Engaged Learning Project Draft Template

Title of Project: Were Going Green!

Subject(s): Science, ELA, Mathematics, Technology

Grade Level(s): 3rd

Abstract:

3rd grade students of Ben Hill County will embark on an informative journey to determine the effects of pollution and the
students role in being active citizens in doing their part to inform and practice the importance of conservation and recycling.
The project will begin by students first determining how long trash lasts. By involving our Solid Waste Management
Authority department of Ben Hill County the students will have real life understanding of the types of waste, amount of
waste, and the lifespan of waste and what it can do to a habitat if not disposed of properly. From learning how long trash
lasts, students will determine their role in conserving and recycling. In a culminating task, the students will take their
spreadsheet (from how long trash lasts) and determine what items they can recycle in their homes. At the end of their
culminating task, the students will have a spreadsheet of the amount of time and pollution saved from the number of
materials recycled in their home alone. They will combine this information with their group to determine the effects of
protecting the environment in larger numbers and publish their findings through production software.

Learner Description/Context:

Ben Hill Elementary School is the sole Elementary School in Ben Hill County. The school serves approximately 700
students and is in a district that is entirely Title 1 with all students receiving free lunch. Of the 700 students, 260 are 3 rd
graders and of that total 65 % are African American, 27 % are Caucasian, and 8% are Hispanic. The majority of our students
come from poor and low socioeconomic families who do not have the means or funds of knowledge to assist their child
with the demands of education. The community of Ben Hill County is very small with a total population of 17,500 and has
recently lost several of our large industries. However, despite our community struggles and low socioeconomic status, our
community as a whole is very supportive of the entire school system. Through teaching students how to conserve instead of
waste and how to recycle instead of litter, I am hopeful that this knowledge and excitement can be transferred from each
classroom, to our school, to their homes, and to our county. It is through the knowledge of conservation that the students
come to understand how, even at a young age, they can make a difference in any environment of which they come into
contact.

Time Frame:

The entire learning project will span four weeks with a week of introductory material, two weeks of recycling and collecting
materials and data in their homes, and one week of compilation of data and final production. During the opening and closing
week of the project roughly one hour will be spent daily in the classroom. During the two weeks of collecting materials and
data in their homes, 30 min. will be spent on data collection and analyzation. An extension week will be added at the end of
the project to inspire our entire school to take an interest in conservation by helping to manage waste in our school cafeteria.

Standards Assessed:

S3L2. Students will recognize the effects of pollution and humans on the environment.
1. Explain the effects of pollution (such as littering) to habitats of plants and animals.
2. Identify ways to protect the environment.
a. Conservation of resources
b. Recycling of materials

ELAGSE3SL6: Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or
clarification. (Speaking and Listening, Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas)

ELAGSE3W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
3. Provide a concluding state or section

MGSE3.MD.3 Solve one- and two-step how many more and how many less problems using information presented.

NETS-S 1. Creativity and innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative
products and processes using technology.

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University

 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expressions
d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities

NETS-S 2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
NETS-S 3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
d. Process data and report results

Learner Objectives:
Through completing Were Going Green!, the students will be able to know and do the following:

1. Create and manipulate an Excel Spreadsheet (Teacher can monitor within Office 365 as all students will save
their work to a group folder within the cloud)
2. Define the terms: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle, Pollution, Landfill (Assessed through their Science Journal using
post it notes)
3. Collaboratively view and assess the peers within their group using Office 365 in terms of their home data
collection (Teacher can monitor group activity within Office 365)
4. Each student will create a graph of their choice on their home items of waste using:
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/ These graphs will be presented on the group Prezis.
5. Each group will create a Prezi (assessed through a Rubric which each student will get at the beginning of the
project)
6. Insert voiceovers on their Prezi presentations (assessment on rubric which will include the proficiency of
standard ELAGSE3W1).
7. Screen record a portion of their Prezi presentation to include in a class compilation video.
8. Compile a video of recordings with smooth transitions, voice overs, and Spanish sub titles.

The hook or Introduction:

The lesson hook will begin by involving the students in an interactive reading of Who Polluted the River? The students will
each be given a character. There will be a large clear bowl with fresh water and a plastic fish at the beginning of the reading.
When each student hears their character name, they will come up, get a canister with their character name, describe what is in
the canister, and pour it into the bowl of water that contains the fish. At the completion of the story, discussion questions will
follow pertaining to pollution, what it is, what is the effect of increasing pollution, is it easier to prevent or clean up later, how
can the bowl of pollution be cleaned, what are ways we can clean our world, etc.

Students will then take out their science journals and divide a page into four equal sections. Here they will write the words
reduce, reuse, recycle, pollution. Each student will hypothesize what the word means through coming up with a definition
and drawing a picture.

The introduction will conclude with showing students the following YouTube video: Going Green! From watching the video
the students will be introduced to the concepts of reducing, reusing, and recycling and how these concepts can be achieved at
home or at school. The project should be of interest to students as it affects their everyday lives. Through taking care of our
planet, using less, and recycling more we are helping others, helping ourselves, and helping our school, community, world,
etc. This project should instill in my students the value of taking care of the world around you. From watching this video,
students will go back to their science journals and make any corrections regarding their hypothesis of the terms so that they
can correctly define and build upon their knowledge.

Process:

Through the completion of the project, the students will continue to climb Blooms Taxonomy in order to fully obtain all
aspects of the standards assessed and the material presented; all the while incorporating indicators of engaged learning and
demonstrating high LoTi levels. Student directed learning is achieved through the following sequence of events:

1. The students begin by remembering and recalling the basic concepts being presented: reduce, reuse, recycle,
pollution, landfill, etc. (Introduction Activity)
2. Solid Waste Management Department visitation and presentation.

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University

 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template
3. Through understanding, the students will be able to explain, describe, and discuss these concepts to their peers and
teachers through oral communication and written communication in their science journals.
4. How Long Does Trash Last- Cooperative Learning Activity
5. After determining how long trash lasts from our local Solid Waste Management and through the activity How Long
Does Trash Last?, the students will create a spreadsheet of materials commonly used within their homes which
could be recycled. The students will then be able to apply their knowledge of the three rs and execute an effective
experiment of understanding in their homes.
a. During this time, through collaboratively viewing and assessing their peer spreadsheets in Office 365, the
students will be able to analyze to draw connections between household waste per group member. By
analyzing, the students can differentiate, organize, relate, compare and contrast, etc. and determine which
connections they would like to include on their final project.
b. Also during their two-week period of data collection at home, the class will be involved with the adoption
of a highway to continue practicing our efforts of recycling and doing our part to keep our county clean.
This will also reinforce how to properly and effectively recycle and what materials can be reused.
6. Information included on the final project will be at the students digression, however there will be a rubric which
will determine must have features of their presentation. One aspect will be through the use of voiceovers. This
will allow the students to evaluate their information and communicate effectively with support, value, and critique.
7. Finally, the individual groups will create a Prezi presentation in which they will design, construct, and assemble
information regarding how long trash lasts and what we, as individuals, can do to help recycle, reuse, reduce, and
conserve our resources.
8. During the group presentations of their Prezis, the students will determine what they would like to feature on the
class compilation video. A student will start a screen recording of the presentation according to the portion they
would like to highlight.
9. Each groups highlight portion will be added to a class compilation video. In order for the video to make more of an
impact globally, some of my ELL students will translate the voice overs into Spanish and the Spanish portion will be
included as sub titles in the video. Because I am not bilingual, I will involve a parent, mentor, or school foreign
language teacher to assist with the sub titles.

Extension: In order to continue to make a difference in our homes, school, and county the students will work in the cafeteria
for a week following the submission of our class video to My EcoVille Georgia Kids Recycle! Website. The students will
work one day a week with their group and encourage their peers of similar and varying grades to take an interest in bettering
their world. Based on what the students have left on their trays, my third grade students will show what bins to correctly
place their trash in order to effectively reuse, reduce, and recycle in order to control the waste management of our school
cafeteria.

During the project process from introduction to publication the teacher acts as a facilitator, guide, co-learner and c0o-
investigator.

Guides:
1. Students who need assistance in redefining or adjusting their initial hypothesis, in their science journals, of reduce,
recycle, reuse, and pollution.
2. Students through completing How Long Does Trash Last cooperative learning activity
3. Students who need assistance creating and manipulating spreadsheet
4. Students who need assistance capturing a screen recording or making a voiceover

Facilitates:
1. The Solid Waste Management Department with correlating the information presented to the 3rd grade standards
regarding pollution and conservation.
2. Safety among the students and the waste that is being picked up on the adopted highway.

Co- Learner:
1. Learns the process of waste management of our county.
2. Learns the process of waste management of our school cafeteria.
3. Learns some Spanish words that correlate to the material presented in the video.

Co- Investigator:
1. investigates and records how much waste is produced in own home and recycle materials.

Product:

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University

 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template

The end project would include:

A compilation video from the group projects with Spanish sub titles which will be submitted to post on the My
EcoVille Georgia Kids Recycle! Website.
A spreadsheet of how long trash lasts to submit to our local Solid Waste Management to include on their website for
informative purposes for the citizens of Ben Hill County.
Individual group Prezis with voiceovers (individual student created graphs from personal home waste).
o Please note that Prezis terms of service do not allow students under the age of 13 to use without parental
consent. If our project begins after a Parent Involvement Night, parents can create Prezi accounts for their
child to use. If there is not a parent involvement night prior to beginning our project a letter will be sent
home to parents for them to consent for their child to use and the login and password, they would like their
child to use so that they can login at any time and see the progress made and keep up with what their child
is creating in class.
The adoption of a highway to continue practicing our efforts of recycling and doing our part to keep our county
clean.
A week of stimulated interest to the school population into how to effectively mage cafeteria waste.

Were Going Green will be a meaningful project to students as they are bettering the environment of the homes and county
they live in. The citizens of Ben Hill County will have data on the Solid Waste Management website showcasing the
importance of recycling as will the state of GA in our compilation video produced at the end of the project. Technology will
be integrated through the use of IPads (pictures and videos), spreadsheets, and production software. The product will be
assessed through a detailed rubric combing all aspects from the course of our study: data, writing, technology, production,
etc.

Technology Use:
1. Office 365: Spreadsheet use, collaboration,
2. Create A Graph Website: To analyze statistics gathered and present using a digitally produced graph of choice
3. Prezi: Presentation Software- Students will incorporate voiceovers, graphs, and information
4. Screen Recordings: software on computer to capture highlight reel from each student project presented
5. iPads: Pictures taken thought projects and use of iMovie to combine class video and publish

Through using the above mentioned technology, this supports the project being challenging (as some students may have
never worked with these types of technology before: voice overs, screen recordings, spreadsheet, etc.), standards-based,
authentic, student-directed, collaborative, performance-based, and multi-disciplinary. Students are also acting in roles of
exploring, teaching, and producing.

References and Supporting Material:

Create A Graph. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2016, from http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

H. (2013). GOING GREEN! (Earth Day song for kids about the 3 R's- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Retrieved July 11, 2016,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DJ45Yc3urg

How Long Does Trash Last? (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2016, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp308-
04.shtml

Presenting a better way to present. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2016, from https://prezi.com/

Who Polluted the River? (2016). Retrieved July 8, 2016, from

http://www.populationeducation.org/sites/default/files/who_polluted_the_river.pdf

Not Included in Lesson, but could be used to supplement or for extra support if needed:

Bill Nye Pollution Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2016, from
http://www.schooltube.com/video/0e1b5d07338a4e82b54a/BillNyePollutionSolutions

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University

 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template
Were Going Green
Final Prezi Project Rubric
Name: ___________________________

Category: 4 3 2 1
Voiceovers/ Sounds Music, audio clips Music, audio clips Music, audio clips Music, audio clips
and/or sounds are and/or sounds are used and/or sounds are and/or sounds were
thoughtfully edited only where they add to thoughtfully edited seemingly used
and used only where reader understanding and used, but 1 or 2 randomly OR typically
they add to reader of the content or to detracted from the detracted from the
understanding of the make the site more overall site. overall site.
content or to make the accessible to persons
site more accessible to with visual handicaps.
persons with visual
handicaps.
Content All information Almost all the Almost all of the There are several
provided by the information provided information provided inaccuracies in the
student on the Prezi is by the student on the by the student on the content provided by
accurate and all the Prezi is accurate and Prezi is accurate and the students OR many
requirements of the all requirements of the almost all of the of the requirements
assignment have been assignment have been requirements have were not met.
met. met. been met.
- All group
members
have a graph
of their home
data
- Voice Over
Included
Spelling and Grammar There are no errors in There are 1-3 errors in There are 4-5 errors in There are more than 5
spelling, punctuation spelling, punctuation spelling, punctuation errors in spelling,
or grammar in the or grammar in the or grammar in the punctuation or
final draft of the final draft of the final draft of the grammar in the final
presentation. presentation. presentation. draft of the
presentation.
Learning of Material The student has an The student has a The student has a fair Student did not appear
exceptional good understanding of understanding of the to learn much from
understanding of the the material included material included in this project. Cannot
material included in in the presentation. the presentation. Can answer most questions
the presentation and Can easily answer easily answer most about the content and
where to find questions about the questions about the the procedures used to
additional content and content and make the Prezi
information. Can procedures used to procedures used to
easily answer make the Prezi. make the Prezi.
questions about the
content and
procedures used to
make the Prezi.
Work Ethic Student always uses Student usually uses Student usually uses Student does not use
classroom project time classroom project time classroom project time classroom project time
well. Conversations well. Most well, but occasionally well OR typically is
Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University
 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template
are primarily focused conversations are distracts others from disruptive to the work
on the project and focused on the project their work. of others.
things needed to get and things needed to
the work done and are get the work done and
held in a manner that are held in a manner
typically does not that typically does not
disrupt others. disrupt others.

What modifications have you made since you submitted your idea for feedback?

Modifications were made to add technology standards, increase culturally awareness aspects (through video subtitles and
mentors), increase technology usage and specifications, and I included a suggestion from each peer and teacher whom
evaluated my initial idea. I tried to be very specific in my process as before it was not clear on where it was student-directed
and what the teacher would be doing. I also included how Blooms Taxonomy was included throughout my project and how
that allows the project to be more challenging for my students. These areas were mentioned in my coaching feedback as
either not being strong or not being specifically mentioned.

Which indicators of Engaged Learning will be high in this lesson and Why?

Through going through each level of Blooms Taxonomy, I feel that this project if very challenging for my students. They are
required to perform each level and multiple aspects which are more challenging. I also feel that I am high in my authenticity.
This project is very meaningful to students as it is being completed in their homes, school, and community.

Which indicators would you like to strengthen?

I went through my idea and re-evaluated all indicators of engaged learning. I feel that I have strengthened those areas as
suggested from my previous coaching. I feel that I could strengthen my assessments portion. I have created a rubric which is
on my draft and I have listed how all areas of the project will be assessed. Do you feel when reading the draft that these
assessments proved themselves?

What LoTI level do you think this lesson would be and Why?

Through my modifications made, I feel that my project level is now at a LoTi level 6: refinement. The students are showing
higher-order thinking, it is real world applied learning and student centered, there is 2-way collaboration with experts
outside the classroom and there is unlimited access to technology during the school day. If you feel that I have miss judged
my LoTi level, please let me know how you feel it should be rated.

What help would you like to receive from us?

Are my assessments strong enough?
Do you feel I have correctly labeled by LoTi level?
Is there any area that you feel was not clear and easy to follow?

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University