According to Duffy & Jonassen (1991); Jonassen (2000), the constructivist approach to learning

focuses on the learning environments in which children are provided with the opportunity to
construct knowledge on their own and to negotiate and share this knowledge with others.
Collaborative learning and discovery learning are both examples of learning that require students
to construct knowledge. Some advocators and developers of discovery learning are John Dewey
(1916/1997), Jean Piaget (1954, 1973), and Lev Vygotsky. In discovery learning, students
construct their own knowledge based on new information and a collection of data in an
explorative learning environment (De Jong & Van Joolingen, 1998). Computer based learning
(ITC) lends itself to discovery learning in the classroom. During discovery, students manipulate
variables while conducting experiments and also in the effort to acquire new knowledge thus
making ITC an important tool in the learning environment.
Learning about living things is a very interesting Science topic that fosters discovery learning in
an ITC environment for students at the grade five level.
Topic: What are Living Things?
Objectives: Students will be able to: identify common characteristics of living organisms, define
scientific classification, and explain how specific organisms are classified.
In this lesson the facilitator uses the enquiry based learning approach the stimulate thinking and
arouse student curiosity levels. Students construct a K-W-L-Q chart (what I know, what I want
know and what I learned and questions I still have). After completing the chart students view
videos on living things to discover more about living things. Students also engage in web search
to find more information about living things using some questions given as a guideline by the
facilitator. The lesson also facilitated the cooperative and collaborative group learning during

group task to find research to given questions. Students discuss their findings with the class
sharing what new knowledge and responding to posed questions. A three point rubric was used to
evaluate students learning.
To discover this lesson plan follow the link: http://www.bing.com/search?
q=discovery+lesson+plans+for+teachers+on+the+topic+living+things

Then: school.discoveryeducation.com/teachersguides/pdf/...a_living_thing.pdf
One teaching strategy which can be utilized in this lesson is the facilitators questioning
techniques and this can be assessed based on students active listening and participation skills.
The component of what I learn in the K-W-L-Q chart can help the facilitator to assess active
listening and participation of students.
The lesson used pointed out several opportunities for students to construct new models of
thinking, new connections and also problem solving. Being that students were placed in groups
to find literature, instead of everyone working on the same questions students can easily solve
this by equally distributing the research questions thus saving time and using more time for
meaningful discussion among themselves.. Students made connections and constructed new
models of thinking when they discovered those characteristics that both plants and animals have
in common.
Lesson plan: Living Thing: Teacher's Guide - Discovery Education. Available online at
http://www.bing.com/search?
q=discovery+lesson+plans+for+teachers+on+the+topic+living+things

school.discoveryeducation.com/teachersguides/pdf/...a_living_thing.pdf

References
Joyce A. Castronova Discovery Learning for the 21st Century: What is it and how
does it compare to traditional learning in effectiveness in the 21st Century?
teach.valdosta.edu/are/Litreviews/vol1no1/castronova_litr.pdf

Living Thing: Teacher's Guide - Discovery Education

school.discoveryeducation.com/teachersguides/pdf/...a_living_thing.pdf
http://www.bing.com/search?
q=discovery+lesson+plans+for+teachers+on+the+topic+living+things

Nadira Saab*, Wouter R. van Joolingen and Bernadette H. A. M. van Hout-Wolters

(2005). Communication in collaborative discovery learning
British Journal of Educational Psychology 75, 603621 q 2005 The British Psychological
Society
http://uwin-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo_library