Interdisciplinary Unit Plan
Unit: Under the Blood Red Sun
Theme: Overcoming Challenges that Minorities Face
Group A
Teacher: Mrs. Marie Gorman
Grade: 9
Subject: Science
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1 (Activity 3)
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2 (Activity 1)
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7 (Activity 2)
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.8 (Activity 3)
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
Objectives
We will be able to describe traits that have led to the success of scientists that are minorities.
We will be able to demonstrate the aerodynamic factors that influence how a curveball is thrown is baseball.
We will be able to create a two voices poem about the psychological stress experienced by Japanese during WWII.
Activity 1
Description
Students will discuss challenges faced by Tomi and relate that to scientists who are minorities and how they have overcome them to become successful.
Materials
Laptops connected to wireless Internet connection
Journals
Butcher paper & art supplies
Procedures
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For morning bellwork, have students do a quick-write & answer the question: What are challenges that Tomi faced that would prevent him from pursuing his education? How can you relate this to potential obstacles that future scientists can face?
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Jigsaw: break students up into 5 groups and have them read a section of the article below. Roles: Director, Recorder, Artist, Time-Keepr, Editor. Article: Missing from Science Class
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Each group will be required to read their section and make a storyboard of their section. Answer the questions: What is the obstacle minority students face that is preventing them from pursuing a science education? How can the obstacle be overcome? Do you agree with this? Why or why not? - Provide at least 3 examples, one from your personal experience
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Storyboards will be posted around the classroom and students will have a chance to view other groups
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Have a class discussion on the content of the article and their answers to the questions discussed in each group.
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Within their groups, have students use the computer and research a scientist who is a minority. They will answer the following: Who is the scientist? What did the person contribute to the scientific community and why is it important? How did the scientist become successful? Why did you choose this scientist? Roles include: Director, Writer, Researcher, Editor, Presenters. Example: Perform a one-person show about the life of Stephen Hawking and his contribution to astronomy & physics. Resource: Stephen Hawking
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Students will write a play that answers the questions and depicts the life of the scientist they have chosen.
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Students will present their play to the class.
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Reflective Writing: In their journals, have students write what they learned from the activity. Can they apply what they learned to their own lives and what they want to accomplish in the future?
Supplemental Text
Celebrating Minority Scientists
Japanese American Scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics
Special Problems Minority Students Face
Watch Theory of Everything (movie) to get an idea of how Stephen Hawking overcame his obstacles
Activity 2
Description
Students will learn about the basics of aerodynamics and how it relates to baseball, the sport special to Tomi, his friends and many players that are minorities.
Materials
Laptops connected to wireless Internet Connection
At least 10 sets of baseballs & gloves
Word Sort of major terms in aerodynamics
Science Journals
Procedures
1. Quickwrite for morning activity:
What is the significance of baseball in Under the Blood Red Sun?
What do you think affects how the baseball acts in a game?
2. Introduction: Show YouTube Video "Some of the greatest Baseball Moments You Will Ever See"
3. Discuss how baseball is a sport with many minorities and like scientists, minority athletes also overcome some challenges.
4. The goal in our class is to investigate the sport of baseball. Put students in groups of three and assign them word sort that reviews major terms in aerodynamics.
Terms: Aerodynamics, Newton's Laws of Motions, Free Falling Objects, Gas Properties, Air Resistance, Lift, Drag & Weight)
5. Investigate: using same groups (Roles will be Recorder, Catcher & Pitcher), go outside and have students do:
-Observe what is happening to the baseball as they throw it
-Then using the resource below, adjust settings and record what happens when students change aspects of pitch, weather and location
-Create a chart in GoogleDocs with data collected from observations
-Using data collected, try to determine what happens to a curveball and a fastball
6. Have a class discussion on student observations and conclusions.
Supplemental Text
Palas, G. (2015). The League of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball's Forgotten Heroes.
Fitts, R. K. (2015). Mashi: The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami, the First Japanese Major Leaguer. U of Nebraska Press.
Activity 3
Description
Have students write a two voices poem to depict psychological stress experienced by Japanese in America during World War II.
Materials
Computers connected to wireless Internet
Pen and paper to compose two voices poem
Procedures
1. Have students write down how they think Japanese felt during World War II. When looking at Japanese in America, remind students about Japanese in internment camps like Tomi's father and grandfather and those that remained at home like Tomi, his mother and sister.
2. Give background information on how the brain works and how the human body reacts to stress. Watch Crash Course videos:
3. Put students in groups of two and have each student take a role of Japanese in different places.
For example, one student can examine a Japanese-American in internment camps and his/her partner can examine a Japanese-American who did not go to an internment camp.
4. They will then do research on the conditions faced by the Japanese they chose.
5. Then do an example of a two voices poem to show students how it can be done. Choose a volunteer to read a poem with me.
Show this example: National WWII Museum
6. Looking at the research the students conducted, have them make inferences on what was psychologically happening to the Japanese during times of stress.
7. Students will then compose a two voices poem and present it to the class and also the culminating activity.
8. Discuss with the students what they learned in this activity and how they can relate it to their own lives.
Based on what they learned, can they do anything different when they react to stress to maintain mental health?
9. Have students think about the power of positive thinking. Do they think the Japanese they researched practiced positivity in order to survive their condition?
Supplemental Text
Onoda, H. (2013). No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press.
Cooper, M. L. (2000). Fighting for Honor: Japanese Americans and World War II. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.