Logging+Companies+Affect+Our+Everyday+Lives

The lesson plan is based on the NteQ Model (Morrison & Lowther, 2002) =NteQ Lesson Plan= Christina Williams – Barksdale Elementary School
 * **Lesson Title: Logging Companies Affecting our Everyday Lives ** ||
 * **Subject Area(s): Reading/Language Arts, Science, Technology** || **Grade Level: 4th** ||


 * Standards in Content Area(s):
 * __Reading/Language Arts __**
 * CFU 0401.3.5 Write friendly and business letters. **
 * CFU 0401.4.2 Use current technology as a research and communication tool for personal interest, research, and clarification. **
 * CFU 0401.2.4 Formulate and respond to questions from teachers and group members. **


 * __Science __**
 * GLE 0407.T/E.5 Apply a creative design strategy to solve a particular problem generated by societal needs and wants. **
 * CFU 0407.T/E.2 Design a tool or a process that addresses an identified problem caused by human activity. ** ||
 * Technology Standards:
 * Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making **

**Materials**
 * Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, **
 * and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students: ** ||
 * **a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation. ** ||
 * **b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. ** ||
 * **c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. ** ||
 * **d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. ** ||
 * [] (Student Product Video Example) || Computers ||
 * LCD Projector || Paper for Business Letter Rough Draft ||
 * Pencil || The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry (reading basil) ||
 * [] || Hot List, Vocabulary List ||
 * Forest pictures || Directions to create video, poster (brochure), and presentation ||

Computer Functions and Data Manipulation

 * **Computer Function** || **Computer Application** || **Data Manipulation** ||
 * Researching Information || Safari, Firefox || TSW use websites to identify and interpret information about logging companies, importance of trees to our environment, and preservation strategies for trees ||
 * Organizing Information || Kidspiration, Excel, Word || TSW organize their researched information in a graphic organizer to use when they create their business letters ||
 * Creating a business letter || Word || TSW create a business letter addressed to a logging company with a plan to help preserve trees ||
 * Creating a persuasive poster, brochure, or PowerPoint || Kidspiration, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Big Huge Labs || TSW create a poster, brochure, or PowerPoint as a visual aid for their presentation ||
 * Creating a video || Photopeach, iMovie, Windows Movie Maker || TSW create a video as a visual aid for their presentation ||

Specify Problem

 * **Essential Question(s): Why should we be concerned with preserving trees in our community? What parts of our daily life are affected by the cutting down of trees by logging companies? How do the decisions we make affect our daily lives? **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Problem: You are concerned that logging companies are cutting down too many trees, and not replacing the cut down trees with new ones. The cutting down of these trees in our community is affecting your everyday life. First, decide how you will persuade the logging companies to stop cutting down so many trees, and/or a way they can replace the trees. Second, create a plan you feel will get through to the logging companies and our government leaders. ** ||

Results Presentation

 * **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">*This challenge requires the student to analyze how logging companies affect their everyday lives. The student will persuade a logging company to stop/limit their cutting of trees based on opinions they have formulated after researching the affects of trees being cut down. The student will create alternative ways for logging companies to replace trees they have cut down. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">*By completing this challenge, the student will have a deeper understanding of factors that affect their everyday lives, along with the decisions they make affecting their everyday lives. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">* TSW research and organize information about logging companies and ways to preserve trees. TSW create a business letter addressed to the logging company. TSW create a persuasive poster, brochure, or PowerPoint. TSW create a video to use as a visual aid for their presentation. ** ||

Computer Activities
Activities to be completed: -Prior to going to computer
 * ==Activity 1==


 * Complete supporting activity 1 - **
 * The student has been given instructions on what to research (logging company procedures, ways to preserve trees, what affects does cutting down trees have), what sites are appropriate (national geographic, time for kids, kids.mongabay, etc.), and how to organize their information. **

Activities to be completed: -Prior to going to computer
 * Pre-requisite knowledge: **
 * The student knows how to use Safari and Firefox to research information. The student knows how to use word, excel, open office, and Kidspiration to organize information. ** || ==Activity 2==


 * Complete activity 1 – and complete supporting activities 1 and 2 **

Activities to be completed: -Prior to going to computer
 * Pre-requisite knowledge: **
 * The student knows how to use word or open office to create a business letter. ** || ==Activity 3==


 * Complete activity 2 - and complete supporting activities 1 and 2 **

Activities to be completed: -Prior to going to computer
 * Pre-requisite knowledge: **
 * The student knows how to use Kidspiration, open office, big huge labs, or PowerPoint to create a poster, brochure, or PowerPoint for a presentation. ** || ==Activity 4==


 * Complete activity 3 - and complete supporting activities 1 and 2 **


 * Pre-requisite knowledge: **
 * The student knows how to use Photopeach, iMovie, and Windows Movie Maker to create a video. ** ||
 * -At the computer


 * Using Safari or Firefox tsw use websites to identify and interpret information about logging companies, importance of trees to our environment, and preservation strategies for trees **
 * Then using Kidspiration, word, or excel tsw organize their researched information in a graphic organizer to use when they create their business letters addressed to the logging company ** || -At the computer


 * Using word TSW create their final draft of a business letter addressed to a logging company with a plan to help preserve trees ** || -At the computer


 * Using word, Kidspiration, big huge labs, or PowerPoint TSW create a poster, brochure, or PowerPoint as a visual aid for their presentation they will give on Monday depicting their reasons to stop/slow down logging, and the plan they would present to the logging company ** || -At the computer


 * Using Photopeach, iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker TSW create a video as a visual aid for their presentation – they can create their own video, pictures, or Google pictures to add to their video ** ||
 * -After going to the computer


 * TSW determine what pieces of their organized information they are going to use as part of their business letter being sent to Jackson Logging Company ** || -After going to the computer


 * TSW talk with their table group about their business letter and how they feel like they persuaded the logging company to change its ways ** || -After going to the computer


 * TSW brainstorm what type of pictures and what message they want their video to have ** || -After going to the computer


 * TSW prepare themselves for their presentation, they can use index (flash) cards as a guide ** ||

Supporting Activities
Activities to be completed:
 * ==Activity 1==

Activities to be completed:
 * Whole group – tsw read the story, “The Great Kapok Tree” by Lynne Cherry out of the reading basil series. **
 * TTW ask higher-order thinking questions to go along with story and to get students thinking about the affects of logging on our environment. ** || ==Activity 2==

Activities to be completed:
 * TTW show pictures to the students of rain forests before and after logging. TTW show the video ** []
 * displaying a compromise between environmentalists and loggers. After talking about what they just watched with their table group tsw begin to create the rough draft of their business letter. Before beginning the letter the ttw go over the parts of a business letter and the differences between a friendly/business letter. The friendly letter has already been taught by this time. When finished with the rough draft tsw have a peer edit their letter, rewrite their business letter, and have the teacher edit their business letter before they begin their final draft. Dictionaries and thesauruses can and are encouraged to be used. ** || ==Activity 3==


 * Extension activity: group discussion about who else could we contact for issues like this – lead students to understand government leaders affect the environment too, because they can vote/pass bills and policies companies have to follow. The students can research/organize information on ways to contact their government leaders, and even create a business letter to the officials as well. ** ||

Rotation Plan

 * Students will research/organize information during their technology station time during small group reading/stations block, this will start with the first group on day 1 of stations. They will write their rough draft and peer edit during the writing station in the small group reading/stations block. This will take 5 days. Mobile lab will be checked out for 3 days during the week for all work and finishing touches on persuasive presentations, videos, and letters. This will start on a Monday and be work will be turned in by that Friday. Monday will be presentations, however all work will be turned in on Friday. ||

Assessment
Morrison, G.R. & Lowther, D.L. (2002). //Integrating computer technology into the classroom (2nd. Ed.).//
 * ** Objective ** || ** 20 points ** || ** 15 points ** || ** 10 points ** || ** 5 points ** || ** Score ** ||
 * Research of Information || 3 or more resources, including at least 2 websites, were used to find information about logging companies and the affects of cutting down trees || 3 or more resources, with only 1 website, were used to find information about logging companies and the affects of cutting down trees || 2 resources, with only 1 website, were used to find information about logging companies and the affects of cutting down trees || 1 resource was used to find information about logging companies and the affects of cutting down trees ||  ||
 * Persuasive Presentation using poster, brochure, or PowerPoint || Presentation is turned in on time, persuasive in design, speaker is clear with ideas || Presentation is turned in on time, persuasive in design, speaker has some trouble relating with ideas || Presentation is turned in 1 day late, persuasive in design, speaker is clear with ideas || Presentation is more than 1 day late, and speaker has some trouble relating with ideas ||  ||
 * Business Letter: Rough Draft || Rough draft of letter is turned in on time, edited by a peer, and edited by the teacher || Rough draft of letter is turned in on time, and edited by the teacher || Rough draft of letter is turned in one day late, edited by a peer, and edited by the teacher || Rough draft of letter is turned in more than one day late ||  ||
 * Business Letter: Final Draft || Final draft of letter is turned in on time, neat, and has no grammatical mistakes || Final draft of letter is turned in on time, neat, and has 1 grammatical mistake || Final draft is turned in on time, neat, and has 2 grammatical mistakes || Final draft is not turned in on time, (or) has more than 2 grammatical mistakes ||  ||
 * Technology: Video || Video has 5 or more pictures and descriptions to persuade a logging company to change its policies || Video has 4 pictures and descriptions to persuade a logging company to change its policies || Video has 3 pictures and descriptions to persuade a logging company to change its policies || Video has less than 3 pictures and descriptions to persuade a logging company to change its policies ||  ||

(Example and Form) || || (Example and Form) || || Example || || Poster Example || ||
 * Download this Plan || [[file:PBLPlan_C.Williams.dot]] ||
 * Business Letter Draft
 * Business Letter Final
 * Vocabulary List || [[file:Vocabulary_Logging.doc]] ||
 * Website Hotlist || [[file:HotList_Logging.doc]] ||
 * Kidspiration Poster
 * Big Huge Labs
 * Multiple images for student use collected by teacher and provided for students. Just put them in a folder. ||