Solar+System


 * Topic:** The Solar System
 * Content Area:** Science
 * Grade:** 4th

__**Instruction Objectives**__ Students will be able to: - complete a keyword search picking out relevant information - keep organized notes about a topic - Improving presentation skills

__**Describe the Learning Activity**__ In this lesson students will be working in the computer lab using a Google custom search that I have created to research our solar system (custom search can be found below). Students will be able to use the [|awesome highlighter] to highlight important facts found on various webpages. The students will be asked to keep a record of all the research they have done in a [|zoho notebook].This notebook must be shared with the teacher at the end of the lesson. The students will then use their research to create a [|voicethread] about the solar system. This voicethread will consist of pictures of various attributes of the solar system combined with the students reading information related to each picture. There is a sample voicethread found [|here].

Students will be asked to locate the following information on the various parts of the solar system: name description of item components/characteristics of the item size description origin of name location

Students will be encouraged to work both individually and in small groups. The students will be asked to do research individually and then they will come together as a class to discuss the information found and one voicethread will be created for the class. When creating the class voice thread small groups of two to three students will be assigned a given part of the solar system and they will be responsible for that portion of the voice thread. The students will be encouraged to ask questions of he teacher, and they will be assisted in researching, writing the dialogue, and recording the dialogue to create the final product.

__**Rationale for Tool(s) use:**__ By having students use the custom search tool that I have created, they are able to get more accurate results from their keyword searching. Using a custom search cuts down on the amount of weeding through search results that students have to do to get the best possible information. However, students still must be able to search using a keyword. Having students use zoho notebook allows them to keep track of their sources and research in an organized manor. Zoho notebook allows students to cut and paste information and includes the URL where the item can be found. It also allows students to keep all of their information in one place and makes it easier to share with the teacher. By creating a voicethread, the students will have a finished product that they can look back on to help them recall and remember the information they researched. When a teacher makes a research assignment more fun by having students create something like a voicethread, the students tend to remember the assignment and the information better. This allows the students to have fun while learning. The voicethread will be used in future classes when reviewing the solar system.

__**Evaluation**__ I will evaluate the students based on their performance. The students are expected to research and participate during the course of this lesson. The students will receive participation points based on their involvement in the activities. The students have been given a list of information that they need to research. Each of these items will be required and assigned various points which students will earn upon completion. The students will also be evaluated on their ability to complete keyword searches and their use of zoho. The students should be fairly familiar with these programs and should be able to use them with little difficulty because they have been used many times in previous assignments. These programs will be evaluated based on their ease of use and the outcome. If the desired outcome is not reached with these programs, then they will be carefully researched to see if it is just the user or if the program can or cannot produce the desired outcome. The programs that I chose are being used to make learning more interesting and accessible to all learners. By using various tools, all range of learners can be reached and all students will benefit. The programs will be evaluated based on the students' engagement. I will look at whether the students are engaged, excited, and participating in the lesson in order to see whether or not the programs are making learning more interesting.

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