Technology Integrated Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan Title		 Categorizing Plant Species
Developed by Ann Hegge  (Cooperating Teacher) and Jennifer Stange (Student Teacher)
Subject Area Science
Topic Plants
Grade Level 3-5
Lesson Summary     The students will use the categorization of plant species to create a presentation in which they create systems to arrange plants in a plant shop.  They are to play the part of the workers of the shop and they will be addressing an audience of local gardeners and owners of other plant shops.  The report needs to be supported by research from books and the Internet, and must have a visual component, which could include a short slide show presentation, graphic organizers, or posters.
Standards National Content Standards
Science Standards (K-4)
Content Standard C: Life Science
C1: The characteristics of organisms
National Educational Technology Standards
1.  Use keyboards and other common input and output devices) including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively.
5.  Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
Lesson Objectives Upon completion of instruction, the students will have:
  1. Designed their own classification systems based on prior knowledge of vascular plants.
  2. Used knowledge of the structure and function of plants to classify them into their classification system.
Assessment
  1. Students will explain their classification system.
  2. The presentation will be evaluated against criteria on rubrics for the team and individual accomplishments.
Technology to be Used Multimedia presentation software, digital camera, scanner, graphical applications, word processing, video camera, Internet
Web sites:
http://plants.usda.gov/   (Choose Classification and type in Vascular)
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/gallery.htm
http://www.albion.edu/plants
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/browse.asp  (Click on plant name and then image tab on top)
Other Materials Pictures from magazines, books about plants, poster materials, reference materials
Procedural Activities
  1. Introduce project to the students.
  2. Divide students into groups.
  3. Use magazine picture of vascular plants to create unique classification systems.  Classify those plants using the Internet and other reference books.
  4. Write an explanation of their classification system and share it with the class to describe how their classification system works.
  5. Brainstorm options for the presentations.
  6. Plan the presentation in small groups.  Compile a list of materials needed.
  7. Work on presentations.
  8. Share presentation with the class.

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