Chapter 1 Part 2

While Unit Planning, I realized the importance of how relevant the lesson is to our students lives. While looking through my lesson on the water cycle, I realized how little I remember about the process. I know I learned about the cycle, but I do not remember much of it because it was not connected to my life. I don't think about it or have never taken time to notice how it impacts me. I wanted to base my Unit around connecting the water cycle to our students lives. How do THEY see the process in their daily life? Outside? On the news? Impacting the environment? All of these questions are important to make this scientific process relevant. Therefore, a main goal for the unit plan is to explain how the water cycle impacts the Earth’s surface and their own environment. This encourages students to think about how they see this process in their life. This goal creates an opportunity for students to explain the connection orally, in writing, and in drawing. It requires them to create a model that applies to their own life, while addressing the middle school water cycle standards. I planned to assess my students ability to make these connections by having them draw the water cycle happening in a place they have seen or heard about (ex: student draws the water cycle above their garden, because they know the process is watering their plants and making them grow/greener). I connected this lesson to my students because of their need for movement and visuals. My students learn best by moving and doing, so I included an activity where they make a bracelet where each bead of bracelet represents a step of the water cycle.

While unit planning, it is important to consider the background knowledge students will bring to the lessons, and how you can use it to enhance their learning experience. This connects to planning because we should be thinking about students' background knowledge for each lesson.