A Model Unit For Grade 9 Life: Canada, the World, the Universe?

A Model Unit for Grade 9 Life: Canada, the World, the Universe? 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 9 school year. The topics are "Diversity and Pluralism in Canada" and "Democracy and Governance in Canada" from the social studies curriculum and "Reproduction" and "Exploring the Universe" from the science curriculum. These are brought into the disciplines of 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 Blooms 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 the second thematic unit of the school year.