Part I.

  Project Based Learning Unit/Lesson Plan

PROJECT BASED LEARNING OVERVIEW

Unit Project Overview and Goal: In the unit project students will be learning about different

African American historical figures. Each day we will dive deep into a different historical figure.

Students will participate in both teacher and student-guided activities. Some activities may

include students creating a biography. Students will also be allowed to be transformed back into

time to see where different historical figures lives and the places they did most of their historical

events. 

Unit Project, challenge, problem, or question for students to explore Many questions for

students to explore include:

 What do you know about the civil rights movement?

 What were some of the challenges that people faced during that time in our nation's

history?

 How do you think children felt during that time? Parents? Teachers?

 Who were some of the leaders of the civil rights movement?

 What similar challenges do people in our nation face today?

LESSON PLANS

Lesson Plan 1:

Project Idea: 
This week we will be introduced to a variety of black historical figures and their role in
our history. We will specifically be looking at Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King jr. After
learning some information about them and their various roles in our history you will pick a
historical figure and create a video biography and share with the class.

Content Standard: 
 
 “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies”
( ELA,2021).
“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially,
comparatively, causally)” ( ELA,2021).

‘CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3 Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related

to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or
lowered)”( ELA,2021). 

ISTE Standard for Students (http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016)   

  Knowledge Constructor 3a: students will use digital tools to construct knowledge
(ISTE,2021).

Knowledge constructor 3c: students will gather information using a variety of tools (ISTE,2021).

Global collaborator 7b: students will use collaborative technologies to work with others
(ISTE,2021).

Objective(s) for lesson (at least one HOTS objective): Student will be able to:
Students will be able to use the data they collected to create an infographic. 

Students will originate, integrate, and combine ideas into a product plan.

Students will recall or recognizes information, ideas, and principles by creating a video

portraying to be a historical figure. 

Tool(s):  Nearpod, google Docs, laptops or tablets, and video recorder. 

Teacher Directed Activities:

For teacher-directed activities, students will participate in a discussion and presentation
of different historical figures. The lesson plans will also have opportunities for students to be
engaged in the lesson and ask questions. 

Activity 1: For today's lesson, we will be focusing on learning all about Martin Luther King Jr
and his role in our history. We will also be discussing Rosa Parks and her role in our history.
Students can go on a virtual reality field trip and see where Martin Luther King Jr did his most
famous speech, I had a dream.
Follow the link for the interactive lesson.
Link: https://share.nearpod.com/5GG5l8fAEbb 
Code: 4pm3s 
Review Rosa Parks article as a class.
Article link: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks
Example of MLK VR speech: https://youtu.be/o8dzxh7Ybqw

Performance Based Assessment (what is a performance based assessment)

The performance-based assessment would be the historical figure biography. Students
will record themselves as historical figures. Students will be encouraged to dress up as historical
figures.

Sample Finished Product: 

Link: https://youtu.be/WUqmSOQ-0-Y

Lesson Plan 2:

Project Idea: 
This week we will continue to learn about different black historical figures. Students will

be learning about Maya Angelo and Mae C Jemison. Mae C. Jemison is the first African

American female astronaut. In 1992, she flew into space aboard the Endeavour, becoming the

first African American woman in space. American poet, memoirist, and actress whose several

volumes of autobiography explore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression.

students will work with a group of students 3-4 and build their rockets. Students will need to

work together and discuss how they will create it and make the rocket launch. Students will also

be creating their own poem and recoding them to share with other students.

Content Standard: 
  “CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is

conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal

opinions or judgments”(ELA,2021).
“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama,

or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including

contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they

listen or watch” (ELA,2021). 

“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9

“Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical

novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”

(ELA,2021). 

ISTE Standard for Students (http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016)   

 
“Global collaborator 7b. Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including

peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple

viewpoints” (ISTE,2021) 

“Global collaborator 7c.Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various

roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal” ( ISTE,2021) 

“Innovative Designer 9a.Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design

process that considers design constraints and calculated risks”( ISTE,2021).

Objective(s) for lesson (at least one HOTS objective): Student will be able to:
Students will be able to recall different historical figures.

Students will be able to create and demonstrate different tools as historical figures did. 

Students can work together to reach a common goal. 

Tool(s):  PowerPoint or Prezi, Laptop or tablets.

Activity 2: Today we will focus on learning about Mae C. Jemison and Maya Angelo.
Mae C Jemison
Link:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DbbstmgETWpqbXNOUVkJvuYXzPp6mvLB0w
YheTsTCDA/edit?usp=sharing
Maya Angelo : Article link: https://www.mayaangelou.com/
Nearpod Activity: https://share.nearpod.com/7PRKGzRd4bb
Code:EFD8V

Student Directed Activities:

Activity: For today’s activity students will work with a group of students 3-4 and build their

rockets. Students will need to work together and discuss how they will create it and make the

rocket launch. Students will be given free rein to create a rocket any way they want using their

robotics skills. Students will be building a rocket because Mae Jemison was the first African

American woman to enter space. She is a doctor, researcher, and dancer. After becoming a

doctor, she joined the Peace Corps and served in Africa. Later, she joined NASA and became a

crew member of the space shuttle Endeavour. After she traveled in space, she left NASA to start

companies and continue researching how to get to a new star. Students will participate in

building a rocket to visually understand the various roles she did.

Example link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CC0U8vyizYycuDORRvTwElmMcterMeh8igoPgy0eqj4/

edit?usp=sharing

Performance Based Assessment (what is a performance based assessment)

For today’s activity, we will be making our poem. Students may also choose a poem that

was written by her and record themselves acting it out. Students can be as creative as they want

when creating the poem. When students are done, we will read them too loud to the class, and
post them on our school page. Students will also be encouraged to type out the poem in a google

Doc and share it with me.

Sample Finished Product: 

Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I19b94Hn9gfJe7nvYXqysJ7CDbGiFlUiqaEobUWNmfY/
edit?usp=sharing

Lesson Plan 3:
Project Idea: 
Students will continue their learning about various historical figures. Students will also work in

groups and individually to create various projects including freedom posters and inventing a new

game like James Baldwin.

Content Standard: 
“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or

secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or

opinions”(ELA,2021).

“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are

used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social

studies”(ELA,2021).

“CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.5Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially,

comparatively, causally)’ (ELA,2021). 

ISTE Standard for Students (http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016)   

 
“Empowered learner 1b: Students build networks and customize their learning environments in
ways that support the learning process” (ISTE,2021)

“Knowledge Constructor 3c: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety
of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or
conclusions” (ISTE,2021).

“ Innovative Designer 3a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating
ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems” (ISTE,2021) 

Objective(s) for lesson (at least one HOTS objective): Student will be able to:
Gain insight into African American history from slavery to the civil rights movement.
 
Learn about various individual people who shaped history by reading their biographies and
researching the age in which they lived.
 

Tool(s): Powerpoint and Near pod 

Teacher Directed Activities:

Activity :   We will be learning all about George Washington carver and James Baldwin
Link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GBYezWPXuw43r7ZQsOVYkG2Ei3kIkJ8aYgc6
XGpbELU/edit?usp=sharing

James Baldwin Linkhttps://share.nearpod.com/TPePQw7bxbb 

Code: DAJ89
Student-Directed Activities:

Activity 1: Students will work individually and try to make up a peanut game only using peanuts
and supplies around them. Students will then take turns presenting their games to the class and
have the opportunity to play them. Students will also recreate a digital freedom poster from the
civil rights movement. Some examples of the freedom posters include the Montgomery
boycotts. 

Performance-Based Assessment (what is a performance based assessment)

For the assessment, students will be comparing and contracting 2-3 African American
historical figures. Students can use their notes from the previous lesson to complete the project.
With the compare and contrast sheet, we will be able to identify the different learning standards
we covered in the lesson by seeing if they understand the various roles of the historical figures. 
Template link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WnHdfn4NPs1cFabdj-
dfxXLO5_qsA2mrV-Ls_SfHuM8/edit?usp=sharing

Sample Finished Product: 

Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/
1JsYDI2FZWR0sbu5H8iHxLGy5BIKsclqwz0mbTbAgcLs/edit?usp=sharing

Part II.  Funding Proposal

https://adoptaclassroom.force.com/donors/s/designation/a1m0y000003ovsGAAQ/kazzandra-

castaneda

Funding proposal Description

         Hello, thank you for the interest in donating to our school. I'm seeking funding for my

afterschool program. The goal for my students is to get a Virtual reality headset in our school.

The use of the Virtual reality headset in the classroom will help engage my students in our

learning content. VR in the classroom gives students the opportunity to explore beyond the

classroom walls. I will also plan to use this not only for educational purposes but for fun

activities for the students. For everyday classroom use, the students can do virtual field trips. For

this lesson plan that I’m creating I’m specifically creating for students can go on a virtual field

trip to historical places.

Project Idea: 
Students will continue their learning about various historical figures. Students will also work in

groups and individually to create various projects including freedom posters and inventing a new

game like James Baldwin.

Activity 1 Example: Students will recreate a digital freedom poster from the civil rights

movement. Some examples of the freedom posters include the Montgomery boycotts.

Performance-Based Assessment
The performance-based assessment would be the historical figure biography. Students will
record themselves as historical figures. Students will be encouraged to dress up as historical
figures. 

 
Part III.  Final Unit Project and Course Reflection
 
Throughout the weeks of learning how to create my lesson plan, I gained a deeper

understanding of the importance of technology in the classroom and OERs. In order or evaluate

the use of technology in the classroom I used the International Society for Technology in

Education. The ISTE standards allowed me to properly integrate technology in the classroom.

The standards allow me to make meaningful and purposeful choices in my use of technology.

The standards are also a great tool to help make my students' empowered learners. Lastly, the

standards make one rethink the way educators approach technology.

According to Pearson “Technology, when integrated into the curriculum,

revolutionizes the learning process. More and more studies show that technology

integration in the curriculum improves students' learning processes and

outcomes. Teachers who recognize computers as problem-solving tools change the

way they teach” ( Person,2007). OERs are important for students but educators.

First OERs help in enhance a student’s experience. OERs can supplement textbooks and lectures

in the classroom. Lastly, OERs give educators a more variety use of tools they can use in the
classroom. Yes, OERs are important to use in the classroom, and can have many positives but

educators need to learn how to properly use

them. The key part is to first know when to use and OER and how to use them.

Educators need to use them to support their learning and not just place them in

the curriculum.

Throughout my project, I have used a lot of what I learned to apply it in my lesson plan.

This includes properly integrating technology and the use of OERs. The use of Blooms'

Taxonomy also allowed me as an educator to see where I was with the use of technology. I,

believe that technology should be used in the classroom if it's applied correctly and throughout

the course. I was introduced to new ways of applying it. In my lesson plan, I didn’t just add

technology as a tool to teach my students but also a hands-on opportunity for them to build 21st-

century skills. This is being done by having students have one on one time with technology and

allowing them the opportunity to explore different forms.

 References

English Language Arts Standards " History/Social Studies " Grade 6-8. English Language Arts
Standards " History/Social Studies " Grade 6-8 | Common Core State Standards Initiative.
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/6-8/.

ISTE Standards for Students202. ISTE. (2021). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students.