Blog #2 Reactions to TWS

My initial reaction to the TWS was hmmm.... I haven't done such a detailed paper involving all of the TWS parts since my undergrad. program. After class this past Thursday, I feel better about the whole process. I like that I have the opportunity to do it in chunks, and I would have taught this material anyways. I'm excited that I get to break it up in such detail and make it a really good unit. I will also have the opportunity to self reflect and adjust things if needed.
The hardest part will be deciding on the minimum amount of standards. I tend to want to do so much within a unit. I need to scale back. I have decided to choose both Language Arts and Social Studies standards. The only challenges I forsee is making sure I get the current material I have planned taught, so it flows nicely with week 5-7 lessons I am planning. For Social Studies my class and I are doing a Civil War/Underground Railroad unit. According to our 4th grade "Ohio" curriculum after this unit it I will roll right into Women's Suffrage and the Civil Rights movement which will be a nice transition for my mini-Jazz unit. I am struggling with picking on too much to do. I know I want our English aspect to focus on the text style and possibly alliteration. The books I have chosen to do as read alouds and small group work has text styles that when read sounds like actual jazz music, such as scatting and stuff. I think my students will really enjoy this. Plus we will be learning biographical snip its of many jazz musicians, with a main focus on Duke Ellington. I chose to do this Jazz unit because my students don't get to have music class until they go to public school after 8th grade. Also, since I teach at an Islamic school, some Jazz musicians such as Art Blakey is a Muslim. There are other musicians who are also Muslim and I think my kids will be really excited to learn that, since they are also Muslim, and may one day choose to go into the performing arts field or take up an instrument some day. This unit connects very well to Language Arts and Social studies as well as current music standards. So we'll see. Well that's a lot of blogging for now.
Good Night!