starfish
song is also highly adaptable, which allows for some students to be the center of attention to help them develop a better sense of
 Sea glass
flexibility when selecting new animals to introduce to themselves, as well as providing an opportunity to help classmates get to know each
 Coral
the class. other better.
o This activity also serves as the purpose of having students develop their oral language
Sand dough (sometimes called kinetic sand)
The class will have a dedicated section to display ability as they ask and answer questions.
Sorting containers and plastic tongs for student work on the new sea animals in the “Class o I will record the student’s responses on a chart while the children watch until we have
sorting activity. Aquarium.” Students can refer to their own work, or four or five statements about or captain of the day. This allows the children to see how
their peers' work when working on new activities. writing and reading occurs.
Bins to hold the materials. o We will do a shared reading of each statement chorally, and I will formatively assess the
The class will be decorated to look like the inside of a class by noting who is participating and if they are repeating the words accurately. This
Small-Medium size fish tank and several submarine. There will be portholes on the side of the will allow me to home in on any potential difficulties students may have before
saltwater fish. room, at the children’s height, where they can open proceeding with one-on-one or group interventions.
a little door to peer out and see the new animal we
will be learning about that lesson. 1. Language and Literacy
Art materials.
 Paint  This idea can be adapted to Art as well.
Hiding a painting behind a submarine, and Introduction to the unit: Hook students with the new setup of the classroom.
 Construction paper
 Glue students have to peer through the portholes
to try and guess what the image is. Read the book “Mister Seahorse” by Eric Carle.
 Scissors
 Coloured film can be added to the windows  Engage the students by asking where the fish are hidden inside the images.
to give the appearance that the class is  Encourage them to chant along to the reoccurring phrase “As Mister Seahorse drifted gently
Books on the Ocean
underwater. through the sea…”
 Mister Seahorse – Eric Carle
 Seymour’s First Journey into the Sea of
New prompts can be added to the learning centers. Ask the children questions about the book, the characters, the way the images hide the various fish.
Debris – BocaSave our Beaches and
 Illustrated by Tom D. Auria
 Baby Baluga – Raffi/ Illustrated by
Ashley Wolff
 The Big Book of the Blue – Yuval
Zommer
Posters and images of whales, seahorses,
jellyfish, and other types of sea animals to
display around the room.
Movement/yoga cards
Smartboard, Computer, Speakers
Legos + K’nex for Construction Center
 In the construction center: include photos of
the coral reef. Supply small fish toys and
have students create homes for them.
Discovery activities such as interacting with natural
materials from the ocean and beaches can help
students discover the natural beauty of the sea.
 Beach sensory tub
o Sand, shells, starfish, coral
 Water table
Fine motor skill development: Shell sorting
Start a KWL chart about the ocean.
 Focus primarily on what they know and what they would like to know.
2. Art
Building off the previous lesson; the students will be creating their very own seahorses.
 Bring out the book, “Mister Seahorse” and draw attention to the beautiful array of colours on
Mister Seahorse.
 Compare the images in the book to pictures of real seahorses. Each table will have a set of
pictures.
Demonstration of a new art technique: Dipping bubble wrap into paint and printing it onto paper
creates the impression of scales.
 Students first draw their seahorse on thick white paper and then cut it out.
o Differentiation: students who have trouble with fine motor skills can work with a pre-
drawn stencil of a seahorse.
 Use double-sided to tape to hold the sea horse in place on sheets of newspaper.
 Assist students in choosing colours or allow them the freedom to use any number of colours
they want.
o No not mix the colours yet, just pour them next to each other.
 Demonstrate how to dip the (large) bubble wrap into the paint and then pressing it against
seahorse creates the impression of scales.
3. Social Studies
Introduction to the issue of plastic pollution.
Interactive reading of the book “Seymore’s First Journey into the Sea of Debris” by BocaSave our
Beaches and Illustrated by Tom D. Auria.
 I will guide the students through the pages on the smartboard and do an echo read with the
class.
 Students can come up to the smartboard to circle the objects that do not belong in the sea.
 We will continue through the book until each student has had a turn.
We will add new words like “debris” to our word wall and update our class KWL chart.
The class will go to the Science/Social Studies Center where some new items have been added to the
Sand and Water Tables.
 Before the lesson, I will have hidden plastic bottles, caps, bags, and rings under the sand and
inside the water.
 I will observe how the students respond to these foreign objects and see if they can come
together to solve this problem.
o Good for the development of the cognitive domain. Are they able to apply their
 knowledge from the book to their world?
o Prompt students by asking “What can we do about this debris?”
 Transition into working on a class recycling program.
o Learn about separating our plastic from our trash.

Assess and Reflect (Stage 4)

The purposes of designing the class environment as a submarine, and including natural oceanic
materials, are intended to provide students with a fun and authentic learning experience. I wanted
to create a space for students that fosters inquiry and I believe I have done that with the inclusion
of portholes, new books, exploration activities, and observing the evolutionary process of real fish.

Does my unit promote life long learning, encourage the development of self and Activities such as “captain for a day”, as well as class books on our ocean explorations are done with
community, and engage students? the intention of helping students develop a sense of self as well as building a community within the
class.

The experience with pollution at the Sand and Water Tables is designed to develop the cognitive
domain of the children’s development. I want to see if students can apply what they have learned
about the issue and come together to solve the problem. Depending on how this process plays out,
it may evolve into a class project for recycling.

Students are free to manage themselves when moving from center to center. They are asked to
record how they felt at each center, using an Activity Report so that I can review and intervene if
they are having difficulties with either the material or their peers. A follow up with the student who
reports a negative experience is necessary before an intervention can take place.

Engaging in play is vital in the development of a child. My unit provides children with the
opportunities to play in various domains such as:
Do the learning experiences allow learners to use multiple literacies while constructing
 Sensory-motor: Sand and Water Tables. Sand dough and image printing activity.
knowledge, demonstrating social
 Fine motor: “Shell Sort” activity.
responsibility, and acting autonomously in their world?
 Cognitive: Mathematical activities such as pattern and sequencing with natural materials from
the ocean. Matching game with shells.
 Gross motor: Brain break movement/yoga cards.

I believe that this array of experiences provides students with different learning styles to engage
with the content and reach the targeted competencies of the QEP.

Adaptive Dimension:
I have outlined several means of differentiation in this unit as examples of what I would do in
Have I made purposeful adjustments to the curriculum content (not outcomes),
certain situations. Depending on the specific lesson, I may need to adjust my content or method of
instructional practices, and/or the learning environment to meet the learning needs of all
delivery to ensure that I am meeting the learning needs of every single child in my class. The
my students?
assessment strategies, such as the Activity Report and KWL chart are methods of differentiation that
can apply to every student.

Instructional Approaches:
Do I use a variety of teacher-directed and student-centred instructional approaches? I use a balance of teacher-directed and student-centred approaches. Students will have a good deal
of autonomy when it comes to selecting what learning center they wish to work at (concerning the
 allowed number of students per center) while I focus on smaller groups or individual students as the
need arises. Running Records and Anecdotal Records will be used to help me focus on specific
students to work with at a time.

Shared reading time during Language and Literacy is one of the few times where the lessons
become directed by the teacher. One of my main goals is to demonstrate how reading and writing is
done, and the best way for students to experience this is to listen and watch someone read and
write. As for our “Captain of the Day” activity, this is designed to be student-centred. The children
are the ones who ask and answer questions, while I act in the role as a facilitator and record keeper.

I have included both formative and summative assessments that reflect the needs and learning
styles of my students. Most of the assessment is formative, as I will be observing and documenting
how the children are interacting with the content and with each other. The formative assessment
tool of Anecdotal Records will be used to assess how students are socially developing. Though not
Student Evaluation: listed as one of my assessments, I would not be opposed to using Sociograms to document patterns
Have I included formative and summative assessments reflective of student needs and of friendship in my class. This will only be necessary if I observe any student not properly adjusting
interests based on curricular outcomes? to typical social protocols or interacting harmoniously with others.

For summative assessments, I would sit with students to select samples of their work to add to their
portfolio. Using a portfolio as an assessment motivates students to work their best because they will
eventually be sharing their productions with others. Their science journals on documenting the
lifecycle of fish, as well as their personal books on various sea animals, would also be considered for
summative assessment.

Every resource that I have listed and every addition I made to the learning centers that I have
outlined (seashells etc.) will be available for the remainder of the unit. The Sand Table and the
Resource Based Learning:
Water Table will continue to remain throughout the year. Apart from restricting the number of
Do the students have access to various resources on an ongoing basis?
students at each center, students will have access to every resource available to them in my
classroom.

I selected “Mister Seahorse” by Eric Carle to introduce the students to the unit, provide an effective
hook, and begin learning about a new sea creature. Carle’s work is superlative in that it also
subverts gender norms because Mister Seahorse, as well as the many other male fish in the story,
are the caregivers of their children. Typically, children see their mothers as primary caregivers. In
many families today, however, men are taking on a more active role in taking care and nurturing
Content and Perspectives/Gender Equity/Multicultural Education:
their children. Some children in the class may be raised solely by their fathers and reading “Mister
Have I nurtured and promoted diversity while honouring each child’s identity?
Seahorse” can be incredibly affirming for them.

To represent different cultures, there is the possibility of showing the film “Moana” to represent how
a culture on the sea for their survival. This can transition into a lesson on Samoan culture or the first
nations tribes of the Maori.

Adapted from: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development