Lesson: Arctic Internet Introduction
Lesson: Application and Adaptation Skills
Lesson: Arctic Internet Introduction
Lesson: Application and Adaptation Skills
Lesson -Arctic Internet Introduction
Rationale:
The purpose for teaching this lesson is for students to familiarize and/or gain a working knowledge of the Internet, expanding their research field of the Arctic (and beyond).
Broad ILO:
1. Each student will become familiar with the Internet and demonstrate its value to their learning.
2. Each student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of Internet terms.
Lesson ILO:
1. Each student will be able to locate one source/site that gives information about the Arctic.
2. Each student will become familiar with links, pages, URL's, and search engines.
Materials:
Computer lab, terms and overview handouts
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set (Intro): Students with Internet experience will tell a little about their experiences surfing the net and definitions of some Internet terms. (10-15 min.)
Teacher role: Discussion facilitator, making sure to cover term sheet and Internet overview, discuss and take questions students can't answer.
Body: Each experienced student will be at a computer with the other students divided among them. Each group will:
access Internet program/school home page
open search engine by using its URL
enter key word: Arctic (and/or other appropriate key words)
students continue to "surf"
Closure: (final 5-15 minutes, depending on class length) Students discuss a few of the difficulties they had or useful and interesting sites they came across.
Considerations to complete several days before lesson:
As a consideration for parental wishes, send home a permission slip for students to use the Internet,
Take an Internet experience poll to better gear the lesson toward the number of experienced and non-experienced users
Assessment observations:
Did each student/group attain at least one Arctic sight?
Were students becoming familiar with links, URL's, pages, search engines; were they using them correctly?
Extensions:
Students could email some given sources and ask for information on the Arctic. They would need to prepare a letter of request and thanks.
Library of Congress: lcinfo@loc.gov
National Geographic: Ngsforum@aol.com
Students will need to continue exploration of the Internet over a few days. This will be an opportunity to answer questions and give help as the students learn more and more by discovery.
URL's for useful sites or search engines - students may discover some of these on their own or the teacher may use as assistance to those in need of it:
http://www.lib.uconn.edu/ArcticCircle --- This is the best sight I found in all my Internet searching. It is an excellent resource for both student and teacher.
http://www.mckinley.com/pick.cgi?w=i --- Kid Zone, a Magellan search engine
http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/Searching_the_Web/Search_Engines/ --- this gives links to possibly all the specialized and general search engines on the Internet.
Lesson - Application and Adaptation Skills
Rationale:
Practical applications of discipline content, especially mathematics, is very important to student ownership of the concepts presented at the 7th grade level. This lesson allows students to use creativity, problem solving, and real number computation while involved in an Arctic exploration activity.
Lesson ILO:
1. Each student will analyze various information into an organized and useful plan.
2. Students will evaluate the usefulness and reasonableness of their plan.
3. Students will demonstrate problem solving and computational skills.
Materials:
One for each group: catalogs of outerwear and equipment (which includes prices and weights), list of food (including prices and weights), calculator, handout of activity instructions.
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set (Intro): Use of math, geography, science, and history goes beyond everyday living and into specialized situations. The uses of these subjects fall naturally into the field of exploration, but as you will see, they are also important factors in the initial packing stage of an Arctic exploration.
Part 1: Activity
Organization: All students will be together in block for the introduction of activity and then can break off into separate classrooms until planning is complete. Students should be grouped in 4's or 5's. Grouping can be done by getting students together by the month they were born.
Teacher Role: 1. Organize groups and distribute material, 2. mode: brainstorm with student groups, analyze, discuss
Student Role: 1. Collaborate with group to decide on equipment, amount, divisions, etc. as outlined in handout. 2. Students will be asked to evaluate the reasonableness of their solution and given the option to change it.
Part 1 may take 45 to 65 minutes, depending on student enthusiasm and need; time is flexible.
Part 2: Discussion
Organization: All students and teachers reconvene in main room.
Groups will share their plan and rationale with the class. Teachers will facilitate discussion on aspects of activity by asking questions such as:
What was the hardest thing to deal with and why?
What could have made this activity easier?
Was this activity very realistic? Why or why not?
Were you able to bring everything you thought you needed and/or wanted? How did you feel about that?
Extensions:
If group needs an extra challenge after finishing, give them a change in their scenario, such as:
Grant has just been cut by 15%
Team gains one member
Team loses one member
If group is short money for supplies needed, suggest they write the board of the corporation which gave them the grant and request more funding. They must include sound justification for their request.
If extra time after discussion, students will split up to go with one of the teachers in his or her own room. There they will be given a similar scenario but with a different twist. For details see Stranded in the Arctic Circle lesson plan (not included). Students are asked to rank a list of resources (including people with assorted expertise) they have available in the order of their importance to survival. Items they may find on the list are: rope, ice-ax, biologist, pastor, electric blanket,...
Handout of Activity Problem:
ARCTIC EXPEDITION
Scenario: This Spring, your team of explorers has received a grant from a local corporation and is journeying up to the edge of the Arctic circle, in the ANWR. You want to observe wildlife in the reserve. Your length of stay before returning for fresh supplies will be 2 weeks. Each team member is prepared with his/her own observation equipment. Other survival equipment and food must be purchased from the enclosed lists and catalogs with your team's grant money. These are some of the facts needed to make decisions:
Average daily temperature: 40 F, nightly: 10 F
Grant per team: $600
Each person has back pack load limit of 30 pounds (can be less)
There may or may not be wood for fire
Much of the exploration will be on foot
Now, where will you begin?
Web Assistance by
Jennifer Belcher