Timeline
This curriculum web request approximately a total 30-hour learning duration, not including the time consumed to the final product after class or offline. It can be completed in 5-7 weeks, depending on different class schedules and routines. Grouping Suggestion
This learning module contains a large part of collaborative learning, which presented in Activity 2 and Activity 3. However, students are not grouped in the same way. For Activity 2, the whole class is divided into groups of 3 members. There are no specific group roles needed, and each student is responsible for one of the total three aspects. For Activity 3, ideally, the whole class is divided into 6 groups. Each group may have 4 or 5 members, depending on the class size. And group roles are necessary, which contain leader, designer, director, editor, and assistant if appropriate. Teacher Role
Before teaching this topic, the teacher must make sure all students have access to online tools and multimedia tools. During class, the teacher acts as moderator and facilitator, monitoring student’s learning and providing instructional support. Extension/Adaptation Ideas
After completing this curriculum web, each student is encouraged to create a blog as a portfolio of animals and plants he/she has learned so far. During their future study, they can add and keep track of any other species and new ideas about biodiversity. With alternate materials and information of Activity 1, this curriculum web can also be used outside New York State. Besides, if students are prepared well enough, this curriculum web is applicable in ESL classrooms. Materials & Resources
Materials used on this curriculum web are all from online resources. Teachers must be familiar with the content before giving classes through the following links.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/
http://nysparks.com/environment/biodiversity.aspx http://www.amnh.org/ology/biodiversity http://www.biodiversity911.org/default.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ http://animal.discovery.com/ http://www.thewildclassroom.com/ |
|