discussion questions and theme study

*THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO THE ASSIGNMENT.

BOTH PARTS MUST BE COMPLETED ON DIFFERENT WORD DOCUMENTS*

PART 1

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words EACH

What changes need to be made to a multiple-choice test to make it more reflective of the progress students have made in an integrated thematic unit?
What are some other ways to see how the class is doing in your interdisciplinary theme study?
How would an assessment through a culminating activity show student learning and an understanding of theme study?
What could these assessments tell you about the actual theme study itself?

PART 2

Create a theme study using components of interdisciplinary inquires. This theme must incorporate at least two disciplines–arts, math, language arts, science, social science, physical education–and the following components:

Big ideas: Generalizations, principles, laws, or theorems that meet the criteria:
It is true over space and time.
It may broaden the students’ understanding of the world and what it means to be human.
It is interdisciplinary.
It may lead to student inquiry.
Questions that drive inquiry: The depths of the questions are in proportion to the interdisciplinary inquiry. Therefore, they should include higher- and lower-thinking orders and processes, including the use of logic, critical thinking, and creating new questions (sub-questions) from what was learned.
Appropriate resources: Print, interviews, field sites, artifacts, visual, audio, experiments, and computer technology
Learning activities: Ways to explore the questions in age-appropriate standards
Learning Outcomes:
Factual content learned: Did they get the big idea?
Processes and skills to be developed: Did the big idea engage intelligences and modes of inquiry?
Intellectual and effective mentalities: Does the big idea develop thinking skills and habits?