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TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson: Journey Through The Jungle

Primary Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. With teacher guidance student will be able to use the computer to research topic information on the Internet. (QCC- Technology Integration- Research- K10)
B. With teacher guidance student will be able to listen to information to gain knowledge.  (GPS- English/Language Arts- Comprehension- ELAKR6)
 

Assessed Standards
Georgia QCC
A. Grade: K
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Research
10 Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.

Georgia Performance Standard (GPS)
B. English/Language Arts Performance Standard
Grade: K
Comprehension
ELAKR6:  The student gains meaning from orallly presented text. 
a. The student listens to and reads a variety of literary and informational texts and materials to gain knowledge and for pleasure.

Materials and Equipment:
1. Have example of your mission project to show students
2. Paper for drawing
3. Crayons
4. Pencil & paper (to make notes for lesson plan assessment and reflections)
5. Modification of a  lesson developed by Dr. Diane L. Judd
 

Technology Connection:
Technologies that will be used in this lesson include:

• Computer with Internet connection. 
• Students will use computers to research information on the Internet.  
• Copy of my TopicQuest Web page included with this lesson plan. 
• TopicQuest Web page Title: Journey Through The Jungle  &  URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~ajcalhoun/topic.html

Procedures:
Step One: Introduction
Have a small group of students go to a computer.  Explain to students that you are going to use the computer to find out information about the jungle.  List 2 or more questions that introduce students to your TopicQuest that establish a connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them:
1. "Have you ever imagined going to the jungle?" 
2. "Can you tell me what kinds of animals live in the jungle?"  
Today we are going to learn about the jungle by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity.  I have made a special Web page for your class.  (During discussion have students turn around away from the computer to interact.)

Estimated Time for Step One:
5 minutes

Step Two Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes:
(Have students sit at the computer where they can control the mouse and computer.)  (Explain to students the process of the lesson.)  After we visit several websites about the jungle, the students will draw a picture of the different animals in the jungle. 

Check for understanding
Have students explore and discuss the information in each of the 3 pre-selected websites.  Ask students guiding questions about the important concepts in each of the visited websites.   List three or more questions.
1.  What jungle animal is your favorite?
2.  Can you describe what that jungle animal looks like?
3.  Can you draw a picture of your favorite jungle animal?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to draw a picture of the different animals in the jungle.   Tell the students that the information that they will need to complete their mission project is listed and connected in the  mission activity.  Visit website for information for mission project.  Discuss the information in the linked website in the mission activity with the students to emphasize interesting and important information students will need to complete mission project.

[Students will write (or dictate to teacher) information to be included in the articles and draw pictures for the mission project.  While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.]

Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their mission project and information they found on the Internet.  Tell students that your topicquest page is on the Internet and they can visit the website at school or home.  Explain to students that you are going to put their pictures and information on the Internet and they will be able to share their mission projects with their friends and family.  (If possible teacher should take brief notes during the lesson and concluding discussions to be added later to the assessment and reflections in lesson plan.)

Estimated Time for Step Three:
5 minutes

Assessment:
A. Technology Integration 
Student will be assessed through observation while using the computer with teacher guidance to do research on the Internet for topic information.

Assessment Rubric

B. English/Language Arts
Student will be assessed through observation and oral discussion to evaluate if student with teacher guidance is able to listen to information to gain knowledge.

Assessment Rubric

Accommodation:
Links for Accommodations for Special Students
1. Select one of your students that needs special attention.  Describe the student in your class with special needs. (Do not use the student's real name.  You could refer to the student as "the special student.") Describe your student and his or her needs.
The special needs student in my classroom has a behavioral and attention problem. The special student is always causing desruption in the classroom. She also distracts the other students while the teacher is teaching causing them to also get in trouble. 

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student? Explain what you would add to this lesson to accommodate your special student.
I could accommoadiate the special needs student by helping her one on one with the directions. 

Comments & Reflections: For Electronic Portfolio Standard #4 Multiple Instructional Strategies )
1. a. Comment on your teaching of how your TopicQuest lesson created learning experiences and activities that implemented a variety of instructional strategies.
 I created a mini research page for the students to learn about the jungle. The students had a chance to ehance their computer skills. They were able to able to control the mouse by their self, if they did not already know how to.

    b. Describe what your students did (evidence) as a result of your  TopicQuest learning activities that implemented a variety of instructional strategies.
After the students expolored throught the jungle, the students drew a picture of animal that they saw in the jungle. The students then wrote a sentence about therre animal from the jungle.

2. a. Comment on your teaching of how your TopicQuest lesson encouraged students' development of critical thinking and problem solving.
I allowed the sudents to expolre the different websites. After the students visited the websites, I asked them questions. At the end of the lesson I had the students draw a picture and write a sentence.

b. Describe what your students did (evidence) to show how your TopicQuest lesson engaged them in critical thinking and problem solving.
The students explored the websites. The students answered questions about the websites. Then the students drew a picture of their favorite jungle animal, and wrote a sentence using a least one word that started with the letter j.

3. Examine and describe your teaching of this TopicQuest lesson.
I enjoyed teaching this lesson, I thought that it was easy to teach. The students also enjoyed visiting the different websites about the jungle. I felt that all of my websites were very educational. The students seemed to learn a lot about the jungle. I thought that it turned out great.

This picture was drawn by a student in kindergarten. This is a picture of a chetta from the jungle. The student looked at different animals from the jungle. After looking at the jungle animals the student picked his/her favorite animal and then drew a picture of that aniaml. The student was told to then write a sentence about their jungle animal. The student was told to use at least one word in the sentence that begins with the letter J/j. The student told me that Josh (the chetta) likes to jump.

This is a picture of an alligator that the student saw in the jungle. The student viewed differnet animals from the jungle from a website. Then the student picked which animal was their favorite. After drawing the picture, the student had to write a sentence about the animal. The student had to have at least one word in the sentence starting with the letter J/j. Then the student read the sentence to me. This student said that his alligator's name is Jacob. This was drawn by a kindergarten student.

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