My 12- and 13-year-old students have gone to school together for most of their lives. They are a group of down-to-earth kids from a small, rural town in Pennsylvania. Since many of them have been together since Pre-K, the students and their families know each other well. Almost 60% of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch.
My students show a lot of growth through differentiated lessons, conferencing, small group instruction, and peer interaction.
I try to make their learning very personalized with one-on-one writing conferences or small group review. They do such a wonderful job in small group settings, and I love having a more personal interaction with them. They also love partner or group work. They interact well with each other, and I am proud of how they are so accepting of each other.
It is my hope that my students will continue to benefit from peer collaboration and personalized learning situations. They are very open to learning in new ways, and I am lucky that they are such a great group of kids who are so adaptable.
My Project
This interdisciplinary unit includes so many STEM activities that have been adapted for Language Arts! The idea for this unit started when we analyzed the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" which actually relates to the Black Plague. Students were so intrigued!
We will explore the Black Plague through a simulation where students can "die" from the plague, research epidemiology careers, analyze data in a table, use the affixes and word root from the word epidemiology, read fiction and nonfiction related to the Black Plague, and read and interpret instructional writing in the games' directions.
The simulation activity uses the die, map, tokens, bags, and stickers. Students circulate the room placing tokens into the bags. Each station represents a city in Europe. Students roll the dice at each of the 24 stations. They take tokens out of the bag. A red one means that they have contracted the plague! We will keep track of our "deaths" on the European map. Then, we will analyze our data using the graphing chart. They will also have the opportunity to play a game related to communicable diseases after which they will then have to write a couple of paragraphs retelling and summarizing how to play the game.
My students will use the books to help them in researching a career in epidemiology as part of our research standards. We will analyze multiple fictional stories and nonfiction articles related to the Black Plague. We will also work on vocabulary words related to the affixes and word root in epidemiology. All of these activities directly relate to the ELA grade 7 standards.
Overall, even though this is Language Arts class, I am excited to bring this STEM unit to life. Science, Technology, and Math will be used in this inter-curricular ELA unit.
Royal Bingo Supplies 1000 Pack of 3/4-inch Bingo Chips (Yellow)
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3
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Z-Man Games Pandemic: Contagion
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Didax Educational Resources Write and Wipe Graphing Board Set for Grades 3-8, 9 x 12 in, Plastic
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Streetwise Europe & Major Rail Routes Laminated Map (Michelin Streetwise Maps)
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2
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The Black Death: History’s Most Effective Killer
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$12.99
1
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Careers in Epidemiology
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$10.50
1
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$9.79
1
$9.79
50 Pack Translucent & Solid 6-Sided Game Dice 5 Sets of Vintage Colors 14Mm Dice for Board Games & Teaching Math Dice Set Classroom Accessories Dice Set RPG Dice
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1
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Materials cost
$208.33
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$0.00
3rd party payment processing fee
$3.12
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$241.45
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$42.61
Total project goal
$284.06
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal
$284.06
5 Donors
-$160.37
Donations toward project cost
-$149.91
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
-$10.46
match offer
-$107.69
Match offer toward project cost
-$91.54
Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Monoski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
