THE lesson plan

A virus mini-lesson for 6th graders:

Standard 5: Students will understand that microorganisms range from simple to complex, are found almost everywhere, and are both helpful and harmful.

Objective 2a: Develop a hypothesis for a question about microorganisms based on observations and prior knowledge.

Materials: Slide show

*students should have prior knowledge of what the 5 characteristics of living things are.

Prepare a short slide show explaining what viruses are, how they reproduce, etc. Any relevant information.
In groups of about four, have the students discuss whether or not viruses are alive, based on the information presented in the slide show, and what they know about the activities of viruses. After a few minutes, ask the groups to relate what they said and why. As a class, discuss the 5 characteristics of living things and whether or not viruses fulfill these requirements.

I actually did this activity with the sixth graders in my practicum. I searched the UEN website, and couldn't find any practical lesson plans for what I needed to be teaching. In fact, none of them directly addressed basic information about viruses, so I borrowed ideas from these websites:

http://askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Biology/BIO0201.html

http://www.aestheticrealism.net/News-Lesson-Virus-SR.html

I also created the slide show I was going to use on google documents so that I could have access to it on my home computer, as well as on my cooperating teacher's computer. I think you can access it here, but I might have done this wrong, so we'll see:

Jade's virus slide show presentation

The YETC

Wow,
so, I am so surprised at all the stuff that you can do with technology. I was sitting there thinking, 'you could dedicate a whole semester to learning about this stuff--oh wait, we are!'
What's great is that even if something doesn't get covered this semester, we have the YETC-library-guy Nathan to help us out, plus all of these great resources. I got really excited about that video library that he showed us. How would that be for making history come alive? He moved awfully fast though, so I kind of missed where that actually was, but I figure I can always ask later...I hope.
That's one thing about this profession. It encourages pack-ratting stuff away. You don't know what you might need for a lesson. That would explain why my mom (a third grade teacher) has boxes of teaching stuff packed away in our attic.
So this is a completely spastic blog. That's what I get for doing this with sleep-deprivation coupled with a sudden stress-relief. Ha!

The lesson plan project

So, I'm really excited to do this lesson plan. I'm a little overwhelmed by this in addition to all of the other assignments that I need to accomplish, but I want to do it. I'm a little confused about exactly how our lesson plan is supposed to relate to technology... I don't know, maybe it doesn't? It doesn't have to 'teach' technology and we shouldn't use it when non-technology would work better.

I couldn't fall asleep last night because I got so worked up about my practicum and thinking about how I was going to come up with a cool science lesson plan--what subject I need to introduce and when, and whether a hands-on lesson would turn the normally comatose 6th graders into unruly hellions.
I've decided from this whole experience that I really like 6th graders, and I have picked the right emphasis. I wonder how I can use knowledge of technology to help teach them...

blogging as educational technology

So how will I use this principle of technology in my classroom? Honestly, I like the idea of a blog, and even though I don't see its elementary-educational relevance, I'm glad to acquaint myself with it. I may be showing my pocket-protectors here, but I've always kind of wanted to know how to create one, so I'm glad that this class has introduced it. I guess I could see how it might be worthwhile in the upper grades for something--although i can't possibly think for what--I'm glad to be familiar with it so that option is available to me.