Cinderella

Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies
Grade Level: 3-5

Unit Summary:
In this unit, students will travel the globe to see how culture impacts the story of Cinderella. As they work through the unit activities, students will read and analyze many different versions of this classic tale, learn more about the literary genre, and study character development and the difference that point of view can make in the telling of a tale.

Note: Microsoft Publisher* files will open in a separate window. At the File Download dialog box, choose Open this file from its current location. When finished viewing, close the Publisher window to return here.

Unit Plan
Cinderella Unit Plan

Student Samples
Shoes Can Make a Difference (Microsoft PowerPoint*)
Cinderella Wanted Poster (Microsoft Publisher file)

Young Author Brochure (Publisher file)
Cinderella - What is the Real Story? (Web site)

Note: Links to Internet sites that are provided on this sample Web site may no longer be active; they are provided as illustrative examples only.

Student Support Materials

Bookmark 

Characterization 

Cinderella Connection 

Focus Questions 

Cinderella Play 

Presentation Planning 

Web Site Template (Publisher file)

Cinderella Venn Diagram

Web Survey Results (Microsoft Excel* file)

Fairy Tale Elements 

Teacher Support Materials
Classifying Fairy Tale Events as Fantasy or Realism (PowerPoint)

Fairy Tale Point of View (PowerPoint)

Cinderella Unit Calendar (Publisher file)

Cinderella Cooperative Input Strip

Evaluation Tools
Web Site Checbric (what's a checbric?)

Team Scoring Guide

Young Author Brochure Rubric

Fractions Made Visual

Subject Area: Math
Grade Level: 3-5

Unit Summary:
Students will learn the importance of math accuracy and more specifically, that knowing how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions makes life easier for everyone. To help students come to this understanding, they will be assigned to a profession that uses fractions on the job. Their task will be to research, summarize, draw conclusions and then report back on how important knowing fractions is in that profession and in their own life either now or in the future.

Note: Microsoft Publisher files will open in a separate window. At the File Download dialog box, choose Open this file from its current location. When finished viewing, close the Publisher window to return here.

Unit Plan
Fractions Made Visual Unit Plan

Student Samples
Math on the Menu (PowerPoint)
Fractions News (Publisher file)
The Denominator's Fraction Web Page

     Answers to Fraction Riddle

Note: Links to Internet sites that are provided on this sample Web site may no longer be active; they are provided as illustrative examples only.

Student Support Materials

Fraction Journal

Teacher Support Materials
Fraction Basics (PowerPoint)
Fractions Unit Calendar (Publisher file)
Works Cited Page (Publisher file)

Evaluation Tools
Checbric for Fractions Presentation

Fraction Project Rubric

Fraction Publication Scoring Guide

The Great Bean Race

Subject Areas: Language Arts, Math, Science
Grade Level: 3-5

Unit Summary:
The Great Bean Race is on! Compete with classrooms from other regions to see which collaborative team can grow the tallest bean plant. Controlling for certain variables (including growth time and bean seeds), seven or eight teams in each classroom design and conduct a controlled bean-plant experiment to investigate ideal conditions for growth. Students synthesize bean-plant information into a newsletter, create multimedia presentations, and write articles for a class Web site that describes the project and publishes the results and interpretations.

Note: Microsoft Publisher files will open in a separate window. At the File Download dialog box, choose Open this file from its current location. When finished viewing, close the Publisher window to return here.

Unit Plan
The Great Bean Race Unit Plan

Student Samples
The Jolly Green Giants Bean Presentation (PowerPoint)
The Great Bean Race (Publisher file)
The Great Bean Race Web Site

Note: Links to Internet sites that are provided on this sample Web site may no longer be active; they are provided as illustrative examples only.

Student Support Materials

Group Plan

Group Responsibilities

Plant Log

Porosity Data Table

Reflection

How to Graph the Bean Survey Results

Teacher Support Materials
Background Information 
From the Teacher (Reflection on the Unit)
Great Bean Race Introduction (PowerPoint)

Probing Understanding

Evaluation Tools

Bean Newsletter Checklist

Newsletter Rubric

Collaborative Web Rubric

Science Content Rubric

Mountains Out of Mole Hills: the Making of Volcanoes and Fold Mountains

Subject Area: Language Arts, Math, Science
Grade Level: 3-5

Unit Summary:
Students take on the roles of geologists in this unit where they must select a new site for a United Nations Geological Survey (UNGS) building.  They will research, analyze, and collect information pertaining to four mountains in order to select which one should be the new site.  Students will create multimedia presentations persuading the United Nations of the best location for their new geological survey building site.

Note: Publisher files will open in a separate window. At the File Download dialog box, choose Open this file from its current location. When finished viewing, close the Publisher window to return here.

Unit Plan
Mountains Out of Mole Hills Unit Plan

Student Samples
Building Site Proposal (PowerPoint)
The UNGS Gazette (Publisher file)
The Challenge Web Site

Note: Links to Internet sites that are provided on this sample Web site may no longer be active; they are provided as illustrative examples only.

Student Support Materials

Comparison Chart
Criteria List

Site Location Essential Questions (Publisher file)

Newsletter Template (Publisher file)

Slideshow Checklist

Slideshow Template

Tectonic Plates Lab

Web Page Instructions (Publisher file)

Web Quest 1

Earthquake Questions

Everest Questions

Ring of Fire Questions

Tectonic Plate Juan de Fuca

Web Quest 2

Paricutin Expert (cinder cone volcano)

Mt. Saint Helens Location Expert (composite-stratovolcano)

Mt. Everest Expert Location Expert

Mauna Kea Location Expert (shield volcano)

Teacher Support Materials
Introduction Newsletter (Publisher file)

Mountain Lab Experiment Lesson Summary

Unit Plan Outline
Unit Plan Timeline
Works Cited

Tectonic Plate Web Quest (Web Quest 1)

The Four Mountains Web Quest (Web Quest 2)

Evaluation Tools
Slideshow Rubric

Web Site Content Rubric

Web Site Design Rubric

Newsletter Group Score

Web Quest 1: Group Rubric
Web Quest 1: Individual Rubric
Web Quest 2: Four Mountains Group Participation Rubric
Web Quest 2: Four Mountains Individual Participation Rubric

Web Quest 2: Four Mountains Slideshow Rubric

Web Quest 2: Four Mountains Worksheet Rubric

Wanted...Words that Rhyme

Subject Area: Language Arts, Music
Grade Level: K-2

Unit Summary:
What is rhyme? Where can we find it? We will embark on a knowledge journey into this aspect of phonemic awareness through song, nursery rhymes, and many wonderful books, as well as in our own writing. We will use this knowledge to create wanted posters searching for words that rhyme and even work with technology assistants to create a class slideshow featuring our selections of words that rhyme. We will end the unit by adding our newfound knowledge to our class Web site (with the help of our teacher, aide, and parent volunteers).

Note: Microsoft Publisher files will open in a separate window. At the File Download dialog box, choose Open this file from its current location. When finished viewing, close the Publisher window to return here.

Unit Plan
Rhyming Unit Plan

Student Samples
Rhyming Detectives (PowerPoint)
Wanted Flyer (Publisher file)
Rhyming Web Site
Note: Links to Internet sites that are provided on this sample Web site may no longer be active; they are provided as illustrative examples only.

Student Support Materials

Rhyme Practice Worksheet

Rhyme Poster Checklist

Rhyme Slide Checklist

Teacher Support Materials
Rhyme Assessment Presentation (PowerPoint)
Works Cited 

Evaluation Tools

Rhyme Assessment Tally Sheet

Rhyme Slideshow Self-Assessment

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