lessonplan

Here, you will find an example of one of our lesson plans, which involves working with an interactive website. This will
give you a sense of what kinds of lessons we do in the classroom and how we incorporate the use of technology into lessons.

-The students will be able to distinguish between living and non-living things and be able to explain their reasoning. They should get at least 3 out of the 5 questions correct on the medium level of the interactive online activity.

-The students should be able to create their own two questions following the same format as the questions on the interactive game and the Forest Life Trail handout, and they should exchange their questions with their peers.

It is important for students to learn the difference between living and non-living things and also be aware that some non-living things were at one point living. Students need to be aware and observant of the environment around them and recognize what was once living, is living now, or was never living and why. This lesson is also a way for students to learn to classify and group things into different categories and see the similarities and differences between them.

The teacher will call the students up to gather on the rug and ask them what they

remember about living things and non-living things. The teacher will ask the class to name some examples for a review. The teacher will then direct their attention to a big T-chart on a poster in front of the room. The chart has one side labeled “Living” and the other side labeled “Non-Living.” The teacher will have a variety of different living and non-living things written on cards, and the students will be asked to volunteer to come up and tape the card in the correct column. The teacher will ask the class if they all agree, and if they agree, other students can continue to come up and classify the cards. If students disagree, the class will talk about it and come to the best solution. After, the teacher will ask students what cards classified as non-living were actually living at some point, and they will mark these cards with a star. The teacher will then ask for other examples that could go into one category or the other and add them to the chart. The chart will be put on the wall so it can be added to as students learn more examples of living and non-living things.

Students will each receive a handout titled “Forest Life Trail” and follow the step by step instructions to get to the interactive website. They will then complete the “medium” level of the game. While answering the questions on the game, students will record their answers and reasonings on the handout. They will record their first choice and why, along with whether or not they were right. They will also write in the correct answer if needed and how many tries it took them to get the correct answer. If students finish all five steps plus the bonus question early on the website, they can then go on to the more difficult levels while other students finish their handout. Students who go on to the more difficult levels will not have to record their answers. After every student has finished the medium level of the interactive game, the teacher will tell the class to start writing their own questions on a separate piece of paper. Students will write out two of their own questions that are similar to the ones they completed in the interactive game, but that include three options of their choice. The instructions are on the bottom of the “Forest Life Trail” handout. After students have come up with their own two questions, they will swap them with a partner and try to answer each other’s questions. When finished answering each other’s questions, they will discuss their reasoning with their partner.

After they have answered each other’s questions and discussed them with their partners, the students will all gather at the rug again. They can raise their hands and wait for the teacher to call on volunteers to come up and add to the chart they started at the beginning of class. They will write things on blank cards and tape them to the chart. Students will engage in a whole class discussion about what they learned, what surprised them, and what they liked about the lesson. As an exit slip, students will each independently write down something they learned that surprised them while completing this lesson and why. The teacher will put these papers on a bulletin board so everyone can see them the next day.

This lesson is designed to accommodate students who tend to finish their work earlier than others. If some students have finished the medium level that they are required to complete for the “Forest Life Trail” handout, they can move on to the more challenging levels. All students will finish their work at a different pace, so these extra levels are a way to make sure that all students will have something to do. For any potential non-native speakers or struggling readers, the interactive game has images that will help them use context clues if they are having difficulty reading the question.

Students will receive a homework sheet in which they will label and draw a picture of two things that can be found in the forest or in their backyard that are alive, two things that have never been alive, and two things that are not alive now but were once alive. The objects the students draw can be from the online game, or they can think of them on their own.

The teacher will document successful completion of this objective by collecting the handouts, reading through them, and taking note of the reasonings of each student. If the students get at least 3 out of 5 of the questions correct with appropriate explanations, the teacher will know that they have a good understanding of the material.

-The students should be able to create their own two questions following the same format as the questions on the interactive game and the “Forest Life Trail” handout, and they should exchange their questions with their peers.

The teacher will document successful completion of this objective by circulating the room and listening to students exchanging and discussing each other’s questions. The teacher will also have a few students volunteer to share what they came up with and why to the entire class.

B. Some concerns about teaching this lesson are that we worry the internet will not be working, which will drastically affect the teacher’s ability to carry out the entire lesson. A backup idea for this lesson could be making a work packet that is similar to the interactive game and asks the students similar questions with images to go along with the questions. Students could work together and compare and discuss their answers.

For the past few weeks, we have been learning about living things and non-living things in different environments. We have even learned that some non-living things were actually living at one point. Since we have recently talked about forest animals and other objects in the forest, you will be exploring a trail in the forest as an explorer. As you walk through the trail, choose which objects are alive and which are not based on what the directions ask you. Have fun and good luck.

C. Click on the activity in the bottom right corner of the website that says, “Which one of these objects is alive?”

Step 1: Which object is alive and why? Your 1st choice: _______________________________ because ______________________________________________________________________.

Step 2: Which object has never been alive and why? Your 1st choice: ____________________ because ______________________________________________________________________.

Step 3: Which object has never been alive and why? Your 1st choice: ____________________ because ______________________________________________________________________.

Step- Bonus: What did you learn from the bonus question? Did you get it correct on your first try?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Step 4: Which object has never been alive and why? Your 1st choice: ____________________ because _____________________________________________________________________.

Step 5: Which object has never been alive and why? Your 1st choice: ____________________ because _____________________________________________________________________.

Now come up with your own two questions that follow the same format as the ones you have already answered on the medium level. Give three possible answers for another student to choose from. Write these questions on a separate sheet of paper.

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Label and draw a picture of two things that can be found in the forest or in your backyard that are alive, two things that have never been alive, and two things that are not alive now but were once alive. The objects you draw can be from the online game, or you can think of them on your own.