Heather Paganica                                                                      July 21, 2004

Project Title: Australia Project                                                Michele Dornisch

 

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

 

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE AUSTRALIA PROJECT

 

Each year in the third grade each class takes a continent to learn about.  Our class will be learning about Australia.  In order to help our students help themselves, this year they will create a PowerPoint presentation representing what they know or have researched and found out about Australia.  The project will be very open ended.  Students will be given the opportunity to write about Australia as a whole, the Australian landscape, an Australian animal, etc.  The students will work in groups of 2 or 3 to create their projects.  A general overview of Microsoft PowerPoint will be the first lesson.  The students will be required to use aspects of PowerPoint taught within their projects.  Research will be done via the internet and books and any other means available.

 

THE LEARNERS OR PROSPECTIVE LEARNERS

            The learners in this class are a group of approximately 25 children in a 3rd grade inclusion classroom.  The needs of the students in this classroom vary.  Students will be put in groups of approximately 2 or 3 to create these charts presentations.

 

THE CONTEXT OR ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE POJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

            Because each year the students learn about Australia we have become accustomed to reading about Australia to learn about it.  The children read about the continent and repeat what they have learned.  Some of the information is retained.  Most of it is probably lost.  By implementing this lesson, we will give the students more ownership of their learning.  We will still read about Australia and have class discussions and quizzes and such, but we hope that this project will give the students a brighter outlook on the information about Australia.  All groups will not work on the same subjects about Australia.  All groups will learn different things and become leaders in their ‘part’ of Australia.  What a wonderful way for classmates to teach each other, a wonderful collaboration of students.

 

OBJECTIVES OR GOALS FOR THE LESSON (OR PROJECT)

The children will be able to:

Ø      Create a presentation of at least 10 slides.

Ø      Create at least one animation in each slide.

Ø      Add at least 5 sounds that have to do with the corresponding slide.

Ø      Research information and state it clearly and accurately within presentation.

Ø      Create a bibliography

Ø      Create a title page

Ø      Create an author page.

Ø      Create a visually appealing presentation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM:

 

THE PROBLEM TYPE

            Each year students learn about the continent of Australia.  Although the students enjoy learning about this continent, it sometimes becomes too teacher directed.  By creating their own PowerPoint Presentation, students will be in control of their own learning before teacher directed instruction begins.  After presentations are created, we will begin discussion on Australia in class.  During our discussion, notes will be taken on a KWL chart.  The students will know what they have researched.  After a discussion of what we know, the presentations will be shown.  Each group will have shared and each student’s knowledge of the subject will be broader.  After, the class will read and learn even more and will most likely feel more knowledgeable in the subject and therefore, (hopefully) will be more in tune to the lessons.  In the past, the kill and drill method has made students dread the learning process.  Students feel as if they need to know, this, this and this about a certain subject because they will be tested on it.  In this project students will control their own learning and therefore they will learn about aspects of the subject that they would like to know.  The problem was that we, as teachers, wanted students to learn what we want them to learn.  By leaving their learning open ended each student will bring something to the table that maybe one teachers view wouldn’t have brought.  The problem was also that the ‘stuff’ we wanted the kids to learn sometimes becomes boring.  By allowing students to think critically about what they think is important we allow them to better learn the material presented. 

 

HOW THIS PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF IN MY SPECIFIC FIELD AND IN THE CONTECT FOR WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN TO CREATE THIS LESSON OR ACTIVITY

I am a special education teacher.  I have learned to adapt my learning style in many ways.  Not all students are auditory learners.  Some students need more.  If studying Australia or any other topic in class you need to sometimes give learners a ‘heads up’ on their own learning.  This project allows students to research on the internet in order to find information about the topic at hand.  I think this project can be used in other subjects as well.  Allowing students to research and find their own information empowers them to want to learn more.

 

RATIONAL THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND IS TRULY A PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH ‘LEARNING’

 

            Students need to be involved in their own learning.  I believe that students get bored when they are being spoken to.  We live in a fast paced world where things are handed to children immediately.  By asking them to listen for enough time to absorb some small part of the lesson, children need more.  They need animation and something to do with their hands.  Many students are not content with just sitting and listening anymore.  This goes with the increasing rate of ADD and ADHD in children.  I haven’t researched this topic specifically, but it seems to me from being in the classroom that children nowadays want to ‘do’.  They want to be part of their learning, but it has to be done in a way that they don’t even realize that they are learning.  In other words, it needs to be fun in some way or children start to shut teachers out.  I think that this lesson will help students to focus more if they are responsible for their own learning.

 

DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED SOLUTION AND ORIGINAL MATERIALS:

 

  1. Tell students briefly about Australia.
  2. Give a class lesson on PowerPoint, allowing students to practice on their own computers (perhaps in the computer lab if available).
  3. After demonstrating different aspects of PowerPoint the class will be given the assignment.

-create a PowerPoint presentation about any aspect of Australia that you wish.

-research your topic

-in your presentation, include at least 10 frames

-include at least 5 sounds

-include at least 10 animations

-change the background color in at least 5 frames

-add your own unique style

-include at least 5 pictures

-remember not to get too wordy (6 x 6 rule)

-include a bibliography

 

  1. Present your presentation by clicking or running the timings so that the class can view your project.

 

This use of technology provides a solution to the problem of bored students.  Kids all have their own interests.  By giving them a broad range of topics within the Australia topic we give kids choices.  Maybe a student is proficient in math, that child can find the numbers of people in each state and territory in Australia.  Maybe another student is artistic, that student can be in charge of creating a visually appealing display.  Another student may feel comfortable in the science aspect of animals.  Maybe that student can research different animals of Australia.  This use of technology allows students to critically think about what would be important in learning about Australia.  When each group shares their project, no two projects will be exactly the same.  This project will give each student a taste of Australia on their own terms and hopefully will make them more willing to learn about other aspects of Australia by watching others’ presentations.  I have found in my experience that given the opportunity, students come up with some interesting facts about the topic at hand.  Discovering new things about a topic given, gives the students a greater interest in the subject.  PowerPoint is also something that interests the students.  Knowing that this is THEIR work, keeps them actively involved in their own learning.  The teacher is able to assess by rotating around the room while children are working, as well as looking at the finished project.

 

 

ASSESSING THE STUDENTS’ PROJECTS

0

No project presented

 

 

 

 

 

1

At least 3 frames created

At least 2 sounds included

At least 3 animations

At least 2 different backgrounds

At least 2 pictures

Bibliography including 1 internet or 1 book source.

2

At least 5 frames created

At least 3 sounds included

At least 5 animations

At least 3 different background colors

At least 3 pictures

Bibliography including 1 internet and 1 book source

3

At least 7 frames created

At least 4 sounds included

At least 7 animations

At least 4 different background colors

At least 4 pictures

Bibliography including 2 internet and 1 book source

4

At least 10 frames created

At least 5 sounds included

At least 10 animations

At least 5 different background colors

At least 5 pictures

Full bibliography

including at least 3 internet source and 1 book source

 

 

 

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

            This project is both constructivist and collaborative.  It is a constructivist project as all mindtools projects are because the learners are creating their own presentation using PowerPoint.  There is no real set way of creating their presentation.  Different aspects of PowerPoint techniques must be included, but content information is not given.  Students decide what information is important to include within their project.  As the constructivist perspective insinuates, it is the teacher (the one who needs to teach a specific subject) that learns the most.  Many times in my tutorials, I ask students to ‘teach me’ what they learned in class.  By explaining the process of a math problem, or retelling a story they read in class, it forces children to recall and put things in their own words.  As in my first module, this project is also a collaborative project.  Students will work in groups of 2 to 3.  All children have different talents.  By collaborating with each other, students will be able to help one another to create a project that they can be proud of.  Having someone to bounce ideas off of is very helpful.

 

REFLECTIONS

            I can’t wait to begin this project with my students.  I have done PowerPoint with 5th graders in the past.  This will be my first try at PowerPoint with 3rd graders.  I have never done this as a pre-project.  I think it will be interesting to see the facts that the students come up with on their own.  I think when it is time to discuss and learn about Australia in class, the students will feel like they own this subject and can discuss more with (me) the teacher and with their classmates.  I think it will be a wonderful collaborative effort when the class comes together to learn as a class.  I think it will benefit all of my students.

 

LIST OF REFERENCES

 

http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~jonassen/Mindtools.pdf

 

Australia packet-3rd grade class packet (available upon request)

 

Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Computers as mindtools for schools: Engaging critical thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Evaluation of Peer Products
At each point that one of the four course projects are due, each student will be asked to evaluate the products of 2-3 others in the group (depending on the number of students in the course). You will use the project rubric and report rubric to guide your evaluation. When you've completed the evaluation, you will locate the course discussion forum and post your written evaluation of the project on your groups' discussion forum (each group will be provided a separate forum for this).