BYOD using computers and phones!
In class activity
Learning more about plants
Today in class we are going to investigate plants. Plants are extremely important because they are a life source for many insects, and crucial to the oxygen supply for us humans! Not only are plants important for the circle of life, but they are also great because they are all different. Every single plant has a unique appearance, and although the basic parts that make up all plants are the same, the colors and sizes of them vary. Plants include the pretty flowers that come out in the spring and the ones that we see bunnies munching on in our backyards. Plants may look pretty basic to the human eye, but this exercise is going to go into depth about the complex parts that are found when one takes a closer look. The exercise we are going to do involves using an application on our IPhones (electronic device) that scans barcodes, as well as Word Press so we can blog about what we find. Each student will research information about his or her specific plant so then everyone in the class will be able to learn from each other. Alright, let us begin the activity by looking at the instructions below!
Scanning Barcodes!
The first step of the exercise involves figuring out which plant you are going to be in charge of researching. Each student will be given his or her own bar code to scan for an identification of the plant. Once the barcode is scanned and the common and scientific name for the plant are revealed, the students will be in charge of heading to the table where pictures of all the plants with labels are located. Each student is in charge of picking the plant that was assigned to them. At this point, every individual student will now have their plant so the investigation can begin! It is important to know what the plant looks like, but it is critical that students understand the scientific history behind the plant as well. This will be a great time to get a more in depth look at all of the parts of the plant, as well as what plants certain insects frequent. Plants exist for multiple reasons so lets start to get more into what those reasons are!
Blogging about the plant!
Now that you have discovered the name of your specific plant it is time to learn more about it! This is where the blogging aspect of the exercise comes in. We are going to use WordPress for the second part of the assignment so each student will create their own account. These accounts will be used throughout the rest of the year because blogging is a great way for students to view each others research and writing. Blogging will teach students the importance of writing and making posts that are investigative and interesting. This activity will be our first entry so I know everyone is excited about the outcome!
Students can begin the research about their specific plant on their mobile device or computer. Each blog post should include a specific section about the plant they were assigned, as well as a conclusion explaining the purpose of plants in the ecosystem. The blog should also include a picture of the plant and make sure to title the post with both the scientific and common name of the plant as well. Make sure you remember that everyone can see your blog, and that we will be sharing them with each other at the end of the exercise, so keep it appropriate and relevant to the exercise! If students want to write about whether or not they have seen the plant in a personal experience that is appropriate as well! This blog post is a way for students to get their thoughts down and a method for teaching them how to research something and translate what they learn into their own words!
Students can begin the research about their specific plant on their mobile device or computer. Each blog post should include a specific section about the plant they were assigned, as well as a conclusion explaining the purpose of plants in the ecosystem. The blog should also include a picture of the plant and make sure to title the post with both the scientific and common name of the plant as well. Make sure you remember that everyone can see your blog, and that we will be sharing them with each other at the end of the exercise, so keep it appropriate and relevant to the exercise! If students want to write about whether or not they have seen the plant in a personal experience that is appropriate as well! This blog post is a way for students to get their thoughts down and a method for teaching them how to research something and translate what they learn into their own words!
Presenting the Information!
Time to share!
After everyone completes their blogs it will be time to share in class! Each student will stand in front of the class and talk to the class for around five to ten minutes about their plant they were assigned and the information they discovered about the plant! Students will be allowed to ask the presenter questions after the presentation as well, and anything the presenter is unable to answer we will all look up as a class to find the answer!