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This work is designed for seventh grade students in a middle school setting. The group is a heterogeneous group including gifted learners and inclusion learners. Most of the students come from a middle-class economic background. The unit will be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. Many students are visual and kinesthetic learners, they are also auditory learners but, their listening skills need improving. They enjoy working groups because it ensures protection and it helps with their creativity, they work better knowing that all groups’ members will have a role and something to contribute to the whole group. The students put more effort into their work when it is authentic and they have choice. The students work more productively when they are focused on an end product so they can demonstrate their knowledge. The following Design Qualities will be incorporated: Affiliation, Authenticity, Choice, and Product Focus. The purpose of this unit is to acquaint the students with knowledge of culture and geography of Europe. The countries will explored using the five themes of geography. Students will acquire this knowledge and practice the procedures by: AL Course of Study Standard #’s 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.
 * The Students:**
 * The Intended Learning:**
 * Locate cultural hearths in Europe on maps, globes, and satellite images.
 * Describing physical and human characteristics used to define regions in the Eastern Hemisphere (Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, and Germany).
 * Relating place names to cultural and/or political perspectives.

ü European Interactive Exhibit Instructions, Timeline, Group Roles ü European Interactive Exhibit Product Choice List ü Research Guide ü Rubric- www.rubristar.com ü Introductory Power-point with United Streaming video clips ü SKYPE ü Physical & Political maps ü Historical timeline ü Art lesson and materials ü Formal Assessment ü Google Earth ü Student-made Passports · This unit design addresses state standards for geography for the seventh grade. Concepts taught include: locating the cultural hearth of Europe using maps, globes, and satellite images, describing physical and human characteristics used to define regions in the Eastern Hemisphere (Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, and Germany), and relating place names to cultural and/or political perspectives. Standards #’s 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.
 * Materials:**
 * Content and Substance:**
 * At the end of this unit, students will be able to synthesize, analyze, and transfer knowledge to create an exhibit to display various products students will create on European culture and geography.


 * Organization of Knowledge:**
 * Students will be given information on how to create their European Interactive Exhibits. I will assist them step by step through the process. The project will be completed in class.
 * Students will have website addresses, research guide, resourceful documents, and additional books to research.
 * Students will be given a research guide to direct their research and recognize important concepts and key terms.
 * Students will be introduced to the topic through various European culture video clips, class discussion guided by power-point, map activities, art, technology, and various other class activities.
 * Students will research the topic thoroughly before beginning collaboration on the product.


 * Protection from Adverse Consequences:**
 * Students will be given a timeline for deadlines and activities as well as instructions for the whole exhibit project.
 * Teacher will conduct regular checkpoints as scheduled in the plan students will be provided prior to the start of this unit.
 * Students will be provided a wide variety of resources to use in the creation of their products for the European Interactive Exhibits.
 * A group conference will be held prior to the production of the final product. Students will be provided support and feedback as needed.
 * Students will be working in groups with their peers and will display a completed presentation for the European Interactive Exhibit on their assigned day.


 * Clear and Compelling Product Standards:**
 * A rubric for the activity will be given the students and explained prior to the students beginning their group research.
 * Teacher will provide examples of products to create for the exhibit.
 * Students will evaluate their own performance and their group members’ performance.


 * Groups will evaluate their own products using the rubric.
 * Product Focus:**
 * In cooperative groups, students will transfer knowledge to produce various products for their European Interactive Exhibits detailing the culture and geography of various countries of Europe.
 * Students will also create a “Passport” that they will use to visit the various countries throughout the exhibit and use as a graphic organizer.


 * Affiliation:**
 * Students will form their own groups but, they will be evaluating their own performance and the performance of their group members. Groups will be assigned various roles.
 * Students will work with peers as they research the internet, documents, books, and other research materials.
 * Students will work collaboratively to create their exhibit for the European Interactive Exhibit.
 * Students will teach their peers during the European Interactive Exhibit.


 * Affirmation of Performance:**
 * Students will share their exhibit with peers. Pictures and video footage of the European Interactive Exhibit will be uploaded to the teacher’s website for parents, faculty, and the community to view.


 * Novelty and Variety:**
 * Rather than simply studying European culture and geography students are immersing themselves in the knowledge and analyzing the content acquired to create products to display during the European Interactive Exhibit. Students will be sharing and teaching their knowledge with peers. Students will create “Passports” to allow entry into each country during the European Interactive Exhibit and use as a graphic organizer.


 * Choice:**
 * Students will choose their role that will contribute their talents to the group.
 * Students will choose their groups but, will evaluate their own performance.
 * Students will choose what country their group would like to research and create products for the European Interactive Exhibit.

//Days 1-4// The first few days will serve as an introduction to European culture and geography. Instructor will bring in materials from various European countries and lead the class in a discussion about current knowledge of Europe. Various materials will be used throughout the discussion; United Streaming video clips (various countries), power-point, complete a physical and political map of Europe, and a timeline of European history paralleled with North American timeline. The European countries we will focus on are; United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Students will also be asked to brainstorm ideas for what they would want to learn about these various cultures. Laura Reddick will work with the students on a European art project. Google Earth will be used to locate various European countries. Instructor will discuss the expectations, rubric, and timeline for the end product, “European Interactive Exhibit.” Make passports.
 * Authenticity:**
 * Students’ work will be showcased on teacher websites for the community to view.
 * SKYPE will be used to connect with a classroom from Europe so that students can interact with actual students and their environments that they are studying about.
 * The classroom will be transformed into a European Interactive Exhibit to create a learning environment suitable for the content. Each day we cover a new European country the class will be transformed into the following;
 * Timeline for Implementation:**

//Days 5-7// Research using laptop carts, research guide with websites and materials, and resources for media center. Each group will research their assigned country and become experts on the topic. Groups will pick which products they would like to create to have displayed at the European Interactive Exhibit. SKYPE will be used to interact with a classroom from Europe. Students will think of questions to ask the European students during the SKYPE session.

//Days 8-12// Students work in their assigned country groups to collaborate and prepare their products for the European Interactive Exhibit. Each group will select products from the European Interactive Exhibit product list to display at their exhibit. Students have several days in class to work as a team to complete the products that will show their knowledge acquired from class activities and research.

//Days 13-16// Students will participate in an interactive learning experience called “European Interactive Exhibit.” Each group will exhibit their products created in class to share their knowledge of their country. Various products and resources will be used during the exhibit. Students will be immersed in the various European cultures because the classroom will be transformed into that country each day; French Bistro (France), Italian Patisserie (Italy), Spanish Fiesta (Spain), British High Tea Inn (United Kingdom), and Germany’s Marienplatz (Germany). Students will create passports earlier in the unit that will be required to enter the country and will be used as a graphic organizer.

//Days 17// Students will be assessed at the end of unit. Groups will complete the rubric evaluation of their performance. Students will turn in their passports.


 * Measuring Engagement:**
 * Every couple of days group checks will be done by having students place a colored post-it note on the door frame as they exit class for engaged, not engaged, or unsure. Engagement surveys may also be used throughout the unit.
 * A question about student engagement will be included in the final assessment.


 * Measuring Achievement:**
 * Groups produced various products about European culture to display in the European Interactive Exhibit. Group products will be evaluated by self, peers, and the teacher.
 * The European Interactive Exhibit will be evaluated according to the rubric given to the groups at the beginning of the unit.
 * The state standards emphasized in this unit will be included in a formal assessment at the end of the unit and on the 9 weeks test.

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