1. Teacher(s
)
Isakson, Ticoras,
McNamara, Palacio
Subject
groups and
disciplines
L&L, I&S, Science
Unit title
The Future!
MYP year 3 Unit
duration
(hrs) 50+
Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the interdisciplinary unit
Purpose of Integration
Students will be examining the ways in which our past and current
behaviors have shaped and will continue to shape the world we live in
through an examination of our environmental impact, energy use, the role of
globalization, and consumerism.
Key concept / related concept(s) Global context
Key Concept (I&S): Global
Interactions
Related Concept (I&S): Causality
Key Concept (L&L): Relationships
Related Concept (L&L): Setting,
Communication
Key Concept (Science):
Relationships
Related concept (science):
environment
consequences
Globalization and sustainability
exploration
● natural resources and public
goods
Statement of inquiry
Human activity has had a profound effect on the planet and its inhabitants, and
will continue to re-shape the world, for good and for bad.
**we should write one of these together according to IB people
Relationships and global interactions between humans and the environment
can result in consequences that will continue to impact globalization and the
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2. ways that people will consume, conserve, communicate and sustain in the
future.
Inquiry questions
Factual— What is the Anthropocene? What is Globalization? What is
Consumerism? What is climate change? What resources do people use? What
resources are renewable and which aren’t?
Conceptual— How has Globalization changed our lives?
How have humans altered the planet?
How does climate change affect humans and the environment?
Debatable— Has Globalization been a good thing for humans? Will humans
prosper in the future? Has technology helped or harmed us?
Can human’s relationship with the environment change for better in the
future?
Summative assessment – interdisciplinary performance(s) of understanding
Interdisciplinary Criteria
L&L
Criterion A: Analyzing
The student: gives detailed
justification of opinions and ideas with
a range of examples, and thorough
explanations
Criterion C: Producing Text
The student: demonstrates a high
degree of thought, imagination and
sensitivity and perceptive exploration
and consideration of new
perspectives and ideas, selects
extensive relevant details and
examples to develop ideas with
precision.
Outline of summative task /
GRASPS
Your Goal:
To successfully communicate your ideas
about what the future will be, include the
economy, the environment, potential
space travel and exploration,
technologies, animal species, and the
fate of our dear city of New York.
Your Product:
You will create a visual and written
display, either in print (on a poster board)
or digitally, that serves to communicate
your vision of the future. Your display
should include all of the necessary
attributes from the list above, integrating
your own opinions with evidence from
in-class readings. You will then write a
500-1000 word justification of your
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3. I&S
Criterion A: Knowing and
Understanding
The student consistently uses a range
of terminology accurately,
demonstrates detailed knowledge
and understanding of content and
concepts through developed and
accurate descriptions, explanations
and examples.
Criterion D: Thinking Critically
The student completes a detailed
analysis of concepts, issues, models,
visual representation and/or theories,
summarizes information to make
consistent, well-supported
arguments.
Science
Criterion A: Knowing and
Understanding
Student is able to apply scientific
knowledge and understanding to
solve problems set in familiar and
unfamiliar situations
Student can analyze information to
make scientifically supported
judgments.
Criterion D:
Reflecting on the impact of science.
Student can describe the ways in
which science is applied and used to
address a specific problem or issue
imagined future, citing evidence from
relevant texts from L&L, Humanities, and
Science class.
Approaches to learning (ATL)
Communication
In order for students to explain the ways in which science is applied and used to
address a specific problem or issue, students must find information for
disciplinary and interdisciplinary inquiries, using a variety of media.
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4.
Action: Teaching and learning through interdisciplinary inquiry
Disciplinary Grounding
Subject: Science Subject: I&S / L&L
MYP objective(s):
I can evaluate an informed energy
decision using a model.
I can create and use a model to
determine the impact of an oil spill.
I can determine the causes and
effects of climate change by
observing graphs and models.
MYP objective(s):
I can analyze similarities and
differences between the past,
present, and future.
Related concepts
Environment
Consequences
Related concepts
Content
Fossil Fuels
Natural resources
Renewable energy sources
Content
Feed
Globalization / Imperialism
Ecological impact of production
systems (food, clothing, etc).
Disciplinary learning engagements
and teaching strategies
The main teaching strategy I am using
is having my students create and
evaluate different models for the
scientific phenomena that will affect
Earth’s future.
Disciplinary learning engagements
and teaching strategies
Students will deepen their knowledge
through writing, Socratic Seminar, and,
and the creation of a series of
responses to presentations about
energy, land, and water usage.
Interdisciplinary learning process
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5. Interdisciplinary
learning experiences
and teaching strategies
Formative assessments
Science Formative Assessments:
1. formative making predictions about the future of
energy using the Big History vocabulary
1. projected
2. probable
3. possible
4. preposterous
2. formative assessment making predictions about
outer space (aliens, Mars) that follows the same 4P
format
3. Formative on causes/effects of climate change
using Concord Consortium interactive
4. Formative - “you have the power” nat geo -
students are the mayor of a city and have to make
informed energy decisions using a budget and taking
into account stakeholder opinion
5. Lab formative - creating an oil spill model and
evaluating its accuracy
Humanities Formative Assessments
1. Journal Checks throughout unit. Students will
be analyzing M.T. Anderson’s Feed and
discussing whether or not it represents a
possible, preposterous, or probable future.
2. Socratic Seminar - Students will discuss the
nature of School™ and our real world school
and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
3. To Meat or Not to Meat Debate about the
environmental impacts of the ways in which
we produce food. Students will need to
conduct brief research into the effects of
different forms of agriculture and debate their
merits.
4. Public Goods - written response analyzing
what should and should not be considered a
public good.
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6. Differentiation
Content
● Student choice - choice of future topics summative
● Choice of how to create the image
● Scaffolds for analysis questions
Process
● Summative differentiation
○ paragraph requirements
● Multiple versions of each reading with a variety of Lexile
levels (Newsela or Big History readings)
Resources
https://authoring.concord.org/sequences/388
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/game/national-geographic-energy/
Big History - Mars / Aliens readings
Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry
Prior to teaching the
unit
During teaching After teaching the unit
● Meet and plan
with Emily and
humanities team
● explore with class
what public goods
are (humanities
and science)
● review topics
including invasive
species, energy,
climate change,
aliens, mars
● integrate models
and graphs into
content
● keep reminded
students that our
summative will
focus on the future
and making the
connection
between the
topics and the
future
● have student save
classwork as
evidence for their
summative so
resources do not
go to waste
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