Colleen's+Social+Networking+Lesson

Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach
= Daily Lesson GAME Plan = = Social Networking Lesson =

Watching Our Plants Grow || Related Lessons: recording scientific observations, sequencing, || Maryland State Standards, Science, Grade 2 Standard 1 – Skills and Processes A.1.a – describe what can be learned about things by just observing those things carefully C.1.a - Describe things as accurately as possible and compare observations with those of others. C.1.b - Describe and compare things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion. Standard 3 – Life Science C.1.a - Investigate and describe that seeds change and grow into plants. C.1.c - Given pictures of stages in the life cycle of a plant or an animal, determine the sequence of the stages in the life cycle. Maryland State Standards, Reading/ELA, Grade 2 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Standard 4 – Writing <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Indicator 2 - <span class="indicatorvalue" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Compose oral, written, and visual presentations that express personal ideas, inform, and persuade
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Lesson Title:
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade: 2 || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Unit Title: New Plants ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Goals  ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Content Standards: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">(MDSE, 2010)


 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">ISTE NETS-S **

ü <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Communication and collaboration ü <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Digital citizenship ü <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Technology operations and concepts || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The student will be able to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The goal of technology in this lesson is to help students collect, organize, and analyze data over time (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009). The pictures will help clarify what they type as they record their observations about how their plants change as they grow. By using different plants, the students can compare the life cycles and see the similarities and differences. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Prior to beginning this lesson, be sure to have planned which seeds are going to be available for planting, and decide if the students’ plants are going to be outdoors in a garden or inside in individual cups (ideal). Make sure all necessary tools are available, including dirt, a garden shovel, cups, labels, and a digital camera for the students to use. Make sure there is a blog site set up that the students can use easily and access from home. ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Creativity and innovation
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Research and information fluency || * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Critical thinking, problem-solving, & decision-making
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Instructional objective(s): **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Plant and care for a plant starting from seed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Use pictures and a blog to record their observations as their plant grows
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Share observations with classmates and expand on what classmates have observed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Write a paragraph/create a presentation detailing how their plant changed over time.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Action  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Before-class preparation: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">During class  ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Time || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Instructional Activities || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Materials & Resources ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">10-15 minutes

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 30-50 minutes

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 10 minutes prior to first observation

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">30 minutes every 2-3 days

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 30 minutes after plant observations

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 45-60 minutes as plant growing finishes || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">As a whole-group, review with students what plants need to grow (air, water, light, space, and nutrients). Explain that they are going to grow their own plants and keep scientific observations on a blog. Read “Oh Say Can You Seed?”

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Introduce to students different seed choices (marigolds, brassica, and sunflowers). Model how to plant the seed in a cup and allow each student to plant their own flower seeds.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Review with students what needs to be documented during a good observation (i.e. date, time, color of plants, how many leaves, any flowers/buds, etc? Create a model observation for students to reference.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Pass out each cup and allow the students to observe how their plant has grown and changed. Take a digital picture of each plant with name label showing. Have students write down their observations to be typed on their blog at a later time. Upload each picture to the students’ blogs (or simply download to the computer and show students how to upload the pictures themselves).

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Allow students to access their blogs, download their plant picture (if necessary) and then type their written observations. Then each student should access 1 other blog and add to someone else’s observations via a comment.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Have students access their blog one more time. The students should then write a paragraph detailing how their plant changed over time, using their pictures, observations, and friends observations for reference. Paragraph may be typed or hand written. || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“Oh Say Can You Seed” by Bonnie Worth

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Cups, labels for names and plant types, dirt, seeds (marigold, brassica, and sunflower), a window or source of bright light where cups can be safely placed.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Chart paper, markers

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Plant cups, notebooks, digital camera

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Computers with internet access, class blog site (i.e. [|www.weebly.com])

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Computer with internet access, class blog site (i.e. [|www.weebly.com]), paper/word processing program for paragraph. || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Notes: Most of this project will be completed individually, however students with language and/or learning disabilities may choose to partner with another student. The pair of students will be responsible for one plant. Students may choose to create a Power Point presentation detailing how their plant has changed over time. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This project allows the students to interact with each other through their blogs. It gives them an authentic audience for their work (classmates and family members) and they can get ongoing feedback about their observations as their plant grows (Laureate Education Inc. 2010). || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Monitor <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Ongoing assessment(s): As students are doing their observations, be sure to monitor that the correct information is being recorded. Use a template worksheet to help students remember what they need to record. Check blogs after each observation and add comments to help guide students in what they need to be recording. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Accommodations and extensions: Students who have language/learning difficulties may need a partner to help them with the writing portion of the project. In that case, each partnership will be responsible for 1 plant. Students are welcome to comment on more than 1 observation if they so choose, and the blogs may be accessed from home.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Backup plan: Be sure to have several extras of each type of seed planted in case some seeds do not grow. Ensure that students are writing observations in their notebooks and not just waiting for the blog in case the internet it not working later. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Lesson reflections and notes: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">For the final paragraph/presentation, use a checklist-style rubric to make sure students included each part of the plant’s life cycle (as appropriate based on plant growth):
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Evaluate and Extend  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Roots
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Stem
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Leaves
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Flower buds
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Flowers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Seed pods

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Allow students to reflect on the blogging process, both written and as a whole group. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This lesson is intended for young learners who are not completely familiar with social networks. Many young students have strict rules as to what they are and are not allowed to do on the computer, and keeping the project simple by using a blog eases many parents’ fears about allowing their children on the internet.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). //Technology integration for meaningful classroom// //use: A standards-based approach//. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Program ten. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 1. [Webcast]. //Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas//. Baltimore, MD: Author. MSDE. (2010). //School Improvement in Maryland//. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from []
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> References  ||