1. How is education crucial to a nation’s prosperity?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vkEGe118m-wqz-
XKKN_vwW8wsskChohV95A0usBbg6c/edit
Signature Assignment Part One: Rationale, Enduring Understanding, Essential Questions,
Standards
Unit Theme: Education and the Prosperity of Nations

Grade: 12

Timeline: 3 weeks

Team Members Alex Zach Dan Laura

Subjects History E. Science English Spanish

Rationale: This unit will ask students the question: How is education crucial to a nation’s prosperity and a
reflection of their values? Students will study, analyze, and reflect on the importance of education in
prosperous societies ranging from the ancient Mayans to modern day America. By incorporating elements of
History, Earth Science, English, and Spanish, students will get a broad understanding for how education is
relevant to all of these content areas.

Students will synthesize information about ancient cultures and languages and compare/contrast it to
educational systems in Western and Northern European civilization. They will understand the progress that
various cultures have made towards making more inclusive and progressive educational systems. To make
this a more exciting learning experience, students will be using their native language English while
practicing their knowledge of Spanish as Second language.

Is important that students see the value of education in their lives. Because many of today’s students have
become apathetic towards school, it will be beneficial for them to see how educational systems have
spurred the advancement of societies around the globe and allowed for everyday people to gain the
knowledge and skills to become prosperous members of society.

The rationale for the lesson on integration between historic cultures and science will include the seasonality
that was well known to Mayans by designing building at which illuminated differently by knowing the suns
point in the sky depending on the season. We will also discuss how Eratosthenes discovered the diameter
of the earth using stick and shadows during different times of the year, and how using basic geometry he
discovered the diameter of the earth within a very small error percentage.

Student Learning Outcomes

Focus Standards 11-12.RL.9 Compare/contrast scholastic environments across wide
English time frames to glean important insight.

11-12.W.7 Conduct research, synthesizing ideas from multiple

English sources to demonstrate understanding of the subject.

S2 C1 PO7 a, b, c Compare past success with current success of

History educational programs, including cause and effect,
change over time, and different points of view.

Earth Science PO 1. Describe how human curiosity and needs

have influenced science, impacting the quality of
life worldwide.

Earth Science PO 2. Describe how diverse people and/or cultures,

past and present, have made important contributions
to scientific innovations

Earth Science PO 3. Analyze how specific changes in science have

affected society.

Spanish IC.AH.1
Interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, written,
or signed conversations to share information,
reactions, feelings, and opinions.
IR.AH.1
Understand, interpret, and analyze what is read or
viewed on a variety of topics.
CON.A.1
Build, reinforce, and expand knowledge of other
content areas and evaluate information and diverse
perspectives while using the target language to
develop critical thinking and creative problem
solving.
COMP.A.1
Use the language to investigate, explain, and
reflect on the nature of language and the concept
of culture through comparisons of the target
 language and cultures studied to one’s own.

History/Gov. World History, Concept 1: Research Skills

PO 6. Apply the skills of historical analysis to current
social, political, geographic, and economic issues facing
the world.

PO 7. Compare present events with past events: a.

cause and effect b. change over time c. different points
of view.

Concept 2: Early Civilizations

PO 3. Analyze the enduring Greek and Roman

contributions and their impact on later civilization: a.
development of concepts of government and citizenship
(e. g., democracy, republic, codification of law, and
development of empire) b. scientific and cultural
advancements (e.g., network of roads, aqueducts, art
and architecture, literature and theater, mathematics,
and

Civics/Government:
PO 5. Analyze the structure, powers, and roles of the
legislative branch of the United States government:

PO 7. Analyze the structure, powers, and roles of the

judicial branch of the United States government,
including landmark United States Supreme Court
decisions.

Enduring Understanding: ·Good education is Theme-Related ·What does education

Important Concepts crucial in unlocking a Essential contribute to a society?
population’s effective Questions ·How has education changed
potential to contribute to over the centuries? Has its
society. impact changed?
·There is a historical ·Why do we need education?
precedent for the ·How have ancient civilizations
importance of utilized scientific discoveries to
widespread and equal aid our modern day
access to education understanding of our planet?

How did the education How has education in the U.S.

systems of the Greeks been affected by government
and Romans influence decisions? How has it become
 today’s? more inclusive?

·Will use this same Will use same Essential

concepts in Foreign Questions in Foreign Target
Target Language Language

Interdisciplinary Project School Board Presentation

Interdisciplinary project where students will research a variety of societies and
explain the role of education (or a lack thereof) in their economy, security, and
art/culture. They will analyze the reasons that a country's education system
has led to its prosperity or ways it fell short.They will then synthesize these
ideas to present them to the local school board and get their feedback as to
whether their ideas could be implemented. Students will have a variety of
means to present their final project including websites, portfolios, and
presentations. They will be showing how they can expand perspectives by
exposing people to other cultures and ways of living.

Instructional Technology Project creation:

Students will have a variety of means to create their final project. They can
create a website to present their ideas using websites such as Weebly or
Google Sites. They can also create presentations using websites like
PearDeck and NearPod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaKofHyZ00c&ab_channel=FreeSchool
Cool early education video on Mayan civilization, great to fill in gaps
https://kahoot.com/
The obvious Kahoot plug--usable for all 4 content areas for prior knowledge
checking and low-stakes content acquisition assessment.

History/Government:
Websites for researching education systems of other cultures
Greece:
https://greece.mrdonn.org/education.html
Rome: http://historylearning.com/a-history-of-ancient-rome/education-in-
ancient-rome
 China:
https://asiasociety.org/china-learning-initiatives/chinas-education-system-
oldest-world
General History of Education:
http://history-world.org/history_of_education.htm

Spanish:
The following links are informational material in Target Language (Spanish)
about the Mayan educational and scientific systems.
Educación y Cultura Maya
Ciencia Maya

Essay Prompt Overarching question

How is education crucial to a nation’s prosperity?
Content-specific:
History: Choose one ancient civilization and discuss the role of education in
its prosperity.
Earth Science: Describe how their use of science and high standards of
education have historically led to stronger and more prosperous nations.
Spanish: Do you think the Mayans were advanced or regressed in their views
on science and education? Why?
Ustedes piensan que los Mayas estaban muy avanzados o atrasados en su
forma de ver la ciencia y la educación, ¿Por qué?
English: How are writing, science, globalism, and prosperity related? Or are
they completely distinct?

Common Instructional Strategies

All Learners
Conferencing: Mainly for final essay, one-to-one reflection and fleshing-out of ideas.
Debate: Assigned, low-stakes positions to create greater awareness of multiple viewpoints.
Graphic organizers: Visualize complicated ideas like government and economic structures.
Modeling: Generalized instruction strategy - model most activities, don’t leave students guessing.
Music/songs: Quickest way to expose students to different cultures and eras.
Read-alouds: Tackle dense texts together in class, using popcorn reading and critiquing ideas.
Project-based learning: Refer back to interdisciplinary project.
Reinforcing effort/providing recognition: Generalized instruction strategy - reward effort on difficult
subject with clear and genuine recognition.
ELLs (Laura)
Small Group / Think Pair Share: This strategy is great for students to negotiate meaning in TL with
classmates about topic.
KWL: This will create a link to ELL’s background knowledge on the the topic and newly learned material.
Biopoem:
Sentence Shortening: Will allow ELL’s to easily understand complex sentences.
Routines: Students are more confident because they know what to expect in the class.
Total Physical Response: Teacher will use actions paired with words to convey meaning.
Vocabulary Journals: They are the student’s individual and personal vocabulary. It must include new word
learned, definition, a sentence using the word, and any other helpful hint for remembering the meaning.
Teaching Prefixes and Suffixes: Important suffixes such as -ed, -ing, -tion, -ment, are found in regular
verbs. Prefixes such as un-, re-, dis-, en-, in help them unlock the meaning of familiar words.
Word Walls: They promote vocabulary development. Posted in the wall, students can use them as a
reference of their vocabulary.

Special Education (Alex)

● Differentiate for students with ADHD by proving guided reading notes to follow along to lectures.
● Allow for students with appropriate IEPs to use fidget spinners or other stimming devices.
● Provide recorded lectures online for students with ADHD and visual/hearing impaired.
● Give proper resources to instructional aides to prepare them for assisting with the lesson content.

GATE (gifted and talented) (Zach)

· Differentiate for GATE students by providing more advanced problem sets for said group of students. ie.
Orbital Physics problems for students using Kepler’s Laws for GATE Earth Science students.
· Student led instruction for GATE students who have mastered the content and are proficient enough to
teach their peers.

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: Earth Science Grade Level: 12

Focus Standards
 PO 1. Describe how human curiosity and needs have influenced science, impacting the quality of
life worldwide.
PO 2. Describe how diverse people and/or cultures, past and present, have made important contributions
to scientific innovations
PO 3. Analyze how specific changes in science have affected society.

Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes

Important Concepts: Seasonalities cause due Students will know and be able to do:
to Earth’s tilted axis. ·
·
·
·

Texts Assessment

Formative: Summative

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence Differentiation

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: History/Gov. Grade Level: 12

Focus Standards
Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes

Texts Assessment

Formative: Summative

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence Differentiation

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: English Grade Level: 12

Focus Standards

Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes

Texts Assessment

Formative: Summative

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence Differentiation

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: Spanish 9-10 Grade Level: 12

Focus Standards

IC.AH.1
Interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, written, or signed conversations to share information,
reactions, feelings, and opinions. Engage fully and spontaneously in conversations and discussions
on complex issues and concrete topics using connected sentences.
IR.AH.1
Understand, interpret, and analyze what is read or viewed on a variety of topics. Understand what
was read on most topics that deal with special interests, unfamiliar situations, and abstract
concepts.
CON.A.1
Build, reinforce, and expand knowledge of other content areas and evaluate information and diverse
perspectives while using the target language to develop critical thinking and creative problem
solving. Analyze and synthesize information gathered in the target language to think critically and
solve problems in other content areas and real world situations in the culture(s) studied and (as
applicable) in one’s own culture.
COMP.A.1
Use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the nature of language and the concept of
culture through comparisons of the target language and cultures studied to one’s own.
Analyze and compare features of different registers of language, cultural perspectives as reflected
in a variety of genres (e.g., literature, blogs, podcasts, newspaper articles), and regional varieties
(e.g., differences in pronunciation, intonation, stress, dialects, vocabulary, grammar).

Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes

Texts Assessment

Formative: Summative

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence Differentiation

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