Bethany+Rosenberg

=**Problem Based Learning (PBL) Unit Plan: Week 5 Application**=

.**__ Virginia SOL’s English/Language Arts: __** a) Use print and electronic sources to locate information in books and articles. b) Use graphic organizers to organize information. c) Synthesize information from multiple sources. d) Credit primary and secondary sources. a) Apply knowledge of pre-writing strategies. b) Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner. c) Choose vocabulary and information that will create voice and tone. d) Use clauses and phrases to vary sentences. e) Revise writing for clarity and effect. f) Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish selected writings. a) Use a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure. b) Demonstrate understanding of sentence formation by identifying the eight parts of speech and their functions in sentences. c) Choose pronouns to agree with antecedents. d) Use subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and clauses. Edit for verb tense consistency. Instructional Objectives: Students will be able to identify the different types of bullying they may encounter in the middle school environment and how they can combat the issues of bullying in their lives. This is part of a school-wide initiative that my middle school is a part of and is part of making the students aware that we are a bully free zone at our school for all of our students. || 2-3 class periods |||| Instructional Activities Internet, lap top mobile lab, boards, writing supplies, Olweus.org site and materials. || Accommodations and Extensions: None Back-Up Plan: If the internet is not available students will share with each other the issues they have seen. This can even be done anonymously on paper and then read out loud to the class for discussion. || LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES: Students will get the opportunity to discover that most everyone has experienced this issue and that they are not alone. The realization of being able to stand up and make a difference and building self-confidence. This gives students the opportunity to self direct their learning and take initiative into the lesson. ||
 * = Daily Lesson GAME Plan = ||
 * Lesson Title: **What is Bullying?** |||| Related Lessons: Friendships/harassment/vocabulary ||
 * Grade Level: 7 |||| Unit: The Reality of Bullying ||
 * ==GOALS== ||
 * =Content Standards:=
 * 7.7 The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials. **
 * 7.8 The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. **
 * 7.9 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing. **
 * __ National Standards English Language Arts __**** : **
 * 1) Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
 * 2) Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. ||
 * ISTE NETS-S
 * ISTE NETS-S: ** (International Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology Standards for Students [] )
 * Technology operations and concepts
 * Research and information fluency
 * Creativity and innovation
 * Critical thinking, problem-solving, & decision-making
 * ==ACTION== ||
 * Before-Class Preparation: ||
 * During Class ||
 * Time
 * 1) The students will be introduced to the topic by the group brainstorming what they feel bullying is and what it looks like in their lives. This will be a group activity and responses from the students will be written on the board in random fashion.
 * 2) Students will be asked to personally reflect if they have ever been bullied. Students will be given the opportunity to write a personal reflection journal entry. Students will have the opportunity to type this response and place it in their personal drop box on the school server.
 * 3) Students will, as a group, read several different news articles online centered around several topics such as:
 * 4) Lady Gaga’s support of teen bullying awareness
 * 5) Story of Jamey Rodemeyer: suicide due to cyber bullying
 * 6) Students will then work in small groups in order to brainstorm ways they feel they can combat bullying. Students will select a type of bullying and then come up with a list of awareness and tips for students to complete. Students will use the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program as subscribed through the school: [|http://www.olweus.org/public/index.page]
 * 7) Students will begin designing a poster to later create into a glogster demonstrating their understanding of the bullying concepts. || Materials and Resources
 * Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: Students will be grouped in this lesson both as whole group and those that are small grouped. Students who need extra help or accommodations can be partnered with another student who has the skills that they need to get added student support ||
 * ==MONITOR== ||
 * Ongoing Assessment(s): Student learning will be assessed by their understanding of the different types of bullying, their interaction and participation in the group activity. Students will also be graded on the ideas that they share on their poster demonstrating their understanding of the topic.
 * Ongoing Assessment(s): Student learning will be assessed by their understanding of the different types of bullying, their interaction and participation in the group activity. Students will also be graded on the ideas that they share on their poster demonstrating their understanding of the topic.
 * ==EVALUATE AND EXTEND== ||
 * Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson:

= = =Group Comments:= Bethany, If you have the technology available you could use it to enhance the Poster assignment. The students could create a multimedia depiction of the concept. The finished product could be uploaded and made public to help increase awareness of the topic. I think this is a wonderful lesson idea for middle school students. They should be able to be creative with the project and I am sure they will surprise you with their insights into this issue. Definitely share the information you receive with other teachers and encourage everyone to incorporate a project like this. I look forward to reading you follow up lesson plans. Brittany Washburn Bethany, One of the schools I taught at used the Rachel Scott anti-bullying program. Rachel was the first fatality at the Columbine school shooting. It was expensive to get the guest speakers (the closer the speaker was to the Scott family the more it cost). However, the school was recognized for the program effort and last year Rachel's dad was the speaker. Pretty powerful stuff! Your lesson plan looks really good. I would say that it looks like you are covering a lot of standards! Do you usually use that many in one lesson? Nancy

Bethany, I really enjoyed reading your lesson plan. For the past two years I have done a unit on bullying to start things off. I like to set a tone of respect and establish that bullying will not be tolerated. Your lesson plan would be great to that end. I did something similar that ended with the students creating posters to put up around our school. The extension you added with the use of the net and a program like the Lady Gaga anti bullying program really would have helped out my lesson as well. It can be helpful to have somebody famous that many of the students look up to.

Mike Schiller

=Online Collaboration Lesson : Week 6=

.**__ Virginia SOL’s English/Language Arts: __** a) Use print and electronic sources to locate information in books and articles. b) Use graphic organizers to organize information. c) Synthesize information from multiple sources. d) Credit primary and secondary sources. a) Apply knowledge of pre-writing strategies. b) Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner. c) Choose vocabulary and information that will create voice and tone. d) Use clauses and phrases to vary sentences. e) Revise writing for clarity and effect. f) Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish selected writings. a) Use a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure. b) Demonstrate understanding of sentence formation by identifying the eight parts of speech and their functions in sentences. c) Choose pronouns to agree with antecedents. d) Use subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and clauses. Edit for verb tense consistency. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. . || Instructional Objectives: Students will, while collaboratively working in a group setting, participate in a blogging exercise while working out different scenarios in bullying and how as a collective student body stop bullying in the school. This is part of a school-wide initiative that my middle school is a part of and is part of making the students aware that we are a bully free zone at our school for all of our students. || 3-4 Class Periods |||| Instructional Activities The following are a summation of the scenarios: Edublog.com site Lap tops Gmail student accounts In the event of the internet being down, paper versions of response cards for the students to fill out. || Accommodations and Extensions: The number of postings required for each of the students can be altered depending upon the student. Back-Up Plan: If in the event that the internet is down the scenarios will be placed on the board. Students will then anonymously respond to the scenarios. Upon completion of these the class will read out-loud the responses and start a class discussion based upon their initial responses. || LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES: Students will be graded upon their writing skills as they are pertained to the Virginia writing SOL’s. Students will focus on their content as well, making sure to offer a suggestion and reflection on each of the scenarios as they are listed on the site. Students will also be evaluated on their degree of grade level/ appropriateness of their responses. ||
 * = Daily Lesson GAME Plan = ||
 * Lesson Title: Anti-Bullying Blog |||| Related Lessons: Writing ||
 * Grade Level: 7 |||| Unit: The Reality of Bullying ||
 * ==GOALS== ||
 * Content Standards:
 * 7.7 The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials. **
 * 7.8 The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. **
 * 7.9 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing. **
 * __ National Standards English Language Arts __**** : **
 * 1) Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
 * ISTE NETS-S
 * Technology operations and concepts
 * Research and information fluency
 * Creativity and innovation
 * Critical thinking, problem-solving, & decision-making
 * ==ACTION== ||
 * Before-Class Preparation: A creation of a class-wide used Edublog. Several pages will be created with different scenarios of bullying instances that are or could occur to students. Students will also have to have accounts set-up through their gmail.com accounts at school so that they could log in, in order to participate in the class activity. ||
 * During Class ||
 * Time
 * 1) The students will be introduced to blogging protocol and class room rules of etiquette as it pertains to involvement on an Edublog.org site.
 * 2) Students will each log in to the Edublog site and review the introduction placed on my blog previously set up for implementation for this unit. As far as the gmail.com sign ins, the students log-in screen names are numerical and there is a level of anonymity for each student so they can freely write and not have a chance of singling out any one student for comments.
 * 3) Students will then review the different scenarios that have been set up on the three different pages.
 * 1) A 13 year old girl is very active on Facebook. She breaks up with her boyfriend who in turn starts spreading vicious rumors about her on Facebook. The bullying and rumors go so far as to be circulated by text to the students of the school and surrounding schools. What can the girl do?
 * 2) Two boys get into a verbal fight over a girl they are both interested in dating. The boys start a “smear” campaign against each other. The boys start physically abusing each other as well.
 * 3) An 8th grade student starts picking on a 6th grade student on the bus. Making fun of their small size, and lack of age. The older student starts to take the lunch money of the younger student and then also starts to take the personal possessions of the student. In addition to taking things the student starts to hit, trip, kick or torment the student at every chance when the two meet in the school hall ways or on the bus. It even gets to the point where the younger student is afraid to go to school.
 * 4) Students will then post a response to each of the three pages. Students will reflect on a possible solution or solutions that the students can take in order to rectify the situations. Focus can be made on what people can the students turn to, what can other students can do, what steps can be taken so as not to let this happen again.
 * 5) Upon positing an initial post, students will be required to also comment on a minimum of one other student posting per scenarios. || Materials and Resources
 * Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: For students with accommodations or with special needs, the number of responses that are required for each of the posts can be adapted. ||
 * ==MONITOR== ||
 * Ongoing Assessment(s): Students will be assessed both by quality of information in their initial post. Similar to the requirements for Walden University discussion posts, the same will be used for this.
 * ==EVALUATE AND EXTEND== ||
 * Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson:

** Writing Assessment Holistic Rubric **

|| A **six** paper is superior. It does ALL or MOST of the following:
 * Focuses and develops ideas in a sustained and compelling manner, showing creativity and insight
 * Clarifies and defends or persuades with precise and relevant evidence; clearly defines and frames issues.
 * Effectively organizes ideas in a clear, local, detailed, and coherent manner using appropriate structures to enhance the central theme or idea
 * Demonstrates involvement with the text and speaks purposefully to the audience in an appropriate, individualistic, and engaging manner.
 * Uses multiple sentence structures and word choices effectively and with a sense of control for stylistic effect.
 * Commits few, if any, errors in standard English rules for grammar/usage and mechanics.
 * A **five** paper is distinctly above average. It does ALL or MOST off the following:
 * Focuses and develops ideas in an effective and detailed manner.
 * Defends and/or persuades with important and relevant evidence; defines and frames issues
 * Organizes ideas clearly and coherently using structures appropriate to purposes.
 * Communicates a sense of commitment to the topic and to the audience’ involvement.
 * Uses varied sentence structure and word choice effectively.
 * Commits few errors in standard English grammar/usage and mechanics || A **four** is adequate. It exhibits ALL or MOST of the following characteristics:
 * Adequately focuses and develops ideas with detail.
 * Defends and/or persuades with support and clarity, using relevant evidence
 * Organizes ideas in a satisfactory manner with adequate coherence and logic.
 * Uses a voice that is appropriate to audience and purpose.
 * Uses a variety of sentence structures and word choice, but occasionally displays some wordiness or ineffective diction; sentences may be predictable.
 * Commits some errors in standard English grammar/usage and mechanics that do not impede meaning; indicates basic understanding of conventions. ||
 * A **three** paper is inadequate. It is clearly flawed in SOME OR ALL of the following ways:
 * Focuses, but may not display mature or well-developed content.
 * Attempts defense or persuasive stance but position is unclear and/or evidence is brief, tangential or based solely on personal opinion.
 * Displays minimal organization; contains irrelevancies, digresses, rambles, or lacks logic
 * Lacks sincerity of purpose in the writer’s attempt to involve the audience appropriately.
 * Uses sentence structure and word choice that are somewhat limited, simplistic, mundane, or otherwise inappropriate.
 * Contains flaws in Standard English rules of grammar/usage and mechanics that do not impede meaning; indicates some consistent misunderstanding of the conventions. || A **two** paper is very weak. It reveals serious and persistent problems in communications. It compounds the weaknesses of the 3 paper in SOME or ALL of the following ways.
 * Lacks focus and development; may list items with little or no supporting detail.
 * Defense or persuasive stance is unclear or absent; evidence is vague or missing.
 * Contains serious flaws in structure, organization and coherence.
 * Attempts, but falls in the writer’s attempt to involve the audience appropriately.
 * Uses sentences structure and word choice that are highly limited, simplistic, or otherwise inappropriate.
 * Displays consistent violations in Standard English rules of grammar/usage and mechanics that impede understanding. || A **one** paper is extremely weak. It has few redeeming qualities. It at least mentions the topic, but generally fails to communicate with the reader. It does Some or ALL of the following:
 * Simply repeats the topic or fails to provide adequate development.
 * Fails to establish a position and/or develop persuasive view; evidence is not apparent.
 * Shows almost no structure, organization or coherence.
 * Does not address the audience appropriately.
 * Uses limited and/or immature sentence structure and word choice.
 * Overwhelms the reader with serious violations of Standard English rules grammar/usage and mechanics. ||


 * Group Responses:**

Bethany, When I read your first lesson plan, this lesson was the first place my mind went to. I have been using discussion boards for my discussion questions for the book we are currently reading and it has been a phenomenal addition to my class. The students have taken to discussing things on line quite quickly. Your online blogging lesson could lend itself to that quite easily. Where one student posts their writing in a blog, under the anonymity you mentioned, the others could offer ideas, advice, and ask questions much like we are doing with this wiki.

Mike Schiller

Bethany, I like that you are using a discussion board for this assignment. I feel like it will give students more time to develop meaningful responses than instant messaging or microblogging allow. Have you done something like this with students before? It is definitely my first time incorporating this much technology into my lessons. I wonder how students do with the transition from note taking to creating their own thoughts and opinions. It certainly is a critical skill to learn and I wish more of my teachers in high school had understood this. Brittany Washburn


 * = Daily Lesson GAME Plan Lesson 3 = ||
 * Lesson Title: Bullying Digital Storytelling |||| Related Lessons: ||
 * Grade Level: 7 |||| Unit: Bullying ||
 * ==GOALS== ||
 * Content Standards:


 * __ Virginia SOL’s English/Language Arts: __**


 * 7.7 The student will apply knowledge of appropriate reference materials. **

a) Use print and electronic sources to locate information in books and articles.

b) Use graphic organizers to organize information.

c) Synthesize information from multiple sources.

d) Credit primary and secondary sources.


 * 7.8 The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. **

a) Apply knowledge of pre-writing strategies.

b) Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner.

c) Choose vocabulary and information that will create voice and tone.

d) Use clauses and phrases to vary sentences.

e) Revise writing for clarity and effect.

f) Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish selected writings.


 * 7.9 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing. **

a) Use a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure.

b) Demonstrate understanding of sentence formation by identifying the eight parts of speech and their functions in sentences.

c) Choose pronouns to agree with antecedents.

d) Use subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and clauses. Edit for verb tense consistency.

Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. ||
 * __ National Standards English Language Arts __**** : **
 * 1) Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
 * ISTE NETS-S
 * Technology operations and concepts
 * Research and information fluency
 * Creativity and innovation
 * Critical thinking, problem-solving, & decision-making

Instructional Objectives: Students will develop and integrate digital storytelling into their bullying projects. Students will create a bullying scenario which demonstrates a form of bullying and then different methods of which to deal with the bullying. Students will work in a small group in order to complete ||
 * ==ACTION== ||
 * Before-Class Preparation: Student instruction and discussion on the different forms of bullying that the students are encountering. Set up of mobile lab and recording instruments so that the students may record their items. Development of groups of students to better facilitate the learning ||
 * During Class ||
 * Time

1- 2 weeks depending upon the filming time of the students |||| Instructional Activities


 * 1) Students in groups will further discuss the bullying examples that they have previously discussed. Students will begin to develop skits that clearly demonstrate the scenario and then as a group they will show the possible ways for students to deal with the experiences. Students will have the choice to choose between cyber bullying, mental and verbal bullying and physical bullying.
 * 2) In conjuction with the video, students will develop a personal reflection essay, that clearly demonstrates the different emotions that students may experience if in the event they are having to deal with the experience. Students will be graded with the writing rubric at the end of this unit plan.
 * 3) Students will practice the skits and filming techniques. This will be done on a small group level. Students will need to develop a role for each of the students within the group. Students will make sure that they clearly demonstrate the kind of bullying that the group selected and then student groups will demonstrate on video different types of solutions that they came up with for the kind of bullying. Students will be sure to include talking to a teacher, parent or other school official for their video. Students will also have the opportunity to, on the video, to talk briefly about the emotional impact of the bullying and the importance of standing up for one’s personal rights.
 * 4) Students will film their storytelling experiences. Students will also reflect on their experiences on the stories.
 * 5) Upon completion of their videos students will share with the class and also post them on the school web-site for the county interaction with the topic.
 * 6) As an extension to the lesson students will be given the opportunity to make testimonial videos if they choose to participate. || Materials and Resources

Cameras, laptops, music, paper and pencils, as well as the ITRT at our school for assistance. ||
 * Note student groupings, environmental modifications needed, etc: Students will be placed into groups of 3-4 paying to particular attention to IEP and ELL student pairings so that students are able to mentor one another. ||
 * ==MONITOR== ||
 * Ongoing Assessment(s): Throughout the collaboration efforts work will be monitored at all times. Student written reflections will be graded on the Virginia holistic rubric. I will more have the role of facilitator in the collaboration efforts and development of the stories and roles of the students.
 * Ongoing Assessment(s): Throughout the collaboration efforts work will be monitored at all times. Student written reflections will be graded on the Virginia holistic rubric. I will more have the role of facilitator in the collaboration efforts and development of the stories and roles of the students.

Accommodations and Extensions: Any accommodations will be made in the development of groups. Students will be paired with others that will best facilitate learning by all students. With some of the sensitive nature of the topics consideration of all boy or all girl groups may be done. This will give the students a little more comfort when discussing problems especially if the bullying is between boys and girls. Students will have have

Back-Up Plan: Students can create a live action lesson demonstration for the classes in the event the technology is not working properly. ||
 * ==EVALUATE AND EXTEND== ||
 * Be specific and include the evaluation that you will use for this lesson:

LESSON REFLECTIONS AND NOTES: Throughout this unit the goal has been to make the students aware of the difference faces of bullying while empowering them to stand up in the event they encounter the problem. Students will learn many different aspects of bullying but the need to making students aware of the cyber bullying issue will be one of the more important goals. With the problem with sextting, Facebook, Myspace and other social venues online and via phones students need to be prepared to face these problems and be given solutions and knowledge in how to combat it. I look forward to implementing this portion of the unit when I get to that point. The students have started to embrace the importance for anti-bullying education and see the need to create a positive learning environment for all students. ||