COVER SHEET FOR A PORTFOLIO WORK SAMPLE

UNT Masters Program in Curriculum and Instruction

Date of Activity: Spring 2013 Title of Artifact: 8th Grade Vertical Alignment (Science + Art) Course: EDSE 5003

Course objective(s) addressed

1. The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students and that promote all students learning. 2. The teacher understands learning processes and factors that impact student learning and demonstrates this knowledge by planning effective, engaging instruction and appropriate assessment.

Artifact Description
This work sample was completed as a requirement for EDSE 5003. Another student and I vertically aligned the 8th grade science curriculum with 8th grade art standards. We examined our alignment and discussed our finding and further questions that arose from the alignment.

Relationship to NBPTS Standards

This artifact demonstrates knowledge of two Middle Childhood/Generalist Standard(s). IV. Engaging the Science Learner Student are more engaged when lesson is cross-curricular VIII. Making Connections in Science Artifact makes connections with science and art

Background of Artifact
Being able to vertically align curriculum from grade-level to grade-level or subject-to-subject allows the teacher to fully understand their students learning. With this particular artifact, we aligned curriculum form the same grade level to see if we could rearrange the order we taught to benefit student learning. We determined there was a better way to arrange the curriculum to benefit student learning. However, the district has a particular way they want each subject taught, and the opportunity to make connections and maximize student learning would be lost with the current approach to the curriculum.

Reflection on Learning Demonstrated in this Work Sample

From completing this assignment, I have learned how important it is to vertically align the curriculum. By aligning the curriculum, we have the potential to maximize student learning in each subject. Students would be able to make connections between the classes. This artifact will affect my classroom by allowing me to pursue knowledge of other concepts students learn in other classes and integrate them into my own. I will use what I have learned from this artifact to dig deeper into the TEKS and curriculum to understand my students full potential.