UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE

Building Things 1
Title of Unit Grade Level
Curriculum Time 6 Weeks
Area(s) Science Frame
Developed by
Shawna Muise

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Programs of Study Foundations
What program foundations form the emphasis of the unit? What big ideas from the program of studies will you include?

Building Things, Unit C: 1–8. Construct objects and models of objects, using a variety of different materials. Identify the purpose of
different components in a personally constructed object or model and identify corresponding components in a related object or
model.

Essential Question
What is the big, overarching question guiding your unit plan?

What strategies and materials can we use to build objects that serve a specific purpose? How can we work together and use cooperation to
explore the construction of objects?

Unit Plan Outcomes

What are the program of studies general outcomes and specific competencies to be covered in your unit?
What will students understand, be able to do, be able to apply?

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)

  GLE 1: 1-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of science in responsible ways.

 SLE 1: Select appropriate materials, such as papers, plastic, woods, and design and build objects, based on the following kinds of
construction tasks: construct model buildings; e.g. homes (human, animal, from other cultures), garages, schools
 S12: I can identify materials that I used.
 AT1: I can demonstrate curiosity. I can be inventive. I can show a willingness to work with others and listen to their ideas.
 C1: I can select appropriate materials. I can construct model buildings. Eg. Homes (human, animal, from other cultures).
 C2: I can identify the parts of the objects that I create and describe their purpose. I can compare two objects that have been created
for the same purpose. I can identify the parts in one object that are similar to the parts in another and identify similarities and
differences between these parts.

UNIT PLAN RESOURCES

What resources will you require? Will there be guest speakers/field trips to plan for?
Will you need particular resources/materials/technologies?

 Building Materials
 Technology
 Worksheets

UNIT PLAN SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

What will you accept as evidence that learning has occurred at the conclusion of this unit?
What is the summative performance assessment for the unit?  Evaluating built objects
 Having students explain their process: materials they used,
purpose, etc.
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
  I hope to use my summative and formative assessments to
What is the goal of your summative performance assessment evaluate students’ abilities to meet the targeted competencies in
as framed within the outcomes and competencies? What do relation to building things and demonstrating a positive attitude
you hope to learn? towards science.

 It will allow me to understand how students apply the knowledge

and skills I taught them, including things that went well and
things that I could improve upon instruction-wise. As for students,
How will this assessment inform student learning and your
this will allow them the opportunity to express their learning.
practice?

LESSON PLAN SEQUENCE/OUTCOMES

For each lesson in the unit, consider the primary topic/activities, outcome and assessment. Does each lesson build on the next?
Consider the following questions as you plan your sequence of lessons:
What events will help students engage with, explore, explain, elaborate on and evaluate the big idea in the unit?
How will you help guide students to reflect, rethink and refine their work/ideas/understandings?
How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their developing skills/knowledge/understandings?

How will you assess whether

What is the primary objective of this learning has occurred in each
Week # What are the primary activities in this week?
week? lesson? How will you employ
formative assessment?

1. Introduction  Materials vs. Fasteners:  Formative Assessment:

o Ask students if they can identify
any materials in their o GLE 1: 1-4
surroundings: Demonstrate positive
 Wood (desk) attitudes for the
 Fabric (t-shirt) study of science and
 Plastic (folder) for the application of
 Cardboard (tissues box) science in
o Ask students “what do we use to responsible ways.
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 put materials together?”  Summative Assessment:
 Screws (Cup Tower Challenge):
 Nails o AT1: I can show a
 Glue willingness to work
 String with others and
 Tape listen to their ideas
o Explain to students that materials
are what things are made from.
Fasteners are what we use to put
things together.
o On a piece of paper, get students to
divide their page in half: materials
& fasteners. I will select a
classroom object and have them list
as many materials and fasteners
from that object as possible.
 Sorting and Classifying Materials:
o Each group will be given different
materials.
o You will need to sort these
materials into the correct category
based on the labels. (I will go over
each label in advance).
o Some materials are trickier than
others, you will need to work as a
group/problem-solve to figure out
which category is best.
o Once all groups have finished, we
will have a class discussion
regarding their
classification/sorting. As a class, we
will correctly sort each item into
the correct category.
 Cup Tower Challenge:
o Students will be divided into
groups of five
o First challenge: With your cups, you
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 are to build the highest tower
possible, so that when you blow, it
doesn’t fall over.
o Second challenge: With your cups,
you are to build the tallest tower
possible, so that when the animal
figurine is place on top, it doesn’t
fall over.
o Third challenge: With your cups,
popsicle sticks and paper, you are
to build the tallest tower possible,
so that when you blow, it doesn’t
fall over.
o Wrap up with a class discussion
surrounding the importance of
having a strong foundation.
 Toothpick and Marshmallow Challenge:
o Begin by reading the book The
Three Little Pigs
o I am explaining the instructions for
the building challenge:
 Each student will build a
house for their little pig.
 The house needs to be
strong enough to withstand
the blow from the big bad
wolf.
 Consider what we discussed
previously about having a
strong foundation: what can
you do to make your house
as strong as possible?

2. Building Furniture  Building a Classroom Chair and Desk:  Formative Assessment

o Ask students “What pieces of (Classroom Chair/Desk):
classroom furniture do you think o AT1: I can persevere
we use the most?”. Chairs and and stay with an
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 desk. investigation over a
o I will explain to students that we sustained period of
are going to be building a model time
size chair and desk:
 Which materials would be
best to build our chair and
desk?
 How will we attach the chair
legs to the base of our chair?
 Which materials will work
best for the desktop/chair
seat?
 Will you use the same or
different materials for the
chair and desk?
o While students are building, I will
circulate around the class to gauge
their understanding and to answer
any questions that they may have.
o Upon completion, we will discuss:
 What materials worked
best?
 Which materials were
difficult to work with?
 How did you build the
furniture? What were your
steps?
 What would you change for
next time?
 How is your chair/desk
different than your
classmates?
3. Building Homes (Animal)  Building an Animal Enclosure  Formative Assessment:
o To capture students’ attention, we o SI2: I can recognize
will begin by taking a virtual tour of and describe the
the Calgary Zoo steps that are
o Each student will be given an followed
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 animal figurine to build an
enclosure/home for them.
o For this challenge, there is specific
requirement that each student will
need to consider when building:
 Your animal home needs to
have a building and a yard.
 Your animal home needs to
have a fence tall enough to
prevent your animal from
escaping.
 Your animal home needs to
have a watering hole.
 Your animal home needs to
have a toy to keep them
entertained. (Optional for
students who finish early)
 Your animal home needs to
have some trees/plants.
(Optional for students who
finish early)
o Once the students complete their
animal enclosures, they will have
an opportunity to share with the
class.
4. STEM Challenge St. Patrick’s Day  Leprechaun Trap  Formative Assessment:
o Begin by reading the book The o C1: Construct objects
Story of the Leprechaun using different
o Class discussion about what a trap materials
and bait are: what could we use as  Summative Assessment:
bait for the Leprechauns? o SI1: I can ask
o Examples of Leprechaun traps: questions to help me
 A gate that closes understand
 A hole to fall into
 A box that falls
o Students design their Leprechaun
trap using the planning page
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 o Students build their Leprechaun
trap
5. Building Boats  Water Boat Challenge  Summative Assessment:
o Begin by showing a video about o C2: I can compare
boats two objects that have
o Class discussion about different been created for the
types of boats and what materials same purpose. I can
are best to help our boat float identify the parts in
o Finally, I will give them the specific one object that are
requirements for their boats: similar to the parts in
 A bottom that is completely another and identify
sealed (so that water can’t similarities and
get in) differences between
 Walls on the side these parts.
 Floats
 Flag (extra)
 Windows (extra)
 Decorations (extra)
o Once students’ boats are
completed, they will be partnered
up and compare each other’s’ boats
using a Venn Diagram
o Finally, students will have the
opportunity to test their boats
capability of floating in a bucket of
water

Building Toys (Robots)  Toy Robot  Summative Assessment:

o Begin by playing a short scene from o C1: I can construct
the movie Wall-E objects using
o Class discussion about what Wall- different materials
E’s job on Earth was and how o C2: I can identify the
robots are built for specific parts of the objects
purposes and jobs that I create and
o Students will be given time to their purpose
brainstorm what their robots job
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 will be
o Class discussion about the building
of our robots:
 What shapes are most
robots?
 How do robots move?
 What materials would work
best?
o Students will be given time to plan
their robot
o Students will build their robots
using various materials based on
the following requirements:
 Face
 Body
 Arms
 Legs/wheels
 Decorations
o Once students’ robots are complete,
they will be given a worksheet in
which they must identify and label
the various components of their
robots
PRE-SERVICE TEACHER SELF-REFLECTION
 How do you feel your students experienced this unit?
 Were they able to make explicit and self-evaluate their growing understanding, skills and/or knowledge?
 Were you able to make good use of formative assessment for/of/as learning? How did this information impact your summative
assessment?
 Were you successful in reaching all students? How do you know? How did you accommodate for diverse learners and those
requiring accommodations?
 Were there opportunities to address Indigenous, multicultural and interdisciplinary activities and knowledge?
 What went well and what needs refinement? What might you do differently next time?

 I am confident that my students genuinely enjoyed this unit and learned a lot of valuable skills. They were always eager and excited for
the next building challenge, and I saw their building skills really develop over the course of the six weeks. Not to mention, this unit
provided opportunities for my students to develop their group-work abilities and perseverance.
 Students were able to self-evaluate their work on an ongoing basis by having multiple check-ins with myself.
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 I was able to balance formative and summative assessment throughout this unit. I ensured that students were able to demonstrate
their learning in various ways, as well as provide them with prompt and effective feedback.
 This unit allowed me to reach all students, no matter their varying needs and challenges. By giving students building requirements
that were open-ended enough that they were able to still be creative, all students were set up for success.
 For the future, I would keep in mind that these building challenges take a lot more time than initially planned. So, when I originally
though that I would be able to complete up to two building challenges a week, and saw that that was not feasible, I immediately
redesigned the unit to ensure that one week would be devoted to each challenge.
 Also, it’s important to consider what to do with students who finish early. I often got them to help students who needed extra support,
and I felt like this strategy really helped develop their group-work skills.

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)