Major Learning Activities

As of September 30, 2005, the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium is no longer in operation.

Major Learning Activities

Activity One: Introduction and Brainstorming (1-2 class periods)

The introductory, brainstorming activity should focus students on what we know about wetland ecosystems and what kinds of problems are related to local wetland regions. The activity will guide development of an open-ended question by each student work team. For example, How can we continue to build roads in the county and yet stop wetland destruction? Should new laws be passed to protect wetlands in the county? How can the county continue to grow in population without destroying wetland regions? Is it really necessary to protect wetland ecosystems here in our county?

Materials needed:
Computer; large-screen monitor; Internet access; images of wetland regions from The Amazing Picture Machine; images of land uses, such as farming, industry, housing, roadways, landfills, and recreation; images of visible pollution.

Class arrangement:
Place students in cooperative (formal task) teams of no more than 4 or 5. These groups will remain together throughout the unit. First share the images with the whole class, then allow time for the small groups to discuss the images, make observations, and brainstorm.

Learning objectives:
Student will be able to:

Identify components of a wetland ecosystem (e.g., soil, plants, animals, water).
Compare/contrast biological and physical factors in the wetland system.

Assessment:
Have students complete the Observation Form and begin the KWHL activity by indicating what they know and what they want to learn. Then, have students use the T-Chart graphic organizer to compare biological and physical factors.

Activity Two: Research (One week for investigation/research, plus one day for a field trip to gather primary data at local wetland preserve)

Have student teams research the open-ended questions they identified in order to identify possible solutions that they will present to the class in a multimedia presentation. Use the images during the research portion of the unit as one of many sources to gather data related to the questions each team has chosen to guide their research. In addition, have students collect artifacts, notes, personal reflections throughout the unit-from the brainstorming activity to the final multimedia presentation-in a folder. At the end of the unit, you will ask them to select and present some of these items in a portfolio of their work.

The portfolio should include:

At least two journal entries describing research activities
At least two journal entries describing planning activities for the multimedia presentation
Personal reflections on what they learned, problems they encountered, and how well their group worked together
Two to four artifacts (e.g., samples of their work in progress or materials they collected during their research for their multimedia presentation)
Three "back-burner" artifacts (preferably the finished products; see below for a description of the back-burner projects) in the form of recordings of oral or musical presentations, 3-D models, write ups of lab experiments, etc.

When they hand in their portfolios, students should also include an explanation of why they included each item.

Materials needed:
Traditional and electronic resources, such as books, magazines, pamphlets, newspaper articles, CD-ROM reference software, Internet access, and computer stations.

Class arrangement:
Ask each team to create a schedule to rotate team members through four investigation centers: the school library, a computer/CD-ROM station, a computer/Internet station, and classroom resource corner that houses pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, etc. Ask each student to keep a journal of the data he/she has gathered to help answer the question the team has generated.

Learning objectives:
Students will:

Understand land use changes in the region since its founding.
Demonstrate observation skills during the data-gathering process.
Use multiple resources-including graphics, text, charts, and maps-to gather data.
Use equipment appropriately-including technology-during investigation process.

Assessment:

Ask students to keep a journal for recording data they obtain from viewing pictures, videos, charts, and maps. The journal also should include notes taken from text sources (including a complete citation for each source) on how the use of the land has change. Your assessment of the journal should be based on the number and type of sources cited as well as the information obtained from these sources.
Create a checklist to assess students' proper use of lab equipment while at the wetland preserve (e.g., field microscope, binoculars, scoop net, magnify glass, digital camera) and in the classroom (e.g., computer with CD-ROM and Internet access, electronic card catalog, etc.).
The "Team Data Mobile" is a tool to assess the information gathered by each team. Hang cards containing the questions selected by each team. Then, ask each team member to select a color and shape of paper to represent their contributions to their team's mobile. As the students gather information, ask them to record their data on the colored slips of paper and hang them from their team's mobile. The growth of the mobiles represents the students' growing knowledge base, and the distribution of colors represents each student's contribution to that knowledge base. Score the mobiles using the rubric described later. After the teams complete their mobiles, they can use the data they have gathered in multimedia presentations to support the solutions they propose.

Activity Three: Multimedia Presentations (One to two weeks)

Have each team create a multimedia presentation that presents their question, provides the information they have gathered, and offers a solution to the question. In this portion of the unit, the images should be used to enhance their presentations and teach their audience.

Materials needed:
Computers (one per team), large-screen projector for the computer, and multimedia software, such as HyperStudio.

Class arrangement:
Have each student select three "back-burner" activities from a list of choices you provide. As the students complete these activities, have them create a portfolio documenting what they have learned about the wetlands and reflecting on their learning process. In addition, have each team create a rotation schedule so that two students from each team work as partners at the computer station while the rest of the team plans their multimedia presentation (using HyperStudio) and works on "back-burner" activities.

Learning objectives:
Students should be able to:

Analyze data and draw conclusions from a given set of information.
Describe the interrelationship of biological and physical factors in a presentation.
Exhibit the ability to use technology in creating a final product.

Assessment:

Have students score their own multimedia product based on accuracy and logical use of data to support their solutions. Next, ask them to score their peers' products using the same criteria. Finally, score the multimedia products yourself.
Have students select and submit items from their portfolios, including at least two daily journal entries, planning notes, and personal reflections. Use a rubric/scorecard to rate the materials on completeness and accuracy of information.

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