Missy May

FRIT 7234

Mini-Lessons 1-3

My mini-lessons instill the core values of digital citizenship while integrating 4th-grade science and writing
standards. Students have already been learning about ecosystems, and these lessons will be wrapping the unit up.
Somebody would teach these lessons in a co-teach setting. As students get older, they create more research projects and
read for understanding. Presenting information in their own words and giving credit is imperative for students.

Mini-Lesson 1: This lesson would be taught during the writing portion of our day.
Mini-Lesson 2 & 3: These lessons will be used towards the end of our Ecosystem unit.

Mini-Lesson Your words or theirs?

1:

Standards: ISTE:
Digital Citizenship-Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and
working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
Creative Communicator- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of
purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals

GPS
S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy
within an ecosystem.
a. Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
(Clarification statement: Students are not expected to identify the different types of consumers – herbivores,
carnivores, omnivores, and scavengers.)
b. Develop simple models to illustrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with
sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
c. Design a scenario to demonstrate the effect of a change on an ecosystem. (Clarification statement:
Include living and non-living factors in the scenario.)
 Missy May
FRIT 7234

d. Use printed and digital data to develop a model illustrating and describing changes to the flow of energy in
an ecosystem when plants or animals become scarce, extinct, or overabundant.

Essential How do I put information into my own words? How do I give credit to an author?
Question:

Digital How will I ethically use the information?

Information 3.A Learners ethically use digital information
Fluency: ● Learners decide whether or not to integrate digital information related to a specific information task
● Learners cite the source and/or author for the selected digital information
What information am I looking for? Where will I find the information? How will I get there?
1.A Learners identify key concepts in a research question

Lesson Opening: Students will be introduced to the essential questions and do a think-pair-share with a partner to
Overview: answer the questions. Then watch Plagiarism for Kids embedded into a Nearpod and answer the following
question "Why is it important to put things into your own words?"

Mini-Lesson/Work-Time: Using the resources in the curated resources collection, we will learn how to
paraphrase using the Flocabulary video in Nearpod with questions embedded. With a partner, students will
use the note-taking organizer from Read. Write. Think. while reading a short leveled paragraph (based on
their reading level) and put the paragraph in their own words (on a Google form). Students will use the
infographic flowchart from LibGuides while they are working.

Closing: Students will have ample time to review teacher-provided resources before ending with our short
Kahoot quiz.

Curated https://wke.lt/w/s/2NuajL (These will be used throughout Mini-Lesson 1)

Resources:

Principle of Assessment
 Missy May
FRIT 7234

Inquiry-Based Students will be assessed with a project rubric once they complete their ecosystem project.
Learning;
Appropriate Use of Technology
Appropriate resources will be provided for students to utilize during their process of gaining a deeper
understanding of content.

Learner Success
Student projects will be reviewed by peers doing a museum walk and a rubric used by the teacher.

Ethical Citizenship
Evaluation and discussion will provide students the opportunity to practice ethical citizenship.

Technology: teacher computer, student computers, an interactive projector/board, document imaging camera, 1-1 student
Chromebooks or laptops

Assessment: To assess students on paraphrasing and plagiarism, students will participate in a short class Kahoot.
Students will answer various true and false questions.

Extension: This lesson will support students in their daily assignments. Students complete nightly activities in their
reading journals. Students will be able to summarize information and retells in their own words.
Missy May
FRIT 7234

Mini-Lesson Ecosystems
2:

Standards: ISTE:
Digital Citizenship-Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and
working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
Creative Communicator- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of
purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals

GPS
S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy
within an ecosystem.
a. Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
(Clarification statement: Students are not expected to identify the different types of consumers – herbivores,
carnivores, omnivores and scavengers.)
b. Develop simple models to illustrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with
sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
c. Design a scenario to demonstrate the effect of a change on an ecosystem. (Clarification statement: Include
living and non-living factors in the scenario.)
d. Use printed and digital data to develop a model illustrating and describing changes to the flow of energy in
an ecosystem when plants or animals become scarce, extinct, or overabundant.

Essential Why are ecosystems important?

Question:

Digital How will I ethically use the information?

Information 3.A Learners ethically use digital information
Fluency: ● Learners decide whether or not to integrate digital information related to a specific information task
● Learners cite the source and/or author for the selected digital information
What information am I looking for? Where will I find the information? How will I get there?
1.A Learners identify key concepts in a research question
Missy May
FRIT 7234

Lesson Opening: Using Poll Everywhere, students will answer the following questions. What do we know about
Overview: ecosystems? Why are ecosystems important? The findings of these questions will spark our opening
discussion.

Mini-Lesson/Work-Time: Students will use the teacher-provided list of curated resources to learn and review
more on Ecosystems. Students will then work in partners to create a Glogster ecosystem poster graded with
the linked rubric. Students can use curated resources during this assignment. Students will be given guidance
as the need arises. GoGuardian will be on during resource use to also ensure students are on track.

Students will have the opportunity to preview peers’ posters at another time.

Curated https://padlet.com/mmay40/11o9p1mymnj4tmfb
Resources:

Principle of Assessment
Inquiry- Students will be assessed with a project rubric once they complete their ecosystem poster..
Based
Learning; Appropriate Use of Technology
Appropriate resources will be provided for students to utilize during their process of gaining a deeper
understanding of content.

Learner Success
Student projects will be reviewed by peers doing a museum walk and a rubric used by the teacher.

Ethical Citizenship
Evaluation and discussion will provide students the opportunity to practice ethical citizenship.

Technology: teacher computer, student computers, an interactive projector/board, document imaging camera, 1-1 student
Chromebooks or laptops
Missy May
FRIT 7234

Assessment To assess students on ecosystems, students will use Glogster to create their own ecosystem poster. Students
: will also write a short informational book about Ecosystems, Food Webs, and Food Chains. Student’s books
will be graded using the 4 star writing rubric.

Extension: Students will have the opportunity to document ecosystems in the world around them.

https://padlet.com/mmay40/p64u6khns1rcbi7

Students are also encouraged to play the ecosystem games at home for additional practice.
Missy May
FRIT 7234

Mini-Lesson Food Chains and Food Webs

3:

Standards: ISTE:
Digital Citizenship-Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and
working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
Creative Communicator- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of
purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals

GPS
S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy
within an ecosystem.
a. Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
(Clarification statement: Students are not expected to identify the different types of consumers – herbivores,
carnivores, omnivores and scavengers.)
b. Develop simple models to illustrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with
sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
c. Design a scenario to demonstrate the effect of a change on an ecosystem. (Clarification statement: Include
living and non-living factors in the scenario.)
d. Use printed and digital data to develop a model illustrating and describing changes to the flow of energy in
an ecosystem when plants or animals become scarce, extinct, or overabundant.

Essential How do I put information into my own words? How do I give credit to an author?
Question:

Digital How will I ethically use the information?

Information 3.A Learners ethically use digital information
Fluency: ● Learners decide whether or not to integrate digital information related to a specific information task
● Learners cite the source and/or author for the selected digital information
What information am I looking for? Where will I find the information? How will I get there?
Missy May
FRIT 7234

1.A Learners identify key concepts in a research question

Lesson Opening: Using Poll Everywhere, students will answer the following questions. What is one thing you know
Overview: about food chains and food webs? Why are they important? The findings of these questions will spark our
opening discussion.

Mini-Lesson/Work-Time: Students will use the teacher-provided list of curated resources to learn and review
food chains and food webs. Students will begin with the Scholastic Study Jams! Food Chains and Food Webs.
Students will then watch the Generation Genius video and quickly check with the listed NearPod. Last, using
prior knowledge and information from Ducksters, students will work on a short informational book using Book
Creator. Students will have access to resources in mini-lesson 1 to help them put information into their own
words.

GoGuardian will be on during resource use to also ensure students are on track.

Curated https://list.ly/list/60iW-food-chains-and-food-webs
Resources:

Principle of Assessment
Inquiry- Students will be assessed with a project rubric once they complete their life cycle project.
Based
Learning; Appropriate Use of Technology
Appropriate resources will be provided for students to utilize during their process of gaining a deeper
understanding of content.

Learner Success
Student projects will be reviewed by peers doing a museum walk and a rubric used by the teacher.

Ethical Citizenship
Evaluation and discussion will provide students the opportunity to practice ethical citizenship.
Missy May
FRIT 7234

Technology: teacher computer, student computers, an interactive projector/board, document imaging camera, 1-1 student
Chromebooks or laptops

Assessment To assess, students will write a short informational book about Ecosystems, Food Webs, and Food Chains.
: Student’s books will be graded using the 4 star writing rubric.

Extension: Students will have the opportunity to document ecosystems in the world around them.

https://padlet.com/mmay40/p64u6khns1rcbi7

Students are also encouraged to play the ecosystem games at home for additional practice.

Reflection:
Missy May
FRIT 7234

In designing and developing this module, I incorporated many different activities to address multiple learning styles.
Within these lessons, students will have the opportunity to work with songs/raps when using Flocabulary. In the Nearpod
lessons, the student will complete drawing activities. Visual learning is addressed with videos and movies, and students
will have the opportunity to write and design in their book creation activity and Glogster poster. The students are
predominantly literate in technology. However, this co-taught class is compiled of differentiated levels of learners.
Students will work in partners when learning to navigate new or unfamiliar technology programs.

I received my peer evaluation from Amy, and I was a bit bummed. I went into submitting my lesson with pride. After
reviewing the evaluation, I did see the need to be a tad bit more specific. I can see her point with stating the way I used
technology was not a way to enhance the students learning. I can't entirely agree, but I did adjust my lesson with more
details and edited the activities to reflect enhancement.

This course and activity have helped me improve my understanding of technology literacy and integration. Looking
back at how I have implemented or seen others implement technology into lessons, I can see where teachers didn't
necessarily use technology to enhance. Teachers used it because it seemed the students would think it was "cool." The
research and findings in this course will help me in my new role of Media Specialist this coming year. I am excited to take
what I have learned and support my colleagues with effective technology implementation.