Morgan Butterfield

TPACK Template

Subject Science

Grade Level 3rd

Learning 3.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic,
Objective and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which
b) predictions are formulated using a variety of sources of information;
g) questions are developed to formulate hypotheses;
h) data are gathered, charted, graphed, and analyzed;
j) inferences are made and conclusions are drawn.

3.7 The student will investigate and understand the major components of soil,
its origin, and its importance to plants and animals including humans. Key
Content

concepts include
a) soil provides the support and nutrients necessary for plant growth

Online This simulation is being used as a reinforcement tool. The students would have
Activity previously engaged in discussion and would have learned about the topics
covered under both SOLs. This assignment is meant to gauge their
understanding of those topics.

Prior to beginning of the lesson using the simulation, the teacher would have
told students about the upcoming simulation. The teacher will explain that the
students will be doing an experiment online that measures the growth of plants
with different types of soil. The teacher would then tell the students that the
soils being used in the experiment are fertilizer and compost.

At the end of the explanation about the simulation, the teacher will ask that
before the next online session, the students will have completed some
independent research on the types of soil being used and will put their
predictions in an if, then hypothesis statement in the class discussion board.
They will also be asked to come up with a guiding research question for the
experiment that relates to what we are exploring.

When the session begins, the students will be directed to the Growing Plants
Gizmo. There, they will be able to conduct their own experiment on plant
growth. The teacher will explain that they must keep constants in their
experiment, like the types of seeds used, the amount of water they get, and the
light they receive. They are welcome to change these amounts from their
default settings, but all 3 seeds must be given the same amounts. They must
Pedagogy

also make sure that they use a different type of soil with each seed (one with
fertilizer, one with compost, and one with nothing). When they are done
choosing the amounts, they can begin the experiment.
 At the end of the 50 days, there will be charts that show plant growth over
the extent of the experiment. Students will be asked to draw conclusions about
which soil type worked best. They will be asked to go back in to their discussion
board post and include their data, conclusions, and if they believe the type of
soil that worked best would be different for the other seed types.

Technology https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&Reso
Technolo

urceID=615
gy

Growing Plants Gizmo