S+Chick,+Jennifer

**Office: Hundred Acre Wood** **Office Phone:xxx-xxx-xxxx** **Office Hours: Before and after school with appointment, Blue period 1, Gold period 3** ** E-mail: ** jennifer.chick@maine.edu
 * Teacher:** Ms. Chick

=Summary of Unit= Sometimes it seems that in the world, or even the classroom students are very disconnected. This should no longer be an issue if students are learning about other cultures and how to connect with them. Major ways students can come to terms with other cultures is to read cultural literature, and to use a variety of technology to help connect to other cultures. If students can understand that multiple sources of cultural literature will give them a better understanding of culture as a whole they are more likely to be engaged in reading, and exploring the world around them. One of the best ways to prepare students for the real world is to give them a variety of media sources to work with. This will not only develop their understanding of culture, but it will help them interact with it, teach it to others, and find new ways of expressing their opinions on it. Finally, studying other cultures, and what culture is, can help expand a student's linguistic skills. Vocabulary can especially be used to help students comprehend what culture actually is and how it is different to each person. Students should become more aware of other cultures that directly affect their own at the present time. This can help them start to develop opinions on politics and break down any stereotypes that may have influenced their understanding up to this point. While doing all of this studying into culture, students can also develop their literary analysis skills by recognizing how and where the author gives insight into the culture they are writing about.

=Establish Goals= Common Core Standards Content Area: Reading Grade Level: 11-12 Domain: Informational Text Standard: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: //Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media formats as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.//

=Students will understand that= •multiple sources give a better understanding of culture as a whole. •different media sources provide a concrete base of understanding what culture is. •linguistic skills as a base can help build collegiate skills when studying literature = = =Essential Questions= •How does studying culture through multiple sources help support you as a learner? •Why is a variety of media ideal when studying a broad topic like cultural rich literature? •How is cultural literature important in the classroom and the outside world?

=Students will know= •Vocabulary: culture, ethnicity, background, diversity, diffusion, cultural hearth, acculturation, enculturation, race, subculture, ethocentrism, socialization. •Key Factual Information: War in the Middle East, Hispanic- American integration, North Dakota Ojibwe tribe, Pakistan/ Afghanistan history. •Critical Details: setting, author's point of view, first v. third person, tone, voice, conflict, climax.

=Students will be able to= •describe what culture means to you. •evaluate various media, and multiple sources in each, to understand culture. •create a multimedia resource center integrating your understanding of culture. •analyze how multiple sources developed linguistic skills. •relate to similarities between cultures through multiple sources. •be aware of how differences in culture change your understanding of your own culture.

**Performance Task Overview**

While sleeping one night, after reading a piece of cultural literature, (//A Thousand Splendid Suns//, //Love Medicine,// or //Woman Hollering Creek//), you dream that you are now part of the modern culture from the piece you fell asleep to. It is soon after you realize that you are in this setting and you also realize you aren’t actually asleep. AAA Northern New England, a travel agency from Augusta, Maine, has placed you here to fully immerse yourself into the culture around you, convincing people that you are a native. While all of this is happening you should be collecting information on a wikispace, working to define this culture, and how it is similar and different to other cultures. Defining culture is difficult to do, so using specific examples is required to get a clear picture. You will then present this information to AAA Northern New England, who is seeking information about how to further prepare their clients for visiting other cultures, including your own. In order to present this information you will gather resources from online sources, like the wikispace you’ve been creating, and turn the information into a Glog. Your goal is to not only convince the natives that you are one of them, but also to convince AAA that you have the best understanding of your culture. Your presentation will be put up against a variety of others, all competing to have their Glog posted on AAA’s website in the travel portion. Not only will this presentation benefit the clients of AAA, but it will also help natives of your culture, so that tourists are more conscious of your customs. Good luck!

=Expectations=
 * __Absences__**: Participation is important in any class. For this class, if you cannot make it in one day, for whatever reason (illness, family concerns etc.) an email or notification of any kind would be appreciated so that I can personally contact you with any details on the class. All assignments will be posted online, but if notes are needed from class, make sure to have another student who is willing to share what they wrote down. For any concerns about late assignments, refer to the Assignments section further down.


 * __Plagiarism__**: Plagiarism is not tolerated in the classroom. However, if it is proven unintentional, or from lack of proper information, we will, as a class, talk about what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, and why it isn't acceptable. For further questions or clarifications feel free to ask.


 * __Assignments__**: All assignments are expected to be turned in on the due date, but, if for any reason, the assignment can't be turned in on time, students will be expected to talk to me about a plan regarding when it will be passed in. For homework, late work will not be counted against you, as long as the assignment is in at the end of the quarter. For projects, late work will result in loss of points unless an absence occurred preventing work turn in or other issues outside of the classroom. In this case, please speak with me and we will set up a time to review the project together. It should be noted that although smaller assignments are allowed to be late, due dates are there for a reason, and most assignments are due to keep you on track for the next class.

__**Classroom Expectations**__: When attending class, using your best judgement on what is expected is usually the best way to answer any questions. Using respect, honesty, tolerance, and some appreciation is requested of everyone while in the classroom, especially when dealing with each other. Cell phone usage is permitted when necessary, but if it affects class participation or performance, it could result in a discussion later or consequences. Eating, and drinks of any kind are permitted, but if a mess is left we will have to rethink about this policy. Asking to leave the room, unless for an emergency, is required, so that a pass can be written.

=Benchmarks= This is based off of a 500 points system.

__**Blog (85)**__: Students will write a blog on what culture is to them and will then comment on two posts that differ in content. Blog posts are required to be 200 words and length, ans should make references to what was done in class. Blogs will always be due by 6:00 pm the night before, so that people have plenty of time to find and comment on blogs. Blogs will be used throughout the unit for reflection. Please make sure that posts are appropriate and reflect your best work. This product will be graded using a checklist.


 * __iMovie (25)__**: Students will focus on one vocabulary word and make it a visual representation explaining how it effects a specific culture. Groups will make sure that each person is using all the technology, like filming, and editting. Students will also be sure to run their video by me, either using a story board, or an outline. This will ensure that all videos are appropriate. Videos can be anywhere from 2 to 6 minutes. All sources must be cited properly with the MLA format. This product will be graded using a rubric.


 * __Podcast (50)__**: Students will pick one type of media used in class and make a podcast with a partner assessing its effectiveness in learning cultural content. Then follow other two podcasts. Podcast ideas should be appropriate, and reflect the professionalism of the students. Groups should work together to understand the technology involved. Any special effects used should add to the presentation, not take away. Students should feel free to be create and have fun with their reviews; props, video effects and humor can be used to enhance their product. Students will be sure that they are reviewing a new product and can refer to another review on the internet. More importantly focus on the what was talked about in class. This product will be assessed using a rubric.


 * __ComicLife (50)__**: Students will work in small groups to create a comic explaining the similarities between cultural literature sources. Students will be working using their circle, triangle square chart, the class wikispace, and the novels to compare cultures. In the ComicLife there should be clear connections back to the student's personal culture. There should also be references in the presentation to how other sources helped confirm what was learned in the books. The project should reflect time and effort. Presentation skills will be taken in to account when the project is graded. This product will be graded using a rubric.


 * __Wikispace (90)__**: Students will make a collection of resources that influence their thoughts on the culture on a shared wikispace. The sources should be inclusive of articles, videos, vocabulary and other artifacts that help enhance the meaning of what a culture is. The sources should be credible, and easily cited. Students should collaborate with the teacher and each other for decisions on the benefits of questionable artifacts. Every student should contribute at least one artifact to the wiki that they feel best helps them understand a specific culture, or culture as a whole. This should be done throughout the unit and students are expected to regularly check the wiki for updated information. This product will be graded using a checklist.

__**Glogster (200 pts.)**__: Students will use resources from the class wikispace and make a Glog explaining what they personally learned about culture using the task descriptor instructions. This is the final project of the unit and should show reflection from everything discussed so far. Although students are expected to focus on one particular culture, there should be references to their personal culture as well as culture as a whole. In the Glog students should be analyzing the effectiveness of the novel they focused on at portraying what culture really means. Students are expected to use multiple sources including articles, videos, and cultural vocabulary. For help, students can refer to the wikispace and use sources off of that, but their product must contain at least one source that they came up with that reflects their feelings on culture and how it's portrayed. This product will be graded using a rubric.

=Grading Scale=
 * A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76), **C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59).