Chapter 3 Activity 2

Helping Students Choose a Class Pet (Science)

Grade 3-5 Brief Description Students analyze several classrooms at their school, interview teachers, research pets, and make informed recommendations about which pet is right for each classroom. Objectives Students will: identify teachers' pet requirements. research online a variety of classroom pets. apply what they learned to choose the best pet for a specific classroom. use their time wisely and work cooperatively with others.

Keywords pets, higher order thinking, web research Materials Needed pen and paper Internet access on one or more student computers projector or TV monitor on teacher computer (optional)

Lesson Plan This lesson requires students to analyze several classrooms at their school, interview teachers, research pets, and make informed recommendations on which pet is right for each classroom. Instead of traditional animal reports ("This is what a hamster eats."), students synthesize and apply information to determine the best pet for a particular classroom. Prior to the lesson, students should have some practice taking notes about what they read on the Web. They should be familiar with summarizing information and citing sources. You also should ask 5- 7 additional teachers to help you with this project by allowing a small group of students into their classrooms for a look-around and being available for a five question survey.

Begin a classroom discussion by asking students who have pets to raise their hands. Then ask students who do not have pets for some of the reasons why they don't. (Be careful not to push anyone to disclose anything if they don't want to.) List those answers on the chalkboard. Reasons might include, "We're not home to let a dog out throughout the day" or "My dad is allergic" or "Mom's afraid we won't give a pet as much attention as it would need." Share with students that those are some of the concerns that might prevent someone from owning a pet, or limit the type of pet they own. Ask them to imagine that they own their own business called ClassroomPets4You. This business helps teachers find the kind of pets best suited for different classrooms, or discover that they are better off without pets.

Next, go to Teachers Web Shelf's Hamster entry and read the information aloud. Using your mouse, highlight important facts about the hamster that might affect a teacher's decision to keep it in her or his classroom. Discuss those facts with the class. If you don't have a projector or TV monitor, print the hamster section and copy it for students to read along with you. That will help students visualize what kinds of facts they'll need to watch for in reading about pets. For example, hamsters, unlike fish, need fresh water and food daily, and can escape easily. Explain that a teacher who keeps a hamster will need to decide who feeds the hamster during holidays and how to keep the hamster from escaping.Teachers Web Shelf's Hamster entry

After reading about hamsters, ask students to share the top five things they would ask a teacher who was interested in keeping a classroom pet. Questions might include, "Do you or any of your students have allergies?" "Do you want a pet that can be picked up and petted?" "What will happen to your pet during the summer?" "Where in your classroom would you keep a pet?" Ask student to write down the top five questions. (Help them decide which five are best.) Ask students what they will look at in the classroom they visit. Is there a place for the pet that looks sunny? Too near the heater/air conditioner? Would the cage be too close to students' desks? Write down three things they should look for in the classroom.

Arrange students into 5-7 small groups of three to four students each, assign each group a classroom, and ask each group to appoint one student as note taker. Explain to students that they will visit the assigned classroom and speak to the teacher; then they will research pets on the Internet and decide which pet might be the best choice for that classroom. Each group then will return to your classroom and discuss what they saw, making some guesses as to what might be a good pet for that teacher to have. ("With Mrs. Johnson's fur allergy, I was thinking about a turtle, lizard, or fish. What do you think?")

Each group now will need computer time to research pets and make a final decision on the best pet. You can take the whole class to the lab, use laptops or tablets, or rotate groups on a classroom center (even one computer will work!). Send students to Classroom Pets and Animals Table of Contents and ask each group to spend 15 minutes looking through the entries. The goal is to find the pet they think would fit best with their assigned teacher's classroom.Classroom Pets and Animals Table of Contents

Finally, have each group write its recommendation to the assigned teacher. The recommendation -- which can be as simple as a handwritten note -- would list group members' names, identify their choice for a pet for that classroom, and include 2- 3 sentences explaining that choice. They also should list 2-3 pets that are not good choices (Explain that these pets also must be listed at the Web site visited, not animals like elephants or unicorns!), and write several sentences explaining why those would not be good choices. Each group then delivers its decision to the teacher, who will return the copy to you for grading.

Assessment Students will be graded on their ability to: manage their time and work in a group. assess the pet requirements of a teacher and the teacher's classroom. identify key characteristics of a specific species and use those characteristics to determine the pet that fits best with a teacher's classroom. Lesson Plan Source Education World Submitted By Lorrie Jackson

Phase 1: Rationale for Using Technology 1. The lesson topic or skill area is one that teachers often report difficulties teaching. NO 2. The technology-based lesson offers clear relative advantage over other ways of teaching the topic or skill. YES. The relative advantage is that students will get to practice taking notes on things they read from the internet, citing sources, and they get to learn how to usewww.classroompets4u.com. 3. The relative advantage seems sufficient to justify the extra expense and effort required to use the technology. YES.

Phase 2: Lesson Objective and Assessments 4. Objectives are clear statements of products and/or performances that students are required to do to demonstrate learning. YES 5. Student objectives reflect measures that are usually required for the topic/area or that makes sense as alternatives to those usually required. YES

Phase 2: Lesson Objective and Assessments 6. An assessment plan and instruments are given; assessment instruments are well designed. NO 7. There is a clear match between student objectives and assessments. YES

Phase 3: Technology Integrated Strategies 8. An individual approach or a grouping strategy for using the technology resources is specified and described. NO 9. The technology-based activities are essential to helping students accomplish the lesson objectives. YES 10. The lesson describes how teachers should prepare students to use technology resources before their work is graded. YES

Phase 3: Technology Integrated Strategies 11. The lesson timeframe seems logical to accomplish all the specified activities. UNCLEAR 12. Strategies are described for making sure all students (e.g., disabled, females, minorities) are included in learning activities. NO

Phase 4: Preparation Logistics 16. The lesson makes it clear how to protect students' privacy and safety while using technologies. NO 17. Teachers are likely to have skills required to implement the lesson. YES 18. The lesson describes a backup plan if technology resources are not available as planned. NO

Phase 4: Preparation Logistics 13. Required numbers and types of equipment and software/media copies are described. YES 14. The lesson makes it clear how long teachers and students will need access to technology resources. YES 15. Technology resources required to do the lesson are commonly available and not expensive. YES

Phase 5: Evaluation and Revision 19. There is evidence that the lesson has been field-tested and revised based on field test results. NO 20. There is evidence that the lesson has been used successfully in a classroom. NO

Summary Comments and Recommendations Phase 2: Improvements and clarifications to objectives and/or assessments: This lesson mentions assessment and what the students are being assessed on but it would be more useful for the students to have a rubric so they know how their mark is being broken down and the steps they need to take to be successful.

Summary Comments and Recommendations Phase 3: Improvements and clarifications to pedagogy and/or technology uses: This lesson is based on group work but should tell teachers how to make it into an individual assignment also. A working timeframe needs to be included. This lesson also needs to include strategies and modifications so that all students can complete the assignment successfully.

Summary Comments and Recommendations Phase 4: Improvements and clarifications to classroom preparation: This lesson needs to discuss what safety precautions to take to make sure students understand safety when using the internet. There also needs to be a backup plan included incase technology is not accessible.

Summary Comments and Recommendations Phase 5: Improvements and clarifications to field testing methods and/or reports: This lesson plan has no evidence whatsoever that it has been field tested, revised, or successful in any way. It should contain notes on what did or did not work, and ways to make the lesson more successful.

Chapter 3 Activity 3

Technology Integration Lesson Planning: The lesson is centered around the technology. The teacher has experience with geocaching and there will be a representative from the school district to teach the students about the GPS devices. The teacher does not, however, teach physical education regularly but has invited the regular physical education teacher along for support.

During this activity students learn how to mark waypoints and determine their latitude and longitude. The students also learn how to use the GO TO command to find a waypoint and receive a treasure as a reward. Assessment will involve anecdotal notes, teacher will collect and assess the worksheets Teacher will ensure that all equipment is in good working condition. The weather also plays a part in the use of the devices. If it is cloudy then the waypoints may be off a little. Teacher has an appointment with the district GPS representative a few days before the scheduled outing with the class. This will give the teacher an idea of the size and shape of the area. The GPS representative will also give a refresher course using the GPS devices and clarify any questions the teacher has.

It would be a good idea to discuss the activity with the class. Talk about what went well and what did not run as smoothly as desired. Teacher will have a session with other supervisors and get a feel of how the lesson went. Also, teacher will meet with the GPS representative and give him a chance to provide feedback.

This lesson is a good introductory level for geocaching beginners.