Curriculum Implementation: an Action

PlanPeter Sorrentino

Instructional LeadershipEDU 707

December 13, 2009

Geometry unit on Triangles consists of 3projects, a review and assessment:

1. Triangle Discovery Project2. Triangle Design Project3. Triangle Develop Project4. Review5. Traditional Assessment

Timeline, Resources, Experts & Challenges

Geometry Unit On Triangles: an Overview…

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of triangles

teacher

Coordinate trip chaperones and FT forms

teacher school admin

Guided tour of city structures teacher guest engineer

Post tour discussion and assessment dev

students

Review of assessment rubric and develop

teacher

Submittal of assessment students

1. Triangle Discovery Project

2. Triangle Design Project

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of design teacher

Presentation of design exemplars teacher guest engineer

Internet exploration of design options students librarian

Development of design w/ pros & cons students

Review of assessment rubric teacher

Submittal of assessment (design) students

3. Triangle Develop Project

Actions Responsible Party

Experts Utilized

Overview, discussion & rubric of design teacher

Development of bridge students shop teacher

Requirements conformance check students guest engineer

Review of assessment rubric teacher

Submittal of assessment- finished bridge

students

Assess bridges on aesthetics students teacher

Load test the bridges students guest engineer

Certify bridges by efficacy teacher principal

The triangle review is all about bridging the gap between project-based learning and assessments and traditional assessments

The PBL students know the triangle content, but they are unlikely to be prepared to demonstrate that knowledge on a traditional assessment – which is required.

The teacher will present typical traditional questions and demonstrate to student how to apply their triangle knowledge to this style of question.

This section might require only a day activity, but the results of traditional, standardized tests are too critical not to ensure students can apply their knowledge.

4. Triangle Review

This part of the unit is another small, day long class period with the goal of assessing the PBLers using a traditional test.

The goal is to provide the students with an actual test that mimics the situation they will encounter taking a state-wide standardized test in math.

The results of this test will become part of their unit grade.

5. Triangle Assessment

Oct4

Oct5

Oct6

Oct7

Oct8

Oct11

Oct12

Oct13

Oct14

Oct15

Oct18

Oct19

Oct20

Oct21

Oct22

Oct25

Oct26

Oct27

Triangle Unit: TimelineUnit Sections

Discovery Projct

Design Project

Develop Project

Triangle Review

Tri. Assessment

•Each green block represents a day of effort. For example, the Design Project starts Oct 4, as the duration of four days, the last day being Oct 7.

•This presentation is a Gantt chart (light) intended to show unit progression.

Field trip: forms & lunch for students Access to Internet lab Data projector Graphing paper Adhesives &

Popsicle sticks

Triangle Unit: Resources

Parents to assist with chaperoning and possibly with development of bridges

Guest engineer form local architectural firm Engineer employee of town’s building

department to help guide out tour Curriculum coordinator Principal Project-based learning advisor Shop teacher Geometry teachers

Triangle Unit: Experts

Duration of unit: current estimates are based on a combination of geometry curriculum allowance for the triangles unit and experience with other PBL units

The Review and Traditional assessment is designed to prepare the students to apply new triangle knowledge to standardized math assessments, but this transition might be problematic. The solution is likely to be to extend the time spent.

Achieving buy-in among geometry teachers will be challenging, but should be achievable by involving them in the design and development of the unit.

Triangle Unit: Challenges & Potential Solutions