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Class on the first day of this unit might proceed something like this: Following
a very brief introduction of the unit, students are allowed a few minutes
to group themselves according to the predetermined numbers and sizes of
groups. The groups then chose and reserve their material sections. At this
point, the groups are still sitting together, but the class is called back
together for a discussion led by the teacher.
The teacher begins addressing the requirements of this unit to be fulfilled
by all members of the groups by using overhead transparencies that summarize
these requirements. It then naturally follows that the students want to
know: "What do you mean, `teach'?" The class is then asked to
brainstorm in their groups about a lesson, or parts of a lesson, that are
good, yet fun and memorable learning/teaching experiences. As the groups
submit their ideas, a list is generated on the board at the front of the
room. The teacher then leads the class in a discussion of these items in
order to insure understanding among all students of what comprises a good
teaching/learning experience that they can implement in their presentations.
Groups then work together to begin researching the material in their groups.
During the rest of the week, students will be able to use the Internet on
the one computer that has been brought into the room for this project. Groups
can sign up for time on this machine. There is also a printer available
with limited printing allowed. Many students are able to find addresses
that they can access at home where they have greater technology resources
and abilities. One class period is spent together in the library, learning
and using the resources there. Our school library has one computer on the
Internet, and several computers that use "data-link" which enables
students to scan for materials available at sources other than our library.
Those materials can usually be sent to our library within a week.
During the work time in class, before presentations begin, the teacher circulates
the room, answering questions, keeping students on task, motivating and
perhaps inciting ideas or direction as needed. The classroom has available
some equipment that is applicable in certain areas, and the teacher may
be demonstrating its use and relevance to group members.
At the end of this "work week," groups will be assigned a specific
date when they will give their teaching presentation to the class. Only
one presentation is scheduled for a class period. Also, by the end of the
week, students will need to have amended their lesson plan as needed and
submitted the final copy to the teacher.
Presentations begin! During the following three to four weeks, a group will
give their presentation each class day as scheduled. Immediately following
a presentation, those group members need to complete a short "self-evaluation"
form which is to be completed and submitted the following class period.
If there is time left in the period each day, the teacher leads students
in a brief discussion about the presentation: strengths, weaknesses, questions
not addressed, topics not clarified, etc.
As the days go by, some students will be still working on their presentations
during the class time that remains after the group on that particular day
finishes their presentation. All class members are responsible along the
way for daily assignments given by the teacher, as dictated by curriculum
requirements.
The week after all presentations are completed, is a week of review for
the final exam over the information in this unit. It is not necessarily
part of this project, but is the progression and culmination of events used
in this particular class.
J.D. Darnall High School is located within, but on the fringe of Geneseo,
Illinois, and comprises grades 9 - 12. The school population is 98% Caucasian,
1.5% Latino, 0.5% African-American. Family economic backgrounds vary from
near, but above, poverty to well into six digit incomes. There was a fairly
large rural, agricultural population of students. However, this segment
of the population has declined steadily over the past 20 years, with a corresponding
increase in the population of urban and suburban students. The high school
district area includes several much smaller, nearby towns in rural areas.
The high school also serves a city that is a suburb of the Moline/Rock Island
area of Illinois.
Earth Science classes are the first step in the sequence of the science
curriculum at this high school, unless students are targeted as gifted,
and excelled as freshman into Biology classes. Most of the students in Earth
Science classes are first-year freshman. Other students in the classes may
be older, and are repeating this class due to previous failure. Classes
number 26 to 30 students, and meet five days each week for a 50-minute class
period. Student levels cover a wide range from low, possibly with learning
disabilities, to high level students who have elected not to be accelerated
into Biology.
This unit of study occurs as the last unit
of the year, and begins in about mid-April. It will last six to seven weeks
depending upon the school calendar and schedule of athletic, extracurricular,
and field trip events, etc. At our school, this seems to be the time of
the year when students miss a lot of classes due to school events.
The basis of the unit is a section in the Earth Science text book comprising
four chapters. The information in these chapters covers historical and technological
information about space study, the Earth/Moon/Sun system, seasons, eclipses,
objects within our solar system, objects outside our solar system, and star
evolution, composition, and constellations. Each of the chapters is divided
into three to five sections. The sections of material that student groups
will be responsible for teaching are based upon these chapter sections.
At this time of the school year, students seem to be "itching"
for something different - as is the teacher! Giving them the opportunity
to teach and be more in control, seems to be an answer that is congenial
to the students and the teacher! They have the ability to make assignments,
quizzes, activities, as well as all teaching plans and assessment pertaining
to their own section of material.
Students select their own groups. Size and number of groups per class have
been predetermined. For instance, if there are 12 sections of material to
be divided among groups, and there are 30 students in the class, there will
need to be six groups of two students and six groups of three students.
The reason for students selecting their own groups has been found as beneficial
and more convenient when group members plan to get together outside of class
and school to work on their presentation.
Once groups are determined, the students are shown a list of the sections
of material to be selected from, and at that time groups may chose and reserve
their section of material.
1. Groups must "teach" the material they have reserved
2. Teaching presentations must be at least 20 minutes in length, and may last the entire class period.
3. Following teaching the material, groups must use a technique of their choice to "review" the material.
4. Grades will be issued to individuals, not groups, and assessment will
be based upon:
5. Groups must submit for approval a "lesson plan" form describing
the activities within their presentation. The lesson plan must be agreed
upon and submitted before group presentations begin. They may be amended
along the way, as long as the change is mutually agreed upon between group
members and teacher.
6. Following the presentation, group members will individually submit "self-evaluation"
forms assessing the effectiveness of their own part in the group, and that
of each other member of the group. These forms are strictly confidential
between the teacher and the individual students.
7. Students are also responsible for completing assignments from the teacher
that go along with the requirements of the curriculum.
8. Students are all responsible for the unit test at the end of the presentations.
However, this test is not necessarily part of this project. Following all
presentations, a week of class review is conducted, culminating in the exam.
Because this project is something I already implement into my regular Earth Science Classes, there are amendments I would make in my ARISE Earth Science Class.
Instead of having the groups of students focus primarily on the content of the text book covering that material, I might try to develop some sort of "scenario" for each section (relating to the information within) that the students could then research and develop a presentation for the rest of the class. Those presentations could then be more self-evaluated by the students within the individual groups, and evaluated by the class immediately after the presentation. We would of course develop a rubric (and perhaps a specific form) to be used by the students when assessing and evaluating their peers.
Some ideas for "scenarios" are: