(1) Complete Part I of the Unit Plan
Complete Part I of the Unit Plan for your unit, in which you identify the MA Framework standards being addressed for your subject and grade, especially the Science, Technology, and Engineering standards being addressed, but also ELA and mathematics.
The Unit plan will be posted and shared with your classmates through Google Classroom.
Frameworks to be included:
Science and Technology/Engineering
ELA
Math, and
Digital Literacy Frameworks- See http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html
Submit to Google Classroom with this assignment,
Save in your Google Drive STEM unit folder
Attach to the beginning of your Classroom as per the example Classroom
These documents may be revised during the course as your unit develops.
Form:
Unit Plan Part I Rev 8-20-25.docx
Download Unit Plan Part I Rev 8-20-25.docx
1) Read and Review the Massachusetts STEM Frameworks for your grade- see links at:
Copy and paste the relevant frameworks into the form. This document, with the STE, Math, and ELA frameworks can be used as an attachment to upload if you want to explore using AI in unit planning.
2) Review past examples- see student work under "Student Work Examples" under Modules
Sample: UnitPlan Part I Example.docx
Download UnitPlan Part I Example.docx
3) Choose theme for unit, identify relevant Massachusetts STEM Frameworks and related ELA and math skills.
4) Complete Unit Plan Part I Rev 8-20-25.docx
Download Unit Plan Part I Rev 8-20-25.docx and submit on Canvas.
If you choose, you may collaborate on your unit plan with another teacher who teaches the same grade.
Problems to avoid: Units vs activities: Remember you are designing a project-based unit, based on Frameworks concepts or societal needs, not a one-day activity.
For another example, a Grade 4 project on transformations of energy could be titled "Playground Physics" and could investigate energy and motion as experienced in the schoolyard:
For another example, a Grade 3 unit on weather could include creating weather maps, looking at climate change, building weather instruments, graphing temperature and rainfall, learning cloud types, etc.- each of these would be an activity as part of answering a larger question about weather and climate.
Form Instructions: Delete/replace all items in red; complete all items
Part I- Project-Based Learning Unit Plan Template Revised 7-30-2020 Replace this with your title. All items in red are explanatory and should be deleted from final document
Your Unit plan document should be saved with the following title:
yourname Unit Plan
Teacher-Candidate: James Bond Email Address: James.bond@
Course Name: Grade(s): Grade 5
Primary Subject Area and Grade: English Language Arts Grade 10
Part I- General Expectations
Project Title: Pollution in the Charles River
Project Summary:
Length of Unit/Time Frame:
Overall Driving Question or Design Goal: What are the sources of pollution in the lower Charles River Basin? How can we decrease these sources?
Academic Vocabulary:
Voice and Choice: Projects need to be both meaningful AND manageable. How can each end product be made unique, while using a common set of technical skills?
Student Learning Outcomes-Technology/Engineering Skills
“I want students to know how to shoot and edit a 3-minute video using WeVideo”
Student Work Products/ Deliverables:
Journal or Storyboard
Report or Physical Products( for design challenges)
Media Arttifact of their research or design journey( Adobe Spark/Video/Prezi etc.)
Targeted Massachusetts Science and Engineering Frameworks:
Targeted Massachusetts ELA Frameworks: (Include at least one Critical Thinking statement from Frameworks), including communication and literacy skills
Targeted Mathematics Frameworks and Skills:
Technical and Media Skills:
Give specific examples from your unit how students will collaborate and communicate, use critical thinking and express creativity.
Assessment(s): Using your Driving Question or Design Goal, what sort of baseline, formative, and summative assessments are you going to use to both reinforce and measure student learning?
Addressing the needs of Moderately Disabled, Gifted, and English Language Learners: How will you make sure that the content, materials and instruction will be differentiated to meet the needs of the aforementioned population of students? Make sure you address this in regards to delivery, tasks, and work products
Public Products(Individual and Team):
Project Ideas:
PBS Design Squad. https://pbskids.org/designsquad/
KidWind. https://www.kidwind.org/
Teach Engineering https://www.teachengineering.org/
Exploratorium. https://www.exploratorium.edu/education/teaching-resources
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Literature-Based Prompts:
A Long Walk to Water
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BT9HDPF/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWG9N1Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
October Sky(Rocket Boys)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017N79152/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Hidden Figures
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DT37ZLQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Extreme By Design(Video)
If You Build It (Movie)
Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1TF0IM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
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Oregon State STEM Teacher Resources
https://smile.oregonstate.edu/
The Science Teacher(UK)
https://thescienceteacher.co.uk/
Science Sandbox
https://serpmedia.org/scigen/dashboard.html
STEM Works
http://stem-works.com/subjects
Teacher.org
https://www.teacher.org/lesson-plans/science/
Teach-nology.com
https://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/
Terrific Websites for Science
https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/terrific-websites-for-science