EBAM Unit Title: A Playground For All

Grade Level: 5 – 9

Task 6

Catherine Dismukes

DeWar Henderson

Denise Schoch

EBAM Unit Title: A Playground For All

Grade Level: 5 - 9

Purpose: To design a playground that is accessible for all students and provides fun, physical activities.

Unit Duration: 3 months

Academic Standards:

Math – geometry

Math- measurement

Research skills

Science –

Thinking Process Emphasis:

Comprehension

Synthesis

Analysis

Application

Creative Problem Solving

Performance Task: (Student Product)

Students will submit a proposal to the Board of Education for a playground that is accessible to physically challenged students.

Task Description By Model Phases:

I. Focus:

Key Questions:

Does a problem exist?

What is the problem?

How important is the problem?

Does the problem affect me personally?

Why should I be studying this topic?

Focus activity #1: Have students experience the playground as a physically challenged student. For example , students will use a wheelchair, be blindfolded, and use sound-blocking earmuffs (that lawn care workers and jet plane directors use) or ear plugs.

Technology Integration: Students will take digital photos or film peers during focus activity and use MS Word to journal about their experiences.

(Student Questions):

What is a handicap?

If you’re handicapped, you’re limited. How does it feel?

You’re excluded? How does it feel to be excluded?

What made it easier for you to navigate?

What made it easier to participate?

II. Current Conditions

What are the trouble spots?

How do you conduct a survey?

How do you graph the results of survey?

Activity #1: Students will tour the campus documenting current areas that are not accessible to physically challenged students.

Technology Integration: Students will take pictures and create a PowerPoint presentation to present to the Board of Education of discovered trouble spots.

Activity #2: Students will survey the student population regarding their concerns about the lack of physically accessible areas.

Technology Integration: Students will develop an online survey and graph the results in Microsoft Excel. They will include the graph in their PowerPoint presentation to the Board.

III. Personal Involvement

How do you measure accurately?

How do you research playground equipment and handicap solutions?

Who will give us money for this?

Activity #1: Teacher will conduct a “How to Measure and record measurement” lesson in order for students to accurately measure areas they want to develop on the playground.

Technology Integration: Using Excel, students will record width, height, depth, and/or girth of various playground areas in order to adapt them for physically challenged students.

Activity #2: Students will use the Internet to research playground equipment and handicap solutions and costs.

Technology Integration: Students will use the Internet for research and record costs and measurements in a spreadsheet.

Activity #3: Students will write persuasive letters to sponsors. Students will identify local businesses that will donate time, money, and supplies. They will contact these businesses to determine participation. They will then write to the local businesses.

Technology Integration: As a whole group students will draft a persuasive letter using Microsoft Word requesting assistance. Individual students will copy and insert mailing addresses of local businesses and their contact names.

IV. Taking Action

What will the playground look like in 2 dimensions?

What will the playground look like in 3D?

How much will the adapted playground cost?

Can we do this with all that we have?

When will we build this?

Activity #1: Students will create scale drawings of their new playground.

Technology Integration: Students, working in groups of four, will use CAD to draw their vision of the playground during computer class. They will write a short persuasive paragraph explaining why their design will meet the needs of physically challenged students’ needs identified in the survey. Students vote for favorite design.

Activity #2: Students will create 3-D models of the winning 2-D design.

Technology Integration: Student will take photographs and post to a webpage showing project.

Activity #3: Students will develop a budget for the adaptive playground based on donations received from the local businesses.

Technology Integration: Students will use Microsoft Excel to plan their playground budget.

Activity #4: Students will make necessary adjustments to their design or their budget. They will then set a date for building their playground and contact volunteers and donors.

Technology Integration: Revise Excel and CAD.

Activity #5: Build it! Play on new playground!

Technology Integration: Record activities with digital cameras and post on website. Write thank you notes.

V. Feedback

What concepts and content did we use to understand the problem or issue?

What investigations/problem solving processes did we use to identify workable solutions?

Did the products I produced and processes I used meet quality standards?

Activity #1: Teachers and students will use a writing rubric to assess persuasive writing. Teachers and students will also use a performance rubric, and a peer review rubric to assess CAD drawings, photo composition, and webpage design

Technology Integration: Using Rubistar, the teacher and students will co-design the rubrics and use them to assess their projects.

Activity # 2: Students will write a journal entry to assess whether their photo tour, student survey of problem areas, and spreadsheets were effective in creating a playground for all.

Technology Integration: Word processor

Activity # 3: Write summaries of the building and fun activities.

Technology Integration: Using Word and FrontPage, students post summaries and photos taken on “Building A Playground for All Day.”