SAMPLE CAMERA LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
The following are example lessons for teaching with a digital camera
Timothy Rayburn
Immokalee Middle School
Immokalee, Florida
Lesson Title: Insect Life Cycles/Complete Metamorphosis
Grade level currently teaching: 8th
Courses taught: Science
Lesson Objective: Upon completion of this lesson the students will show an understanding of the stages of complete metamorphosis
Lesson Procedures:
- Introduce students to metamorphosis.
- Describe the steps of complete metamorphosis.
- Divide the students into groups.
- Give each group a cocoon. (Collected or ordered from supply company)
- Have students place the cocoon in a container where it can be observed and photographed daily.
- Have students use the digital camera to photograph the insect daily.
- Allow students to upload pictures into the computer each day.
- After the insects have become adults have students complete one of two activities.
Activity I
*Have students use their photographs to create a labeled poster showing the life cycle of an insect Activity 2
*(Note: May require a 486/66 computer with at least 16 Mb of memory) *Have students convert ah of their pictures into gif format *Use a .gif animation program to create an animated gif showing all of the groups photographs in order. This a time lapsed "video" of complete metamorphosis that could be included in a web page. Lesson Assessment:
Have groups present their projects to the class.
Demonstrating their understanding of complete metamorphosis.Follow-up lesson/activity,: Have groups compare insect life cycles to other life
cycles studied.Florida Sunshine state math/science standards addressed: SC.F.1.1.3
Yvette Barrow
Manatee Elementary School
Naples, FL
Title: Insects-Our Interesting Neighbors
Grade/Area: Insects First Grade
Goal:
To review with students collection and classification of live specimens.Reason
This lesson will reinforce the Insect classification and the diversity of life right outside the classroomMaterials
Digital Camera, specimen container, magnifying glass, pencil, paper, books on insectsAnticipatory Set
The instructor will review the definition of an insect and the diversity of type.Procedure and Modeling
The instructor will outline the procedure to be used, i.e., break into groups, go onto the school grounds and around the school collecting different types of insects. A written analysis is to followGuided Practice
The instructor specifies the groups and leads them to the area for collection. She/He joins different groups and monitors the progress of collection and digitally photographs the specimens for later study.Independent Practice
The students have their own log, sheets to record all of the different insects collected within their respective groups.
Following the collection and recording. the students must descriptively write about the different specimens collected using prints of digital photos.Review
The instructor will allow the students to read aloud their findings and observations.Evaluation
Student evaluation will be based on their participation in class and their independent work on the log sheets and on their independent writing. Students will he given an 0-outstanding, S-satisfactory or an N-needs improvement based on the effort and accuracy in which they completed the independent activityFlorida Sunshine State Standards
SC.H.1.1.3, SC.G.1.1.4, SC.H.3.1.1, SC.H.1.1.4, SC.H.1.1.5, MA.E.3.1.1, MA.E.1.1.1
Sally A. Johnson
Pine Ridge Middle School
Naples, FL
Grade Level currently Teaching: Math 6th and 7th
Lesson Title: Geometry in Nature and Man-made Constructions
Lesson Objectives:
To demonstrate geometric shapes are everywhere around us.
To encourage students to be more aware of geometry in their lives.Lesson Procedure:
At the beginning of class there will be a collection of pictures of geometric shapes that were found in our community or from pictures in books. The pictures will be displayed; at first in a timed sequence without stopping. Next, we will observe each picture, discuss and game the geometric shapes.Lesson Assignment:
At the end of the unit the same pictures will be used as a test by numbering the frames to match the numbers on the test. Student’s will be required to name the geometric shape in each frame.Follow-up Lesson/Activity:
Students will be asked to find pictures of geometric shapes in their life and either bring the picture to school so we can take pictures with the digital or check out the camera to take pictures at home.Florida Sunshine State Math Standards Addressed:
MA.C.1.3.1 The student understands the basic properties of, and relationships pertaining to regular and irregular geometric shapes in two and three dimensions.
Beth Bobay
Lely High School
Naples, FL
Lesson title: Mode, median, mean, and range
Lesson objective:
Students will find the mode, median, mean, and range with respect to the height of the students in the classroom.Lesson procedure:
Students will measure the height of everyone in their group. Their group information will be recorded on the board. The student groups will then find the mode, median, mean, and range for the entire class.Pictures will be taken and displayed for each person who was the mode, median, and mean of the class. A group photo will be taken with the students in order from shortest to tallest to help display the range of the group.
Lesson assessment:
Students will find the mode, median, mean, and range for a given set of numbers on a test.Follow up lesson activity:
The same procedure will be used with regard to shoe size.Florida Sunshine State mathematics standards utilized:
MA.E.l.4.2Additional Comments:
This lesson is designed for a pre-algebra class. This could easily be adapted to higher level courses by including charts, tables, and plots (plotting shoe size and height on a coordinate system and any relationship found). This would then include the Sunshine State mathematics standard MA.E.l.4.l. Standard deviation and variance could also be found in the dataAfter the data has been recorded on a chart, pictures ken and displayed on the TV with the members of the group included with their chart.
Dolores E. (Dodie) Pajer
Lely Elementary School
Naples, Florida
Grade Level : 4/5 ESOL
Lesson Title: The Water We Drink: where does it come from and how do we clean it?
Lesson Objective:
Using acquired knowledge of the water cycle and information presented in a classroom discussion, students will pose questions to two civil engineers through a Power Point presentation.Lesson Procedure:
~ previous lessons, students have drafted, edited and prepared final versions of their questions.With the teacher's assistance, the entire class will decide upon a Power Point layout. Individually, they will enter their questions, add photos of themselves taken by each other, and add previously recorded sound flies of their voices recording their questions.
Lesson Assessment:
Students will be observed and the final presentation will be assessed to determine if they are able to enter their questions into the document, insert the image files into the document, and add the sound files to the document.Follow-up Lesson/ Activity:
The civil engineers will be given a copy of the presentation to prepare their presentations. At the time of their visit to the class, the students will photograph themselves with the responding engineer and will include the photo and the audio of the engineer's response to the Power Point presentation.Sunshine State Math and Science Standards Addressed:
- SC.G.l.2.1 SC.H.l.l.4
- SC.G.1.4.2 SC.H.1.2.2
- SC.G.2.1 .2 SC.H.1.3.3
Allie Ross
Immokalee High School
Immokalee, FL
Lesson Title: The Solar System
Lesson Objectives:
The student will;
- Construct a mobile of the solar system as they see it
- Calculate the time needed to travel from Earth to the moon, Mars, and other planets
- Act out a commercial to get visitors to come to their favorite planet
- Write a poem about their favorite planet
- Create a crossword or word search puzzle using the planet names and other space terms
- Design a planet that we may be able to live on if the Earth were to become over-populated
Lesson Procedure:
Students will choose three of the six activities, complete them, and prepare a short presentation for the class.
Lesson Assessment
Students will use the Casio Digital Camera to make presentations to the class (may use TV, VCR, or PC to aid in presentations)
Follow-up Lesson/Activity:
Use the digital camera to create an animation of their favorite planet in orbit around the Sun and present it as a slide presentation to the class
Sunshine State Standards:
- SC.E.1.4.1 Student understands the relationships between events on Earth and the movement of the Earth, Moon, and other Planets and the Sun
- SC.E.1.4.2 Knows how the characteristics of the other planets and satellites are similar to and different from those of the Earth.
- SC.E.1.4.3 Knows the various reasons that Earth is the only planet in our Solar System that appears to be capable of supporting life as we know it.
Bruce W. Burnett
Naples Park Elementary School
Naples, FL
Title: Field Trip Log Book
Objective: To record a field trip on the camera and reproduce in booklet form.
Procedure:
- Teacher takes photographs of students participating in the activities of the field trip.
- Print photographs
- Put in booklet form with blank pages in-between
- Students compose meaningful text based upon their experiences and pictures
Further Use
- Form a collage on a bulletin board for a display of the field trip with appropriate captions
- Send photograph copy home to parent of their child participating on the field trip
- Compose a video to be used at open house or to be shared with each family on a loan basis
- Video can be shared with sponsors of the trip, such as the PTO or cooperative business partners (for excellent public relations).
- Send pictures back to presenters of the field trip to evaluate and enhance their program
Florida Sunshine State Standards
- SC.G1.2.1 Knows ways that plants, animals and protists interact
- SC.G.1.2.2 Knows that living things compete in a climatic region with others living things and that structural adaptations make them fit or an environment.
Jon Mazeroski
Gulfview Middle School
Naples, FL
6Th SCIENCE TEACHER
Title: Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Recording and learning about the life cycle of the butterfly using a digital camera.
Objective: To show students how the life cycle of an insect goes through its different stages.
Procedures: This will be a student centered project.
- Select 2 to 4 students who will be trained on the use of the digital camera
- The students will be given an outline of procedures to follow while photographing the butterflies life cycle.
- The students will proceed to the school butterfly garden ( if you have one)
- The students will watch for a butterfly to lay its eggs! If this is too time consuming, then the students should look for eggs under the leaves of the food plants.
- When the eggs are located they should be photographed using a magnifying lens (the time, date and location should be noted)
- Students can report their finding to the class each day or present the project when the life cycle is completed.
- The students should photograph tile eggs every day and record the results. This should continue until the eggs hatch.
- The students should continue to photograph the emerging larva. (Continue recording time, date, and time) the camera will record the size and shape.
- The students should continue to photograph the growth rate of the larva on a daily basis. (if this is a problem several larva along with their food plants can be put into an aquarium in the classroom.
- With luck the students will be able to photograph the lava as it starts to form its pupa.
- The students will continue to record information and photograph the pupa each day until the butterfly starts to emerge.
- The students should continue to photograph the butterfly as it emerges and starts to dry out, then take some pictures of the butterfly as a flying adult (life cycle complete)
The students or teacher can put all of these photographs together with captions to show the life cycle of an insect. The digital camera allows you to show your photographs as a slide show (on your computer or TV). You can also video tape your project, save it to a disk, or use it as a computer presentation.
Assessment: The students should be able to draw an example of the life cycle of an insect.
Follow-up Lesson: Try photographing the life cycle of another insect such as the mealworm and compare life cycles.
Florida Sunshine State Standards:
- SC.F1.1.3: Describes how organisms change as they grow and mature
- SC.F.2.1.1 Knows that living things have offspring that resemble their parents
- SC.G.1.2.5 Knows that animals eat plants or other animals to acquire the energy they need for survival.
- SC.H.1.2.2 A successful method to explore the natural world is to observe, record, and then analyze and communicate the results
Bobbie Knighton
Oakridge Middle School
Naples. FL
Grade 7 Business Grade 8 Advanced and Regular Math
Title: Picture Polynomials
Lesson objective: Students will be able to interpret and analyze polynomials using algeblocks.
Procedure:
1. Students need to work in pairs. Prior lessons need to have taken place introducing the student to algeblocks and what each piece means.
2. Using your digital camera, create screens that first have polynomials pictured using only algeblocks. Have students create and explain what each screen means. (Control the time each screen is displayed on your screen using + and buttons on the camera.)
3. Eventually, screen need to advance to polynomials written out as formulas and then to a screen using the algeblocks.
Assessment: Create a presentation using digital pictures of algeblocks and have each student write what is pictured.
Follow-up: Students can create presentations for addition and subtractions of polynomials using the digital camera and algeblock.
Florida Sunshine Standard:
- Algebraic Thinking - The student describes, analyzes and generalizes a wide variety of patterns, relations, and functions.
The digital camera is an excellent tool for all algeblock presentations. For use year after year, saving in PowerPoint or on a videotape may be useful.
Edwina Szempruch
Avalon Elementary School
3rd Grade
Title: Digital Cameras and Environmental Education
Uses of the Casio Digital Camera in this project:
- Create photo badges
- Create PowerPoint presentation of all activities involved in the unit in sequence: Play, Recycling Paper Project, Poems, Report on Home Project, and Oral Presentations
- Insert pictures into class newsletter
- Use for creating a thank you letter with photos
- Create class book with illustrations from pictures
Topics:
- Ecology: organisms and their environment
- Ecocide: deliberate destruction of environment by pollutants
- Earth’s natural resources
- Recycling
Language: Writing: write to environmental organizations with class pictured on paper. Poetry related to ecology/environment, illustrated with pictures taken by class
Science: create local ecology picture dictionary using digital photographs
Georgia Stamp
Oakridge Middle School
Naples Fl.
Current grade level taught: 7th grade science
Title: It's A Match
Objective:
To familiarize students with plant and animal interactions involving chemistryLesson Procedure:
Pictures of plants and animals from our pond/hammock area will be taken with the digital camera. Students will then research interactions including chemical interactions with animals who utilize those plants. (defenses, pheromones, etc.) We will then print and laminate pictures of our plants, animals and interaction descriptors. We will make a matching game that students can play in groups to reinforce these concepts.Assessment:
The games themselves as well as student performance in the games.Follow up:
Student led tours of the pond and hammock for parents and other students utilizing the various interactions as part of their presentation. (This could also be used as an evaluation). We could also have a presentation of the area done in pictures and text utilizing the camera. Another option would be to send pictures of our site to schools who also have existing ponds and/or hammock areas, or who are considering putting one in.Standards addressed:
- knows biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance reproductive success in a particular environment.
- knows that the interactions of organisms with each other and with the non-living parts of their environment result in the flow of energy and he cycling of matter throughout the system.
Tiffany Haberkern
Poinciana Elementary School
Naples, FL
Grade level: 1 Courses taught: all subjects
Title: Plant Growth
Objectives:
- The learner will recognize the importance of plants to the environment.
- The learner will describe in writing the stages of growth in a plant by first hand and pictorial observation.
- The learner will identify the three major parts of a plant and their function.
- The learner will identify the things that a plant needs to live and grow.
Procedure:
The students will receive a lecture on the parts of a plant and their function. The importance of plants will also be discussed. Posters, photographs, and live plants will be used in the presentation of material. The students will then plant their own seeds. The students will keep a written journal of what they are observing and doing when planting the seed. During the growth process the students will take digital pictures of the plant’s growth. These pictures will then be used to create a journal to be used for formal assessment.Assessment:
Students will use the digital pictures they took to create a second journal. They then will write descriptions, in complete sentences, of what is happening at each stage. This can be done using a word bank supplied by the teacher, and with some guidance from the teacher. The descriptions should include what parts are observed and what their functions to the growth of the plant are. The journal should also make mentions of the elements observable in the pictures (ex. sunlight) that will help the plant live and grow.Follow-up activity:
After the lesson and journal are complete the students will recognize the need for plants in our environment by replanting their plant outside somewhere on school grounds.
Susan Gentry
Everglades City School (K-5)
Everglades City, Florida
Grade level currently teaching: 3rd grade
Title: Comparing Moths and Butterflies
Lesson objective:
Students will learn the similarities and differences of moths and butterflies and will be able to identify them by their special characteristics.Lesson procedure:
The teacher will make a TV presentation of pictures of moths and butterflies taken with the digital camera. The teacher will brainstorm with the students about the similarities and differences of the two insects and make a list of those ideas on the chalkboard. Those ideas may include the time of day each insect flies, the kinds of antennae, shape of bodies, and position of wings at rest. Using the list of ideas, students may work in small groups to make a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two kinds of insects. Each outer circle of the diagram will include characteristics that belong to only one of the insects, and. the overlapping space in the middle should contain ideas that are for both insects. Time should be given each group to share their Venn diagram with the rest of the class.Lesson Assessment:
The teacher will print some pictures of moths and butterflies taken with the digital camera. These pictures will be printed at the top of a writing activity sheet The students will be asked to write a descriptive paragraph about the moth or butterfly that is shown at the top of the page The paragraph should include those characteristics that help to identify it as being a moth or butterfly.Follow-up activity:
Students should be given the opportunity to use the digital camera to take photos of moths and butterflies on the school campus. They may print some of their photos to display on the classroom bulletin board or may create a TV presentation to show the class.Florida Sunshine State Science standards addressed:
- F 1 The student describes patterns of structure and function in living things.
Sucllen Gilliam
Sea Gate Elementary School
Fourth Grade
Naples. Florida
Title: Breakfast For The Birds
Objectives:
- Upon completion of this activity, the students should be able to
- Describe the relationship between beak shape and size and the type of food a bird eats.
- Graph data
- Describe the similarities and differences among a variety of beaks
- Provide evidence for decisions
- Design a beak for a specific function
- Science Processes/Skills:
- Observing, Inferring, Predicting, Sorting, Recording data, Graphing, Interpreting data.
Lesson procedure:
Using the Casio camera 1 took several pictures of birds' beaks. Putting this into a PowerPoint Presentation we viewed these pictures on the TV and discussed the different shapes and the food that each bird ate. Discuss similarities and differences.
I put the children into six groups and gave them each a cup of dry puffed cereal. I asked them to eat the cereal using the craft stick as an eating utensil. Let them try this for one minute. It should be a difficult task for the students. Gather the class for a discussion. Ask the students what happened when they tried to eat the cereal. Then ask for suggestions of better things to use to eat the puffed cereal. Help the students realize that different foods require different utensils or tools by asking questions such as:
- Would you use a straw to cut a watermelon?
- Would you eat soup with a fork?
- Would you use a spoon to eat a raw apple?
Lesson assessment:
Have each student write and explain what they learned during this lesson. What was the best part and what they would add or change. Revisit the pictures of birds and have the students explain what they eat and what is their evidence.
Follow-up activity:
Each child will create their own special bird with a unique beak. They will then explain to the class the special features and why this adaptations will increase their bird's potentia1 for survival. The teacher will be taking pictures of each group during the simulation and will then add these pictures to the PowerPoint Presentation.
Florida Sunshine State Math/Science standards addressed:
- SC.G.l.l.4 MA.B.1.2.l
- SC.G.1.2.2 MA.B.2.2.1
- SC.G.1.2.5 MA.B.3.2.l
- SC.G.1.3.2
Christina Smith-Libbey
Lely High School
Chemistry
Naples, FL
Title: Visual Periodic Table
Lesson Objectives
- The student will identify elements on the periodic table by symbol and digital photograph.
- The student will classify elements according to atomic # and atomic mass.
- The student will learn how to write the electron configuration for each element on the periodic table
Lesson Procedure:
The teacher will take as many pictures as possible of the elements from the periodic table to introduce this aspect of periodicity with my chemistry students.
1. The students will be introduced to an element on the periodic table and with the assistance of the digital camera be able to visualize what the elements look like.
2. The students will be able to see similarities of elements according to which group they are in and what the element looks like.
Lesson Assessment.'
The students will be able to match the element name, symbol and photograph. We will use this first in a game setting (matching, etc.) and then I will test the student with a Multiple Choice/Matching/True-False Test.
I will also print copies of the pictures and use them as part of a Lab Practical Exam.
Follow up lesson/activity
As a start-up activity, I will show various (science-related) digital pictures on the television screen and have students identify and list as many characteristics as they can.
Also, I will break the students up into groups and allow them to photograph additional items that are made up of a combination of elements (compounds). This will not only reinforce their learning of elements, but introduce the combination of two or more elements as compounds.
Florida Sunshine state math/science standards addressed:
- SC.A.1.4.1 Knows that the electron configuration in atoms determines how a substance reacts and how much energy is involved in its reaction.
- SC.A.2.4. 1 Knows that the number and configuration of electrons will equal the number of protons in an electrically neutral atom and when an atom gains or loses electrons, the charge is unbalanced.
- SC.A.2.4.2 Knows the difference between an element, a molecule, and a compound.
- SC.A.2.4.5 Knows that elements are arranged into groups and families based on similarities in electron structure and that their physical and chemical properties can be predicted.
- SC.A.2.4.5.a Predicts the chemical and physical properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon atoms and compounds, using the periodic table to make generalizations about properties of certain elements.
- SC.G.1.4.3 Knows that the chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things are combined and recombined in different ways.
Mary Joe Parrish/Marilyn Spooner
Golden Gate Elementary School
Naples, FL
Title: Every Picture Tells a Story: Observations and Images at the Elementary Level.
Lesson Objective: The goal of this lesson is to demonstrate using current environmental observations and real-time weather data, and then convert to metric. The student team uses The Weather Channel on the television to gather current pressure, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction.
The teams log onto the G.L.O.B.E project at WWW.GLOBE.GOV/. A school would need to sign up to be a GLOBE school before they can access the server. The current weather information is logged onto the GLOBE server.
The teams compile satellite imagery from the Florida Explores website at http://www.fsu.edu/explores/explores.html. The teams correlate the satellite imagery to their observations. They then compare and extrapolate their observations and write about their findings.
Lesson Assessment: Students would be successful if they can complete a data table from their observations, pull down the satellite images, and write about how the current weather conditions at their school correlate with images.
Follow-up lesson activity: Students choose a particular satellite image (visual, infra-red, or water vapor). They write a description contrasting the precipitation ~ the current conditions vs. The image. They write a description comparing the. temperature in the current conditions vs. the time of year.
Florida Sunshine State Standards
- SC.H.1.2.2,
- SC.H.1.2.4,
- SC.D.1.2.4
Sharon Lea
East Naples Middle School
7th Grade Science
Naples, FL
Title: American National Park Discovery: I Spy National Parks
Unit objective: To increase students’ knowledge, and appreciation of the American National Parks as limited, natural resources through "hands on" experience with innovative technology such as the Casio digital camera, CD ROM’s, and multimedia presentation stations
Lesson Objective: To empower students by teaching them how to use the Casio digital camera to develop a multimedia presentations
Unit Procedure:
- Each student Will Write a business letter to an American National Park of his/her choice requesting information on the park
- Working in cooperative learning groups the students Will use various materials such as CD ROM computer programs, video encyclopedias, books, pamphlets and written material received from the National parks to research information on the national park of h s/her choice.
- Each group of students Will compose one, three paragraph report each paragraph Will have a minimum of five sentences on the national park of choice:
- Each cooperative learning group will create a concrete visual representation of the national park The group will choose one of the following: diorama, model, map, or brochure
- Each group will compose a five slide multimedia presentation using the Casio digital camera to photograph pictures of the national park Pictures should include park topography, animals, plants, and facilities
Unit Assessment:
- Production of letter to national park
- Three paragraph report
- Concrete visual representation such as a diorama, model, map, or brochure.
- Multimedia presentation consisting of a five slide picture show
Follow-up Lesson Activity:
- Cooperative learning groups will present multimedia presentations to class.
- Video with all multimedia presentations will be aired on morning announcements, for the school’s viewing pleasure.
- Concrete visual representations (diorama, models, maps, brochures) Will be displayed in school halls and Media Center
Florida Sunshine State Science Standards Addressed
- SC.D.2.3.1 The student understands that quality of life is relevant to personal experience.
- SC.D.2.3.2 The student knows the positive and negative consequences of human action on the Earth’s systems.
- SC.G.3.2.3 The student knows that a brief change in the limited resources of an ecosystem may alter the size of a population or the average size of individual organisms and that long term change may result in the elimination of an animal or plant population inhabiting the Earth - The student understands that humans are a part of an ecosystem and their activities may deliberately or inadvertently alter the equilibrium in ecosystems
- SC.H.3.3.7 The student knows that computers speed up and extend peoples ability to collect, sort, and analyze data; prepare research reports and share data and ideas with others
- SC.H.3.4.3 The student knows that scientists can bring information, insights, and analytical skills to matters of public concern and help people understand the possible causes and effects of events
Rebecca Endrelunas
Lake Trafford Elementary School
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Title: "You can count on me" (kindergarten)
Lesson Objectives:
- The kindergarten teacher will use photographic images of the students, with presentation software, to introduce different ways numbers can be represented.
- The teacher will use photographic manipulatives to illustrate ordering and grouping of numbers up to ten
- The teacher and students will work as a class to identity the numeric symbols and numbers written as words for all numbers up to ten.
- The students will work cooperatively, in groups of tour, to identify, order, count and group the photographic manipulatives.
- The students will work independently to make an illustration of their family, and identify it with both the numeral and the word representing the number of members in all.
Lesson Procedure:
The teacher will take several sets of photographs of the students in her class in groups from one to ten. She will insert the photographs into a Power Point presentation which will introduce the students first to pictorial representation of the number, and then, after discussion, the number written as a word and expressed as a numeral.
The teacher will print out the photographs of the students, and mount and laminate them. The teacher will also type, in a 100 point, bolded font, the numbers from one to ten and the numbers in words. These, too, will be mounted and laminated. These will be used in teacher directed lessons, to instruct and illustrate counting, ordering, and grouping of numbers up to ten.
The students will work cooperatively, in groups of four, using the laminated manipulatives in a math center for the skills of counting, ordering, and grouping.
As a culminating project, the students will draw a picture of their family group. They will write the numeral which represents how many in their family and the word for the number.
The teacher will photograph the students' pictures with the digital camera and print them on paper and on iron-on transfers. The teacher will make tee-shirts for the students, and a bulletin board titled "You Can Count on Me" with all of the pictures. When the students wear the shirts, they will each describe their families to the class, and count up the members. Then they will do other activities such as putting themselves in order according to size of their families, from smallest to greatest, and grouping themselves with other students who share the same number. The last activity will be for the teacher and students 10 count how many people, all together, are represented on the children’s shirts to come up with total number. The teacher will post the total number on the Bulletin board.
Follow-up Lessons:
- Using other personal statistics of the students (pets, favorite foods) to count and group.
- Making a graph to illustrate family sizes of the students in the class.
- Use of the manipulatives for beginning addition skills.
Sunshine State Standards Addressed:
- Strand A. Number Sense, Concepts and Operations.
- MA.A.1.1.1 - associates verbal names, written word names, and standard numerals with the whole numbers less than ten.
- MA.A.1 .1.2 - understands the relative size of whole numbers between one and ten.
- MA.A.1.1.3 - uses objects to represent whole numbers and relates these numbers to real-world situations
- MA.A.1.1.4 - understands that whole numbers can be represented in a variety of different forms.
S. Kathryn Grimes
Lower School Instructor
Community School of Naples
Naples, FL 34109
Title: Describing Growth from Parts of Plants
Grade Level: Third or Fourth Grade
Objectives: At the end of this exercise the student should be able to
- DISTINGUISH between new plant growth and the part of the plant it is growing from.
- DESCRIBE vegetative growth qualitatively.
- DESCRIBE the techniques used to produce new plant growth from plant parts other than seeds in terms precise enough that other people will be able to follow the procedure -
- PHOTOGRAPH the different stages of new plant growth with the Casio Digital Camera and print out the pictures to use on a display board.
Instructional Procedure
Introduction
Show the children a plant (a philodendron or a geranium) and say that you did not plant a seed to produce it. Ask whether anyone can suggest a way the plant may have been developed. Someone may say that you planted a stem to get the plant. If not, suggest this yourself.
Ask the children if they have ever observed anything like this before. For example: "Do you have any plants at home that were started without seeds? Have you ever planted potatoes? Have you ever taken strawberry plants on the end of a runner and set them out? Have you ever seen asparagus planted? Some of the class may be able to relate such an experience. If not, you may want to tell them about one.
Activity
Arrange several of each of the following on a table near the front of the room:
- Shallow, wide-mouthed jars, or aluminum pie pans
- Slender glass bottles (olive bottles)
- Paring knives (or serrated plastic knives if necessary, for safety)
- Toothpicks
- White potatoes Sweet potatoes Carrots
- Large onions
- Ivy, philodendron, coleus, arid/or geranium plants (include more than one if you can)
Divide the class into as many groups as there are different kinds of plants on the table. Invite one of the groups to come to the front of the room to observe carefully what you do. Select a carrot, and ask whether anyone has any ideas about how to make it grow into a green plant. Accept a general statement that a member of the group may suggest, such as, "Cut the carrot and put it in water." If no one says this, you should.
Since most of the class members cannot observe what is being done, tell the small group at the front of the room that when you have finished, they will have to report to the others on what they have seen.
Select an aluminum pen or wide-mouthed jar, and put water in it to a height of about 2 cm. Remove any leaves from the carrot, and cut off the top 4 or 5 cm. Put this piece in the water with the cut surface on the bottom of the container. Then put the cutting where there is as much daylight as possible. Have a student photograph this procedure step by step with the digital camera.
Ask one member of the group to report the procedure precisely to the rest of the class. Ask other members of the group to add any information that the first student omitted. Emphasize accurate, detailed reporting, such as the depth of the water (2 cm), the place the carrot was cut (4 to 5 cm from the top), the way the carrot is placed in the container, and where the container is located. Report what shots were taken with the camera and why.
Invite each of the other groups in turn to be the observers, reporters, and photographers as the teacher demonstrates the following:
a. Select a sweet potato and a pan, or wide-mouthed jar, and repeat the procedure you used for the carrot.
b. Put a whole white potato in a jar or pan with water 2 cm deep.
c. Select a large onion, three toothpicks, and a jar; mount the onion so that 1 to 2 cm of the bottom of the onion dips into the water.
d Select a branch from a coleus or geranium plant with two or more leaves, and make a sharp cut below the leaves. Put the stem (cut end) in a slender glass jar that has been filled with water.
e Make similar cuttings form philodendron and ivy plants. A leaf and small stern area will constitute a cutting.
f. Photograph each one of these steps.Students will find out whether other kinds of plants can produce new plants in this way. Groups of two or three students might try to grow kinds of plants that are different from those they have already studied. They might try a celery stalk, or an apple, and so on. They should be encouraged to use whatever plants and parts of plants they suggest and can bring from home.
In all of these investigations, encourage each student to record what s/he did and what s/he observed and concluded. The digital photographs can be shown on the TV screen, the computer monitor, or printed out to make a chart or booklet. The students should report their findings to the class in a well-planned way. The use of the digital camera should facilitate this by enabling the students to record data in a concise, chronological sequence. Photographic comparison gives the student instant verification of his/her experimental results in the area of plant growth.
Title: Digital Image Journal
Objective- To keep a class journal of scientific concepts studied throughout the school year by recording observations with a digital camera and incorporating the pictures into a word processing program where the students observations are recorded and then placed in a binder after being printed
Materials- digital camera, three ring binder and index dividers
Procedure- Take photos of any important observable concepts being studied. Have students dictate their observations as you write them on chart paper. Incorporate the photos into a word processing program and type students observations below the photos they relate to. If possible have a student do the typing. If not then have them observe you as you do it. Print out photos and observations to be placed in a three ring binder. Your students will have a visual reminder to look at throughout the school year of all the neat science activities you have done.
*This activity could also be used to keep a math journal.
Title: Using a Graphing Calculator
Objective:
To demonstrate how to properly use a graphing calculator, demonstrating how to enter the data while showing the calculators output.Materials:
- Digital camera with live video output
- Tripod
- Projection system or large presentation TV
- Graphing Calculator
Procedure
- Position the camera over the calculator so that the image of the whole calculator is projected onto the screen for student viewing.
- Enter programming information and data, allowing students to follow along with the projected image.
- Have students compare their output screens with the projected screen.
This format can be used with any digital tool manipulation