Saturday, November 8, 2014

Lesson 3

I. RATIONALE:
Please describe the research article that you found that supports this lesson AND provide a link.
II. OVERVIEW
Grade Level: 2nd
Subject(s): Language Art and Science
Topic of Study:  Sharks
Time Allotment:  60 minutes
Standards:
ELA 2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, ad provide a concluding statement or section.
Science Strand 1 Concept 4: 
PO 1. Identify animal structures that serve different functions (e.g.,sensory, defense, locomotion).
Objectives: Students will create a poster containing 5 facts on sharking after completing 3 tasks on a web quest on s
Reflection: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Planning Instruction
  • What do the students need to know prior to the lesson?
    Prior to this lesson, students should be familiar with navigating a computer and web browser.  Students should also be familiar with a two digit addition and subtraction.  Students will have previously completed lessons on other mammal structures to compare and contrast the shark with.
  • How will prior knowledge and experience be assessed?
    Prior knowledge will be assessed by asking question in the beginning to review.  Questions will include "Who can tell me how to load a web page?"  "What information can you tell me about sharks?"  "Who has seen a shark before?"
  • How will you use this information in the planning process?
    I will use this information to assess where students are at.  If the majority of students are able to demonstrate basic knowledge on how to navigate a web page and web browser then we will continue with the lesson.  If students are struggling with using web  pages and web browser, then we will do a mini-lesson on how to navigate through these technologies.
  • Why should the content of this lesson be taught at this grade level?
    The content of this lesson should be taught at this grade level because it matches the standards that students need to learn in animal structures.  Sharks are also an interesting animal to students at this age which will help the students to stay engaged.
  • How do the objectives that you have for the lesson align with the standards?

  • When will the lesson be taught in the course of the school year? Why?
    This lesson will be taught toward the end of the school year.  By doing this lesson at the end of the school year, students should be comfortable navigating web pages/ web browsers.  The student will have also had many opportunities to create documents using technology.  They will have also had previous experience with creating complete sentences and describing various topics of information.

III. IMPLEMENTATION
Procedure:
The teacher will begin the lesson by showing a picture of the ocean.  The teacher will ask the students to close their eyes and imagine that they are Marine Biologists that need to learn as much as they can about sharks because the ocean waters near them have become a hunting ground for many different kinds of sharks.  The teacher will ask the students questions such as "who can tell me what the sharks look like in your imagination?"  "What types of sharks are you seeing?" The teacher will then show a small video of sharks swimming in the ocean.  Next, the teacher will tell the students that in order to learn as much information about sharks, they are going to complete the web quest located at https://sites.google.com/site/2ndgradesharkwebquest/home.  Students will be directed to their own computers and asked to pull up the web page.  The teacher will explain to the students that they are to complete the first three tasks on the task bar independently.  Then, once those are completed, the students will be asked to create a warning poster for one type of shark of their choice.  The poster should include a definition of the type of shark, length and other factual information that is important to that type of shark.  The poster should clearly label which type of shark they are talking about in the poster.  The poster can include general information about sharks as well.  Finally, if there is time at the end, the students will complete task 5 creating a shark out of construction paper labeling the various parts asked.  At the end of the lesson, the teacher will gather together all of the students and review different types of sharks and characteristics that sharks have.
Technology Integration:
Students will use technology to explore information about sharks.  They will visit various websites and use the information on the sites to complete various tasks.  The students will also use a word template document to build a poster about a type of shark and include factual information that they have learned about sharks. 

The teacher will use technology to show a video at the beginning of the lesson about sharks and help students at their individual computers navigating the websites and completing the various tasks.
Differentiated Instruction:
  • Cognitive delay - Accommodations - Additional time will be given as needed,websites will be offered that include videos for students to listen to in order to hear information about sharks with headphones provided.
    Modifications - students can use pictures and individual words on their poster instead of complete sentences to describe the shark of their choosing, students will be asked to complete 3 of the 5 assigned tasks.
  • Gifted - Students will be asked to create a venn diagram describing the differences and similarities between sharks and birds.
  • ELL - Accommodations will include additional time as needed to complete the tasks, scaffold support could include using websites that have an audio accompaniment to the text, and the teacher assisting with what words mean as needed.
    Modification - Students may complete 3 of the 5 tasks but must complete task 4 which is the poster with information about their chosen shark.
Reflection: Designing Instruction (InTask Standards 7 and 8):
  • Why are you using the instructional methods you have described?
    I am using the instructional method described so that students are actively engaged in their own learning.  With the chosen tasks, students are being asked to research information, apply the information in a practical manner and construct visual models.  These approaches fit into several difference multiple intelligences.  This ensures that I am meeting learning styles of many different students in my classroom.
  • How do the instructional methods align with what you know about best practices (think about your methods classes)?
    Students learn best when they are able to use the information they learn in several different ways.  With this web quest, the students will not only learn information about various types of sharks but also use the information that they learn to apply it to different activities including making models and posters that include the information that they learn.
  • How are you engaging students in creative and higher order thinking?
    Students are researching information and applying that information in meaningful ways. They are being asked to use the information that they discover in their research and apply it to a poster that would be posted and shared with the rest of the class. 

IV. ASSESSMENT
Procedure and instruments: Read Assessing Student Learning (Include a description of how you will determine the students' success in meeting the standards and objectives of the lesson (You must include what artifacts and activities will be assessed as well as a description of the assessment process))
Formative assessments will include the completed worksheet  tasks from the web quest located at https://sites.google.com/site/2ndgradesharkwebquest/home/process.  In order to assess the model of a shark tooth and the labeling of the shark, I will use the following checklists.


Shark Tooth Model Check List
___  Tooth is drawn on construction
___  Tooth is cut out
___  Your name is on the back of the tooth
Tooth is labeled with the following information:
___  What type of shark tooth it is
___  The purpose of the tooth
___ What kind of tooth it is

Shark Anatomy
Your shark must include the following parts:
___  Eyes
___  Mouth
___  Gill Slits
___  Dorsal Fin
___  Pectoral Fin
___   Tail Fin

Each task will be worth 6 points total.  One point will be subtracted for each item that is missing.  
 
Summative Assessment:
The individual poster will be used to assess that students are able to meet the science standard.  A check list will be used for this project task.  

Shark Poster
___  The name of the shark is clearly labeled
___  There is a definition of what a shark is
___  One fact on the length and weight of your shark.
___  One additional fact specific to the shark you choose
___  Two general facts about sharks
___  One concluding sentence about sharks at the end.
___  One picture of the shark you chose

This project task is worth 21 points total.  3 points will be subtracted for each item that is missing from the above checklist.


Reflection: Planning Assessment (InTask Standard 6):
  • How does the assessment align with the standards and objectives of this lesson?
    This lesson allows for both formative and summative assessments that help to see that the standards and objective are being met.  The formative assessments allow me to see that students are learning information about sharks and applying that knowledge in different ways through the tasks.  These tasks show that students are gaining knowledge about a different species and what their functions and structures are.  The poster project assessment allows me to see that students are able to take the information that they learned and apply that knowledge to create a poster of factual information demonstrating that they are able to meet the writing standard.
  • How does the assessment demonstrate that the students have been successful in learning the content?
    The assessment shows that students learned information about sharks and were able to describe their function and parts of their structure.  It also shows that students were able to take information learned and use it  to write their own short expository piece summarizing what they learned.
  • How does the assessment demonstrate student engagement in higher order thinking?
    Students are able to take information they learned in research on the web and apply it to different activities.  They are also able to demonstrate that they can take the information they learn and create a short expository writing summarizing the information that they learned from their research.
  • How does the assessment demonstrate that individual student needs were met?
    The assessment will allow me to see how students are progressing in their writing skills.  It also will allow me to see that students are able to transfer knowledge learned to make it meaningful for them.

IIV. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
https://sites.google.com/site/2ndgradesharkwebquest/home
https://sites.google.com/site/2ndgradesharkwebquest/home/process
Shark tooth sample
Shark poster sample
Shark Anatomy sample

Reflection: How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NETs Standards?
  1. How does your lesson meet Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity ?
    Students are able to incorporate art into this lesson through the drawing and constructing of the shark tooth and the shark anatomy diagram.  By doing these hands on activities, students are more engaged in their learning.  
  2. How does your lesson meet Standard 2: Provide Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments?
    This lesson is done through an on-line web quest.  Students must navigate on-line to do research and complete various tasks.  The summative assessment poster will be complete on-line through a word template to provide additional digital-age learning experiences.
  3. How does your lesson meet Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work & Learning?
    Students are using the web to conduct research on a subject which meets this standard.  Also students are learning how to create posters that they might use later in life outside of school.  This lesson helps student be aware how to create posters using on-line tools and resources.
  4. How does your lesson Meet all four elements of Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility by:
      • advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
      • addressing the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
      • promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
      • developing and modeling cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.
        This lesson meets all four elements in Standard 4:  Promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility.  The websites the students use are located within the web quest, all students will be able to use their own computer to complete the task, students are able to model digital etiquette through navigating the sites appropriately and gain global awareness through on-line sources.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Reflection for lesson 2

  1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9): Discuss the implementation process and describe
    • What went well and what didn't go well during the implementation of your lesson?
 I thought that this lesson went a little better then the first lesson that I did.  I felt better prepared and more comfortable teaching this lesson.  I thought that I could have done my introduction to the lesson a little bit better by giving more background knowledge about coin counting and the values of the coins.  I was glad that I had brought a hard copy of the book because the book online from the tumble book library froze and I was able to pick up where we left off in the book.  I also thought that integrating the smart board to have the students practice as a group counting various coin amounts went well.
    • How well was the alignment to objectives and standards maintained?
The objective: Students will use combinations of coins to show specified amounts, after playing a coin game, and will answer 3 word problems using coin manipulatives was met successfully by the students.  The students were able to select the coin values of their choice to show the amounts given in the word problems.  Students also were able to play the online coin counting game successfully on their own completing the entire series of ten problems.  The standard of  solving word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately was met fairly well.  After looking at this standard again and viewing the assessments, I realized that they only used coin manipulatives to show values of money and did not do any writing of amounts using the appropriate symbols to represent dollars and cents.
    • Describe any modifications made during the implementation of the lesson
 There were not modifications that were needed for this lesson.
  1. Mechanics:
    • What technologies did I use (for the teacher and the learner)?
    • How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?
    The students and teacher listened to the book "The Coin Counting Book" by Rozanne Lanczak Williams accessed from the Phoenix Public Library tumble book collection on the smart board.  The students also used the smart board to play coin counting games as a group.  Students then practiced individually using the same program on their own computer.
    • My lesson was within the correct time frame
      • It was short because I had a little bit of time left over at the end.  I think I could have done a little more modeling with the group lesson and allowed more time for the students to explore with the coins.
  2. Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6): Refer to Assessing Student Learning
    • Include at least 2 digital artifacts that demonstrate what you or your students (peers) have created as a result of your lesson
    • Describe your students' level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment
  • The students were successful in achieving the standards and objectives for my lesson because they were able to show the correct amounts in the three word problems given.  They were given many coin choices and were able to select coin values that appropriately represented the amount in the word problem.
    • Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson
      • How do your individual reflections support this?
      I felt that this lesson was more successful then my previous lesson.  I felt that this lesson was more interactive and incorporated more learning styles into the learning process.  As a teacher, I enjoyed coming up with this lesson and enjoyed the experience along side the students.
      • How do the comments from your classmates support this?
       The comments from my classmates said that I was well prepared and integrated technology well.  The online book that I used was a little repetitive and I liked the idea of stopping the book to explain what was going on a little bit more.  The game I choose to play was a good choice according to comments from my classmates and they would have liked to have had more experience using it in a group setting with the smart board.  
    •