TAT2, Task 1

TAT2 Task 1: Integration Design

Cara Kusnic

02/23/2019

A Written Project Presented to the Faculty of the Teachers College of

Western Governors University

TAT2 Task 1: Integration Design

This unit is a three day unit on non-fiction comprehension using T-Charts and text features. Each unit is a two-hour block. This unit is geared for second grade students. Please see the multiple sections below for more detail in regard to my units.

Instructional Goal

By the end of instruction, through small groups and iReady instruction, students will be able to obtain grade level reading comprehension using non-fiction text by achieving 7 out of 10 correct.  Students will be assessed through iReady assessments and teacher assessments during one on one instruction.

Instructional Objectives

            Please note that the following objectives were used in this unit plan.  

            Objective 1: Using grade level non-fiction text, students will be able to identify three text features, scoring a minimum of 7/10 points on the assessment.

            Objective 2: Given a non-fiction text, students will demonstrate the use of three strategies to read a non-fiction text by highlighting information, identifying text features, and writing questions in the margin.

            Objective 3: Using a self-selected reading book on their current level, students will compare and contrast a fiction text to a non-fiction text by creating and completing a T-Chart with at least 7 comparisons.

Audience

This lesson is geared toward sixteen second grade African-American and Hispanic students. The students in my classroom are in a Title-1 and SIG school, which means that all of my students receive a free breakfast and lunch daily. Students in my classroom receive all areas of instruction including but not limited to: reading, writing, math, social studies, science and social emotional skills. Our school is located in the downtown area of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We are the heart of the downtown area, and are considered the “neighborhood” school. The students that come into my class are normally far below grade level in all subject areas.

Instructional Sequence

            This unit is a three day, three lesson unit that consists of two hours in each unit. In each lesson there are pre-instructional activities, content presentation, learner participation, assessment, and follow through activities.

Instructional Theories and Designs

            When designing my units, I had two theories in mind due to my class make-up. I was able to incorporate both of those theories in my design. I used Constructivism in lessons 1, 2, and 3. Constructivism is represented by collaboration, student engagement, and class discussion. I also used Behaviorism in lessons 1-3. The use of direct instruction is very important in my classroom as my students need elicit detail and instruction before they can move on to their independent work and group activities.

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Instructional Strategies

            I use a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of all my students. Expository instruction is needed so that my students can make connections. They are making connections to other texts and to their own brain, so that they can recall information and use it in a purposeful and meaningful way. I also lecture, because they need to hear me; however, we do a lot of group work. It is a second grade classroom and they learn better from each other. As such, cooperative learning with collaboration is a huge instructional strategy in my classroom that is very useful.  Learning is differentiated, because students learn and grow at different rates and I want them all to be successful on their level now to ultimately bring them to the grade level expectation.

Materials

            Students will use various materials in this lesson. They will need fiction and non-fiction books to study and look through. They will also need their reading journals and pencils to record their findings. Students will also need T-Charts to display their information on. Highlighters are a vital part of lesson three to help them make their text-features pop-out and be very noticeable to them.

Resources

            The use of chrome books are needed so that students can access iReady and be assessed. iReady is a program that allows teachers to schedule a certain lesson and test students on that lesson. It also allows students to be given instruction on their level.

Assessments

            Students will be assessed through performance objectives. While the students are being assessed the teacher will take anecdotal notes and will also use iReady. iReady assessments will be completed on the computer and will give immediate feedback to students on  how they did. It provides an immediate score to them. If they get it, the program will adjust and provide them with a more challenging lesson. If they do poorly, it will re-mediate whether they are doing great and can move up, or it will tell them that they need additional support and help. I will also assess students when walking around my classroom and asking them informal questions about what they are doing and why.

Technology Analysis of Five New Technologies

            In this section, I have added a table below for evaluators to see my analysis of each website that I researched.  I like some of the resources that I found on YouTube. For instance, there is a very nice video posted by Teaching Independent Learners (Learners, 2017). I really like how  the woman's voice is very clear and pleasant. Microsoft Power point is a nice way to add your own touch to a lesson. I have never used Quizizz before, but after researching, I love how interactive and game based the quizzes are. Flipsnack was pretty cool. It is definitely not a resource that a second grade student could use. I like the vibrant colors and the templates. I did not like that it is not a free website. If you want to download the items that you make, you have to pay a premium membership.   WatchKnowLearn had awesome teacher resources that I can use to create a stronger lesson for my students. I like that it shows me what to do and then I can take things away from it that I do not think will work.