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TopicQuest Lesson Plan

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- 4-13)
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: 4                                                                                          
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: 4
Reading
ELA4R1:  The student demostrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational. 
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:

• 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: Exploring the Planets &  URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~mbwright/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 planets.  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 thought about how important our planet, Earth, is to us?" 
2. "Can you tell me something that you know about Earth or any of the other planets?"  
Today we are going to learn about planets by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity.  I have made a special Web page for 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 planets then you will pretend you visited a planet and write a description or that planet. 

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 planets are there?
2.  Which planet is the largest?
3.  Which planet is the coldest?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students.  Explain to students that they are going to be reporters for their class and find out information about the planets.   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.")  My "special student"was a little boy in kindergarten. He had autistic tendencies. He was also ADD. He stays in his "own world." He doesn't interact with other students or the teacher very well. He does fairly well academically however socially he doesn't do well at all. He also has trouble with fine motor skills. 

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?  I would place him in the front of the class so that his attention wouldn't be so easily distracted. I would also prompt him to interact with the class. I would ask him questions to make sure he was paying attention and understanding the lesson.

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. First I researched the planets on the internet and found the best internet sites for children in the fourth grade. I used search engines such as Google, Yahoo, etc. to search for websites about planets. I visited a lot of sites to determine which ones would be best for the fourth grade students that I was going to be teaching. I evaluated if they were appropriate for the grade level, if they were valid, and if they were interesting for children. Then, I put all the links on my TopicQuest website so that it would be easy for the students to visit the sites to learn about the planets.

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.  While the children were researching the planets on the websites they each learned new information that they didn't already know. They thought it was a lot of fun to use to computer to learn about a new concept instead of listening to me teach the entire time. For an acvtivity they drew a picture of their favorite planet. They enjoyed this activity because they both enoy drawing. With this activity the students had to know some information about the planet in order to draw the planet. Also, they had to tell why they chose the planet. This enabled me to be able to know if they actually learned some information about the planet. For resources they got to use the computer, paper, and crayons. The computer was the resource of technology that they used to research the planets. With my guidance they visited many websites on the internet. They used the paper and crayons to draw their favorite planets.

5. Give at least one suggestion that would lead to improving your teaching practices and student achievement. I need to work on not being so nervous. I am a fairly shy person and any time that I have to speak infront of people I get nervous. Although, I know that in the future, with more experience, I will learn to control this so that I can become to best teacher that I can possibly be. 

Student 1: A fourth grader drew this picture of Pluto. He drew the planet in the sky, surrounded by stars. He also drew himself on the planet holding a flap, wearing an eskimo suit.  He chose is because it is the smallest planet in our solar system. He said that he would choose to visit this planet to see how cold is really is since it is the coldest planet in the solar system.	Student 2: A fourth grader drew this picture of Neptune. She drew herself standing on the planet, surrounded by stars. She said that she would choose to visit this planet because it would be neat to see it's blueish color upclose. She said that she'd also liked to see all it's rings.