Woods Institute

Units and Threads: How to Use the Materials

These materials have been designed to maximize flexibility for classroom educators. Each unit can be taught in its entirety or in modules. Most of the lessons can stand alone and the resources (worksheets, maps, graphs, images, etc.) can be pulled from the lessons and used separately. In addition, we have designed a number of separate paths through each unit. These “threads” can be followed to create mini units out of the materials. Each thread focuses on a specific theme, making the thread appropriate for a particular subject or teaching unit. Social studies teachers will find threads that minimize science content and focus on the social and historical issues surrounding these environmental topics. Science teachers will find threads that focus on particular fields (such as geography, biology, or chemistry) that make them more applicable to high school science courses. Each lesson begins with a brief overview of how it is situated in the context of the greater unit. This overview explains how the lesson connects to other lessons and gives suggestions for how to modify the lesson to be taught out of its original context. Teachers can use this information to create their own threads.

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K-12 Teachers

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Model for a 1-2 Week Science Unit Plan
Each unit integrates content and activities into a coherent pedgogical narrative. Units are aimed at a particular age group with suggestions for modifications for higher and lower grades. Each unit can be taught in its entirely or following one of the suggested science or social studies threads.

Threads
Each unit contains social studies content that is integrated into the overall unit plan. A separate outline is offered for teachers who wish to use only the social studies materials. Each unit also offers alternate threads with specific science foci.

Stand-alone Resources
Many of the components of each unit, including individual lesson plans, will be accompanied by background & instructions that allow them to be used outside of the context of the unit.

	Models & Theories
	Authentic Data
	Data Representations - charts, graphs & maps.
	Recent Research Findings
	Recent Research Findings
	Ways of Following Ongoing Research