Integrating the Internet into Plant Growth and Development Lessons By Megan Mason

Choose a Lesson Lesson 10: Looking at Flowers In this lesson students are asked to observe the flowers of the Wisconsin Fast Plant and study a diagram in order to learn about the parts of the flower. The flowers are very small and can be difficult for students to see even with the magnifying lens. The diagram is very dull. Let’s make this lesson more engaging with an internet resource!

Choose an Internet Resource KS2 Bitesize from the BBC This site features an activity about the flower’s role in the life cycle of a plant. The site also has a reference section on the parts of a flower and a quiz. In the activity, students dissect a flower and identify the parts. The activity provides immediate feedback for students. This is a reference section that provides illustrations and information about the parts of the flower. The quiz also provides immediate feedback to students and can be taken as many times as necessary. There is also a print version of the quiz. Meets Standard: compare examples that show that plants have special parts (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, flowers) that allow them to perform certain functions (e.g., anchor, store, transport, photosynthesize, reproduce).

How Will You Use It? There are 3 main ways to use an internet site with your students. Whole class on the T.V. or projector Small Groups on classroom computers Individually in the computer lab For this lesson, we will use the computer lab first and the classroom computers for follow up.

Where in the Lesson will it go? Internet resources can be used within a lesson in various ways. As an engagement activity at the beginning of the lesson As an exploration activity during the major part of the lesson As a closing pieces to the lesson As an assessment for the lesson As a follow up for the lesson For this lesson we will use the website in three ways – as an exploration activity, a follow up activity, and an assessment.

The Lesson This lesson will take 1 ½ hours. 30 minutes in the classroom and 1 hour in the computer lab. Pass out students’ computer logins and passwords. It is helpful if you print these out on index cards beforehand. Students can then use the cards each time they go to the computer lab. It is also helpful to print out the web address for students to take with them to the computer lab. It is helpful to turn on all of the computers in the lab before you go. If another class is in the lab before you, ask the teacher to leave the computers on. Or send a couple of students to the lab to turn the computers on before you begin the lesson.

The Lesson This portion of the activity can easily be converted to an independent activity. Have students read pages on their own. Use the front board, overhead, or chart paper to create a graph that students can fill in individually. After step 3 of the final activities, introduce the website KS2 Bitesize and the activities that the students will be working on. Make sure that the students have their logins/passwords and the web address. Proceed to the computer lab. Have students begin with the Life Cycles Activity, then read the Revision Bite. Finally students should take the Quiz. Allow students to complete the activity and take the quiz as many times as they choose during the hour in the computer lab. Throughout the week following your trip to the computer lab, allow students to take turns visiting the website on the classroom computers. Use the print version of the quiz as an assessment after the students have had the opportunity to revisit the site on the classroom computers.

Get Rid of the Headaches Here are several things you can do to make your trip to the computer lab more successful for everyone. Have a second website preselected for students to visit incase the website can’t handle that much “traffic” at once. ◦ is a good one. Ask for a parent volunteer when you go to the computer lab. A paraeducator may also be available to help. Pre-assign students to specific computers. ◦This allows students to get into the lab and get started quickly. ◦It will also help with classroom management. Spread out your more computer literate students so that they can help their neighbors. Set very clear computer lab rules and procedures for your students. ◦Have any students who are not following rules and procedures take a “computer time-out.” ◦Reward students who are following rules and procedures and those who are helping others.