Standards and Learning Objectives
Behind the Curtain-Making Thinking Visible
Detailed plan for communicating these standards and objectives to students with sample materials
Higher Order Thinking Skills applied to Nano-content
Another goal is to have students develop higher order thinking skills in relationship to the nano-content. The point is not for students to think of the nano-content as separate from the biology content but to have the two themes integrated with each other. The plan is by having the nano-material at the beginning of the unit all of the genetics content can be interpreted through the lens of a nano-application.
Specific Objectives of 21st Century Skills through this PBL Unit
- These standards will be communicated with the students by having a student access site. The students will always have access to this site and the standards will be posted there.
- Objectives will also be posted on the chalkboard/whiteboard everyday.
- Students will be assessed throughout the unit. This will ensure that the students stay on track by seeing what misconceptions/wrong information they have and then addressing them.
- Continue to have small group discussions with students on individual components of the unit as they need it.
- The students will complete a proposal session before they can move on to their final project. This will ensure that the students are going in the right direction and are going to be meeting the objective goals that they are expected to accomplish.
- An exit ticket (or another type of formative assessment) would be a daily check for the students to make sure they are understanding and able to explain what they are learning. This will also allow the students to track their own learning.
Higher Order Thinking Skills applied to Nano-content
Another goal is to have students develop higher order thinking skills in relationship to the nano-content. The point is not for students to think of the nano-content as separate from the biology content but to have the two themes integrated with each other. The plan is by having the nano-material at the beginning of the unit all of the genetics content can be interpreted through the lens of a nano-application.
- Apply: Students will be able to apply size dependent properties in developing their project while answering the driving question.
- Analyze: Students will be able to analyze the benefits and risks of the nano-treatment they are conducting.
- Evaluate: Students will be able to evaluate how effective current nano-treatment is towards similar diseases.
- Create: Students will be able to create an experiment or treatment that addresses a genetic diseases that uses nano-properties.
Specific Objectives of 21st Century Skills through this PBL Unit
- Creativity and Innovation
- Create a new idea to treat a genetic disease through research or medicine
- Work with teammates effectively and cooperatively through the project
- Use outside academic resources to understand the real world limits in their new idea
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Evaluate the relevance of a source towards implementing it in the project
- Make connections between nano-content and bio-content
- Communication and Collaboration
- Explain a self produced experiment and its conclusions to peers
- Describe the intentions of a project through a gallery walk
- Provide constructive feedback to peers
- Develop a script for communication with academic professionals for different modes of contact