Technology-Connected Lesson Plan

Title: Colorado Animals Newsletter and Directed Web Page

 

Grade Levels: 3-8

 

Curriculum Areas:

·        Science

·        Reading and Writing

·        Technology

Colorado Content Standards: 

Science:

  • STANDARD 1:Students understand the processes of scientific

investigation and design, conduct, communicate about,

and evaluate such investigations.

  • In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
    • communicating about investigations and explanations.
  • As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes
    • creating a written plan for an investigation;
    • using appropriate tools, technologies, and measurement units to gather and organize data;
    • communicating results of their investigations in appropriate ways (for example, written reports,graphic displays, oral presentations);
  • Standard 3: Life Science: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment. (Focus: Biology--Anatomy, Physiology, Botany, Zoology, Ecology)
  • In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes
    • distinguishing living from nonliving things;
    • describing the basic needs (for example, food, water, air, shelter, space) of an organism;
    • giving examples of how organisms interact with each other and with nonliving parts of their habitat.
  • As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:
    • describing the importance of plant and animal adaptations, including local examples;
    • explaining the interaction and interdependence of nonliving and living components within ecosystems; and
    • describing how an environment’s ability to provide food, water, space, and essential nutrients determines carrying capacity.

 

Reading and Writing

·        STANDARD 1:  Students read and understand a variety of materials.

o       use comprehension skills such as previewing, predicting, inferring, comparing and contrasting, re-reading and self-monitoring, summarizing, identifying the author's purpose, determining the main idea, and applying knowledge of foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, symbolism, and other figures of speech;

using a full range of strategies to comprehend materials such as directions, nonfiction material, rhymes and poems, and stories. (K-4)

o        using a full range of strategies to comprehend technical writing, newspapers, magazines, poetry, short stories, plays, and novels in addition to the types of reading material mentioned above. Students extend their thinking and understanding as they read stories about people from similar and different backgrounds.(5-8)

 

  • STANDARD 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.
  • K-4:

o       generating topics and developing ideas for a variety of writing and speaking purposes (for example, telling a story, publishing a class newsletter, writing a letter to an adult, writing or orally presenting a book report, creating and producing a play, introducing a speaker or an event, narrating a presentation);

o       organizing their speaking and writing;

o       choosing vocabulary that communicates their messages clearly and precisely;

o       revising and editing speech and writing; and

o       creating readable documents with legible handwriting or word processing at the appropriate time.

o        

·        As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes:

o       writing stories, letters, and reports with greater detail and supporting material;

o       choosing vocabulary and figures of speech that communicate clearly;

o       drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading for a legible final copy;

o       incorporating source materials into their speaking and writing (for example, interviews, news articles, encyclopedia information);

writing and speaking in the content areas (for example, science, geography, history, literature), using the technical vocabulary of the subject accurately;

 

·        STANDARD 3: Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

·        In grades K-4, what the students know and are able to do includes:

o       knowing and using subject/verb agreement;

o       knowing and using correct capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations; and

o       spelling frequently used words correctly using phonics rules and exceptions.

·        GRADES 5-8

o       using correct pronoun case, regular and irregular noun and verb forms, and subject-verb agreement involving comparisons in writing and speaking;

o       using simple, compound, complex, and compound/complex sentences in writing and speaking;

o       punctuating and capitalizing titles and direct quotations, using possessives, and correct paragraphing in writing;

o       expanding spelling skills to include more complex words;

o       demonstrating use of conventional spelling in their published works; and

o        using resources such as spell checkers, dictionaries, and charts to monitor their spelling accuracy.

 

·        STANDARD 5: Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

using organizational features to locate media or electronic information (for example, passwords, entry menu features, pull-down menus, icons, key word searches); (K-8)

Technology:

·        III. TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

o       Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

o       Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

·        IV. TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS

o       Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

o       Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

·        V. TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS

o       Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

o       Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

 

Technology Connection:

·        Microsoft Publisher or Word

·        Notepad

·        Netscape Communicator

·        Internet

·        Yahooligans Animals: http://www.yahooligans.com/content/animals/photo/3584.html

·        Colorado Animals Directory: http://www.thecoloradosearch.com/animals.html

·        Colorado Animals: http://sailors2.steamboat.k12.co.us/spe/projects/coloradoanimals/coloradoanimals.html

·        State of Colorado Homepage: http://www.state.co.us/photos/colorado/gallery/wildlife/

·        Links to Colorado Animals Site: http://wingate.mesa.k12.co.us/colorado_animals.htm

·        Assorted reference CDs: Encarta and others

 

Materials:

·        Technology resources listed above

·        Scan converter for whole group instruction using TV

·        Note taking guide for Research

·        Animals of Colorado list

·        Sharing the Work Guide

·        Netscape Communicator Directions

·        http://www.lcet.doe.state.la.us/laintech/using3.htm

·        Final Draft Checklist (for students)

·        Editor’s Checklist

·        Teachers Assessment Tool

·        Wide variety of printed materials about animals:

·        Peterson First Guides, Mammals of North America by Peter Alden’

·        Rocky Mountain Mammals by David M. Armstrong

·        Rocky Mountain Birds by Betty R. Seacrest and Delbert A. McNew

·        On the Trail of Colorado Critters by Mary Taylor Young

·        Wild Mammals of Colorado by R.R. Lechleitner

 

Teacher Backgound:

The teacher can develop a directed Web page for students to use in their research.  In this way, they should only surf the sites that you have previously researched and found appropriate. Learning how to do a Directed Web page can be part of the lesson for the students, or what the teacher does BEFORE the lesson starts.

·        Directed Web page:

·        Each student will find a minimum of 5 sites that they can use to research their animal.  Copy and paste the name and address into a Word Document.  These sites will be used in a Directed Web page.

·        Student will find a picture of his/her animal and save it to a folder

·        Instruct how to create a web page

·        Show html

·        Use Netscape Navigator to create a web page of the sites you found on the animal you are researching.  Use Netscape Directions page.

 

Procedures:

Purpose of this lessons:  Students will select a Colorado animal, develop a Directed Web page, and research their animal. Each member of the group will combine their research and develop a Newsletter.

·        Assign each individual a different Colorado animal to research. (Or you can have the students draw out of a hat.)

·        Directed Web page:

·        Each student will find a minimum of 5 sites that they can use to research their animal.  These sites will be used in a Directed Web page.

·        Instruct how to create a web page

·        Show html

·        Use Netscape Navigator to create a web page of the sites you found on the animal you are researching.

·        Distribute note-taking sheets to use for your research.

·        Students must use all of the following resources to research their animal: Encarta, books and the Internet, 

·        Once research is complete, each group divides the newsletter work using the Share the Work guide to assign jobs. Each team produces 2 pages, with 2 animal reports on each page.  If your group consists of three people, use the empty column for pictures and other “filler” information.

·        Using the Final Draft Check List, groups proofread and edit.  Editors will use the Editor’s Checklist.

·         Print a copy for each person in the group.

·        Suggestion:  These newsletters could be shared with other classrooms or sent home to inform parents.

 

Assessment:

·        Directed Web Page (if student’s did this part of the lesson)

·        Newsletter

·        Note taking guides

·        Final Draft Check List (student’s list)

·        Editor’s checklist

·        Colorado Animals Newsletter Assessment Sheet for Teacher