Learn with Mrs. Mecham: November 2008

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Field Work Journal (week of 11/17/08)

I can't believe it went by so fast. This week we taught our last two lessons. One was on a slave and the other was on George W. Bush. We used our Digital Story when we taught about George W. Bush and added a little bit to the end that the class contributed on. They loved it, we even gave a copy to the teacher. I am glad I had the opportunity to go into the fifth grade classroom and work with the class, it made me really excited to be a teacher.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Field Experience Journal (week of 11/10/08)

This week ended up being a great week. We ended up teaching our fitst three lessons. They auctually went better than I thought they would. On Tuesday we taught on Captain John Smith the kids, I think, really liked it. The second lesson we taught was on Thomas Edison. We even made a light bulb to show the class. They seemed really interested. The last lesson we taught this week was on Martin Luther King Jr. I was most worried about this lesson, but it ended up alot better then I expected.

Field Work Journal (week of 11/03/2008)

This was my first week in the field. I was really nervous and I don't know why. It has been so much fun and I love the little fith graders. This week I pretty much just observed and got to know the class. The teacher is awesome and the kids absolutly love her, she has them very well trained.

Digital Storytelling

What is it?
Digital Storytelling is a way of using technology to create movies with sound, pictures, transitions, etc.
Websites
Visit the following websites to learn more about digital story and find examples
1. http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
2. http://www.storycenter.org/stories/
3. http://www.teachingteachers.com/
Lesson Plan
(One way to use Digital Story in the classroom)

I. Utah State Core Curriculum Standard(s)
Standard 5 Students will address the causes, consequences and implications of the emergence of the United States as a world power.

The students will understand what role George W. Bush plays in the history we are still making today.

II. Lesson Objective(s)/Goal(s)
a. The students will know who George W. Bush is and what he has done/is doing to strengthen America today.
b. The students will do: Given the information learned about George W. Bush from the class discussion and game, the students will be able to complete a quiz with 90% accuracy.

III. Preparation (teacher materials, student materials, etc.)
Teacher Materials: Jeopardy PowerPoint, computer, projector, class-produced movie, Who Am I? fact sheet
Student Materials: George W. Bush fact sheet, exit quiz, pencil

IV. Technology Use:
Computer with projector, class-produced movie (described below), Jeopardy PowerPoint

V.Instructional Procedures:
*During the week before: Have the students write down 2-3 sentences describing why they love living in America. Without telling them about the final product, that the students read their sentences into the PhotoStory program. Find pictures that go with their statements and put their name on the slide. Add the class-produced video to the teacher-produced one about September 11th.
*Hook: “Who Am I?” Tell the students that they will hear 10 facts about someone and they will try to guess who is being described. When they think they know who it is, they should put their hands on their head but not say it aloud until all 10 facts are read and they are called upon to answer. Reveal that we are going to learn about George W. Bush.
“Who Am I?”
1. I was born in New Haven, Connecticut
2. My father is very well-known
3. My father and I share the same name
4. I attended Yale University
5. My favorite sport is baseball
6. My birthday is July 6, 1946
7. I have twin daughters
8. My wife’s name is Laura
9. I was the governor of Texas
10. I am the forty-third president of the United States
*Assign the students into partnerships. Pass out George W. Bush fact sheets. Explain that the students will read the sheet together, alternating paragraphs, to learn all they can about George W. Bush. We will then use that knowledge to play a game.
* Play Jeopardy. Split the class into two teams by dividing the desks down the middle. Have teams come to the front and sit on the floor. Write team 1 and team 2 on the board. Allow team one to choose a category and a point value. If that team answers the question correctly, they get that many points. If they answer incorrectly, team two has a chance to steal if they can give the correct answer. Continue play until all questions have been asked. When all questions have been asked, move on to final Jeopardy. Show the students the “Final Jeopardy” slide and have each write down a point value. Ask the question and allow until the end of the song for the teams to write the answer on their paper. Ask team one to reveal their answer and either add or subtract their wager depending on whether or not they answered correctly. Repeat with team two.
*Say, “Who knows what happened in America about 9 months after President Bush was sworn into office?” Briefly discuss September 11, 2001. Discuss how lucky we are to live in this country where we are able to come together under even the worst conditions.”
* Show class-produced video about September 11 and why we’re proud to live in America.
* Closure: Pass out quizzes. Collect quizzes as they leave for lunch.

VI. Accommodation(s) for Diverse Learner(s)

VII. Evaluation of Student Progress
Pre-Assessment: “Who Am I?” guessing game
Formative Assessment: Students will participate in the Jeopardy game and give accurate responses to the questions.
Post-Assessment: Given the information learned about George W. Bush from the class discussion and game, the students will be able to complete a quiz with 90% accuracy.

Webquest--There that Simple

What is it?
Webqust are a great way for children to learn. Webquest provide a interactive way of learning for students to complete as individuals or in groups. They are also a fun way to get students out of their desks to have fun with learning.
How would we use it?
For out webquest we decided to focus on how smoking effects the body. We wanted six graders, by using the internet sites provided, to find reasons to convince teens not to smoke. I think this webquest would be very beneficial for six graders because sixth graders going into seventh grade are going under alot of pressure. This teaches students the effects of smoking.
Websites-- the following are some great websites for students and teachers. Visit the websites to find out more about webquests and find examples of webquest.
1. http://webquest.org/index.php
2. http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html
3. http://bestwebquests.com/

Learn with Mrs. Mecham

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Field Work Journal (week of 11/17/08)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Field Experience Journal (week of 11/10/08)

Field Work Journal (week of 11/03/2008)

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Webquest--There that Simple

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September 11, 2001

All 50 States and their Capitals

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things