Phase II: Reflections on Lesson Implementation

INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS/TEACHING

• Overall, I felt that my lesson went well.  One thing that I struggled with was treating my fellow peers like they were 1st graders.  I feel like because of this I struggled a little teaching the "new concept" since they already know it now.  But other than that, my activities went well and went according to plan.  I am glad that I decided to do a class example on the forest ecosystem because I think that it helped the students create their own because they then knew what I was looking for.  I am also glad that I decided to read the book about the desert.  I think it gave the students an idea of what kinds of plants and animals they could use and if they remembered, they could use what they saw in the book instead of trying to come up with them on their own.

• I feel that I kept my alignment to the objectives and standards throughout the lesson.  We all stayed on topic and did not stray away and I feel we ended up learning what I wanted the students to learn.  As I started teaching the lesson I decided to add a journal assignment in order to better the students understanding.

• A modification that I made during the lesson was I added a quick journal assignment in the beginning of the lesson to get the students thinking about the topic and see if they would develop the other questions to ask during the lesson.  I feel like doing this worked out better than just asking them what they knew about each ecosystem in a class discussion.  It allowed them to think on their own and I could see what they knew before we started so I could adjust my teaching.

MECHANICS

• Technologies that I used during this lesson were the SmartBoard and the students' computers.  On both of these technologies I used Pixie.

•  I used the SmartBoard to do the class example of the forrest ecosystem and how to give them a brief overview on how to use Pixie.  The students used their personal computers to write their quick journal assignment and to create their own desert ecosystem. 

• My lessons in the correct time frame because it was 30 minutes.  I was able to manage my time well and the students would have been able to add onto their assignment if they finished early which worked out well because no one was sitting around waiting and no one did not have enough time to finish.

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

• Artifacts of students learning:

Journals: 

Desert Ecosystems:

• I think my students succeeded in achieving the objectives and standards of the lesson.  They were all able to compare the different plants and animals within the desert and forest ecosystem and learn how they are different.  The only thing was one of students (the top picture of the desert) is an example of how students can misinterpret the two different types of deserts.  For example, in the Arizona desert there are no camels.  But this is something that can easily be taught again.   

• I think I was successful in teaching this lesson.  My overall feedback from everyone was good.  Someone said I could have taught how to use Pixie better, but I showed them what they needed to use on their and when i asked for questions no one had any.  So I feel like I ended up doing fine on that.  I also stated in my lesson that this was not the first they were using Pixie.

Phase 4: Materials and Resources for Lesson

MATERIALS

1. Book- Way Out in the Desert by: T. J. Marshall & Jennifer Ward
2. Pixie program on the school computer

Phase 3: Assessment of the Lesson

ASSESSMENT

Instruments:

Rubric -

Rubric for Desert Ecosystem
3	Accurately displays two animals and two plants from the desert ecosystem.  Displays them in a way that they would be found in the natural environment (i.e. plants and animals found on the ground)
2	Accurately displays two animals and two plants from the desert ecosystem.  The plants and animals are not displayed as how they would be found in the natural environment.
1	Less than two plants and animals are displayed in their desert ecosystem.

Reflect on…

• This assignment aligns with the standards for this lesson because the students are identifying plants and animals that are in the local Arizona desert.  Students are also comparing the two ecosystems (the desert and the forest) and identifying if they can distinguish between the two when making their own ecosystem.
• This assessment demonstrates that students are successful in their learning because they know at least two animals and two plants that are located in the desert ecosystem.  
• This assessment demonstrates high order thinking because the students have to supply their own plants and animals that they have either seen themselves in the desert or what they remember from the book. 
• This assessment demonstrates that individual students needs were met because 

Phase 2: Implementation of the Lesson

IMPLEMENTATION 

Procedures:

1. First we will gather in a group to discuss what they already know about deserts and forests.  If the students need some guiding questions to get started, I will help them with that by asking if they have ever visited the desert and what kind of plants and animals do you see there?
2. After we talk a little about each ecosystem, I will introduce the book about the desert.  As we read the books about the forest and the desert, I will be sure to point out specific plants and animals that are in that ecosystem.  During the book I will also ask if the students have seen any of the wildlife in our own ecosystem (the forest) to compare the two.
3. After our books are read, I will explain that as a whole group we will be creating the forest ecosystem.  We will do this in Pixie and I will be putting in the animals and plants that the students tell me.  I will be using questions to guide them on what to add and ask them what types of plants and animals they see when they go outside in Flagstaff.
4. After the students go back to their seats with their computer, I will instruct them to open Pixie, which is a program they have all used before.  I will go over specific directions on what they are to use in Pixie and what they need to create.  These include: using the stickers to locate different animals and plants, using the coloring tools to had extra detail or draw animals, plants, or other features, and using the text box if they can write in specific details (or I can help with that).
5. While the students are working, I will be walking around asking them questions to prompt their thinking about the ecosystem the chose.  I will also help guide them on what to do next if they appear to be struggling.
6. As the students complete their ecosystem of the desert, I will help them label the different plants and animals they have included in their ecosystem.  When they are all finished, we will print out their ecosystems to display in the classroom.

Technology Integration:

Students will be using technology to create their final product to show what they have learned.  Their entire ecosystem that they create will be on their own ecosystem using Pixie and the tools provided in that program.

Differentiated Instruction: 

• Cognitive Delays: For these students, I will have created a Pixie page that already has the different animals and plants for the ecosystem that they want to create.  They will then need to drag the different animals and plants to spots where they think they belong since they will be scattered on the page.
• Gifted: For these students, I will have them type in the names of the different animals, plants, and other features they used.
• ELL: For these students, I will pair them up with another student that speaks their first language and English, or a student that will "nurture" them along the way and help them out if and when they need it.  Each student will still create their own Pixie page. 

REFLECT ON...

Designing Instruction: 

• I have chosen these instructional methods because I think children, especially young children, learn through books.  They are able to hear the story and see the pictures which tends to stick in their memory, especially since their will be a discussion along with it. I am also allowing my students to use Pixie because it is simple for them to use, but allows them to be creative and create what they want using a blank page.
• My instructional methods align with best practices for my students because I am implementing reading along with the science lesson.  Students should be reading and applying what they know along with investigating to make science instruction meaningful within the classroom.
• I am engaging students with higher order thinking by allowing them to show what they have learned by creating their own desert ecosystem.  They can either use what they have learned in the book about the desert or think about what they have seen when they visited the desert.
• My integration of technology with this lesson allows for best practice because it allows them to be a little more creative instead of just drawing a picture of it.  They can use Google to look up images of the real animals and plants and it allows for a better visual of what is actually in these ecosystems.  They can also conduct their own research if needed on these ecosystems to learn more about them.

Phase 1: Lesson Plan Overview

OVERVIEW

Grade Level: 1st Grade

Subject: Science

Topic of Study: Ecosystems

Time Allotment: 30 minutes

Standards: Strand 4: Life Science, Concept 3: Organisms and Environment
                  PO 1. Identify some plants and animals that exist in the local environment
                  PO 2. Compare habitats in which plants and animals live

Objectives:

• Students will be able to compare and contrast two different environments and the animals                     and plants that live within them.
• Students will be able to create either a desert habitat using Pixie and have at least 2 correct                   plants and 2 correct animals within that ecosystem.

Assessing Prior Knowledge: 

When I begin my lesson, I will ask students if they have ever been to the desert.  I will ask what they see when they go to the desert and how it is different from a forest (what types of animals and plants do they see when they are in either ecosystem).  My students do not need to know much before the lesson because my books will cover the information they will need to know.  The students will also know how to use Pixie from a previous lesson, so only a brief overview of the program will be needed.

Planning Instruction:

This content should be taught at the first grade level because it is the basic introduction to different environments and the types of plants and animals that are in each.  My objectives align with my standards because I am looking at the local environment that we live in now (the forest) and comparing it to another type of ecosystem that is in Arizona (the desert) that many of my students have been to.  I will teach this lesson towards the beginning to middle of the school year, because this is the beginning introduction to ecosystems that can be expanded on later in the school year.