Lesson Title: Secrets of Desert Plants
Grade Level: 9-10
Classroom Configuration:
Whole group instruction, using an iPod or teacher computer.
Arizona State Content Standards
- Science
- Strand 4: Life Science
- Concept 5: Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems(Including Human Systems) Understand the organization of living systems, and the role of energy within those systems.
- PO 1: Compare the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of energy flow, reactants, and products
- PO 2: Describe the role of organic and inorganic chemicals (e.g., carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, water, ATP) important to living things.
- PO 3: Diagram the following bio-geochemical cycles in an ecosystem: water, carbon, nitrogen.
- PO 4: Diagram the energy flow in an ecosystem through a food chain.
- PO 5: Describe the levels of organization of living things from cells, through tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, and communities to ecosystems.
Arizona Common Core Standards: ELA
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
9-10.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Arizona Educational Technology Standards(2009)
- Strand 3: Research and Information Literacy;
- Concept 2: Processing
- PO 2: Defend the authority of primary and/or secondary sources used in research
- PO 3: Evaluate information identifying facts, opinions, bias, inaccurate and misleading information by analyzing multiple sources
Objectives
- Students will listen to podcast and analyze the accuracy of the facts stated within.
Procedure
(This could be used as an anticipatory set or as a mid-unit check for understanding.)
- Students listen to this podcast as a whole group from either an iPod with speakers, or iTunes U on a computer with speakers.
- Students take notes on main topics, listening for accuracy.
- After podcast, teacher fosters discussion around topics, content-related, to verify or defend claims of the podcast creator/host, based on past instruction or prior knowledge.
Materials
- Computer or iPod
- iTunesU
- iTunesU podcast: Ask a Biologist: Episode 40: Secrets of Desert Plants + Transcript
- Speakers
- Paper for note-taking/pencil or pen
Assessment
- Anecdotal by teacher during discussion, checking for understanding
- Ticket out (5 question quiz) to check for understanding of main concepts raised in the podcast.
- Using the Script of the podcast, students can find 5 facts within the script, and 5 opinions, highlighting them in different colors (facts in yellow, opinions in orange).
