Kimberly Mirsky
I will have to map out our free time to make sure I am experiencing some of Iceland’s lighthouses to discover their history so students can compare and contrast lighthouses we have studied reflective of the state we live in with the lighthouses in Iceland. Video clips may be taken during a tour of a lighthouse (discuss the architecture as well) to present to students. Brochures and informational texts from tours would be helpful to collect so students can analyze this information for their tasks. I will also take photographs and videos of the coastal regions we visit or travel near to have visual evidence students can use to also use for their Six Thinking Hats tasks. I can also ask locals or our tour guide about the possible problems and solutions one could use to protect the coastal areas of Iceland just as we must do the same with our state’s coastal areas.
I am a Talented and Gifted teacher and I will be teaching a unit on Changes to our state's coast. During this unit I would like to expand on my student's knowledge of coastal areas and introduce them to the ecology of Iceland's coastal areas. We will learn about the beneficial functions of fjords, the subpolar oceanic climate type in the coastal areas versus our state's humid subtropical climate, and discuss the uses of Iceland's lighthouses and how these have changed over time. Students will complete a 3-2-1 Visible Thinking strategy and then analyze information using the Six Thinking Hats strategy task to further their understanding about variations in coastal areas globally.
Research the coastal areas we will be travelling to/near to gain information and insight about each area's lighthouses and geographical features. Discuss with the TAG team what photographic evidence would be most useful as primary sources for students to study during their Six Thinking Hats task as well as the 3-2-1 task. Align this lesson with the TAG standards and our state's standards, making sure the comparisons between Iceland's coastal areas as well as the history of their lighthouses parallels previously taught content of our state's coastal areas and lighthouses. This will allow for an easy transition to a comparison based learning experience.
