One of the summer classes I'm taking through NC State is called Technology Integration Theory and Practice. Among other projects, I'll be designing content-area lessons for a science, math, language arts, social studies, PE/ health and fine arts class. All of these lessons will involve using technology in a way that supports the curriculum. I'm excited about this project as I'll be moving to 5th grade next year and will be able to create materials for my future students and colleagues.
My first lesson is a science lesson. Science was always my least favorite subject in school, and since I've always avoided it, it is probably my weakest subject. I decided to form a lesson plan based off of what my 6th graders are currently learning from their science teacher (I teach language arts). That way, I figured, my students could help me with the content information, and it might prove useful to the science teachers in my school or at least serve as a study tool for the students. Right now, the students are studying a unit called "Growing and Flowing." Their essential question is "How do plans survive and reproduce?" The students have already learned (through flipped videos, teacher instruction, diagrams, etc.) about the parts of a flower and how it reproduces. But... according to their teacher, many of the students didn't do too well on the last quiz because they're not studying and haven't committed their learning to memory. I decided that an "expression of learning" activity in which students taught their peers (or even younger grades) to identify the parts of the flower and their functions, could increase students' mastery of the standards. Explain Everything is an app that worked well with this activity. Below you will see my lesson plan and a "student sample" that I made with the help of Jaden, Sarah, Ajay and Alex. Thank you for teaching me about the parts of a flower and their purposes! Thanks too to Ms. M, science teacher extraordinaire, for checking over my science facts. Suzie Studentface's Student Example:
8 Comments
Wenting
5/20/2015 10:25:38 am
Jill, I like your lesson plan. It's very neat and the processes are very clear. I think the student example really helps a lot. Did you make the video by screen casting?
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Jill Zappia
5/20/2015 10:54:04 am
Thanks, Wenting. I actually used an app called Explain Everything, which is similar to screencasting, but records within the application only. As you record you can easily edit and modify audio and graphics in a timeline that reminds me of iMovie.
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Wenting
5/20/2015 12:59:35 pm
Thank you Jill for explaining the app for me. It's a very interactive tool. I will try it.
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Shuang Wei
5/20/2015 11:18:13 am
Hi Jill, I love your website, I love the way you introduce us the background of how they learnt about the plants. The way you make the video impressed me very much. I like the idea that you let students put hands on subjects. -Shuang Wei
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Kari Smith
5/21/2015 06:23:31 am
Interesting lesson. I really liked learning more about the "explain everything" app you used. It looks really interesting and I'm excited to learn more about it. I also liked that students took pictures of their dissection. The pictures could even be turned into vocabulary flash cards. There are a lot of components in this lesson. Do you see this lesson playing out over the course of a few classes?
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Jill Zappia
5/21/2015 07:39:08 am
Great idea for picture flashcards, Kari! To answer your question about the timeline for this activity, I would imagine that introducing the students to the parts of the plants, teaching the concepts, and showing the students diagrams would take one or two days in class. This lesson itself, consisting of a flower dissection, taking pictures on a device, and creating an Explain Everything video would take one class period and could be finished at home for homework. I personally knew very little about the structure of a flower and was able to figure it out, take pictures, learn to use the App, and make the video in two hours. I think that if students understand the concept, have a teacher showing them how to use the app, and can get help from their peers, that this is a one to two day lesson.
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5/21/2015 11:46:43 am
Jill,
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Jill Zappia
5/21/2015 12:02:25 pm
Thanks Grant! "Suzie" will be happy to know you liked her video. ;)
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