Culminating Activity

 

Focusing on the Islands of Japan, Philippines, Papua/New Guinea and Samoa, the Western Pacific Rim unit will enhance our students’ educational horizons.  We have constructed a culminating project which will consist of a cultural awareness fair where students and family are invited to attend. Each content area will display students’ work during the fair.  For art, students will display their works and artist statements; Social science will have a travel agency booth that will display students’ popular culture travel brochures.  English and Biology are having students perform spoken word and seminar presentations.   We hope that this event will give our students the ability to share their learning experience with their peers and to empower them to promote diversity and appreciation for other cultures on our campus and beyond.   

 

Biology Assessment

 

 For an A:

 - Must be 20 -25 minutes in length (including questions and answers)

 - Must include at least 4 visual aids (colored, and professional)

 - Must include a handout regarding presentation information (1-2 pages)

 -Must include all four countries being represented (PI, Papua/New Guinea,

 Samoa, and Japan) that include information about geography, type of biome,

 biodiversity, and human influences on the country through any type of impact

 discussed from class.

 - Must include answer to question: How does this information pertain to

 student life?

 - Must meet with teacher 3 days in advance to review presentation.

 

 For a B:

 - Must be 20 minutes in length

 - Must include at least 3 visual aids (color and professional)

 - Include four countries represented (PI, Papua/New Guinea, Samoa and Japan)

 and include information on geography, type of biome, biodiversity and human

 influence on the country through any type of impact discussed in class.

 - Must meet teacher 3 days in advance to review presentation

 

 For a C:

 - Must 15-20 minutes in length (including Q & A)

 - Must have 3 visual aids

 - Include four countries represented (PI, Papua/New Guinea, Samoa and Japan)

 and include information on geography, type of biome, biodiversity and human

 influence on the country through any type of impact discussed in class.

 

 For a D/F:

 - 15 minute presentation (including Q & A)

 - Has 2 visual aids

 - Include four countries represented (PI, Papua/New Guinea, Samoa and Japan)

 and include information on geography, type of biome, and biodiversity.

 

 

English Assessment

30 Points Possible

 

30-25 Points

-Outstanding demonstration of creativity, mastery of unit, and complete group participation/cooperation

-Coherently relates at least two aspects of Western Pacific Rim literary arts & culture to literary arts & culture in the U.S.

-Dynamic, well-rehearsed performance

-All group members efficiently used class and outside meeting time

-Excellent peer evaluation from group members

-Conference with teacher before fine tuning performance

-Piece is at least 3 minutes in length, and no more than 5

 

20-24 Points

-Creative, incorporates different aspects of unit, each member has speaking part

-Relates one aspect of Western Pacific Rim literary arts & culture to literary arts & culture in the U.S.

-Smooth and engaging performance

-Group members worked efficiently in class

-Conference with teacher after fine tuning performance

-Good peer evaluation from group members

-Piece is at least 3 minutes in length

 

15-19 Points

-Could be more creative, unequal group participation is clear

-Focuses on one aspect of Western Pacific Rim literary arts & culture but does not compare to literary arts & culture in the U.S.

-Pieces is shorter than 3 minutes

-Could have been more prepared, could have better used class time

-Failed to arrange teacher conference for fine tuning

-Less than satisfactory peer review

 

<14 Points

-Little to no contribution to creative spoken word piece inside or outside of class

-Does not relate Western Pacific Rim literary arts & culture to literary arts & culture in U.S.

-Little to no communication with group members or teacher

-Little to no attendance for in class or out of class meetings

-Lack of preparation, lack of unit mastery evident in performance

-Unsatisfactory peer review

 

 

Social Studies Assessment

 

Students will be assessed on their overall participation in the creation of a pop-culture travel booth and the completion of their pop-culture travel brochures.  The booth will be assessed on creativity in design, decoration and its assembly at the cultural fair.  The pop-culture travel brochures must incorporate all maps, writings and artwork that have been compiled throughout the unit of all four countries studied (Japan, Philippines, Papua/New Guinea and Samoa).  Essential elements of grading focus on completion of assignments that exhibit thought, participation, creativity and effort.

 

30 Points Total

15-10

9-5

4-1

Booth Design

(15 Points)

Provided great participation and creativity in design and assembly of the booth

Participated in design of booth b ut could have put more effort into assembly of booth

Provided little or no help in design or assembly of booth

Brochures

(15 Points)

Included all geographic maps, writings, and artistic works.  Displayed great creativity and effort in assignment.

Included most maps, writings, and artistic works.  Could have provided more creativity and effort in assignment

Did not include either maps, writings nor artistic works.  Displayed little or no effort in overall creativity and design of brochure.

 

 

Art Assessment

   

      At the end of the four-week unit we will be conducting a whole class critique.  The work to be examined will be all four projects that were completed during the Western Pacific Rim unit.  As a group we will offer objective and constructive criticism.  The students will be guided and encouraged to employ newly acquired art terms in the critiquing process. The focus of the critique will be on deciding which one piece, from each student, is the strongest and will then be selected for the culminating awareness fair.  Following the critique, the students will be assigned a one-page essay, which will accompany their artwork at fair.

          The essay prompt will be determined by which piece of work is selected for the fair. E.g. if your manga strip was chosen by the class then your essay would be focused on the Japanese art styles and concepts we worked on. The following are prompts that may guide the essay writing process.

    

1. Discuss the traditions and elements from historical Japanese art and their relevance on modern Japanese art forms, such as manga and anime. 

 

 2. Discuss the function of tattoo in Samoa. Compare and contrast traditional Samoan use of tattoo with American popular culture uses of tattoo. E.g. gang tattoos, musicians, and athletes. Also address how different elements of design are employed and adapted to different types of forms. 

       

3. Discuss the cultural significance and functions of iconography in the Philippines.  Compare and contrast how iconography is employed in popular culture with how it was employed in the historical examples from the Philippines.

 

4. Discuss the function of masks in Papua New Guinea, focusing on their ceremonial and religious uses.  Compare and contrast these traditional uses to American uses in popular culture. E.g. Halloween, theatre, movies.

 

Along with addressing the prompt, the essay will include an objective description of their artwork, as well as, a summary of the story or ideas conveyed in the artwork.  The students will be required to use at least four art terms we examined during the unit. The essays will be grading on the level of understanding of their particular prompt, their correct use of art terminology, and the completeness of their story summaries. The essay will be 10% of the artwork portion of the grade, which constitutes 60% of the whole unit grade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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