Standard 7
Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.

The teacher organizes and plans systematic instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, pupils, the community, and curriculum goals.

Evidence 7:
Greek Skit Podcast


Rationale 7:
The Greek mythology unit was originally just a skit writing unit for the 8th grade language arts classes at our school. This unit was interdisciplinary with the reading classes as they read and studied Greek mythology. Having gained the background knowledge in reading, students wrote skits depicting a Greek myth in a modern setting or created their own myth. Students were assessed on the writing of the skit, the content addressed, and the actual performance. This last year, we added the technology component using digital voice recorders to record a performance, add background music, and upload to the class website as a podcast. The students expressed that they enjoyed writing and performing the skits, as well as having fun with the voice recorders. The recorders gave them the opportunity to hear how their performance really sounded, anyalze where they needed to improve and adjust accordingly. Other classes were invited to watch the performances.

This unit and the podcasts were valuable to my development as a teacher because they encompassed many different types of smaller lessons into one final project to show student achievement. The unit was based upon the Greek Mythology subject matter but met standards for reading and language arts, including writing, speaking and performing, as well as reaching out to other classrooms in the school community.

KSD

7.K.1 The teacher understands learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and student development to plan instruction and to meet curriculum goals based on content standards.

This unit combined different learning theories as well as subject matter. It requires both individual and group work, writing, speaking, trechnology, and formal and informal assessment. It is an integration of reading and language arts subject areas.

7.S.2 The teacher plans for learning opportunities that recognize and address variation in learning styles, learning differences, and performance modes.

Needs for different learning styles are met by using different methods of teaching and assessing such as reading, writing, speaking, and technology use. Students create scripts and skits based on their interests and preferences within the subject matter.

7.D.1 The teacher values both long-term and short-term planning.

This unit required the day-to-day planning to make sure students were meeting required steps along the way such as drafts of scripts. The long term planning ended with final performances and uploading podcasts.