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TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson: Where did all the Water Go?

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- 5-13)
B. With teacher guidance student will be able to listen to information to gain knowledge.  (GPS- English/Language Arts- Comprehension- ELA5R1)
 

Assessed Standards
Georgia QCC
A. Grade: 5
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Research
13 Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.

Georgia Performance Standard (GPS)
B. English/Language Arts Performance Standard
Grade: 5
Comprehension
ELA5R1:  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. Computer with MS Paint, , and Internet
3. Pencil  for student
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:Where did all the Water Go?
•    &  URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~amcrosby/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 Water Cycle  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 studied about The Water Cycle?" 
2. "Can you tell me something that you know about The Water Cycle?"  
Today we are going to learn about The Water Cycle 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 dinosaurs then you will pretend to be a reporter for the National Weekly Reader and draw a picture tell some interesting things about dinosaurs. 

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.  How old is water?
2.  Does water ever really disappear? Where does it go?
3.  When rain falls from tke sky can it fall in the form of other things? Why are those things stil considered Percipitation?

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 water cycle, pretend they are a drop of water, and tell me about their adventure.   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.")  A special student in my classroom has a hearing impairment. She has a real hard time hearing anything. The teacher uses a special device that allows the student to hear her voice louder. 

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?  I would sit the child with the hearing impairment close to the front of the room and read aloud the material on the websites. 

Comments & Reflections: For Electronic Portfolio Principle #1 Content and Curriculum: Teachers demonstrate a strong content knowledge of content area(s). Describe how your TopicQuest project is evidence that shows how you understand concepts of knowledge.  Also tell how you used the tools of inquiry to develop and implement your TopicQuest for your elementary students in your field classroom

1. Describe how you developed the mini-reserach TopicQuest lesson for your students.  Include your process of researching and selecting web sites for your pre-k/elementary students.   

    The students that I worked with were 5th graders. They helped me pick out the topic about the Water Cycle. As far as researching goes, I just typed in "The Water Cycle" into search engines and browsed through the topics. I used Yahooligans and Google the most. In selecting websites, I made sure they were easy to read, straight to the point, short, and colorful. They had to appeal the the student then minute they saw the page. 

2. Comment on your teaching of how your TopicQuest lesson created learning experiences and activities that implemented the use a variety of resources and technologies. 

    For my TopicQuest I wanted the student to be able to use real life experiences to guide their learning.  So, before we even looked at the websites I reviewed the mission with them.  This way they knew what they should get out of the websites.

4. Examine and describe your teaching of this TopicQuest lesson.

    To each this TopicQuest lesson, I simply pulled up the internet site for them and went to the Misson and reviewed it first. The students were able to go back to the beginning and explore the websites at their own pace. They did not have to have any help using the computer.

5. Give at least on suggestion that would lead to improving your teaching practices and student achievement.
 
      If I could do this lesson again I believe that I would look for some sort of game of them to play after they were finished reviewing the material. I think something really interesting at the end of the lesson would help them retain the information they learned. 

A 5th grader wrote this paragraph after drawing a picture (see below) of a rain cloud. She said she was a drop of water falling from the sky and falling into the ocean.  She said that she would float around in the ocean for a while and eventually other rain drops would join her. She also added that she could get ate by a shark. She was describing Precipitation.	This is a paragraph story and picture by a 5th grader.  She said that she is a drop of water that is in the pond in the picture (see below). She told me that she woudd be in the pond for a very long time with other drops of  water and that after a long time she would soak into the ground. She was describing Infiltration.