Ecological and Cultural Significance of Local Parks : Unit Plan
Week Five
Essential Question
How can we design our ever-growing communities to co-exist with the environment?
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The focus of this week will be on understanding human impact in our social and natural communities. The central idea for learning this week will be sustainability, conservation, and environmental stewardship. Students will continue working on their project, finishing up their prototype and attending a final visit to the park to obtain any remaining information. A scientist from the community will also visit to discuss conservation with the students.
Lesson 1
Sequence
Project Work:
Students will finish collecting all resources and research they require to make their walking tour. In some cases, that means students will have started compiling brochures, if students are making a video tour, they will have the scripts created, etc.
Production of the prototype will begin; with mini lessons on editing, filming, photography, and other intervention.
Resources
Computers for research, editing
Cameras & recording devices
Assessment
Project design plan; formative peer and teacher feedback loops.
Journaling reflections on their progress and goals for next steps.
Differentiation
The format and independent design aspects allow for students with different strengths to complete their project in a way that best suits their learning and show their understandings differently.
The option of using audio rather than written representation allows for ELL students or students who have difficulty in writing to express themselves.
Lesson 2
Sequence
Parks design and responsibility:
Students will prepare for a guest speaker to arrive with preparing questions for the scientist.
Specialist in environmental, urban, parks design will speak to students and answer questions.
Based on the new perspectives given by the guest speaker; students will focus on the makeup of a community park, the aspects that make it liveable and pleasing to the community. Students will take what they learn and use it to design their own dream park. Students will also have an artist visit from a local artist in the community, focus on how they integrate community involvement into their artworks.
Resources
Guest speakers: Specialist in urban/parks design, Local artist or representative for urban artwork
Supplies for creating a dream park
Assessment
Active participation in building questions for guest speaker and discussion.
Submission of dream park and rationale.
Differentiation
In regards to discussing with guest speakers; students who may have anxiety to actually speak with new people in their classroom have an opportunity to pose questions beforehand and have volunteers read out the questions so they can still be heard.
Lesson 3
Sequence
Field trip:
Students will visit the park a final time to record their tours, take additional photos, or re-evaluate their existing content in situ. They will also work on picking the exact stop locations in developing their maps, and will finalize landmarks they will focus on.
Resources
All field trip permissions, transportation.
Recording equipment.
Assessment
Journaling; goals for field trip and reflection on completion of field trip.
Differentiation
Students may take on roles in their groups to produce artworks, use equipment, and plan next steps. Students are asked to assess their group and ensure all learners are given opportunity to participate in ways that suit their abilities.