LESSON PLANS Summary

Main goal is to have each group deeply understand their specialty area.

All students will learn basic information and concepts, while learning about the process of teaching and learning from a teacher's point of view.

Students are teachers, the teacher is "librarian" and mentor.

Teacher selects areas to assist and reinforce learning as appropriate, including:
-- generalizing the "big ideas" from activities, pre-activities review/preview
- General help in how to read web pages for information and comprehension
- lab safety, data recording and analysis
- writing and drawing skills
- points of scientific accuracy
- keeping on track and meeting deadlines
- assigning homework as necessary for reinforcement or finishing activities

Time needed- 22-32 periods of 50 minutes- plan on 6 weeks for the unit
The unit is set up with 4 whole class lessons, 5-8 research and planning periods, 4 checkpoints, 2 student directed lessons per group (16-20 total...... quite possible to do two activities in one normal 50 min. time period)

LESSON FLOW NOTES:

Pre-assessment-
All students take a teacher created pre-assessment that explicitly checks for recognition of key vocabulary, 4-5 big ideas drawn from the standards, and the ability to order dynamic processes in sequence. (This will be very hard for most/all, but will help guide them in what their particular emphasis for learning/teaching will need to be)

Checkpoints- The teacher will use checkpoints as a way to control the work flow and keep students on an appropriate timeline. The unit is set up to provide as much open exploration and independent work as the students are able to handle. At the same time, they need structure to remain task oriented, and for the teacher to schedule time to give each team assistance in an orderly way.

Week 1- on mixed research, 2 checkpoints (Q&A sheets, and 3 things draw/tell)
- all students given reading assignment (get copy and source)
-All teams make up their Resource list- Urls annotated, videos, readings, labs

Week 2- Check point #3-fill in team lesson design sheets, schedule presentations for next week.
-Teacher schedules time with each group to work through their ideas, materials, and understanding of concepts. Each team member keeps their own log of all group information.

Week 3- Checkpoint #4-Teacher preview/review of process, concepts, and specific ways of teaching (include modeling of recommended strategies). First student lesson presentations. (recommended to use online interactives to start because it allows students to be facilitators of accessing instruction)

Week 4- Checkpoint #5- Continue week 3 strategies, plus have all groups report progress and post recommended resources for other groups to check out. Spend extra time reviewing, modeling assessment strategies. Informal quiz checking for understanding (recommend “show what you know” type assessment, with included vocabularly list, rather than multiple guess type)

Week 5- Checkpoint #6- All teams have finished lesson plans, and have been edited and verified by teacher. Teams who have completed presentations work on reflections, some members of other teams also work on reflections.

Week 6- Final instruction, review by teacher, post test.