POLAR

Project Base Learning Template

UNIT NAME: Polar Genius

Public Health

TEACHER NAME: Jonsgaard & Corrigan

UNIT DESCRIPTION:

SUBJECT & GRADE LEVEL

Students will explore various

public health issues
internationally and in their
community through the medium
of lyric construction and
performance.

Spanish 2 Grade 12 (mainly)

AND
Health 2 Grade 9-12

LENGTH: 5-7 weeks

STATE HOW UNIT ADDRESSES THEME:
The main topics, or themes of this unit are: environment, exercise, nutrition,
food, self-care, teen health concerns such as drugs, alcohol, teenage pregnancy,
gang violence and relationships. These themes will be addressed throughout the
unit, culminating with student performance of their chosen topic.
INTERDISCIPLINARY OR CONTENT SPECIFIC
Public health is the theme for Unit 2 in Spanish level 2, as well as, Health 2.
These classes are both during 1st and 2nd period. More general knowledge of
creating music; practicing tracks in meters, recording, rhyme techniques
microphone coaching, rhythms, and the final performances will be co-taught. The
more content-specific knowledge (i.e. Spanish language) will be taught separately.

STANDARDS COVERED:
Spanish Class:

 I can identify the main ideas of a text about a public health issue.
I can create a brochure that lists information about a public health issue in the target
culture.
I can present basic information about a public health issue in the target culture.
I can understand the cause and effect of a public health issue in the target culture.

Health Class:

I can analyze current news and events and how they affect my personal health.
I can identify characteristics of my community that can affect my health and safety.
I can identify unhealthy behaviors and trends in my life and our society.
I can react to a tragedy/life changing event in a positive way for myself and others.
I can practice health enhancing behaviors to reduce the health risks associated with
current health trends

TIME LINE:
5-7 weeks

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How is health/wellness part of our story?

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

Spanish Class:

How do public health issues differ around the world?

How are public health issues similar around the world?
How do my habits impact my wellbeing?
What causes people to be unhealthy?

How does where you live impact your health?

6
How does my way of life impact others in the world?
Health Class:

How does your environment affect your health?

How can you affect the health of your peers?
Why is it important to understand the impact of advertising?
What is the difference between intentional and unintentional injuries?

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
*The following are the 3 Summative Assessments for this unit in
Spanish class. They will access the 3 modes of communication
(interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal) The presentational
assessment and preparatory work will be completed interdisciplinarily
with health.
Interpretive
Read a short text about a public health issue in the target culture, and identify
the main ideas.

Example: Read and identify the main ideas of an informative text from the
Mexican government about the eating habits among children & adolescents in
Mexico.
Presentational
Create a rap about a public health issue in their community and/or a Spanish
Speaking country (???) that informs their chosen audience.
Possible topics/health issues are:
-Substance use (tobacco, alcohol, drugs)
-Mental health, dating violence,
-Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
-Environmental health (air pollution, water & sanitation, climate change, etc.)
-Infection, Illness, & Disease
-Teenage Pregnancy
-Gang Violence
Interpersonal
Role-play a public health fair. One student will role-play a public health expert,
while the other student role-play a fair attendee. Students will switch roles
when finished.
The goals of the role-play are to: -present information about the cause and
effect of the public health issue they researched in the presentational task
(Public health expert)
-understand the cause and effect of the public health issue being presented
(Fair attendee)
To aid in the presentation, students may create a visual with pictures and/or
images that help demonstrate the cause and effect of the public health issue
they learned about.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:
PBS News Report & Discussion
Students of Spanish and Health will jointly watch the PBS News Hour Report
Songs in the Key of Biology Students Write Hip Hop to Learn Science and
have a discussion about using hip hop music as a tool in the classroom.

Discussion Qs:
1.
What did you find most interesting about this video
2.
Do you think you would learn well in this program why or not?
3.
Do any of your classes use interdisciplinary techniques to teach you info?
If so, how do you feel about them?
Watch Gza Science Rap
Work independently to research a topic theyd like to rap about (teacher
approved).

Each day as a warm up students receive 10 minutes to write 2 bars a day

(each line is 10 syllables) using the vocabulary and content from the unit.
Warm up Qs:
1. What keeps you engaged in the classroom?
2. How do you learn best?
3. What techniques do you have for retaining information?
4. What do you think could be done in the classroom that could make learning
Spanish/Health more fun?

Vote on instrumental with class

Create a broad chorus together, if they want to deviate its okay
After students completed some research on a science topic, have them
complete the following steps:
1 Write down the first (8) words that come to mind. (These will most likely be
science terms you have just learned.)
2 After you have completed the first step, write down the first (5) words that
come to mind when you think of each of the first (8) words.
3 From you list of (40) words identify all the words that may rhyme and that you
could use as end words in a rhyme sequence.
4 Create sentences that connects the first (2) rhyming words.
5 Create as as many of these rhyming sentences as possible.
6 Review the rhyme when you have exhausted your rhyming words and begin
to check for the following:
Sentence structure and flow (matching syllables in sentences like

the example provided in the chorus

Coherence /logic in the sentences (how connected are they to the
science topic you want to get across
Revise your work for clarity, coherence, and recite it to perfect
performance
Begin getting creative by thinking of analogies and metaphors you
can use to get your point across, different (more complex) or rhyme patterns
you can use to develop the initial text
Revise the rap you have crafted
Continue the entire process till you create a rhyme you are
comfortable with performing
Potential Additional Fromative Assesments for Spanish Class
6
6
6

Create a fitness plan

6
6
6

Categorize foods into healthy items and unhealthy items (A line of perspective)

Survey classmate on things they do

Reading health articles as a class

Categorizing cause and effect of public health issues

List things people do to be healthy

RESEARCH REQUIREMENT:
Students will choose their topic and research it throughout the unit. Time will be
provided during class in the computer lab for the research portion of this
assessment. Students in Spanish will be required to research articles in both
Spanish and English.

WRITING REQUIREMENT:
Students will write a rap/poem of X amount of lines to demonstrate their
knowledge of the content and vocabulary.

ARTS AND/OR COMMUNICATION INTEGRATION:

In relation to World Languages - Performance tasks focuses on the three
modes of Communication interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational in
the national standards. (ACTFL 2006, 3rd ed.) Students will use all modes
throughout the unit.
These 3 modes of communication should be recognised in all classes. We use
interpersonal communication to negotiate meaning, make adjustments and ask
for clarification. Through interpretive communication we interpret the receivers
message to make meaning, and finally though presentational communication
we construct our intended messages, insure the audiences interpretation is
successful regardless of ones background or culture.
Language itself is a form of art, however, the way one can be creative with
language demonstrates that it truly is an art. Students will also be rhyming and
performing on stage in front of an audience.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES:
Rhythm , public speaking (presentation of self), ideas, audience behavior
Teachers will rap battle one another as an example: model by saying Im
about to tell you a song about ________."

Students will experience a question and answer session (using higher level
questioning) post performance
Researching their topic
Learning about various Public Health issues as an entire class

RUBRICS:

Lyricism

Addresses a
specific
audience, lyrics
throughout the
rap/poem use
an identifiable
rhyming
scheme

Addresses a
specific
audience,
some lyrics
use a rhyming
scheme

Audience is
unclear, some
lyrics use a
rhyming
scheme

Audience is
unclear, few lyrics
use a rhyming
scheme

There is no
audience, and no
evident rhyming
scheme occurs

Performance

Goes above
and beyond to
engage the
audience,
takes the
performance
and post
performance
question and
answer session
seriously, has
great eye
contact with the
audience,
passionately
performs

Takes the
performance
and post
performance
question and
answer
session
seriously,
some eye
contact with
the audience,
passionate
about
performance
at times

Either the
performance
or post
performance
question and
answer
session is
taken
seriously,
minimal eye
contact with
audience,
passionate
about
performance
at times

Does not take the

performance, or
the post
performance
question and
answer session
seriously, no eye
contact with
audience, does not
appear to be
interested in topic

Does not perform

Knowledge of
Material

Shows proof of
research, goes
above and
beyond to
create a piece
that clearly
demonstrates a
public health
concern, uses
academic
language,
rap/poem is at
least X amount
of lines

Shows proof of
research,
creates a
piece that
demonstrates
a public health
concern, uses
academic
language,
rap/poem is X
amount of
lines

Shows proof of
research,
creates a
piece that
sometimes
refers to a
public health
concern, uses
some
academic
language,
rap/poem is X
amount of
lines

Does not show

proof of research,
creates an
incomplete piece
that sometimes
refers to a public
health concern,
rarely uses
academic
language,
rap/poem is X
amount of lines

No proof of
research, rap/poem
does not refer to a
public health
concern, does not
use academic
language,
rap/poem is X
amount of lines

EVIDENCE OF RIGOR AS DEFINED BY NORTH HIGH:

This unit focuses on literacy by reinforcing the vocabulary and concepts taught
in class.
Question and answer session after performances (audience and the
performers) that demonstrates higher-level questioning.
Persevering through challenging learning experiences
Creating original artistic representations of the content
Using academic language

RESOURCE NEEDED (INCLUDE PROJECTED COSTS):

CDs, music video, Luukkonen, Olson, T-shirts(maybe), stage, film production
students to film it and make videos (maybe), non-hard copy mp3s (Rick),
computer and projector to put students lyrics on screen in auditorium,
computer labs for research, community artists

NON HUMAN RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS:

Google Translate (only for a word or two - not complete sentences)

Internet, textbooks, articles, newspapers, magazines