Emily Kapfer Mora

ISTC 731

Summer 2021

Change Agent Assignment

Curriculum/Unit Overview

I would revise my literacy curriculum’s unit 10: Forces and Motion. The essential

question for this unit is “What makes things move?” By the completion of this unit students are

expected to be able to “read and compare selections about forces and motion to learn how and

why things move.” (Silvia et al., 2018). The instructional goals and objectives are both adequate

and current; they directly align to state standards. However, the criticism is that the goals do

not align with the provided assessment. The essential question is current because they are also

taught in the kindergarten science curriculum.

A strength of this instruction would be the numerous amounts of resources to

accompany the unit. There is a video introducing the unit, a set of leveled and decodable texts

for reading groups, a group of poetry posters for shared reading, a workbook with shared

reading texts, a pair of physical and e-books that are nonfiction texts about force and motion,

and a set of mentor read alouds.

One weakness of this unit is that it is not planned to align with the corresponding

science unit; I cannot determine why Forces and Motion is planned to be the last unit of the

school year as opposed to Earth or Life Science, which align better with the weather in May and

June. Because this unit is not aligned with the science curriculum, it leads to another weakness:

it does not keep student interest as they are only reading about the content of forces and

motion rather than experimenting with hands-on materials to test the concepts. Students have

a difficult time understanding and reading about forces and motion because, in layman’s terms,

the information presented in only books is boring. While this may seem petty, students are not

going to absorb information if they cannot hold an interest. A theory I have is that this unit is
planned for the end of the school year in case educators run out of time and do not get to

teaching it; I wonder if this was the least valued unit in some way, whether that means it is the

least interesting to students or has the least important content compared to other units.

The end of unit assessment asks 10 questions, both comprehension and foundational

skills, about a non-fiction audio text of how our bodies move. While this makes sense to be

taught in a unit about forces and motion, most of the unit teaches about bikes, wheels,

machines, balls, etc. How our bodies move does not seem to be an appropriate application

problem compared to the similarity of all these other examples. This assessment is also not

adequate because it does not provide the text for students to read. Students can play the audio

story back to hear it as many times as they would like, but this does not accommodate visual

learners who would prefer to read the text.

The assessment does not align with the goals and objectives. While the goal is for

students to be able to read and compare texts to learn how and why things move, the

assessment does not actually allow them to read or compare to texts. One audio text is

provided for students to listen to, but not read. None of the 10 questions ask about forces and

motion; the comprehension questions ask about how to utilize a table of contents, which part

of the brain sends messages to other body parts, and how our bones are connected. The

questions about body parts can be tied very loosely to forces and motion but are not at all

related to what students spent time reading and writing about in this unit. The assessment

goals are inadequate considering they do not relate to the learning material that was taught

and the assessment is not developmentally appropriate.

 There are no opportunities for multiple means of action and expression in this

assessment. UDL Checkpoint 4.1 is “Vary the methods for response and navigation” (UDL

Guidelines, 2018). This would include allowing students to verbally give an answer as opposed

to selecting one on the computer, for example. Checkpoint 6.1 calls for guiding appropriate goal

setting, which this assessment clearly does not, as previously mentioned (UDL Guidelines,

2018).

Technology I would need to be added to my revisions includes a Promethean board and

Chromebooks for student use. The biggest challenge to revising and implementing this

instruction will be planning to use valuable resources that will support students’ understanding

of forces and motion while also enhancing their reading comprehension.

This unit is utilized by kindergarten students who have one-to-one devices in their

classroom. The students live in a decently affluent area with 18% of the school being FARMs,

16% of the school being ESOL, and 8% of the school being students with disabilities. 90 minutes

are given to the English Language Arts block; this is further divided into 30 minutes for reading

comprehension activities, 30 minutes for writing skills, and 30 minutes for reading groups and

literacy center rotations. The revisions of the unit focus on the reading comprehension block of

the daily ELA time.

Revised Instructional Materials

*Bold font represents revisions while regular font represents original materials

Teacher Materials Student Materials

- Promethean board - Chromebooks

- PebbleGO login access - Pencils
- BrainPOP Jr. login access - Crayons
- Benchmark texts and passages - Wixie
 - Digital compare/contrast chart - Benchmark student workbooks
- Digital cause/effect chart

Revised Unit of Instruction

*Bold font represents revisions while regular font represents original instruction

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

Day 1 - (10 mins) - (5 mins) build - (5 mins) build

introduction: forces knowledge and knowledge and
and motion video, review week 1 review weeks 1 and 2
class discussion - (10 mins) shared - (15 mins) class
about what reading: “What discussion of types of
movement is, what Makes a Soccer Ball transportation, then
can move, and how Fly?” on Promethean shared reading: “We
things can move because student Like Bikes!”
- (20 mins) shared workbooks are - (10 mins) “Motion”:
reading: “How Many missing part of the listen and orally retell
Ways Can You passage key details
Move?”, class - (10 mins) “Forces”:
discussion about listen and orally retell
ways you can move key details
as teacher records a - ADD (5 mins) build
list vocabulary: identify
- REMOVE (10 mins) real-life connections
“The True Story of between words and
Balto, the Sled Dog”: their use for “Forces”
listen and orally
retell key details
Day 2 - (15 mins) shared - REMOVE shared - (15 mins) shared
reading: “How Many reading: “What reading: “We Like
Ways Can You Makes a Soccer Ball Bikes!” then discuss
Move?”, students Fly?” how bikes have
refer to class list and - REMOVE build changed from the
draw and write vocabulary: identify past to now
about a way they can real-life connections - (10 mins) text
move between words and structure: cause and
- ADD (10 mins) “The their use effect for “Motion”
True Story of Balto, - (10 mins) find text - (5 mins) use text
the Sled Dog”: listen evidence: identify and features: table of
and orally retell key describe cause and contents for “Motion”
details effect relationships
 - (5 mins) describe for “Forces”
the relationship - ADD (20 mins)
between images and shared reading of
text in “The True PebbleGO “Kinds of
Story of Balto, the Forces” and discuss
Sled Dog” vocabulary
Day 3 - (5 mins) use graphic - REMOVE shared - (10 mins) shared
features: locate reading: “What reading: “We Like
information in maps Makes a Soccer Ball Bikes!” on
in “The True Story of Fly?” Promethean board as
Balto, the Sled Dog” - REMOVE build a class because
- REMOVE shared vocabulary: relate student workbooks
reading: “How Many adjectives to their are missing part of
Ways Can You opposites for the passage, then
Move?” “Forces” write and draw how
- (10 mins) “Up in the - (10 mins) find text bikes have changed
Air” listen and retell evidence: identify and from the past to
key details describe cause and now, recalling on
- (15 minutes) identify effect relationships yesterday’s group
relationships in a text: for “Forces” using discussion
cause and effect for cause and effect - (10 mins) find text
“Up in the Air”, chart on Promethean evidence: describe
complete cause and board as a class relationships
effect chart on - ADD (20 mins) between illustration
Promethean board so students will partner and text for “Motion”
students can drag read PebbleGO - (10 mins) viewing of
pre-typed ideas into “Kinds of Forces” on BrainPOP Jr. video
correct boxes to Chromebooks, then “Pushes and Pulls”
match cause with make a list of things and follow-up quiz as
effect that can move a class on
Promethean board
Day 4 - (10 mins) build - (15 mins) shared - (10 mins) shared
vocabulary: relate reading: “What Can a reading: “Riding a
adjectives to their Magnet Do?” and Roller Coaster” on
opposites for “Up in discuss as a class Promethean board as
the Air” objects that students a class because
- (5 mins) use text know are magnetic student workbooks
features: captions - (10 mins) use text are missing part of
and labels for “Up in features such as table the passage
the Air” of contents for - (20 mins) students
- REMOVE shared “Forces” will work in partners
reading: “Old - ADD (5 mins) build to compare/contrast
Woman, Old vocabulary: relate two informational
Woman” adjectives to their texts: “Forces” and
 - ADD (15 mins) opposites for “Motion” on their
shared reading of “Forces” compare/contrast
PebbleGO “What is chart
Motion?” and discuss
as a class
Day 5 - REMOVE shared - (10 mins) - (10 mins) shared
reading: “Old compare/contrast reading: “Riding a
Woman, Old two informational Roller Coaster” use
Woman” texts: “Forces” and Wixie to draw and
- ADD (15 mins) “The True Story of type a sentence
students reading and Balto, the Sled Dog” about a roller coaster
discussing PebbleGO by discussing moving in a certain
“What is Motion?” in similarities and direction (using new
partners on differences with a vocabulary, i.e., fast,
Chromebooks partner, then as a up, down, slow,
- (15 mins) class speed, etc.)
compare/contrast - (20 mins) shared - (20 mins) reflect on
two texts: “Up in the reading: “What Can a unit concepts:
Air” and “The True Magnet Do?”, essential question
Story of Balto, the students will receive and answer chart
Sled Dog” using a magnet and *make this the unit
compare/contrast explore the room to assessment
chart on Promethean see what their
board with pre-typed magnet can push or
ideas that students pull, then record 3
can drag to the items they find that
correct section can be moved by a
magnet

SAMR Technology Integration Model

When applying the SAMR integration model to my revisions to instruction, both

augmentation and modification can be the appropriate method depending on the specific

learning experience.

Augmentation: the lesson is enhanced by - Dragging items to ‘compare’ or

substituting typical learning experiences with ‘contrast’ sections on Promethean
technology, with a functional improvement board chart
- Draw and type a sentence on Wixie
about a roller coaster moving in a
certain direction

Modification: the lesson is transformed by
technology redesigning the learning
experience
- Sorting between causes and effects
on Promethean board
- Utilizing PebbleGO as a class on the
Promethean board and in partners on
Chromebooks
- Viewing BrainPOP Jr. video and
completing comprehension quiz
questions as a class

(From Benchmark Advance)

(From Benchmark Advance)

 (Teacher edition of “What Makes a Soccer Ball Fly?” from Benchmark Advance)

(Student workbook edition of “What Makes a Soccer Ball Fly?” from Benchmark Advance –
notice missing text compared to teacher edition)

(From PebbleGO)
 (Wixie logo)

(From BrainPOP Jr.)

Conclusion

The revisions I made better support student learning; some learning experiences have

been removed and replaced, some have been modified via added technology, some have been

enhanced by adding peer and teacher discussions, and some have been moved to a different

day of the unit. I also revised this unit so that reading comprehension activities are given the

same amount of instructional time each day (30 minutes). This change allows students to follow

a consistent schedule each day, which further leads them to retaining more of what they learn.

With my revisions, the instruction now aligns with more UDL checkpoints, such as 1.2:

Offer alternatives for auditory information, 4.2: Optimize access to tools and assistive
technologies, and 7.2: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity (UDL Guidelines, 2018).

PebbleGO offers alternative auditory options through narration or the option for the teacher

and students to read aloud; it also reads specific vocabulary words from the built-in glossary.

Students are now able to use technology devices and platforms both in a whole-group and

partner setting. Additionally, hands-on learning experiences are implemented so students can

gain a more valuable and deeper understanding of what they are reading about.
 References

PebbleGO. (n.d.). https://site.pebblego.com/modules/2/categories/2991.

Pushes and Pulls - BrainPOP Jr. (n.d.). https://jr.brainpop.com/science/forces/pushesandpulls/.

Silvia, D.-D. de R., Fernandez, Q., Klein, A. F., & Smith, C. (2018). Benchmark Advance.

Benchmark Education Company.

UDL Guidelines. UDL. (2018, January 12). https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression.