Summary
This lesson encompasses research, marketing, writing, and technology. The students research the planet where they will be trying to “sell” a house due to the fact that Earth is no longer a viable planet on which we can live. We started with doing research on each groups’ chosen planet, with the students generating questions that they wanted to learn more about. We then moved on to research about selling houses – done by visiting some realty sites to see how houses are marketed to be sold. The students learned about different applications on the computers that they can choose to use to showcase their planet research as well as their housing marketing ideas. They will present their research and marketing ideas to the rest of the class as well as a realtor (via Skype) and try to persuade their classmates to want to live in the house on the planet that they researched.
TIPC Ratings
Ideal:
Students construct their own questions to guide the research on their planets as well as what their house looks like. They had to choose which application would serve as the best presentation source for them to use, as well as deciding where to go for their research. All of their research had to be put together in a cohesive manner in order to fulfill the authentic task that they were given of marketing a house on another planet. Teacher facilitates the research process by providing them with an authentic task and assessing them as they work.
Approaching:
Students had to pick their own partners to work with and had to work together as a team figuring out who was going to do which part of the research for their activity. They practice using different technological skills individually, but work collaboratively on the project using their joint strengths. Students had to choose which technology would best communicate their ideas and collaborate to present the information. The teacher facilitated the work as students were engaged in meaningful communication and purposeful collaboration.
Ideal:
Students had to develop their own research questions regarding their planet as well as the house that they were going to sell on their planet. They had to problem-solve together with their partner to determine the best way to market their house to others. In having to determine which application that they used to market their planet and house as well as making the determination about what information to utilize or leave out, they had to think critically and really make a decision about how they needed to solve the task that was given to them. In addition, they had to utilize feedback from their peers in order to improve upon their project to make a formal presentation to an outside audience. The teacher facilitated the work as students were engaged in meaningful questioning, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Approaching:
Students had to come up with an innovative solution to a problem that may actually become reality someday (Earth becoming non-viable). They had to create an original, meaningful final product to share with the class as well as with an outside source that would allow them to showcase all of the good traits of the planet that they researched. The teacher facilitated the work as students were engaged in creativity and innovation.
Student Artifact
Earth is Dead – Come to Saturn Instead! from HCPS Instructional Technology on Vimeo.
