Rationale for Student Impact on Learning:

Context-

During my student teaching experience, I taught a social studies unit for my Student Impact on Learning assignment.  I completed it in a fourth grade class of seventeen students.  The students actively participated in the lessons over a period of four days.

Impact-

The lessons covered the North Carolina social studies curriculum for fourth grade.  The topic of the unit was chapter two, lesson three in the students social studies textbook.  The lessons discussed the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and reviewed for the chapter two test.  The students learned in many different aspects.  They learned to read and use graphs, charts, and maps.  I observed the growth of each student throughout the unit.  I also picked a high, medium, and low student to report the impact on learning.  The reflection I wrote explains in great detail the impact that the lessons had on the students learning.

Alignment-

I have met DPI standard 4, indicator 6 because the lessons used map and chart skills, the five themes of geography, and six essential elements of geography.  The lessons also required the students to discuss the environmental issues of the Outer Banks.

I have met DPI standard 11, indicator 1 because all of the lessons used communication to integrate different subject areas with the social studies curriculum.  The students were able to actively get involved in the lessons, especially when we played the Challenge game which allowed students to engage in the information they had learned.

I have met DPI standard 11, indicator 4 because I incorporated mathematics into the social studies lesson by using graphs and charts to describe social studies related information.  The students created graphic organizers to help highlight key points in the lesson.

I have met DPI standard 11, indicator 5 because the students collected and organized data related to the Outer Banks throughout the study of the Outer Banks unit.  They used the graphic organizer and a KWL chart for displaying the information.