Curriculum Project Description

Participants of the Summer Teacher Institute will develop a curriculum unit.  When completing the project, please keep in mind that this project should be something which can be used by the participant’s institution and/or community which educates about aspects of Latin America.  Additionally, the curriculum that you create will serve as a valuable resource for other educators who do not have the opportunity to participate in such an institute.  The following is a general description of this project and its purpose.

What is required?

It is recognized that a curriculum unit is determined by the audience, level and/or complexity of the unit plan, and the person/organization that approves curricula.  The project applies to all participants, regardless of teaching level.  It is understood, however, that at the college or university level, different types of curriculum-based projects may be more appropriate than curriculum units.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

The curriculum project serves several purposes.  First among these is the role as a focusing agent for the participants in the institute.  The project serves to filter and define the vast quantity of information presented during the presentations into a useful tool.  Second, the projects are used to expand the impact of the presentations.  The finished work becomes available through application in the participants’ classrooms, in institutions, schools and communities and through presentations at professional associations.  Third, completed curriculum projects will be posted on the Vanderbilt or other education association websites, and whenever possible, to serve as an example for future institute program applicants as well as a reference tool for educators nationwide.  Therefore, the completion of the curriculum project is a very significant part of the participant’s institute experience.

What is the Timetable?

Participants should ask themselves three essential questions to help develop their project’s focus:

To Consider

• What do U.S. students need to know about Latin America?
• Why is knowledge about the Latin America important for U.S. students?
• How can I facilitate learning about Latin America using film in my classes?

During the Institute

• Participants should compile notes from presentations, conversations with presenters
• Check with the group coordinator and other members of your group for ideas and possible revisions of the units. Share as many ideas as possible!

After the Institute

• Participants should consider a review of the curriculum projects with other participants in the institute if possible.
• Participants should pursue presenting the material at professional conferences. Vanderbilt can help coordinate this, and collaborate!

A Note about Copyrights & Dissemination:

Please be sure to cite all other sources’ published materials that you include in your project.  It should be noted that any materials developed under the auspices of the Vanderbilt Summer Teacher Institute are considered property of Vanderbilt and will be available to the public at no cost.  In addition, participants are encouraged to share their projects with colleagues and conduct outreach activities in their institutions, schools, classrooms, and communities upon completion of the institute.

Please remember that the project is to be shared. Include all pertinent materials to make the project as inclusive as possible.

Curriculum Project Guidelines

In addition to watching films and hearing lectures about them, a goal of the Institute is to provide you with the opportunity to create curricular materials and to present them to your colleagues.  These curricular materials will be made available to others who are interested in teaching with these films in their classrooms.

Goal of Curricular Project

The goal of the curricular project is to create two products:  a Unit Plan and a PowerPoint presentation.

The Unit Plan

a)      In your groups, you will decide on a certain aspect of the film and a vantage point from which to teach this aspect of the film.

1. Aspects of the Film: a scene, the entire film, characters, and plot are some possibilities.  If you are a cineaste, you can even look at the film from that angle.
2. Vantage Point: language, socio-historical-cultural implications are two possibilities.

b)      You will then build a Unit Plan based on that aspect and vantage point.  Don’t worry, we’re here to help and we have plenty of examples to inspire you.  You’ll be working with other professionals and you are not expected to “recreate the wheel.”  You’ll hear three words from us during the preparation of the Unit Plan:  brevity, focus, adaptability.  Brevity means that you should start very small, because these things have the tendency to grow on their own.  Don’t start with a complicated idea.  It’s going to morph into something complicated, on its own.  Focus means that you should keep your goal in mind, creation of a lesson that will look at an aspect of the film from a certain vantage point.  Adaptability means that you should consider the ways in which this lesson could be modified for use in different types of environments.

The PowerPoint Presentation

a)      On Friday morning, you will present your lesson to the other members of the Institute in a short (10-15 minute) session.  You will need to create a PowerPoint Presentation as part of this endeavor.  The PowerPoint will help explain why you chose the aspect and vantage point that you selected, it will also demonstrate how our Unit Plan demonstrates brevity, focus and adaptability.  You should also demonstrate, in the PowerPoint, what is the basic structure of the Unit Plan and how you would actually teach this lesson to your students.

 

Project Timeline

We will start with a basic orientation to the project on Tuesday.  You will then have until 9am on Friday to complete your Unit Plan and presentation. There will be daily time allotted to curriculum planning!

Don’t worry.  This is meant to be fun. We will guide you along the way and be here for any and all support you need.  Besides, we’re on summer vacation here, right?  But, we do want you to get the most out of the institute.

What You Should Expect at the End of the Project

We want you to leave Vanderbilt with three “deliverables.”    These “deliverables” are:

1. An enhanced ability to teach with film and to discuss how to teach with film.
2. Specific Unit Plans, created by both you and your colleagues that you can use immediately in your classroom.
3. An opportunity to present and discuss your curricular project with your colleagues at the Institute.

 

Most Important Thing

Have fun and enjoy!