Signature Assignment: Thematic Unit Planning [due Mon]

Assignment Content

1. A thematic unit is the organization of curriculum around a central theme that includes a series of lessons that integrate different subjects all while tying into the main theme of the unit. When designing an arts-integrated thematic unit, it takes time and focused planning to find the connections between the academic subject and arts that will enhance and deepen student learning. 

   In this 2-part assignment, you will plan a 1-week unit that focuses on the academic area of your choice (e.g., language arts, mathematics, science, etc.) and integrates technology and visual or performing arts. Your unit must include 3 lessons with learning activities and provide varying styles of formative assessment.

   Complete Part 1 and 2 below.

   Part 1: Unit and Lessons Outline 

   Create a 525- to 700-word outline for your unit. Complete the following in your outline:

   • Identify the early childhood age level and academic subject of focus for the unit.
   • Describe the overarching theme for the unit.
   • Summarize the 3 lessons in the unit, to include:
   • Topics and learning objectives 
   • Learning activities to support the academic subject and the arts being integrated
   • Technology incorporated 
   • Explain the assessments that will be used, to include: 
   • Formative assessment options for each lesson (must vary in delivery)
   • Summative assessment options for the unit
   • Present a way for the children to display or perform the art they created.
   • Part 2: Unit Justification  

     Write a 275- to 350-word justification for your unit. Complete the following in your justification: 

   • Explain the relevance of each lesson to the overarching unit theme.
   • Explain how technology and visual or performing arts enhanced student understanding and deepened student learning. 
   • Explain how the unit and lessons are developmentally appropriate for the early childhood age level. 
   • Compile the following for submission:
   • Unit and Lessons Outline 
   • Unit Justification
   •  

 

To write an information seeking, business formatted letter to a child care center licensing specialist and to evaluate your letter.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html

Scenario:
You have been planning on opening your own child care program and have decided that you would like to open a small, center-based program. While looking for locations, you come across an available space that is conveniently located and perfectly situated to house a child care program. The space is 30 feet by 50 feet or 1,500 square feet total (indoor space). Right now, the space is a completely open floor plan and you have the resources to build walls as needed. Your first step in licensing is to look at licensing requirements, but you know that your licensing specialist will want to know how many classrooms you want to open, how many children can be served in each classroom, and how many teachers you need to maintain appropriate student-teacher ratios

Format:

• Use a title page or header that includes your name, date, course and assignment title. 
• When completing the weekly scenario, you must be sure to include both a focus assignment and a self-reflection. These must be clearly labeled using headings. Without the proper labels, I must assume that this step was not completed, and partial credit will be lost. 
• Headings:
  • Focus Assignment
  • Self Reflection
• A self-reflection is a thorough explanation of your focus assignment. The self-reflection must be written in paragraph format with a minimum of 10 sentences.
• One aspect of the self-reflection is to learn the skill of using evidence based practices in your work as an early childhood educator. For the purpose of the research assignment, you will do this by using research to justify your explanation of the focus assignment in the self-reflection.  
• You must include a minimum of 2 in-text citations in your self-reflection. At least one of those must come from the assigned chapter. This to ensure that you are making connections with the chapter being read, which is the theory, and the practical application, which is the focus assignment. You must be specific with your citations. Include a reference to the page or section of the chapter you are using to support your justification. 
• You must also include the full reference at the bottom of the assignment or on a sperate work cited page. 
• You will not earn credit for placing the reference at the end of the self-reflection without proper in-text citation. 

Instructions and Rubric for Chapter Scenario: 100 Points Total

Focus Assignment: 50 points

With the purpose of ensuring your plan will meet licensing requirements, write a 1-page (business formatted) letter to your licensing specialist. Be sure to describe the floor plan of your center including the total available space and the number and size of each toddler and/or preschool classroom you are planning on opening and how many children can be in each classroom. Also, include the student-teacher ratios you plan on meeting, and how many teachers will be in each classroom.

Self-Reflection: 50 points

1. For your floor plan, explain how this floor plan addresses the issues in the scenario (40 points).

• At least 1 resource must include the assigned chapter in the textbook. You must provide reference to the specific page or section your citation is from. For example, stating Chapter 1 will not earn credit. Instead, you must be more specific, (Sciarra et al., 2016, sec. 2-2a). 
• Credit will not be given for research unless citations are included both in-text and a proper APA formatted reference section. 

 

Week 5 Discussion

Before beginning work on this unit’s discussion forum, please review the link “Doing Discussion Questions Right,” the expanded grading rubric for the forum, and any specific instructions for this unit’s topic.

By the due date assigned, submit your answers to this Discussion Area. Post the assignment directly in the discussion thread and label the answers with the appropriate scenario number. Do not copy the scenarios into the thread with the answers. https://perfectwriterblog.com/education-homework-help/which-us-trade-laws-should-you-consider-when-selecting-a-country/ Start reviewing and responding to your classmates as early in the week as possible. You should review and critique the work of other students, as outlined in the rubric by the end of the week.

Evaluate two of the scenarios listed below and explain the best solution for each. Include comments related to any ethical issues that arise. Support your responses with appropriate cases, laws and other relevant examples by using at least one scholarly source from the SUO Library in addition to your textbook for each scenario.

Scenario 1—International Trade

The Director of Purchasing for parts distribution company wants to purchase steel coach screws from Germany; however, he is not sure what the best option is. The director comes to you and asks your opinion. https://smartwriterblog.com/education-homework-help/which-us-trade-laws-should-you-consider-when-selecting-a-country/ You know that Germany, Canada, and Korea are the best sources for obtaining this product. While your research shows coach screws from Germany are of the highest quality, the United States imposes a tariff of 12.5%, which makes this option noncompetitive.

Which US trade laws should you consider when selecting a country?

Is there any way by which you can seek a reduction on the tariff? If so, how? If not, why?

Select an alternative country (Canada or Korea) for purchasing the coach screws and explain your reasons for selecting the country.

Scenario 2 – Bribery

Slyce Pizza Company purchased four commercial refrigerators for the restaurants and eight pizza ovens from a supplier in Italy. Between the shipping costs, delays, and unanticipated duties, the purchasing manager was worried that his boss would be upset about the total costs. In an effort to reduce costs, the manager offered a US Customs officer $500 in cash to re-classify the imported goods to reduce the amount of duties owed.

Analyze the legal and ethical ramifications of the purchasing manager’s offer to the customs official?

Would it make a difference if the purchasing manager offered to donate $500 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital if the officer expedited the paperwork necessary to release the goods from custom’s custody?

Scenario 3—Environment

Recycling Genie is a new company that contracts with Best Buy and other electronics retailers for the collection old computers, monitors, televisions, and cell phones dropped off at their facilities. The electronics contain lead, mercury, and polyvinyl chlorides that are known to have toxicological effects such as cancer, kidney disease, and brain damage. Recycling Genie has been in negotiations to ship the e-waste to companies in China, Vietnam, and Mongolia.

What are the legal and ethical concerns with shipping e-waste to these countries?

Scenario 4—Property

Ginger and Allen lived together in New Mexico since 2011, but they were not married until July 2013. Allen purchased the home in 2008, prior to meeting Ginger. He did not add Ginger to the title after they were married; however, https://blog.keenessays.com/2021/05/26/which-us-trade-laws-should-you-consider-when-selecting-a-country/ she contributed to the mortgage payments from 2011 until she started her business in 2013. In September 2013, Ginger inherited $55,000 from her father that she used to start a corporation, Fantastic Faces, a beauty consulting business

Ginger worked full time for Fantastic Faces, while Allen continued with his job teaching at the university. Allen made no contributions to Fantastic Faces. Due to limited financial resources, Ginger did not earn any salary until 2015.

In May 2013, Allen inherited 20 acres of farmland in Alabama from his grandfather. The land was leased to a local farmer. Allen visited the farm after the funeral in 2013 but did not return to Alabama. The rental income of $5,000 per year was deposited into the couple’s joint account. Allen filed for divorce in New Mexico on November 10, 2015.

Explain the how the court will determine the ownership of the house, farmland, and business based on New Mexico law.

Determine how the court would decide if the couple resided in your state instead of New Mexico.

  

SOCW 6530 WK 3 Peer responses 

Respond to the blog posts of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Make a suggestion to your colleague’s post.

MUST RESPOND TO EACH ONE SEPARATELY CITE EVERYTHING AND FULL REFERENCES

PEER 1: Candise Mitchell  

It is easy to look at someone and base judgement on the perception they display to the world. However, judgement is not an assessment. An assessment is conducted by intermixing their outer display with their opinions, thoughts, background, and current lifestyle. Therefore, it is beneficial to use the humanistic approach when engaging with others. Social work is a profession strongly anchored in Western humanistic values emphasizing the worth, autonomy, and right to self-determination of the clients (Savaya & Gardner, 2012). Social workers should practice using humanistic assessment skills to provide non-judgmental observations that help those who come into our services. This has been demonstrated within my field placement at Grace Abounds Counseling. Client referrals do not give a clear picture regarding the needs of those who come into the organization. Often therapist (interns) conduct assessment intakes that ask questions as far as the grandparent’s mental health history. This is not to be invasive but rather demonstrates the use of the humanistic approach by creating dialogue to identifying connecting factors towards the client’s physical or mental health as well as gives them a chance to reflect on their individual need more as well. People are often unaware of the values that underlie and guide their behaviors and using the humanistic approach in conversation is key to an effective and informed assessment (Savaya & Gardner, 2012).

REFERENCE

Savaya, R., & Gardner, F. (2012). Critical reflection to identify gaps between espoused theory and theory-in-use. Social Work, 57(2), 145–154.

PEER 2: David Jones 

An explanation of how you have addressed assessment or how you might address assessment during your field education experience

When beginning the field experience, it is important to assess the client and their needs. The needs of the client are multidimensional and can be identified through a need’s assessment. A need assessment is a “is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or “gaps” between current conditions and desired conditions or “wants” (Bulanda & Jalloh, 2017, p. 385). Next the client’s history and records should be reviewed. Understanding the client’s history and their currents needs is the best way to provide them with effective assistance. The assessment process beings with understanding the client’s path to service. This means understanding how the client ended up at the agency including their social and mental health problems. 

During the field instruction, the assessment continues. Observation is a good assessment tool. An interview is another effective tool is assessing the client’s strengths and resources (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). Level of risk to the client should also be assessed. Some clients are in more dangerous situations than others. Understanding their level of risk will help develop the most appropriate intervention. The social worker applies knowledge and theory to assist the client in developing an appropriate plan (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). When conducting the assessment, it is also important to understand the ethical implications. Through the field experience, I can gain sound social work assessment practice.

REFERENCES

Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum companion for social work:

Integrating class and fieldwork (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Bulanda, J. & Jalloh, S. (2017). A needs assessment for school social workers in Sierra Leone.

International Social Work, 62(1), 385

PEER 3: Omoyinka Orekoya 

An explanation of how you have addressed assessment or how you might address assessment during your field education experience

Assessment involves the gathering of information about the problem in order that decisions will be reached for the solution or intervention at any level of practice. It involves identifying a client, assessing the client in a situation from micro, mezzo, and macro, citing information about the clients’ problems and needs, identifying the clients’ strengths (Kirst-Ashman, & Hull, 2018, p.43). Assessments in generalist practice focus on the understanding of many aspects of a problem (Kirst-Ashman, & Hull, 2018, p.45).

While identifying the clients, as a social worker, I will also note the circumstances surrounding the clients like the family, the environment, friends, and peers at school or work, the religious body, and the community the client interacts with. In a nutshell, I will view the clients as a person in the environment (Kirst-Ashman, & Hull, 2018, ). According to Birkenmaier, & Berg-Weger, (2018), working with individuals and families involves a focus on interactions between individuals and families and their environments. Therefore, interning students who engage with individuals and families will develop competencies in assessment and this entails the ability to effectively communicate with the clients using strategies that include asking, clarifying questions, reflecting, validating, paraphrasing summarizing framing, and interpreting what the client says during the assessment, and the appropriate use of open, and close-ended questions (p.118)

After establishing the client system, I will continue with the assessments of concerns about the clients’ situation which includes the ability to find relevant issues linked to the client’s problems and also emphasizing strength. With the information I have gathered, I would begin to plan the appropriate intervention by making a necessary judgment about the information I have gathered and be sure that after each level, problems are defined and strengths identified.

I will assess the client also through the aspect of diversity which would determine the placements in the designated group and the aspect of confidentiality will also be considered while assessing the clients, and a consideration of social work ethics, and values (Kirst-Ashman, & Hull, 2018, p.45).

In my field practice, The Biopsychosocial of every client is paramount in assessment and this is necessary to understand the combination of factors that may be affecting the clients. Other assessments. to determine the level of alcohol and drug addiction follows, being a residential facility for the treatment of clients with substance use disorder. I also try to remove the frustrations clients have during assessment when the same questions are asked in different ways. Some of the questions in the assessment tools are repetitive. Some clients get frustrated and are not willing to cooperate during the assessment. To curb this problem, I group similar questions together, and if the client gives an answer to one of the questions, the same answer will be applied to similar questions; rather than asking the question all over again. This has helped to improve assessment and clients’ participation. 

Reference

Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Chapter 6, “Social Work Practice in the Field: Working with Individuals and Families” (pp. 117-154)

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.)Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013a). Assessment [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.ed