CUR+503+Curriculum+Plan

Chapter 7 -Brazil
 * **Key Learning**: The five themes of geography can be used to understand the geographical and cultural aspects of the Brazil. ||

How do the five themes of geography help us understand cultural differences? How do Brazil’s geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live? ||
 * **Unit Essential Question(s)**:


 * = **Concept:**  ||=  **Concept:**  ||=  **Concept:**  ||
 * = Chapter Atlas  ||=  History of Brazil  ||=  Brazil Today  ||


 * **Lesson Essential Questions:** ||  **Lesson Essential Questions:**  ||  **Lesson Essential Questions:**  ||
 * Why is the Amazon River Brazil’s most famous physical feature?

How does Brazil’s climate help shape ecosystems? || How did Portuguese settlement affect Brazil’s cultures?

Did the exports from Brazil benefit all the people in the colony? || Would you help protect Brazil’s rain forest? || savanna canopy favela ||  Brazil wood export economy coup ||  Ethanol market economy social services ||
 * **Vocabulary:** ||  **Vocabulary:**  ||  **Vocabulary:**  ||
 * Amazon Basin

Tracey Willet Unit Plan Brazil PA State Standards: These are for the whole unit.
 * 7.1.6.B Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human features.
 * 7.2.6.A Describe the characteristics of places and regions
 * 7.4.6.A Describe and explain the effects of the physical systems on people within regions.
 * 7.4.6.B Describe and explain the effects of people on the physical systems within regions.
 * 8.4.6.A Explain the social, political, cultural, and economic contributions of individuals and groups to world history.
 * 8.4.6.B Identify and explain the importance of historical documents, artifacts, and sites which are critical to world history.
 * 8.4.6.C Explain how continuity and change have impacted world history.
 * Belief systems and religions
 * 8.4.6.D Examine patterns of conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations that impacted the development of the history of the world.
 * Commerce and industry
 * Technology
 * Politics and government
 * Physical and human geography
 * Social organization


 * 7.3.6.A Describe the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria: Population, Culture, Settlement, Economic activities, Political activities.
 * 6.4.6.C Explain how multinational corporations contribute to economic interdependence.

Tracey Willet Cur 503 Spring 13 Unit Plan

Day one and two: Essential Questions:
 * Why is the Amazon River Brazil’s most famous physical feature?
 * How does Brazil’s climate help shape ecosystems?

Activator: What’s in your head? (Brazil [TW1] ) Teaching Strategies: Summarizing Activity: Something new I learned today is… and Sharing Shape [TW4]
 * Chapter walk pgs 308-319, write one prediction (about what you will learn in Chapter 7), one observation, and one connection
 * Preview and discussion [TW2] of key terms for Section 1 (Chapter Atlas)
 * Complete Talking to the Text using pages 308-315 [TW3]

Lesson plan for the end of the chapter (2 days)- approximately one week later: Essential Questions: Activator: Dear Ms. Willet note: What have you learned about the geography, climate, and natural resources of Brazil? (4-5 sentences [TW5] ) Teaching Strategies: Choice project [TW6] : I AM poem (Brazil), Cinquain Poem, 3 Haikus (one for each of the 3 sections), Acrostic (BRAZIL IS), or draw a sketch for new flag for Brazil including aspects of geography, climate, natural resources, history, and people of Brazil. Summarizing Activity: Sharing Shape [TW7] (sharing projects)
 * How do the five themes of geography help us understand cultural differences?
 * How do Brazil’s geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live?

[TW1] Students have approximately one minute to write down anything they know, think they know, or think of when they see or hear the word Brazil. A type of brainstorming that requires students to activate prior knowledge. Allows teacher to assess what students already know. [TW2] This preview allows students to preview and discuss the key terms in the section. Discussion involves the meaning of the word from the book and what the students can relate it to in their lives or what they learned before. [TW3] Talking to the Text is a metacognition activity. The students read a section and respond to prompts that help them monitor their understanding (Talking to the Text prompts included at end of Unit Plan). I believe that this is a monitoring process as well because it requires students to self-question, possibly reread, and paraphrase at times. [TW4] Class gets into a circle and share what they have learned and discussions occur. Students do not raise hands and they can respectfully disagree, agree, or add on to another student’s comments. This provides for social interaction. It is a constructivist type of activity because students must always explain why or how they came to the answers they have. The “something new I learned today” is a form of rehearsal for the students. [TW5] This functions as a summary or review of what has been learned. It is a type of metacognition. [TW6] Multidimensional task with differentiation, autonomy, individual grouping, and grading of different assignments. Motivation should be higher for this activity. This activity would be considered an assessment of learning. It is a constructivist type of activity as well because the students are demonstrating what they have learned in a variety (choice) of ways. [TW7] Social interaction and review.

**Talking to the Text prompts:**

 * ====== **A question I have is...** ======
 * ====== **I agree/disagree with...** ======
 * ====== **Something important is...** ======
 * ====== **A connection I have is...** ======
 * ====== **Aha, now I see...** ======
 * ====== **The big picture is...** ======
 * ====== **I can vizualize...** ======

** Reflection **
The unit I have chosen is part of the South America section, focusing on Brazil. In the first two days the students are asked to do an activator to get them to start thinking about what they will be learning and activating prior knowledge. This helps them and assists me with determining what the students already know about the subject. To complete what’s in your head, students are given one minute to write down everything that they know about, what they think of, or words that go along with the particular word we are learning about. Students then share their ideas with partners and I take some volunteers to share with the class. I really like this activator. It is different than what I may have done in the past, such as just start the lesson. At the beginning of every section the class spends time going over any key terms they may come across in their reading. The purpose of this is to preview vocabulary, give the opportunity for rehearsal, and to build on any prior knowledge. Students will pronounce the term and give the definition from the book. As a class there is discussion about what it means, comparisons, and how it relates to the United States. In the past I may have just pointed out the key terms and had students read them and their meanings. The discussion helps to reinforce the meaning. After the key term introduction the students complete an activity called Talking to the Text, a metacognitive activity. Students read a section of the book which integrates reading into social studies (Schunk, pg. 77). As the students read they are to be writing to some prompts that require them to think about what they have learned and help them to self- regulate and helps with comprehension monitoring. After the activity, students share their prompts with their partners then the class gets into the “sharing shape” and has a discussion (with me as a facilitator) about what they have learned. Students are encouraged to add to another’s comments, disagree (respectfully), and agree. It is important for students to explain why they have a particular thought or where in the book it came from, following a constructivist point of view. The sharing shape also serves as a means of social interaction. “Activities that provide social interactions are useful. Learning that others have different points of view can help children become less ego-centric” (Schunk, 2012, pg. 240). This allows for a rehearsal of what was learned, and very importantly, the students enjoy the sharing shape and are very motivated.