A Curriculum Unit using iPads - Applied to Gardner's MI Theory

A Curriculum Unit
using iPads
Designed for Students on the Autism Spectrum
By Karina Barley – M.Ed.

Based on the work of Howard Gardner’s
Multiple Intelligence Theory
The Amazing Race Curriculum Unit - Karina D. Barley

I have designed a unit that can be used for all
students and can be adapted to tailor their
specific abilities, talents and skill set according to
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.
The idea is for students to choose the activity
that suits their learning style. It is not intended
for students to do all of the activities.
The unit is based on the television programThe
Amazing Race.

The program is a race where teams of two
unite to follow prompts, activities and
challenges which has them travelling around
the world.
The unit will use an iPad and apps to
simulate The Amazing Race.
I used the following apps:
Google Earth, Geocaching, Keynote, Pages,
Drawpad, Google, Strip Designer, Pictello,
Grafio, Story Patch, Pictello, iDiary, iMovie,
Jumbo Calculator, and Numbers.

Content:
This unit provides a range of experiences:
•Using various apps on the iPad
•Hands on experience, manipulating a
variety of media
•Allows students to move through The
Amazing Race unit according to their
ability, pace and application to the work

•Where students have a choice of activities they
can choose depending on their preference,
learning style, ‘intelligence’ and interest
•Where students can do as much work as they
have time to do; so children have lots of
opportunities to achieve success
• Opportunities to self evaluate and reflect on
their own learning
•Where children who are capable of higher order
thinking and skills can be extended further

Skills Developed:
• Language of spatial concepts in English and
Math
• Reading maps and learning about types of
maps
• Intro to GPS, compass
• Using Google Earth
• Using other iPad apps and familiarization of
the iPad

• Research skills
• Recording data & information
• Writing a journal/diary/log
• ICT to present and record work
• Internet to search for information
• Thinking skills and decision making

• Goal setting
• Problem solving
• Compare and contrast particularly people,
cultures, and environments
• Collaborative, co-operative skills
• Reflective practice

During this planning stage teachers
ask:
• Where are the children at?
(As in, what skills are they using for their
learning?)
• What have they done before?
• What's the main thing I want the children
to learn from this unit?
• How long should this unit go for?
• What other things could the children
learn? (through integration)
• What resources can I use?

Group Level:
• This unit can be adapted for any student
from Year 4-10
• Students can work individually or in pairs
Focus:
• Geography and culture
• Using iPad and apps to navigate around the world
• Teamwork
Time Frame: Term Unit – Ten weeks
This is an integrated unit, so the lessons will be
incorporated daily across all curriculum areas.
As previously mentioned, children should go at their own
pace.

Unit Aims:
• To expose students to a wide range of experiences
using ICT, the iPad, the Internet and the game The
Amazing Race
• For students to explore ‘the world’ according to
their own learning style and ‘intelligences’
(Gardner, 1983)
• To be able to use thinking skills & decision making
skills
• To develop student’s use and understanding of
language and communication skills

• To encourage students to think imaginatively,
interpretively and critically
• To explore concepts and issues explored in the
different cultures, such as language, food, religion,
way of life, community etc
• To be exposed to issues of humanity, ethics and
morality and the world in which we live
• To encourage individual and collaborative
learning, self-reflection and assessment and peer-assessment

Resources
• Make all the resources available within the
classroom
• Ensure all of the applications work on the iPad
and that you’ve tried them so you can
demonstrate if necessary
• Ensure websites are available such as YouTube,
Google, Wikipedia etc. If they are shut down by
the school then seek permission to use this website
for the purpose of this work. Students would need
to agree to use the websites responsibly

Resources
• Ensure all art supplies are available
• Create a space within the classroom that is
open-ended so students can move around the
room and that they are not stuck in one space
• Ask parents to contribute by way of knowledge,
assistance in the classroom, providing resources
etc
• Provide video recorders, cameras, as well as
other multimedia such as DVDs etc

BEGINNING THE RACE : PRE –ACTIVITIES GROUP WORK
• Workshop/brainstorm continents
and countries
• Use Google Earth on an Interactive
Whiteboard to show students how
to navigate to various locations and
discover information about that
country
• Show how to use Google and other
search engines to research
information and images
•Demonstrate use of Pages, Keynote,
iDiary and Pictello for diary
writing, journaling and recording
their journeys
•Demonstrate Drawpad for
sketching important landmarks,
plants, etc and show how to use
Scrap App as a photo album
• Other apps can be demonstrated
as they are needed
• Show some clips from The
Amazing Race so that students
understand visually the concept
of the game
•Upload on each iPad a keynote
with the directions. Children
won’t be able to get to the next
task until they have completed
the first

• Establish whether students
wish to work alone or in a
team
• Display map of the world in
the room, also have smaller
versions laminated for each
student
• Design a clue box like the one
used in the program to keep
in the classroom
• Students can be a part of the
organisation process

The tasks as outlined will be uploaded as keynotes on each
student’s iPad
TASK ONE:
Inside the Clue Box are cards with the names of various countries
on them.
(You can choose to do all the countries, or compile a list from your brainstorming
activities, or select countries from one specific continent. I would personally have
a list of 10-20 countries as this will make it easier to manage).
• Select a card. This will be the country you will be researching for this
unit
• You can do this unit independently or with another student.
(If you choose to work with someone, each person must contribute the
same amount of work)
• Use your iPad for all your research, note-taking, journaling, and for
as much of your presentation as possible
• You must complete one task before you move onto the next

TASK ONE CONTINUED...
A ROAD BLOCK IS A TASK ALL TEAMS MUST COMPLETE.
YOU MUST COMPELTE THESE BEFORE YOU CAN GO TO
THE
DETOUR...
Once the student has chosen their country they can
answer the following questions:
• Go to Google Earth – Locate your country.
(Literacy and Numeracy)
• What continent is it in? (Draw, locate on map)
(Geography, Literacy)
Go to information and discover:
• Population, language, and currency (Write in journal)
• Capital city, famous geographical locations
(Research/Literacy/History/Geography)

• What is the weather like? Any geographical
challenges? i.e. volcano, earthquakes etc. (Science)
• Flag design and colors (Draw and show colors)
• Favourite cuisine, past times and sports (Pictures,
describe & sketch)
• How far away in kilometres/Miles is this country?
(Numeracy)
• What airport will your arrive in? (Geography)
• Come up with your own facts that are different from
those listed above.
• Extension: Find three facts about your chosen
country; three major buildings; three famous people
from this country. (History)
Present this information in any way you choose.

Once you’ve explored Google Earth and the internet and discovered as
much as you can about your chosen country, record your information
in your journal using either:
• Pages, Keynote or iDiary or any other appropriate format on your
iPad.
• Use your journal to keep notes, write ideas, store information etc.
• Use Clipish to find pictures related to your country to add to your
journal.
• You may sketch ideas or drawings of your information in Drawpad
• Use Youtube and your iPad to store videos, music, recordings etc.
• Do one page on your thoughts about the country you are researching.
Would you like to live there? If so why, or why not?
• Is there somewhere in this country that you MUST visit in your
lifetime i.e. is this on your bucket list? Why?
• Is there an activity you must do in this country that is on your
bucket list?
• Use Strip Designer to add pictures of yourself to photographs of your
favourite locations.

TASK TWO
You may choose one activity from the following
list using your Country as a guide:
Where in the world are we?
• Draw a map of your country and include capital
city and other major cities. Color your map and
code the various aspects of the map different
colors i.e. rivers can be coloured blue.
• Make a model of a famous building from your
country.
You can do this using construction, or using Blocks
or Home 3D on your iPad (Visual-Spatial/Logical-Mathematics)
• Extension: Make a diorama of a famous landmark, city,
scene in history from your country.

Our home is girt by sea!
• What is your country’s national anthem?
• Find a recording of it on the internet (YouTube).
If the anthem is in a different language, find the
meaning of one verse and the chorus. (You can try
Google to search for language interpretation programs
eg. Babel Fish)
• What is the purpose of a National Anthem? – Write the
answer in your journal
• What other music is prevalent in this country? Using
this information, create a Keynote to present your
findings. Add video or sound files. (Musical)
• Extension: Write your own national anthem.
what sort of message should an anthem convey? Use
the Garage Band app on your iPad to achieve this.

TASK TWO cont...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• Find a famous artist from your country – they
can be modern or from the past.
• What type of artist are they? How do they work?
Paint, drawing, pastel etc? Write about the
history of your artist and find pictures on the
internet of their significant work. You can use any
of the ‘writing’ apps on the iPad or you may like
to try Strip Designer. (Visual-Spatial)
• Extension: Use one significant piece of work by
your artist and recreate it, or reinterpret it. You
can use any medium you would like, including
Drawpad on your iPad.

Money, money, money...
• Find out what currency is used in your country
• Using Google or other search engines, and using
your
Math skills, find prices
For: Plane fare, hotels, food for your period of
stay, incidentals etc.
• Present this on a spreadsheet using Numbers and
calculate how much it will cost to take a holiday to
this country for 10 days. (Logical- Mathematical)
Extension: Compare the Australian dollar to this
country’s currency.
How much will the trip cost in $AUS and in your
country’s currency? What is the average income for
this country? How much does it cost for food, rent,
gas/electricity etc? Present your findings in a
spreadsheet using Numbers.

TASK TWO cont...
Dead Poet’s Society
• Look up famous authors or poets that were born in
your country.
• Do a timeline of their life and works.
• Research the books or poems they wrote. Choose one
that you like. Using Pages write a book report about
this book (Linguistic)
• Write an alternative ending to this book or write
another poetry verse.
• Extension: Choose one of the characters and use
Story Patch or Pictello to write and tell the story
of their life.
• Write your own poem/story in a similar style to this
author.

Ready, Set, Go
• Sport, what is the popular sport in this
country?
• Research the sport and find the rules. Are
there teams? What colours do they wear?
What happens at a particular game? E.g. How
does the crowd behave? Do people dress in
colors?
• Record a video to explain/demonstrate this skill
(Body- Kinesthetic)
• Extension: Find a video of a piece of ‘play’ from
this game/sport. Analyse the ‘plays’ and
recreate in the video showing techniques or
improvements. For example, Australian Rules –
Show a footballer kicking for goal. What are the
techniques? What could be improved? Display
video on your iPad.

If I could talk to the animals/how does your
garden grow?
• What does your country look like? If I could talk to
the animals who would they be?
• Find out what is the natural flora and fauna of this
country. Create a list with descriptions.
• Does this country have a floral symbol? What is it?
Sketch it in your journal using Drawpad.
• Create a Zoo booklet describing the native animals in
your zoo. You may use keynote or Pictello , include
pictures, sketches, animal sounds etc. (Naturalist)
• Extension: Find out the scientific name of your flora
and fauna.
• Create a book describing the natural wonders of your
country. You may include pictures, video, sketches,
commentary. You need to use the scientific names in
your book. Choose the app you wish to use for
presentation. I.e. Keynote, Pictello, Story Patch,
Pages, Numbers etc.

TASK TWO cont...
So You Think You Can Dance
•Are there any famous actors/artists? Choose one
and do a Keynote about their life. You could also
use Pictello to create a story with sound, pictures
and your own voice.
• Is there anything that this country is famous for
culturally? Eg. Ballet, Cirque De Sole, Circus,
Theatre etc.
•Do a drama skit portraying a cultural event? This
can be a dance, a circus performance, or a mini
play. (Body-Kinesthetic)
•Extension: Design a dance, or drama performance
that reflects the culture of your country. Record
using video and present on iPad

A Day in the Life
• Imagine you're a famous person from this country? Or
• Imagine you are a mum, dad, child, teacher, student from
this country.
• What is your life like? How do you live? What kind of
house do you live in? What sort of work do you or your
parents do? Or if you are a famous person, what are you
famous for?
• If you are a person from history, is there anything you did
in your life that you would change? Why?
• Create a Keynote or use Scrap App or My Scrap Life to
share what their life is like. Use Pictello to create a story
with sound, pictures and your own voice.
• Write this as a story, report, journal or interview. You
can also present as a video or a picture story using the
various art/photography applications.
(interpersonal/intrapersonal/linguistic/visual-spatial)
• Extension: Design a dance, or drama performance that
reflects the culture of your country. Record using video &
present on iPad

Comic Book Capers
• Using Strip Designer create any story using pictures, speech
bubbles etc. Make your own Comic Book based on your
story.
• Your story can be:
A story of your life.
About an action hero like Superman, Batman etc (it will be
better if you make up your own Superhero).
An adventure story.
• You must ‘mask’ at least one photograph using the function
in Strip Designer
• Use speech bubbles for your text, so you need to think about
how your characters will talk
• Think about the ‘message’ of your comic; the talent your
super hero has & what are values they stand for.
(interpersonal/intrapersonal/linguistic/visual-spatial)
• Extension: Use Drawing Pad or Sketchpad to draw your
superhero. Then mask it out to create a series of comic
books. The books need to have a theme and link together.
Add other characters to make the story interesting.
How are you going to make your story exciting?

TASK THREE
U-TURN
If you finish early you can go back to the Detour and
choose another activity.
Or, you can make a proposal to the teacher about an
activity you would like to do.
Other areas you can research:
• Is there any significant events or celebrations your
country is famous for? Research and report using
Keynote.
• Compare the price of airline tickets to your destination?
What do you need to consider when looking for tickets?
Display findings in Numbers.
• What inventions originated from your chosen country?
• What agriculture/farming is significant in this country?
How do they achieve this? Use your choice of writing app
to show your findings.
• Fashion/Dress/Costumes – Sketch and design your own.

PIT STOP
The pit stop is the final leg for this
part of the race.
This is where you present your
findings and show your work to the
teacher.
How would YOU assess your work?
What did you learn?
Go back over your work and make an assessment about its worth.
Is there something you can improve?
Is there something you want to change/add/delete?
Don’t be afraid to redo something.... it doesn’t mean it is wrong, it just
means you are improving the original.
Ask one of your peers to read/view your work.
Is there something in the unit you would like to
improve?
Write your thoughts in your journal.

Assessment will be based on
children approach the task; how
independently they move through
the activities; their level of
creativity, wisdom, intuitiveness
and astuteness; the pieces of work
they produce; and their own self
assessment of their processes and
work.

Name: Project Title:
Excellent Very Good Good
Needs
more work Poor
Works
independently
Creative –
Has good ideas
Inventive,
unique,
thoughtful
Work is well
presented &
covers topic
Revised &
assessed for
improvement
Teacher Assessment

Name: Project Title:
Excellent Very Good Good
Needs more
work Poor
I did my own
work
I had good ideas
My work is unique
My work is neat,
artistic & covers
all questions
I read my work &
made improve-ments
Student Assessment

Name:
Project:
What are the
student’s
strengths?
Areas to work on.
What stood out?
What did the
student say in
their own
assessment?
Reflective Assessment
You can reflect upon the learning experience & write
reflective comments about each student.
For example...

CONCLUSION
The Amazing Race is one unit of work that can be utilized
using Technology Assisted Learning using iPads for all students.
Technology is a perfect vehicle to design units that facilitate a
student centred approach that focuses on a child’s individual
talents, learning style and interests. Using this technology,
students become designers of their own curriculum and
teachers become facilitators & mentors. Students also learn to
become self assessing through reflection and from this ‘space’
learn how to learn.
The best gift we can gift any student is to give them the ability
to know how to learn, to develop thinking skills and be able to
reflect upon their own work. Building this sense of
independence, grows and evolves children to become the best
they can be and reach their potential.

A Curriculum Unit using iPads - Applied to Gardner's MI Theory

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