Week of 2/22/10

Happy Monday ladies!

This week's assignment of the MovieMaker movie is also individual. Let me know if either of you would still like to meet for open lab though.

I think I will keep my movie parallel with my lesson plan. I'll make a movie on the steps to planting the garden--but I don't know if I'm going to make it into a "story story" ...probably will. Post your thoughts and ideas and what topic you decide on as a comment so they all stay together. One more week until spring break!! :D

Have a great week! Stay warm! (stupid snow...)

Katie

Friday

Hello-
I know we talked about getting together this Friday for open lab and I was just wondering if you still wanted to do that since the projects this week are individual. Just let me know if yous still want to. Have a good week!
Dana

Task Stream

Hello-
Hope you guys are having a good week. I was just curious what you both are doing your lesson plan on so that I do not end up doing something similar. The directions said that no two group members can do the same thing. I have had a busy week and was going to write my lesson this weekend so if you could try to get back to me before then if you have already started working on something that would be great otherwise I will just post what I end up doing. Thanks!

Gardening--PBL ePals

Gardening

ePals: Project-Based Learning 

 

 

Who are the students your students will communicate with (specific location, grade level)?

A second grade class in Phoenix, Arizona

When would your students contact these other students (at what point in their project work)?

Our students will contact the other students in Phoenix at the beginning of the project so they can compare and contrast their entire gardening planning, process, and results.

What kinds of questions would they ask each other and what kinds of information would they share?

Our students will ask questions about temperature, climate, rainfall, and soil type. They will find out when the growing season is in Phoenix as well as special requirements that their gardens need, such as fertilizer or watering (irrigation) and how much and how often. Our students will share the same information as the questions they will ask.

 

Furthermore, both classes will collaborate once a week about the planning of the garden, the tools needed, what vegetation they're growing (maybe even try the same crops to see which grows better where!), and weekly updates--including pictures--on how the garden is doing along with the weather and if they've had to water or give any other special care to the garden. The students in each class can create a weekly log of temperature, weather, and plant growth and send them to each other at the end of the day on Friday or beginning of Monday.

 

The students will write a weekly reflection in their gardening journal about their gardening experience for that week. The students will then collaborate to create a single reflection to send to the other class with the weekly logs.

What will they do with the information they get from the other students?

Our students will keep a running comparison chart of the two gardens--pictures included. A Venn diagram can be used to compare the land in both cities. One can also be used to compare vegetation in the two gardens: do certain plants grow better in one city than the other? At the end of the project, the students both classrooms will write an individual summary about their gardening experiences. They will compare the outcomes of the two gardens--what was similar and what was different. They will use the pictures taken and their weekly data logs to support their responses.

Final Google Map

View Growing Our Gardens in a larger map


The students from both classrooms will use this map to compare the land between Kalamazoo, MI and Phoenix, AZ. They can look at different views of the map by clicking on "satellite" and "terrain". Zooming in on each city will also help them compare the land of the two cities--the similarities and the differences.

Adding our Doc and Map

I'm going to wait a couple more hours to submit our document and map, just in case either of you have more things to add/change. I want to make sure you've had enough time to look at it. I haven't heard from Dana yet.

Katie

Hey Ladies, what you put together looks great. I like how you put the information about what the students can use the map for right on the map. I did try to follow the roads with the first line I made but then it changed to the straight line, so thanks for adding the other line. Looks good and 2nd grade is fine with me.

ePals and Map (continued)

Hey ladies!

I edited the map a bit. I wasn't sure if Angelina wanted a straight shot line or one that followed the roads, so I created a "flying distance" and a "driving distance". I added descriptions into each box--the two cities and the two lines. Check them out and let me know what you think! If you both are fine with or (or make changes), let me know when you think it's complete and I will add it into our blog with a brief description about how the students will use the map.

As far as ePals.... I have no idea if we are actually supposed to contact another school or not... There is minimal information about ePals in the module. And nothing says that we need to contact someone/a class.

For the PBL Description in Google Docs:

I will be adding a document tonight answering the four specific questions she gave us. Take a look at that one too and add/change what you want to in my document. Let me know when it's final and I can publish that in the blog too!

Have a wonderful night,

Call me if you have questions early tomorrow (269) 317-8492. I won't be by a computer until later in the afternoon, but might be able to still help!

Katie

ePals and Maps

I went ahead and created an ePal account just in case we all need one. I looked at the map, the line from MI to AZ was on there. I think having students compare landscapes is a good idea this will make them think about growing conditions. Do either of you know what else we need to do to the map? Or do we just explain the way we are planning to use it with the lesson?

Google map

I recieved the mapp from Katie now I am just wondering what the two of you are thinking we should use the map for. I tried putting a line on the map from kazoo to phoenix, hopefully it worked, I don't know if that would be useful or not. Maybe the students could look st the satelite images on the map to notice the difference in landscape or something like that before they start ePals ex: MI is really green with lots of tree compared to Arizona. Then they could make some preditions

ePals

Do we each need to create an ePals account now? Module 4 doesn't specifically say anything about actually creating an account, but Kelsey said that we needed to... either of you know the answer? Either way, I have created an account on ePals.com. My ePal username is KatieS7911 (and email is katiesmith7911@gmail.com). I also started a google map and there should be a link in your email account!

Fridays

I am normally available on Fridays also, just not today. But if we want to get together some time that would be fine with me.

Fridays

I always have to work on Fridays until 1:30 but I would be able to meet up after that any Friday during the semester.

Open Lab for EDT

In case you two didn't know, there is an open lab on Fridays from 1-4 pm in Sangren, room 2202.

If either (or both) of you are free on a Friday and would like to meet up face-to-face, let me know! Plus we can ask questions if we have any. My Fridays are usually free.

-Katie

Compiled List of Websites

Here is a compiled list of everyone's websites:


Dana:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0218e/a0218e00.htm
http://www.kiddiegardens.com/
http://www.copper-tree.ca/garden/contact.html


Katie:

http://www.kidsgardening.org/

http://www.urbanext.illinois.edu/firstgarden/

http://questgarden.com/31/40/8/060723205949/process.htm

Angelina:

http://www.weekendgardener.net/

http://www.garden.org/home

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/

Google Document

Hey! I got Angelina's invite for the Google folder.

I was thinking about ideas to do for cultural understanding and global awareness. I am assuming we'll be using ePals for the project or was that just a suggestion? If we are doing early elementary we should definitely keep it within the United States. We could have them ask and discover about the other location's temperature, growing season, vegetation, gardening techniques, etc.


What are your suggestions? Any other ideas as well?