Unit Portfolio PresentationUnit Portfolio PresentationKate Yaun Kate Yaun

Kathy KellnerKathy Kellner

Unit SummaryUnit SummaryThe Great Bean Race is on! Compete with The Great Bean Race is on! Compete with classrooms from other regions to see classrooms from other regions to see which collaborative team can grow the which collaborative team can grow the tallest bean plant. Controlling for certain tallest bean plant. Controlling for certain variables (including growth time and bean variables (including growth time and bean seeds), seven or eight teams in each seeds), seven or eight teams in each classroom design and conduct a classroom design and conduct a controlled bean-plant experiment to controlled bean-plant experiment to investigate ideal conditions for growth. investigate ideal conditions for growth. Students synthesize bean-plant Students synthesize bean-plant information into a newsletter that information into a newsletter that describes the project, their group bean describes the project, their group bean plan, and facts about beans.plan, and facts about beans.

Curriculum-Framing QuestionsCurriculum-Framing Questions Essential Question Essential Question

Are all living things relatedAre all living things related?? Unit QuestionsUnit Questions

How do living things grow in different ways?How do living things grow in different ways? How can I manipulate technology to document a life cycle?How can I manipulate technology to document a life cycle? How do they compare to one another?How do they compare to one another? Content QuestionsContent Questions What is a life cycle of a butterfly?What is a life cycle of a butterfly? What is the life cycle of a frog?What is the life cycle of a frog? What is the life cycle of a dragonfly?What is the life cycle of a dragonfly? How do sea turtles grow and change?How do sea turtles grow and change? What can be used to measure the life cycle?What can be used to measure the life cycle? How much time does a life cycle take?How much time does a life cycle take?

Bean Race ProjectBean Race Project

This project will help my students This project will help my students develop 21develop 21stst century skills by: century skills by:

• Collaborating with peers.• Analyzing data about lifecycles and being able to

present them to a selected audience.• Communicating with others in a newsletter.

Gauging Student Needs Gauging Student Needs AssessmentAssessment

Purpose of the AssessmentTo gather information about what students already know and what they wonder about growing plants. What I want to learn from my students?I want to find out what they already know about the Unit Questions and what they know about setting up experiments.How I have tried to promote higher-order thinking?I ask students to find relationships and draw conclusions about growing plants.How the assessment information helps me and my students plan for upcoming activities in the unit?If students have misconceptions about how to set up experiments, I can provide scaffolds. If students have different levels of understanding about the importance of plants, I can provide various resources. We will revisit this assessment throughout the unit for students to add their knowledge.What feedback or additional ideas I’d like?I would like help on my assessment. I think I need to elicit more higher-order thinking, but I’m not sure how.

Gauging Needs Assessment

Find ways to get my students more Find ways to get my students more interested in learning scienceinterested in learning science

Learn about different kinds of Learn about different kinds of technology my students and I can technology my students and I can useuse

My Goals for the CourseMy Goals for the Course

Goals for My Students Goals for My Students

Work together to create a presentation Work together to create a presentation appropriate for a selected audience. appropriate for a selected audience.

Gather, analyze, organize, reflect, and Gather, analyze, organize, reflect, and process information about a specific life process information about a specific life cycle. cycle.

Compare data about selected life cycles Compare data about selected life cycles with other students, through graphic with other students, through graphic organizers, charts or other visual aids. organizers, charts or other visual aids.

Make connections between themselves, Make connections between themselves, and the lifecycles of other organisms in our and the lifecycles of other organisms in our world. world.

Request for FeedbackRequest for Feedback

Places I could find a classroom in a Places I could find a classroom in a different climate for my students to different climate for my students to work withwork with

Ideas for helping students take more Ideas for helping students take more responsibility for their own learningresponsibility for their own learning