Units
"In Search of a Hero"
Felice Clyne-Davis, a 5th grade teacher in Flushing, NY, is sharing her unit on heroes. Enjoy her creative ideas, and see how you can fit this unit into your curriculum. She would love to hear your feedback at wfscc@aol.com.
Research Train
Karen Daniels, a teacher, author, and parent, wrote this wonderful unit to introduce her child to the joys of research. She is sharing it with you in hopes that other children and adults can hop on the “Research Train”. She would love to hear your feedback at KDauthor@aol.com.
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Houston: A Culture of Change
Enjoy the unit by Matt Fugate, second grade teacher at the Rice School in the Houston Independent School District (HISD), in which he challenges his students to analyze their city within the theme of change. The broad Teacher Goal Setting Questions make this a unit applicable to YOUR city. Download this unit.
Here is additional information from Matt, the teacher who developed the unit:
I am so excited about this unit because it fits perfectly with our universal theme of change. The main goal is for our students to be introduced to the habits of good researchers as they learn about the history of our community. Because ours is a total magnet school, the students come from all over the city rather than just one neighborhood. As such, they each bring a unique and personalized perspective to the conversation. This allows all of the students to have a more “global” view of our city. By creating a class quilt for the final product, with the help of some of the best room parents in the world, the students are given a chance for a hands-on experience that would have been typical at the time the city was settled. I hope you enjoy this unit and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Matt invites you to contact him: cfugate@houstonisd.org
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Down in the Darkened Deeps
 Who lives in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean? “Down in the Darkened Deeps” is a FREE Independent Basic unit for grades 3-5. Download it now.
Want to talk with Randy, the writer of this unit? He invites you to contact him: RTyner@gfsd.org
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Intriguing Insects
Enjoy Intriguing Insects, a Group Basic IIM unit written by teachers Audra Myer and Anita Aycock from Tulsa, OK. Please give us your feedback on this unit.
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 Exploring Our Solar System
Take your students on a race through the solar system. See the components of an interest center, the IIM bulletin board, and the task cards that students use as starting points for their research.
Here is additional information from Lindsey, the Gr. 3/4 teacher who developed the unit:
My name is Lindsey Reinert. I teach a self-contained gifted and talented 3rd/4th grade class in Westminster, Colorado. I'm currently in my second year of graduate school at the University of Connecticut.
I developed the solar system interest center to spark excitement in my gifted and talented students. I wanted them to use the interest center as a starting place for their independent research projects using the IIM process. Task Cards, videos, books, models of the planets and more were included in the center. It can be challenging for students to pick one focused area to study. The task cards were designed to provide students with an initial idea for a research topic. When they had narrowed their topic by using Steps #1 & #2 of the IIM method, the interest center transformed into a materials research center. For Step #3 of the IIM model, students could use the center to collect research information.
If you have any questions, comments, or ideas to share about the interest center feel free to contact me at: lreinert@adams50.org
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