MINI LESSON 1

Current Electricity

Name:   Lauren Sinclair                                                                 Subject: Science

Grade Level:     8                                                                          Date: February 28, 2014

CONTENT STANDARDS:

S8P5. Students will recognize characteristics of gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major kinds of forces acting in nature.

b. Demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of series and parallel circuits and how they transfer energy.

ISTE-NETS:

3. Research and information fluency. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

a. Plan strategies to guide inquiryb. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and mediac. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasksd. Process data and report results

5. Digital citizenship. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technologyb. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivityc. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learningd. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

AUTHENTICITY:

As the task for a grade eight electricity assessment, students will plan and design parallel and series circuits. Students will research both types of circuits deciding which type would be better to use in their home or business.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to successfully create series and parallel circuits.

Students will be able to explain how circuits work in terms of electricity.

Students will successfully Skype with an expert electrician.

Students will practice digital citizenship throughout the lesson.

MATERIALS / RESOURCES NEEDED:

1. Device to use the internet Livebinders http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1269918

2. Circuits Experiment Worksheet

3. Wires, Batteries, Light Bulbs

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:

Teacher will begin the lesson by asking the students engaging question about electricity within their home. Ex. “When the lights go out at your house what do you think has happened?” “What is the purpose of the breaker box?” “Ladies, if you plug in too many appliances in the bathroom what will happen to the outlets?” “If the lights are turned off in the bathroom do the lights in the kitchen automatically go off too?” The questions are meant to get the students thinking in terms of electricity.

Youtube video on electricity. Teacher and students will discuss the video after watching it.

The students will then visit the Livebinder website. They are to explore all tabs looking for information that is beneficial to their learning of parallel and series circuits. The students will need to ask themselves questions about the information they are reading. The teacher will guide the students through the first tab. The teacher will ask “Is this the information needed to learn about circuits?” “If not, where will I find the information needed to learn about circuits?” After the teacher has guided the students through the first tab the students will be expected to complete the remaining tabs on their own. They may use a partner if they need help. The final tab is a PHET Simulations tab. This is an interactive site that allows them to create different kinds of circuits. The students will have to use prior knowledge and what they have learned from the other recourses to build the circuits. If they build a circuit incorrectly it will catch fire.

Class discussion over the resources used to teach the students about circuits. The students will refer back to the websites when discussing circuits. They will take notes and use the correct citation for the notes.

Students will then create their own personal parallel and series circuits. Students will not be able to have any help when creating the circuits. While creating the circuit, the teacher will ask “How do you know you have created a parallel circuit?” “How do you know you have created a series circuit?” While completing the circuits lab students will complete the Circuits Experiment Worksheet.

Once the circuits have been built, the classes will Skype with the school electrician. We will show the electrician the circuits we have built and he will explain circuits in more detail along with electrical safety.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT:

Students will demonstrate their learning by creating an online lab report. They will have the choice to use any web 2.0 tool of their choice to prove they know how circuits work. The students will create a presentation that covers the essentials of a lab report. In their lab report they must refer back to the resources they used while learning about parallel and series circuits. They must include the correct citations and give credit where credit is due.

The teacher will provide verbal feedback throughout the lesson by asking questions and probing students to check for understanding. The teacher will provide written feedback on the Electrical Circuits worksheet.

MINI LESSON 2

Magnetism

Name:   Lauren Sinclair                                                                 Subject: Science

Grade Level:     8                                                                          Date: March 3, 2014

CONTENT STANDARDS:

S8P5. Students will recognize characteristics of gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major kinds of forces acting in nature.

c. Investigate and explain that electric currents and magnets can exert force on each other.

ISTE-NETS:

2. Communication and collaboration. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and mediab. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formatsc. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other culturesd. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigationb. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a projectc. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisionsd. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

5. Digital citizenship. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technologyb. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivityc. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learningd. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

AUTHENTICITY:

As the task for a grade eight magnetism assessment, students will create a floating train. Students will research magnetism and electricity in order to build the train. All materials will be provide, but it is up to the students to decide how to piece everything together.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to successfully create a floating train.

Students will be able to explain what makes the train float and move.

Students will successfully participate in a blogging exercise.

Students will practice digital citizenship throughout the lesson.

MATERIALS / RESOURCES NEEDED:

1. Device to use the internet Symbaloo.com http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/magnetism

Weebly.com http://llsinclair.weebly.com

2. Materials for Floating Train activity

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:

Teacher will begin the lesson by demonstrating “floating magnets.” The students already have prior knowledge of magnets. Floating magnets will be used to activate prior knowledge. Students will discuss magnet poles and domains.

The students will then visit the symabloo website. They are to explore all tiles. There are tiles thrown into the symbaloo webmix that do not provide the students with the correct information. The students are to explore all tiles and decide which information will be valuable to them when creating the floating train. A tile is provide, PHET Simulations, which allows the

students to “see” how electricity and magnetism work together. This will be useful for the students when building the floating train.

After the students have explored each tile, the teacher will lead the class in a discussion pointing out the tiles that did not provide the students with credible information.

The students will then work in groups to build the floating train. The students will have to use prior knowledge of magnets and electricity, as well as the information they have learned from the resources provided in the lesson to successfully make a floating train. If they do not build the train correctly it will not move. While building the train the teacher will ask the students questions and provide verbal feedback.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT:

Once the floating trains have been successfully completed, the classes will participate in a blog (http://llsinclair.weebly.com). The students will need to click on the magnetism tab found on the weebly home page. They will respond to the blog post and comment on each other’s postings. The students must correctly cite all information. The teacher will provide examples of correct and incorrect citations.

The teacher will provide verbal feedback throughout the lesson by asking questions and probing students to check for understanding. The teacher will provide written feedback on weebly postings. The teacher will be checking for understanding of the relationship between magnetism and electricity, as well as ethical citizenship.

MINI LESSON 3

Electricity & Magnetism/ Digital Information Fluency

Name:   Lauren Sinclair                                                                 Subject: Science

Grade Level:     8                                                                          Date: March 4, 2014

CONTENT STANDARDS:

S8P5. Students will recognize characteristics of gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major kinds of forces acting in nature.

b. Demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of series and parallel circuits and how they transfer energy. c. Investigate and explain that electric currents and magnets can exert force on each other.

ISTE-NETS:

1. Creativity and innovation. Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processesb. Create original works as a means of personal or group expressionc. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issuesd. Identify trends and forecast possibilities

2. Communication and collaboration. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and mediab. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats

c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other culturesd. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigationb. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a projectc. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisionsd. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

5. Digital citizenship. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technologyb. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivityc. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learningd. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

AUTHENTICITY:

In order to demonstrate their understanding of electricity and magnetism the students will act as researchers (scientist). The students will research the theories behind electricity and magnetism and how the two work together.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

Students will successfully create a web 2.0 presentation.

Students will practice ethical citizenship throughout the lesson.

MATERIALS / RESOURCES NEEDED:

1. Device to use the internet List.ly http://list.ly/list/EfE-ethical-use-in-the-21st-century

Symbaloo.com http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/magnetism

Livebinders http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1269918

Weebly.com http://llsinclair.weebly.com

Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSaQ5-mDRI

Web 2.0 tools

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:

Teacher will begin the lesson by demonstrating showing a youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSaQ5-mDRI . The teacher will discuss with the class why they are viewing a plagiarism video. The students will discuss the punishment that can be associated with plagiarism.

After discussing plagiarism, the teacher will direct the students to the list.ly (http://list.ly/list/EfE-ethical-use-in-the-21st-century)for them to explore different sources relating to ethical use of technology and resources. The student will take notes as they explore each site.

After the students have explored the resources, the class will discuss the importance of digital citizenship. The teacher will also explain the importance of posting something that you can never officially delete.

The teacher will then have the students get into pairs to begin their research. The students will pretend to be researchers who are searching to find the reasons to relationship between electricity and magnetism. They students will need to give credit where credit is due.

The students may need to refer back to the curated list of resources used for ethical use, electricity, and magnetism.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT:

The students will work in groups of two to create a web 2.0 presentation of the information they have gathered about the relationship between electricity and magnetism. The students will be able to use any web 2.0 tool of their choice. Students should properly site each source used. They must use a minimum of ten different sources. The students should include pictures, explanations, and examples of electricity and magnetism working together. Students will be able to use web chat to collaborate with experts on

electricity and magnetism. The teacher must approve the web chats before partaking in them. The students will present their presentation in front of the class.

The teacher will provide verbal feedback throughout the lesson by asking questions and probing students to check for understanding of the relationship between electricity and magnetism and ethical citizenship. The teacher will provide written feedback on the presentations the students create.