Project Updates

Well, after spending quite a bit of time putting my pre-plan together last weekend, I now feel I have a much better idea of where I'm going with my project. Basically, my lesson, which is on Rocks and Minerals, will be taught through the use of a Smart Board. Students will participate in a scavenger hunt of sorts outside the school, looking for examples of rocks and minerals. They will then come back inside to participate in several activities centered around their findings. The main activity will involve the interactive whiteboard and a pre-designed program available to teachers on the BBC Schools website. Here they will virtually explore the different qualities of different rocks and minerals. Through the use of this program and the learning that will ensue, students will then "build" something using one of the highlighted rocks and minerals (I would like to leave the decision as to specifically what they use up to them, but I'm not sure yet). For example, a student might explore the usability of pumice to build a small structure representing a house. Another student will choose marble. Yet another will choose chalk, and so on. They will virtually design what they'll do using Microsoft Paint (or some similar user-friendly, age appropriate paint program) and then will attempt to build it using real rocks and minerals back in the classroom. Finally, students will be graded according to a rubric they had a say in at the beginning (this is a change I made last Tuesday night after listening to all of the benefits of handing over this power to the students). They will also be properly prepared for the summative 3rd Grade Science Benchmark Assessment given by the county.

I feel like I am more open to the changes I'll need to make to my plan in order to move it to the LoTi Level 4a that it needs to be. Handing over the decision making to my students, as well as giving them a say in what the project and rubric looks like, should ensure student success. I look forward to trying to make that happen.