Posted on Blackboard is a student created-unit plan that you will critique, revi

Posted on Blackboard is a student created-unit plan that you will critique, revise, and make your own. You will see that the unit plan includes a synopsis, rationale, bibliographies, & curriculum map that explores issues of social justice and geography within the NYC 4th grade scope & sequence
You will note that the posted work includes Part I and Part II without lesson plans. The assignment called for a one week unit that explored the theme of either location, human/environmental interaction, migration, as well as such concepts as cultural clashes within a study of the colonists, the Iroquois, the Lenape, and/ or the Algonquians. You will use research and the assigned reading to: (1) critique this one week unit plan, both Parts I and II, and (2) re-designed the one week curriculum map focused on geography. The redesigned map should include map study and/or a discussion of the political, philosophical, and social climate of the period in regard to geography. Instruction should be differentiated for the students mentioned in the rationale. (3) Candidates will also create two sequential lesson plans from the revised curriculum map to be submitted.
CRITIQUE THE UNIT PLAN – which means to critique PART I & PART II:
Rationale. This explains why you are teaching what you are teaching to the children you are teaching. The rationale focuses on your children, who they are, how they learn, and why you are teaching this topic to them in the ways that you have chosen. The rational should include:
a deep summary about your class of children, who they are and their particular learning styles;
the purpose of the unit;
how your study addresses the Common Core and other Standards;
connections between the lessons to be made;
the methods and materials you will use to teach and why you have chosen them;
how you will differentiate instruction, for which children will you differentiate, and why you are using the methods you are using;
how your choices in content, materials, and methodology tie to the learner and to educational theory;
a rationale for the assessment strategies chosen for the final unit assessment;
a statement of how the team developed their interdisciplinary focus;
a list of references (APA 7th edition)
Synopsis. This is the research section of your project and should be 3-5 pages long. The synopsis focuses on the content, the topics, and the main themes to be developed when exploring the content with children. The synopsis should include:
what you are teaching — include a deep summary of all your research;
specific themes, topics, concepts, or individuals to be explored and your rationale for teaching about them — for example: The founding of Jamestown, themes of Colonization, Conquest, and Pocahontas, John Smith, and Powhatan;
significance of the information: Why you are teaching this topic;
relevance of the information: How it relates to your candidates’ lives;
how your study connects to the overall theme of social justice.
List of references. This is the list of sources used to inform your rationale and synopsis, thus it is different than your bibliography for teachers. There may be some similarities between the two, but they should be distinct since this list includes works from which you quoted in your rationale and synopsis. It is formatted according to APA style (7th edition). Please see the CSI Library website. This means that all papers should include: running head, cover page; abstract + keywords; conclusion reference list. Please ask a reference librarian, visit the CSI library website for help, or visit: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html for details on APA writing, citation, and formatting style.
The Bibliography for Teachers. This should include:
APA format and at least:
four works of non-fiction (2 books in print, 2 websites or newspapers, and/or scholarly magazines — such as The New Yorker or Atlantic Monthly);
two articles from the scholarly journal of a professional organization (peer-reviewd journal such as Social Education, Social Studies and the Young Learner; History Maters! From National Council for History Education);
two sources of fiction (historical fiction, folktales, poetry, etc.);
two sources of Art (film, photography, painting, sculpture, quilting, pottery, masks, etc.);
two sources of music (from the US or abroad);
The Bibliography for Children. This should include:
APA format and at least:
two sources of fiction in print;
two sources of non-fiction in print;
two sources of art;
two sources of dance;
two sources of music;
two sources of film;
NOTE: The bibliographies are not the same as the list of references that should come at the end of the Part I.
REDESIGN THE CURRICULUM MAP:  PART II checklist
Curriculum map, Lesson plan. This section consists of a curriculum map for an entire week of study and lesson plans. Each candidate will develop two geography lesson plan that is outlined in the curriculum map. Lesson plans should follow the required format included in this syllabus.
The Curriculum Map and Lesson Plans are to:
be organized around a set of key concepts of geography  and reflect appropriate disciplinary goals, as well as cultural, social, and appropriate developmental goals;
integrate a variety of texts and resources from several genres (for example: film, photography, drawings, paintings, sculpture, folk art, historical fiction, textbooks, non-fiction, periodicals, maps, graphs, cartoons, poetry, folktale, creative writing) that are related to the key concepts;
incorporate whole-group, small-group, and independent activities that support candidates in achieving learning goals related to key concepts;
include strategies for differentiation – usually found in the activities and/ or assessment strategies and tools;
include multiple formative assessment strategies and tools, related to key concepts;
demonstrate understanding of current theory and research in childhood education and instruction;
clearly indicate connections to State & Common Core Standards;