Sunday, November 27, 2011
Effects of Drilling and Fishing on the Ecosystem
These pictures will show to students that humans do have an effect on the ecosystem. The students will have a visual representation of how harvesting tuna, and oil drilling can disrupt ecosystems across the globe. In viewing these pictures, the students will understand that these organisms can not reproduce, and therefore disrupt the other levels of the ecosystem they are part of. Students will now be able to describe why humans are now an integral part of the food chain, and their impact on ecosystems as a whole.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Refined Technology Lesson
Subject, Lesson, Topic:
The technology lesson for this assignment will be a 5th grade science project on Food Webs.
Lesson Goals:
The students will describe and analyze the necessity of food webs, and the effect of human expansion, and consumption on ecosystems across the nation. In this lesson, students will also incorporate how the production of fossil fuels plays a viable role in destroying ecosystems, and the effect of fossil fuel production on ecosystems in various locations. Students will be assigned particular locations as their area of expertise. The areas of concern will be:
1. Oil drilling in Alaska
2. Population growth in El Paso County
3. The harvesting of tuna in the Pacific and implications on the food webs that include dolphins
4. Effect of the Exxon Valdez, Louisiana, and Gulf Coast oil spills on the immediate and surrounding ecosystems *Students will focus on the changes of the ecosystems by providing a before and then an after report of the ecosystems. Team will pick only one from the list*
Student Interest, Prior Knowledge
Before starting the lesson on food webs, student interest was very high about this particular lesson. The students were explained that this lesson would include the "basic food web" they had learned in the earlier grades, but that at this level they would take it up to a higher level. Students for informed that they would be researching food webs across the globe, but they would incorporate other concepts in truly understanding how important food webs are. Students were excited to have the opportunity to study ecosystems, and food webs behind the traditional classroom approach. Many students acknowledged that when they studied this topic in previous years (third and fourth grade), that they were reduced to learning and understanding a "basic food web." The students have the basic knowledge necessary to understand food webs, but are a little unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary associated with the topic.
Misconceptions
1. Energy inside of food chains start at the top of the food chain and flows down. Students believe that organisms at the top of the food chain produce and have the most energy, by extracting the energy from organisms below them.
2. Students do not understand the effect humans have on ecosystems, and in many cases believe that humans have little effect on ecosystems.
3. Students do not understand the difference between dead and non-living.
4. Students understand the process of photosynthesis, but in many instances do not know that plants actually use the food that they make.
Tapping into Student Interest
As I mentioned earlier, students are excited about exploring the food webs outside of the normal scope. Students are ready, and more than eager, to start researching and putting their projects togetehr so that they can show-off. Again, students having ownership of the project always elevates their desire and interest to a higher level. More important, the students are thrilled about working as a team to gain group bragging rights (for best project).
Technology:
Blogs:
Since the setup of a blog is a little tedious (and time consuming) I will set up a class blog for the students to use during their project construction. Students will be asked weekly to provide a reflection on their progress, and interesting facts that they may have discovered during their research. The blog will also be used so that groups can post websites that they uncover, that may benefit another group, and the class as a whole.
Podcasts:
Students will be required to post two podcasts as part of their project. The first podcast will be due by the end of the first week and posted to the class blog. This podcast will include each member introducing themselves, and stating their particular assignment within the group. The team captain will be responsible for describing the teams project. This podcast will be no longer than five minutes in length. For the second podcast, students will present their findings about the topic assigned. Students will have the opportunity to include pictures for this podcast. This podcast will include their findings, and incorporate an editorial about the impact of their findings on a global level. This podcast will be no longer than ten minutes. As a note, all podcasts will be at least three minutes in length.
Web Resources:
1. www.google.com
2. http://www.youseemore.com/sisd/
3. http://el014.k12.sd.us/5th%20Grade%20Science%20Websites.htm
Computers:
1. Students will use computers to search the web for sites that contain information needed to complete their team projects.
2. Students can use Microsoft PowerPoint to create an eight slide presentation of their findings.
3. Students can use Microsoft Publisher to create a brochure of their findings.
4. Students can use Movie maker to create a five to eight minute video of their findings.
*All groups must complete a brochure, PowerPoint presentation, or movie maker video in addition to the final podcast*
Activities Listing:
1. Monday: Students will be given a pre-assessment on food webs. After the assessment an introduction will be made about food webs, and students will be given whole class instruction on food webs vocabulary. Students will be given their topics, and explained their tasks. After the instruction is over, the students will be given instruction on how to create podcasts.
2. Tuesday: Students will be given additional whole group instruction, and given an overview of food webs through the use of videos (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/). Students will be given additional instruction on podcasts, and allotted twenty minutes to explore the podcasts. Team captains will also assign group members their tasks for the project.
3. Wednesday: Students will be given instruction on how to post podcasts to the class blog, and instruction on how to post on the blog. Team captains will be responsible for posting to the blog, and one team member will be designated as a backup. Students will then be required to post a listing of their team members to the blog, and start conducting research on their topic.
4. Thursday: Students will be given instruction on how to cite resources gathered, and how to create notes pages to be used for the project. Students will be then given the rest of the class period to conduct research, and brainstorm their project design.
5. Friday: Students will be given approximately thirty minutes to create their podcasts, and post them to the class blog. The remainder of the class period will be devoted to answering any questions that groups may have concerning their projects, and assisting the students in their research. At the end of the class period groups will be required to post their reflections about the weeks' activities.
*Due to time constraints and limited technology resources, this project will probably last for approximately three weeks. Students will be allotted one class period each week to use as research time for their projects*
Assessment:
The assessment used for the students can be viewed at the following website. https://sites.google.com/site/mrharris5thgrade20112012/food-webs-assignment. Students will be given a hard copy for test purposes at the end of three week project.
The technology lesson for this assignment will be a 5th grade science project on Food Webs.
Lesson Goals:
The students will describe and analyze the necessity of food webs, and the effect of human expansion, and consumption on ecosystems across the nation. In this lesson, students will also incorporate how the production of fossil fuels plays a viable role in destroying ecosystems, and the effect of fossil fuel production on ecosystems in various locations. Students will be assigned particular locations as their area of expertise. The areas of concern will be:
1. Oil drilling in Alaska
2. Population growth in El Paso County
3. The harvesting of tuna in the Pacific and implications on the food webs that include dolphins
4. Effect of the Exxon Valdez, Louisiana, and Gulf Coast oil spills on the immediate and surrounding ecosystems *Students will focus on the changes of the ecosystems by providing a before and then an after report of the ecosystems. Team will pick only one from the list*
Student Interest, Prior Knowledge
Before starting the lesson on food webs, student interest was very high about this particular lesson. The students were explained that this lesson would include the "basic food web" they had learned in the earlier grades, but that at this level they would take it up to a higher level. Students for informed that they would be researching food webs across the globe, but they would incorporate other concepts in truly understanding how important food webs are. Students were excited to have the opportunity to study ecosystems, and food webs behind the traditional classroom approach. Many students acknowledged that when they studied this topic in previous years (third and fourth grade), that they were reduced to learning and understanding a "basic food web." The students have the basic knowledge necessary to understand food webs, but are a little unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary associated with the topic.
Misconceptions
1. Energy inside of food chains start at the top of the food chain and flows down. Students believe that organisms at the top of the food chain produce and have the most energy, by extracting the energy from organisms below them.
2. Students do not understand the effect humans have on ecosystems, and in many cases believe that humans have little effect on ecosystems.
3. Students do not understand the difference between dead and non-living.
4. Students understand the process of photosynthesis, but in many instances do not know that plants actually use the food that they make.
Tapping into Student Interest
As I mentioned earlier, students are excited about exploring the food webs outside of the normal scope. Students are ready, and more than eager, to start researching and putting their projects togetehr so that they can show-off. Again, students having ownership of the project always elevates their desire and interest to a higher level. More important, the students are thrilled about working as a team to gain group bragging rights (for best project).
Technology:
Blogs:
Since the setup of a blog is a little tedious (and time consuming) I will set up a class blog for the students to use during their project construction. Students will be asked weekly to provide a reflection on their progress, and interesting facts that they may have discovered during their research. The blog will also be used so that groups can post websites that they uncover, that may benefit another group, and the class as a whole.
Podcasts:
Students will be required to post two podcasts as part of their project. The first podcast will be due by the end of the first week and posted to the class blog. This podcast will include each member introducing themselves, and stating their particular assignment within the group. The team captain will be responsible for describing the teams project. This podcast will be no longer than five minutes in length. For the second podcast, students will present their findings about the topic assigned. Students will have the opportunity to include pictures for this podcast. This podcast will include their findings, and incorporate an editorial about the impact of their findings on a global level. This podcast will be no longer than ten minutes. As a note, all podcasts will be at least three minutes in length.
Web Resources:
1. www.google.com
2. http://www.youseemore.com/sisd/
3. http://el014.k12.sd.us/5th%20Grade%20Science%20Websites.htm
Computers:
1. Students will use computers to search the web for sites that contain information needed to complete their team projects.
2. Students can use Microsoft PowerPoint to create an eight slide presentation of their findings.
3. Students can use Microsoft Publisher to create a brochure of their findings.
4. Students can use Movie maker to create a five to eight minute video of their findings.
*All groups must complete a brochure, PowerPoint presentation, or movie maker video in addition to the final podcast*
Activities Listing:
1. Monday: Students will be given a pre-assessment on food webs. After the assessment an introduction will be made about food webs, and students will be given whole class instruction on food webs vocabulary. Students will be given their topics, and explained their tasks. After the instruction is over, the students will be given instruction on how to create podcasts.
2. Tuesday: Students will be given additional whole group instruction, and given an overview of food webs through the use of videos (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/). Students will be given additional instruction on podcasts, and allotted twenty minutes to explore the podcasts. Team captains will also assign group members their tasks for the project.
3. Wednesday: Students will be given instruction on how to post podcasts to the class blog, and instruction on how to post on the blog. Team captains will be responsible for posting to the blog, and one team member will be designated as a backup. Students will then be required to post a listing of their team members to the blog, and start conducting research on their topic.
4. Thursday: Students will be given instruction on how to cite resources gathered, and how to create notes pages to be used for the project. Students will be then given the rest of the class period to conduct research, and brainstorm their project design.
5. Friday: Students will be given approximately thirty minutes to create their podcasts, and post them to the class blog. The remainder of the class period will be devoted to answering any questions that groups may have concerning their projects, and assisting the students in their research. At the end of the class period groups will be required to post their reflections about the weeks' activities.
*Due to time constraints and limited technology resources, this project will probably last for approximately three weeks. Students will be allotted one class period each week to use as research time for their projects*
Assessment:
The assessment used for the students can be viewed at the following website. https://sites.google.com/site/mrharris5thgrade20112012/food-webs-assignment. Students will be given a hard copy for test purposes at the end of three week project.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Podcast In The Class
After reading the articles, experimenting making a podcast, viewing some podcasts, and reading some other postings, I now realize that podcasts can become a vital resource within the classroom.
In my previous posting, technology lesson, I now must retract and add podcasting as one of the projects students can create. While doing the 5th grade technology science lesson on food webs, students would use my podcast as a model for the type of podcast they can create. Students would have to not only explain the key vocabulary words associated with the lesson, but add pictures and sounds for their podcast. For example, where I explained about the bird eating the mouse, students would have to find a bird sound and add it to the podcast during that explanation.
Another component to the podcast students would have to complete is, having each member of the group explain a particular portion of the lesson. One student could talk about and define the key vocabulary words, a second team member could talk about the problems associated with what will happen if a particular organism is depleted from a certain ecosystem, etc... By getting all of the team members involved not only ensures that team work is happening, but their participation ensures that each student has ownership of the project.
Furthermore, students would have to incorporate visuals (pictures) their project. After reading the article, I now understand how important podcasts can be in assisting ELLs, and adding the visual aspect will enhance the learning of not only ELLs, but to all of the students within the classroom. Using visuals is an important part of my teaching because, I see the "AHA moments" after I explain a particular concept and then reinforce it with the visual aspect.
Lastly, I believe that the podcast would be fun for the students to do. I notice that when we use the computers to research information, or to find pictures for a certain assignment, the students get really involved with the assignment. I think that podcasts would elevate the quality of the assignment the students produce because, they will want to ensure that they put their best foot forward. I know that I like to have fun while teaching, so why shouldn't the students have assignments that are fun to complete.
In my previous posting, technology lesson, I now must retract and add podcasting as one of the projects students can create. While doing the 5th grade technology science lesson on food webs, students would use my podcast as a model for the type of podcast they can create. Students would have to not only explain the key vocabulary words associated with the lesson, but add pictures and sounds for their podcast. For example, where I explained about the bird eating the mouse, students would have to find a bird sound and add it to the podcast during that explanation.
Another component to the podcast students would have to complete is, having each member of the group explain a particular portion of the lesson. One student could talk about and define the key vocabulary words, a second team member could talk about the problems associated with what will happen if a particular organism is depleted from a certain ecosystem, etc... By getting all of the team members involved not only ensures that team work is happening, but their participation ensures that each student has ownership of the project.
Furthermore, students would have to incorporate visuals (pictures) their project. After reading the article, I now understand how important podcasts can be in assisting ELLs, and adding the visual aspect will enhance the learning of not only ELLs, but to all of the students within the classroom. Using visuals is an important part of my teaching because, I see the "AHA moments" after I explain a particular concept and then reinforce it with the visual aspect.
Lastly, I believe that the podcast would be fun for the students to do. I notice that when we use the computers to research information, or to find pictures for a certain assignment, the students get really involved with the assignment. I think that podcasts would elevate the quality of the assignment the students produce because, they will want to ensure that they put their best foot forward. I know that I like to have fun while teaching, so why shouldn't the students have assignments that are fun to complete.
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