Tech Plan: Plants, Animals and Their Environments

Plants, Animals and their Environments

Grade Level: Third
Specific Content/Body of Knowledge: Life Science: The Organization of Living Things
Pedagogical Goal: To encourage students to be interested in the different environments of our world, the plants and animals which reside there, and the adaptations which these plants and animals had to undergo in order to survive in these environments. It is important that students understand that every living thing on our planet has basic needs. As a teacher, I want my students to be excited about our amazing planet and to have an understanding of the complexity of living things. I would like them to be able to create work that can be seen by parents and demonstrates their creativity and excitement about the content.

The tech plan which I would implement would be for the third grade. The specific content it would deal with would be Life Science: The Organization of Living Things. The class would be divided into five different groups and each group would be given a different environment which can be found in our world (the taiga, tundra, desert, prairie, and rainforest). Within these groups, students will be assigned to do research on a plant or animal which can be found in their specific environment, create blog posts, a digital story, and at the end of the unit, will create their plant or animal as our classroom is converted into these different environments. Their plant or animal will be showcased in a specific region of the room which is designated to their environment (which will also be created to look visually accurate by the students out of things such as construction paper). Parents will be invited to the classroom to see what the students have created.

GLCES: Grade Level Content Expectations

• L.OL.E.3: Structures and Functions- Organisms have
  different structures that serve different functions in
  growth, survival, and reproduction.
  
• L.OL.03.31 Describe the function of the following plant parts:
  flower, stem, root and leaf.
• L.EV.E.1 Environmental Adaptation- Different kinds of
  organisms have characteristics that help them to live in
  different environments.
• L.EV.03.11 Relate characteristics and functions of observable parts in
  a variety of plants that allow them to live in their
  environment (for example: leaf shape, thorns,
  odor, color).
• L.EV.03.12 Relate characteristics and functions of observable
  body parts to the ability of animals to live in their
  environment(for example: sharp teeth, claws, color, body
  covers).

MET: Educational Technology Standards and Expectations

Basic Operations and Concepts:

4. know how to use basic input/output devices and other peripherals (e.g., scanners, digital cameras, video projectors)
6. manage and maintain files on a hard drive or the network
8. know how to exchange files with other students using technology (e.g., e-mail attachments, network file sharing, diskettes, flash drives)
10. identify search strategies for locating needed information on the internet
11. proofread and edit writing using appropriate resources (e.g., dictionary, spell check, grammar check, grammar references, writing references) and grade level appropriate checklists both individually and in groups
Social, Ethical, and Human Issues:
7. use age-appropriate citing of sources for electronic reports
10. explore various technology resources that could assist in pursuing personal goals
11. identify technology resources and describe how those resources improve the ability to communicate, increase productivity, or help achieve personal goals
Technology Communcations Tools:
1. use basic telecommunication tools (e.g., e-mail, WebQuests, IM, blogs, chat rooms, web conferencing) for collaborative projects with other students
Technology Research Tools:
1. use Web search engines and built-in search functions of other various resources to locate information
3. know how to independently use existing databases (e.g., library catalogs, electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias) to locate, sort, and interpret information on an assigned topic

Technologies I plan to use:
Blogs: Each group will have a blog which they contribute to. Each member will post information which they find about their assigned plant or animal. Group members will have to leave comments on each others posts, relating their topic to the other students topics. This will be done because at the end of the unit, each group will have to compile their research to represent to the class. It will also help them when they have to create their exhibit on their environment.
Digital Storytelling: Each group member will be required to come up with a story of the life cycle of his/her plant or animal, as well as adaptations that they have to survive in their environment. These stories will be posted on the blogs (so students can get additional information/ideas) and the classroom website.
Classroom Website: On the classroom website will be links to each group members blog. This will provide a quick and easy way for the students to contact each other and will enable parents and myself to look at the progress which the students are making. Also, students digital stories will be posted so that parents can view them at home and so their classmates can see them as well.

Lesson Plan

Week One:

Monday

• Discuss the fact that all plants and animals need air, water and energy to live.
  
• Discuss that all life forms can be categorized as producers, consumers, or decomposers and are part of a food chain (also explain what a food chain is).
• Teach students how to post a blog.
  
• Divide students into groups based on environments (biomes) and have them post a blog about what they already know about that environment

Tuesday

• Students will conduct actual research on their assigned environment using the library (searching the catalog and finding books), as well as the internet.
• As groups, the students will discuss their findings.
• At home, students would post a blog about how they used various technologies (library catalog, internet, encyclopedia) to find information about their topic and which they felt was the better/easier technology to conduct their research.
  

Wednesday

• Students will be assigned to a plant or animal. From there, they can make their own choice, as long as that plant/animal can be found in their region. If there are enough students in the class for each group, two students will be given plants (one a tree, the other a flower/grass), and two or three students will be given animals (one an herbivore, the other a carnivore and if there is a third an omnivore)
• Students will begin to research their assigned plant/animal using the library and the internet.
  
• Students will be required to post any information found on their personal blog.

Thursday

• I will teach the students how to create a digital story.
• Students will continue research and begin to write their digital stories (which must include the life cycle of their plant/animal, and its adaptations to its environment).
• Students will be required to post their rough draft of their digital story on their blog so that their group members can comment and give any suggestions for improvement/clarity.

Friday

• Students will begin to produce their digital stories and must use pictures from books (which they must scan into the computer) and from the internet (so they must learn how to save pictures and use them).
• Students will create a references page on their digital story.
  
• Students will post their digital stories on their blog.

Week Two

Monday

• Students will begin to come up with ideas about how to create their exhibit on their environment.
  
• One student will be assigned as group leader.
• Students will come up with a list of the required materials to create their exhibit
  
• The group leader must post the idea about their creation on their blog and who is supposed to bring in what materials (most materials will be provided in the classroom).

Tuesday

• Students in each group will watch the digital stories of their group members.
  
• Students in each group will begin to compile their individual information in a manner that will be appropriate to present to the class at the end of the week. Information must include each assigned plant/animal, if it is a producer/consumer and it's adaptations to surviving in that biome.
  
• Each student most post on his/her blog about how the use of the digital story helped them to create a final project. They must also discuss how posting information and their blog and having the opportunity for peer feedback was beneficial.

Wednesday

• Students will work on their groups exhibit.
• Each group will be required to find an omnivore (if one student wasn't already assigned to that), a decomposer, a bird, and a reptile/amphibian or fish (if there is one present in their biome) to include in their exhibit.
• Students will be required to post any information which they found about the additional life forms on their blog.

Thursday

• Students will complete their exhibit as well as the information which will be presented to the class.
  
• Students will create a blog about how they felt about the assigned project.

Friday

• Parents will be invited to the classroom.
• Students will give their group presentations (each student is required to speak).
• Students will be required to post an individual blog about what they liked/learned about a different groups presentation.
  

Using a VoiceThread in the Classroom

For my VoiceThread, I chose to make a digital story that I would share with my students. At the same time, this digital story is one that any one of my students would be able to create on their own. My digital story is about a region which I find fascinating, the Great Smoky Mountains. I had gone on there on vacation in May, and so I chose to make a digital story about many of the things that you can experience on a trip to this region. Making this story was fun, but I did have a bit of trouble deciding on a topic that I wanted to do. There were so many different options, and choosing how I wanted to go about presenting my story was a challenge. I decided to make my story more informational, because I feel that it would provide a good example to students as to what they can do with a digital story.

I feel that teachers could use digital stories in many different ways. A digital story could be used to present a lesson to students when the teacher is unable to make it to class. Also, a teacher could have students make digital stories and post them on a website so that parents are able to view students work. Another way that a digital story could be used would be by the teacher to present material to the class. This material could be used by students who were absent for the day, or it could even be used by parents so that they can help their children with their homework. When I have my own classroom, I am sure that many other opportunities for using digital stories will arise.

Maps and Mashups for the Classroom

View Larger Map

The grade level that I would use this map for would be third grade and the subject matter would be history and geography.

The mashup would be great to help students learn about the rich history of the state in which they live, along with many of the things that Michigan is well known for (such as the automobile industry). It allows students to visualize important landmarks of our state and to learn more about the importance of these landmarks. By placing embedded links to websites which will offer more information about the landmarks, students are given the chance to further explore and gain further insight to these places. I also feel that this mashup may give students pride in their state by being able to learn more about it and it's importance in our country. Many students may have parents who work in the auto industry and so it may be interesting for them to learn about how the industry got started. I would probably use this mashup during a history lesson, or even with the lesson that we had to come up with in last weeks assignment (Organizing the Internet), which incorporates geography and history.

Organizing the Internet

The grade which I chose to plan a week-long unit of my choice for was the third grade. I chose the third grade because I have had experience in a third grade classroom, and it is the grade which I hope to teach when I graduate. I decided that my choice for a unit would be one on Michigan Geography. My integrated major is Social Studies with a concentration in Geography, so this really allowed me to have an opportunity to work in a unit which I really enjoy learning about and that I would love to teach in my classroom.

When looking on the Michigan GLCE's website, I actually found five that went nicely together and that my unit addresses. Each would be addressed on a different day and are as follows:

1. 3 – G2.0.1 Use a variety of visual materials and data sources to describe ways in which Michigan can be divided into regions.
2. 3 – G1.0.2 Use thematic maps to identify and describe the physical and human characteristics of Michigan.
3. 3 – G5.0.1 Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the consequences of their use.
   
4. 3 – G5.0.2 Describe how people adapt to, use, and modify the natural resources of Michigan. (H)
   
5. 3 – G4.0.1 Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today, such as agriculture (e.g., corn, cherries, dairy), manufacturing (e.g., automobiles, wood products), services and tourism, research and development (e.g., Automation Alley, life sciences corridor, university communities), and explain the factors influencing the location of these economic activities. (E)

Two METS that this unit address are:

1. use Web search engines and built-in search functions of other various resources to locate information
2. use a variety of media and formats to create and edit products (e.g., presentations, newsletters, brochures, web pages) to communicate information and ideas to various audiences

Since my whole unit is on the geography of Michigan, the tag that I chose was "geography." You can find all of the websites at my del.icio.us account.
Since I have a total of five different GLCE's which I would like to incorporate into the unit, I would address one GLC per day. Therefore, on Day 1 of the unit, the lesson would focus on using Web search engines and data sources which I have found to find ways that Michigan can be divided into different regions. I would first ask the students if they knew of any ways that one region of Michigan was different from another. I would then show the students a Wikipedia website which talks gives a list of the different regions of the United States. From there, you can click on the state of Michigan, and it divides the state into smaller and smaller regions, based on things such as peninsula, geological, soil, and vegetation differences; amount of urban or rural areas; minority populations; and agriculture.
On Day 2 of the unit, I would focus on using thematic maps to show the human and physical characteristics of Michigan, incorporating the regions which were created by the students the day before. I would begin by showing them a website about The Great Lakes to allow them to learn about the physical characteristics of the landscape and how it was created. I would then use the Michigan Maps website, which includes a link to a population density thematic map (along with other maps the students might find useful) to show students where people are located in Michigan.Finally, I would use the Map Maker website to have students determine the various ethnicities of people in the state of Michigan and where they are located. This will give the students an opportunity to make their own thematic map and to fulfill the MET of using media to create products.
On Day 3 of the unit, I would focus on natural resources of Michigan. The Mitten of Plenty website will be used to show the commodities of Michigan and where they can be found. It also provides information about each individual commodities. Students can then incorporate what they learned on Day 2 about the location of people in Michigan, to come up with ideas about how people have come to use these resources and the consequences that their use might bring.
On Day 4, I will divide the class into groups. Each group will be given a different region of Michigan. They will then be required to come up with a brief Powerpoint presentation which includes the region, a map of the region, a resource of the region and various demographic information. The Wildernet website will be given to them to use for their presentation, along with the Wikipedia website from Day 1. Students will be required to explain how people adapt to, use and modify Michigan's resources.
On the final day of the unit, Day 5, the focus will be on the economic activities of Michigan. The Netstate website will be used to help students find out information about the agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, etc. of Michigan. This provides a good wrap up to the unit, because it incorporates all of the information which the students have learned throughout the week to explain why the economic activities of Michigan are the way they are, based on natural resources, regions and people. Presentations which were created on Day 4 will be shown at the end.