Lesson Plan for Implementing

NETSSTemplate I
(More Directed Learning Activities)
Template with guiding questions
Teacher(s)
Name
Larry Singleton
Position

Teacher

School/District

McIntosh High School Fayette County, GA

E-mail

Singleton.larry@mail.fcboe.org

Phone

770/631-3232

Grade Level(s)

9-12

Content Area

Architectural Drawing & Design

Time line

This is a two week (10 day) Project based lesson module

Standards (What do you want students to know and be able to do? What knowledge, skills, and strategies do you
expect students to gain? Are there connections to other curriculum areas and subject area benchmarks? ) Please
put a summary of the standards you will be addressing rather than abbreviations and numbers that indicate which
standards were addressed.

Content Standards: AC-IDD-9 Demonstrate the knowledge and skills of computer operations. 9.1
Demonstrate definitions and procedures for file management techniques: copying, deleting, finding,
saving, and renaming, based on operating/applications systems. 9.2 Use an on-line help tutorial based on
the application system. 9.3 Demonstrate the ability to open a drawing file and create a drawing. 9.4
Identify and use all major components of hardware associated with a CAD system
NETS-S Standards: NETS-S-1. Creativity and innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct

knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. 1.a. Apply existing
knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes 1.b. Create original works as a means of
personal or group expression 1.c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
NETS-S 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making Students use critical thinking skills
to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using
appropriate digital tools and resources. 4.b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete
a project 4.c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions 4.d. Use
multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions
NETS-S 6. Technology operations and concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of
technology concepts, systems, and operations. 6.a. Understand and use technology systems 6.b. Select
and use applications effectively and productively

Overview (a short summary of the lesson or unit including assignment or expected or possible products)

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The students are learning to create a residential architectural model in Autodesk Revit , and have completed
the exterior walls and the roof in their models. Up to this point, everyone has followed specific instructions, and
all student models are exactly the same. This lesson marks the beginning of individual student customization of
their models.
Beginning with windows, and video tutorial instructions on how to insert them from the window family within
Revit, and modify them to create custom sizes, the students will create their own unique layout for the second
floor of this home. The required parameters are: 1) a master bedroom with master bath and closet(s), 2) two
secondary bedrooms with at least one shared bathroom, and 3) usage of the bonus space above the garage.
The finished product of this lesson will be a functional, accurate plan for the second floor of their models.
Essential Questions (What essential question or learning are you addressing? What would students care or
want to know about the topic? What are some questions to get students thinking about the topic or generate
interest about the topic? Additionally, what questions can you ask students to help them focus on important
aspects of the topic? (Guiding questions) What background or prior knowledge will you expect students to bring
to this topic and build on?) Remember, essential questions are meant to guide the lesson by provoking inquiry.
They should not be answered with a simple yes or no and should have many acceptable answers.
In this lesson module, students are challenged with the primary question of what is your solution for a unique,
creative, functional second floor layout of the given 4BR3BA2Story residential model with the parameters as
described?
Students have developed a base of knowledge and experience for this challenge by studying residential
architectural standards and conventions in previous lessons, and by previous designs completed by scaled hand
sketches. They have developed basic skills for drawing within the Revit CAD environment but only for the
duplication of specific components and dimensions. This is their first custom design opportunity with the CAD
software, and they are interested in, and ready for the challenge.
Assessment (What will students do or produce to illustrate their learning? What can students do to generate new
knowledge? How will you assess how students are progressing (formative assessment)? How will you assess
what they produce or do? How will you differentiate products?) You must attach copies of your assessment and/or
rubrics. Include these in your presentation as well.
Students will produce a floor plan like this, but one that reflects their own unique solution to the challenge:

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Incremental Assessments:

In Lesson 8 the students will submit a .jpg image that shows the seven windows in a 3D view of their
Revit model per the instructions in the screencast tutorials. A quick review of these student submissions
informs me if all students are on track with their models and allows me to identify any students who may
need additional instruction, or one-on-one help from me, or a peer. (5 points in the grade category of
Class Work Assignments)
Lesson 9 includes the same type of submission and assessment. (10 points in the grade category of
Class Work Assignments)
Lesson 10 marks the completion of the students first draft of a second floor layout. They will submit an
image of their design to be presented on screen to the entire class and critiqued. We call this a
Transparent Assessment and the students know that they will receive feedback and suggestions for
changes from me and their peers. They know that mistakes they make will be pointed out, but that the
assessment is solely for the purpose of helping them improve their designs and meet the requirements of
the assignment. Two class periods are allotted for this exercise. This is a very effective teaching/ learning
practice. The images are projected on a Smart Board and the students and I add annotations to the plans
under review. Images of those notes on the plans are captured and emailed back to the students for
review in making the needed modifications to their plans. (20 points in the grade category of Class Work
Assignments)
Lesson 11 marks the completion of the lesson module and each students second floor design plan. The
students submit the Revit file for their model and I make assessments based on the following rubric:

These assessments are made one-on-one with the students during two or three consecutive class
periods while other students are engaged in the next lesson module. By having the actual Revit model file
submitted, I am able to open it and actually make changes that are needed as I make the assessment
with the student watching. A screen capture of the plan with my revisions is emailed to those students
who need to make some changes to bring their model up to standards. (44 Points in Project Category)
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Resources (How does technology support student learning? What digital tools, and resourcesonline student
tools, research sites, student handouts, tools, tutorials, templates, assessment rubrics, etchelp elucidate or
explain the content or allow students to interact with the content? What previous technology skills should students
have to complete this project?)
The lesson content, instructions and assessment instruments for this lesson are delivered to the students on the
Canvas LMS. The Lesson Module includes the following assignments in Canvas:

Lesson 8 Add Windows to Your Revit Model

The lesson begins with a video about residential windows. This description of Double Hung Windows has
additional comments added by me using the EdPuzzle online service, and analytics will be provided for
verification that individual students have watched the entire video. Following that instruction the students will
follow four slides (numbers 28-31) from a Google Presentation titled Introduction to Residential CAD. The
presentation is embedded into the assignment in canvas and includes an illustration of four basic window types
and three instructional videos. One video, from a YouTube source gives an overview of creating windows in
Revit, and two short video screencasts created by me demonstrate the procedures for insertion of windows in
the Revit model all students are currently working on.

Lesson 9 Create a Revit Window Family

This lesson requires students to follow a set of instructions provided in a PDF document to Create a Revit
Window Family. They are challenged to create a fixed window of a specific size with an arched top. The custom
window will be inserted into their model above the front door in the two story foyer.

Lesson 10 Create Your Unique Second floor Layout

This lesson requires students to complete their second floor layout without access to screencast videos that offer
step-by-step instructions. A list of the parameters and required components is provided. Students are
encouraged to refer back to previous instructional videos if they need help, and to collaborate with their peers for
assistance if they get stuck.

Lesson 11 Upper Level Design Plan Improved

Following the feedback gained from the Transparent Assessments and the ideas gained from seeing the layouts
of all other classmates and hearing the feedback on those students now have two class periods to perfect their
designs and submit them for final assessment by rubric for a project grade.
Instructional Plan
Preparation (What student needs, interests, and prior learning provide a foundation for this lesson? How can
you find out if students have this foundation? What difficulties might students have?)
This particular style of a Blended lesson module builds on previous lessons, and it is imperative that students
have successfully completed the tasks assigned in those lessons in order to be prepared for success in this
series. Just as this module ends with a project assessment by rubric, and student proficiency is apparent, the
same process has been followed up to this point. Students who needed extra help or guidance on those
foundational assignments were given the needed support, and all were adequately prepared for this project.
Management Describe the classroom management strategies will you use to manage your students and the use
of digital tools and resources. How and where will your students work? (Small groups, whole group, individuals,
classroom, lab, etc.) What strategies will you use to achieve equitable access to the Internet while completing this
lesson? Describe what technical issues might arise during the Internet lesson and explain how you will resolve or
trouble-shoot them? Please note: Trouble-shooting should occur prior to implementing the lesson as well as
throughout the process. Be sure to indicate how you prepared for problems and work through the issues that
occurred as you implemented and even after the lesson was completed.

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I am a fanatic about Employability Skills and make daily assessments worth 20 points toward a grade book
category worth 20% of their grades. Students know that they only need to show up on time, listen, behave, and
stay engaged in assigned activities for the duration of the class period to earn a 100%. Students who are
distracted by smart phones or computer games, or who fail to maintain their workstations and follow the rules
regarding food and drink will see the results in their grades. When I pull my smart phone out of my pocket and
make a quick entry into a database that syncs with my Google Drive they know theyve been busted. As a result
of consistent enforcement of these expectations, classroom management is not an issue in my computer lab.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Activities Describe the research-based instructional strategies you will
use with this lesson. How will your learning environment support these activities? What is your role? What are the
students' roles in the lesson? How can you ensure higher order thinking at the analysis, evaluation, or
creativity levels of Blooms Taxonomy? How can the technology support your teaching? What authentic,
relevant, and meaningful learning activities and tasks will your students complete? How will they build knowledge
and skills? How will students use digital tools and resources to communicate and collaborate with each other
and others? How will you facilitate the collaboration?

My instructional strategies focus on Problem/Project Based Constructivist Learning. Having 20 years of

experience designing and building homes I am adept at designing authentic activities that the students recognize
as real world in nature. My experience gives me credibility with students, and my experience enables me to
make quick assessments of their work and offer suggestions that clearly improve their designs while maintaining
the unique approach that they created. These strategies ensure higher level cognitive functions, and my demand
for creativity encourages many to take risks that result in the rewards of personal satisfaction.

Differentiation (How will you differentiate content and process to accommodate various learning styles and
abilities? How will you help students learn independently and with others? How will you provide extensions and
opportunities for enrichment? What assistive technologies will you need to provide?)
As mentioned above, I demand creativity from the students, but I always provide examples that will serve as a
scaffold for those who struggle with that challenge. In those cases, I encourage students to copy my examples
but just change a few minor things to give the design their own flair. Students may earn perfect scores on
assignments even if they follow my examples without making any changes, however this is very rare!
Students who need extra time to complete assignments can download the Autodesk software on home computers
and finish tasks at home, or they may come in to the computer lab early in the mornings to complete assigned
work.
Students who complete assignments early are challenged to add additional customization to their designs. I can
usually look at their designs and make a what if you suggestion that will compel them to do even more.
The Autodesk software has foreign language add-ons for the user interface tools, for ELL students who want to
learn the software specific jargon.

Reflection (Will there be a closing event? Will students be asked to reflect upon their work? Will students be
asked to provide feedback on the assignment itself? What will be your process for answering the following
questions?
Did students find the lesson meaningful and worth completing?
In what ways was this lesson effective?
What went well and why?
What did not go well and why?
How would you teach this lesson differently?)

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This lesson was generally very successful. Many students struggle with finding the appropriate size and
configuration of various rooms and areas. Because of this the Transparent Assessment process is a very
important part of the learning process. If my feedback is only delivered individually, other students dont have the
benefit of the concepts explained. When several students make the same mistakes in a design layout, the
repetition of that mistake reinforces the needed learning.
The PDF instructions for creating a window family was not well received by students and many were asking for
me to do a screencast video to show them how to do it. That portion of the lesson ended up as a bust, and
because many students did not complete it, I did not post grades. I determined to prepare a tutorial and present
those procedures in a future lesson module.
When I first started the Transparent Assessment process I had not thought about screen captures to forward by
emails back to the students. That turned out to be something that the students valued greatly, and a keeper for
part of the process from now on!
Closure: Anything else you would like to reflect upon regarding lessons learned and/or your experience with
implementing this lesson. What advice would you give others if they were to implement the lesson? Please
provide a quality reflection on your experience with this lesson and its implementation.
The most important take-away for me from this experience is the value of the Transparent Assessments. The
idea of students stepping forward to annotate the work of other students would work much better with one of the
new giant HD touch screens that the smart board because of the shadows that make writing on a smart board
difficult. I would also like to have a Digitizer Pad for making my annotations from the teacher workstation in the
front of the room.

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