Explore the Smoky Sunsets lessons on this page with a critical lens. We developed this mini-units to be place-based and align with the WYSS. Then scroll down to explore a unit development progression that may assist you in creating phenomenon-based storyline units that captivate your students.
Take your time here. Think about whether or not you’re designing a unit geared towards sense-making that encourages your students to explore and investigate. Starting this process can be a challenge, however an effective first step is to unpack your standards and see what you have.
Start by identifying standards specific to your grade. Generate a vision for what you are being asked to teach and how they might connect to other content areas. These tools will assist you in this process:
This NGSS resource provides an overview of the bundling process.
Use this matrix to provide yourself with an overview of all the standards within an individual bundle
The next step in the process is to obtain (and evaluate) or design lessons and activities that lead to 3D student-centered learning and will assist students in explaining the unit phenomenon/phenomen. Use the following resources to help revise old or design new lessons to provide students with opportunities to engage in sense-making.
Use this document to guide you in producing investigations that align with your unit's phenomenon and standards.
Use this "explanatory" version of our 3D model to identify what specific components should be a part of your lessons.
This "blank" version of our 3D model can be used for evaluative the lessons that you design. It will allow you to identify how components of your lesson correspond with the three dimensions and help you identify any gaps.