Amy's+Page


 * Design Problem Based Learning**


 * Amy Neil**
 * Walden** **University**
 * August 1, 2010**

3rd grade Landforms in the Grand Valley and how they can help us.
 * Instructional Components of Project Based Learning**

Outcomes: Earth's materials can be broken down and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand - some of which are usable resources for human activity Earth's surface changes constantly through a variety of processes and forces Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions The Grand valley was formed by a large flood. That flood made the soil very rich and great for growing crops including fruit and corn. Farmers could make a living of their land if they had water to water their crops. How can we take the water from the Colorado River and get it to the farmers?
 * Project-based Learning**
 * What problem will your students solve?
 * What types of products do you envision your students making?
 * Students will need to make a model of how their invention will work and look.

I**dentifying, Representing and Describing the Problem** In order to solve this problem students will need to understand how to Valley was formed in order to help them understand what they need to do to get water from here to there. Students will need to understand that it is constantly changing and how they are going to deal with that. Students will need to learn about the Grand Valley and it’s landforms in order to figure out what would be the best way to get the water from the river to the farm lands. This will include using the landforms to help the process of getting the water to the farmers. Students will have to think about how they will use the landforms around them to help get the water to where it needs to be. (The river is in the very bottom of the valley.)


 * Interdisciplinary Considerations**
 * Students will need to use literacy skills while researching different ways to transport the water. The will need to research and study how water can be siphoned out of the river. Students will also need to estimated the cost of transporting water and what the most efficient way and the most economical way of transportation. This project will be interdisciplinary.

This unit will take six weeks with about one hour each day.
 * Timeline**

> Students will present their solutions to other third grade classes after they are completed.
 * **Other Participants:**

Students will use lap tops to find out information on the Grand Valley, landforms and different ways to transport water. Students will use the internet to research water transportation. Students will use different programs that might help them with their final project. Ie: PowerPoint, excel, picture story…. Students will also use different websites to help them with the study of water and landforms.
 * Technologies**

Students will work in groups of four. Each student will have a job. Those jobs will rotate. Each student will be responsible for the finial project.
 * Roles of Students**

Students will need to run all ideas by me but will be given all control over the project within means.  I will sent checkpoints during the project so that students stay on the timeline.
 * Students as Problem Solvers**
 * Checkpoints (KWL charts, notes, study guides, etc);**


 * Assessments/ Rubric**
 * [|**Project Based Learning Checklist**] **http://www.4teachers.org/projectbased/checklist.shtml**
 * [|**RUBISTAR**]

﻿Kristyl's Feedback on PBL It sounds like you have come up with a problem that they could easily face in real life. Finding a problem that the students can relate to will drive their learning and engage them in the process. Having once taught third grade I am a little familiar with the unit but I am unfamiliar with the technological skills that students this age would have and their comfort level with technology. I know that the students I had in third grade might not be sophisticated enough to effectively do this type of online research. With this in mind, I was wondering how savvy are your students and/or will you have pre-selected sites saved for them to visit? I like that this unit is interdisciplinary. Students always are asking when they will use these math skills in real life when they are solving a problem. This gives them the purpose for that strand in math. Will you be providing cost of transportation and/or methods of siphoning water? This seems really hard to me for them to be able to find or calculate. Is it covered in the unit? Giving students freedom to present their porjects in the manner in which they prefer is ideal. It allows them to work in their comfort zone and style of learning. Having them work in groups is valuable in teambuilding with young students. I was wondering how you were planning on determining the groups. Will they homogeneous, heterogeneous, or free choice? I always want to know the reasons why teachers groups students the ways that they do. When I look at this lesson it feels like a valuable and relateable problem for your students to solve. I think you'll be surprised with the quality of work and the high level skills they will use will completing this process. Best of luck in the upcoming school year!

Amy, You have very intriguing questions that you are asking your students, very impressive. I don't remember ever doing anything like that in 3rd grade. I have a few questions for you and some feedback. After knowing what you know now about social networking would you consider working with another class to complete this project? Also is this all individual work or are students working together? How much computer time do you have, do you have labs or computers in your classroom? I think that by allowing students to work with another class either in the same building or by way of online tools then the students might become even more excited about the project. Are there other subjects you could tie into this project as well? Maybe another teacher has ideas that they have used in this area and could offer assistance as well. Just a couple of thoughts I had while I was reading your post. Great ideas, seems like you have a pretty smart group of 3rd graders to being doing this project as well. Julie


 * Online Collaboration tools/ Social Networking**


 * Amy** **Neil**
 * Walden** **University**
 * August 8, 2010**

3rd grade Landforms in the Grand Valley and how they can help us.

Outcomes: Earth's materials can be broken down and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand - some of which are usable resources for human activity Earth's surface changes constantly through a variety of processes and forces Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions

Students will use the base of the problem based learning and incorporate their online collaboration within the lesson. The Grand valley was formed by a large flood. That flood made the soil very rich and great for growing crops including fruit and corn. Farmers could make a living of their land if they had water to water their crops. How can we take the water from the Colorado River and get it to the farmers?
 * Project-based Learning**
 * What problem will your students solve?
 * What types of products do you envision your students making?
 * Students will need to make a model of how their invention will work and look.

I**dentifying, Representing and Describing the Problem** In order to solve this problem students will need to understand how to Valley was formed in order to help them understand what they need to do to get water from here to there. Students will need to understand that it is constantly changing and how they are going to deal with that. Students will need to learn about the Grand Valley and it’s landforms in order to figure out what would be the best way to get the water from the river to the farm lands. This will include using the landforms to help the process of getting the water to the farmers. Students will have to think about how they will use the landforms around them to help get the water to where it needs to be. (The river is in the very bottom of the valley.)


 * Interdisciplinary Considerations**
 * Students will need to use literacy skills while researching different ways to transport the water. The will need to research and study how water can be siphoned out of the river. Students will also need to estimated the cost of transporting water and what the most efficient way and the most economical way of transportation. This project will be interdisciplinary.
 * Students will work with the local archeologist to discover how the land could help them within their project.
 * Students will meet online with some of the top irrigation specialist and discover how they might solve the problem.
 * Students will meet online with other students where they are researching similar problems and help them while they help us.
 * Students will Skype with other countries to discover their water issues and how knowing about those can help them solve their water issues.

**Timeline** This unit will take six weeks with about one hour each day. > Students will present their solutions to other third grade classes after they are completed.
 * **Other Participants:**

Students will use lap tops to find out information on the Grand Valley, landforms and different ways to transport water. Students will use the internet to research water transportation. Students will use different programs that might help them with their final project. Ie: PowerPoint, excel, picture story…. Students will also use different websites to help them with the study of water and landforms. Students will Skype.
 * Technologies**

Students will work in groups of four. Each student will have a job. Those jobs will rotate. Each student will be responsible for the finial project.
 * Roles of Students**

Students will need to run all ideas by me but will be given all control over the project within means. I will sent checkpoints during the project so that students stay on the timeline.
 * Students as Problem Solvers**
 * Checkpoints (KWL charts, notes, study guides, etc);**


 * Assessments/ Rubric**
 * [|**Project Based Learning Checklist**] **[]**
 * [|**RUBISTAR**]

Kristyl's feedback on Collaboration Lesson Your lesson is really pulling together nicely. I was a little concerned when I read your first lesson and saw the complexity involved. But I will say that with the collaboration with experts from the community and utilizing their expertise will add a lot of value to the project. Their suggestions will be well received by the students and will create excitement. Will they be guiding the students along or offering suggestions to the ideas that the students create on their own? How available are the experts? Can the students reach them by email, skype? Will the experts be around for the duration of the project or just at the begiing to help the groups establish a workable direction?

I think this unit will be successful. I am excited to see the digital storytelling lesson that will follow! Keep up the good work!


 * Online Collaboration tools/ Social Networking**


 * Amy** **Neil**
 * Walden** **University**
 * August 15, 2010**

3rd grade Landforms in the Grand Valley and how they can help us.

Outcomes: Earth's materials can be broken down and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle, formation of soil, and sand - some of which are usable resources for human activity Earth's surface changes constantly through a variety of processes and forces Major geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain formation are associated with plate boundaries and attributed to plate motions

Students will use the base of the problem based learning and incorporate their online collaboration within the lesson.

Students will use the base of problem based learning and incorporate their online collaboration as well as digital storytelling.

The Grand valley was formed by a large flood. That flood made the soil very rich and great for growing crops including fruit and corn. Farmers could make a living of their land if they had water to water their crops. How can we take the water from the Colorado River and get it to the farmers?
 * Project-based Learning**
 * What problem will your students solve?
 * What types of products do you envision your students making?
 * Students will need to make a model of how their invention will work and look.

I**dentifying, Representing and Describing the Problem**

In order to solve this problem students will need to understand how to Valley was formed in order to help them understand what they need to do to get water from here to there. Students will need to understand that it is constantly changing and how they are going to deal with that. Students will need to learn about the Grand Valley and it’s landforms in order to figure out what would be the best way to get the water from the river to the farm lands. This will include using the landforms to help the process of getting the water to the farmers. Students will have to think about how they will use the landforms around them to help get the water to where it needs to be. (The river is in the very bottom of the valley.)
 * Students could make a digital story telling book of the Grand Valley and how the landforms affect the flow of the water. They will use the information to inform others of how they can use the findings to transfer the water to the places that need water.

**Interdisciplinary Considerations**
 * Students will need to use literacy skills while researching different ways to transport the water. The will need to research and study how water can be siphoned out of the river. Students will also need to estimated the cost of transporting water and what the most efficient way and the most economical way of transportation. This project will be interdisciplinary.
 * Students will work with the local archeologist to discover how the land could help them within their project.
 * Students will meet online with some of the top irrigation specialist and discover how they might solve the problem.
 * Students will meet online with other students where they are researching similar problems and help them while they help us.
 * Students will Skype with other countries to discover their water issues and how knowing about those can help them solve their water issues.

This unit will take six weeks with about one hour each day. > Students will present their solutions to other third grade classes after they are completed. Students will make and share a digital storytelling and or podcast which will inform other third grade students of their idea on how to get water to the needed areas of the Grand Valley.
 * Timeline**
 * **Other Participants:**

**Technologies** Students will use lap tops to find out information on the Grand Valley, landforms and different ways to transport water. Students will use the internet to research water transportation. Students will use different programs that might help them with their final project. Ie: PowerPoint, excel, picture story…. Students will also use different websites to help them with the study of water and landforms. Students will Skype. Students will use photo story. Students will use PowerPoint. Students will use an online program called antimoto.

Students will work in groups of four. Each student will have a job. Those jobs will rotate. Each student will be responsible for the finial project.
 * Roles of Students**

Students will need to run all ideas by me but will be given all control over the project within means. I will sent checkpoints during the project so that students stay on the timeline.
 * Students as Problem Solvers**
 * Checkpoints (KWL charts, notes, study guides, etc);**


 * Assessments/ Rubric**
 * [|**Project Based Learning Checklist**] **[]**
 * [|**RUBISTAR**]

Kristyl's feedback on Digital Storytelling Amy it looks to me that you have taking the same lesson and have just added digital storytelling to it. I did not catch it the first time and I wonder if this is what the application asked us to do. I can follow your reasoning since you have addressed the three components of the unit but I worry about this being acceptable. Next, Amy your lessons/unit seems to flow very well. I think it will have the desired results that you are anticipating from you students.