Technology in the Classroom

Unit Sketch – Grade 5
In this unit, students will learn the structure and function of plants. They will also observe stages of plant development and differences in plant growth under varying conditions (inquiry). At the end of this unit, they should know the basic structure and function of plants and understand the basics of designing an experiment, forming a hypothesis, collecting and presenting data and drawing conclusions from their observations. The following is a brief sketch of the unit I will be teaching.

Day 1
Students will start off by sprouting peas and planting them. This will get the process started for their inquiry. I will also show a time-lapse video of a sprouting pea on YouTube via projector screen to spark their interest. Next, I will ask them for anything they know about plants – using the SMART® Board to record their ideas. I will also ask them for things they think plants need to survive (and supplement their ideas with ones they might miss, as this is the basis for their inquiry.

Day 2 (after peas have sprouted)
Students will plant peas. I will set up a digital camera on a tripod to collect time-lapse photographs periodically. Students will list on the Smart Board, what they would like to know about plants and I will add what I would like them to know by the end of the unit.

Day 3
An inquiry subject will be presented to each student and they will design an experiment to investigate how different environments affect growth. Students will begin collecting data for their inquiry by using a string to measure their plants. I will explain plant adaptations that contribute to their survival and discuss a few examples with the students. Then students will research plants to find specific adaptations using resources I provide to find plant adaptations. They will share those with the class, using the SMART® Board.

Days 4-8
Students will continue collecting and recording data. Each day, a short interactive lesson will be presented to the students. I will use ideas that were recorded earlier on the SMART® Board to construct these lessons

Day 9
Students will collect data from their peas and learn about constructing and interpreting graphs. Several examples of line graphs will be shown on the SMART® Board and students will interpret graphs and practice drawing conclusions from those graphs. Students will construct their own practice graph along with my example shown on the document camera.

Day 10
Students will complete a final copy of their graph and draw conclusions from their observations. Students should have a completed research document by the end of the lesson.

Day 11
Students present their findings to the class via document camera. They should explain their experiment, hypothesis, data and conclusions to the class. We will also review what we have learned about plants thus far.

Day 12
I will give the students a clicker-based test on plant structures and key vocabulary terms (eg. Hypothesis, control etc.) in order to find out what they have learned over the unit.


Appropriate Technologies

Document Camera – Students will use a document camera as they share their findings from their experiment. I will also use a document camera to instruct on how students’ graphs should be constructed.

SMART® Board – I will use the Smart Board to present information to the students regarding plant structure, the functions of those structures and instructions on planting peas. I will also use the board to record what students know about plants as well as what they would like to know.

Digital Camera – The digital camera will be used to record time-lapse photos of a growing pea plant. It will also be used to document student projects for their presentations.

Clickers – Clickers will be used for pre-test to measure the students’ knowledge of plants. I will also likely use the clickers for part of a post assessment method.

Computer – The computer will be used to construct and present lessons on plants.


Management and Potential Challenges For Implementation

One potential challenge of using any type of technology is that it can be unpredictable at times. I can manage for this by always having a backup plan (that does not involve technology) in mind for each type of technology implemented. For instance, if the SMART® Board will not cooperate, I will use a non-technological device such as an old-fashioned chalkboard to record students ideas.
A time-lapse camera requires that the camera be stationary while photos are taken. This is a potential challenge as 4th and 5th graders generally curious and, as a result, may be inclined to move the camera. However, if the camera gets moved, it will not be detrimental to the entire experiment. I may have to find a relatively low-traffic area in the classroom to place the time-lapse camera.

Benefits

Most of the technologies used in this unit involve some type of visual aid. This is major benefit to students who rely heavily on visual cues for their learning. One benefit of using a SMART® Board is that lessons can be prepared the evening before class, resulting in less preparation time on the day of the lesson.
Another great thing about the SMART® Board is that students’ ideas can be saved indefinitely as compared to a traditional chalkboard, which must be erased periodically. With all of these methods, students will become more familiar with the technologies that are currently saturating their world.