2010+Science


 * Scenario #1 **
 * Human Body Corporation Project **

 Students will work in cooperative groups to research all organs in a specific organ system. Research will include the organs, location, function, and how those functions are carried out. Students then compose a persuasive letter defending their organ system from “lay offs” in the Human Body Corporation. Each letter will describe the organs in the system. Students will then podcast their letter to be presented to the Human Body Committee (the rest of the class). A photograph (labeled drawing) of each organ in the system is required per student assigned to an organ. [|Full Lesson Plan] [|Student Sample]


 * Scenario #2 **
 * Plate Tectonics Inquiry Activity **

Students will explain how earthquakes, mountain building, volcanoes, and seafloor spreading are associated with movements of the Earth’s major plates. [|Full Lesson Plan and Student Sample]

 **Graphic Organizers**
 * Scenario #3 **

The students will make a graphic organizer with pictures displaying any topic we have covered this year. Students will need to come up with ideas and the information to type in the day before.  Student Sample


 * Scenario #4 **
 * Cell Brochure **

Using Pages-Classic Brochure, my seventh grade science students create a travel brochure for an attraction using analogies of the terms learned in the CELL unit. Results included a Cell Park, Cell Island, Cell Circus, Cell Resort, Cell Hotel, Cell Water Park and others. In order to depict the functions of the various organelles of cells, students first had to recognize and understand the names of the organelles, how each operates, and its necessity for the cell to work. Then, using analogies, students had to create a travel destination complete with appropriate features that would correspond to each organelle. The analogies between the functions of the cell organelles and the functions of a place that someone can visit were then labeled, depicted and enhanced with pictures found on the internet. In the Cell Hotel, for example, the nucleus is Mr. Norman Nucleus who is the general manager of the hotel. The vacuole is the hotel center fountain. A minimum of 8 organelles (attractions) and their functions were required. Students were encouraged to use their brochures to entice visitors to take the next exit and visit the incredible, amazing and unbelievable sights of the attraction that they had invented that would correspond with a journey through or into a cell. I think this lesson/scenario enabled students to take a real life destination or attraction and comprehend how a cell has the same ways to function, survive, and be beneficial. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This scenario allows students to: • Identify and define cell organelles. • Create a travel destination/attraction brochure using Pages-Classic Brochure. • Synthesize and analyze information on cells and develop analogy skills. • Formulate technology skills required to make the brochure including, but not limited to copying, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">pasting, resizing, adding text boxes and graphics, changing fonts, and brochure making skills. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample 1] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample 2]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #5 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">iMovie **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Using I-MOVIE, my seventh grade science students create a show to display their knowledge of concepts from the chapter on Plate Techtonics, Seafloor Spreading, & Continental Drift. In order to showcase their knowledge, students first met in small groups (3-4 in a group) to decide on a format of presentation. Any kind of television venue (news program, game show, talk show, educational channel, documentary, etc.) could be used as long as it met the requirements that I had set. Students then had to write scripts for each segment or part including in their venue. The scripts had to contain pertinent facts and information from the chapter and be no more than five minutes long (including the required commercial and bloopers). Once scripts were written and practiced, students spent two days in the computer lab filming, editing, and making sure they had included the required effects. These effects included, but were not limited to: music to open & close the show, at least one sound effect, graphics or text to open and close the show, one commercial related to the topic in some form (and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">it could not be longer than 30 seconds), bloopers (if desired) at the end but limited to one per person. a background inserted into one portion of the show, and finally, the segments must have transitions from one scene to the next. The students learned quickly that there are buttons for each of these effects on I-Movie, so they became adept fairly quickly at all of these elements. They sometimes chose to go to the internet to download items, sounds, pictures, etc, that were needed for their show. The most difficult element was including a background behind the filmed speaker. This required using Photo Shop, then dragging that portion to the desktop and then into the I-Movie. Depending on the lighting of the room, this worked to varying degrees. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think this lesson/scenario enabled students to take concepts from the text and communicate them in a modern and entertaining way to fellow students. The only drawback to this technology project is that it literally takes 20 -30 minutes for I-Movies to be downloaded into a QuickTime video to be transferred to a flashdirve for the students to keep or continue to use. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This scenario allows students to: • Identify & define concepts that are associated with plate techtonics, seafloor spreading, and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">continental drift. • Create a media show to impart knowledge and entertain. • Synthesize & analyze information on plate techtonics, seafloor spreading, & continental drift. • Formulate technology skills required to make the program including, but not limited to filming, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">editing, researching, broadcasting, and acting <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Handout]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #6 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inherited Traits **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This lesson uses an Internet Inherited Traits Survey and Microsoft Excel to help students explore inherited traits that students and their classmates exhibited. Student first took a survey (many can be found online) to determine specific inherited traits they exhibited. As a class we tallied them up and typed them into a frequency chart on Microsoft Excel. They used this data to create a bar graph, which visually represented traits that were the most and least common among groups of students. Amazing discussion resulted as to why each class did not exhibit the same inherited traits. I used this activity as an introduction to heredity, but it could also be used as a culminating activity as well.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This lesson took 1 ½ class periods. Students completed the surveys at the end of one day, and the following day, the students spent the period in the computer lab typing their frequency chart into Excel and creating their bar graphs. More advanced students can be taught how to use formulas in Excel. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Genetics Activity(survey).docx]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #7 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Google Earth **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This lesson incorporates Google Earth and the Internet to research and explore various landmarks throughout the world. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I spent one half period showing students how to maneuver through Google Earth. The following day students were given instructions about how to create a Google Earth tour. The students’ task is to create a tour of their life with Google Earth. It represents places that they have already been as well as places they want to go in the future. They must have 20 stops on their tour. The tour must include: 3 volcanoes, 2 mountains, and their current school. The places in their tour need to be in order of the places they have been, where they are currently, and where they want to go in the future. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> While creating the tour, they need to list the places in the tour on the chart.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Activity Sheet]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #8 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cell Division Podcast **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my first science/ technology lesson, I asked the students to demonstrate their knowledge of the concepts explored in the chapter on cell reproduction and division, by creating a podcast using GarageBand, in which they describe the steps of cell division in a rap or poem. The students were assigned to work in groups of two students each. Each group was asked to write a complete script for a 60 to 120 second podcast, in which they would use the terms and concepts from the chapter accurately and effectively. When the students had practiced their scripts and were ready to perform, I took them to the computer lab so that they could record the audio for their podcast using GarageBand. After recording the audio, the students spent two days in the computer lab, editing, and making sure they had included the required effects. These effects included, but were not limited to: music to open and close the show, graphics or text to open or close the show, inserting photos from one scene to the next scene as they listen to their rap. The students could also use internet resources to retrieve photographs to insert. I think this lesson / scenario enabled the students to demonstrate the knowledge they gained from the text and communicate that knowledge to their peers in an interesting way. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">﻿[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample 1] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample 2]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #9 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plate Tectonics - Podcast **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my second science/ technology lesson, I asked the students to demonstrate their knowledge of the concepts explored in the chapter on plate techtonics, earthquakes and volcanoes, by creating a newscast in which they describe the earthquake in Haiti. The students were assigned to work in groups of two students each. Each group was asked to write a complete script for a 60 to 120 second newscast, in which they would use the terms and concepts from the chapter accurately and effectively. When the students had practiced their scripts and were ready to perform, I recorded the newscast in front of a green screen using Photo Booth. After recording the newscast, the students exported the file to iPhoto so that it would be available in iMovie for editing. Once the file was in iMovie, the students spent two to three days in the computer lab editing, and making sure they had included the required effects. These effects included, but were not limited to: music to open and close the show, graphics or text to introduce the show, and transitions from one scene to the next scene. The students could also use internet resources to retrieve photographs to insert as backgrounds using the “Green Screen” advanced effect in iMovie. I think this lesson / scenario enabled the students to demonstrate the knowledge they gained from the text and communicate that knowledge to their peers in an interesting way. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The purpose of this technology project was to have students publish a review game using an online template. The games were modeled after “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” The website used was [|www.teachertools.com]. The students were asked to create a fifteen-question review game using original questions they created. After creating an individual game the students would exchange links and play one another’s game. This project had two main objectives the first was students would take valid material from text and notes and create an individual assessment, this required students to think critically about their learning. The second objective was students would be reviewing for TCAP via other students created games. This project allowed students to publish their very own review game on the Internet.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #10 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student Created Online Games **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Games.docx]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The purpose of this technology project was to have students create a Comic Life project depicting a process that takes place in various cells, as well as the organelles in the cells. The processes the students could choose from were photosynthesis and mitosis. The requirements of the project were to depict each stage of the process using text and pictures. The students were also assessed on their creativity and use of the program. Science deals with diagrams and photos, both assist in understanding content knowledge. Creating a Comic Life project depicting one of the diagrams will illustrate the students knowledge by showing they can use their abilities to create a project can be used to provide content to other students.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #11 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cell Process **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #12 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rock Cycle **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students summarized the basic events of a rock cycle using Pages. After learners had spent time in the chapter and using outside resources to understand the basic elements of the rock cycle, they utilized this knowledge by creating a rough draft by drawing on their own paper. Students then employed their drawings to create a project in Pages where they labeled the diagram using the three major types of rocks, the processes that they go through to recycle themselves, and then drew arrows to connect their cycle. While in Pages, students were able to use the formatting buttons to create word boxes, insert pictures of different types of rocks from websites, and draw arrows connecting the word boxes. Learners were also able to explore and exploit fonts, font size, placement of words and various other text manipulations.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample]


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #13 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simple Machines **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The students learned about simple machines and created a 3 fold brochure in pages showing examples of simple machines, definitions, and how they work. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Student Sample]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Using I-Movie, my seventh grade Science students create a commercial to display their knowledge of Seismographs. This project was set up in three phases. First, they researched the history of the seismograph. Secondly, they created a sketch of their own seismograph that they would design. Thirdly, they worked in teams of 3-4 to create their seismograph. Lastly, they made a commercial using I-Movie technology. The students will present their seismograph models to their classmates demonstrating how they work and we will view their completed commercial as a class. The commercials will also be uploaded to my school webpage so that other classes, families and friends may view them as well
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #14 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Commercial Using iMovie **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Using I-MOVIE, my seventh grade students will create an informational clip outlining what we are learning on a weekly basis. These clips will be entitled “This week in Mrs. Leaks’ class”. The students will write and edit the scripts. They will include a title slide, special effects, and transitions.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scenario #15 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Weekly Review Movie **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think this lesson/scenario enabled students to take concepts from the text and communicate them in a modern and entertaining way to fellow students. The only drawback to this technology project is that it literally takes 20 -30 minutes for I-Movies to be downloaded into a QuickTime video to be transferred to a flashdrive for the students to keep or continue to use.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Full Lesson Plan]

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