Curriculum Rationale In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport.

You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without onehundred percent dedication, you won't be able to do this. -Willie Mays Our curriculums purpose is to emphasize the real world aspect of what is taught in school. We want our students to see that if these topics can all be applied to baseball, then there are a plethora of other examples that can be found in everyday life. We believe that student involvement and interest is vital to shaping students to be wellrounded, active members of society. We believe that education plays a crucial role in shaping future adults. It is our role as teacher leaders to encourage our students to achieve both high academic and morally sound standards. In order to achieve the best society possible, we need to start with our students. Morality plays a major role in all aspects of life, and it is crucial to emphasize morality to our students. Our teachers look for teachable moments to help students reach that high morality that is expected of them. To achieve this lofty goal, we understand that it is human nature to be more engaged in topics that are personally interesting. Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) has five major components, and is a theory that our school strongly supports. Although CORI focuses a lot on reading instruction, we found that the components can be used in several areas of learning. As mentioned in Lenses on Reading: An Introduction to Theories and Models, the components of CORI are as follows: 1) The use of themes in reading instruction, 2) an emphasis on student choice for both reading texts and responses, 3) the use of hands-on activities, 4) the availability of a wide variety of text genres chosen to interest students, and 5) the integration of social collaboration into reading response activities. (Tracey & Morrow, 76). We utilized this theory in several ways when forming our curriculum. When giving students activities, we strive to provide them with several choices that will further help their learning. By giving them this choice, we insure that they are learning in ways that they find interesting, which will improve their interest in the topic, and learning in general. As teacher leaders we take it upon ourselves to let students explore different topics and knowledge that they find the most interesting and beneficial to them. Ideally, students will be successful if they enjoy what they are doing. Because adolescents social growth is crucial in this stage of their life, we often have them working with their peers. Placing students in mixed social groups in academic situations during adolescence may help them better develop their social skills (Sprenger 2005). This will not only tend to their personal needs, but also to set the stage for future purposes in society. Hands on activities are also a major implementation of our curriculum, and is the third element of CORI. We believe that physical involvement is an important way for students to be mentally involved in what they are doing. This also appeals to the kinesthetic learners. Our classroom environments are open and comfortable, which will encourage students to strive to be the best that they can be. "Positive feelings associated with learning experiences foster meaningful learning. When students and teachers have opportunities and time to communicate with one other, they begin to care about each other in ways that

make meaningful learning possible" (Brown and Knowles 72). We want them to feel welcome to openly express their interests and opinions.Student interest will then lead to real world implementation when the time comes. We strive to have classrooms that act as communities due to the fact it was one of the Carnegie task force recommendations (Brown and Knowles 82).Teachers are constantly and consistently providing and encouraging positive attitudes. Our school feels that community involvement is a vital part of society. We want to show children from an early age how to be involved in the community. We work a lot with the Boston Red Sox, and also have opportunities for students to help those less fortunate than themselves. Middle school students are more independent and have the chance to be more proactive in their communities. Erik Erikson believed that "the search for identity is the defining characteristic of the young adolescent" (Brown and Knowles, 53). We need to provide them with the opportunities to give back to the community, and create a positive feeling about themselves in society. We want to encourage family involvement as much as possible. As stated in Lenses on Reading: Second Edition, administrators need to facilitate the building of positive relationships between parents and teachers. Administrators need to build parents background knowledge about the school culture and the actual student behaviors that are needed for success. Administrators need to help parents understand the specific at-home behaviors in which parents need to engage to help support their childrens academic success (Tracey Morrow, 103). Therefore we do our best to make families feel welcome to partake in their students academic career. According to What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, For the early adolescent, the growth of metacognitive abilities generates greater understanding of abstract principles and results in more meaningful learning (Brown & Knowles, 31). The role of education in society is one that needs to be heavily emphasized during these middle childhood years. Middle school students are incredibly capable people, and when given the opportunity to grow and succeed they will often rise to the occasion to improve themselves and the society around them. We know that social identity is a high priority in their lives at this age, so as a staff we take this into consideration and help them succeed by social means. It is crucial to understand that this is an important developmental stage, and many aspects of their lives need to be considered in order to encourage them to be lifelong learners. Belief Statement: We believe that middle schools should create a challenging environment where students experience an educational journey to become active, lifelong learners, critical thinkers and champion life-long learning, affording all students the knowledge and skills necessary to realize their full potential in life. ^^(Monroe School District statement)

Team Expectations: All students and teachers should work to respect each other, and be devoted to the learning and achievement of each and every student. All people involved should work to create a safe environment made up of well rounded individuals who are: -engaging -kind and compassionate -hard working -dedicated -open minded -supportive Organizational structure of the day: STUDENT SCHEDULE 8-8:15: Homeroom 8:20-9:10: Period 1 -- Core class 9:15-10:05: Period 2 -- Core class 10:10-11:00: Period 3 -- Core class 11:00-12:00: Lunch and Recess/Task 12:05-12:55: Period 4 -- Elective 1:00-1:50: Period 5 -- Core class 1:55-2:45: Period 6 -- Elective 2:50-3:00 Homeroom TEACHER SCHEDULE 7:45: Arrive 8-8:15: Homeroom 8:20-9:10: Period 1 -- Core class 9:15-10:05: Period 2 -- Core class 10:10-11:00: Period 3 -- Core class 11:00-12:00: Lunch and Recess/Task 12:05-12:55: Period 4 -- Planning 1:00-1:50: Period 5 -- Core class 1:55-2:45: Period 6 -- Planning 2:50-3:00 Homeroom 3:00-3:30: Intervention/ Planning PROJECT STUDENT SCHEDULE 8:00-11:00: Project block with homeroom teacher 11:00-12:00: Lunch and Recess/ Task Period 12:05-12:55: Elective 1:00-1:50: Core class not touched on in Project Block 1:55-2:45: Elective 2:50-3:00: Homeroom PROJECT TEACHER SCHEDULE 7:45: Arrive at school 8:00-11:00: Project block with homeroom class 11:00-12:00: Lunch and Recess/ Task Period 12:05-12:55: Planning 1:00-1:50: Core class not touched on in Project Block 1:55-2:45: Planning

2:50-3:00: Homeroom 3:00-3:30: Intervention/Planning

We have chosen to utilize this schedule because it allows flexibility for teachers, and is a way to allow students to see the integration of several core subjects. Teaching approach: Team teaching approach, students are split into baseball team name groups, lots of group work and parent involvement Programs and policies that foster health, wellness and safety: -Security Officer -Give a seminars on what to do in a lockdown situation, fire, bullying, etc. (people from the community speak to the students) -Nutritional Guidelines for students to create their own menus -After school program for an hour to get additional homework help from a group of teachers and given snacks -Vending machines that offer good foods, water, gatorade, milk, juice, etc. Maybe they could be turned on on Fridays and at after school events for sure? The Fridays would be kind of a way to thank students for getting through the week and if its good food in the machines and a kid is hungry or thirsty why shouldnt they be allowed to purchase something, especially if it helps profit for the school? -Nursing station - All staff have ID badges/Visitor Passes (cant get to the halls without going through the front office) Extracurriculars: - Historical Club~ Scavenger Hunts, chaperones An afterschool program that explores different parts of history with fun activities. - Garden Club- Use the food to help contribute to cafeteria or snacks, fruit or vegetable stands to work during lunch An afterschool program that tends to a school garden. Students are in charge of planting, harvesting, and selling produce. - Quiz/Academic Team An afterschool program that test you knowledge against neighboring schools. - Student Council- for government purposes A group of students that plan events school wide and also meet with administrators to express student-body issues. -Choir and Band In school musical programs that put on concerts for the community and enhance musical capabilities. -Drama Club After school activity that builds student character and puts on productions for the school and community.

- Culture Club An after school club that explores different cultures in a fun and interesting way. - Activity Period A period of the day where students can utilize teachers for help to get make up work or use it as a recess time. - Sports -Basketball -Football -Soccer -Volleyball -Baseball/Softball -Cheerleading -Swim Team (POOL IN THE SCHOOL) Guidance and Support Services: - 1 Guidance counselor for each grade (3) - School Nurse - School Psychologist - 2 ELL teachers Background of Students and Community School Location: Suburbs of Boston Small student to teacher ratio 16:1 Median Family income: $73,528 Help and communicate with Boston Red Sox The team works with the school in funding and helping the community. There is a close connection between the organization and the school system to give the students a fun, engaging, and exciting learning experience that will help them grow as individuals. Grade Level: 4-6 grade: We are focusing on 5th grade Demographics: Boys: 49% Girls: 51% Caucasian: 52% African American: 25% Hispanic:13% Asian: 9% Pacific Islander/Native American: 1%

Visual:43% Auditory: 39% Kinesthetic/tactile: 18% Gifted: 20% IEP: 10% 504: 15% ELL: 2% Low Income: 7% Middle Income: 84% HIgh Income: 9% (top result) Linguistic 8% Logical/Mathematical 9% Spatial 9% Naturalistic 4% Musical 9% Kinesthetic 11% Interpersonal 28% Intrapersonal 22% Description of the Community: The community is in a suburban area. Many parents commute into the city for their jobs. The atmosphere of the community is a friendly one; neighbors know and help each other. Lots of school involvement from the parents. Although the community is not entirely diverse, most citizens are accepting of other cultures. There are not tensions due to race or lifestyles. However, some tensions are shown among the different incomes. Some higher income families look down on lower income families, these tensions branch into the school and the student body. If higher income students dont want to interact with the lower income students, those students might have a negative view of the school and dont feel as though they are accepted. There is also tension between parents and administration. Parents dont always agree with the decisions administration make in terms of money distribution. When students hear their parents talking badly about other teachers or administration, they could go into a class with a close mind about a teacher and not be open to the things that teacher could teach them. Our community citizens gossip with other parents and neighbors about the school, which gives students a negative view of their school and other people in the community. Nearby schools are angry and jealous of our schools relationship with the Red Sox, which also causes tension. When those schools sports teams play ours, there is a visible hostile environment among the students. As a school we strive to keep these tensions to a minimum. We try to involve other schools in events that we do such as raising money for nearby organizations. We feel that if we can encourage our students to create friendships with students from other

schools some of the hostility between the schools may decrease. Our school also hosts events after school for all families to attend in the hopes of having positive interactions with each other to decrease negative views of one another. Although there are these tensions in the community, we still work to be a close community and to make the best environment possible for our students. Our team structure and curriculum involve parents in helping in the classroom and encouraging extra curricular involvement. We also encourage the students and their families to give back to our community in different ways. -Angel Tree/Operation Christmas Child The school works with the community in helping out needy families around the holidays. Students look for donations and provide the families with food, clothes, and toys around the holidays. -Math program and money goes to a hospital The school has a math program that donates money to a local hospital. Each month students who want to participate pay a small fee for a math workbook. Each problem the student completes and gets correct is worth a certain amount of money that is donated to the hospital. If the entire workbook is complete the students are rewarded with tickets to a Red Sox game, pizza party, free homework pass, etc. (We could do something like this for other places besides hospitals) -Team up with the Boston Red Sox to give back to a foundation (autism awareness) -Children with autism spend time with the team for a few hours (April) EDL 318 Conceptual Map PLACED BASED LEARNING 1 product that will help the community to go green that can be implemented in the baseball stadium.The students will come up with a product or system that can benefit nature, pollution, consumption etc.the students will present their topic to the class on how it can be used in their community and in the stadium. The students will have to opportunity to learn about our problem with pollution and over consumption. During the process they will learn about how they can become better citizens and start to practice "green" behaviors in their everyday life. It gives students the chance to be creative and find a new way to help make our society a better place. Ohio Standards for Educators Our educators strive to meet all seven Ohio Standards for Educators. The first standard states that teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the students they teach (Ohio Standards, 12). One aspect of this standard is that teachers display knowledge of how students learn and the developmental characteristics of age groups(Ohio Standards, 12). By giving students a variety of topics

and ways of learning we are giving equal opportunity to all types of student learning and development. Another part of this standard is that teachers model respect for students diverse cultures, language skills and experiences (Ohio Standards, 12). This is incorporated in our curriculum through the research of sports around the world. This gives students from all types of cultures and backgrounds the chance to use their cultural knowledge. A third characteristic of the first standard is that teachers recognize characteristics of gifted students, students with disabilities and at-risk students in order to assist in appropriate identification, instruction and intervention (Ohio Standards, 12). In our Course Description found on page 14 in our project we state that we will accommodate ELL (English Language Learners) by having teachers attend workshops before the beginning of each year so they are prepared to help these students as much as possible. We also discuss how we will accommodate students that have IEPs with an IEP specialist that works with our educators to provide the experience we can to our students. These are two aspects that cover this portion of the first standard. The second Ohio Standard is that teachers know and understand the content area for which they have instructional responsibility (Ohio Standards, 12). The first portion of this standard requires that teachers know the content they teach and use their knowledge of content-area concepts, assumptions and skills to plan instruction. As a school we strive to have the most qualified teachers we can find. We want our educators to be thoroughly competent in their content area(s). Our teachers also work together in all content areas so students are getting a wide range of ideas from different qualified teachers. Which fulfills the requirement of teachers understand the relationship of knowledge within the discipline to other content areas. The third Ohio Standard states that teachers understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and ensure student learning. (Ohio Standard, 12). In this standard teachers are required to develop and use a variety of diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. In our rationale for assessing students performance, we discuss how our assessments of our students will cover a variety of genres. We will be administering some quizzes and worksheets throughout the unit to make sure the students are on track. Students will also have the options of writing papers and different creative projects. Our teachers also observe students working during class time to help with any questions and guage how well the student is comprehending the material. This is all encompassed in the third Ohio Standard, as it provides several assessments to evaluate student learning in several ways. The fourth Ohio Standard states teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of each individual student (Ohio Standard, 12). One of the requirements in this standard is that teachers align their instructional goals and activities with the school and district priorities and Ohios academic content standards which we made sure to meet in our lesson plans. In our lesson plans our teachers used the fifth grade standards in all of the four core subjects. A few examples of the standards we used are CCSS. ELA- Literacy. W.5.3, CCSS. Math.Content. 5.3c, and CCSS. ELA-Literacy. RI.5.10; other examples can be found on page eight in our project. We made sure that every lesson that is going to be taught matched up with a Ohio standard. The fourth standard also requires that teachers use resources effectively, including technology, to enhance student learning. The teachers of our school will meet this by utilizing our relationship with the Boston Red Sox. There are multiple opportunities for this

throughout our curriculum, but one specific example is that we will have a Boston Red Sox coach come in and show the techniques of throwing a pitch and how it all lines of up with science. Ohios fifth Standard for teachers is that teachers create learning environments that promote high levels of learning and achievement for all students (Ohio Standard, 12). Our teachers achieve this standard in a variety of ways. Our teachers strive to make the classroom environment into a community where each student feel comfortable expressing their personal opinions and concerns. As stated before, we also work to provide a wide range of means of assessment so each student is able to use his or her own strengths and interests to help each student achieve. This ensures that our environment for the students allows them to grow as individuals and encourages social collaboration as a class. This also provides students with different ways of showing what they have learned in a way that works best for the individual. The fact that our teachers allow students to have an abundance of freedom and choice on many assignments ensures that the child can take interest in a topic and really resonate and comprehend what they are learning. The teachers do a great job of giving opportunities and setting up their classrooms in a way that each child is provided with high levels of learning and achievement. The sixth Ohio Standard states teachers collaborate and communicate with students, parents, other educators, administrators and the community to support student learning. (Ohio Standard, 12). Our school strongly believes in communication and community involvement. Our teachers work together as a team to plan lessons. Our school also hosts after school events that invites parents and community members to come to and be up to date in what our school and students are working towards. We also have a strong affiliation with the Boston Red Sox and work with them in helping with donations to give back to local hospitals and charities. We want our staff and students to have a positive outlook on working together and giving back to their friends, parents, school and community. The teachers strive to work with many different areas around the community to help students have as many opportunities as possible to achieve and continue to grow. Lastly, the seventh standard that Ohio states for their teachers is teachers assume responsibility for professional growth, performance and involvement as an individual and as a member of a learning community (Ohio Standard, 12). Our teachers are encouraged to attend any seminar or worksheet that is taking place. Our administration just a great job of sending out e-mails and newsletters about these opportunities. Many of our teachers also volunteer to sponsor and coach many of the clubs and after school activities. The teachers also take part in helping the community by teaming up with the students and Red Sox to raise money for special causes. Our school has many great teacher leaders who stay involved in the community and are constantly looking for ways to give back or to gain more information and advice on how to help our students achieve. Lesson Plans 1) Your Ideal Baseball Stadium 2) History Domain: Regions and People of Western Hemisphere

Cluster: Human Systems Standard: Variations among physical environments within the Western Hemisphere influence human activities. Human activities also alter the physical environment. English CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3c Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. Math CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems. 5.NF.5 Domain: Number & Operations- Fractions Cluster: Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions. Standard: 5. Interpret multiplication as scaling (resizing), by: a. Comparing the size of a product to the size of one factor on the basis of the size of the other factor, without performing the indicated multiplication b. Explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction greater than 1 results in a product greater than the given number (recognizing multiplication by whole numbers greater than 1 as a familiar case); explaining why multiplying a given number by a fraction less than 1 results in a product smaller than the given number; and relating the principle of fraction equivalence a/b = (n x a)/(n x b) to the effect of multiplying a/b by 1. 3)Students will be able to: -Scale down real life objects onto paper -Solve real world problems using knowledge of conversions -Create a narrative using descriptive details, effective technique, and clear event sequence -Research different areas and apply the new found information to critically develop a solution to create something that incorporates helping with environmental issues 4) Key academic language - Narrative - Narrator - Sequence - Transitional Words

- Concrete Words - Sensory Details -Conclusion - Physical environment -Western Hemisphere -Pollution -Atmosphere -Human Impact - Scale -Area -Estimate -Measure -Metric Units -Parallel 5) Materials -Laptop cart -Calculator -Metric/Standard Conversion chart -Construction paper - 22x28 Poster board -Colored Pencils -Markers -Scotch Tape/Glue -Worksheet with practice problems -Math Quizzes (10 questions) WHAT IS THIS FOR? 6) Procedures Day 1 Introduce the topic, and have students begin thinking about what their perfect trip to a baseball stadium would be. Have students create a concept map of the things that they would include in their story. This will help them brainstorm characters, setting, and events of their story Introduce conversions and scaling to students. Provide them with practice problems incorporating baseball stadiums and fields Day 2 Have students write their first draft of their baseball stadium narrative Introduce the differing climates of the western hemisphere Have students split into groups based on where their baseball stadium in their narrative is located. Then have them create posters that showcase what each stadium would require based on its location. Day 3 Speak with students about human impact that their stadium would have on the local environment.

Have a class discussion on what eco-friendly elements could be incorporated into their baseball stadium (recycling bins, et.) Students will then peer edit their first drafts of their narratives. Teach them about constructive criticism and how it helps with the writing process Day 4 Students will then think about what they want their stadium to look like, and what will be included in it. Reinforce the conversions that were taught on the first day of this unit, and emphasize the importance of scaling and similar shapes Students will investigate different shapes found in a baseball stadium, and how they will scale down the proportions Day 5 Have students look over their peer critiques, and make corrections where they see fit Have students begin to sketch out what they would like their stadium to look like. This should incorporate their knowledge of scaling, proportions, and conversions Day 6 Have students finish their stadium sketches Students should be able to complete their final draft of their narratives Show students a rubric and an example of what their presentation should entail Day 7-8 Students will present their stadium posters that include the environmental characteristics, and the picture of their stadium. After doing so, they will read their narratives out loud to the class 7.) Differentiation Special Ed- Instructional Aid will assist ELL- Instructional Aid will assist Learning Modality- Verbal explanation- Verbal Hands on work- Kinesthetic/Tactile Visuals and looking at stadiums- Visual Multiple Intelligences- Linguistic: students are writing a paper/story Logical: students are dealing with numbers and thinking about proportions and ratios Bodily-Kinesthetic: students are able to work with their hands and other materials to create their stadium and poster Interpersonal: peer editing and working with classmates Intrapersonal: learning ratio problems on their own Spatial: creating and visually their own stadium set-up Musical: students have option to include baseball songs to play in their stadium? Naturalist: dealing with environmental problems 8.) Assessment:

Students will be able to: Scale down real life objects onto paper Solve real world problems using knowledge of conversions Create a narrative using descriptive details, effective technique, and clear event sequence Research different areas and apply the new found information to critically develop a solution to create something that incorporates helping with environmental issues Generally the following objectives will be assessed by... Teacher observation Peer evaluation Final project evaluation rubric on presentation

1.) Title: Motions and Physics of Baseball 2.) Math: CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.A.1 Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems. YOU NEED DOMAIN AND CLUSTER English: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 45 text complexity band independently and proficiently. YOU NEED DOMAIN AND CLUSTER Science: Domain:Physical Science Cluster: Light, Sound, and Motion Standard: The amount of change in movement of an object is based on the mass* of the object and the amount of force exerted on it. 3.) Students Will Be Able To: Correctly utilize encyclopedias to find specific information Find, use, and cite reputable sources for their information State and apply Newton's laws of motion Convert from metric to standard units of measurement and within the same system of measurements to comprehend how pitching works 4.) KAL (key assessment language) -conversion -metric system -standard system -encyclopedia

-reputable/reliable sources -Isaac Newton -physics -laws of motion 5.) Materials: Library (computer and book availability) Research Worksheet specifying the information they need to find about Newton and his laws Conversion Chart for measurements Worksheets for physics and conversion lessons Bat and ball Athletic field Radar gun Baseball video Video camera 6.) Procedures: Day 1: Show opening baseball video to get students looking at the motions in pitching and batting Bring students to library to work on the computers and find books Give them research worksheet and explain the directions Let them explore encyclopedias and computer resources to find the information on the worksheet concerning Newton and his laws Day 2: Spend first 10 minutes of class reinforcing students what they learned yesterday in the library Go over short physics lesson over Newtons laws of Motion (force, mass, and acceleration (F=ma)) with using the physics worksheet about baseball. Do first couple problems with students and then do the rest with a partner. Day 4: Go over the importance of different units and why we need each one Teach them how to convert things from standard units to metric, vice versa, and also conversions within the same systems Provide them with a chart of important conversions that will be helpful with the worksheet Give students worksheet with problems about baseball, and have them determine different conversions and units that would be more appropriate Day 5: Have a coach from the Red Sox, as well as a pitcher come and speak with the students. Bring students outside to demonstrate what was taught about acceleration, force, and mass. This will first be demonstrated by the Red Sox pitcher, and the radar gun that shows the speed of the ball.

Next students will be able to take turns looking at the acceleration and speed of their own pitches. This will all be recorded on camera to be referenced tomorrow. Day 6: Students will observe the video that was taken on Day 5, so they can critique their movements in comparison to the pitchers and why one was more accurate than the other. Students will also observe where their ball crosses the plate in comparison to the types of pitches they were attempting to throw 7.) Differentiation Special Ed- Instructional Aid will assist ELL- Instructional Aid will assist Learning Modality- Verbal explanation- Verbal Hands on work and being able to pitch- Kinesthetic/Tactile Showing baseball video- Visual Multiple Intelligences- Linguistic: looking up and reading information on the laws of physics Logical: dealing with physics motion Bodily-Kinesthetic: being able to throw the ball and be moving Interpersonal: working through problems with classmates and talking to Red Sox coach and player Intrapersonal: working through problems alone Spatial: watching the video and being able to throw the ball from visual memorization Musical:---N/A Naturalist: being outside in nature 8.) Assessment: Students Will Be Able To: Correctly utilize encyclopedias to find specific information Find, use, and cite reputable sources for their information State and apply Newton's laws of motion Convert from metric to standard units of measurement and within the same system of measurements to comprehend how pitching works Generally the following objectives will be assessed by.... teacher observation self observation and evaluation graded worksheets Rationale and Means for Assessing Student Performance

Our school believes in having a variety of assessments for the students. Effective assessment begins with discovering what students know when they enter your classroom each fall. (...) Without understanding your students baseline skills and knowledge, you miss the opportunity to determine if genuine growth is occurring each day (Brown & Knowles, 193). This is why we believe that it is highly important to gauge and track individual student progress. We find it important to recognize that there is a difference between assessment of learning and assessment for learning. As stated in What every Middle School Teacher Should Know, Assessment of learning is the traditional and standardized testing view of assessment that notes how much students have learned as of a particular point in time (the day of the test). Assessment for learning, in contrast, is based on the idea and practice of assessing students so that teachers can help each of them grow cognitively (Brown & Knowles, 188). We strive to provide students with several means and mediums of thinking, so that assessments will be an accurate indicator of their learning. The need for independence is a major aspect of adolescence. In order to give students the opportunity for independence, we give them the chance to explore their strengths and weaknesses. By allowing them to make decisions in the classroom, we are encouraging them to know which ways of learning are best suited for themselves, and giving them the opportunity to be independent. The individualized assessment practices account for the differences among learners, whether created by culture, gender, developmental stages, or special learning needs (...) Our assessments of our students will be a variety of genres. We will be administering some quizzes and worksheets throughout the unit to make sure the students are on track. Students will also have the options of writing papers and different creative projects. For example, some students may choose to write and create a commercial for a baseball game. The students would be given a rubric for this assessment and would be judged on creativity and writing skills. Another example of assessment is if students choose to create a baseball stadium. The teachers would assess the students measurements, scaling, and creativity. Students will have choice on some assessment. The students will be given the opportunity to look at an aspect of baseball that has changed over the years and to choose a way to represent their findings. A general rubric will be given to the students so there are some guidelines, but the students ultimately have the say in how they wish to be assessed so they can use their personal strengths. Authentic assessment emotionally engages students, as they use information in real life contexts that have meaning to them (Brown & Knowles, 195). In doing these authentic assessments we are guiding our students to be lifelong learners that apply these skills to real world situations and problems. This encourages students to find issues that are important to them, and the skills required to solve them. Literacy Rationale Literacy is all around us and is incorporated in so many aspects of our lives, from reading the morning newspaper, reading directions to get somewhere, etc. This is why we believe that literacy should be included in all aspects of education due its a crucial element of our society. Our school strongly believes in inquiry learning which is first and foremost to produce involved citizens capable of successfully participating in and contributing to a democratic society (Tracey & Morrow, 59). We want our students to

develop into strong members of society and be able to participate in their community. Literacy is utilized everywhere in our current civilization, therefore it is crucial that our students are capable readers in a variety of texts. Inquiry learning also emphasizes a problem-based learning approach to education, central to which was motivating learners interest (Tracey & Morrow, 59). We believe that the interest of the student is crucial in literacy development. Therefore we are constantly searching for, and utilizing ways to get students very involved and interested in what is being taught in the classroom. In accordance with Unfoldment Theory, Emile, Rousseau argued that educators should follow childrens leads regarding what and when they wanted to learn (Tracey & Morrow, 24). We believe that the Unfoldment Theory is pivotal for student learning and growth in literacy development. In giving our students choices in the classroom activities, we are encouraging independence, as well as incorporating student interest in order to increase productivity and reading practices both in and out of the classroom. We hope that in addition to our staff working to help students find what they are interested in, that parents will also work with their child to find what interests them most. Our school has the idea that helping students and families find the type of literacy that interests each student will lead to stronger readers with larger vocabularies in general. This will then help our students in reading other types of texts and maximize their educational experience and productivity as a future citizen in society. As a school we are constantly trying to get families involved in their students learning and reading. We understand that good readers stem from a lot of practice, and an environment that encourages leisure reading in addition to academic reading. Students of involved parents have higher rates of school attendance, better social skills and behavior, higher grades and test scores, lower rates of retention, and higher rates of high school graduation and post-secondary study (Tracey & Morrow, 102). Therefore, in order to enhance literacy, it is important that it is a full family effort. If the family helps a student with literacy and encourages their child to read more throughout their every day life, the child will come into contact with so much more vocabulary and see the words used in different context. The student will be able to use and understand more words in different aspects of life. The way a word is used in politics, may be different from the way the word is used in a science or math textbook. Teachers and family members can both help the student see differences and expose them to all sorts of literacy to enable the child to comprehend the information they are learning in all content areas. Our school focuses heavily on literacy because in order for students to progress in their education, their reading needs to be forever improving. This will prepare them for the demands of high school. Our teachers and staff are sure to take opportunities throughout the day to introduce new vocabulary that can be implemented in their everyday language and differing content areas. Many people don't see connections of literacy in anything but language arts classrooms, but it is our goal to help students see literacy connections and encourage them to be strong readers in other subjects. We all believe in reinforcing importance of literacy. Course Description

Our curriculum is based around the central questions of: What parts of our lives or education can baseball incorporate? Our goal is for students to recognize different aspects of school that can be incorporated with real world interests. We have chosen baseball to be that real world for several reasons. For one, our school is based in Boston, so we correlate a lot with the Boston Red Sox. We believe that students would be interested in seeing the relationship between their schooling and their sports team because of the strong Red Sox affluence that many have grown up with. Baseball also is a good way to incorporate many topics and aspects taught in middle school, which makes for a good basis for our curriculum. In unit one students will be working on marketing. For this unit students would be learning how to appeal and influence the public. They would do this by announcing during a game, creating commercials, choosing the songs that will play in between innings, and end with examining logos. For announcing, we would start with showing students a clip of a game with announcing so they understand the concept of informing the audience. Next, we would show students a different clip of an inning with no sound and have them work together in groups of two or three and come up with their own announcing. For the commercial portion of our unit, students would work in larger groups (4-5) to create their own commercial to act out in class. Students would create a product to commercialize that would be appealing to baseball players or fans (sports drinks, food such as hot dogs, nachos, etc., equipment). Students would create their own logo for the commercial. Students can strategize what style of logo would be most appealing for the baseball viewer demographic, and the reasoning behind the appeal. This goes hand-in-hand with next unit of our curriculum: design. In the design unit students would use their knowledge of color, shapes, efficiency, and measurements to design the logo, create their own uniforms, and make a layout for a stadium/field. Students would use the logo from this unit to put into their commercial in the marketing unit. To make their uniforms, students would decide on their own colors and what they would want to be on the uniforms, and differing styles of the teams uniforms. For the stadium students would look at several examples of types of stadiums and come up with their own design and elements they would include (restaurants, pro shops, box seats, etc.). Students would need to have the maximum capacity in the stadium and the measurements on the field. The next unit would be muscles. Students will investigate the anatomy and physical motions of baseball players. They would research the specific muscles that are used, what kind of exercises they would do to strengthen those muscles, and how many/which muscles are used to throw and hit a ball. The student will look at the pitching motion, examine the speed, and trajectory of the hit. The students will also look at a sample meal plan for an average baseball player. From there we can explain why they need excessive amounts of proteins and carbohydrates and how this differs from a typical persons caloric intake. The fourth unit is over the statistics of the game. Students will be able to explore different players statistics from pre-season, during season, post-season, and previous years. The students will be use these finding to compare the data of other players and teams. The second half of this unit will be over ticket sales. Students can look at when ticket sales are highest during the season and compare the fan base to other professional

sports. Another aspect they could look at would be the concession sales and which items are making the most profit. This next unit will cover the financial aspect of baseball. Our students will be able to plan out a virtual trip in which they will visit a baseball stadium located anywhere in the world. They can look up the cost of transportation, hotel arrangements, budgeting for food and other things that will be encompassed in the trip. Students will explore the money management of the baseball franchise. They can choose a baseball team to research, as well as a team of a differing sport, and compare and critique the money distribution. Some financial aspects of the franchize that will be explored will include coach and trainer salaries, cost of equipment, player salary, and advertising. Baseball being Americas past time, have students research the important pastimes of other countries in the world. Students will choose any sport that they want, and find the areas of the world that the sport is most prevalent. Students should make maps that highlight the areas show the popularity of each sport. To further their research, they can find the most popular athletes of that sport. This gives them the chance to look at other cultures. Our final unit will encompass all of the topics covered thus far, as we discuss how baseball has changed throughout history. Students will pick a minority hall of fame baseball player and investigate the struggles and hardships that the play may have experienced as they pursued their baseball dream. Then students will create a project using whatever medium that would best represent the information about their player. Students will also have the option to look into how the uniforms and equipment has changed over the years, and create a timeline visually representing the changes over time. Students could explore the inflation that has occurred since the beginning of baseball, and compare ticket prices, salaries, and concessions to how costly they are today. Technology involved with baseball has also changed immensely, and students should look into the differing technologies that are involved with it today (radar guns, megatrons, pitching machines, live broadcasting, predictions formed by computer programs). Have students form an opinion on their stance concerning technology and sports, and have a debate about the pros and cons. Our curriculum appeals to multiple intelligences. Musical intelligence can be found in our announcing activity, as well as the songs played during baseball games. Spatial intelligence can be found in the designing of the stadium. Linguistic intelligence is utilized in nearly all of the activities in which they will be writing the information that they have learned and researched. Logical-Mathematical intelligence can be found whenever our students are dealing with numbers, such as the statistics, finance, and measurements throughout the unit. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence can be found when exploring the muscle unit, as they personally demonstrate the body movements involved with baseball. Interpersonal intelligence will be utilized in our several group project opportunities, as well as in our minority baseball player reports. Intrapersonal intelligences can be found in the debate about technology, as well as their own opinions concerning money distribution of the franchises. Naturalist intelligences can be found in exploring the materials used to make up baseball (the equipment, and stadiums), will also be utilized in their actual field trip of the Boston Red Sox Stadium. These differing activities give our students the freedom to utilize their personal intelligences, interests, and strengths.

The curriculum we have created meets the needs of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile learners. As a school in general, we will strive to appeal to both visual and auditory learners when giving instructions. We will say the directions out loud, while they have the written instructions in front of them. This way, visual learners can read the directions to better understand what is expected of them, while the auditory learners can hear them. All three learning modalities have been implemented in the assessments for the units being taught. In order to accommodate English Language Learners (ELLs), we will have all staff partake in an ELL workshop prior to the beginning of the school year where they learn the best ways to teach English language learners. They will be taught the differing levels of ELLs and how to work best to help them learn by means of hand gestures, pictures, models, etc. depending on their needs. Our curriculum also entails sports around the world to increase interest and knowledge of different cultures. We also have ELL specialists that will help both our teachers and our ELL students make the most out of their schooling experience. All students on IEPs will be involved in the curriculum and in the classroom as long as it is maximizing and improving their learning experience. Our IEP specialist, who is informed of the curriculum, will work with our staff to modify activities that will tend to the specific students needs, if need be. Each and every one of our activities can be changed to benefit any IEP so that they can still choose whichever topic interests them the most, like the rest of their classmates.