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   Mentor Teacher's Signature & Date

TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Name: Konya Watkins
School/Mentor Teacher: Maymester
Grade Level: 1st & 2nd
Subject Areas: Technology Integration and Language Arts
Date Taught: 5/31/05
Total Duration of Lesson: About 45 minutes

Title of Lesson:

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- 1-11, 2-12)
B. With teacher guidance student will be able to listen to information to gain knowledge.  (GPS- English/Language Arts- Comprehension- ELA1R1, ELA2R1)
 

Assessed Standards
Georgia QCC
A. Grade: 1st /2nd
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Basic Skills
11,12 Topic: Basic Skills
Standard: Operates basic technology tools and applications

Georgia Performance Standard (GPS)
B. English/Language Arts Performance Standard
Grade: 1st/ 2nd
Comprehension
ELA1R1/ ELA2R1 : The student demonstrate knowledge . 
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 Konya Watkins
 

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 cats.  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 or read a book about cats?" 
2. "Can you tell me something that you know about cats?"  
Today we are going to learn about cats 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 cats you will pretend to be a zoo keeper for ZooAtlanta and tell me what you are going to tell the visitors all about cats that you keep. Draw a picture tell me about the cat  you liked the most on the websites. 

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 many years have cat survived ? 30 million years
2.  Tell me 2 things you could do to keep cats from getting sick? Take then to vet. and feed them the appropriate foods.
3.  What was the name of the cat with the long ears? Serval 

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to be zoo keepers over the cats at the Atlanta Zoo. They need to tell the visiting kids all about the information they have learned.  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 to me information to pretending to be a zoo keepers and they must list thing the can do to be sure the cats are healthy and safe. Find the picture they like the most and draw it.


Mission Project
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    We are going to travel by taking an imaginary trip to Zoo Atlanta, in Atlanta, Georgia. Let's pretend that you are a zoo keeper and it is your job to watch over the cats. You will have kids from all over the world visiting you today. You must tell them some of the things they can do to care for the cats and what you do to keep them safe.  To do your mission, you must follow the four steps below:



Mission Steps

1. Explore this webpage, National Zoo. Look at the pictures of the cats and read about some of the things a zoo keeper does to care for their cats.

2. Find the cat that you like the most and draw a picture of it.

3. Write your own story about you and your favorite cat.  Tell why this was your favorite cat?
 
4. Write two things you think the zoo keeper does that is most important when caring for cats.  Tell the kind of cats you would like to keep and what you would do to keep them healthy and safe.




Estimated Time for Step Two:
35 minutes

Step Three
Closure: Jot down what they say
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
 He did very welll on the activities.He has had a lot of experience with computers.
2
 3
 She did very well also. She has had some experience with computers in the past.


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
 3
 He was able to gain much knowledge with my guidance. He was able tell me what he understood about the lesson and he remembered many great details. He told me some of the things he already knew about cats and  then share the things that he learned in the lesson. He asked questions to find out more about  the topic.
2
 3
 She was able to gain much knowledge with my guidance.She had some previous knowledge of the topic and she remembered many details from the lesson that she told me . She asked some questions to learn even more.

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 child that I seen in the classroom during my observation was ADHD and had a speech problem . He would often get behind on his work because he liked to look around  unless the teacher was right there to guide him through every assignment.

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?  I  would place him in spot that was close to where I stand the most. I would frequently ask questions and walk by to check and  be sure that he's on task.


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.

I thought of a topic that I thought the students would very interested in learning more about. I went to the search engine and tried to find websites for kids that were about cats. My students are going to 1st and 2nd grade, so in my evaluation, I tried to find sites that would be easy for them to read and understand. I wanted to find sites that would be interesting for them.


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. 
 
I think I used a varitey of resouces and technology in my lesson. I used several different websites. Teaching this lesson was a great experience for me because I  learned a lot as when doing research for this activity. I also enjoyed using the computers to find the intersting sites  with an abundance of information about my topic.


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.

They imagined that they were on a mission. They pretended that  they were zoo keepers at ZooAtlanta, and gave me a list of  some of the things they would do to keep the cats healthy and safe.  They chose the cat that they like the most and drew a picture of it.  In this lesson they learned what they should do as a cat owner to care for a cat. By doing the drawings, they used art.  They used reading because I would let them read on the websites.  Social  Studies  because we did the history of cats.


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

In my lessons I  told my student the importance of keeping cats healthy and safe . I opened with an introduction and  went to research area to give them facts about cats and where they came from. I let them know that cats are different sizes and  they live in differents places. I let them know that some cats are domestic and some are wild. We also discussed the importance of  feeding, grooming, litter boxes, and collars. Then we did our mission. Our mission was imagine that they were zoo keepers over the cats at the ZooAtlanta. They were to tell the visiting kids all about the information they had  learned.  We learned most of this info as  we explored the websites on the internet. They drew a picture of their favorite cat and told me about what they learned. Throughout this activity I evaluated to see how well they were paying attention and if they seemed to interested. I wanted to see if they were understanding the material.


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

  The next time I think I will keep in mind some of the questions that they might ask me so I will be better prepared to answer them. I would also like to give them  time to explore the websites even more on their own.


TopicQuest Scanned Pictures & Comments
by

                                                                               D.J.                               Lexus                                        

                     

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This picture was drawn by Douglas who is going to the 2nd grade. He said the lion was his favorite cat.  He said that some cats can protect and make sure no strangers get in.  He said that tigers are in cages for their  protection and ours. He said that some cats weigh 150 lbs and some weigh 500 lbs.
This picture was drawn by Lexus who is going to  1st grade. She said the lion was her favorite cat. She said that some cats have litter boxes so they won't have to go outside to use the restroom. She said that some cats are cubs and some are kittens.  She said that some cats are large and some cats are small.

 


 

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Konya's Home Page
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ktwatkins@valdosta.edu
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TopicQuest Page