Author(s):
Debbie Kalustian
Grade Level:
2nd Grade
Timeframe:
The lessons will take at least 10 days to complete (approximately 1 hour each day), depending on the amount of prior knowledge the students have and the length of time it takes for them to complete their PowerPoint presentation.
Lesson Description or Explanation
Students will learn about different animals including their class, species, habitat, and features. Students will collect data about an animal from each animal class and take a photo of that animal during a class field trip to the zoo. Students will incorporate information about each animal into a virtual field trip by creating a slide show presentation.
Lesson idea resource:
“Create a virtual tour by having students take pictures while on a field trip. Insert the photos into a PowerPoint presentation and have the students narrate the slide show with facts about the trip and descriptions of each photo. “ (The Kentucky Academy of Technology Education, 2009)
Reference:
The Kentucky Academy of Technology Education. (2009). Ideas for Using Digital Cameras in Your Classroom. Retrieved March 1, 2009 from http://coekate.murraystate.edu/camera/ideas.htm
Indiana Curricular Standards
Science
2.4.1 – Observe and identify different external features of plants and animals and describe how these features help them live in different environments.
2.4.4 – Recognize and explain that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and that there are somewhat different kinds in different places.
Language Arts
2.5.6 – Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person.
2.5.8 - Research Application:Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that: • uses a variety of resources (books, technology, pictures, charts, tables of contents, diagrams) and documents sources (titles and authors). • organizes information by categorizing it into single categories (such as size or color) or includes information gained through observation.
ISTE Standards
Standard 2 - Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Standard 6 - Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
Assessments
Formative/Summative
Formative Assessment
Formative assessments will be made through informal observations (i.e. Kidwatching). By listening to the students as they work, I will be able to assess whether they understand the assignment. Classroom discussion will also be a key factor in assessing whether students understand the assignment. If students seem to be off track or are asking a lot of questions about either the science concepts or the use of technology, then further support may be needed from the teacher. Teacher will also examine the students’ field notes to determine understanding and ensure that students are on track.
Teacher will monitor students’ progress as they work to create slideshow presentations on PowerPoint. Teacher will provide feedback to inform students of their progress or areas which may need further work and to provide support. Such assessments will encompass student understanding of the science concepts being taught as well as understanding of how to use the required technology to complete the assignment.
Summative Assessment
The summative assessment will be made based on the culminating activity of synthesizing all that the students have learned about the science concepts and use of technology and incorporating that knowledge into a virtual field trip slide show. Students will be assessed on the following:
Did students correctly identify the appropriate animal class for each animal they researched?
Did students come up with an appropriate number of questions to research?
Did students’ report include accurate answers to those questions?
Did students use a different background color and font for each PowerPoint slide?
Did students include a photo of all the animals they researched?
Did students use the animal name and class as headers for each slide?
Did students work collaboratively, each doing their fair share of the work on the project?
Prior Knowledge
Curricular Knowledge or Skills:
To activate prior knowledge, teacher will have a class discussion with the students about animal classes. Using a graphic organizer on chart paper, we will discuss what the different animal classes are (mammals, reptiles, etc.). Students will then (individually) make a list of as many different species they can think of for each animal class. This will be a pre-assessment activity and students will turn this in. Based on individual student knowledge, lessons will be determined and/or differentiated. Once this has been turned in, we will have a whole-class discussion about which animals fit into the various animal classes. These will be written on the chart paper. This will help students begin to think in terms of classes and help them to categorize animals that they might see during the field trip to the zoo. Students will be asked to report on one animal from each animal class, so activating prior knowledge in this area will be essential to do before the field trip.
Technology Knowledge:
To assess background knowledge of use of technology, I would simply ask students if they have ever used Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or a digital camera before. If students do have some prior knowledge, this might be helpful in making groups of students to work together because if a student already has some experience with technology, they might be able to assist the other students in their group. Overall, it is not essential that prior knowledge exists because the lessons include instructional time on how to use the technology step-by-step. One of the purposes of this assignment is to provide students a chance to learn new technology. If a student is struggling because they are new to computers, additional assistance may be required.
As a way to scaffold learning, teacher will provide a sample of the document that students are creating in Microsoft Word for their research questions. Teacher is also showing students sample slideshow presentations so that they can get an idea of what is expected of them when they complete their own slideshow.
With regard to the digital cameras, I would ensure that a teacher or parent chaperone would assist with using the cameras and taking care of them throughout the field trip. Teachers and/or parents will be responsible for downloading the photos so that they are accessible to students for their PowerPoint presentations.
Technology
Internet Resources: (please list URLs)http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/index.htmlThis web site has information about animals divided by animal class: amphibian, bird, mammal, reptile and insect. Within each animal class, several species from the San Diego Zoo are represented with information about each one.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
This web site has an A-Z animal database. Information includes habitat and fast facts about each animal.
Hardware: digital cameras, personal computers
Software: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
Procedure
Lesson Plan – Virtual Field Trip
Students will learn about classifying animals. After learning about animal classes, students will take a field trip to the zoo to research information about one animal from each animal class. Students will work in small groups and will be asked to find out specific information about each animal and to take a digital picture of each animal. Students will organize their information and pictures into a virtual field trip slideshow which they will produce using Microsoft PowerPoint. Students will present this to the rest of the class as a culminating activity.
Day 1
Pre-assessment activity. Students will brainstorm the different animal classes (birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, mammals, etc.). Teacher will use a graphic organizer to display these classes on chart paper. Students will work individually to list as many animals as they can that fit into each animal class. This will be turned in as a pre-assessment to determine prior knowledge for each individual student.
Whole Class Discussion. Teacher will discuss with students the animal classes and some of the animals they think fall into those classes and why. Example: What makes an elephant a mammal? Develop working definitions for each animal class.
Day 2
Develop Questions. Teacher will ask the class what questions they have about animals that they would want to find out at the zoo. (Example: What animal class are they in? What do they eat? Where do they live? What is their habitat? What do they look like?) Teacher will explain that the questions they come up with need to apply to all animals and that these questions will be the ones that they will be in charge of researching during the field trip. Students will work in groups to develop their questions.
Pre-Assessment. Students will turn in their list of questions so that the teacher can assess whether further instruction is needed.
Note: These questions will be used to conduct research while at the zoo. Students will be assessed on whether they answered these questions in their slideshow. By having the students come up with a list of questions, the lesson and learning are based on student interest and thus the lesson is more engaging for students. As students work to develop a list of questions, they will build their understanding of the need to have a list of questions which work for any animal they might choose for research. For example, asking what animals eat pertains to all animals, but asking if all animals shed their skin does not apply to all animals. Thus, students will be using constructivist learning methods as they work to develop questions which are inclusive of all animals.
Day 3
Finalizing Questions. Students will finalize their list of questions for research. Students will type their lists on the computer using Microsoft Word, leaving space to write answers. Students will print out multiple copies of the list and will label the animal class at the top of each page. Teacher will provide a sample for students to follow. Students will use these lists during the field trip to take notes.
Microsoft Word instructions. Students will visit the computer lab to work at typing out a list of research questions. Instructions will be given step by step on how to log in, open the software program, utilize it, and print out their lists.
Day 4 – Field Trip
Research. At the zoo, students will work in groups to choose one animal from each animal class to study. Students will use their typed questions as a guide and work to answer these questions for each animal they chose.
Digital Photos. Each group will be given a digital camera (chaperones will carry them). Students will take turns taking pictures of the animals they are researching. These photos will be incorporated in their Virtual Field Trip slide show.
Day 5
Sample Slideshow. Teacher will show a sample slideshow (perhaps from students from the previous year) so that the students can visualize what their slideshow might look like and how it might be organized. Teacher discusses that each slide is about a different animal & class and that the heading tells what they are, that facts can have bullets, and that each page has a picture of the animal. Teacher might demonstrate that the background color is different for each page or any other details which might be included as part of the requirements.
Compiling Data. Students will work in their groups to compile the data they gathered as they answered their questions during the field trip. Students will begin to think about how they want to organize their data in the slideshow. If students need to do additional research on animals, teacher will have the following web sites pulled up on computers for easy access:
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/index.htmlhttp://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
Day 6-8
PowerPoint instructions. Students will visit the computer lab to begin working on their slideshow presentations. Instructions will be given step by step on how to log in, open the software program, make new slides, change the backgrounds, add headings and bullets, and add their digital pictures, etc. Students will be asked to collaborate and cooperate with their small groups to complete their slideshow.
Note: Students will be asked to incorporate specific information into their slideshow. They will need to have information pertaining to their list of questions that they researched. Every slide must have the animal class and animal name as a heading. A photo of the animal must be included. Each page must have a different background color and font, so that students get used to utilizing these features in PowerPoint.
Day 9-10
Presentations. Students will present their virtual field trip slide shows to the class. Students must divide the oral presentation equally so that they all are participants in the presentation.
Differentiated Instruction
ESL
Using the translation tool in Google, teachers can translate any web page into any language. This tool could be used while students conduct research using the two web sites listed in the lesson plan for Day 5.
Using a web site such as http://translation.paralink.com/ I would show ESL students, or ESL resource teachers, how to type in text in one language and translate into English. For example, a student could type “Las serpientes mudan su piel” in Spanish and then translate that into “Snakes shed their skin.” This would help an ESL student with the required writing for the assignment. Likewise, if a student wrote down something during the field trip in English and they need help figuring it out, they could have that translated into their own language to aid comprehension.
As a teacher, I would look into whether an ESL resource teacher could accompany us on the field trip to help with translating during the day. I would also check with the zoo to see if any helpful resources might be available. (i.e. Are some of the signs at the zoo in dual languages?)
Challenge/Extend
This lesson accommodates varying student achievement levels. The pre-assessment will help teachers determine student understanding about animal classes. By grouping students with similar understanding together, they will be working on developing research questions with peers who might be wondering the same kinds of things they are. For example, if a group of students is struggling to understand what animal classes are and how to determine whether a penguin is a bird, then that might be something that they may focus some of their research on. The teacher will also need to provide additional support. On the other hand, if a group of students has a firm grasp on animal classes already, they might develop questions which build on that prior knowledge. By grouping students with similar understanding and allowing them to self-select research questions, teachers ensure that learning is differentiated.
A teacher might challenge students or extend the project by asking students to write with greater detail or using more description. A teacher might also ask students to provide more facts about animals by increasing the number or complexity of questions that these students need to research.
Students may also have prior knowledge of using the technology required for the assignment. If a group of students is more familiar with PowerPoint, they may be ready to move on from the basics of changing background color and font and they might be ready to add transitions or music to their slideshow.
Special Needs
I would provide assistance to a student who is blind by ensuring that someone reads signs at the zoo out loud so that they can hear the information. I would utilize tools such as speech recognition programs so that students could dictate text.
To assist students who are deaf, I would ensure that a translator was at the field trip with them so that they do not miss out on important conversations. If they are not able to verbally communicate with their peers, I would ensure that their group members read their research notes so that they are included in contributing to the virtual field trip slide show. I would provide them written instructions for the project as well as for operating the computer and software programs.
For students with learning disabilities who may struggle with reading comprehension, a tool such as Talking Text might help. Students could have text read out loud to them while they follow along on the screen. This might be an option for students while they conduct further research on web sites. According to West Ed (2009), “This spoken text feature can be a powerful learning tool, especially when accompanied by synchronized highlighting (having the words highlighted at the same time they are spoken).”
Another option for students with learning disabilities is to provide the support of visual information. According to West Ed (2009), “Visual supports, such as nonlinguistic presentations and using "imagery" to make representations of knowledge, can keep students engaged and enrich learning”. For this lesson, a teacher might want to provide supports such as maps so that students can get a visual picture of the location of certain animals. Showing pictures of animals during the lesson on Day 1 might help some students visualize the different animal classes. Using graphic organizers to show the names of the classes and the animals that belong to those classes might also help students visualize.
Adaptations for students with a physical disability should be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on student need. Students may need assistance with wheelchairs during the field trip. If their disability prevents them from writing, then their research notes may be digitally recorded with a voice recorder, or dictated to someone who takes notes for them. Speech recognition programs might also be an option for this student in being able to write text for the assignment.
References:
West Ed. (2009). Using Technology to Support Diverse Learners. Retrieved March 1, 2009 at http://www.wested.org/cs/tdl/view/tdl_tip/39
West Ed. (2009). Using Technology to Support Diverse Learners. Retrieved March 1, 2009 from http://www.wested.org/cs/tdl/view/tdl_topic/8
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