SUBJECT: Science

GRADE: Fourth

TECHNOLOGY: Internet, PowerPoint

BY: Andrea Bender, Michele Reed, Richard Siebigteroth

Target Grade/Subject

The target population is a heterogeneous fourth grade class of twenty-one students. Students have mixed ability levels with two students above grade level, sixteen at grade level students, and three below grade level. From prior instruction and class activities, students have basic writing skills, word processing skills, and basic PowerPoint and Internet experience.

This lesson allows students to research the basic plant anatomy and life processes of a plant using a teacher-created PowerPoint presentation and the Internet. Fourth grade students are between the ages of nine and ten and have progressed to Piaget's concrete operational stage. It is during this stage that children acquire the ability to think logically about concrete objects. Concrete operational learners acquire reversible, organized mental operations that allow them to conserve, classify, and take alternate perspectives. This lesson is well suited for concrete operational students because it allows them to organize information, which expands their classification abilities.

Since students already have basic PowerPoint and Internet skills, and drawing experience, this activity is within their zone of proximal development. Dynamic assessment is essential in this activity because the teacher needs to provide appropriate scaffolding. This activity allows for dynamic assessment because the teacher can monitor the students' abilities to understand a task within the context of a realistic problem. This also allows for authentic learning because due to the nature of the activity, scaffolding can take place between the teacher and the students.

According to Erikson, students at this age experience the crisis of "industry versus inferiority." Children need to develop a sense of industry, or the feeling of mastery and competence through success and recognition of accomplishment. This activity is well suited to help children succeed because with prior experience and teacher assistance, students will achieve mastery. Since students will be accomplishing this task individually, they will be recognized and will experience a feeling of industry.

Objectives

Standards: Virginia Standards of Learning

Research 4.9 The student will use information resources to research a topic.

• Construct questions about a topic.
• Collect information, using the resources of the media center.
• Evaluate and synthesize information for use in writing.
• Use available technology.

Life Processes 4.4 The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life processes. Key concepts include:

• the structures of typical plants (leaves, stems, roots, and flowers);
• photosynthesis (chlorophyll, carbon dioxide); and dormancy.

C/T5.2 The student will develop basic technology skills.

• Select and use technology appropriate to tasks.
• Develop basic keyboarding skills.
• Operate peripheral devices.
• Apply technologies to strategies for problem solving and critical thinking.

C/T5.3 The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.

• Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information
• using databases, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and
• telecommunications.
• Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered
• services to access information from electronic databases.

1.      Given websites about plant life, students will retrieve and record accurate information about the following topics:

a.     Parts of a Plant

b.     Do plants sleep? (photosynthesis)

c.     How do plants get their food? (photosynthesis)

d.     Why do leaves change color? (when plants stop making their food).

Materials

• Teacher's laptop
• Projection system
• Computers with Internet access and Microsoft PowerPoint
• Teacher created PowerPoint Presentation with the following hyperlinks:

  http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~uplink/gpe/index.html

  http://www.tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3715/photo3.html

  http://www.tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3715/photo3.html

  http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm

• Plant Life Mystery Solving Guides (one per student)
• Pencils and coloring utensils for each student.

Lesson Description

Day One

• Save the teacher created PowerPoint presentation to the desktops of the computers in the lab.
• Take student to the computer lab.
• Have each student sit at a computer.
• Explain to the students that they will become junior detectives today in order to solve a scientific mystery about plant life.
• Pass out a mystery guide to each student.
• Instruct students to open the PowerPoint presentation entitled "Dr. Plantenstein's Mystery" from the desktop.
• Tell students that they will be using PowerPoint to discover the mystery of plant life.
• Explain to the students that they will view the slide show and click on the hyperlinks at the appropriate times.
• Demonstrate using a PowerPoint presentation with hyperlinks to students using the teacher's laptop and projection system.
• Show students how to get back to the PowerPoint presentation once they have used the hyperlink.
• Explain Plant Life Mystery Guide directions to students.
• Tell students that they will find all of the information they need to solve the mysteries on the designated websites linked to the PowerPoint presentation.
• Tell students that good junior detectives use their searching skills to find answers (not all answers will be immediately apparent, some searching is necessary).
• Model with students going to the first informational slide of the presentation so that all students are beginning in the same place.
• Circulate to ensure that all students are on the same slide and ready to begin.
• Instruct students to solve mysteries part 1 and 2.
• Circulate to ensure understanding and participation and facilitate if needed.
• Circulate also to make sure that students are on the appropriate websites and are not freely searching on the web.
• Collect all mystery guides when the activity is complete.

Day Two

• Take the students to the computer lab.
• Have each student sit at a computer.
• Pass out Plant Life Mystery Guides.
• Review instructions for opening and using PowerPoint presentation and hyperlinks if necessary.
• Instruct students to solve mysteries parts 3 and 4.
• Circulate to ensure that all students are at the correct place in the presentation and facilitate where needed.
• Have students complete the activity by viewing the "Fall Colors" slide and hyperlink once all students have completed mystery parts 3 and 4.
• Collect all mystery guides.
• Instruct students that we will go over the guides tomorrow in order to see if they have solved Dr. Plantenstein's Plant Life Mystery.

Day Three

• Take students to the computer lab.
• Have each student sit at a computer.
• Pass out Plant Life Mystery Guides.
• Go over each item on the guide to ensure students have the correct information.
• Have students pair with other students to check their answers with one another.
• Circulate periodically to address any questions.
• Address any confusion or incorrect information by returning to the appropriate slide and website.
• Have students correct or add the appropriate information to the mystery guides.
• Inform students that we will be learning more about plant life and photosynthesis in future lessons.
• Collect all Plant Life Mystery Guides for evaluation.

Evaluation

Collect all student guides and evaluate. Students must have correct and accurate information on their guides. Each item must be completed correctly and drawings must be labeled correctly. If items are missing or incorrect, students must make corrections since this activity is designed to be used in the future as a study guide.

Plant Life Mystery Guide

Junior Detectives: While you are solving the mysteries, the hyperlinks will take to websites that you will need to search in order to find the specified information. Remember that good junior detectives use their searching skills to find the information on the websites. If you have a question please raise your hand. It is important that you only search the hyperlinked websites. Have fun and good luck!

1. Now that you have learned the parts of a plant from Bud and Sprout, use the following words to label the parts of this plant: leaves, roots, stem, flower, fruit, seeds.

2. Detective Le Plant has discovered seven things that make plants grow. List the seven things that plants need to grow.

3. Check your knowledge of the plant parts with Sprout. He will help you! Answer the questions on the website to see how much you have learned!

4. Do plants sleep? Circle one. YES NO

5. At ___________________, plants can not make ____________, so they shut down by closing their stomata (tiny pores on the undersides of leaves).

Mystery Part 3: Do plants need food?

6. What is it called when green plants make their food?

7. What is the substance in the plant that absorbs the sunlight?

8. Photosynthesis means "bringing together with light," how does this describe how plants make their food? (What do plants use to make their food? What is made?)

Mystery Part 4: Why leaves change color in the fall?

9. What changes occur in the fall that cause leaves to stop their food-making process?

10. What substance in the leaves breaks down which causes the green color in leaves to disappear?

11. Dr. Plantenstein is really tired of raking leaves. Please explain to him what happens to the stems of the leaves that cause them to fall off the trees.

12. There are some trees that Dr. Plantenstein could plant in his yard that would keep him from having to rake so much. According to the website, some trees are evergreens. What are some examples of evergreen trees?

13. Dr. Plantenstein hoped you enjoyed looking at some of the beautiful fall colors. Choose two of your favorite leaves from the website and draw and color them below.