Stephanie Kragness
ED 421-Techonology
Tech-Rich Unit
November 27th, 2007
Grade Level: Middle School
Content Area: Mathematics, Environmental Science, Government/Economics, Language Arts
Title of Unit: AfterMath
Learning Goal: Students will be learning about water related disasters and the economical impact it has on the environment and personal property. Students will be put through a simulation in which they lose their personal property. They will learn how to protect their assets from disasters that may occur in their area. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the topic by a news broadcasting in which they collaborate with a small group of students to finalize their presentation.
Students will be able to:
· Understand the economical loss caused by water related disasters.
· Use a camcorder & IMovie for editing.
· Create a spreadsheet with working equations.
· Communicate their research through a public broadcasting.
Technology Standards:
· Technology Standard 1: Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression
· Technology Standard 2: Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or other employing a variety of digital environments and media.
· Technology Standard 3: Students locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
· Technology Standard 5: Students exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, leering and productivity.
Technologies Integrated:
· Introduction Video: On the Gulf: Coastlines in Dangers (20min)
· Internet Research (google.com, sears.com, realestate.com, etc.) to find ads for the assets the student wishes to use.
· Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet determining the total value of assets. Students must have a working formula for the total value of assets.
· Microsoft Excel to create a classroom graph of the total loss in assets (done by instructor).
· Camcorder to record the news broadcast of the students.
· Microsoft Word to write-out the script for the new broadcast.
· IMovie will be used to edit the broadcast and for final presentations.
Resources:
Project WET: Curriculum & Activity Guide. 2007
(Origins of the original non-technological advanced lesson)
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=0855C4E2-C438-4AB9-B40B-41348D148D57
Unit Outline:
(All class periods are allotted 55 min.)
Day 1: Introduction
Students will generate a list of water related weather events. As a class we will discuss these natural disasters in general to become familiar with the topic. The purpose of the lesson is not to discuss the science behind the natural disaster but the economical aftermath. Students will then finish off the class by watching a related video.
On the Gulf: Coastlines in Dangers (20min): United Streaming
Day 2: Research
Students will begin class in the computer lab to find an ad for a home and two automobiles. They may use local real estate and car dealerships websites. Students will then select furnishings and appliances for their home from a local department store websites (i.e. sears.com) Internet will be supervised and students will be warned that if they wonder of the appropriate topic there Internet privileges will be revoked. Students need to record all assets and associated value in an appropriate spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel. Student needs to create a formula to determine the “Total Value of Assets”.
Description of Asset: / Value:Total Value of Assets:
Day 3: The Activity
A flood simulation will occur in today’s class. The desks need to be lined up in a grid formation. The instructor (or a volunteer) will weave throughout the desk tossing multiple papers amongst the students (approximately 300 small pieces). Ask students to grab as many pieces of paper as they can in a respectful manner.
Students can then be told a story.
It has been an unusually wet spring. Water from melting snow and heavy spring rains has raised the level of rivers above their banks. With the last torrential rain (the papers) the river in some area has now overflowed the levee. Because of land variations and differences in elevation the amount of flooding varies.
Students will then be told that each piece of paper they gathered is equivalent to $1,000 loss from floodwaters. Students will then determine their individual losses. This will be added to their original spreadsheet adding a row to represent their “Total Losses”.
Students will report their losses to the instructor and a graph will be presented to students the next class day.
Day 4: Discussion / Video
As a class discuss how students within heavily damaged areas would feel compared to those who missed the brunt of the flood (this is controlled by the instructor tossing the papers in a zigzag motion throughout the desks). Discuss water-related disasters in the community from the past years and the damage it has caused. Mention insurance policy availability. Discuss what students should do if they lived in flood hazard area to protect themselves and their assets.
After the discussion students will be told they will be presenting their flood knowledge on damage using a news broadcast.
Day 5, 6, & 7: Workday
These three days are set aside for planning and scripting. The scrip needs to be typed out using Microsoft Word. Remind students that their broadcast needs to include some scientific knowledge on floods.
Students will use this time to film their broadcast and import their video into IMovie. They will then have time to edit their film to use as a final presentation.
Day 8: Presentations
Students will present their broadcast to the class.