Melissa Nelson EDU 521 Fall 2010

First Grade Standards Whole Class KWLLearning Centers Small Groups Math : Determine and compare sets of pennies and dimes valued up to $1.00 Interactive Whiteboard Science 1.2: Living things have different structures and behaviors that allow them to meet their basic needs Podcast Social Studies 1.3: Students will recognize & understand the different elements of neighborhood Simulation Language Arts: Writing 77: Plan: generate ideas, e.g., brainstorm, sketch, web Writing Tools: Kidspiration

Interactive Whiteboard Activity for Counting Mixed Coins I will use an interactive whiteboard in a whole class lesson to teach students the concept of counting coins. I will use the infinite cloner feature to give students practice in counting mixed pennies and dimes. I will first set up a screen that has different sets of coins, and show students how to count them together. I will model counting the coins by showing students how to move all the dimes together, count by tens, and then add in the pennies counting up by one for each penny in the set. Then I will create a new set using the infinite cloner for each (or many) student(s) to have a chance to come up to the board and count a set of mixed dimes and pennies. I think this technology will be useful in this lesson because it is something the whole class will be able to easily see, and it is also something that the students can manipulate themselves. I will use real pictures of the coins to help students with recognition and identification. The infinite cloner will be very useful to create different sets of coins for students to count. The interactive whiteboard will allow students to move the mixed coins into place in the order in which they should be counted. I have done this in the past with real money, which may sound like a better, more “real” option, but it is difficult to get 100% participation from parents to send in the correct amount of each coin for students to use in the classroom, and it also becomes very loud and can be chaotic with students counting real coins at their desks. I think this will be a great alternative to the method I have used in the past, and I know it will be of high interest to students. I will assess student understanding along the way by having students assist me in counting the sets. Each student will at some point also have an independent turn to count a set of mixed coins. I will assess whether or not students have learned how to count mixed coins by evaluating their individual turns. I will take a screen shot of each student’s work, and I can have them write the numbers under the coins to show me how they counted, and also write the total amount they determine for the set. Back to Matrix

Podcast for Science I will use a podcast on hibernation as a way for students to learn about the topic. I will create a podcast on hibernation. Students will fill out the first two parts of a KWL chart, writing what they already know and what they want to know about hibernation. Students will then listen to the podcast independently or with a partner, and then complete the chart by filling in what they learned from the information in the podcast. A podcast will be useful in this lesson because it is often difficult to find informational text on the topics we study at all the various reading levels of the students. The podcast will be a way for all students to have access to the same information, and they will all be able to complete the assignment. I will assess student understanding along the way by checking the K and W before students listen to the podcast to be sure they are on the right track and are accessing their background knowledge in order to connect it to the information contained in the podcast. I will assess whether or not students have learned more about hibernation through the completion of the KWL chart and their written account of what they learned. If there are students who need more support with the task I will have students listen to the podcast again or work with a partner to talk about the things they heard in the podcast. Back to Matrix

Simulation for Social Studies I will use a neighborhood simulator to teach students the elements of a neighborhood. I will introduce the topic of neighborhoods in our maps and globes unit. The curriculum guide for this unit includes 3 different texts to read to the class to discuss the topics of neighborhoods. After reading the texts, I will create a list with the class of things they have noticed to be part of a neighborhood. Students will then use a neighborhood simulator (Build a Neighborhood) in learning centers with a partner to create a neighborhood of their own. Students will print out the neighborhood they create and present to the class what they included and why.Build a Neighborhood A simulator will be useful in this lesson because it will allow students to manipulate the different elements of a neighborhood, while learning about what elements make up a neighborhood and realizing that different neighborhoods can contain different elements. I will assess student understanding along the way by ensuring that I provide students with enough examples of what can be a neighborhood and discussing the elements of a neighborhood before asking them to create one on their own. I will assess whether or not students have learned the elements of a neighborhood by evaluating the neighborhood they create. I will also be able to see how deeply they have learned the concept through their presentation and explanation of the neighborhood they create with a partner. Back to Matrix

Kidspiration for Writing Process I will teach students how to use a writing tool to organize and plan their ideas for writing. I will teach students about Kidspiration as a small group lesson in the computer lab. I will use an interactive whiteboard to show students how to navigate through the program, and all the options they have and organizers they can use. I will model the process with a topic the students choose, and show them concrete examples for how they can generate ideas for their writing and organize the information before they start the writing. Kidspiration will be useful in this lesson because it allows students to choose different organizers to suit their independent needs and abilities. It will also be useful for students to get practice typing, which is something first-graders don’t usually do a lot of, but is an essential skill for them to have. I will assess student understanding along the way by supporting students through their first attempt at using Kidspiration to plan ideas for writing. Once students decide on their topic, I will continue to work with each small group and monitor as they are working, with the goal being that eventually students will be able to use the program independently each time they start to plan for a new topic in writing. I will assess whether or not students successfully used the program to plan their writing by evaluating the organizers they choose to use and the content they write. Students will print their completed organizers, and I will conference with each student to make sure they are staying focused on their topic and generating enough ideas to be able to create a piece of writing. Back to Matrix