A Model Unit For Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence

A Model Unit for Grade 7: Diversity and Interdependence is one book in the series Tools for Instruction and Reading Assessment. The series consists of twenty-four companion documents to Teaching to Diversity: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning by Jennifer Katz. The model unit integrates major themes from Manitoba's curricula for the first term of the grade 7 school year. The topics are "Ways of Life in Asia, Africa, and Australasia" and "Global Quality of Life" from the social studies curriculum and "Particle Theory of Matter" from the science curriculum. These are brought into other disciplines: mathematics, physical education and health, language arts, and fine arts - particularly through the lens of the multiple intelligences (MI). Differentiated activities based on MI approaches inspire diverse students and accommodate their individual learning styles. MI activity cards are included, as well as planners that outline the essential understandings, essential questions, and final inquiry projects for the unit. Rubrics, based on Bloom's taxonomy, show a progression of conceptual thinking from rote, basic understanding to synthesized, higher-order analysis. Teachers can use this model unit as a template for planning subsequent thematic units for the rest of the school year.

Auteur

Jennifer Katz, PhD, taught for 16 years in diverse classrooms from K to 12, including special education and inclusive classrooms in Winnipeg and Vancouver. She has also served as a resource teacher and counsellor. Her work as an advocate of inclusive education has spanned several countries, provinces, and territories, and multiple audiences, including students, parents, teachers, educational leaders, and curriculum and policy development ministries. Dr. Katz received the MCEC Outstanding Achievement Award for Leadership, 2016. She now serves as an Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at the University of British Columbia.