Lesson+2

Lesson #2

Finding Different Landforms and Systems on Earth In this lesson we will use a digital story book to identify and map out locations of some of the landforms and different systems that we defined in our first lesson of this Unit.

The Assignment : We will use a Web 2.0 tool called PhotoPeach to create a digital story book of pictures that are examples of the words we defined in lesson 1 of this Unit. Each student will choose 3 different landforms or Earth systems to research and find pictures about. Next the students will create a digital story book using those photos. Each of the 3 choices must have at least one picture of the landscape of system, one picture of a map of the landform or what part of the world this system affected (i.e. Hurricane Katrina and the Southern United States), and lastly there must be at least one picture that gives educational understanding of the word (i.e. a picture detailing each part of the water system and showing how it works). The students must then post this digital story book to the Classroom website and any other information that the student might think is important to learning. The students can also post encouragement to other students about their digital story books to promote use and understanding of this site. For an example of the digital story book please visit the Classroom website to see the example I put together, and the example of other guidelines for to the website.

The Materials: You will need, a computer, the internet and a search engine like google images, an email address or parents email address, the words defined in the last lesson, access and an account with PhotoPeach, access to the classroom website MrsMeyersClassroom.pen.io/edit, the class Website password ( Learning) , and a great attitude!

﻿The Technological Aspects: The students will be able to gain a better insight to the many different ways that they can use the image search engines to find pictures. Before students would not be able to pair both pictures and maps instantly to gain better insight to the words we are defining and with the use of PhotoPeach they can no compare these two things instantly. The students will also be able to learn how to collaborate on the class Website by adding their own information and commenting on their peers additions as well. Before the students would have had to find time to meet or been allotted time to meet with their classmates at school. Now using the Website and digital story books, the students can share information and promote learning instantly to one another over any distance. This will help them build skills that they will use later in life as the global world gets more inter connected through technology. In the future they can use these basic concepts to create business plans with partners scattered across the globe.

My Evaluation of the Lesson After it has Been Completed:  I might need to assign specifically the words being used so that every child does not make a digital story book for volcanoes but no one makes one for tsunami's. That way the classroom website can be more balanced and can be used as source for non-repeated information. I might want to add more instruction of guidelines for the students to follow as far as finding their pictures and maps, because some students may need more structure. It would also be helpful to send out a letter to parents so that they understand why their student is accessing the internet and what they are using a email address for.

My Concerns: Some students might use this time with the school laptops inappropriately, and try to play games instead of working. There may also be students who do not use the classroom website appropriately and may need to be talked to about the way that we treat people and how we behave on a school website. I am also worried that the process of setting up a accounts for each individual student might take excess amounts of time and make it impossible to finish this lesson in one allotted 45 minute lesson.