SUBJECT: Biology
GRADE: High School
TECHNOLOGY: PowerPoint
BY: Rachel Ashe, Jessica Dancu, Rachel Herzog, Avery Willis

PLANTS IN OUR LIVES

Target Grade/Subject:

This lesson is targeted towards ninth and tenth grade students in a general high school biology course. This level contains students pursuing advanced and standard diplomas. Some plan to continue in the sciences and some think this is the last science course they will take. This is a highly variable population in terms of performance, goals, and motivation.

This age group wants clear expectations and a fairly structured environment. They rely on the teacher for expertise in the subject area. They also need to know the purpose and relevance of what they are learning to be completely engaged or even interested in a topic. Otherwise, they tend to memorize what they need to know for the test, but are unable to apply the knowledge. They are social, creative, and able to work well in groups when goals and requirements are clearly defined. In addition, most are somewhat visually oriented and benefit from methods outside of textbook reading and lecture. These students are, in general, familiar with technology and not intimidated by it.

This lesson will engage students in the topic “Plants in Our Lives” through an overview presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentation will serve as a visual aid and help students select an area they would like to investigate more. Student groups will choose a topic, research it in more detail, and create their own PowerPoint presentation to present to the rest of the class. Students will receive clear instructions concerning the activity, but will be free to use their own ideas and creativity to develop their presentation within the guidelines. They will see the importance of plants in everyday life through their own research and the presentations of their classmates. This is a fun and exciting alternative to a teacher-centered presentation of the material.

Objective:

SOL BIO.8: Investigate and understand how populations change through time.

SOL BIO.9: Investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations,

communities, and ecosystems.

1. Student groups will develop a short presentation on their topic with each student designing two slides (approximately 10 slides total).
2. Student groups will share their presentations with the class and submit three questions about their presentation to be used on a quiz.
3. Students will demonstrate their understanding on a quiz about the various presentations. [An example quiz item could be: What part of a plant is broccoli? a) stem b) flower c) root d) seed. For this item, the specific objective is that given a choice of four plant structures, students will be able to correctly identify the part of the plant represented by broccoli, b) flower.]

Materials:

· Display equipment for PowerPoint presentations

· Overview PowerPoint presentation including “Instructions” slide at the end for students to refer to

· 1 computer for every 4-5 students (equipped with Microsoft PowerPoint and Internet access)

· Textbooks

· Relevant articles (not necessary, but helpful)

· Numbered slips of paper for topic selection lottery (1-7)

Students should already have knowledge of PowerPoint and Internet usage at the time this lesson takes place.

Lesson Description:

• Introduce topic “Plants in Our Lives”
• Indicate that you will be covering several ways we use plants in our lives
• Tell students to be thinking of one way you mention that they would like to investigate further
• Proceed with PowerPoint presentation, giving an overview of how plants are important in our lives
• The last slide will have instructions for the group activity—Go over instructions before breaking into group.
• Divide students into six groups (approximately 5 students per group)
• Present the various topics again for groups to consider together.
• Have each group draw a number. The group with the lowest number picks their topic first and other groups follow in order. (If there are six groups, the last group will still have a choice between two topics)
• Send students to the computers to complete activity
• Monitor group progress and offer assistance as needed, making sure everyone is contributing and on task
• As groups finish, load presentations onto viewing computer
• When all groups have completed their presentations, have groups come up and present to the class (other students should pay attention and take notes)
• Compile questions from each group for a quiz to be administered during the beginning of the next class period

Evaluation Procedure:

Students will receive a full credit classwork grade for the presentation activity if all the requirements are met. They must incorporate relevant information about their specific topic area into their presentation, each student must design two slides, the group must present their findings, and groups must come up with three quiz questions on their presentation. Understanding of content will be assessed using a quiz composed of questions from each group on their particular topic.