 Our educational plan connects the essential parts of knowledge and how students learn by working together either in small, large groups, or individually.  Our educational design strives for students to gain knowledge through social interactions with their classmates and teacher  Our activities place students in situations in which they will have to work together to be able to develop social interactions which may lead to realization of many thoughts and gain knowledge mostly through experience but a small part with lectures  The teacher in our classroom is there to facilitate and set the assignments that will help students realize that there collaboration is extremely importance into the success of the whole class.  Students at certain ages are not able to understand in a way that could be productive to them and thus cannot be given the freedom to do what they please in a classroom; certain students learn at a different pace  Rousseau argued that the momentum for learning was provided by the growth of the person (nature) and that what the educator needed to do was to facilitate opportunities for learning.

 You will not only learn about what you can find in a rainforests such as animals and plants but also you will discover the history, the aspect, and how important the rainforests is to an individual.  The rainforests is a great topic due to its high potential for various concerns such as:  environmental injustice  deforestation of trees  extinction of plants and animals  destruction of cultures that once lived in rainforests and cultures that live there today  How rainforests affect the global climate

 Students will be able to appreciate the environment and value nature as a part of them.  Our vision of society in our education design attempts to eliminate any barriers of class, race and territorial factors that will allow students to interact with others and thus make them grasp a higher understanding of themselves and how the group they work with will make them reach a higher capacity for themselves and the group.  These social interactions and group activities will make our society essence in the classroom have equal learning opportunities to all thus making a democratic community within the classroom.

Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory  1. Social interaction  2. Scaffolding  3. FUN Enlightenment “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self- imposed immaturity.” —Kant Society & Individual  Society is made up of individuals w/ a common goal.  SOCIAL ORDER!  Individuals are unique.  Society differs w/ different cultures.  No education is “perfect.”  SATISFY SPECIFICS!

 Learn how to investigate and experiment through different activities  Learn about life sciences, habitats and ecosystems having to do with the Rainforest  Encouraged to be investigative through asking meaningful questions about the Rainforest  Gain a better knowledge of your identity through familiarizing yourself with a different environment  Learn about the different aspects of a Rainforest such as location, climate, what is needed for them to flourish, indigenous species (plant, animals, and people) and sustainable resources  Learn with a hands on approach and collaborate with other individuals  Learn how to answer questions such as:  How will you survive in the rainforest?  How will you make use of the Rainforest’s natural resources in your survival?  Learn how to share your knowledge with your peers

 We are expecting /assuming….  The students to be well nourished when they arrive (had breakfast already)  They are in good health so that they may stay attentive  That they will engage in the activities designed to teach them about the Rainforest  Them to be willing to go on a field trip to observe a model of a Rainforest  That they will be willing to share their knowledge with their peers  That will come with an enthusiasm to learn about a new environment and ecosystem other than the ones they are familiar with  They have access to computers and books to use as reference  Students will need to….  Ask meaningful questions  Be observant  Be able to work independently and in groups  Be comfortable enough to share their knowledge to their peers  Be able to be investigative  Students will be able to….  Think differently about their surroundings  Use their knowledge to investigate different environments  Gain an understanding of a new environment

 Observe.  See how the students respond & mark their progress.  Do they ask questions?  Do they discuss their material with their group members?  Assess.  Quizzes, writing activities, opportunities to share experiences, etc.

 Through our various activities we wish to implement different standards and methods in which the educational practice provided would be necessary to act with the nature of social life.  Day 1:  Students will learn about the different aspects of the rainforests through the opening part of class when the teacher gives a lecture. We aim for students to gain a starting understanding and prepare them for what is to come through the next few days  In “classifying animals by their properties” students will be expected to research about animals and complete a page about different types of animals. This activity will make students realize the rainforests environment and create a concern on the extinction of various animals.  Students will watch a documentary that will allow them to make a judgment on how people’s actions impact the rainforests environment. We aim for students to also gain a special understanding of activist such as Chico Mendes and what his contributions where to the deforestation of the Amazon.

 Day 2:  Students will be on a fieldtrip to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The purpose for this fieldtrip is for students to gain an insightful information about the rainforests and through the experience of being in the museum There, the students will be given a worksheet that will allow the students to take note of their plant, animal and environment observations for future class activity the next day.  Day 3:  Students will work together in different groups to form an imaginary community in which the main focus is to survive in the rainforest. The aim of this activity is for students to interact with each other and share thoughts but most importantly work together to be able to survive in a rainforests environment. Students will share their ideas and record them in their assignment worksheet “surviving in the tropical forests”.

 The teacher will be a guide to the students by explaining instructions and being on hand to assist  Students will learn through a socio-cultural process:  In some of the activities the teacher will demonstrate and the students will attempt it through imitation  They will work independently  They will work with peers and the guidance of the teacher  They will also learn through observation of the teacher, peers, and the actual Rainforest exhibit  The relation of this method is from Vygotsky’s socio-culture theory and his use of ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development)  What the student can do with and without help  Three ways an individual learns  The method is also related to Dewey and Rousseau  Students gain knowledge through social interactions  Students momentum is provided through their growth  Limiting their familiarization with English  Spanish speakers working with other Spanish speakers  Not preparing for the state’s standard of learning  State teaches learning through standardized tests to measure knowledge

 8:30-3:30 = 7 hours  Snacks, lunch, lectures, individual research, group work, social interaction, learning goals, field trips, obstacle course…  ARC— familiarizing yourself w/ rainforest  see one for yourself (kind of), make more observations, learn more  put all your knowledge to the test!  Interdisciplinary  Connections… revelations… epiphanies…

 What it does: 1. Provide a friendly classroom environment 2. Activities done focus on group work 3. Makes them use technology and use their research skills 4. Students make decisions that will effect the outcome of the activity 5. Through group work esl students will practice their language skills 6. Give students a sense of control in their education  What are the limitations: 1. Do not provide a lot of focus in different subjects 2. Difficulty in keeping every student interested in the subject since it is only about rainforests 3. Some students will understand the material at a faster rate than others depending on their character 4. Not being able to measure the knowledge gained since we have no testing and grading 5. Too much control of students might disrupt the classroom setting