Final product project planning forms
- 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW Name of Project: A Balancing Act Duration: 15 hours Subject/Course: Life Science Teacher(s): Johnson Liu Grade Level: 7th Other subject areas to be included, if any: Project Idea Summary of the issue, Students act as “set designers” for a TV reality show who need to propose a working ecosystem for an artificial challenge, investigation, biosphere. Each team is assigned a particular ecosystem: a rain forest, a desert, fresh water ponds and swamps, scenario, or problem: tundra, grasslands, coniferous forest, and a deciduous forest. Students conduct research on their ecosystem as they learn about the characteristics of all ecosystems and build understanding of what makes a balanced ecosystem work. In preparation for an oral presentation of their proposals, student groups create detailed posters and a written report. Driving Question How can we design a completely self-sustaining ecosystem? Content and Skills The factors of ecology such as biotic and abiotic features, symbiosis, predator/prey relationships, animal Standards to be adaptations, non-native species, and the effect of human interactions on ecosystems. addressed: T+A E T+A E 21st Century Skills Collaboration Find and use information from online X to be explicitly taught and X assessed (T+A) or that will be encouraged (E) by Presentation X Use graphic design skills to create X project work, but not posters taught or assessed: Critical Thinking: Conduct research X Time managment X Presentation Audience: © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 1
- 2. Group: X Culminating Written report on a particular ecosystem; detailed poster showing “set design” of the Class: Products and ecosystem; oral presentation of set design proposal; second written report on a disturbance to Performances the ecosystem. School: Community: Experts: Individual: Web: Other: PROJECT OVERVIEW Entry event to launch inquiry, A Balancing Act began when students received a “memo from Wolf Television,” explaining their goals for the success of a new engage students: reality show, “Beat the Biosphere.” The set design teams are asked to come up with proposals for a variety of functioning ecosystems, such as a rain forest, desert, fresh water ponds and swamps, tundra, grasslands, coniferous forest, and a deciduous forest. They are told to present their ideas to Wolf executives with detailed drawings and submit a written report. Assessments Quizzes/Tests Practice Presentations X Formative Assessments Journal/Learning Log Notes X (During Project) Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes X Checklists Rough Drafts X Concept Maps Online Tests/Exams Other: Written Product(s), with rubric: X Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric: X Summative __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Assessments (End of Project) Oral Presentation, with rubric X Peer Evaluation X Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test Self-Evaluation Essay Test Other: . © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 2
- 3. Resources On-site people, facilities: Teacher and peers. Needed Equipment: Computer or laptop with internet access Materials: Poster board, color markers Community resources: Reflection Journal/Learning Log X Focus Group X Methods (Individual, Group, and/or Whole-Class Discussion X Fishbowl Discussion Whole Class) Survey X Other: © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 3
- 4. PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE Project: A Balancing Act Course/Semester: Life Science/Fall Knowledge and Skills Needed By Students Scaffolding / Materials/ Lessons To Be Provided to successfully complete culminating products and by the project teacher, other teachers, experts, performances, and do well on summative assessments mentors, or community members How to find and use information from online and print Scaffolding sources? Computer with internet access Printer Lessons to be provided by the project teacher How to make an oral presentation? Lessons to be provided by the project teacher How to use graphic design skills to create effective Scaffolding posters? Poster board Color markers Lessons to be provided by the project teacher Collaboration skills. Scaffolding Lessons to be provided by the project teacher Organization and time management. Scaffolding Lessons to be provided by the project teacher © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 4
- 5. PROJECT CALENDAR Project: Start Date: MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Project Week One Introduction: How to find and Lesson to be How to use Students finish Project name, use information provided by graphic design their detailed project idea, from online and project teacher skills to create poster and driving question, print resources? on collaboration effective present it to the entry event. Scaffolding, skills. posters? Lesson class. Students divide lesson to be Independent to be provided by into groups and provided by research project teacher. select an project teacher. Students create ecosystem to a poster. work with. Project Week Two Teacher Collaboration Research and First draft due on Students finish introduce the skills. start writing the written written report. rubric for a Independent on- report. report. Peer written report. line research to critique on the find information. first draft. Project Week Three © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 5
- 6. Teacher Collaboration Students work on First draft of oral Students present introduce the skills. Introduce their PowerPoint presentation due. their oral rubric for the oral and teach or Prezi Peer critique on presentation to report. PowerPoint or presentation. the first draft. the class. Prezi to students Project Week Four © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 6
- 7. © 2008 Buck Institute for Education 7