Topic Lesson Plan

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Mentor Teacher's Signature

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Date
TopicQuest Lesson Plan

Name: Whitney Fulp
School/Mentor Teacher: Cook County Primary School/Mrs. Allison Davis
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Areas: Science, Social Studies, Technology Integration & Art
Date Taught:
Total Duration of Lesson: About 45 minutes

Title of Lesson:
Welcome to the Barnyard

Primary Learning Outcome (PLO):
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. With teacher guidance students will be able to use the computer to research information on the Internet.

Assessed QCC:
A. Grade: K
Subject Area: Technology Integration
Strand: Research
10 Topic: Research
Standard: Uses basic research techniques with teacher guidance.

Materials and Equipment:
1. Paper for drawing
2. Crayons/Pencil for each child
3. Pencil for the teacher (to make notes for lesson plan assessment and reflections)
4. Modification of a lesson developed by Dr. Diane L. Judd

Technology Connection:
Technologies that will be used in this lesson include:

Computer with Internet connection.
Students will use computers to research information on the Internet.
Copy of my TopicQuest Web page included with this lesson plan.
TopicQuest Web page Title: Welcome to the Barnyard & URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~wlfulp/topic.html.

Procedures:
Step One: Introduction
Have a small group of students go to a computer. Explain to students that you are going to use the computer to find out information about farm animals. List two (2) or more questions that introduce students to topic of farm animals that establish a connection to students' prior knowledge by asking them: "Have you ever been to a farm?" "What do you think are some things that happen on a farm?" Today we are going to learn about farm animals by visiting websites on the Internet and we will do a fun activity to learn more about farm animals. I have made a special farm animal page for your class. (During discussion have students turn around away from the computer to interact.)

Estimated Time for Step One:
5 minutes

Step Two Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes:
(Have students sit at the computer where they can control the mouse and computer.) (Explain to students the process of the lesson.) After we visit several websites about farm animals, you will help Old McDonald find one of his missing farm animals by drawing a picture of the missing animal.

Check for understanding
Have students explore and discuss the information in each of the 3 pre-selected websites. Ask students guiding questions about the important concepts in each of the visited websites. (Save "Farm Animal Sounds" website to use in Mission Project.) List three or more questions.
1. What are some of the animals that live on a farm?
2. What sort of plants are grown on a farm?
3. Can you remember the sounds farm animals make?

Practice and feedback related to the PLO
Read mission project to students. Explain to students that they are going to help Old McDonald find one of his missing farm animals. Discuss farm animal sounds with students and have them practice making some of the sounds. Tell the students that the information that they will need to complete their mission project is listed and connected in the mission activity. Visit website for information for mission project, "Farm Animal Sounds." Discuss the information in the linked website in the mission activity with the students to emphasize interesting and important information students will need to complete mission project.

[Students will tell the teacher how they decided which animal was missing and draw a picture of the missing animal for the mission project. While students are completing mission project, teacher will observe students and give assistance when needed.]

Mission Activity

Oh, no! Old McDonald has lost one of the animals on his farm, but he doesn't know which animal it is. He really needs your help to find the missing farm animal. He begins by singing his song to find out which animals are in the barnyard. He calls out the name of all the animals on his farm: pigs, cows, sheep, horses, and chickens. When he finishes his song he hears the following sounds: "oink, oink," "neigh, neigh," "baa, baa," and "cluck, cluck." To help you remember all the sounds made by farm animals go to the farm animal sounds page. Do you think you know which animal is missing? Please help Old McDonald find the missing animal by drawing a picture for him.

Mission Steps

1. Visit the website that has all the different farm animals sounds. This page has all the sounds needed to complete this mission.
2. Tell the teacher which animals are not missing from Old McDonald's Farm according to the sounds heard in the activity.
3. Using crayons and paper provided by the teacher, draw a picture of the farm animal you think is missing from Old McDonald's Farm.

4. Tell the teacher which animal you drew and why you think your picture is the missing animal. This information should be dictated to the teacher so that it can be written under your drawing of the farm animal.

Estimated Time for Step Two:
35 minutes

Step Three
Closure:
Have students discuss their mission project including their drawing and how they decided which farm animal to draw and information they found on the Internet about farm animals. Tell students that your topicquest page is on the Internet and they can visit the website at school or home to learn more about farm animals. Explain to students that you are going to put their drawings and information on the Internet and they will be able to share their mission projects with their friends and family. (If possible teacher should take brief notes during the lesson and concluding discussions to be added later to the assessment and reflections in lesson plan.)

Estimated Time for Step Three:
5 minutes

Assessment:
A. Technology Integration
Student will be assessed through observation while using the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Satisfactory: Student is able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to use the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.

Accommodation:
Links for Accommodations for Special Students
1. Select one of your students that needs special attention. Describe the student in your class with special needs. (Do not use the student's real name. You could refer to the student as "the special student.") Describe your student and his or her needs. The student in my class has a speech problem. He requires certain words to be enunciated so that he is able to correctly understand the given word. He attends speech class twice a week.

2. Explain what you would add to this lesson plan to accommodate your special student? Explain what you would add to this lesson to accommodate your special student. Provide peer or adult assistance with unfamiliar words and concepts.

Reflections: (For Electronic Portfolio Standard #1 Knowledge of Subject Matter)
1. a. Describe and give examples of how your TopicQuest lesson created learning experiences and activities that made subject matter meaningful for your students.
The students really enjoyed being able to work on the computer to complete the TopicQuest assignment. I think the students now have a better understanding of the far-reaching effects of technology.

b. Describe and give examples of how your TopicQuest lesson illustrated your understanding of content and tools of inquiry.
I was able to draw on my previous computer experiences to model for the students how they should retain the information found on the various websites. I think my computer skills were also an asset in teaching this lesson.

c. Describe and give examples of how students were engaged in learning and responded during your lesson.
Both of the students were thrilled to participate in a computer activity. They were able to fully control the computer with minimal assistance and asked numerous questions after visiting each site.

2. Describe and give examples of how the students achieved the assessment of your lesson. Give the achievement level (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) for each assessment for each of your students.
    A. Technology Integration:
Student assessed through observation while using the computer with teacher guidance to do research and find information for the mission project.
        Student One: Satisfactory. This student was able to complete the mission by following the instructions offered on the TopicQuest page.
        Student Two: Satisfactory. This student was also able to complete the mission activity by following the specific instructions offered in the TopicQuest.

3. Describe what you would do differently and why if you taught this lesson again.
If I was to teach the TopicQuest lesson again, I think I would assess the students in a different manner. Since the main focus of the lesson is technology, I think I would assess the students using a feature of the computer.

Example of TopicQuest Scanned Pictures & Comments
Topic Example by Whitney Fulp


(Three or more sentences of students' descriptions & comments) In response to the mission activity which asked the students to help Old McDonald find his missing animal, a kindergarten student drew this picture. She drew a cow with black spots and a long tail. She also labeled her picture with the heading "cow."	(Three or more sentences of students' descriptions & comments) Also in response to the mission activity, a kindergarten student drew this picture. She explained that her drawing is of a cow with a brown body and black spots. She also drew big feet on her cow so that it could walk faster. This student also labeled her picture with the name "cow."