Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

Big Concept: Exploration

Essential Question: How do people explore the world?
Grade Level: Kindergarten

Part 1: Outcomes: What do we want them to know? List standards within

subheadings.

K1.1 Compare children and their families of today with those from the past.

o People’s lives have changed - Tag

over time. - Hide-n-go seek
 Housing - Dolls
- Around the world - Cars
- Cabins - Legos
- First Nation homes
- Apartments  Clothing
- Condos - Around the world
- Homes - Over time
- Roles at home - Reasons for what we
- Change over time wear
- Your home  Weather
- Your family  Religion
 Fashion/tren
 Entertainment ds
- Simples games  Activities
- Video games - What you wear
- Internet
- Social media  Transportation
- Sports - Horse back
- Television - Horse and buggy
- Radio - Train
- Indoor games vs. - Car
outdoor games - Taxi
- Board games - School bus
- Games around the - Air plane
world - Boat
- Games/ - Around the world
entertainment today - Public
- Games/ transportation
entertainment in
past o People eat different things
- Jacks around the world.
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Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

- Food you eat - Reasons for what we

- Foods you don’t eat eat
- Around the world - Food preparation
- Over time - Where it comes
from

Part 2: Assessments: How do we know what students know? How will they show
what they know?

Formative (Ongoing) Assessments: How do we know they are learning while they
are learning? What multiple techniques can you use?
Useful, Meaningful, and Equitable are from Teemant, Upton, Popcock, Berghoff,
Seybold, & Adams (2010) Aiming for Inclusive Learning Communities

Formative Assessment 1: Thumbs up, Thumbs Down (Hand Signals)

 Useful to me as a teacher….
This is a quick tool for assessing either students understanding of or feelings
about the material you are discussing. Teachers will then know if they should
spend more time on a topic or begin discussing something new.

 Meaningful to the child…

Students are able to express their understandings in a simple way. This is a
quick way for students to let the teacher know that they either understand
what is being taught or to ask for clarity.

 Equitable to the child…

This assessment allows the teacher to respond to student needs. Teachers
will be able to adjust lessons bases on this quick assessment to meet student
needs.

Formative Assessment 2: Choral Response

 Useful to me as a teacher…
This ensures that students are on task by giving structured responses to
participate. These phrases are often used to transition to new activities, get
student’s attention, or to repeat main ideas and points. The teacher can use
this to gauge which students are engaged in the activities.

 Meaningful to the child…

This task gives students direction for participating. Repeated phrases often
helps young students better understand and direct what they should be or
will be doing. Students are given a routine through these responses.

Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons
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Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

 Equitable to the child…

All students are given an opportunity to participate through these words and
responses. If students are not on task or sure what to do next, these
responses will serve as a cue for what to do; directing student attention.

Summative Assessment: Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) What authentic

product are students creating to show they understand the big idea, essential
question, standards, and unit concept? (See Possible PBA & Activities handout)

Name of PBA: Artifact (Today and Past)

How is PBA developmentally appropriate?

Having something that is tangible is helpful for solidifying student understandings.
This assessment gives kindergarteners a chance to interact with and create
something out of what they are learning.

Description of PBA: Describe what your PBA is in enough detail that other teachers
can use it. Make sure it relates to the Big Concept, Essential Question and Standards
you are assessing. (single spaced ½ page)
Students will discuss how our lives look today and how people lived in the past
throughout the course of the unit (using children’s books and photographs).
Students will compare and contrast the past and the present as new information is
presented throughout the course of the unit using class anchor charts. At the end of
the unit students will be asked to consider these difference by creating two artifacts,
one from the past and one from the present. Students will have craft materials to
create an artifact that they believe would have served a purpose in the past and a
separate artifact from the present day. Students will talk about how the way we live
has changed over time and therefore how these artifacts have changed. The two
artifacts should serve a similar function. For example; a student might make a mock
campfire to show how people once cooked food in the past. The students may then
make a mock oven or microwave to show how we cook food today. Students will be
given several weeks to work on their artifacts in class. When all the artifacts are
completed, students will present and explain their artifacts to the class. Students
will talk about what the artifact is and what purpose it serves. They will then tell the
class how this changed over time.

Note: Prior to PBA: Create a rubric with student input for assessment.
Offer checklists, peer editing, conferences, etc. for students to self-assess their
progress. (Our course does not allow time for this.)

Part 3: Path- How do we get there? What meaningful activities, centers or

invitations am I planning so all students can learn the big concept, standards, and
essential question?
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Relationship Building: How well do you know me? How will you get to know me
throughout the year? List multiple activities with a short description.

Activity 1: Personal Graffiti Board- Students will be given a piece on construction

paper. On this paper they can write or draw things that are important to them. They
will be able to add to this Graffiti Board throughout the year to incorporate new
interests.

Activity 2: Community Circle- Students will sit in a circle at the beginning of each
class session. They will all great one another in a different fun and funky way and
then they will have a chance to share something with their classmates. This could be
something they did outside of school or in school. Students can then ask a couple
questions for clarity, but are not able to share sidebars.

Prior Knowledge: How do you value what I already know? How can we show this
for all to see and refer to throughout our learning? (Refer to Part 1) As a class,
create large graphic organizers or anchor charts for multiple concepts. Post in
room and continually add new information.

Activity & Topic: Community Graffiti Board- We will begin a community graffiti
board at the beginning of this lesson. The teacher will ask students what they know
about how we live and how we have lived in the past and record their responses
on a large paper at the front of the class. Students will be invited to add responses
(either using words or images) as we learn more. We will revisit the board
throughout the lesson to offer students opportunities to add to the board.

Culturally Responsive Activities: What materials or resources do we use in school

that represent my culture and me? What learning activities can I participate in?
What products can I create that connect to my learning?

Activity 1: Resources + Activity + Product Created

o Resource: My Neighborhood
o Activity: Students will explore the neighborhoods from the book as a class
using google earth. How far away are these places? How long would it take to
travel there? How would you travel there? What are some things that are the
same about these neighborhoods? What are some things that are different?
o Product Created: Google Maps

Activity 2: Resources + Activity + Product Created

o Resources: The Skin You Live in
o Activity: Students will talk about what makes them unique and what makes
us similar. Students will have the opportunity to share their experiences with
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Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

one another. Students will then be asked to create a self-portrait. Students

can use examples from the book to help them come up with ideas.
o Product Created: Self-Portrait

People Society Marginalizes: How can I learn about people society marginalizes?
These include society’s “isms.” See above format.

Activity 1: Resources + Activity + Product Created

o Resources: Families
o Activity: Students will discuss their own families. Who is included when they
talk about their family? How are our families different from one another?
How are they similar to one another? Students will then draw a family
picture. We will talk about how although all of our family picture are
different, they are all special.
o Product Created: Picture

Activity 2: Resources + Activity + Product Created

o Resources: Let’s Talk about Race
o Activity: This book would be read aloud over the course of several classes.
Students will talk about how people are treated differently sometimes
because of their gender or race. We will talk about our personal narratives
(our stories). What is important to you and your family? Students will then
create an oral story to share about their family with the class.
o Product Created: Oral Story

Relevance: How does this learning relate to my life outside of school? What study
trips, guest speakers, or activities could you do to connect school and child’s
community?

Activity 1: Resource + Activity + Product Created

o Resources: Guest Speaker (Parent or Community Member)
o Activity: As a class, we will brainstorm questions for our guest speaker on a
large paper at the front of the room or on the dry erase board at the front of
the room if available. They will be able to use the Community Graffiti board
(of what they already know) to guide them to ask questions (what they
would like to know more about.
o Product Created: Quit Patch- Students will talk about the importance of
storytelling. After hearing the story to the guest speaker, students will create
a quite patch to reflect what they learned about the community member.
Students will also be able to make their own quit patch that reflects their
own story. The student quilt patches can be displaying in the classroom. The
guest speaker quilt patches can be given the speaker as a thank you for
joining the class for a day.
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Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

Activity 2: Resource + Activity + Product Created

o Resources: Study Trip (Neighborhood Walk)
o Activity: Students will bring their study trip notebooks with them for the
community walk. Students will be asked to draw pictures or write down
anything that stands out to them on our study trip. Do they have any
questions? What do they notice about the community surrounding the
school? When students return to the classroom, students will debrief as a
whole group. Students will be able to share any comments, questions or
concerns as the teacher records them at the front of the room.
o Product Created: Debriefing + Study Trip Notebooks

Empowerment: How can I co-create my learning? What are multiple ways I can
engage and express my learning? (Student choices offered)
Activity 1: Choice of Resources or Activities or Products Created
o Choice 1:
o Resources: List of Categories from above (section one) with picture
cures to guide student (example: housing might have a picture of a
house)
o Activity: Students will choose a category from the list to focus on and
create a picture to compare and contrast. Students will fold a paper in
half (hamburger style). One half of the paper will be used for their
drawing of the past, the other will be used for their drawing of the
present.
o Product: Compare and Contrast Picture (Past and Present)
o Choice 2:
o Resources: : List of Categories from above (section one) with picture
cures to guide student (example: housing might have a picture of a
house)
o Activity: Students will work with a partner to create a skit to show
compare and contrast the category from the list. Students will chose a
category together to act out. They will then work together to create a
brief skit to show how this has changed over time. Example: students
who choose transportation may act out riding a horse to get to their
destination in one scene and drive a car to get to their destination in
another scene.
o Product: Partner Skit

Activity 2: Choice of Resources or Activities or Products Created

o Choice 1:
o Resources: The Skin You Live in
o Activity: Students will talk about what makes them unique and what
makes us similar. Students will have the opportunity to share their
6

Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons
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Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

experiences with one another. Students will then be asked to create a

self-portrait. Students can use examples from the book to help them
come up with ideas. Students will be able to display their work in a
classroom art gallery.
o Product Created: Self-Portrait
o Choice 2:
o Resources: The Skin You Live in
o Activity: Students will create a sculpture of themselves using clay or
play doe. Students will then be able to paint their sculptures when
they are finished putting them together. Students will be able to
display their work in a classroom art gallery.
o Product: Sculpture

Resources: What primary sources, critical literacy books, informational texts, and
websites are you going to use that relate to the big concept, essential question,
unit concept, and standards?

Primary Source: Digital, visual (including the arts and photography), oral, written,
and community resources to visit. Need 1.

This is an example of an artifact that might be used to reflect housing in the past.
Students would be given several pictorial examples of artifacts both from the past
and present to help them better understand what an artifact is.

Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

Critical Literacy Books: What will you use that connects to Culturally Responsive
and People Society Marginalizes? Need 4 with descriptions.

1) The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler, Illustrated by David Lee Csicsko: This
book explores the many different shades of colors we all are. The authors
explore the many things we do in the skin we live in and how beautiful it is
(Tyler & Lee Csiscko, 2005)!
2) Families by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly: This book talks about
different family formats and different things families do together. The book
uses photographs to tell the stories of these different families (Rothner &
Kelly, 2015).
3) Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester, Illustrated by Karen Barbour: “I am a
story. So are you. So is everyone. Julius Lester says, “ I write because our lives
are stories. If enough of those stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to
see that our lives are the same story. The differences are merely in the
details.” Now Mr. Lester shares his own story as he explores what makes
each of us special. Karen Barbour’s dramatic, vibrant paintings speak to the
heart of Lester’s unique vision, truly a celebration of all of us. (Lester, 2005)”
4) Be My Neighbor by Maya Ajmera & John D. Ivanko: This book explores
similarities and differences in neighborhoods all around the world. These
comparisons are done using photographs, descriptions, and map at the end
of the book (Ajmera & Ivanko, 2005)

Website: What website might students use? How? Need 1.

o “Won’t you Be My Neighbor”: This song could be used to introduce and talk
about the Be My Neighbor book. It could also be used to make the classroom
agreement to talk about what it means to be “neighborly” towards someone.

Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Curriculum Framework for Equity Claire Osecki

References
Ajmera, M., & Ivanko, J. (2005). Be My Neighbor. Washington: Charlesbridge
Publishing Inc.
Lester, J. (2005). Let's Talk About Race. Harper Collins Publishers.
Rothner, S., & Kelly, S. M. (2015). Families. DongGuan City: Holiday House.
Tyler, M., & Lee Csiscko, D. (2005). The Skin You Live In. Chicago: Chicago Children's
Museum.

Curriculum Framework for Equity by Lonni Gill, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.