TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson:
Fun on the Farm

Primary Learning Outcome (PLO):
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: K
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Research
10 Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.

Materials and Equipment:
1. Modeling Clay
2. Digital Camera
3. White Paper to sit project on
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: Fun on the Farm   &                                                                                               
  
• URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~jjhaddoc/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 farm animals.  List 2 or more questions that introduce students to topic of farm animals that establish a connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them: "Have you ever been on a farm?"  "Have you ever feed or petted the animals on the farm?" "What animals did you see on the farm?"   Today we are going to learn about farm animals by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity to learn more about farm animals.  I have made a special farm 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 you will choose one animal that you like the best. You will pretend that you have a farm and this animal lives on your farm. You will you use modeling clay and create your animal. You will also create food for your animal. (Teacher may want to create an animal ahead of time for a visual)

Check for understanding
Have students explore and discuss the information in each of the 3 or 4 pre-selected websites.  Ask students guiding questions about the important concepts in each of the visited websites.  (Save "Farm Sounds" "Learning more about Farm Animal" website to use in Mission Project.)  List three or more questions.
1. What sound does a cow, pig, horse etc. make?
2. What does a cow eat? What food do the other animals eat?
3. Do you think that all farms are safe places for boys and girls? Why or why not?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to be farmers.  Discuss that kind with the students about how farm animals have to eat certain foods. Talk about the students favorite animals and what sounds the animals make and where the animals live. 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, " "Farm Sounds", "Learning more about Farm Animal"  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 to use for creating a modeling clay animal for the mission project.  While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.]

Mission Project Scenario Mission Imagine that you lived on a farm and could have any animal that you wanted. What animal would it be? Where would it sleep? What would you feed it? Why did you choose this animal? Now, your mission is to visit the alphabet soup website and listen to the sounds  animals makes. Then click on the link to the website titled learning more about farm animals. Once at the website click on each link to learn what the animals eat. . Know that you have listened to the farm animal sound and read about what they eat. Which of these animals would you choose to have on your farm? Using modeling clay, create your animal, build a fence so it doesn't escape, and don't forget to make it some food so it can eat. Then share your animal with your class, tell them what sound it makes and  what food it eats.   Mission Steps 1. Visit the alphabet soup website and listen to the sounds  animals makes. 2. Click on the link to learning more about farm animals. Once at the website click on each link to learn what the animals eat. 3. Choose one animal that you would like to have on your farm. 4. Using  modeling clay, which is provided by your teacher, create your animal. Don't forget to build a fence for you don't want your animal to escape. You will need food to feed your animal. 5. Your teacher will take a picture of your animal and post it on the internet. You can also share your creation with your class. Make sure you tell the class what sounds your animal makes and what your animal eats.

Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their mission project of their articles, modeling clay animals and information they found on the Internet about farm animals.  Tell students that your topicquest page is on the Internet and they can visit the website at school or home to learn more about farm animals.  Explain to students that you are going to put their articles and pictures of the farm animals 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-10
Student will be assessed through observation while using 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:
Links for Accommodations for Special Students
1.A child in this classroom setting has a special need. This child has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. This syndrome is in the Autism family. Children with Asperger's Syndrome usually has a difficulty with change and may become rather anxious.
The student in the particular room has a major difficulty changing task. He/she gets extremely upset if he/she is not the first or last no matter the situation.

2. Information for assisting special students: 
    Link for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome

3. This child may not want to use the modeling clay. Change bothers this child and he may become agitated if forced to touch the clay. Instead this child can draw a picture of the farm animal and dictate to the teacher what the animal is and why he choose this animal and what he will feed his animal.

Reflections: (For Electronic Portfolio under Standard #1 Knowledge of Subject Matter)
1. a. Teaching the students about farm animals was informative for them. I asked both children if they had ever been on a farm and their reply was no. I asked if they knew which animals lived on the farm. The children replied pigs, horses, and cows. They seemed unfamiliar with the farm. Since, I do not have the resources to take them on a field trip to the farm then a virtual tour of farm was helpful for them. At the end of the lesson they were able to make the sounds the farm animal makes and told me where they lived and what they eat.  

    b. Creating this topicquest was fun and informative for me to accomplish. I had to search the web for educational and informative kindergarten based farm websites. Once I found the websites I had to review them and then logically place them on my page. I am sure once I begin to teach my own class I will continue to use my farm topicquest and create some of my own. 

    c. During my lesson the students shared one computer and navigated through the Internet looking at education webpages about farm animals. One page we visited was about farm safety. The children were able to read about farm safety and discuss with me why farm safety is important. They seemed to understand that it is very important to stay away from the machines and to lock the gate when leaving the farm. The children also interacted with the webquest by repeating the sounds they heard on the webpage that the farm animals were making. Finally, we explored a page that explained to the children what the animals eat. I discussed with the children the following question: Do cows make cheese? The children answered yes. When then talked about how the cow does not make the cheese but makes the milk and humans take the milk to make cheese. I then asked the question again do cows make cheese? They responded no. I asked are you sure and why? They then explained the milk making process to me. 

  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:  Satisfactory - She was not familiar with the mouse. I had to show her how to move the mouse around and how to click on the designated links. After directions she soon mastered the skill of the mouse.
        Student Two: Satisfactory - He was a little more familiar with the use of the mouse and navigating through the webpages, however, he still needed a little bit of assistance. By the end of the lesson he has mastered the needed skills to navigate on the internet.
 

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

My lesson started off a little rocky. I did not go to the particular computer to check their functioning. When I arrived to set up the system the computer I would have liked to use was not working so the children were sitting at every other computer instead of side by side. There was no headphones for the speakers so we had a a little delay while I collected the headphones. In the middle of my lesson one of the computers froze. I then had to encourage the children to share the computer. This was awesome. I wished I had started them off sharing the computer this made my lesson smoother in transitions. The second thing I would have done differently when teaching this lesson is discuss with the children about their animals after they had completed making them instead of during the process. I was talking with the children while they were using the modeling clay to create their animals and the children were unresponsive to my questions. To assess them I had the children write a few sentence about their project since they I was unable to get a verbal response. 
 

This kindergartner choose a horse to live on her farm. She said that she would feed her horse hay, which is represented by the red clay at the feet of the horse. The yellow and green clay around the horse is the fence. She also drew a picture of a horse and wrote some sentences:	This kindergartner choose a pig to live on his farm. The red ball of modeling clay represents vegetables which he will feed to his pig. He built a blue fence around his pig to protect it and give it somewhere to sleep. He also drew a picture of a pig and wrote some sentences: