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   Mentor Teacher's Signature & Date

TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Name: Jerri Lynn Spivey
School/Mentor Teacher: Maymester
Grade Level: Pre-K/K
Subject Areas: Technology Integration and Language Arts
Date Taught:  05/31/05
Total Duration of Lesson: About 45 minutes

Title of Lesson: A..B..C.. Come Along With Me

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 orally 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:


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 alphabet.  List 2 or more questions that introduce students to your TopicQuest that establish a connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them:
1. "Do you know the letters of the alphabet?" 
2. "Do you know the order the letters appear in the alphabet?"  
Today we are going to learn about the alphabet by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity.  I have made a special Web page for the two of you.  (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 alphabet, then you will pretend to help the town mayor find all of the scattered letters of the alphabet.  You will then write the first five letters of the alphabet, in the correct order, and draw a picture showing what you think the town looked like after the strong wind. 

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 is the first letter of the alphabet?
2.  Can you name the first five letters of the alphabet?
3.  Is 2 a letter in the alphabet?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to help the town mayor find letters of the alphabet and put the first five letters of the alphabet  in the correct order.   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 writings and will draw pictures for the mission project.  While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.]

Mission Activity
Alphabet City has just experienced something horrible and they need your help.  A terrible wind knocked down every sign in town.  The letters that made up all the words around town are now scattered everywhere.  The town's mayor needs you to search around town for all of the scattered letters and bring them back to the town square.  Once you get all of the letters rounded up, the mayor has requested that you put the first five letters of the alphabet in the correct order. If you need help getting the first five letters back in alphabetical order you might take a look here.  Good luck!

Mission Steps
1) First, visit the Learning Planet website.
2) At this site, click on the ABC order game and practice putting your letters in alphabetical order.
3) Once you think you know the first five letters of the alphabet, in the correct order, I want you to write those letters on a piece of paper. I would also like for you to draw a picture of what Alphabet Town looked like with all of the letters scattered about. 
4) After you have completed your letters and picture, I will post them on the Internet for everyone to see.
Great Job!

Estimated Time for Step Two:
35 minutes

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

Performance
Levels		 Indicators
0
 Student is not able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research on the Internet for topic information.
1
 Student is able to use computer with a great amount of teacher guidance to do research on the Internet for topic information.
2
 Student is able to use computer with some teacher guidance to do research on the Internet for topic information.
3
 Student is able to use computer with little teacher guidance to do research on the Internet for topic information.

Student Performance
Level		 Describe the Students' Evidence that Illustrate their Achieved Use of Technology Performance Level
1
 3
 Student was able to research on the computer with little teacher guidance.  Student struggled at first with the "click here" text because he could not read.  After he was shown the difference in the colors of the text he had little trouble.
2
 2
 Student is fairly young (4) and has had very little exposure to computers. She had a little trouble handling the mouse.  However, with some teacher guidance she caught on really quick and was able to move through the websites successfully.  


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

Performance
Levels		 Indicators
0
 Student is not able with teacher guidance to listen to information to gain knowledge.
1
 Student with  teacher guidance is able to listen to information to gain little knowledge.
2
 Student with teacher guidance is able to listen to information to gain some knowledge.
3
 Student with teacher guidance is able to listen to information to gain much knowledge.

Student Performance
Level		 Describe the Students' Evidence that Illustrate their Achieved Language Arts Performance Level
1
 2
 Student gained some knowledge with teacher guidance evidenced by observations and oral discussions.  He followed directions and worked through the websites successfully.  After working through the websites he was able to write the first five letters of the alphabet with no trouble except for writing the letter "d" backwards.  He also answered questions, presented to him for understanding, successfully.
2
 2
 Student gained some knowledge with teacher guidance evidenced by observations and oral discussions.  She followed directions and worked through the websites successfully.  After working through the websites, she was able to write the first five letters of the alphabet with no trouble except for writing the letter "c" backwards.  She also demonstrated understanding of text presented to her orally by drawing a picture of things that is actually represented in a town.


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 the class I observed had ADHD.  

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?  As a means for accommodation,  I would sit close to the student to help keep his attention.  I would also make sure the lesson flows very smoothly with no interruptions or down time.


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-research TopicQuest lesson for your students.  Include your process of researching and selecting web sites for your pre-k/elementary students.

I developed my mini-research TopicQuest lesson for my students by first using various search engines to find sites with information related to my topic.  After finding sites, I evaluated the sites for age-appropriateness and validity.  I also looked to see if the sites would be interesting for the students. 

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. 

When teaching my TopicQuest lesson, I used various websites as resources for the students to use that created learning experiences.  I used the computer as a means of technology,  to offer the learning experiences and activities.

3. Describe what your students did (mission/evidence) as a result of your  TopicQuest learning activities that created interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow students to integrate knowledge and skills to apply them to everyday life situations.

The students I taught, were asked to review the websites and then to list the first five letters of the alphabet in the correct order.   In reviewing the websites, the students used basic technology skills.  Writing the first five letters allowed the students to use their writing skills.  They were also asked to listen as I read the mission activity to them.  After listening, they were asked to draw a picture to depict what they thought things may look like based on the information that was read to them.  Asking the students to listen and then draw a picture,  required them to use comprehension skills, listening and speaking skills, and  visual art skills. 

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

To introduce my lesson, I asked the students questions to establish a connection to the students' prior knowledge.  I then taught the lesson by having the students explore various websites.  I then discussed the information contained in the websites.  I asked guiding questions about the concepts found in each of the websites.  I then asked the students to provide evidence of understanding by way of a drawing and a writing exercise.  In closing the lesson, I asked the students to describe and explain their mission project.  I also asked them to tell me about the information that they reviewed on the Internet.

5. Give at least one suggestion that would lead to improving your teaching practices and student achievement.

I recognized that because I had two different grade levels, it was somewhat difficult for me to teach both at the same time.  I think in the future, it would better my teaching and the student's achievement, if I taught the students one at a time.  Teaching one student at a time would enable me to gear the lesson directly toward one particular child.  


TopicQuest Scanned Pictures & Comments
by Jerri Lynn Spivey

austin's picture
A Kindergartner was asked to write the first five letters of the alphabet in the correct order and because his name starts with an "A" he immediately wrote his name.  After being asked to write the first five letters in the correct order a second time he did it successfully except he wrote the letter "d" backwards..  He also drew a picture of what he thought town would look like with the letters scattered everywhere.  He interpreted   "Town" as being a person instead of a place.
daylynn's picture
This is a picture by an upcoming Pre-K student.  She was asked to draw a picture of what town would look like after a storm blew through and blew all of the letters all over town.  She drew a pond and colored it red and said, "the pond looked like big stormy weather".  She also included a lighthouse in the town.  She was busy drawing and I reminded her that she was asked to show the letters scattered all over town and she said, "I'm building the town first".  She referred to one of her signs that she drew as a "weather sign".  She also drew people inside of her buildings.  At the bottom right is where she wrote the first five letters of the alphabet in the correct order.  She did this successfully expect for writing the letter "c" backwards.


 
 

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