“The successful educator

does not merely

disseminate facts and

information from texts and

history, but challenges

students to create meaning

from that information.”

I am nearing the end of my

own formal education and

approaching the beginning

of my own work as an

educator. I have spent the

past several years working

in parks and recreation

since graduating from

Drake University. I decided

to pursue a career in

education after having a

positive experience as a

volunteer coach for a local

school district.

As an educator, I look

forward to working with

literature and composition,

two subjects of great

interest to me, on a daily

basis. I anticipate the

challenge of fostering the

intellectual growth and

development of students to

prepare them for the

challenges they will face

beyond the classroom.

“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a

living and the other how to live.”

-John Adams

Plumbing in the Developing World

Sophomore Composition

Mr. Drew White

Fall 2011

Overview

Rationale:

This unit will raise students’ level of global consciousness and understanding of events

throughout the world. This will be accomplished by blending history and biology as well as

current events which will make for a number of interesting composition exercises and help

students make connections between disciplines. In addition, it will also introduce students to a

particular vocation among the skilled trades that they may not otherwise consider.

Summary:

Students will learn about how the lack of access to freshwater and plumbing creates a number of

serious health problems in developing countries. Students will also be exposed to the history of

plumbing and some of the basics of plumbing and the incredibly high salary that skilled

plumbers can command. This will culminate in a magazine assignment of students choosing in

which different groups will cover topics ranging from an article on a successful plumbing

business to the dire conditions faced by young African children who have no access to clean

water.

Objectives:

Student’s need to understand that they live in a global context and that there are many issues not

immediately obvious in their own lives which they should be cognizant of. Further, this lesson

should also engage students with how science can be used in a practical context to solve serious

problems. Also, I hope that this will encourage students to consider the value, both financial and

civic, of many “blue-collar” careers which are sometimes overlooked. The magazine article

students create should also help cultivate their writing skills.

Length of Curriculum:

This will be a two week unit consisting of five ninety-minute class periods.

Materials and Resources:

Teacher: Multiple handouts and short articles on the lack of clean water available in developing

African countries. Also an article on the history of indoor plumbing and its benefits to societies

will be presented. A successful local plumber will also give a brief presentation on his business.

A computer lab will also be reserved for research.

Students: Pen/pencil, and notebook with paper. Students will also need a computer to complete

the magazine article. If they or their family do not own one, there will be computers available in

the school computer laboratory.

School: Projector, classroom, and computer lab.

Grading:

Students will be graded based upon several formative assignments completed during and

between classes which will be building towards the summative assessment. There will be several

in-class exercises involving writing to learn with the grade based on completion and student

engagement. There will also be a quiz to make sure students are keeping up with the reading.

The formative assessments should aid students by giving them the information necessary to

complete the summative assessment.

The summative assessment will be an article which gives students the choice of either writing

about vocations or a specific current event, water supplies in developing countries. This

assignment will be a magazine article in which students use visual aids to make their writing

more compelling and engaging.

Student Calendar

This is a two week unit in which we will examine how complex and important many of the

seemingly simple processes we go through each day are.

This is a brief unit which will move quickly. As such, it would be wise to complete each

assignment on time so that you are able to create your magazine article (discussed in greater

depth in your handout) with relative ease.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Class will begin with a Write Around regarding what you know (or think you know) about

plumbing and its importance. We will then have a class discussion about plumbing and a

presentation on the subject. Notably, we will cover some of the issues caused by the lack of

plumbing in many areas of the world. We will then go over the magazine article students will

create for this unit.

Homework: Read the handouts about the lack of clean water and water sanitation in African

countries.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Students should be prepared to discuss what they learned from the handouts. We will then look

at the history and development of plumbing.

Homework: Write a paragraph on what you want to cover in your article and find at least one

secondary source. Write a paragraph on the information in this source and properly cite it in

MLA style.

Monday, November 7, 2011

We will explore plumbing as a vocation in greater depth. We will also discuss work and

vocational choices more generally.

Homework: Read the handout on “Plumbing as a Profession”

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

We will go to the computer lab and have the entire class period to work on the magazine article.

If you have any technical issues or questions regarding how to use various computer programs,

this class period will be the time to address them.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Students will have the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Mr. Joe T. Plumber, owner of

Plumbing Inc., a plumbing business with over 100 employees. Mr. Plumber is working on a

project to help bring clean water to Africa. Following this presentation, students will have the

remainder of class to work on their magazine articles, due on Tuesday, November 15.

As we will examine in this unit, indoor plumbing, originally conceived by the Romans, is among

the most important innovations and inventions in human history. By disposing of waste in a

sanitary matter, millions of lives have been saved through a process that we in the United States

today take for granted. Sadly though, millions of people throughout the world are still without

plumbing, causing a number of serious health problems. In this unit we will explore plumbing as

a profession in the modern world, and the dangers presented by a lack of plumbing in numerous

developing countries. Students will have the opportunity to explore one of two topics of their

choosing for this assignment. Because this assignment is a part of our larger lesson on

journalism, you should also be sure to include dynamic and engaging visual aids, such as those

you would see in a magazine, in your article. You may also wish to use varying font sizes and

colors. Be creative with this, but do not go over the top.

Option One

For this option, students will write an article about the plumbing profession in the modern United

States. Make sure to address each of the following; Salaries of plumbers, the day to day work of

plumbers, formal training required to be a plumber, and the history of plumbing as a profession

in the United States.

Option Two

For this option, students will explore how a lack of plumbing can lead to serious health

consequences. To receive full credit for this option, students must address a certain country in

which a lack of plumbing and clean water is a serious problem, the problems it creates there, and

the biology behind the health problems created by a lack of clean drinking water. Please make

sure clear the country you select with me.

Whichever option you choose, three outside sources must be cited following the MLA guidelines

we have used throughout the year and outlined in your syllabus. Also, make sure to include at

least three visual aids (photographs, drawings, thought shots, charts, graphs, etc.) in your

presentation.

Grading Rubric for Magazine Article

Component 0-3 pts 4-6 pts 7-8 pts 9-10 pts

Content Selected content

is addressed

sparingly or not

at all. This

assignment was

probably hastily

Content

summarized

insufficiently

and with no

depth of

Article

sufficiently

summarizes

content, but

does not add

anything to it,

Well developed,

critically thought

out information

which

summarizes and

engages with the

done and only a

page or two

long.

engagement nor critically

engage it

information dealt

with in the unit

Grammar Numerous

grammatical

errors; this

assignment was

clearly not

proofread

Four to five

grammatical

errors

Two to three

grammatical

errors

One or no

grammatical

errors

Visuals No visual aids One or two

visual aids which

make little sense

in the context of

the article

Adequate

number of

visual aids, but

lacking proper

meaning or

placement

Several logical,

well placed

visual aids

Sources and

Citation

No outside

sources are

consulted

One outside

source is cited

Two outside

sources are

cited

Three or more

outside sources

are cited

A total of thirty points are possible on this assignment. There is no required minimum length, but

fitting sufficient visuals and content into this article in less than three double-spaced pages using

12 point font is highly unlikely.

Lesson Plan Template

Heading Class: Freshman Composition

Your Name: Drew White

Name of Lesson: Plumbing; an introduction

Time Frame: 1st of five ninety minute classes

Objective Make students think critically about some of the important technologies

in their lives which they may otherwise overlook. Also engage them in

thinking about how individuals around the world who lack some of the

basics they enjoy are affected by this state of affairs.

Reading

Material

None, at least in class

Instructional

Framework

This lesson will initiate thinking in students about how plumbing affects

their lives. This should develop into constructing meaning as students

think about the historical and ethical implications involved in this

subject.

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:

A PowerPoint presentation over the history and development will be

given. This will introduce plumbing as a scientific invention and as a

career field. It will also underlie some of the socioeconomic differences

across countries in the world.

Student Centered:

Students will work in small groups on the Write Around.

Grouping Students will work in groups of five for the Write Around. We will then

come together as a class to briefly share some responses. Following

this, students will listen to a presentation on the development and

history of plumbing, with a segue into the lack of clean water in many

countries.

Materials &

Resources

School – Classroom, projector

Teacher – Handout on magazine assignment, handout on water

conditions in developing countries, PowerPoint presentation,

pen/pencil, and paper

Student – Pen/pencil, paper

Literacy

Strategy

Write Around

Phase One Students will immediately be divided into groups at the start of class

and complete a Write Around. The prompt will be “What do you know

about plumbing and its’ role in providing clean drinking water? What do

you know about plumbing and running water in the developing world?”

Students will have twenty-five minutes to complete this assignment.

Following this, the class as a whole will have a ten minute discussion

on what they wrote in their Write Around.

Phase Two The Write Around will segue into a PowerPoint presentation on the

history and development of plumbing. This will gradually shift into a

presentation on the lack of clean water in numerous developing

countries today. This presentation will also cover the health and

economic consequences caused by the lack of clean water in these

countries. This presentation should take roughly thirty to forty minutes,

depending on student interest.

Phase Three The final twenty to thirty minutes of class will be spent going over the

magazine assignment and distributing the handout detailing the

assignment. Two other handouts will also be given out; a handout

covering plumbing as a career, and a handout about the health

problems caused by a lack of proper sanitation regarding disposal of

human waste in both modern societies and throughout history.

Assessment The Write Around will be submitted at the end of class and graded

check/no check based upon thoughtful completion.

Homework Read all the handouts and be prepared to discuss them intelligently in

the following class period.

Lesson Plan Template 2

Heading Class: Freshman Composition

Your Name: Drew White

Name of Lesson: Plumbing; History and Practice

Time Frame: 2nd of five ninety minute classes

Objective To complete learning of basic facts about plumbing as a career and its

importance to society. This will serve as a springboard to the real focus

of the unit.

Reading

Material

Students should have read the two handouts given out on Monday

prior to the beginning of this class period

Instructional This lesson will be the final stage in initiating students learning and

Framework interest in plumbing as a vocation and as a historical and

socioeconomic issue. Once this has been accomplished, students can

begin constructing meaning about vocational choices and the

numerous issues surrounding basic plumbing and sanitation and how

crippling the lack of access to such can be.

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:

Direct instruction will be given in the form of a presentation. I will also

serve as a moderator for the class discussion

Student Centered:

Students will be challenged to solve problems in the Nonstop Write

and on their quiz. They will also build collaborative skills during the

class discussion.

Grouping Students will work individually on their quiz and the Nonstop Write, and

the whole class will have a brief discussion on the topics we have

covered to this point.

Materials &

Resources

School – Classroom, projector

Teacher – Quizzes, PowerPoint presentation, handouts, pen/pencil,

paper

Student – Pen/pencil, and paper

Literacy

Strategy

Exit slips will be submitted at the end of class. Students will address

either how they feel the unit is going (ie do they find it

interesting/valuable), or any lingering questions or concerns they may

have. A Nonstop Write will be performed as a way of writing to learn.

Phase One Students will be given a quiz over the reading at the onset of class.

This will be a relatively simple twenty question quiz over the reading. It

will be a multiple choice quiz with the answers being basic

regurgitation of facts for the most part, with a few questions being over

making connections. Students will then exchange quizzes and grade

each other’s quizzes while I give the answers and briefly go over them.

This whole process should take about thirty minutes.

Phase Two After the quiz, students will engage in a non-stop write. They will

respond to the prompt- “Plumbing as a vocation could be argued to

have saved billions of lives. When considering what you may do for

work in your adult life, what qualities (pay, satisfaction, ease/difficulty,

social implications) will you value most and why?” This will take about

ten minutes total and will segue into an informal class discussion of

this topic for about twenty minutes.

Phase Three A PowerPoint presentation over plumbing as a vocation in the modern

United States taking about thirty minutes will conclude the class. I will

challenge the class to be thinking about the connections between all

the issues we will have covered up to that point.

Formative

Assessment

A quiz over the reading will be submitted for a grade.

Homework Students will write a paragraph covering what topic they wish to cover

in their magazine article and gather some potential sources for it.

Lesson Plan Template 3

Heading Class: Freshman Composition

Your Name: Drew White

Name of Lesson: Vocations; Choices and Ethics

Time Frame: 3rd of five ninety minute classes

Objective This class will be a bit of a shift in direction. Having an understanding

of the background of plumbing and the serious problems in many

countries owing to a lack of freshwater, students will now think about

vocations in this context.

Reading

Material

Students should have read the handout on “Plumbing as a Profession”

before class.

Instructional

Framework

Students will begin constructing meaning from the material we have

studied. They will utilize the basic information they now know to make

some sense of vocational choices and begin considering the

implications of their potential choices and factors they may wish to be

cognizant of.

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Centered:

The teacher will moderate the discussion and give a brief, informal

presentation at the end of class.

Student Centered:

The Carousel Brainstorming will serve as a cooperative exercise which

will get students to begin constructing meaning from the information

they have been digesting for the past week.

Grouping Students will work in groups of three for the Carousel Brainstorming

activity and then participate in a whole class discussion.

Materials &

Resources

School – Classroom, projector

Teacher – Several large sheets of poster board type paper, sharpie

markers, notebook paper, pen/pencil

Student – All handouts previously distributed in class, Pen/pencil,

notebook with paper

Literacy

Strategy

Carousel Brainstorming

Phase One Students will participate in a Carousel Brainstorming Activity. They will

work in groups of three and work at four different stations devoting

seven minutes to each station. These stations will be; reasons for

working, dream jobs, what makes work rewarding, and salary

expectations.

Phase Two The class will then come together as a whole and spend roughly

twenty to thirty minutes discussing the ideas on the sheets in more

depth. Hopefully this will spark some healthy debate and interesting

insights. If it does, it may last much longer. If not, spending more time

on phase three will not be a challenge.

Phase Three Following our discussion of the Carousel Brainstorming activity, I will

give a brief presentation on how work has shifted in the past fifty to

one hundred years. I will address how educational paradigms have

shifted somewhat and expectations of students have also changed. I

will try to tie this all in to plumbing, the dire need for clean water in

other countries, and hope that this leaves students thinking critically

about these types of issues.

Assessment Completion of the Carousel Brainstorming assignment will be given a

check/no check grade.

Homework

Read the handout on Plumbing as a Profession. Continue working on

and thinking about the magazine assignment.

Teacher’s Calendar

Tuesday November 1st: Write Around on Plumbing. Lecture on plumbing and the

importance of clean water.

Thursday November 3rd: Quiz on the assigned reading from last class. Non-stop write

and lecture on vocations, specifically plumbing.

Monday November 7th: Carousel brainstorming on vocations. Lecture on vocations and

ethics. Make sure to reserve computer lab for next class.

Wednesday November 9th: Work in computer lab.

Friday November 11th: Presentation by guest speaker. Any remaining time will be spent

working on the summative assessment due on Tuesday.