Understanding by Design Unit-Spring 2010

Understanding By Design Unit


Title of Unit
Selena: Lessons from her Life
Grade Level
8th grade
Curriculum Area
Exploratory Spanish: 8th Grade
Time Frame
3 weeks
Developed By
Ebony L. Thornton
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
MLC.IP2C Demonstrate Novice-Low proficiency in oral and written exchanges.
MLC.P1A Present information from a variety of sources.
MLC.P1B Give basic information about self and others using suggested topics. MLC.P1C Demonstrate Novice-Low proficiency in oral and written presentations.
MLC.CU1A Identify commonly held cultural viewpoints.
MLC.CU1B Describe some cultural customs and traditions.
MLC.CCC1B Apply previously learned skills from other subjects.
MLC.CCC1C Identify examples of the target language in other subjects.
MLC.CCC1D Relate content from other subjects as it relates to the target language.
MLC.CCC2A Compare cultural patterns of behavior and interaction.
MLC.CCC2B Demonstrate awareness of students’ own cultures.
MLC.CCC4A Give information about current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC4B Understand the impact of current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC5A Identify examples of target language and culture in media forms.
MLC.CCC5B Identify community and Internet resources.
ELA8LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media
in order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and understand ideas. The student will select and critically analyze messages using rubrics as assessment tools.
ELA8LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of
the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application
of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
ELA8W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
ELA8W2. The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
ELA8W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA8RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading
across subject areas.
ELA8RC3 The student acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses
it correctly. The student
MSBCS-BCSIII-4: The students will exhibit critical thinking.
CTAE-FS-5 Information Technology Applications: Learners use multiple information technology devices to access, organize, process, transmit, and communicate information.
Understandings
Essential Questions
Overarching Understanding
Overarching
Topical
Students will understand that…
There are distinct cultural differences within the Hispanic community that are not interchangeable
First-Generation Hispanic Americans often have a difficulty merging the identity of both cultures
Socioeconomic status is not always an indicator of personal success.
A strong family dynamic is one of the staples of the Hispanic Community

· How do I want to be remembered by the people who know me?

· Why do some people achieve more fame deceased than they do alive?




· Why is Selena Quintanilla Perez an important Figure in Spanish and Latino culture?

· What lessons from Selena’s story can I apply to my own life?


· How is the Quintanilla family like a typical Hispanic family? How are they like a typical American family?
· Why do Mexican-Americans often feel torn between both worlds?

Related Misconceptions
Misconceptions:
· Hispanic culture is homogenized.

Students tend to think that all people who are Latino have the same language, culture, and mannerisms. For example, assuming a person who Speaks Spanish is Mexican when they in fact could be from Puerto Rico or El Salvador.

· Socioeconomic status and background are indicators of success.

Students may believe that a person from a low socio economic status may not be successful in their life
Knowledge
Students will know…
Skills
Students will be able to…

Selena Quintanilla Perez is still a key figure of importance in the Hispanic community 10 years after her death.
While there are similarities in Hispanic culture, they are not all the same
Why it is important not to make assumptions or assume stereotypes about certain groups before interacting with them on a personal level
Why it is important to make your life memorable
An impoverished background does not automatically mean a person cannot be successful
5. The lessons from Selena’s story can be applied to their own lives and experiences.


1. Identify key moments in the life of singer Selena Quintanilla Perez
2. Explain why she is still admired by her community fifteen years after her death
3. Compare the legacy she has left to other deceased celebrities
4. Dispel common misconceptions and stereotypes about Mexicans and Mexican Americans
5. Use the information from her biography and the film to make inferences on how her life would have been were she to survive her injury and launch her crossover career
6. Define Selena’s impact on other Latino celebrities
7. Write a personal narrative explaining how they would like to be remembered by their family and friends

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description :
Goal
To make inferences and predictions based on background information
Role
Individual,
Audience
8th grade foreign language students
Situation
"Tejano Singer Selena Quintanilla Perez is expected to make a full recovery from her gunshot wound at the hands of Fan Club President, Yolanda Saldivar. She will return to the recording studio and complete her Crossover Album. You are a journalist who has been given the rights to her first interview since the shooting, and in preparation of her album release. Think of 10 questions you would like to ask her for the interview"
Product/Performance

Students will create 10 questions for an interview with Selena Quintanilla Perez

Standards
ELA8LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student,
and group verbal interactions.
ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of
the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application
of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
ELA8W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
ELA8W2. The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genre
ELA8LSV2 The student listens to and views various forms of text and media in order to gather and share information, persuade others, and express and understand ideas. The student will select and critically analyze messages using rubrics as assessment tools.

Performance Task Description :
Goal
The students create a personal essay
Role
Individual, as authors
Audience
Teacher and students
Situation
Students will write a personal essay discussing how they want to be remembered
Product/Performance
“Remembering Me”"Have you ever thought about how you would like people to remember you? Fifteen years after her death the Mexican American community still regards Selena as the "Queen of Tejano". Michael Jackson will always be remembered as the "King of Pop". How do you want to be remembered by your friends and family?"
Standards
MLC.CCC4A Give information about current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC4B Understand the impact of current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC5A Identify examples of target language and culture in media forms.
MLC.CCC5B Identify community and Internet resources.

ELA8W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA8RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading
across subject areas

Performance Task Description
Goal
Predictive Biographical PowerPoint Presentations
Role
Students will create Biographical PowerPoint presentations on Selena, but produce “alternate endings” for her life besides her death in 1995
Audience
The entire class
Situation
After viewing the film on Selena students will be shown a photo of an age-progressed Selena, as well as view a series of interviews Selena conducted in English in preparation for her English album.
Product/Performance
The students will then use the information from the film and interview clips to create a PowerPoint presentation on Selena, under the assumption that her gunshot wound while serious, was not fatal, and she was able to continue in her career. The presentation should be 10-15 slides in length, have accurate biological information, and a photo on each slide. Each student will also create a
Standards
MLC.CCC4A Give information about current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC4B Understand the impact of current events of target cultures.
MLC.CCC5A Identify examples of target language and culture in media forms.
MLC.CCC5B Identify community and Internet resources.

ELA8W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA8RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading
across subject areas

Other Evidence
· Character sketch graphic organizer completed on Selena.
· Written Exam on the film


Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
Introduction of the Unit
Essential Question: Why is the story of Selena Quintanilla Perez important for this class, and what lessons from her life can I apply to my own?

1. Students will watch a clip of the real Selena Quintanilla Perez performing a medley of her favorite songs as a child (Web link: http://www.selenaforever.com/SelenaVideo/SelenaVideo.html)
2. Students will read the biography of Selena, and watch the 1997 film on her life.
3. Students will complete a character sketch graphic organizer on Selena while watching the film
4. Students will be able to give an accurate description of Selena in English and Spanish
5. Students will have a greater understanding on the Hispanic family dynamic
6. Students will gain a greater understanding on why Mexican Americans feel stuck between their identities as Mexicans, and as Americans.
7. As the biography is read, I will check for understanding to make sure all students are engaged
8. Students will discuss why they believe Selena is still so admired within her community fifteen years later, and find comparisons in American culture of celebrities who have reached a similar status (For Example: People En Español was created due to the overwhelming response to the Selena tributes in Spanish and English created by the editors of People Magazine.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?
Warm Up: The following names will be listed on the board:

Aaliyah
Tupac Shakur
Michael Jackson
Elvis Presley
Heath Ledger

I will then ask the students to name what these individuals have in common. The students will identify that all of them are deceased celebrities and that with each celebrity their fame increased in death than in life. I will then lead the students into a discussion of why they believe that some people experience greater fame in death than in life, and the legacies their life left behind using individuals such as John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, and Marvin Gaye as an example. EQ: Why does our culture have a fascination with deceased celebrities? Why do certain celebrities reach greater fame in death than in life?
What events will help students experience and explore the big idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with needed skills and knowledge?
Facets 1, 2, 3 of Understanding: Explanation, Interpretation, and Application
Explanation and Interpretation :
Students will read Selena’s biography (http://www.q-productions.com/selena.html , http://www.biography.com/articles/Selena-189149 ),and view the “behind the scenes” featurette on the Selena:10th Anniversary DVD where the cast is interviewed on the experience of making the film, and how to best preserve Selena’s biography. Students will then complete a Graphic Organizer summarizing Who she was, What major awards did she earn during her career, Where she is from, When did her musical career begin, Why she was killed in 1998, and How did her family keep her memory alive? (http://www.edhelperclipart.com/clipart/teachers/org-whowhatwherewwh.pdf )
Students will watch the film Selena, and complete a character sketch graphic organizer (http://www.edhelperclipart.com/clipart/teachers/org-character-bio.pdf)

Application: Students will reflect on how they want to be remembered in a personal narrative
Facets 4, 5, and 6: Perspective, Empathy, and Self Knowledge
Students will reflect in a few sentences lessons from Selena’s life they can apply to their own, and what they learned from her story
Students will write an essay expressing what they want their legacy to be, and how they would like to be remembered.
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their work?
1. Oral discussion
2. Answers to Essential Questions

Evaluations:
1. Written Exam
2. Completed Questions on Selena’s biography
3. Character sketch on Selena done while viewing the film
4. Performance tasks: interview questions, PowerPoint presentations, Personal Essay

How will you help students to exhibit and self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout the unit?
Students will take an exam where they will answer the following questions:"In our class we discussed the Latino family and how it differs from the tradional American family. What are examples of these differences seen in Selena's family?""¿Que le gusta hacer Selena?"- (Contesta en Español)"¿Cómo es Selena?" (Use at least 6 adjectives we have learned this nine weeks)"Selena's father mentions that Mexican-Americans have to be "More Mexican than Mexicans, and more American than Americans"- Give an example of this shown in the film
How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL students, without compromising the goals of the unit?
1. Whole group and independent activities
2. Oral and visual presentation of content.
3. Graphic organizers will be for the biography and film viewing exercise
4. Rubric and research time will be allotted to complete PowerPoint presentations and personal narratives



How will you organize and sequence the
learning activities to optimize the engagement and achievement of ALL students?
Week 1
Monday
Essential Questions: Why do some people achieve more fame deceased than they do alive? Why is Selena Quintanilla Perez an important Figure in Spanish and Latino culture?

Students will read the biography of Selena, watch the “Making of” featurette, and complete the “ who, what, where, when, and why graphic organizer” her poem, “Why the Caged Bird Sings”, as well as the version with photos, discussion
Students will view footage of the real Selena in her final concert in the media center via the surround sound Projector setup.
Students will watch the segment on Selena in “E!’s Most Shocking Hollywood Murders” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MmmYPIXKdI )
Briefly discuss the Performance Tasks for the unit

Tuesday (Note: Exploratory Classes are on an A/B alternating schedule, except for Mondays when the classes are split. So, what is done in one class one day, will be done in the other class the next day)
Essential Question: Why is Selena Quintanilla Perez an important Figure in Spanish and Latino culture, and what lessons from her life can I learn from my own? Why do Mexican-Americans often feel torn between both worlds?

1. View the film for 60 minutes
2. Students will complete a character sketch graphic organizer on Selena naming the important people in her life
3. After viewing the first portion of the film, a whole class discussion will be conducted on what they noticed about Selena’s family, her drive as an entertainer, as well as examples of prejudice shown in the film. The graphic organizer will be displayed on the ActivBoard so student responses can be shared and displayed.
4. The summarizing activity of the day will be to cite how Selena’s family reminds them of their own family (ticket out the door written on a sheet of paper).
Wednesday
Essential Question: Why is Selena Quintanilla Perez an important Figure in Spanish and Latino culture, and what lessons from her life can I learn from my own? Why do Mexican-Americans often feel torn between both worlds?

1. View the film for 60 minutes
2. Students will complete a character sketch graphic organizer on Selena naming the important people in her life
3. After viewing the first portion of the film, a whole class discussion will be conducted on what they noticed about Selena’s family, her drive as an entertainer, as well as examples of prejudice shown in the film. The graphic organizer will be displayed on the ActivBoard so student responses can be shared and displayed.
4. The summarizing activity of the day will be to cite how Selena’s family reminds them of their own family.
5. For homework, students are to watch one of two rare interview clips of Selena discussing her Grammy win, and her preparations for the new tour. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcArQRQ2eGE ) (http://www.selenaforever.com/SelenaVideo/SelenaVideo3.html )
Thursday
1. Brief discussion of aspects of Selena’s personality shown in the clips, and how well actress Jennifer Lopez captured Selena’s personality. Students will discuss if Jennifer Lopez was a good choice for the role, and why or why not
2. Watch conclusion of the film
3. For homework, students will be asked to complete the following assignment: "Tejano Singer Selena Quintanilla Perez is expected to make a full recovery from her gunshot wound at the hands of Fan Club President, Yolanda Saldivar. She will return to the recording studio and complete her Crossover Album. You are a journalist who has been given the rights to her first interview since the shooting, and in preparation of her album release. Think of 10 questions you would like to ask her for the interview". Submit the questions to me via e-mail at thornton.ebony@newton.k12.ga.us Please use 12 point Black font, or in a Microsoft word document. “
Friday
1. Brief discussion of aspects of Selena’s personality shown in the clip, and how well actress Jennifer Lopez captured Selena’s personality. Students will discuss if Jennifer Lopez was a good choice for the role, and why or why not
2. Watch conclusion of the film
3. For homework, students will be asked to complete the following assignment: "Tejano Singer Selena Quintanilla Perez is expected to make a full recovery from her gunshot wound at the hands of Fan Club President, Yolanda Saldivar. She will return to the recording studio and complete her Crossover Album. You are a journalist who has been given the rights to her first interview since the shooting, and in preparation of her album release. Think of 10 questions you would like to ask her for the interview" Submit the questions to me via e-mail at thornton.ebony@newton.k12.ga.us Please use 12 point Black font, or attached in a Microsoft Word document. “
Week 2
Monday
Essential Question: Why is Selena Quintanilla Perez an important Figure in Spanish and Latino culture, and what lessons from her life can I learn from my own?
1. Students will take written exam on the film


Tuesday
Essential Question: How do I want to be remembered by my family and friends?
1. While in the school computer lab, or using the wireless lab, teacher will conduct a Mini Lesson reminding students on writing a personal essay. (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/composition/personal.htm )
2. Students will receive their rubric and begin writing their personal essay based on the following prompt: "Have you ever thought about how you would like people to remember you? 15 years after her death the Mexican American community till regards Selena as the "Queen of Tejano". Michael Jackson will always be remembered as the "King of Pop". How do you want to be remembered to your friends and family? Be specific and be honest. Students will save their work to their personal hard drive, and my personal Flash drive so I can provide feedback on the drafts in progress for the next class period in the lab.

Wednesday
Essential Question: How do I want to be remembered by my family and friends?
1. While in the school computer lab, or using the wireless lab, teacher will conduct a Mini Lesson reminding students on writing a personal essay. (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/composition/personal.htm ) with the personal essay webpage link displayed on an Interactive Whiteboard as well as on the students personal desktops.
2. Students will receive their rubric and begin writing their personal essay based on the following prompt: "Have you ever thought about how you would like people to remember you? 15 years after her death the Mexican American community till regards Selena as the "Queen of Tejano". Michael Jackson will always be remembered as the "King of Pop". How do you want to be remembered to your friends and family? Be specific and be honest. Students will save their work to their personal hard drive, and my personal Flash drive so I can provide feedback on the drafts in progress for the next class period in the lab.

Thursday
Essential Question: How do I want to be remembered by my family and friends?
1. Students receive a copy of their personal essays with commentary by me on what they have done so far
2. Students use the feedback to revise the essay, and complete final draft
3. Students print final draft of essay and turn in for assessment.
Friday
Essential Question: How do I want to be remembered by my family and friends?
1. Students receive a copy of their personal essays with commentary by me on what they have done so far
2. Students use the feedback to revise the essay, and complete final draft
Students print final draft of essay and turn in for assessment.


3rd Week
Monday
1. Students will be shown a photo of Selena before her death in 1995, and an age progressed photo of her circa 2008 (screen capture of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmi_Ltf5UC0 )
2. Students will then be shown a sample PowerPoint presentation on Selena’s life after her “injury” in 1995, and be given the rubric on how they are to create their own presentations. While the presentations are making implications on Selena’s life, the inferences must be based on actual facts from Selena’s life, and refer to her film and her biography.

Tuesday
Essential Question: Why is Selena such an important figure in the Mexican-American Community after all these years?
Students will prepare their PowerPoint presentations on Selena’s “Crossover Career” in the school computer lab
Wednesday
Essential Question: Why is Selena such an important figure in the Mexican-American Community after all these years?
Students will prepare their PowerPoint presentations on Selena’s “Crossover Career” in the school computer lab
Thursday/Friday
Students will complete PowerPoint presentations, and prepare for Monday’s presentations
Monday
Students will present PowerPoint presentations on Selena
Teacher will use Rubric to assess





From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (2005). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)













Personal Essay Rubric A = 14-16, B = 12-13, C = 10-11, F = 9 or below
Category
4
3
2
1
Organization
The essay is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions.

The essay is fairly well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used.

The essay is difficult to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear.

Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged. Paragraphs lack topic sentences and transitions from one to the other.

Spelling and Punctuation
There are no spelling or punctuation errors in the final draft. Character and place names that the author invented are spelled consistently throughout.

There is one spelling or punctuation error in the final draft.

There are 2-3 spelling and punctuation errors in the final draft.

The final draft has more than 3 spelling and punctuation errors.
Creativity and Personalization
Essay contains several examples of descriptive language to entertain the reader. The essay provokes a strong emotional response from the reader. Reader is able to see the world from the author’s eyes.
Essay contains some examples of descriptive language to entertain the reader, and provokes an emotional response from the reader. Reader can somewhat see the world from the author’s perspective.
Essay contains little descriptive language, difficult to keep the reader engaged; reader is not emotionally involved in the essay. Reader has difficulty seeing the world from the author’s perspective
Essay contains no descriptive language, reader becomes bored and disengaged while reading, and has no emotional response. Reader cannot identify with the author’s perspective.





Selena PowerPoint Presentation Rubric A = 14-16, B = 12-13, C = 10-11 F =9 or below
Multimedia Project: Selena's Story: Chapter 2

CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Credibility
Presentation provides a believable life scenario, provides ample factual background information to support information.
Presentation is believable, and provides some factual background information to support information.
Life scenario presented is plausible but not believable, limited factual information is provided to support information.
Life scenario presented is not plausible, no factual background information is provided
Content
Presentation contains less than five grammatical errors, less than three punctuation errors, and no errors in spelling.
Presentation contains five-seven grammatical errors, three-five punctuation errors, and two-four errors in Spelling.
Presentation contains seven-nine grammatical errors, five-seven punctuation errors, and four-six errors in Spelling.
Presentation contains more than ten grammatical errors, more than eight punctuation errors, and more than seven errors in spelling.
Presentation
Presentation is neatly organized, with a photo on each slide.
Presentation is somewhat organized, with transitions and photos on at least 6-8 slides.
Presentation lacks organization, photos and transitions are only found on 4-6 slides.
Presentation is poorly organized, has less than three photos, lacking slide transitions.
Length
Presentation is 10-12 slides in length
Presentation is 7-10 slides in length
Presentation is 5-7 slides in length
Presentation is less than 5 slides in length

REFLECTION

Designing the Unit

I had shown the film Selena to my students before and it was always an activity the students looked forward to at the end of the nine weeks, but I felt the film was losing the cultural relevance I had brought it into the classroom for, and was starting to appear more like entertainment than educational. So I made the decision not to show the film until I could find a series of lessons and activities that explore the different issues of culture, family dynamics, and race relations the film touches on in the 121 minutes it is aired.

As I was preparing the unit, I already had access to the film and biographies of Selena, but providing the supplemental materials for the lesson proved to be a challenge at times. The process to get clearance to show YouTube videos can be time consuming, but I knew that if the students saw the actual news footage, and heard the voice of Selena’s father, it would bring home the tragedy of her story, and the triumph of the successes she achieved in twenty-three years.

Another challenge for me was designing the performance tasks for my students. Eighth grade students can at times be difficult to design performance tasks for because if it involves lower cognitive skills, they will be hesitant to complete it because they think it is too juvenile for them to complete, and assignments that are more conducive for as secondary classroom may be too difficult. By choosing performance tasks tied to skills they have acquired in their middle school years through language arts, and computer science courses, I was able to create performance tasks that the students were cognitively able to perform, and that they would enjoy as well.

Data

Both of the rubrics I created for my performance tasks are designed to take the skills the students have acquired, and expand them into a more broad reaching area of meaning. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) state that foreign language teachers often feel that since the objective of their course is to obtain a series of skills, that creating lessons using the Understanding by Design template is unnecessary. Or more simply, the students simply need the skill, and not an understanding of the skill. However, upon further evaluation, understanding by the design is not only needed in the foreign language classroom, but it will give the students a greater knowledge on how to use the language more accurately. Each one of the facet criterion is assessed in the performance tasks and assessments given in the unit, and in the rubrics. The graphic organizer completed while viewing the film and reading the biography provides an explanation on why the content is being learned. The interview questions for Selena assess the interpretation facet, while the traditional test assesses facets one and three with open-ended questions and factual recall. Facet four is assessed in the PowerPoint presentations the students created of plausible scenarios for the life of Selena after being shot based on their prior knowledge of her life. And, the final two facets of Empathy and Self-Knowledge come together in the personal essays on the legacies students hope to leave with their family and friends. Each rubric for each culminating activity is not only aimed at assessing a certain skill such as cultural awareness or writing proficiency, but the rubrics also give the students opportunity for personal reflection, and synthesis of different cognitive skills.


Personal Essay Rubric
Most of the students earned a grade of B or higher on their personal essays. Most of them commented on wanting to make their parents proud, and being a successful person with a loving family. But, a few of them discussed very difficult moments in their lives such as family members passing away or being placed in jail. In their case, they wanted to be the one who “beat the odds” and not end up like their cousins or uncles. They wanted to be successful, to show other young people like them that if they could find a way to make it out of as dangerous neighborhood or being raised in a single parent home, then other kids like them can as well.

PowerPoint Presentations
Creating PowerPoint presentations is an activity students can enjoy, but when they are given strict guidelines on the information the presentations are to contain, what was once a fun activity can become mundane. This activity gave the students a change to use their imaginations (within reason) and create a series of life experiences for someone they have only read about or seen a movie on. A few of the students later told me that the end of the movie always made them sad the first time they saw it, because she had so much to do in life that she never accomplished. But, this activity made it seem like Selena was still alive, and as long as I have my students perform activities like this, then she can live on.

Successes

The student work throughout the unit was better than I expected it to be. The interview questions the students came up with were thought provoking and intriguing, but never crossed the line into being inappropriate. Many of the students asked the question “Was it hard for you to forgive Yolanda”, instead of “Do you think you will be able to forgive Yolanda?” which shows the higher cognitive skills such as making inferences at work. Based on what they had read and seen of her, and first person accounts, the students were able to infer that Selena’s kind and easy going nature would have led her in time to forgive her assailant; a personality trait some say led to her demise. A few of them asked questions like “Team Edward or Team Jacob?” and I had to remind them that Twilight had not been written in 1995 (when Stephanie Meyer was only a few years younger than her protagonist Bella Swan), and to keep the time period in mind.

The PowerPoint presentations were also another success of the unit. The students used the film as a backdrop for some of the most interesting and exciting biographical sketches I have seen presented. By the end of the unit, Selena had toured the world, seen her life made into a movie; worked with Sean P. Diddy Combs and Beyoncé on their clothing lines; settled down with a family; and was getting ready to launch a new album after winning the crown on Dancing with the Stars. It was great!



Modifications for future use

Over the summer I will obtain training and rights to my own e-Learn, a domain of websites exclusively for teachers in Newton County Schools to use to supplement their instruction. The e-Learn website can then be used for students to post their interview questions, as well as conduct peer reviews on the discussion boards. Once all the interview questions have been posted, the class can simulate a “chat” with Selena, and ask “her” the questions they posted on the discussion board.

The decision of the school system to make YouTube exclusive for teachers without prior clearing of websites will also make this lesson easier to conduct than it was this year. When I knew I wanted to create a UbD unit on the film Selena, I knew YouTube would be an excellent resource because there are a large number of interviews done by Selena available on the site to view. But, the technology department is often slow in providing feedback to approving links for the classroom, and the website Selena Forever (http://www.selenaforever.com) although unofficial, was an excellent resource and the perfect “ram in the thicket”. I may also download the videos to a disk or hard drive to avoid the hassle of searching for them online, and cut through some of the “red tape” that comes with using technology in the classroom, and provides an excellent back up plan in on those days when the internet crashes for unknown reasons.

What the students thought

In a very informal discussion I the students what the thought of the unit, and I received a variety of responses. The students enjoyed watching the movie and would have been fine to simply watch the film and answer questions, but by completing the performance tasks I created for them, they felt as if there was a purpose to watching the film, other than killing class time. The personal essay was difficult for the to do at first, since at their age they hadn’t given any thought to how they would like to be remembered, but once I explained the essay to them, and gave them examples from people’s personal experiences, they were able to write very thought provoking, funny, and at times moving essays on how they want people to remember them. All in all the students enjoyed the lesson from start to finish, and received more meaningful lessons from this unit than if I were to simply show the film, and present a series of questions at the end.

Sample Student Responses:

Interview Questions:

· Was it love at first sight with Chris?
· Are you nervous about singing and performing in front of English crowds?
· Was it difficult to forgive Yolanda?
· Who would you like to collaborate with on your next album?
· Do you ever think you’ll stop singing in Spanish?
· Were you afraid you and your father would never work things out?
· Do you still want to perform at Disney World?

Sample Essential Question Answers:

· Why does our culture have a fascination with deceased celebrities? Why do certain celebrities reach greater fame in death than in life?

Sometimes people forget about a person when they were alive, but after they die and they are on TV, and their songs are on the radio people remember them again.


After a famous person dies they are on the TV and in the newspaper all the time, like when Michael Jackson died, and the tributes on TV and the radio remind people of why they are so important.


· What lessons from Selena’s life can I apply to my own?

With hard work and determination you can make your dreams come true

It doesn’t matter what race you are or how much money you have, you can do anything if you put your mind to

Be careful who you trust and allow to get close to you

Don’t forget your family and where you come from

References:

Composition Patterns: The Personal Essay. The Guide to Grammar and Writing. The Capital Community College Foundation. Retrieved March 21, 2010 at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/composition/personal.htm

Disco Medley (I Will Survive/Last Dance/On the Radio). Selena: The Final Concert. Selena Forever. Retrieved March 21, 2010 at http://www.selenaforever.com/SelenaVideo/SelenaVideo.html

Georgia Department of Education Retrieved April 1, 2010 from http://www.georgiastandards.org/

Graphic Organizers Printables-Print Them!. Ed Helper. Retrieved March 22, 2010 at http://edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm

Nava, G. (Director). (1997). Selena: 10th Anniversary Edition [DVD] Los Angeles: Warner Brothers.

RubiStar (n.d.) Retrieved March 31 from http://rubistar.4teachers.org

Selena. “E’s Most Shocking Hollywood Murders”. You Tube. Retrieved March 20, 2010 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MmmYPIXKdI


Selena Biography. Q Productions. Retrieved March 15, 2010 at http://www.q-productions.com/selena.html

Selena Biography. Selena Forever. Retrieved March 14, 2010 at http://www.selenaforever.com/Site_Guide/Selena_Biography.html

Selena Discusses her Grammy Win. YouTube. Retrieved March 18, 2010 at http://www.selenaforever.com/Site_Guide/Selena_Biography.html

Wiggins, G. and Mc Tighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)

A final wordle

This wordle is a snapshot of what I teach over the course of the year, the activities I do with my kids, and a few things that have happened this year.

Señorita Thornton's year in a nutshell

Faves:

Links for Lesson Plans in a Pinch:

www.edhelper.com
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.teachersdiscovery.com


Authenic Lesson Plans from the Spanish Embassy (don't get much more realia than that)

http://www.educacion.es/exterior/usa/es/materiales/elemental.shtml

Games for the kiddos

http://www.donquijote.org/spanishlanguage/games/ (Hangman and the digital word searches are a BLAST with an interactive white board)

Everyone's favorite clip from Stand and Deliver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1S_MptIR44

Tech Tools for Smart Boards

Below you'll find a series of information on the benefits of Interactive Whiteboards for the foreign language classroom, as well as a series of resources and links.

Technology Tools Resource File: Interactive Whiteboards in the Foreign Language Classroom


I have chosen to compile a series of resources on Interactive Whiteboards in the Foreign Language Classroom. I chose this resource because of the successful implementation and use I saw of an interactive whiteboard in an Elementary Foreign Language Classroom I observed during a classroom practicum. The interactive whiteboard provided opportunities for student involvement and differentiation of instruction that would be more difficult in a traditional classroom setting. In my own teaching experience, I was able to briefly use an interactive whiteboard in my instruction and found that the students’ level of engagement was higher during its use. Interactive whiteboards can be an excellent tool in the foreign language classroom in a variety of ways.
Foreign language teachers can integrate the whiteboard with foreign language multimedia to deliver and differentiate foreign language content. For example, playing recorded conversations in the target language over projection speakers can help students with phonetic difficulties, and viewing an actual celebration of a Quinceañera or a parade observing “El Día de los Muertos” can relay the significance of these cultural events more than reading an informative article and answering a series of questions. The interactive whiteboard can also be an effective tool in increasing student involvement in the classroom setting. Many interactive whiteboards come with components where the students can interact with the boards individually or in collaborative groups. With this increased student the interaction, the role of the teacher changes to that of facilitator of independent learning instead of sole deliverer or content. Both the national and State Curriculum standards list the integration of technology as an important tool in foreign language instruction, and the use of an interactive whiteboard can provide opportunities for both teacher and student to develop a higher level of technological proficiency.
In gathering research on the use of interactive whiteboards in the foreign language classroom, I was disappointed to discover that while there are resources available to foreign language teachers who currently use interactive whiteboards in their classrooms, informative articles on their use was limited. The three articles below are a series of studies done on the use of interactive whiteboards in the foreign language classroom.

Gerard, F., Greene, M., & Widener, J. (1999). Using SMART Board in Foreign Language Classes. San Antonio, TX: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 432 278). Retrieved April 17, 2010 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/

This descriptive study evaluated the effectiveness of SMART boards in the secondary foreign language classroom setting. Benefits identified from the use of the SMART Board included enhanced presentation of linguistic and cultural elements of instruction, greater student interaction and engagement by having students use the SMART Board, and use of higher level cognitive skills with the use of the smart board and other forms of technology to create multimedia presentations versus traditional written reports. For example, teachers are able to maintain the classroom setting through the use of a SMART Board with direct classroom interaction while facing the class, instead of having to withdraw from the learning environment to write on a traditional chalkboard. The highlighting feature on the SMART board is also an effective tool in increasing target language interaction in the classroom. Teachers can highlight a word or sentence, and students can communicate in the target language without the use of monotonous and irrelevant oral prompts. Drawbacks of using the SMART board included technical issues when the board is not connected properly and malfunctions with the supplemental hardware. Gerard et al conclude that the benefits of using a SMART board outweigh the drawbacks for enhancing instruction in the secondary foreign language classroom.

Glover, D., Miller, D., Averis, D., & Door, V. (2007). The evolution of an effective pedagogy for teachers using the interactive whiteboard in mathematics and modern languages: an empirical analysis from the secondary sector. Learning, Media, & Technology, 32(1), 5-20. doi:10.1080/17439880601141146. Retrieved April 17, 2010 from Academic Search Database

This study of fifty mathematics and foreign language teachers who had interactive whiteboards in their classroom was done to determine the effectiveness of whiteboards in enhancing instruction and student learning. Factors examined in the study included lesson structure, classroom management, and effective teaching as a result of the whiteboard. The findings of the study indicate having an interactive whiteboard in the classroom does not always ensure enhanced student learning and effective instruction. The most effective teachers were those who made use of the interactive whiteboard a seamless part of their daily instruction, instead of a novelty to be used on certain occasions. In classrooms where the interactive whiteboard was used less frequently, there was a sense of stagnation in the classroom setting, and a more didactic approach in instruction. Glover et al conclude that adequate training on effective interactive whiteboard use and meaningful instruction on the part of the teacher are still crucial to the interactive whiteboard being a successful technological tool in providing instruction.

Gray, C., Pilkington, R., Hagger-Vaughan, L., & Tomkins, S. (2007). Integrating ICT into Classroom Practice in Modern Foreign Language Teaching in England: Making Room for Teachers' Voices. European Journal of Teacher Education, 30(4), 407-429. Retrieved from ERIC database.


This article is a qualitative study of three foreign language teachers in the United Kingdom who have been given interactive whiteboards to use in their classroom as part of a government initiative to use technology to enhance student learning. According to Gray et al, the benefits of the whiteboards included improved classroom management and more engaging lessons. Drawbacks to the usage of white boards were inadequate white board training, and lack of materials in their specific content area. Collaborative planning by the teachers to create their own materials was one of the solutions given to the problem of lack of adequate resources as well as the time spent gathering materials. The findings of the study suggest with adequate materials and training, the interactive white board will be a welcome tool in the foreign language classroom.
Resources and Web links for Interactive Whiteboard Use:


http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.1137

This is the official website for teachers who have Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. Teachers can search through their academic content and find lesson plans, games, web quests, and a variety of other activities developed especially for use with the Interactive Whiteboard. As a direct link from the Promethean website, no additional software or plug ins are required for use.

http://www.teachersdiscovery-foreignlanguage.com/template.asp?content=search_display.asp&SKW=spp%2Cprtech&CAT=730


Teachers Discovery has for many years been the gold standard for foreign language teachers in providing educational tools that enhance the foreign language classroom. The resources provided in the link are a series of digital flashcards, games, interactive maps, and oral fluency software designed specifically to be used with an interactive whiteboard to bring meaningful foreign language instruction into the 21st century. In addition to providing software, and digital resources, Teachers Discovery also has a series of digital lessons and appropriate links specifically for foreign language teachers with Interactive Whiteboards available for download. Once downloaded, the links automatically update themselves periodically over a year to ensure the most accurate and up to date information is available for foreign language teachers and students.
http://smartboardrevolution.ning.com/group/worldlanguagesteachers/forum

This is an online forum of foreign language teachers who have Interactive Whiteboards in their classes. From this site teachers can exchange lesson plans and activities, as well as provide support for teachers who may be hesitant to embrace this technological tool in their instruction. Teachers can review their own lessons and provide tips on trouble shooting in the case of technical difficulties.
http://ismartboard.com/
This is a website created by teachers who have interactive whiteboards in their classroom as a lesson and activity exchange. The lessons are divided by content and grade level. The foreign language lessons are adaptable to a variety of grade levels and can be used with an interactive whiteboard, or a computer that is connected to an LCD projector.

Samples of Posted Student Work

Many Spanish teachers are having student create videos on various topics and posting them online, here are a few I found on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4O_cJYr_A A series of negative commands on Spanish (A BIG PSA on driving no-nos)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHC1qI-fVfM A lesson on the imperfect with a Hip-Hop twist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGMnne8jqDY A cute commercial on "Happiness Perfume" with a cameo from abuelita!

Spanish Teacher Beverly Clinch uses her personal website to post student projects online to give other foreign language teachers a series of ideas on how to integtrate technology into foreign language instruction. Some of the best examples are listed below:

Explanation on the Imperfect and Preterite (past indicative) tense: http://modesto1.tripod.com/sld001.htm

A Webquest on Puerto Rico:

http://waltonmonica.tripod.com/

A Spanish Level IV Comparision/Contrast of the United States and Mexico:
http://clinch3.tripod.com/indexkb.html

Pre-Spring Break Humor

The "First Semester of Spanish" Love Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=ngRq82c8Baw

Let's not forget the followup "Second Semester of Spanish" Spanish Love Song (He has improved :-) )
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=uNuGKbwRudE

Wordle of Palabras for the Techno-Savvy Foreign Language Teacher