Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Rainforest

Teacher: Amanda Skowbo

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
That they are all different and like the
creatures live in one place but are all very
different and have an importance.
Student Before: know how to write a
sentence with guidance, go and check out
books at the library, and listen to books and
ideas
After: know how to write facts for a
research paper and how to be a better
steward for the Earth

(How does this fit with students experiences,

the school goals, and the larger societal issues?
How does this fit with the broader curriculumwhat has come before and what will come
after?)

Established Goals
Common Core Standards:
Science:
L.OL.00.11 Identify that living things have
basic needs.
S.IA.01.12 Share ideas about science
through purposeful conversation.
S.IP.01.11 Make purposeful observation of
the natural world using the appropriate
senses.

Social Studies

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Create a research project on an animal in the rainforest
Use a song to help remember the canopies of the rainforest
Locate on a map an area on the rainforest
State what the climate of the rainforest is
Name at least 4 animals that reside in the rainforest
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that
Rainforests are the most diverse areas for
species/animals and plant to live
That even though we in Michigan do not live by a
rainforest, we are still affected by them and can affect
them
That they rainforest makes up a community of many
species with all the canopies (part to whole)
What they should wear based on the climate of the
rainforest
Research projects are about facts, not opinions

Meaning
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will keep considering
How the animals in the rainforest connect to each other
and make a living out of it?
How can I be a steward to the earth, with rainforests so
far away?
How can I impact the rainforest?
What would happen if there were no rainforests?

(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry, meaningmaking and transfer?)

(What specically do you want students to understand?

What inferences should they make?)

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Cognitive Objectives
Physical Development Objectives
Socio-emotional Objectives
The Students will be able to...
The students will be able to...
The students will be able to...
Draw what they would need in the
Move like an animal in the
think about why damaging the
rainforest to represent the climate
rainforest
rainforest hurts/effects the animals
and understanding of the rainforest
Demonstrate the 4 layers in the
and humans
Write about what they witness and
rainforest in movement of the song connect and imagine ways of
see in the rainforest
Cut and color worksheets about
stewardship to the land and
the rainforest
rainforest

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

1 G5.0.1 Describe ways in which people

modify (e.g., cutting down trees, building
roads) and adapt to the environment (e.g.,
clothing, housing, transportation).
1 G1.0.4 Distinguish between landmasses
and bodies of water using maps and globes.
Writing/Reading:
Kindergarten Writing
1. Use a combination of drawing, dictating,
and writing to compose opinion pieces in
which they tell a reader the topic or the
name of the book they are writing about
and state an opinion or preference about
the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . .
.).
2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating,
and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which
they name what they are writing about and
supply some information about the topic.

1st Grade Writing

1. Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or name the book they
are writing about, state an opinion, supply a
reason for the opinion, and provide some
sense of closure.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts in
which they name a topic, supply some facts
about the topic, and provide some sense of
closure.
3. Write narratives in which they recount
two or more appropriately sequenced
events, include some details regarding what
happened, use temporal words to signal
event order, and provide some sense of
closure.

Compare and contrast Michigan to

the Rainforest
Explore and list at least 5 animals
that live in a rainforest, including
humans
Name and draw the 4 layers of the
rainforest and know difference
between the layers
State the climate of the rainforest
and tell me what they wear;
understand that is by the equator
Locate a rainforest on a map (1st
grade only)
Write one fact and one opinion
about the rainforest animals in My
Rainforest Book
Correctly tell the difference between
a fact and opinion
State a problem in the rainforest
Listen to the multiple stories be read
and relate it to what doing in class
Interact with Ipad games to
discover more about the rainforest
Create own skill cards to
understand diversity and difference
in the class and rainforest
Journals about follow up questions
from the stories read
Draw and color the research animal
in correct habitat
Demonstrate correct sentence
writing
Share their ideas and finding with
the class

Create movement to the layer of

the rainforest song to help
remember

(What discrete skills and processes

should students be able to use?)

respect and appreciate the

diversity in a rainforest
relate that the rainforest is diverse
like the classroom we are in

(What values and commitments and

attitudes should students acquire or
wrestle with?)

(What facts and basic concepts should

students know and be
able to recall?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

Michigan Department of Education

http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-1
40-28753_64839_65510---,00.html

(What content standards and program- or

mission-related goal(s) will the unit address?
What habits of mind and cross-disciplinary
st
goal(s)- for example 21
century skills, core
competencies- will this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)

Evaluative Criteria
Please see the attachment of the Research
Project Rubric for details on what students
were required to have completed.
The rubric will be the main guide as the sad
face will mean they did not meet the
requirement, the check mark meaning they
did okay, and a smiley face will mean they
did an excellent job. The requirements on
the rubric include:
at least one fact about animal
do you have an end mark at the
end of your sentences
is there a picture if the animal
does the background of the picture
show the rainforest layer
creativity and directions followed
As students only started with little to no
knowledge on the rainforest, each student
will be evaluated differently and standards
may change for each. Because working in
their K/1st grade buddy pair, I expect that
the 1st grade student will be able to help
and lead their buddy through these

Stage 2- Evidence (How Assess)

Students will show their learning by
the Research Project (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Demonstrate by:
The Research Project. This requires the student to:
o read a nonfiction book about their animal of choice the teacher has provided
o collect facts from the book on their research animal
o draw a picture of the animals of research in the most accurate way (close resemblance and similar color
that of the actual animal)
o draw the background of the animal picture demonstrates knowledge of what layer in the rainforest their
animal lives in
o write the name of the animal spelt correctly
o write two facts about their animal from the research book provided
o write one opinion on the animal
o draw or write an additional fact about their animal
o write the facts and opinions with correct capitalization, end marks, and in a sentence
o follow directions given by the teacher for the project
o work with their assigned K/1st grade buddy
o show creativity in the project
o present their project with their buddy to teach the class about the animal they choose
o show understanding from previous lessons onto their research project

(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex performance?)
Students will demonstrate their understanding and ideas by demonstrating the skills listed above.
Are they able to the directions given?

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

requirements. Depending on what time

permits in other lessons that build to this
lesson, some requirements may also
change.
(What criteria will be used in each assessment
to evaluate attainment of the desired
results?)(rubric required - for students)
(Regardless of the format of the assessment,
what qualities are most important?)

Can they apply the knowledge of the

rainforest to writing facts and
opinions about it.
Can they walk away with one new
idea about the rainforest? For
example, could:
Tell me an animal in the
rainforest
Tell me the climate of the
rainforest
Tell me the layers of the
rainforest
Tell me that is important to
have rainforests

Are they able to understand the rubric and complete those tasks?

Students should be able to show their meaning by showing their animal in the right layer of the rainforest and be able to have their
facts distinguished from their opinion.

OTHER EVIDENCE: If students are unable to perform the task of the research project, other assessments throughout the
rest of the unit will be an indicator of what the student knows. Some of the other performance task formative assessment
include:
o packing correct materials and writing home a letter about an imaginary trip they took to the rainforest
o describing and knowing the layers in the rainforest and which animals belong where
o knowing how to write and find facts , compare to opinions
o listing a few animals in the rainforest
o being able to point on a map where rainforests are located
o writing journal pages about the rainforest that related to topics discussed
(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Pre-assessment- given on October 29
Pre-assessment: A KWL Chart - only K and W (Know-want to know-learn)
I will ask each student to tell me about what they know about the rainforest. I will ask questions such as what animals live there, what the weather is
like/what you would wear, where they are. By asking each student then it will not be just a class assumption, but rather an entire individual and class
pre-assessment so that I know what to address in the lesson.
As for the what they will want to know, hopefully the same questions spark certain ideas and questions that the students will want to know
Possible misconceptions may include - movie- Jungle Book- Diego and Dora
By doing a KWL chart, this can be helpful to tell me where each student is and give a good preview of what I will be teaching, but also tell me how much I will
need to find to help each of the students out. Also, by how they answer and questions they bring up will make me aware of the skill level as a class and as
individual students.

The Results: to see KWL chart results see attached page (Pre-assessment - Rainforest). In general, I notice that there are some misconceptions we will have to work out, as
well as, some solid ideas on what it is like. As for the questions, they are good questions that I will have to begin to research on, but notice that the unit plan I am creating
will fit and answer the majority of these questions well.
(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does each
Learning Events
learning event build?)
Acquisition: After I am done
teaching the students, they will
be able to understand that the
rainforest is a warm and wet
place full of more than half the
world's plants and animals. That
it is a diverse place of many
animals and plants, and that
they live within the four layers
Meaning: that the rainforest is
important to them, even if not
living by it. It gives us lots of
resources and provides us with
life. Also, God created them and
need to help and be stewards of
His creation.
Transfer: Students will
understand that the rainforest is
in a lot of danger as it is being
destroyed right now, so students

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in
these learning events
Lesson 1: Visiting the Rainforest
Naming at least 4 animals that reside in the rainforest after reading the story
about visiting the rainforest (transfer)
Stating that the climate of the rainforest is hot and rainy (transfer)
listing/explaining what they should wear based on the climate of the rainforest
(meaning)
listening to and answering questions asked about a story in the rainforest
(acquisition)
Filling out/completing the double-bubble map comparing Michigan and the
Amazon Rainforest showing how they compare and contrast (acquisition)
drawing items they would bring to the rainforest to represent their knowledge of
the climate in the rainforest (acquisition)
writing and reflecting on what they are learning about the rainforest in a postcard
home to someone, such as animals seen (acquisition)

Progress Monitoring
(How will you monitor students
progress toward acquisition, meaning,
and transfer during lesson events?)
(Formative Assessment)

Monitoring will be done by observing the

students progress in the small activites
done: the canopy book, the map, and
small writings. Also, when I teach each
lesson it will do a review from the last
time I was in the classroom to see what
they retained.
Demonstrate by:
o packing correct
materials and writing
home a letter about an
imaginary trip they took
to the rainforest
o describing and knowing
the layers in the

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

will be able to walk away

knowing that they need to take
care of Gods creation and help
the rainforest. Also, they will
know a difference between a fact
and opinion and are able to
apply this knowledge to other
future research projects

Lesson 2: Location, Layers, and Endangerment

Using the song on the layers to help remember the layers of the rainforest
(transfer)
listening to and answering questions about the story that show understanding
that the rainforest makes up a community of many species in all the layers
(meaning)
Pointing on a globe/map to the equator and the Amazon River to show
understanding of where rainforests and the Amazon rainforest (talked about the
previous day) are located (acquisition)
creating movements and singing to a song on their learning about the layers of the
rainforest (acquisition)
writing and reflecting on what they are learning about the problems that are
hurting animals in the rainforest in their journals (acquisition)
cutting and glueing animals of the rainforest into their layer of the rainforest
showing understanding of the 4 layers and differences between (acquisition)
Lesson 3: Facts vs. Opinions and Stewardship
writing a fact and opinion about each animal in the My rainforest book to
demonstrate they know the difference between facts and opinions (acquisition)
orally answering correctly if a statement given is a fact or opinion (acquisition)
writing, reflecting, and drawing a picture on a problem occurring in the rainforest
and how to be a better steward of it in their journal (acquisition)
answering and reflecting in journal on how can I be a steward to the
earth, with rainforests so far away? (meaning)
answering and reflecting in journal how can I be a steward to the earth,
with rainforests so far away? (meaning)
listening to and answering questions about the book read, such as:
answering questions on the reading to know that rainforests are the most
diverse areas for species/animals and plant to live (meaning)
listening to and reflecting on the book read, know that even though we in
Michigan and do not live by a rainforest, we are still affected by them and
can affect them (meaning)
moving like a rainforest animal to demonstrate knowledge of an animal in the
rainforest between rotations (acquisition)
Lesson 4: Diversity of Animals
playing the brush-off game and interacting with other games and applications
with the Ipad app Britannica Kids: Rainforests to learn about the rainforest and
animals there (acquisition)
writing and creating their own story page from the story read in class
(acquisition)

o
o

rainforest and which

animals belong where
knowing how to write
and find facts , compare
to opinions
listing a few animals in
the rainforest
being able to point on a
map where rainforests
are located
writing journal pages
about the rainforest that
related to topics
discussed
writing a Research
Paper about an animal of
choice

(How will students monitor their

own progress toward acquisition,
meaning, and
transfer?)(Assessment as
learning)(rubric?)

Self-assessment for the students can be done

by having each of them tell me about the unit
and all the small projects will show to
themselves their own progress. In addition,
each student at the end will make a research
project and see their own success and
progress.
For the final summative assessment a rubric
will be given. Please see the attachment for
the Research Project Rubric.

(What are potential rough spots and

student misunderstandings?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum

drawing and completing the All About Me worksheet to show understanding of

how diverse the class is like the rainforest (acquisition)
moving like animals in the rainforest between rotations to show that know an
animal in the rainforest (acquisition)
listening and answering questions on how diverse rainforest is and how like the
classroom (acquisition)
reflecting and answering questions about how the animals in the
rainforest connect to each other and make a living out of it? (meaning)

Lesson 5: Research Project

creating a research project on an animal in the rainforest (transfer)
completing and writing facts in the research project by demonstrating that
understand research projects are about facts, not opinions (meaning)
remembering and telling the difference between a fact and opinion (acquisition)
reading and finding facts in research book on rainforest animal (transfer)
writing at least one fact and one opinion on their rainforest animal research
project (acquisition)
drawing and coloring the research animal and layer of rainforest live in on the
research project (acquisition)
presenting and sharing their findings on research animal to class with their buddy
(acquisition)
Overall Learning Throughout Unit:
listening to and answering questions on the literature read to class
reading the multiple books in free time on the rainforest
interacting and looking at maps and globes with rainforests marked on it and
reading keys on maps that explain how much of the rainforest has been destroyed
answering and listing names of animals that live in the rainforest

(Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and
expression, and multiple means of engagement?)
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in the
learning plan?)
(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

Potential misunderstandings will include

things that they think will represent the
rainforest (what is in their schemata).
some will include:
rainforest - will be like the forest
here in Michigan
Media: Jungle Book, Diego show show wrong animals and
connections between
where they are located and
different canopies?
how something so far away
affects them.
Doing a research project - writing
facts instead of their own opinion

(How will students get the feedback they

need?)

Feedback will be verbal and a rubric that

students will be able to understand. It will
include as develop what what to see in
research project ideas about: facts, end
mark, and correct spelling. The sheet will
be a happy face for great, a check mark for
good, and sad face for more improvement.
Overall though, it will be more verbal
feedback and complimenting progress.
*Please see the attached form, under
assessment, for the Research Project
Rubric.
*

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011)

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
and Van Brummelen (2002)
Steppingstones to Curriculum