Category Archives: 2022

2022 Vol 3: Understanding the Science of Light

Wonderous Wavelengths: Applications of Modelling Periodic Functions to Analyze Phenomena in Light 

Dalton Cooper, Math, East Mecklenburg High School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: Following Thomas Young’s double-slit experiment in 1802, physicists began to favor the wave model of light, using the properties of a transverse wave to model phenomena observed in nature, such as refraction, reflection, and the Doppler Effect. Mathematically, trigonometric functions can be used to model periodic phenomena, such as light. My curriculum unit uses phenomena that change the amplitude and wavelength of light in order to discuss transformations of the sine and cosine functions, as well as using transformations to the sine and cosine functions to model phenomena in the natural world. 

2022 Vol 7: Moving to Learn

Musically Moving: Creative Experiences for Body and Mind in the Music Classroom

Esther Alcamo, Music, Collinswood Language Academy

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: This curriculum unit will provide elementary students with the opportunity to work with movement as a conscious part of the music curriculum. Through study of BrainDance, a warm-up sequence designed to mirror the stages of brain development and enhance movement and learning, students will experience the role of movement in learning and thinking. As described in the NC Standards for Music, moving to music or using corresponding gestures, is another way of telling or showing mastery. As students move to music with intention, they gain a deeper knowledge of the musical concepts presented. As the unit progresses, we will work towards student composed dances using the building blocks found in the movement concepts we will study. Students will use third grade music standards related to rhythm and note values in order to create choreography with Motif Writing. Music literacy and dance literacy will work together to create a kinesthetic, aural, verbal and spatial learning experience. 

2022 Vol 6: Carolina Cuisine: History and Science of Food

From Academic to Practical: Application of Academic Knowledge of Plants to Practicing Horticulture and Preparing Food

Zachary Sanford, Exceptional Children, Hough High School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: This focus of this unit is to teach students with intellectual disabilities about plants, the different types of plants, plant reproduction, the different types of plant propagation, and how to turn plants that are grown into food. This unit will provide a completed adapted chapter and worksheets. The unit will begin with an introduction to to plants, plant cells, and different types of plants. The students will compare and contrast plant and animal cells, the different types of plants, and how the different plants reproduce. The second lesson will focus on applying the knowledge of plants to the process of horticulture and growing. The students will study the different plant reproduction and apply the knowledge to growing different plants in a small garden. The students will determine the best soil and methods for the plants grown, The final lesson will cover the practical application of growing plants as a vocation. This section/lesson will involve trips to different greenhouses and visiting different growers to learn about growing a cultivation as a job. This section will be hands on. The students will grow different plants and create different dishes with the plants. The lessons will involve hands-on experiences as well as adapted assessments and worksheets. 

2022 Vol 4: What is Identity?

Seeing Themselves in Books: An Exploration of Student Identities

Johnna Hauck, 5th Grade, Shamrock Gardens Elementary School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: In this unit, students will learn about identity and explore their own identities through a series of literacy-based lessons in order to answer the question: How can our identities shape our lives? Front Desk will be the text used throughout these lessons. This will allow for students to engage with 5th grade literacy standards, but also lend itself to conversations and activities about identity. Students learn about identity and other concepts that intertwine with identity from a fiction text. This learning will then be applied to students exploring their own identities and experiences. Questions about identity are embedded throughout the unit in order to spark interest, engagement, and reflection on the part of students. Conversations drive most lessons forward, and encourage students to question their beliefs as well as events taking place in the world today. These content areas are integrated throughout the unit with one overarching goal – to encourage students to critically examine how identity shapes our lives including our relationships, our choices, and the way we think and act.

2022 Vol 3: Understanding the Science of Light

Red Light, Green Light: An Exploration of Light and Photosynthesis

Elizabeth Kerr, 1st Grade, Bain Elementary School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: This unit will look at light and how it is a requirement of plants to survive. Different wavelengths of light affect photosynthesis differently. Students will work to design an experiment to observe how different wavelengths of light affect the plant’s growth. This will lead into a discussion on food chains/webs, where students will discover that the sun and plants are the beginning of every chain/web. This unit will require students to take measurements and record data at least once a week for at least three weeks. 

2022 Vol 1: Exploring Memory and Race in America

Exploring Race and Memory in America: The Power of our Art

Tam Hawk, 6th Grade Social Studies, Albemarle Road Middle School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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 Synopsis: The word “history” comes from the Greek word “historia” and means inquiry as in the act of seeking knowledge. Questioning the narratives told throughout history, in part, through memorials and monuments is important to understand the true history as well as the different perspectives which are told. Whose story is it? Whose stories are correct? What multiple perspectives can be valid? When the phrase “her story” was introduced as an alternative for his-story, many people thought that was ridiculous, but, in truth, we should ask questions about what is told in historical narratives. What can memorials past and present tell us about history? How has iconoclasm impacted what we know about historical facts? “The destruction, removal and re-interpretation of monuments has drawn the world’s attention and they have often been flash points for intense political and social debate as public symbols of white supremacy.”1 This quote expresses the importance of memorials and monuments and their impact on society, past and present. Art and architecture were important in ancient civilizations because it showed the power, beauty and wealth of a civilization. Art & Architecture reflected the values of ancient civilizations, just as it does today. Memorials and monuments are important for city landscapes because they keep past events alive and reflect the values of that society. 

2022 Vol 1: Exploring Memory and Race in America

Broadening Horizons: Perspectives of Native American Monuments

Shannon McFarland, 6th Grade English Language Arts, Alexander Graham Middle School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: In this curriculum unit, students examine monuments significant to Native American experiences. They will learn about and discuss the history of how tribes were displaced from their lands and children were treated inside of boarding schools. For the culminating assessment, students will design a monument dedicated to the victims of Native American boarding schools and a plaque that explains why a monument to this history should exist. 

2022 Vol 1: Exploring Memory and Race in America

Black Churches and the Civil Rights Movement: Leadership and Memory

Janice Sutton, American History, Independence High School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: This curriculum unit will have students looking at the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of the Black Churches. Students will explore why groups like SNCC and SCLC were formed, and how they mobilize Blacks and Whites to stand up and speak out against inequalities faced by Blacks in the South. Students will be able to understand why so many of the Civil Rights Leaders became Reverends, and how they will use the First Amendment to fight back against their oppressors. Students will examine the various Civil Rights Churches and the impact they had on the movement and their impact in today’s society. Students will research the role North Carolina’s Black Churches and their leaders played in the Civil Rights movement and share their findings with their peers through a product of their choice. 

2022 Vol 1: Exploring Memory and Race in America

The Monuments and Memorials of Mass Incarceration and Segregation through the Lens of If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Sarah Wallace, 9th Grade English, Hopewell High School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

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Synopsis: In this unit, students will read the novel If You Come Softly by Jacqueline
Woodson while focusing on the importance of memory and memorialization. Students will
complete anticipation activities that research African-American and Jewish history, the
racial groups that are represented by the protagonists of the novel. Students will explore
how each racial group’s history continues to have an impact on current events and the
characters in the novel. Students will be asked to consider how history is taught to them and
what they do and do not learn in a standard history class. The curriculum unit will include
anticipatory material to be used before starting the novel, materials to supplement a nuanced
discussion of the beginning of the novel, a project to enhance student understanding of
characterization at the end of the novel, and finally a project that asks students to reflect on
the historical implications of the racial groups that are represented in the novel. This unit
aligns with the North Carolina English Language Arts standards for grades 9 and 10.