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Research and Information Fluency was not an focus of this lesson

Approaching:  The students had to work with students from a different block.  They used google docs presentation and shared this document with each other and the teacher.  The students created parts of the whole project.  For example on the students from Block 1 may create the image dealing with line segments, arcs and degrees of the angle.  The students in Block 4 would solve the problem and provide the written dialog for that slide.  These roles varied per slide and the students were constantly review each others work and process.

Approaching:  The groups created their own problems and images to support the problems.  With the collaboration between block students had to justify their answers and images with the entire group.  Adding in the images found online and or a picture they took allowed the student to move beyond just drawing and creating their own problems and some connection to real world problems and objects.

Approaching:  The students created their own review guide that covered the 12 theorems covered in the circles chapter.  The students had the opportunity to collaborate and apply critical thinking skills to solve this extensive project.  Students were able to  exercise their creativity in the problem creation even though they used google doc for the presentation.

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Approaching – Students created a google doc and shared with their group and teacher.  The group organized their information in tables outlining their questions, and any information they researched specific to their questions.  Students documented their sites.

Approaching – Teacher challenged the students to create their own Algebra review problems.  Some of the problems needed to be real world problems.  Students established roles and responsibilities in their group.  Initial research and problems were developed and share in google docs.  These were also shared with the teachers.

Approaching – Students had to generate their own problems.  The requirement of type and how many were outlined in the rubric.  A number of the problems were real world problems.  Students had to create, solve and demonstrate how to solve the problems.  Some of the problems also included various images.

Approaching – Students created a SOL review project.  They had free choice of the tools they used and how they presented it to the class.  The students used the information they researched to create real world problems and displayed them in a meaningful creative way.

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IDEAL/TARGET – Students used various search techniques to answer their developed questions (including google advanced search).  Their information was cited, organized, and displayed in a shared google doc.  This information was later used in the students final report.

IDEAL/TARGET – Students worked collaboratively and communicated in a variety of different ways.  Google docs was used effectively for both.  Roles and responsibilities with norms were established as they address their task.

APPROACHING – Students had to solve the mystery.  During this process of researching, analysis of data, the student groups had to problem solve and justify their decisions.  This was evident in the final report presented by the groups.

IDEAL/TARGET – Students created a final report (their choice of tool) containing their detailed steps on how the analyzed the evidence, eliminated suspects and a final recommendation of who should be charge with the crime and why.

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Students were guided through the Van Allsburg web site to investigate the strategies Chris Van Allsburg utilized for creative writing, drawing, and inference on moral lessons. Emphasis was modeled on his imagery writing and his inference for students to acquire and evaluate imagery; and inferred themes. These strategies were selected to challenge students to synthesize and create their own imagery character, setting and themes using Van Allsburg’s style of writing after the research. Examples were provided for each element and discussed thoroughly. In the research process, the teacher assessed groups to ensure information was interactive.

Students:
After the student-formed collaborative groups read and evaluated the books, groups assembled and organized the stories key elements to garner information. Students used problem-solving techniques to select appropriate information as they researched and assembled the information for the key elements in characters and settings and inferred themes. Students completed the task as they choose appropriate digital tools to display their information. Once students began the brainstorming, groups applied the information collected to create their own imagery for a new character, setting and theme.

Students organized teams and group roles to communicate and collaborate with peers using digital tools as they evaluated stories and garnered information for key elements in the Van Allsburg stories. The groups were able to discuss with their peers, ideas both for the setting, theme and characters as they practiced these new techniques. During research, each team had students who read the story while one person typed as the students discussed the key elements in the story. The groups continued to work together as they brainstormed their ideas for the imagery characters, setting and morals for their new stories. Students used their choice of digital tools such as Google Docs or Google Power Points for collaboration

Students used higher order thinking to transfer their prior and new knowledge to design their own characters, setting and themes from the images and quotes from Holman Middle School. The lesson was set to model a range of approaching critical thinking for problem solving as students read the Van Allsburg books and identified the key elements of Van Allsburg’s style within the books. Students used critical thinking and decision making as they brainstormed for new stories using a new style of writing.

Students at the beginning of the lesson analyzed the key elements and made predictions based on the Van Allsburg stories that led students to create their own original short stories. Using Van Allsburg’s inspiration of his style of writing; students continued to self-generate new ideas for a setting, character and them. As students self-generated idea in pairs, the work began to take on new meaning depending on the ability of the student. Taking all the key elements and creating new ideas in collaboration with other peers’ work took the assignment into new parameters from analyzing and evaluating to creativity and innovation. Students began to reflect on the difficulty of creativity and innovative process of not only writing new stories but developing a new style from a famous author.

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Approaching: Students had to make their own connection between the parts of their city and the parts of the cell. They were given the freedom to select the most appropriate digital tools and information sources. The student groups initially used Google Earth to explore the design, land features, and structures found in their city. They collected their research and organized it into a google doc. Following teacher comments inserted into the shared document, students refined their research as needed.

Students selected their own partners and digital tools to communicate and collaborate. They organized their roles within the group to gather research and share with on another whether at school or at home through the use of Google Docs. Most groups also selected a media tool that all members could collaborate .

Approaching: Students had to determine how to compare the parts of a cell to the city they selected based off their research. Digital tools were applied to think critically and solve a task that involved higher order thinking skills.

Approaching: Students created meaningful, original work within the guidelines set forth by the teacher. Students were very creative in comparing the parts/functions of their city to the parts/functions of the cell

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IDEAL/TARGET: Students collaborated in groups to develop essential questions. A google form was used to collected these essential questions. Research gathered was collected and displayed in their groups through a variety of google docs. Students also participated in a BrainPop lesson and used an “Online Source Evaluator”.

Approaching: Students established groups based on interest. Each group established and organized roles to address their authentic task and the tool they used. Students and teachers used various digital tools to facilitate collaboration. The top projects will be shared with the entire sixth grade. The top projects voted on by the 6th grade students will be selected to be presented to the students at Donahoe Elementary School

Approaching: Students generated the initial purposeful questions. These were refined and their final project developed. Students made decisions and justified them. Students also applied digital tools to solve their authentic tasks.

Students created meaningful, original work within the assignment parameters. The presentations were inspired by an authentic task. Student works submitted included puppet show, video, powerpoint, goanimate, word search, poster, digital book, song/rap, prezi, ActivInspire

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IDEAL/TARGET: Students were allowed to select, research, and write about an event of their choice using the method most appropriate given their topic. For students who were writing about current events, they selected websites and databases. Some students were writing about popular book series and were rereading passages from the novels during the research process. Although they were not using a chart to officially list and record the answers to their questions, students did generate their own questions and research answers throughout this process.

IDEAL/TARGET: The goal of this project was to create a web presence that would communicate the wants and values of their generation with those who come after them. Students selected their own groups for this project and communicated with each other both inside and outside the classroom using Google Docs and Schoolspace. Through the reflection process, students were able to assess their own contributions to the project as well as their group members. Their reflection responses were incorporated on the Collaboration and Reflection rubric.

IDEAL/TARGET: In the beginning of this project, students were answering teacher-directed questions, but as the project progressed, they began asking and answering their own questions using higher-order thinking skills. Students were not told how to complete this project; rather, the assignment was open-ended, giving students choices in how best to accomplish the goal. In the reflection part of the project, students answered open ended questions explaining the thought process behind the creation of their project. This reflection was part of Collaboration and Reflection rubric.

IDEAL/TARGET: Students had to apply what they learned about ballads and the way authors gain inspiration from their culture and personal experiences to create their own ballad that revealed an insight into their own culture. Once the ballad was created, students were free to use their choice of a technology tool that would enable them to share their work on the web. In the reflection, students were given an opportunity to reflect on what they learned as well as identify future goals for themselves.

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Approaching- Teacher models strategies to guide student research by sharing her photo presentation, showing how she found and put together her collection of photos. The teacher creates challenges that promote synthesis of resources to address an authentic task and supports students as they acquire, evaluate, and apply information. Students select the most appropriate digital tools and information sources. They assemble and organize information to address an authentic task.

Approaching: The teacher models a range of communication methods and digital tools. She designs challenges that promote collaboration within and beyond the classroom to address an authentic task. She teaches students how to collaborate purposefully without direct supervision. In addition, during the beginning presentation of photos of Spain, the teacher shared photographs sent to her by a friend who is a native Spaniard, a former VIF teacher from Henrico County.

The students select appropriate digital tools to communicate and collaborate with peers and experts, regardless of time zone or physical distances. They reflect on their roles as communicators and collaborators and set goals for future growth. For privacy reasons, these personal photographs were only shared with the students in class and not attached to this Henrico 21 lesson plan. The students were excited to know that their presentations would be shared with the teacher who lives in Spain and were looking forward to receiving similar photo presentations from that teacher’s students who are studying English in Jaén, Spain.

Approaching: The teacher facilitates and formatively assesses authentic tasks where students are engaged in meaningful questioning, critical thinking and problem solving. The critical thinking that the students are engaging in is related to technology; there are many planning steps involved in choosing the pictures, planning their poses, and then problem solving to make the photos seem realistic. They experience trial and error and practice anticipating how certain angles and positions in front of the green screen affect their final product. Students are learning to hone their crititcal thinking skills related to manipulating photographs and this skill will be beneficial to them no matter what career they end up pursuing.

The teacher develops, facilitates and assesses a learning environment where students are engaged in
creativity and innovation. The students find the green screen work to be delightful since what they are doing taps into their innate desire to create something that says who they are and that reflects their best work to be shared with others. The students synthesize existing and self-generated knowledge to create new ideas and products within and beyond assignment parameters. They also reflect on the creative/innovative process and set goals for future growth.

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IDEAL/TARGET: Students select appropriate digital tools, evaluate, and utilize information; apply varied research skills to find and evaluate resources; use information and resources to accomplish real-world tasks. The real-world tasks include: synthesizing information, deciphering how to portray persuasive techniques, using resources to create authentic artifacts (magazine ad, radio commercial, tv commercials). The resources were print (magazines, newspapers, photography) and non-print resources (Xtranormal, GoAnimate, MovieMaker, PowerPoint, Google Images, Sounds Effects, etc.). Students use feedback from peers and teachers to improve advertisements before presenting to advertising, sales, and marketing professionals.

IDEAL/TARGET: Students communicate and collaborate with peers; form collaborative teams to solve real-world problems (Media literacy, collaboration and create original works). Students make commercials/advertisements to sell products to chosen audience. Many students help other groups with technical issues as they arise, and teams earn money based on how they help others (software technician, acting assistance, production/camera assistance, etc.). Students communicate within their team and with the class as a whole as they present and receive feedback in real (whole-class discussion) and non-real time (Googledocs feedback forms/surveys). Students effectively communicate beyond the classroom by inviting advertising, sales, and marketing professionals from the local community to interact and provide feedback. (These experts have been invited in and will review the presentations with the students at a later date.)

IDEAL/TARGET: Students are required to apply critical thinking skills as they make decisions about which resources they should use to plan, design, and create the commercials to be shared with their chosen audience. Students create a business plan that asks individuals within a team to work independently and then come together to mesh all ideas to create the most effective ad. During the presentation stage of the lesson, all students are asked to think critically about each team’s production both with a rubric and through open-ended whole-class discussion. Students built confidence in explaining to the class why they made the creative choices they did, and the class in-turn is able to make suggestions for how to improve each team’s product advertisement. The comments are available for students to reference as they make final changes before presenting to local advertising, sales, and marketing professionals.

Within each class, many original commercials are created by diverse individuals with different opinions and personalities. Yet within each team, these students work together from the brainstorm stage to the final publishing stage by applying communication skills, design/layout skills, editing/revision skills, and technology skills (bringing all elements of the design together into one final product). Students make creative decisions as far as which product to advertise, how to apply the persuasive techniques effectively, and how to work together to accomplish an authentic, real-world goal. In addition to a numerical grade, students also earn money depending on how they helped other groups produce their advertisements and the actual grade the team received for the work they did (grade=certain amount of money). Among some of the ways students help each other include : students providing technical support for many different programs, acting as cameraman/photographer, or offering their acting skills to help other groups. These opportunities for helping others while earning money add to the simulated real-world feel of this lesson

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Ideal:Students select appropriate digital tools, evaluate, and utilize information; apply varied research skills to find and evaluate resources; use information and resources to accomplish real-world tasks. The real-world tasks include: research, synthesizing information, deciphering which source is credible and reliable. The resources were print (magazines, journals, books, newspapers) and non-print resources (eBooks, YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Google, Wikipedia, and various websites).

Ideal: Students initiate communication in real and non-real time; communicate and collaborate with learners of diverse cultural backgrounds; form collaborative teams to solve real-world problems {(digital literacy, collaboration in real time (ie. Elluminate) and non-real time (ie. Discussion Boards, Community Group)} , and create both extemporaneous and scripted speech for presentation to an audience.

Ideal: Students are required to apply critical thinking skills as they make decisions about the reliability of sources, the myriad of sources to choose from, and effectiveness of the sources. Students are able to choose the research methods and the communication tools to create an original extemporaneous and scripted speech. In addition, the students will collaborate effectively beyond the regular classroom using such tools as Elluminate, Discussion Boards, Google Docs, and TypeWith.me among others.

Ideal:Students researched and prepared their extemporaneous and scripted speeches both individually and as groups. Groups used Googledocs to communicate in real and non-real time with off-site partners. Groups practiced their speeches in the classroom, as well as the process of a debate, and evaluated each group member using various methods (whole class discussion, Googledocs, edmodo, and SchoolSpace discussion boards). On the day of the debate, students from the Three Chopt district took a field trip to come together with their off-site group members located in the Fairfield district. The students in the Fairfield district acted as host on the day of the debate. All of the students presented their research in the auditorium of the host school, and faculty members of the host school participated in evaluating the outcome of each debate. Students in the audience evaluated each group’s arguments and rebuttals and then used a rubric to score the group’s outcome, ultimately determining the strongest argument of the debate.