Assessment
- KWL Chart to evaluate students' knowledge.
- Teacher observation and anecdotal notes.
- Evaluation of student and group paragraphs, drafts, revisions and final draft.
- Demonstration of facility with technology.
- Rubrics for completed presentations, organization of material, accomplishment of social goals. See Animal Habitat Rubric and Animal Habitat Assessment below.
Animal Habitat RubricAnimal Habitat Assessment
Learning Context/ Introduction
Students, using technology and cooperative teamwork, research and write about animals and their habitats.
Procedure
- To initiate the learning experience as presented here, the teacher should be familiar with presentation software such as Kid Pix or PowerPoint. If not, see Instructional Modifications for other presentation ideas.
- The teacher introduces the discussion of animal habitats with a walk and discussion of that habitat, books, posters, live animals if possible, CD-ROM "Wild World of Animals" or other resources that display animals in their habitats with sound and text.
- The teacher presents research tools that will be used to learn about the habitats and animals.
- Johnson and Johnson's Cooperative Learning Model will be used.
- The teacher and children plan and then choose the habitats for each cooperative learning group and the animal for each child. Academic and social goals are presented as well. In addition, the students' roles within the cooperative learning group are agreed upon.
- A letter to parents may be sent home to inform parents of the project and to act as a checklist for students to monitor their progress toward the completion of the experience. (See Parent Letter in Resources section.)
- The criteria for the project is explained in the Project Outline below.
Project Outline
Student Work
Student work was compiled into books from the slideshow presentation. Attached are two examples of student work (see below.) Since this work was to be published and presented, editing was important. Only the students' first drafts, or "sloppy copies," reflect the learning process involved in achieving the academic outcomes.
Poison Dart FrogMangrove Snake
Resources
Online resources
- Scholastic Network (necessary to submit questions to Will Waddel, expert zoologist, other available experts can be used)
- Multimedia Encyclopedia
- America Online
- Compton 's Electronic Encyclopedia
CD-ROM Multimedia Resources
- Geo Safari: Animals (Educational Insights)
- Wild World of Animals (Creative Wonders)
- Incredible Creature (Curriculum Associates)
- Encarta Encyclopedia (Microsoft)
- World Explorer (My First Almanac)
- Animal Planet (Discovery Channel)
Printed Materials
- Various encyclopedias, trade books, magazines from classroom and school libraries
Hi-Technology and Multimedia Software
- Multimedia computer, scanner, printer, projector
- Kid Pix Studio
- Power Point or other presentation software
Art Supplies
- Drawing paper, ruled paper, crayons, markers
Parent LetterAnimal Habitat Student Outline
Instructional/Environmental Modifications
- Children were in their heterogeneous cooperative learning groups of 4 and 5 with at least 1 proficient reader/writer. Some students were familiar with the paint component of Kid Pix. When groups were formed, one student with this prior knowledge was included in each group. This type of grouping fostered greater independence.
- I acquired an additional multimedia computer for the duration of the activity. The ideal setting for this project is a room which contains one computer for each group (ex. computer lab). If computers are not available, research can be done traditionally. A low-tech slide show can be done to present the children's work. Books can be made from original written work and pictures.
- The cooperative learning model helped students with learning disabilities in reading and writing.
Duration
Planning: Over the course of one week
- Research topic. (Internet, books, etc.)
- Provide for extended work time and availability of computer scanner and Internet access.
- Arrange cooperative learning groups.
- Review lesson on the use of editing tools for spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar.
Implementation: 2 weeks, 45-60 minutes a day.
- Research, write and create presentation.
- Implementation will depend heavily on availability of hardware and familiarity with cooperative learning and technology involved.
Assessment:
- Formative: Teacher observation and anecdotal notes, teacher feedback on draft copies (ongoing throughout writing process and activity)
- Summative: Completed KWL Chart and Rubric at the conclusion of the activity ( 30 to 60 minutes)
Author
Elizabeth M. Roche, Sargent School, Beacon City School District
Reflection
Initially, when the Learning Technology Grant sponsored by the Dutchess County Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) was awarded, this lesson was undertaken to integrate technology and literacy in the content areas. The Learning Standards and the related performance indicators for Language and Technology were targeted. Science was chosen to initiate research and to engage the students in reading and writing.
This experience was a rich learning opportunity for teacher and student. I found it to be an effective tool for the students to achieve the intended goals. The topic and the technology immediately and naturally engaged my grade 2 students. Emailing our "expert" created anticipation at the idea of reaching outside the classroom and waiting for a response.
The emphasis on the writing process and the use of technology allowed for active participation by all students. The use of the technology assisted the students in achieving the intended outcomes. The presentation of their work on the computer and ultimately on the "movie" screen, allowed the students to view their work with an even more critical eye for revision.
Sometimes, staying on task is difficult for some students. This format was extremely effective for my students. When the presentations were made, there was a spontaneous sharing of knowledge from all students that engaged others in learning about habitats other than their own. Using the KWL chart enabled students to understand what they already knew, to build on their prior knowledge and challenged them to elaborate on that knowledge.
Dependence on the availability of the equipment dictated the flow of the activity. At one point, we had a hard drive crash. Although most of our work was saved on a floppy disk, the loss of the computer for over two weeks delayed our progress. A zip drive would have been helpful. Initially, the scanning of the children's original depiction of animal habitats and the incorporation of pictures from a digital camera into the presentations was planned. Again, technology glitches prevented our use of the equipment. The Kid Pix paint program served as a substitute. When using technology, a "back up" plan is always helpful.
The simplicity of Kid Pix made the presentation part very accessible to young children. I learned after our work that the updated program, Kid Pix Deluxe, would be a better tool for word processing. I recommend it for future use. No prior experience, or very limited prior experience, with the programs and Scholastic network was needed. For more flexibility in upper grades, presentation software, such as Davidson Multimedia Workshop, MS Power Point or Lotus Freelance can be used. Again, the cooperative model minimized the need for exhaustive direct instruction.
This lesson is easily adapted to different grade and curriculum areas. Extensions for future consideration include:
Math, Science, and Technology Standard 4 - The Living Environment :
Performance Indicators
The students will:
- pose questions and seek answers about their specific animals and its habitat,
- describe and design appropriate habitats for different animals,
- compare the habitats and environmental needs of different animals.
Social Studies Standard 4 - Geography
Performance Indicators
The students will:
- compare human and animal habitats,
- identify endangered species and the role of man in their protection.
A review was done within our building. The 6th grade class (our reading buddies) taught by Mary Ellen La Rose, created a multimedia presentation for us about animals. The presentation featured animal pictures, video, audio (animal sounds and narration) and original text. The goal of Mrs. LaRose's class presentation was to create a literacy, technology and science-related presentation for my class. Both lessons were presented to the faculty for critical review. We both found this collegial consultation very helpful throughout our activities. Parents and visitors viewed our presentations in late spring, Feedback from grade 2 parents and others was extremely positive.
It was also displayed at the Dutchess County BOCES Learning Technology Showcase on June 3. Teachers, administrators and others were able to view the learning experience plan and the student work. Feedback was very positive. Most teachers were interested in how the student work was accomplished during the school day. I explained that the cooperative learning model was a helpful aspect of the experience. Participating teachers requested our lesson plan and resources.
The learning experience was also presented to the Technology Lesson Plan committee of the Dutchess/Ulster Catholic Schools Technology Consortium for review. Requests for copies of the lesson again validated the feeling that the lesson has worth across different grade levels. It could be adapted and used, in part or in whole, for the same or for different areas of research.
I was asked to present my learning experience to preservice, inservice and supervising teachers at the DC BOCES Preservice Grant Workshop on August 18. Evaluation forms provided very supportive feedback concerning the fulfillment of the objectives and the integration of curriculum areas.
If we had not experienced problems with the technology, or, if the school year had not ended, I would have used the extensions to this experience that I noted previously. In the future, I would extend my planning of this experience to better expand the connection to the world. I believe the children demonstrated that the intended learning took place. Despite our set backs, this experience also increased my awareness of student interest and study. Possibilities exist to continue a similar study, based on "our research", in grade 3. One student in particular has continued her interest in wolves. Wolves have become a favorite subject for her recreational reading and research.
The skills achieved in this experience will be carried on into other grades and subjects. It can also be seen as a precursor to presenting information for persuasive presentations in and out of the school setting in the future. Exhibiting the project on our school web page can also expand awareness of habitats and related problems (a possible extension activity).
During the 1998-99 school year, I did this lesson with my class again. The procedure was much the same, except we added another habitat and used Microsoft Power Point instead of Kid Pix. This time, we were able to scan the students' original artwork into the presentations. Power Point adds more flexibility and may be more useful to upper grades interested in this type of learning experience.
This year, with fewer computer glitches, the flow of the experience improved. Also, the students were involved more actively in self-editing, peer editing and revising. As each presentation was made (using the projector), it was evident through observation, that the students were becoming more critical editors of their work and their classmates' work. The use of the multimedia projector and the ability to edit the work on the screen may have added to the enthusiasm and interest in revisions. Whatever the reason, interact
