Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: Rocks Rock!

Content Area: Earth & Space Science
Grade Level(s): 3rd Grade

Content Standard Addressed:

S3E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the physical attributes of rocks and soils.

ISTE Technology Standard Addressed:

1. Empowered Learner

Selected Technology Tool:

BrainPOP

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://www.brainpop.com

Type of Instructional Software:

☐ Drill and Practice ☒ Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

☒ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
☒ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☒ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
☒ Accessible to students beyond the school day
☒ Accessible via mobile devices
☒ Multiple languages
☒ Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration:

☐ Infusion Level: Students may work at a higher Bloom’s Level, but they do not have any “Voice or Choice”
during the activity and most of the decisions are made by the teacher.

☒ Integration Level: We would like to see ALL lessons/activities reach this level. The project is student-
driven. Students have “Voice and Choice” in the activities, selecting the topic of study and determining the
technology tool to demonstrate mastery of the standard. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator.
☐ Expansion Level: The projects created are shared outside of the classroom, publishing student work and
promoting authorship. This could be reached by showcasing the project on the school’s morning
newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, or publishing via an outside source.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

I made sure the activity I planned for the students, and the technology tool I chose, will support all
students in the classroom. Students will begin the lesson by watching a video, via BrainPOP.com, to learn all
about rocks. The video I selected supplies students with visuals of the rock types, words displayed on the
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screen to show spellings of important words, and closed captioning can be turned on if needed. Watching the
video before starting the lesson will allow students to come up with their own understanding of rocks, which
is a constructivist approach. Students will then select a partner (representation) to work with on this project. I
want to make sure my students have a say in how they learn, so I decided that students may choose to create
a poster about a rock type, a digital presentation about a rock type, or they may write and present a short
research paper about a rock type. I did this to make sure all of the different learning styles in my classroom
were addressed, and to make sure all students were comfortable with the way they were going about this
project. Students will have the chance to use computers and iPads to research the rock type they chose. This
allows students to self-direct their learning, and I as the teacher will become more of the facilitator. Through
the use of partner groups, videos, and online research I hope the students will be full engaged during this
project. If I notice some students are not as engaged as others, I will address this by adapting to these
students’ needs and making sure they have all the supports they need such as translation dictionaries,
pictures, graphic organizers for their thoughts, or an extended time frame for the project.
Lesson idea implementation:
The project will be introduced through the use of a video about rocks on BrainPOP.com. The students will
watch this video before the lesson on rocks begins, to allow them to gather their own understanding of the
topic and any questions they have (constructivist approach). After the video, I will deliver a short lesson about
rocks and rock types via PowerPoint. The students and I will create a graphic organizer after the lesson to
display what we learned about rocks and soil, and the organizer will stay up for all students to see. Then,
students will choose a partner to complete a poster about a rock type, a digital presentation about a rock
type, or a research paper about a rock type, it is up to the student pairs to choose what project type they will
complete. The project will be conducted over the course of five days; day one is learning about the topic,
picking a partner and a type of rock, day two is research day using computers and iPads and books, day three
and four the students will put together their posters/digital presentations/research papers, and day five the
partner groups will present their projects to the class.
Student learning will be assessed through the use of formative assessment throughout the five days, such
as conversations about what the students are learning/finding about their rock type, and using “exit tickets”
after the end of each day. The final products will be presented on the last day, and this will be the summative
assessment for the lesson. I will see what each partner group collectively wrote about their rock type and
determine if the information shows a strong understanding about the rock type they were assigned. Learning
will be differentiated because each partner group had the option to use different presentation mode, and
students will have the chance to learn from their peers during the presentations about rock types. To extend
student learning to a higher level, students will be asked to complete a “take home quiz” that will ask them
questions about the different rock types their peers presented about. This task requires students to think
back and remember the different presentations and apply what they remember to their answers about the
rock types. I will conclude the lesson by asking each group one final question about their rock type, which will
summarize what they learned, and then students will have the chance to ask each other and myself any final
questions they might have. Each student will receive a written feedback sheet that I will write out after their
presentation, and students will receive my feedback throughout the whole five-day project period. I will be
sure to ask students questions as they are researching about their rock type and give them feedback on their
thoughts and ideas throughout the research period.

Reflective Practice:
After designing this lesson, I believe it will have a great impact on student learning. This lesson allowed
students to self-direct their learning process and make decisions about what is best for their own learning
style. I hope that students will become more self-directed when it comes to their education after this lesson,
because students would have enjoyed this independent-style project. The activities in this project allowed
students to be creative with the way they learn about one topic and allowed the teacher to be a facilitator of
student learning, not a director. I want the students to explore BrainPOP more after this lesson and use it as a

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study resource to help guide their learning. I hope this lesson will make the students want to do more
independent research on topics they are interested in and allow them to expand their knowledge even more,
without directed instruction from a teacher.

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