Session+Four

**Session Four - Integrated, Project Based Unit** (1.5 Hours)

**Essential Questions** How can we create a thematic, project based lesson that integrates all subject areas to enhance the learning experience of our students?

**Enduring Understandings** Project based learning inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they are studying and may help students retain the knowlege gained through experience, develop confidence, develop collaborative skills, and develop problem solving skills through both team-based and independent work.

This is an opportunity for the unified arts teachers to work with the content area teachers to plan a thematic unit togetger. The intended outcome is a general framework for a thematic, integrated, project based unit for students of a variety of learning styles and abilities.
 * Summary **

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 * Each group will present the following: **
 * Identify the theme
 * Identify the Enduring Understandings
 * Identify the Essential Questions
 * Identify the state standards by subject areas
 * Overall objectives of the unit grouped by content area
 * Identify the community service based component of the unit
 * Provide a summary that explains how the unit meets the one or more of the mission statements and philosophies of education presented
 * Provide a summary of expected student products
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Provide a summary of the responsibilities or lesson ideas for each content area
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Provide suggested assessment methods - this can be by content area or overall depending on the plan
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Identify the methods of technology integration - this can be by content area or overall depending on the plan
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Identify the methods of differentiation & multiple intelligences being addressed - this can be by content area or overall depending on the plan
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Approximate time-frame for the unit
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Necessary resources, links, applications, technology hardware, etc.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Staff will present their project in the form of a wiki. Each group will create a project wiki. They will be encouraged to include text, images, video, and resource links. The intention is that this wiki will be updated throughout a series of staff development hours or faculty meetings to develop a thematic unit that will be implemented later in the year. You should be working toward the goals above with the expectation that this will be revisited in the future to refine the project.


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Notes: **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">This session assumes that the school has a team of teachers that represents the core content areas and a foreign language teacher. It also assumes that there is a unified arts team that does not have direct planning time with the content area teachers.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">It is expected that the staff will need additional professional development time to complete the planning for this unit. The staff is encouraged to integrate concepts already in the curriculum and NJ standards.