Global Standards:
What are global standards? How do they relate to the Common Core Standards? What are global competencies? Find the answers here.
California NGSS standards offer many ways to link global education into your instruction using a standard’s based curriculum design and 21 century learning skills.
My unit plan “The Story of a light switch” focused on energy and energy consumption. The unit’s focus was to have the students follow the journey of energy from our earth’s natural resources to the outlets in their house. Along the way, they distinguished between renewable and nonrenewable resources. They analyzed the benefits and drawbacks of each through a series of hands on experiments and internet research sessions. They also investigated the science of electricity and how our power grid works. They learned how people in different parts of the world harness the earth’s natural resources to meet their energy needs. They examined the impact that different energy sources have on the communities that use them. They communicated directly with students from around the world and discussed energy saving strategies with them. Students developed a plan for saving energy in their own lives as well as their school’s. Students presented their learning to the school community at our school’s annual open house.s.
Science and language arts standards: (Continued below with global competencies)
| ESTABLISHED GOALS: Science (NGSS): 1. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. (4-PS3-2). 2.Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another. (4-PS3-4) 3. Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships. (4-PS3-3) 4. Use evidence(e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct an explanation. (4-PS3-1) 5. Apply scientific ideas to solve design problems. (4-PS3-4) 6. Energy can also be transferred from place to place by electric currents, which can then be used locally to produce motion, sound, heat, or light. The currents may have been produced to begin with by transforming the energy of motion into electrical energy. (4-PS3-2),(4-PS3-4) 7. The expression “produce energy” typically refers to the conversion of stored energy into a desired form for practical use. (4-PS3-4) 8. Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones.(4-PS3-4) ELA (CCSS): 1.Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1 2. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.6 3. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 4. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9 MATH (CCSS.-MATH): 15. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. (CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1) GLOBAL COMPETENCY: GC 1:Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, framing significant problems and conducting well-crafted and age-appropriate research GC 2: Communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, bridging geographic, linguistic, ideological, and cultural barriers. GC 3: Take different perspectives. GC 4: Take action to improve conditions. |
GLOBAL COMPETENCIES covered in unit plan also align with standards:
- Investigate the world beyond their immediate environment. (all areas for social studies) G1: Civics 4: Connections within and across human and physical systems are developed.
- Recognize Perspectives. G1: Civics 4: Analyze and debate multiple perspectives of an issue. Students will also analyze and practice rights, roles and responsibilities of citizens.
- Communicate ideas
- Take Action: G3: Students become agents of change by participating in a Food Share table project.