Human Interactions with Living Systems

Submitted by koppang.morehou... on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 15:45Printable version Bookmark and Share
Created By:
Kelly Koppang, Ellen Morehouse, Heather Palmer
Title/Role:
MLIS students
Organization/School Name:
St. Kate's
Location:
Minnesota

Grade Level:
7
Type of Lesson:
Lesson in a unit
Type of Schedule:
Flexible
Collaboration Continuum:
Intensive
Content Area:
Science
Content Topic:
Ecosystems
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.
4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
Dispostion Indicator(s):
3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.
4.2.2 Demonstrate motivation by seeking information to answer personal questions and interests, trying a variety of formats and genres, and displaying a willingness to go beyond academic requirements.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
3.3.3 Use knowledge and information skills and dispositions to engage in public conversation and debate around issues of common concern.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.
3.4.3 Assess own ability to work with others in a group setting by evaluating varied roles, leadership, and demonstrations of respect for other viewpoints.
Scenario:
A seventh-grade teacher has been working with students on an involved research project. The class has come to the media center several times to work in collaborative groups, conducting research on topics identified by the groups as interesting and urgent in nature. The students are now preparing to pull their findings together into Public Service Announcements (PSAs). They have synthesized their research and created storyboards to guide them in creating their PSAs. The teacher has met with the media specialist to schedule three sessions in the media center where they will learn how to use iMovie as a tool to share their research with the community. The media specialist will also assist students in properly citing their sources within their PSAs. Students will be expected to continue their projects outside of these sessions. The final projects will be posted online, and will be shared at a community fair.

Overview:
Seventh-grade students will work in small groups to create a three-minute video in which they will share their research on how humans impact living systems . Each project must include images, video, text, and sound. It must also clearly describe the issue, including the cause and consequence of human interaction with the living system, work that has been done to combat the negative aspects of the issue, and a proposal for a sustainable solution.

Final Product:
Students will share a video (online and at a community fair) that illustrates their research on how humans impact living systems online.

Library Lesson:
Students will learn how to create a well-edited, organized, and informative video in iMovie.

Estimated Lesson Time:
120 minutes
Assessment
Product:
Teachers, the media specialist, and students will use a rubric created by the teacher to critique the finished iMovies.

Process:
As a part of the overall research project, each student will individually assess his or her personal engagement and progress towards the project goals by completing a daily reflection log.

Self Questioning:
- How have I organized the product/presentation to make my major points and present convincing evidence? - How can I make my product/presentation as effective as possible? - How have I contributed to the learning of others? - How can I share this experience with others? - How can I use technology to communicate and interact with others? - How can I express my own ideas creatively and effectively?

Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Event (ie. exhibition, webcast, conference, workshop, performance)
Still image (i.e.paintings, drawings, plans, and maps)
Moving Image (i.e. animations, movies, tv program, video)
Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)
Software
Sound (i.e. music playback file, audio compact disc, recorded speech or sounds)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Interactive Resource URL:
http://

Resources instructor will use:
Projector
Laptop
Other

Other instructor resources:
iMovie or Movie Maker software

Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction:
In the first lesson, the media specialist will give a brief introduction to the basic editing features of iMovie. She will also introduce students to Creative Commons, sharing a list of Creative Commons sites with students, instructing them how to gather and save the information they will need to ethically use various files in their videos. Finally, the media specialist will remind students that they must use the same computer every time they work on their project. This is very important! iMovie is not web-based, and so student files stay on the computer of origin throughout the creation and editing process. In my experience, attempting to email files or save files to USB drives has not worked. In the second lesson, the media specialist will give a brief review of editing features in iMovie and will review the sections of the rubric specifically addressing how the PSAs will be assessed. In the third lesson, the media specialist will show students how to cite their sources at the end of the video. At the end of the class, the media specialist will show students how to upload their videos to the classroom website and how to access them at their stations during the community fair.

Modeling and guided practice:
In the first lesson, the media specialist will show students how to organize folders where students will house the images and video files they would like to incorporate in their PSA. In the second lesson, the media specialist will show students how to organize folders where students will house the images and video files they would like to incorporate in their PSA. In the third lesson, the media specialist will check in with each group, walking them through creating a citation step-by-step if needed.

Independent practice:
In the first lesson, students will create a directory and begin to locate appropriate images and videos for their projects. In the second lesson, students will continue their projects. The media specialist and teacher will circulate and assist as necessary. In the third lesson, students will have time to work on finishing their PSAs and citations.


Have you taught this lesson before:
No