My TLCP Journey

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Learning Cycle: A Geography Inquiry Unit

While completing this course, I engaged in a group inquiry project that required us to create an inquiry Social Studies Unit based on a grade and specific focus of our choice. In a group a five, we decided to explore the topic of Sustainability within the grade eight Geography Ontario Curriculum.  It was our goal to create a unit that focused on the interrelationship between human settlement and sustainability. Using this as our guiding question, or “Big Idea” we centered our entire unit on this focus.

While creating the unit, we used a Backwards Design approach by starting with the culminating task and then deciding on the lead up lessons. By using this strategy, we ensured that all of our lessons connected and contributed to the skills and main concepts expected of the culminating task. We identified what we wanted our students to be able to do and what they needed to know, and carefully designed lessons that would guarantee this success.

Using the Backwards Design approach proved to be the best method to ensure our lessons were cohesive and focusing on the same end goal. Working with five educators on one unit can be challenging, as everyone has their own opinions and ideas. However, our group had a strong focus on the importance of sustainability and a better earth. Our group was built on respect and collaboration. Overall, we worked extremely well together as we all collectively contributed to the unit. All of our ideas and thoughts, though altered at times, ended up contributed to a unit that focuses on the importance of human responsibility and human action on the environment for the needs of the present and future.

In my previous block, I had the opportunity to implement some of the lessons from this unit in a grade eight classroom. Students responded to the material extremely well. They explored topics and engaged in complex discussion that enhanced their understanding of the relation between human settlement and sustainability. Based on this experience, our group was able to make the changes necessary and add more lessons and a complex culminating task in order to increase overall understanding of sustainability and increased ownership and responsibility among our students. 

View our eBook for more details on our Sustainability unit!
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