Model
II (Giant Sequoia Template) Model
II (Giant Sequoia Template) The Giant Sequoia template is based on a student-centered model presented in the Integrating Environmental Education and Science initiative developed by the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. This design model was appealing to development team members for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that all learning episodes developed with this model in the publication were extremely child-centered. Thus, users will find throughout all three levels of this template questions asking them how the students are involved in planning and carrying out the tasks involved in implementing the curriculum.
The Giant Sequoia seemed especially appropriate as the name for this template because of its massive base and root structure and its lofty reach for the sky. This template challenges teachers and students alike to develop relationships with nature and with each other so that their substantial foundation in the concepts and principles of science can serve as the base on which future success and achievement can occur.
Note: The following table provides an overview of the topics presented in the model. To bypass this table, viewers may proceed directly to the text-only information for Model II.
| Learning Experience Questions | Unit Questions | Curriculum Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Outline of Unit | What do we want our students to know and be able to do? |
| Illustrative Instructional Objective | List of Units and Learning Experiences | |
| Background | ||
| Unifying Themes | Unifying Themes | |
| Procedure | ||
| Assessment | Assessment | Assessment |
| Materials | Materials | |
| References | References | References |
| District Standards | District Standards | District Standards |
| State Standards | State Standards | State Standards |
| National Standards | National Standards | National Standards |
Overview:
What will students do and where will they do it?
Illustrative Instructional Objective::
What skills, understandings and processes will the students be expected to learn?
Background:
What is the rationale for doing this learning experience?
What teacher understandings are important to best facilitate this learning experience?
What are the specific student outcomes/results?
What understandings about instructional strategies are needed?
Unifying Themes:
What are the unifying themes at play in this learning experience?
Procedure:
What is the procedure for doing this learning experience?
What are the reasons for doing things in a certain way?
How are students involved in the design?
What are the safety concerns/procedures that must be addressed?
What are probing questions that will guide student learning?
How does the design of the learning experience utilize the extensive existing knowledge and skills of the learners?
How does the learning experience incorporate a variety of teaching and learning strategies to best meet the individual needs of all students?
What are the possible extensions of this learning experience?
What can be done to discern individual interest and proficiencies that can be used for future individual pursuits or for peer teaching opportunities?
How does the design of the learning experience place some of the responsibility for goal setting, planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating learning experiences on the learners?
How does the learning experience foster connections across the across the disciplines?
Does the learning experience represent an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary (theme-based) approach?
Assessment:
What knowledge and skills do the students bring to the learning experience?
What processes can be used to gather this information?
What forms of ongoing, embedded assessment will be used?
What opportunities are provided for peer and self assessment learning experiences?
What are the opportunities for 'reporting out,' reflection and analysis?
How will information/data from this learning experience inform the teacher research and facilitatemoment-by-moment, short-term, and long-term instructional decisions?
Materials:
What materials do the students need to do this learning experience?
What materials does the teacher need to so this learning experience?
What materials need to be ordered / prepared ahead of time?
How are the materials organized so that the learning experience can be facilitated in the appropriatelearning environment?
What procedures for set up and clean up need to be understood by the students?
References:
If the learning experience was adapted, where can the original learning experience be found?
What sources were used to develop the investigation including the content, the pedagogy or instructional design, the assessment, and etc.?
What resources or references should be available for students to use for doing and / or extending the learning experience?
Are resources / references notations complete and clear enough that others can locate the needed materials?
District Standards::
What District standards, goals, outcomes, objectives, etc. are addressed by this learning experience?
State Standards:
What State standards, goals, outcomes, objectives, etc. are addressed by this learning experience?
National Standards:
What National standards or benchmarks are addressed by this learning experience?
Outline of Unit:
What are the major components of this Unit?
What learning experiences will be used to develop each of the components?
What are the major unifying themes underlying the entire unit?
Assessment of the Unit:
What knowledges and skills do the students bring to the unit?
What processes can be used to gather this information?
What forms of ongoing, embedded assessment will be used?
Will there be a cumulative project that students will use to demonstrate their understanding?
What opportunities were provided for peer and self assessment throughout the unit?
How will student growth in this area be ascertained?
What are the opportunities for "reporting out," reflection and analysis?
What is the guarantee that these opportunities have been substantive and valuable?
How will information/data from this unit inform the teacher research and facilitate short term and long term instructional decisions?
Have a variety of assessment tools been used so that all students have had the opportunity to demonstrate their understandings and learning?
References:
Accumulated from learning experiences in each unit.
District Standards:
Accumulated from learning experiences in each unit.
State Standards:
Accumulated from learning experiences in each unit.
National Standards:
Accumulated from learning experiences in each unit.
What Do We Want Our Students to Know and Be Able to Do?
What is the community's mission and vision with respect to the
students learning?
What is the district's mission and vision with respect to the students learning?
What is the school's mission and vision with respect to the students learning?
Are these missions and visions in line with each other?
Is what we want students to know and be able to as a result of this curriculum
in concert with those missions and visions?
List of Units and Learning Experiences:
Are the concepts around which the units are built of sufficient
depth to ensure that students have learned important material?
Does the scope and breadth of the learning experiences in each
unit ensure that students have learned the important concepts in each unit?
Unifying Themes:
Does the use of unifying themes/concepts help the students categorize, sort, order, and make sense of what they are learning?
Assessment Tools:
Do the assessment tools provide adequate opportunity and information to:
Develop self-directed learners?
Report student progress?
Improve classroom practice?
Plan curricula?
Research teaching practices?
High Stakes or Curriculum Assessments:
What high stakes assessments are in place to assess student learning?
How is that data used to improve learning?
How is that data used to improve teaching?
How is that data used to inform the visioning and standard setting process?
How is that data used to inform the curriculum review and revision process?
What other information is gathered to inform the curriculum review and revision process?
Materials:
What materials need to be purchased ahead of time?
What materials can be shared with others?
How can these materials be organized/stored so students can have access when they need it?
What materials need to be stored in secure locations?
References:
Accumulated from learning experiences in each unit.
District Standards:
Are there standards that have not been addressed with this curriculum?
Are there standards that have been only marginally addressed?
If the standards are not grade level specific, is it appropriate that these standards have been addressed marginally or not at all?
State Standards:
Are there standards that have not been addressed with this curriculum?
Are there standards that have been only marginally addressed?
If the standards are not grade level specific, is it appropriate that these standards have been addressed marginally or not at all?
National Standards:
Are there standards that have not been addressed with this curriculum?
Are there standards that have been only marginally addressed?
If the standards are not grade level specific, is it appropriate that these standards have been addressed marginally or not at all?