tim,+heidi,+and+dan


 * Dan, Tim, Heidi**

Hook: Three plants, (desert, forest, tundra) questionnaire, what do they know at the beginning. Notice how they are different. Idea is to get them to observe and pose some theories about what they are looking at. This will get them interested.

Quick Oral Lecture. Ten minutes, visual slide show, diagrams.

A1 – song…they choose the genre. Make a rap plant song…rhyming. Mneumonic device to call up labels. Option to choose a song that’s out there to use. Ad- lib or change words.

A2 – deconstruct and reconstruct. Heterogeneous groups. P1:Different kids at the table. Take apart a real plant. Could use toothpicks. Literally deconstruct it. Think about structures as they hold it in their hand. P2: Reconstruct a plant with various materials.

A3 – Flickr. Different plants. Tags with descriptors and questions. Maybe digital jeopardy. Different levels of mastery.

Final assessment. Spin a wheel (Hannah’s roulette wheel?). Get an environment, construct a plant that finds that environment hospitable. They choose the medium: clay, pipecleaners, whatever. Project presented in mixed ability / mixed medium groups. Our goal was to connect the hook and the final assessment. Look at what you’ve learned, what you’ve accomplished.

Rubric: Participation, Debating whether to include function and structure and environment together or separately. Also figuring out the create aspect of it. Perhaps for creative use spiraling adjectives: engaging, unique, colorful, etc…. Or, what would happen if you handed them a rubric. What was strong, what was needing improvement.