m5 u1 a2 - Standards and Backwards Mapping

m5 u1 a2 - Standards and Backwards Mapping

                                                                                                  By Yanan Hu

Standards
                                                               Figure 1:  5C Standards
1. The World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages by ACTFL
Ø  These 5C standards include language to reflect the current educational landscape, including:
·   Common Core State Standards
·   College and Career Readiness
·   21st century skills
Ø  The 5C clarify and better illustrate each goal area and standard in order to guide implementation and influence assessment, curriculum, and instruction.
Ø  The 5C standards stress the application of learning a language beyond the instructional setting. The goal is to prepare learners to apply the skills and understandings measured by the Standards, to bring a global competence to their future careers and experiences
2. I have selected the following standard to develop a unit plan.
Standard 4.2 - Learners use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.
3. The subject – Chinese language class
Planning Unit - Food and culture
4. Unit Statement
The student will identify and recite words and phrases related to food and eating out.
5. Why do I choose the Standard 4.2 to plan the unit?
Ø  The fourth standard, Comparisons, emphasizes the importance of comparing the home language and culture with the language and culture of the new language being studied. When students make Comparisons they activate existing knowledge and set it alongside their new knowledge.
Ø  In order to open the food culture of the Chinese language to my students, giving them direct access to it. I use the Comparisons Standard to plan the unit. By comparing the similarities and differences between their countries’ food and Chinese food, students will form a solid foundation for continued study of Chinese language.
6. Basic information of class
Ø  3 students, they are 11YO, 13YO, 13YO
Ø  They are novices in Chinese class
                                                 Figure 2: Backward Design
Student Proficiency
1. Big idea - Enduring understanding
Ø  Teachers who plan their instruction using backward design decide on concepts, “big ideas” that they want students to explore and remember long after the course is over. These ideas are called enduring understandings. 
Ø  In planning, I first consider the Standards. An enduring understanding is developed around ‘the comparison standard’ with the purpose of deepening the learners’ understanding of the concept expressed in the standard. Enduring understandings at the Unit level relate to the theme.
Ø  For example: Enduring understanding for unit on food. As we all know, there are similarities and differences in the everyday lives of people living in different cultures. There are similarities and differences between people of different cultures in the food they eat, and when and how they eat it.
2. Essential questions
Ø  Essential questions are derived from enduring understandings and they help students address the enduring understandings. At the lesson level, develop a focus question to help students zoom in on the important material.
Ø  For example: The thematic unit on food essential question
What are the similarities and differences between the Chinese cultures and students’ own countries in what people eat and how food is prepared and served?
3. Standards-based content objectives
They are different from the traditional language learning objectives. They describe functions, what students can do with the language, rather than specific grammar points or vocabulary. These can guide you in developing realistic objectives for your students.
4. Comparisons Objectives for Food Unit
The students will=THW  
Ø  THW use Chinese language expressions to describe foods. (words and sentences)
Ø  THW write words or phrase which are related to foods in Chinese characters.
Ø  THW communicate with Chinese people by interviewing online.
Ø  THW learn how to reflect, analyze and compare languages and cultures. Compare and contrast Chinese foods and their own countries foods.

Assessments
1. Summative assessment.
Teachers give students an assessment at the end of each thematic unit that measures students’ progress on all the goal areas of the Standards and on the three modes of communication together.
2. Formative assessment
It is an integrated performance assessment where the students demonstrate how well they can do what they have learned to do during the unit. You can include formative assessment within the unit activities to help you evaluate how well the students are able to meet all objectives. Formative assessments are ongoing assessments that you use every day to check student progress and understanding such as observations, quizzes, checklists, or your review of homework.
3. Assessments of food unit
Ø  Summative Assessment
Students will prepare reports on the traditional foods of China and their countries’ foods and how they are eaten. 
·   Read Chinese menu, and create a dialogue about ordering food.
·   Each student will research the traditional foods of his/ her country and Chinese foods. I will handout with a series of key questions in Chinese will guide their research. Resources may include recipes, menus, short descriptions of foods, videos, pictures, advertisements, interviews, going to a Chinese restaurant, or cooking some dishes.
·   In class, students will share their report. I will encourage them to be creative in developing presentations that will be of interest to the class. These could include multi-media.
·   When students give their presentations in class, presenters should be prepared to answer questions from other students after the presentation. Each student will listen and view the presentations of the others, take notes, and complete another handout that summarizes the content of all the presentations.
Ø  Formative assessments
I also can include formative assessment within the unit activities.
·   Match the Chinese characters and the food pictures.
·   I ask and students answer to practice sentences.
·   Use checklist to check whether students are ready to

Learning Experiences
1. Generally describe the learning experiences.
In the unit plan, I need identify specific instructional strategies, activities, and learning experiences. The overall unit plan allows me to organize the lessons so that they build on each other.
Ø  The beginning lessons structure the unit for the students. I will introduce the food theme, the objectives, the enduring understanding, and the assessment. I will activate the students’ background knowledge about the food theme and relate it to their own lives, knowledge and experiences. The beginning of a unit is a good time to think about how to present the material to maximize students’ interest and motivation.
Ø  During the beginning lessons of a unit I am introducing students to new material about the food. My activities will include opportunities for the students to read, listen, and watch materials in Chinese about the food. I will use direct instruction and direct presentations of new material during this time. I will also help students use learning strategies to figure out the meanings of new vocabulary and structures they find in the written, audio and video materials I have selected.
Ø  For the following lessons, I plan activities that gradually allow students to spend more time practicing and developing what they are learning. These activities might include role-plays, interviews with other Chinese teachers, and searches on the Internet. I will use more cooperative learning. At this stage, I might use less direct instruction and more inductive and coaching teaching techniques. 
Ø  The last lessons of the unit are devoted to preparing and presenting the final performances for assessment. The students are more responsible for their learning at this stage. They will prepare their reports, and give the presentation, and respond to the presentations of the other students.
            Figure 3: Chinese Traditional Dish - Scrambled eggs with tomatoes

2. Specific samples of learning experiences.
Ø  Read Chinese menu, role-play on ordering food.
Ø  Create a recipe of students’ traditional dish in Chinese language. The recipe may include short descriptions of food, pictures.
Ø  Online interview a Chinese teacher.
Ø  Share the dishes with classmates.
Ø  Prepare and write a report on the difference and similarities between the food of your country and China.

Reference
1. Grant Wiggins. 2005.  “Understanding by design”. Retrieved from
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYfzjQoASL_M3A1Ykd1M2t6cUk/view
2. Jay McTighe.2012. "Common Core Big Idea 4: Map Backward From Intended Results". Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-map-backwards-jay-mctighe-grant-wiggins
3. Great Schools Partnership. 2013. "Backward Design". Retrieved from
http://edglossary.org/backward-design/
4. ACTFL, ‘World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages’. Retrieved from
https://www.actfl.org/publications/all/world-readiness-standards-learning-languages



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