Sample pre trip lesson schedule

Six Week Plan for Pre-Trip Lessons Galapagos Islands

Week

Theme

One

Set-up, Background, and “Getting Excited”

Two

Cultural Competency and Empathy

Three

History and Modern Context

Four

“Global Significance” and Research Plans

Five

Systems Thinking

Six

Media Production

Week One Set-up, Background, and “Getting Excited”

Week One

Objectives 1.

2.

3.

4.

Students are comfortable using online platforms Students have basic working knowledge of destination Students are motivated to learn more about their destination Instructor understands student interests and knowledge of destination Logistics • • • • •

Students receive log-in details for Schoology and Blackboard Connect course sites Meeting time for 1 whole-group meeting (Blackboard Connect) Meeting times for one-to-one sessions (via Skype) Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments Materials

1. Passions/Interests ranking exercises 2. Internet scavenger hunt for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands 3. Map of the Galapagos Islands

Week One Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Students fill in basic profile on Schoology

Interest ranking work with students Response to Internet scavenger hunt exercise

Students perform ranking exercise on passions/interests , followed by meeting with instructor 1-1 over Skype

Students have choice of 2-3 outputs related to their passions

Students conduct independent research “internet scavenger hunt”

Online assessment for answers; Sharing of “interesting things learned” via discussion board

Students trace itinerary onto map with “most excited” activities for each destination

Instructor reviews and comments on map with itinerary

Instructor provides first online lecture on destination via Blackboard Connect at end of week

Students voice questions about trip and online courses

Week Two Cultural Competency and Empathy

Week Two

Objectives 1. Students understand the complexity around defining and delineating cultures 2. Students have developed a personal definition of what it means to be culturally competent 3. Students understand how personal and cultural lenses affect perceptions of events 4. Students have developed personal definition of empathy and sense of what is required to be empathic Logistics •

•

Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments Materials

1.

2.

3.

4.

Empathy pre-test Judging expressions exercise Cultural definitions exercise Perspective taking exercise

Week Two Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Students take empathy test and discuss its utility

Test results and quality of discussion

Instructor facilitates asynchronous discussions on definitions of empathy

Quality of discussion

Students take online test on judging emotions and discuss results

Test results and quality of discussion

Students pursue independent research on different definitions of culture and approaches to cultural competency

Students present results of research to group, Instructor facilitates discussion

Students perform preparatory activity on social perspective taking, and discuss two sides of a personal conflict

Evaluation of activity papers and mediation of discussion of personal conflicts

Week Three History and Modern Context

Week Three

Objectives 1. Students broaden and deepen their knowledge of the Galapagos Islands 2. Students develop an interest in a specific topic related to the itinerary 3. Students gain appreciation for the work of their peers as resources for learning Logistics • •

Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments

Materials 1. Reading and viewing list 2. Assessment 3. “Briefing Sheet” assignment and examples

Week Three Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Students watch/read selections Online assessment on history from history reading and viewing of destination list Students divide modern context topics and conduct individual research

Students create their own “need-to-know” briefing sheets for modern context topics

Students present, share, and review each other’s briefing sheets Instructor provides feedback on sheets

Week Four “Global Significance” and Research Plans

Week Four

Objectives 1. Students set realistic research topics for their trip and form “affinity groups” 2. Students create research goals for pre-and-during trip research 3. Students select realistic individualized research outputs for the trip

Logistics • • • •

Meeting time for 1 group meeting (Blackboard Connect) Meeting times for one-to-one session (via Skype) Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments Materials

1. Global significance factors and broad topic exercises 2. Questions grouping activity 3. Templates for final research plans

Week Four Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Instructor leads presentation on factors that make a research topic of global significance

Students ask questions during presentation

Students undertake questions grouping activity

Peers review each other’s “questions groups”

Students choose an overall research question

Instructor approves overall research questions

Students categorize question groups into pre and during trip research

Instructor approves basic research plan

Students form affinity groups for research and divide roles for pre-trip research

Instructor approves groups and roles

Students select the tangible output that they will produce at end of trip

Instructor approves outputs

Week Five Systems Thinking

Week Five

Objectives 1. Students understand the basics of systems thinking approaches 2. Students comfortably use the vocabulary related to systems thinking 3. Students are able to draw high-quality systems maps on a range of topics Logistics • •

Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments

Materials 1. Systems thinking “prep” sheets and exercises 2. Systems thinking assessment

Week Five Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Students work through systems thinking sheets and exercises

Instructor evaluation of student work

Students post and discuss examples of feedback and balancing loops from their own lives

Peer review and comments on examples

Students take online exam on systems thinking

Results of exam

Week Six Media Production

Week Six

Objectives 1. Students understand the basics of media production planning 2. Students set up research teams to produce videos Logistics • •

Students utilize course features of Schoology to access materials and upload assignments Instructor provides personalized feedback on assignments Materials

1. Prep sheets and exercises for • Picking a Genre: PSA or Promotional Video • Who's Your Audience • What's Your Role: Producer, Writer, or Director • Research, Research, Research

Week Six Activities and Evaluations

Activity

Output/Assessment

Students choose a genre for their documentary

Instructor approval of decisions

Students choose an audience

Instructor approval of decisions

Students split media teams into specific roles and begin outlining content needs

Instructor approval of decisions

Final group and 1-1 meetings