TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson:
  Fall/Apples

Primary Learning Outcome (PLC):
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. With teacher guidance students will be able to use the computer to research information on the Internet.
 

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

Materials and Equipment:
1. Paper for drawing
2. Crayons
3. Sissors
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:  Happy Fall &  URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~cmgilmor/topic.html.

Procedures:
Step One: Introduction
Have a small group of students go to a computer.  List 2 or more questions that introduce students to topic of  Fall that establish a connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them: " Do you know what season it is?"  "Can you tell me something that you know about the Fall?"   Today we are going to learn about Fall by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity to learn more about Fall.  The websites will help you understand why the weather change, why leaves change colors and why we celebrate certain Fall holidays. I have made a special  Fall 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 Fall you will pretend you are a teacher and you want to have a Fall party, so you instruct your class to make a poster for the party with elements of Fall on it.  You will have to do a poster to show your class an example of what you want them to do.  When the poster is done you will put it on the Internet for others to see.   

Check for understanding
Have students explore and discuss the information in each of 3 or 4 pre-selected websites.  Ask students guiding questions about the important concepts in each of the visited websites.  (Save "Happy Fall" website to use in Mission Project.)  List three or more questions.
1. What happens to the leaves in the Fall?
2.What is one of the Fall holidays?
3. What Fall activity can you do in the Fall?

Practice and feedback related to the PLC
Read mission project to students.  Explain to student that they are going to be a the teacher.  Discuss the Fall season, activiteis, and Fall holidays with students and show them the poster you designed for the Fall party. 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, " Happy Fall."  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  on the poster and draw pictures for the mission project.  While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.)

Scenarion Mission Imagine that you are a teacher.  Your class has just got done learning about the season Fall.  You talked about different Fall objects and activiteis like pumpkins, Halloween, trick-or-treating, apples and Thanksgiving. To celebrate the compleation of your Fall lesson your class will have a Fall party.  Have your students to make a Fall poster for the party.  Decorate the poster with drawings of some things what happens in the Fall, Fall objects or some Fall activities. This link will help you. Mission Steps Review Fall activities and holidays Visit the websites to get ideas Give students poster and crayons Have students to make the poster Display the student's work on the Internet Lesson Plan for Teachers

Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their mission project  of their poster, picture and information they found on the Internet about  the Fall.  Tell students that your topicquest page is on the Internet and they can visit the website at school or home to learn more about  Fall.  Explain to students that you are going to put their  poster 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 K
Student will be assessed through the use of the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Satisfactory: Student is able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
 

Accommodation:

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.")  My special student is very sweet.  He is a five year old student with Autism.  He is unable to get around as fast as other students and his verbal communication is affected by it.  He like to move around a lot, so you have to keep him occupied with something to keep him form distracting other or beng distracted and to keep his attention.

2. List the specific URL address of one Internet resource website, where you found information to assist you to work with your special needs student. Information for assisting special students:  Links for Accommodations for Special Students or you can do a search. http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html

3. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?

1. Provide a work space that decrease distractions.
2. Make sure I have the student's attention before giving direction or asking questions.
3. Break lengthy questions into separate components.
4. Give step-by-step instructions so the student don't forget instructions
5. Assist the student when using the mouse and typing to reduce frustration because many students with autism have problems with fine motor skills in their hands.

Reflections: (For Electronic Portfolio under Standard #1 Knowledge of Subject Matter)

• The TopicQuest lesson created learning experiences through allowing studnets to use the computer to manuiver through different educational websites to find information about various  subjects.
  
• Using the computer's mouse and keyboard to get to different sites and type answers also aided in the students learning with technology. 
  

    b. Describe and give examples of how your TopicQuest lesson illustrated your understanding of content and tools of inquiry.

• My lesson was designed to intergrate technology into literature by using the computer to research information on the  Internet to enhance student's learning and that is what the lesson was used for. 
  

• The students were engaged through actually doing the reseach using the Internet
• Students were also engaged by asking and answering questions that were related to TopicQuest
• Students made comments about pictueres and information that they saw. 
  

  2. Describe and give examples of how the students achieved the assessment of your lesson. Give the achievement level (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) for each assessment for each of your students.
    A. Technology Integration:
        Student One:

• The student was able to use the mouse to click on links (satisfactory)
  
• The student was able to use the keyboard to type on the computer (satisfactory)
  

        Student Two:

• The student was able to use the mouse to click on links (satisfactory)
• The student was able to use the mouse to click on links  (satisfactory)
  

3. Describe what you would do differently and why if you taught this lesson again.

I would teach the TopicQuest in a different setting.  The classroom was an area of destraction for students working on the computer and the students who were not doing the lesson were distracted because they want to do what the other students were doing on the computer.    
 

(Three or more sentences of students' descriptions & comments) A kindergartner drew a picture of the food that he said was served at the Pilgrim's first Thanksgiving.  He included in his picture venison, bread, lobster, berries, fish, pumpkin, and plums.  He drew the food on a large table for the Thanksgiving feast.	(Three or more sentences of students' descriptions & comments) This is a picture by a kindergartner.  He said that the food was served at the Pilgrim's first Thanksgiving.  He included bread, venison, pumpkin, berries, plums, lobster, and fish.  He drew the food on a large table with many chairs.  He also included an Indian and a Pilgrim at the Thanksgiving feast.