Lesson Plan for Implementing NETS•S
A Great Beginning for Your Unit
Teacher: Wayne Wollaston
Grade Level: 8
Title of Lesson: ‘Georgia the Gem of the East’
Curriculum Connection Content Areas: Language Arts and Social Studies
Standards-
• Content Standards : ELA8W2 ELA8W4a , ELA8RC2e (expository writing)
SS8G1 Locate and evaluate the importance of key physical features on the development of Georgia; include the Fall Line, Okefenokee Swamp, Appalachian Mountains, Chattahoochee and Savannah Rivers, and barrier islands.
• ISTE NETS for Students – National Technology Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities.
2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
d. Process data and report results.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.
5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
a. Understand and use technology systems.
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively.
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications.
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
Essential Question(s):
Unit question:
1. How do I get hired as a writer for a magazine?
2. How is each location in the world unique in terms of global position and geographic features?
3. What is the relative location of Georgia in terms of hemisphere, continent, nation, region and global position?
Lesson question:
1. What are the elements of expository writing?
2. Where are Georgia’s physiographic regions located?
Activating Strategy:
Bring in a favorite magazine. Share a cool article with the students. Wonder aloud how someone becomes a writer for a magazine. What does it take? What are their qualifications? Brainstorm a list of qualifications the students think all magazine writers should have.
Instructional Plan
Day 1-
• Present the Performance Task: Magazines are full of articles on a plethora of topics. Your task in this unit is to write an article for a magazine attracting visitors to the state on a topic that interests you. What's the catch? You have to be hired by the magazine to get your article published or aired. To be considered, you will need to write an abstract of your article, a letter of application and submit a resume. Who knows, you may be chosen as the next writer of articles in a famous magazine?
• Tell students that magazine writers know that certain elements of writing must be included in their articles. Today we are going to discover those elements. Pose the E.Q.-How do I unpack the Georgia writing standard to uncover the elements of expository writing?
• Unpack the standards: Hand out copies of the elements of the standards. Model underlining unknown words in the first element. Have students underline unknown words in the rest of the elements. Have students share the unknown words as a class. As they share, place the nouns in the “To Know” column and the verbs in the “To Do” column and discuss what each word means.
• After completing the T-Chart, explain to the students that as expository writers, they now know what they need to know and what they need to do in their writing.
• Pull up a magazine article about the natural features of the state. Hand out the 8th Grade Expository Writing Unit Rubric. Read over the rubric together. Use this rubric to analyze the article. What needs improvement?
• Ticket out the Door: Have students write a reflection on what they discovered about writers of magazine articles.
Day 2-
• Hook: Before beginning this activity, Mental mind map of Georgia (5-10 minutes max), cover all classroom maps of Georgia. Students will receive a blank piece of paper on which to draw a blank outline map of Georgia; filling in as much detail they can (bordering states, rivers/bodies of water, physical features, and cultural features/cities).
• Teachers will then collect maps to be redistributed at a later time.
• Students will then receive a pretest to measure basic geographic knowledge.
• As students complete pretest, have them pair-up and review. (Optional: Teachers may also grade the pretest and those students scoring an 80% or higher may keep the grade or receive help and retake the pretest)
• Teacher will then pair students to gather information. This will be done based on student’s interest in working with each other.
• Each student will have a selected task research and then share at the end of this process. For example one student my research different mode of transportation to the site, while the other student research the actual site and things to do and see.
• In pairs, students will be given a lap top to select and research two special physical feature of Georgia they would like to write about how to attract visitors.
• Teacher will rotate around the room to facilitate students in their discussions and research.
• Student will be provided with two cups:
Green- we are doing fine
Red - we are in need of assistance.
Students will turn a cup up if they need help.
• At the end of the research, pairs will develop a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the features of these natural resources.
• Ticket out the door: Have students name two unique physical features of Georgia that have played an important role in the history of this state.
Day 3-
Students will use this class time to complete their research.
Procedures – This lesson will take three days to complete. Each class is one hour long. On the third day students will use the entire class time to research their topic.
Technology - Technology will be used to help or support students to interact with content by providing them the ability to research their topic. Students will use the World Wide Web to research their topic and read the states news paper to seek information on the state’s current .views on gaining new visitors. In this way students will be able to built knowledge and experience.
Resources:
• Overhead projector or LCD projector
• Lap tops
• Copies of the expository standard and elements, place a large copy in the room, copies of the 8th grade Expository Writing Unit Rubric
• www.georgia.com
• www.georgianaturalresources.com
• www.georgia.hometownlocator.com
• www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/georgia/
• www.henry.k12.ga.us/cur/georgia/soc_st.htm
• www.geography.about.com
• www.netstate.com/states/geography/ga_geography.htm
• www.naturalhistory.uga.edu
• www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/.../ga.htm
Management
.
• Students will work in the classroom with the use of lap top.
• The learning environment will support the instructional strategies by providing a quite place for all students to work.
• The teacher’s role is to support all students and to answer and guide students during the research process. The student’s role in the lesson is to seek and gain information on their topic. Then compile that information into a format that can be used to develop an article to attract visitors.
• Students will use colored cups to signal when they are having a problem.
• Student pairs will also have to sign out the lap tops they will be using.
• When the teacher is addressing the class, the students will close their laptops.
Differentiation
• Some students will be given specific physical feature to research.
• Students can conduct further research on the regions and create a multimedia presentation which will provide opportunities for enrichment?
The following assistive technologies will be provided:
Alternative keyboards - featuring larger- or smaller-than-standard keys or keyboards, alternative key configurations, and keyboards for use with one hand.
Reading tools and learning disabilities programs include software and hardware designed to make text-based materials more accessible for people who have difficulty with reading. Options can include scanning, reformatting, navigating, or speaking text out loud. These programs are helpful for those who have difficulty seeing or manipulating conventional print materials; people who are developing new literacy skills or who are learning English as a foreign language; and people who comprehend better when they hear and see text highlighted simultaneously.
Screen enlargers, or screen magnifiers, work like a magnifying glass for the computer by enlarging a portion of the screen which can increase legibility and make it easier to see items on the computer. Some screen enlargers allow a person to zoom in and out on a particular area of the screen.
Joysticks- manipulated by hand, feet, chin, etc. and used to control the cursor on the screen.
Closure and Reflection - Students will be given a check list to ensure that all details have been included in their research. Students will be asked to write down how they think would be the best method to present this information to the public. Is there any addition information the students would like add to this assignment.
