Using Learning Targets and Backwards Design in Planning (Colorado, 4thgrade)

Every person goes through their own planning process. This is how I went through my planning process for the 4th grade Colorado unit. In this process, I use backwards design to write Learning Targets and inquiry questions.  I do this so my attention stays focused on student thinking rather than information. (Here are the final Learning Targets that you see me develop within this blog post.)

I began by creating a large poster that included the social studies disciplines that are in this unit.

I used the Unit Outline, which is available in CCAP Stage 3, to create a broad outline for the entire unit. With each "chunk" of learning, I added the social studies disciplines that I think we would elevate. This helps me to keep focus on skill and conceptual goals.

I created a list of the Big Ideas and Organizing Concepts in the unit. I can find these on Stage 1. This is just another way to stay focused on concepts within the unit. I might end up creating an anchor chart that includes these and our inquiry questions.  That way, our anchor chart stays focused on concepts. In the future, I'll be writing Learning Targets that are focused on skills and processes that students will learn and apply in their classroom work.

Some "chunks" of the unit need to broken down into smaller sections. This is helpful in planning the entire unit.

I start to add days to my unit plan. Days are general to start and I know that this may change as I go deeper into the planning process.

I use Stage 1 and focus on the section with skills and processes. I stay focused on this section because it helps me to think about the skills and processes in the unit. Historically, social studies has been about information. I know that 21st century learners must focus on how to use information and sources, and the "Students will be able to..." section provides that guidance. I also know that this helps me to understand rigor within the unit, and I also start to sense what type of modeling I will need so students can be successful with our Learning Targets.

Last, I want to elevate the conceptual goals. To do this, I use Essential Questions and redesign them so they are connected to the facts and skills that have been highlighted in the Learning Targets. I write a few questions that we can use as part of classroom conversations.

Here are my Learning Targets. I decided what a final Learning Target would be, and then I asked myself, "What additional Learning Targets can I write that will help students be successful with their final Learning Target?" Notice how I've established the number of days to accomplish the goals. In addition, notice how I've created different Learning Targets that feel like "the right steps" to be successful. 

My first Learning Targets focus on describing the location of Colorado in relation to other places.

My second Learning Targets focus on using geographic vocabulary to describe Colorado's physical regions.

My third Learning Target is related to comparing regions.

My inquiry questions are open-ended with broad answers. In addition, I've included a question that starts to point in the direction we are going for the unit.

How Might I Assess If Students Understand "Culture"?

     In various grades, students examine culture. It might be...the culture of an individual or family...the culture of a state, region or nation...the culture of indigenous peoples. When students examine culture, they look at the pieces that make up the whole.

Over time, students begin to understand that unity and diversity across cultures can be identified when looking at different elements of culture, such as:

• Social Aspects of Culture (major beliefs and values, holidays and celebrations, religion, art, language, education, food, games/sports)
• Economic Aspects of Culture (economic organization, interdependence and specialization)
• Political Aspects of Culture (governmental organization, laws and policies, mechanisms to foster cooperation and to deal with conflict)

For social studies teachers, assessing a student's understanding of culture is very difficult. Yet, demonstrating understanding of culture provides a number of pathways to empower students and incorporate student creativity. When I asked fellow social studies teachers about the different ways they assess culture, these were some of their ideas:

1. Students create a museum exhibit with artifacts. When you visit a museum, artifacts are used to represent the culture. With any artifact, there's an explanation about the artifact and why it's important to a culture. Students could select artifacts that represent different elements of culture. Students can explain the artifact's connection the culture while also identifying why the artifact is a strong example within a particular element of culture. Museum exhibits can be created by small groups of students and placed on display. Students can also use different digital tools to gather a digital museum exhibit and create a video with voice-over to be docents of the exhibit.
2. How about a survival guide? When we must "step-in" to new and different cultures, we must figure out ways of assimilating so we can fit-in and survive. What are the cultural norms that are necessary to blend in, assimilate, and acculturate? 
3. Create a video report complete with photos, artifacts, music, etc. It provides a creative opportunity for students to share their understanding. 
4. Create alternate lines of culture.  We might study a particular culture and then ask, "What if our culture included this aspect of another culture? How would this impact us? What if this event would have happened in our culture, how would that have impacted our culture of today?"
5. Within a culture, life is seen differently by its members. Culture is different for a young boy or young girl.  Culture is seen differently by a rich or poor person, man or woman, leader or citizen.  Students might create diary entries or design short skits that elevate the perspective of different members within a culture. Students can be required to identify the different elements of culture that are being addressed within the diary entry or skit. This might also be accomplished by students creating documentaries that involve someone interviewing different members of a culture.
6. Add any of your ideas in the comments section.

Flat Stanley Throughout Colorado with Incoming 4th Graders

     Schools have many traditions, and one of my favorites is the documentation of Flat Stanley's travels. Recently, I was on Twitter and noticed a series of posts for #preserveCOstanley. It got me thinking...

Students exiting 3rd grade, preparing to start 4th grade know that the coming year will be significantly focused on state studies. I asked myself, "How might we use social media to help students SEE the sites, famous landmarks, monuments, government buildings, and physical geography of the state?"

Flat Stanley at Bent's Fort      pic.twitter.com/RehrsVmAGy

What if every student colored a Flat Stanley on the last day of 3rd grade and then took pictures with Flat Stanley during summer travels in the state? Simply use your state's abbreviation and Stanley as a hashtag, and post the pictures to Twitter.

Colorado - #COStanley

New Mexico - #NMStanley

California - #CAStanley

You get the picture! Go here for any Flat Stanley materials you might want.

Since all state studies have some similar components to student learning, here are some suggested places to take pictures.

1. Physical Geography - Take a picture of Flat Stanley with major aspects of physical geography in the background.  In Colorado, we have beautiful locations throughout the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the plateaus. Sometimes it's difficult for students to understand physical regions and physical geography unless they have a picture.
2. Significant People, Cultures, and Events - Take a picture of Flat Stanley somewhere that might be connected to significant people, cultures, or events. In Colorado, why not take a picture at Mesa Verde to help others see where early Native Cultures lived. As you tour a Gold Mine, take a picture of Flat Stanley with a minecart. When you walk through Denver, take a picture near monuments and statues that were created to honor the state's past. Someone will have relatives in Eastern Colorado...take a picture so students can know what life is like on a ranch. 
3. Government Buildings and People - If you visit the state capital or the Denver Mint, take a picture! If you happen to get inside and see people debating issues within the state legislature, capture the moment. 

U.S. Regional Studies (aka Please Abandon Traditional State Reports)

Sometimes it's difficult to abandon traditions. For ages, elementary students have engaged in research reports about states. While teachers might feel satisfied with the classroom buzz of busy students finding a wealth of facts, there comes a time when we must ask ourselves, "Does this experience lead to deeper understanding of conceptual ideas? Does this experience lead students to engage in the critical thinking processes of a social scientist?" If we are honest with ourselves, the answer is a definitive NO.

What is a region? How might I organize the states into regions? 

To engage students in deeper understanding of our nation, we must begin by thinking about regions of the United States.  As a concept, region designates an area (of no specific size) that is part of a larger whole (the United States) which has smaller units within it. Regions differ largely on what we are talking about. While there are ways to regionally organize the nation based on climate, cultural ethnicity, well-being,.... we might consider a traditional organization of our nation into regions. Each region includes a particular set of states and those states have been included within the region based on geographic, economic, historic, and cultural trends/patterns.

• West Region (WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO) and AK, HI
• Southwest Region (AZ, NM, TX, OK)
• Midwest Region (ND, SD, NE, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, OH, MI)
• Northeast Region (MD, DE, NJ, PA, CT, RI, MA, NV, VT, NH, ME)
• Southeast Region (KY, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN)

What will students learn about regions? 

State reports have been justified for a long time because students find out lots of facts about states.  But, our goal is to support conceptual understanding of our nation.  Ask yourself, "How does finding facts about a state help you to understand our nation?"  It doesn't.

Consider this - students frequently engage in lengthy, complex studies of their home state prior to learning about the United States.  In Colorado, students investigate some significant concepts, such as:

• What regions might we identify in Colorado based on physical geography? What traits define these regions?
• Who has come to Colorado over time? Why?
• How is migration and population in Colorado connected to events in the United States?
• How has migration and population development influenced the cultural diversity of the state? How is today's diverse population connected to the past?
• How has the geography of Colorado influenced the ways people live over time and place?
• How has the geography of Colorado influenced economics over time and place?
• What is the structure and function of state government?
• What issues are being addressed by the state government? What are potential solutions?

In a regional study of the United States, students have the opportunity to expand horizons by connecting their state to a region.  In our case, Colorado becomes connected to the West region.  When students take a deeper look at the region, they begin to see patterns emerge.  For example, people migrated to various parts of the West for gold, not just Colorado.  People migrate to the West for its physical features and climate. Cultural diversity in the West has some patterns due to historic events.  

With an understanding of a region's trends and patterns, students have the opportunity to compare and contrast these trends and patterns with other regions.  In doing so, students develop deeper understanding of our nation.  

• If we divide the nation into these regions, what characteristics might be used to describe the physical geography of each region? (How do those characteristics compare to Colorado and the West?)
• Who has come to __________ region over time? Why? (How does this compare with who and why people migrated to Colorado and the West region over time?)
• How is migration and population in __________ region connected to events in the United States? (How does this compare with Colorado and the West?)
• How has migration and population development influenced the cultural diversity of the______ region? How is today's diverse population in the _______ region connected to the past?
• How has the geography of the _______ region influenced the ways people live over time and place? (How does this compare with the ways people have lived over time and place in Colorado and the West?)
• How has the geography of the __________ region influenced economics over time and place? (How does this compare with the influence of geography on economics over time and place in Colorado and the West?)
• What issues are being addressed by governments within the __________ region? (How do the issues in this region compare to the issues in Colorado and the West?)

What resources might I use? What case studies might students examine to develop regional understanding of our nation?

• Tools to Compare Regions
• Blank and Thematic Maps for ALL Regions of the United States - There are so many maps in this link.  As you look at the different maps, start to think about the trends and patterns that you notice within a region.  You'll notice trends and patterns for physical geography, climate, cultural diversity, and so much more.
• Resource Bundle: West Region (WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO) and AK, HI
• Resource Bundle: Southwest Region (AZ, NM, TX, OK)
• Resource Bundle: Midwest Region (ND, SD, NE, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, OH, MI)
• Resource Bundle: Northeast Region (MD, DE, NJ, PA, CT, RI, MA, NV, VT, NH, ME)
• Resource Bundles: Southeast Region (KY, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN)
• Portal to Digitized Resources for Every State (Library of Congress)

What about memorizing states and capitols? 

To be honest, cultural traditions are strong and many families in our communities still want this type of learning.  So...let's consider our purpose.  When we hear news about different states in the nation, we want students to have a general sense of where those states are located.  As adults, we hear about news in the nation and often connect that news with the region where a state is located.  If this is how we operate as thinking adults, how might we design learning that aligns with how we think? I think it's perfectly appropriate to establish a goal where students can identify the states within each region.  As for capitols, the reason we know capitols is to know where a state's government is located.  How about an alternative?  What if we identified the significant cities within a region so students become familiar with the cultural and economic centers for each region?  It comes down to this..."What type of learning will help students have a strong knowledge base and deeper understanding of our nation's regions?"

How does physical geography support understanding the geographic concept of region?

In your mind, using your mental map, how do you picture the United States?  Do you picture individual states or do you picture a set of states within a region?  Why do you think you have a mental picture of the United States by region?  One...you probably connect to characteristics connected to human geography (regions with political dispositions, regions with unique ethnic populations, regions with varying economic patterns, regions with different population density).  You might also view U.S. regions in a particular way because of how you associate physical features, climate, and weather patterns with different regions.

When teachers support students in developing the geography concept of region, we often begin with physical geography.  Physical geography allows students to consider facets such as landforms and climate.  In addition, we can begin to understand how weather patterns help students to develop an understanding of region. 

With recent news, people around the nation and the world are connected to the impact of tornados (physical geography, weather patterns) on people (human geography).  As someone from Denver, I watch the stories about this phenomena and have some connection knowing that a number of tornados occur in the plains region of Colorado.  Still, I often look at tornados as something that's connected to the midwest region and southeast region.  Imagine if you were watching these news stories from California, would you have a connection?  Probably not, and you would most likely associate this weather pattern with other regions in the United States.  In contrast, I associate forest fires with Colorado and the west region.  I associate hurricanes with the southeast region, portions of the southwest, and, increasingly, with the northeast. 

What regions do you think of when you hear about...drought? Blizzards?  Ice storms? El Nino? Hurricanes? Excessive heat?  Excessive humidity?

If we can support students in thinking through the conceptual lens of region, then we connect them to a deeper geographic understanding of the world.  Below, find some geographic tools to help support this learning with students who are beginning to explore regions of the United States.

(Note: I debated titling this posting Get Rid of Old Fashioned Fact-Based State Studies, Become a More Concept-Based Geography Teacher and Help Students Think About the United States Through the Concept of Region)

Links:

• Winter Snow Depths
• Climate Maps
• Satellite View Maps
• Average Annual Snowfall in the US
• Average Rainfall in the US
• Average Annual Sunshine in the US
• Average High/Low Winter Temperatures in the US
• Average High/Low Fall Temperatures in the US
• Average High/Low Summer Temperatures in the US

Tornado Tracks infographic by johnmnelson.

Tornado Probabilities infographic

Source:LiveScience

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