What I really like about this lesson is that you taught cross-curricular- incorporating reading into science. You took what could have been very dry and added fun by having the students work in groups and by allowing for creativity in the lesson. For the students to take on the role of an invertebrate, they’d really need to know about all the aspects of the environment, characteristics, and needs of their particular animal. The group activity also allows for scaffolding of lower level learners. Utilizing a newspaper activity not only taught the students that there are many ways to convey information, it allowed them an opportunity to try out the role of journalist. My only suggestion would be to break up the newspaper lesson and the actual activity into a couple of lessons because it felt a little long. I think this is a lesson I could modify for an elementary class. I really enjoyed it.
Hello Science Peeps! I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. You were able to keep the class engaged for the entire lesson. The intro with Reporter Ackie coming into the class all dressed up hooked the class and grabbed their attention right from the start. The instructions and explanations were very clear and thought out – easy for students to follow along. I also enjoyed constructing the newspaper – very “hand on” and I heard a lot of people saying “This is fun!” The presentation seemed like it was evenly distributed and flowed well. I really like the idea of incorporating a journalism activity into a science classroom – it would be a nice change from the typical experiments and notes. SUPER DUPER JOB!
Your lesson has been packed with lots of learning stimulating ideas, which could be probably used throughout a whole week for any practicing teacher. I have particularly liked your clear introduction with thorough explanation what we should expect during the lesson. Reviewing the types of a newspaper articles has been, in my opinion, very educational. Also the activity with categorizing and gluing them onto the sheet of a paper allowed us to work cooperatively in the groups. Any grade 11 student would not be ever bored with the lesson like this. The only thing I have a problem with is bringing sweets to the classroom to prize the students. My SA during the short practicum has been using all sorts of candies every day and it has worked remarkably well, but I still can’t buy into this not very nutritious idea.
I thought the modeling by Ackie was a great example of what we as the students would be doing. Getting into character really inspires and engages students. As the assignment was introduced, you reviewed the Science material. The narration gave a clear picture of how this lesson would play out in the classroom. The assignment outline is creative and the aspect of getting the students to pretend to be journalists is fun and engaging. The peer review on the criteria part is a great idea as you mentioned to be able to mobilize knowledge amongst groups.
I thought you guys did a great job in with your lesson presentation. You were all very prepared and well organized. This lesson was very creative, engaging and open ended for all learners to succeed. I loved when Aki came in dressed up and modeled to the class about the sea horse, what a great hook. I really liked the concept of integrating science and journalism together. This lesson was very challenging and allows students to be very creative. I think showing us how to use journalism in reading and writing was a great idea. Great Job!!
I really enjoyed the level of organization, engaging hook, and clear and concise introduction. It was easy to follow the lesson, and the goals were clearly stated and achieved successfully. Your idea for a gallery walk is a terrific way to give purpose and enjoyment to the meaningful information gained from the newspaper activity. The additional incentive mentioned about the worksheet questions that may be used for the exam was a good idea. I might take the maybe out of it, and state which questions will be used to give the students control over the expectations for the materials. The presentation was smooth, and reflected the cohesiveness of your group effort and development of this lesson.
Very interesting spin on a biology lesson, the hook would have really got the attention of the students. As this lesson was geared towards grade 11 students, the in depth activity on the types of articles may have been overdone a little, most students know the different kinds of articles. They may have benefitted more from more examples and a clearly presented rubric on what the assignment entailed. Also try to give out instructions before handing out supplies, students are easily distracted...even PDP students. Overall it was a very interesting approach to an assignment.
I thought this was a great lesson that introduced non-fiction reading/ writing in an engaging way. The newspaper article sort had a natural challenge to it that made us really want to figure out which article went where. I thought the group newspaper idea was a great way to cover lots of article types cooperatively and it allowed for plenty of personal expression on the part of the students in the customization of the newspaper. I like that this could also be used at all grade levels.
Your idea was really creative, and I can totally imagine having fun getting into character and writing a newspaper article about biology. The introduction and hook was really interesting. To be honest, I was kind of hoping that we could get right to it and start writing! I think the second activity with the newspaper articles could have been condensed, as most students are aware of these different types of articles in the paper. The worms were a nice touch – thanks! :)
I loved the idea of group work and a hands on to minds on activity in this lesson. What was also great was the use of non-fiction text and connection to real life experince in the newspapers. I have always thought journalism would be such a great career so it was a great experince for me getting to try this out. The lesson showed good planning and use of materials.
I thought that your presentation demonstrated an excellent way to bring reading into the Biology classroom. Your hook was excellent as it could get students predicting what they might be doing during their lesson, and it also demonstrated what fluent reading looks/sounds like. It was helpful to see how you would actually present the assignment criteria to a secondary class (I liked your hand out). My favourite aspect of this lesson however, was the fact that it reinforces to students that there are different types of reading and it also connected reading to the real world in a meaningful way. Students will recognize in this lesson that they can read as a method of finding out information, and that this skill is very beneficial.
Thank you for helping me to become more familiar with what a secondary classroom reading experience could look like!
This lesson was a fun and interactive way to cross curricular boundaries. The introduction was a great way to capture the attention of the class as Ackie played the role of the journalist. The finished product that she read from the newspaper provided us with insight into what we were going to have to produce for the assignment. The question period as well as the group card activity were great ways to review material before the work activity. The instructions and explanations were very clear, concise, and easy to follow. The group activity where we constructed the newspaper from a collection of news articles was interactive and enjoyable. The actual assignment definitely provides students with a creative and imaginative way to express their newly acquired phla knowledge. I really enjoyed this lesson.
Erin.M. Class 6 Group 1 Phylum Digest: This was an excellent topic and well presented. You all worked so well with each other. I felt the newspaper was a great way for students to really investigate their chosen invertebrate in addition to reinforcing the new knowledge they have just gained during the unit this lesson would be in. You not only introduced reading into science but you also gave your students an alternative way to articulate their skills and knowledge. It’s a great way to access and show off individual creativity as students will take their imagination to the next level when writing articles for newspapers. I enjoyed your lesson and am thinking of how I can apply it to Geography
I thought this was a really creative lesson. I liked how you managed to take a fresh look at teaching what could be a fairly dry subject. Because you brought in reading, this could also reach students who are not too keen on science. The only way I think it could have been improved would be to make the instructions a little clearer. I didn't actually know we were going to be writing from the perspective of an organism until we were almost finished, but I'm easily distracted. Overall, I think you guys did a wonderful job of bringing in creativity and reading. Thanks for the great ideas.
I thought you guys had a very creative way of introducing reading and writing into a biology classroom. The introduction with Ackie becoming a newspaper reporter was very funny to see and entertaining within a classroom environment. It was great to see how you incorporated learning about different kinds of newspaper articles within a biology class discussing phylum. You all incorporated handouts within the lesson as well, which was a helpful too to use as reference when we were in our groups trying to identify the articles. I enjoyed how you were able to discuss with the class as the ‘teacher’ and as the ‘presenter’ during your presentation. It made it easy to follow along. Bringing humour into the presentation was a great idea!
Okay. So I liked the science/article thing. The cross curricular aspect is a big selling point for me. The peer evaluation was also interesting as the ‘self bias’ aspect was noted, and that is something that many people don’t acknowledge during an evaluation process. The creative aspect of the “animal personification” is also a nice touch as that is where I think the fun will be for those who are not interested in writing. I also thought that it was a very creative way of introducint the topics and protocal for journalism writing.
Great lesson guys! I loved Ackie's entrance, and the newspaper clippings were a great way to progress the lesson further. I liked being able to be creative with the clippings and think about how I would want to organize a newspaper. This would be an effective lesson for a journalism unit!I liked the integration of Science and English.
I liked the way this lesson was introduced. The little skit with the teacher reading an article from a phylum "newspaper" was cute and a neat way to peak student interest. The activity that went along with it was very informative, teaching the students about the many different types of publications you can have. The connecting lesson sounded pretty cool as well. The only problem I could see is in having the students write as a phylum. As a thoroughly non-creative writer I know I would find this VERY challenging. To me this would have meant a lot of stress and not wanting to complete the assignment, or not completing it as well as I could of were I writing as myself. . . Just something to think about!
Great hook! This was the first lesson taught this class and I really appreciate how you did not waste any time getting the class engaged! I find when you can put yourself "out there" and do something silly, like becoming a fake reporter, students break down there barriers of comfort and join in the fun. Way to go! I also found the reward worked well to motivate students to give answers. I wonder if, in the classroom, this would something to instill in every lesson - a candy for every answer? Or, would it be more effective to pick certain lessons to give rewards for so that the students are not expecting candy every time they correctly answer. You might have some hyper students! Also, the article idea was great. I found the idea very good, and I know we are short on time, but it felt like we were rushed through it. Maybe next time explain the article assignment more clearly and not have the "fake students" actually do the assigment. The directions were rushed and when I actually got the articles, I was unclear of what to do with them. But, the idea is great - just needs more time to sink in.
19 comments:
What I really like about this lesson is that you taught cross-curricular- incorporating reading into science. You took what could have been very dry and added fun by having the students work in groups and by allowing for creativity in the lesson. For the students to take on the role of an invertebrate, they’d really need to know about all the aspects of the environment, characteristics, and needs of their particular animal. The group activity also allows for scaffolding of lower level learners. Utilizing a newspaper activity not only taught the students that there are many ways to convey information, it allowed them an opportunity to try out the role of journalist. My only suggestion would be to break up the newspaper lesson and the actual activity into a couple of lessons because it felt a little long. I think this is a lesson I could modify for an elementary class. I really enjoyed it.
Hello Science Peeps! I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. You were able to keep the class engaged for the entire lesson. The intro with Reporter Ackie coming into the class all dressed up hooked the class and grabbed their attention right from the start. The instructions and explanations were very clear and thought out – easy for students to follow along. I also enjoyed constructing the newspaper – very “hand on” and I heard a lot of people saying “This is fun!” The presentation seemed like it was evenly distributed and flowed well. I really like the idea of incorporating a journalism activity into a science classroom – it would be a nice change from the typical experiments and notes. SUPER DUPER JOB!
Your lesson has been packed with lots of learning stimulating ideas, which could be probably used throughout a whole week for any practicing teacher. I have particularly liked your clear introduction with thorough explanation what we should expect during the lesson. Reviewing the types of a newspaper articles has been, in my opinion, very educational. Also the activity with categorizing and gluing them onto the sheet of a paper allowed us to work cooperatively in the groups. Any grade 11 student would not be ever bored with the lesson like this. The only thing I have a problem with is bringing sweets to the classroom to prize the students. My SA during the short practicum has been using all sorts of candies every day and it has worked remarkably well, but I still can’t buy into this not very nutritious idea.
I thought the modeling by Ackie was a great example of what we as the students would be doing. Getting into character really inspires and engages students. As the assignment was introduced, you reviewed the Science material. The narration gave a clear picture of how this lesson would play out in the classroom. The assignment outline is creative and the aspect of getting the students to pretend to be journalists is fun and engaging. The peer review on the criteria part is a great idea as you mentioned to be able to mobilize knowledge amongst groups.
I thought you guys did a great job in with your lesson presentation. You were all very prepared and well organized. This lesson was very creative, engaging and open ended for all learners to succeed. I loved when Aki came in dressed up and modeled to the class about the sea horse, what a great hook. I really liked the concept of integrating science and journalism together. This lesson was very challenging and allows students to be very creative. I think showing us how to use journalism in reading and writing was a great idea. Great Job!!
I really enjoyed the level of organization, engaging hook, and clear and concise introduction.
It was easy to follow the lesson, and the goals were clearly stated and achieved successfully.
Your idea for a gallery walk is a terrific way to give purpose and enjoyment to the meaningful information gained from the newspaper activity. The additional incentive mentioned about the worksheet questions that may be used for the exam was a good idea. I might take the maybe out of it, and state which questions will be used to give the students control over the expectations for the materials.
The presentation was smooth, and reflected the cohesiveness of your group effort and development of this lesson.
Very interesting spin on a biology lesson, the hook would have really got the attention of the students. As this lesson was geared towards grade 11 students, the in depth activity on the types of articles may have been overdone a little, most students know the different kinds of articles. They may have benefitted more from more examples and a clearly presented rubric on what the assignment entailed. Also try to give out instructions before handing out supplies, students are easily distracted...even PDP students. Overall it was a very interesting approach to an assignment.
I thought this was a great lesson that introduced non-fiction reading/ writing in an engaging way. The newspaper article sort had a natural challenge to it that made us really want to figure out which article went where. I thought the group newspaper idea was a great way to cover lots of article types cooperatively and it allowed for plenty of personal expression on the part of the students in the customization of the newspaper. I like that this could also be used at all grade levels.
Your idea was really creative, and I can totally imagine having fun getting into character and writing a newspaper article about biology. The introduction and hook was really interesting. To be honest, I was kind of hoping that we could get right to it and start writing! I think the second activity with the newspaper articles could have been condensed, as most students are aware of these different types of articles in the paper. The worms were a nice touch – thanks! :)
I loved the idea of group work and a hands on to minds on activity in this lesson. What was also great was the use of non-fiction text and connection to real life experince in the newspapers. I have always thought journalism would be such a great career so it was a great experince for me getting to try this out. The lesson showed good planning and use of materials.
I thought that your presentation demonstrated an excellent way to bring reading into the Biology classroom. Your hook was excellent as it could get students predicting what they might be doing during their lesson, and it also demonstrated what fluent reading looks/sounds like. It was helpful to see how you would actually present the assignment criteria to a secondary class (I liked your hand out). My favourite aspect of this lesson however, was the fact that it reinforces to students that there are different types of reading and it also connected reading to the real world in a meaningful way. Students will recognize in this lesson that they can read as a method of finding out information, and that this skill is very beneficial.
Thank you for helping me to become more familiar with what a secondary classroom reading experience could look like!
This lesson was a fun and interactive way to cross curricular boundaries. The introduction was a great way to capture the attention of the class as Ackie played the role of the journalist. The finished product that she read from the newspaper provided us with insight into what we were going to have to produce for the assignment. The question period as well as the group card activity were great ways to review material before the work activity. The instructions and explanations were very clear, concise, and easy to follow. The group activity where we constructed the newspaper from a collection of news articles was interactive and enjoyable. The actual assignment definitely provides students with a creative and imaginative way to express their newly acquired phla knowledge. I really enjoyed this lesson.
Erin.M.
Class 6 Group 1 Phylum Digest:
This was an excellent topic and well presented. You all worked so well with each other. I felt the newspaper was a great way for students to really investigate their chosen invertebrate in addition to reinforcing the new knowledge they have just gained during the unit this lesson would be in. You not only introduced reading into science but you also gave your students an alternative way to articulate their skills and knowledge. It’s a great way to access and show off individual creativity as students will take their imagination to the next level when writing articles for newspapers. I enjoyed your lesson and am thinking of how I can apply it to Geography
I thought this was a really creative lesson. I liked how you managed to take a fresh look at teaching what could be a fairly dry subject. Because you brought in reading, this could also reach students who are not too keen on science. The only way I think it could have been improved would be to make the instructions a little clearer. I didn't actually know we were going to be writing from the perspective of an organism until we were almost finished, but I'm easily distracted. Overall, I think you guys did a wonderful job of bringing in creativity and reading. Thanks for the great ideas.
I thought you guys had a very creative way of introducing reading and writing into a biology classroom. The introduction with Ackie becoming a newspaper reporter was very funny to see and entertaining within a classroom environment. It was great to see how you incorporated learning about different kinds of newspaper articles within a biology class discussing phylum. You all incorporated handouts within the lesson as well, which was a helpful too to use as reference when we were in our groups trying to identify the articles. I enjoyed how you were able to discuss with the class as the ‘teacher’ and as the ‘presenter’ during your presentation. It made it easy to follow along. Bringing humour into the presentation was a great idea!
Okay. So I liked the science/article thing. The cross curricular aspect is a big selling point for me. The peer evaluation was also interesting as the ‘self bias’ aspect was noted, and that is something that many people don’t acknowledge during an evaluation process. The creative aspect of the “animal personification” is also a nice touch as that is where I think the fun will be for those who are not interested in writing. I also thought that it was a very creative way of introducint the topics and protocal for journalism writing.
Great lesson guys! I loved Ackie's entrance, and the newspaper clippings were a great way to progress the lesson further. I liked being able to be creative with the clippings and think about how I would want to organize a newspaper. This would be an effective lesson for a journalism unit!I liked the integration of Science and English.
I liked the way this lesson was introduced. The little skit with the teacher reading an article from a phylum "newspaper" was cute and a neat way to peak student interest. The activity that went along with it was very informative, teaching the students about the many different types of publications you can have. The connecting lesson sounded pretty cool as well. The only problem I could see is in having the students write as a phylum. As a thoroughly non-creative writer I know I would find this VERY challenging. To me this would have meant a lot of stress and not wanting to complete the assignment, or not completing it as well as I could of were I writing as myself. . . Just something to think about!
Great hook! This was the first lesson taught this class and I really appreciate how you did not waste any time getting the class engaged! I find when you can put yourself "out there" and do something silly, like becoming a fake reporter, students break down there barriers of comfort and join in the fun. Way to go!
I also found the reward worked well to motivate students to give answers. I wonder if, in the classroom, this would something to instill in every lesson - a candy for every answer? Or, would it be more effective to pick certain lessons to give rewards for so that the students are not expecting candy every time they correctly answer. You might have some hyper students!
Also, the article idea was great. I found the idea very good, and I know we are short on time, but it felt like we were rushed through it. Maybe next time explain the article assignment more clearly and not have the "fake students" actually do the assigment. The directions were rushed and when I actually got the articles, I was unclear of what to do with them. But, the idea is great - just needs more time to sink in.
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