Instructional

Software

Lesson Idea Name: Stars, Planets, and Moons

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 4th grade

Content Standard Addressed:
The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is the closest star to Earth.
Selected Technology Tool:
BrainPop
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable and goes directly to the lesson):
https://www.brainpop.com/science/space/sun/
Type of Instructional Software:

☐ Drill and Practice X Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

X Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
X Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☐ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
X Accessible to students beyond the school day
X Accessible via mobile devices
☐ Multiple languages
X Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Level(s):

X Remembering X Understanding X Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration:

X Infusion Level: Students may work at a higher Bloom’s Level, but they do not have any “Voice or Choice”
during the activity and most of the decisions are made by the teacher.

☐ Integration Level: We would like to see ALL lessons/activities reach this level. The project is student-
driven. Students have “Voice and Choice” in the activities, selecting the topic of study and determining the
technology tool to demonstrate mastery of the standard. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator.

☐ Expansion Level: The projects created are shared outside of the classroom, publishing student work and
promoting authorship. This could be reached by showcasing the project on the school’s morning
newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, or publishing via an outside source.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
The technology tool I chose for this lesson, BrainPop, supports all students because of the various tools that
BrainPop allows you to use. It enhances engagement and learning by optimizing relevance, value of the
lesson, and also by stating the goals and objectives. Also, you can use various forms of representation, such as
different forms of visuals by using a map or a game. You can also use certain tools on BrainPop for this topic
about stars to create your own story and map. This technology tool enhances learning for all of the different
types of students and supports the UDL principles as it has multiple forms of teaching methods.

TFrazier, 2021
 Instructional Software
Lesson idea implementation:
First, for this lesson teachers will do an introduction to the sun with the video BrainPop provided. This will
introduce the main ideas and goals that students will be learning about. After the video, the students will be
grouped with a partner or a small group. In these small groups, the students will read the related reading
BrainPop provides with their group. Next, the students will have the option to either make a map or make a
movie related to everything they have learned about the sun. This will be the students main project that they
will do. This project differentiates learning because the students have the option to choose how they will
show what they learn. I give them this option because it allows for students to choose the way that they want
to express their knowledge. I will extend the students learning to a higher level by having them put any
information about the sun that they may know or research that was not on the BrainPop video/readings. I will
use this as a form of extra credit for the students to provide a higher-order of thinking. Once the students
have finished their project of either making a map or a video, I will have them take a quiz individually. The
quiz will be a way for the students learning to be assessed. After the students finish the quiz we will review all
of the answers as a whole group. The goal of reviewing the answers after the quiz is to provide the students
with feedback on their answers. To conclude the lesson, I will allow the students to play the related games on
BrainPop and also look into the other topics that they may be interested in. I will walk around the classroom
helping students and seeing their interest as I will prepare for the next lesson, and also take their interest into
consideration when planning. Overall, this lesson should take 1 hour to 1 hour 30 min, depending on how in
depth you would like the students to go in the project.

Reflective Practice:
The activities I have created into this lesson will impact student learning because I offer the students a choice
on the project they wish to complete and also by doing it in a group to learn from their peers. If you were to
extend this lesson, you could go more in depth about space and the solar system and focus on another area
of content besides just the sun. There are several other technology tools that would benefit this lesson such
as using interactive simulations, and other resources for the project that is involved.

TFrazier, 2021