This lesson is for : Grade 1:
Summary
First grade students at Fair Oaks Elementary completed a Virginia animal research project this fall. The students were given the opportunity to select an animal native to Virginia. The first day of this project started with the students using the research database PebbleGo to locate and identify various facts such as food, habitat, body coverings and shelter pertaining to their animal. This helped to develop background knowledge for a scheduled field trip to Maymont park where these specific animals reside. While researching, the students completed a script to guide them when recording their videos using Dell WebCam Central. After completing their recordings the students, with teacher guidance, uploaded their videos to Vimeo, linked their recording to a QR code and personalized their QR code by choosing their favorite color. Students were encouraged to select bright colors that would be easily noticed at Maymont Park. Finally, after the research and video creation was complete it was field trip day. The students travelled to Maymont Park to visit these animals. Students first located their specific animal and placed their QR code in close proximity to their animal. The remainder of the day was spent traveling through the park, visiting various animals and locating their peers QR codes. When these codes were located students used their classroom iPads and parents iPhones to view their peers videos. All QR codes were left at the park for a few days for future visitors to be able to enjoy.
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students were introduced to the graphic organizer that would accompany their research. This helped to activate prior knowledge and focus on the authentic task at hand. Students then spent time researching their animal using the database PebbleGo. During their research students were able to navigate the database using the appropriate tools such as specific icons, audio features and subject tabs.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: The students communicated and collaborated via video recordings of their research and with teacher guidance created QR codes. Furthermore students continued collaboration on their field trip day by sharing their videos with their classmates and leaving the QR codes at Maymont for other visitors to utilize.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Entry – Explanation: Critical thinking and problem solving proved to be at an entry level on the TIP chart. We found this to be the case based on developmental levels of the students, the time of year (early fall), and the lack of reflection allotted for this lesson. Students were not given the opportunity to generate questions but responded to teacher initiated questions. A self reflection piece would allow for more critical thinking opportunities and their role as a problem solver to deepen.
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Entry – Explanation: The students were able to complete tasks based solely on their teacher’s directions. The students were able to create a teacher guided project. When reflecting on this lesson as a whole more creativity and innovation would have been evident had students been given more choice and opportunities to reflect on their learning. We also feel that this project would prove more inclusive of creativity, critical thinking and reflection if conducted later in the year.
Lesson Materials
