EllaPortteus

AbbyDay
EDCI270

PollutionandRecycling

Objective

Ourobjectiveistoteachalessonaboutpollutionandrecycling.Wewillteach
studentshowpollutionaffectstheenvironment,likeplants,animals,and
humans,andhowrecyclingisgoodfortheenvironment.Studentswillknowthe
definitionofrecycling,howitaffectstheenvironment,andhowtheycanhelp
sustaintheenvironmentandcutdownonpollution.

Descriptionof
Learners

Learning
Environment

LearningGoals

DescriptionofLearners:5thand6thgradersintheCollegeforMentorsfor
Kids(CMFK)Program.Thesestudentsareconsideredatriskchildren
needinginspirationtofurthertheireducation.Therewillbe1520students.

LearningEnvironment:Thelessonwillbepartlyoutsideandpartlyinside.
TheCMFKwillmeetoutsideofPurdueMemorialUnionforthefirstpartofthe
lesson.ThenthestudentswillwalktoHickslibrarytoparticipateintherestof
thelesson.

LearningGoal:Bytheendofthelesson,studentswillknowtheimportanceof
recyclingandhowtocutbackonpollution.

LessonContent

PowerpointPresentation:Thecontentgivesstudentsreallifeexamplesabout
howpollutionisharmfulandhowitcouldaffectthemandtheirfamilies
personally.Thereisalsocontentonhowtheycanreducepollutionbydoing
theirpartasresponsiblecitizensandrecycle.

Procedures&
Assessment

Step1)TakestudentsoutsidenearPurdueMemorialUnionwiththeircollege
mentorbuddy.Havethestudentscollectthefallenleavesonthegroundtobe
usedlater.Thisshouldtakeabout10minutesofclasstime.Duringthistime
havethestudentsbuddysaskquestionsabouttheenvironment.Questions
like,Whatanimalssurvivehere?,Whatdotheyeat?.Doyounoticeany
pollutionaroundthisarea?

Step2)BringstudentstoHickUndergroundLibraryfortherestoftheSTEM
activity.Whenstudentsandtheirbuddyhaveaseatinoneoftheclassrooms
atHicks,givethemmaterialstomakearainbowpicturewiththeleavesthey
collected.Givethestudentssometimetotogetstartedbeforemovingon.

Step3)Whilestudentsarestillworkingontheirleafprojectsgetstartedona
briefpowerpointpresentationaboutpollutionandrecycling.Allowtimefor
questions.Allowclassroomdiscussiontimeandtalkaboutwhatthestudents
observedduringtheiroutsideactivity.1015min

Step4)1015minutes:PlayaGamewiththestudentscalled:

SquirrelsandRobbers

BeforebeginningthegametheBuddiesshouldgatherenoughacornsthateach
studentcanhave34inthefirstround.Dividetheclassintotwoevengroups.
Handoutacornsequallytooneofthegroups.Thatgroupwillthengoandhide
theiracornsinasectionofMemorialMall.(Makesuretheydonotleave
MemorialMall).Theymusthidealltheiracornsinoneplace.AfterGroup1is
donehiding,Group2thenhastogooutandfindacertainnumberofacornsin
acertainamountoftime.(Thiswilldependonhowmanystudentsyouhave
andhowmuchtimeisleft).Theycanonlytakeoneacornfromeachhiding
spot.Attheendofthattime,whicheverstudentsdidnotgathertheright
numberofacornsareout.Group1thengoesbackandcheckstheiracorns.If
theylostalloftheiracorns,theyarealsoout.Thenitrepeats,butthistimewith
asmalleramountofacorns.Oneofthebuddieswillsaythatsomething
happenedandthesupplyofacornswentdown.Ex.Ohno!Theairpollution
wentupbecausesomanypeopledrovetheircarstowork.Thathasharmed
thetreesandtheyhavenoproducedasmanyacornsasbefore.Thereareless
acornsthistime!Useexamplesfromwhatthestudentslearnedfromthe
presentationorwhattheydiscussedwiththeirBuddies.ThentheBuddieswill
takeaboutoftheacornsaway,thenrepeatthegamewiththestudentsand
acornsthatareleft.Continuetheroundsuntiltherearenostudentsoracorns
left.

AssessmentStep5)Havestudentswritedownwhattheylikedaboutthis
activityandwhattheylearnedfromit.Havestudentsdiscusswiththeirbuddies
whattheylikedandlearnedfromthedaysactivities.

Materials

Leavesandacornscollectedbystudents
Glue
paper
powerpoint/computer
pencilsandpaperforassessment

Standards

Describehowthesupplyofnaturalresourcesislimitedandinvestigateways
thathumansprotectandharmtheenvironment.(4.2.4,4.2.5,4.2.6)

StandardsLink
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/science/2010ScienceGrade04.pdf

InspirationforLessonPlan

OurlessonwasinspiredbyourBiology205class.Wearecurrentlystudying
ecosystemsandhowhumansaffectourenvironment.Wethoughtitwouldbeagoodideato
teachourstudentsabouttheenvironmentandtofocusonpollutionandhowwecanchange
it.ForourlessoncontentweusedwhatwehadlearnedinourclassandweusedGoogleto
lookupspecificfacts.Theexactwebsitesthatweusedarecitedinthepowerpoint
presentation.Wedidnotuseabunchoftechnologybecause1.thereisnotalotoftechnology
thatwecouldbringintotheclassroomand2.wewerenotspendingabunchoftimeinsidefor
ourlesson.Ourteachingmethodwasbasedoffwhatwedoinclass.Weusuallyhavean
openingactivity,asmallpresentation,andthenabiggeractivitytoemphasizewhatwejust
learned.Mostofourinspirationforthislessoncamefromourownexperienceinaclassroom.
Whencomingupwithideasfortheproject,wewantedtofindwaysthatstudentscoulduse
theircriticalthinkingskillsaspartoftheSTEMstandardswhilestillhavingfun.Thatiswhere
theleafprojectcomesin.Thisallowsstudentstobeoutsideanddoarelaxingactivitybefore
theyhavetostartusingtheirbrainforhigherlevelofthinkingduringthepresentation.The
studentswillgettohavefunlearningthroughtheleafprojectandthegameaswellashave
instructionalltimeweretheygettointeractwiththeirbuddiesandpeersinaproductiveand
educationalmanner.Thatiswherethepowerpointcomesintothelesson.

PlanningProcessusingWeb2.oTools
Wewereabletousetoolslikelinoittohelpwithourplanning.Weusedthis
becausewethoughtthisweb2.otoolwouldhelpsparkinspiration.Itwasagreattooltouse
becausewewereabletowritedownourideas,sharepotentialideasandmaterialswecould
useforourproject,andmanyotherusesofcommunication.Forexample,therewasaposting
ofayoutubevideoaboutpollution.Webothgottoseeitandeventhoughwedidnotputthe
videoinourfinalproductandlessonplan,itgaveusideasforalternativewaystopresent
informationtothestudents.Wealsofoundourobjectivesandwroteanoutlineforpartofour
lessonplan.
GroupDiscussion:

Planning:

Hereisthelinktoourlinoithttp://linoit.com/users/day44/canvases/inbox

JournalArticles

Smith,K.,Douglas,T.,&Cox,M.(n.d.).SupportiveTeachingandLearningStrategiesin
STEMEducation.NewDirectionsforTeachingandLearning,2009(117),114.Retrieved
November8,2014,fromhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tl.341/pdf

SupportiveTeachingandLearningStrategiesSummary

Thisarticleisabouthowpeoplelearnandaboutdifferentstrategiesusedthatcan
mosthelppeopledependingontheirlearningstyle.Thisarticleissplitupintodifferent
learningstyles:cooperativelearningandproblembasedlearning.Itdescribeswhatthetwo
differentstylesareandthendiscusseshowtoapplyittotheclassroom.Bothofthesestyles
oflearningincludesmallgroupdiscussion.Thatiswhatweappliedtoourlessonwegavethe
studentstwodifferentopportunitiestodiscusswhattheyhadlearnedandwhattheyliked

aboutthelesson.Itgavethemthechancetoactuallythinkaboutthelesson,butitalso
providesusfeedbackastowhatworkedandwentwellandwhatdidnt.

EngagingStudentsInSTEMEducationSummary
Thisarticlewaswrittenforthepurposeofinformingeducatorsabouttheimportanceof
engagingstudentsinSTEMstandards.Theauthor,Kennedygivesseveralexamplesaboutwhy
thisisimportant.Withtechnologyadvancingeveryday,moreandmorejobsareneedingpeople
withSTEMskills.Ifstudentshavegoodfoundationinmath,scienceandengineering,theywill
havemanyopportunitiesinlifetosucceed.Thearticlealsoexplainsthatstudentshavetoget
engagedinhighstandardsandrigorouscurriculumprogramsandinstructions.Inorderfor
studentstogetmoreengagedinSTEMprograms,theyhavetousecriticalthinkingskillsanduse
theirpowerofobservationtodothis.Thisarticlehelpedthisprojectbecauseitshouldthat
studentsneedtostartusingcriticalthinkingskillsforhigherlevelsofSTEMprograms.Inour
lessonplan,wehavestudentsusetheircriticalthinkingskillswhentheirbuddyaskthem
questionsastheycollectleaves.Theyarealsoaskedtothinkduringandafterthepowerpoint
presentation.

KENNEDY,T.t.,&ODELL,M.m.(2014).EngagingStudentsInSTEMEducation.ScienceEducation
International,25(3),246258.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=99122067&site=ehostlive