Fifth Grade Lesson Ideas

Below are some technology integrated plans that can be used in fifth grade.  Feel free to comment or borrow ideas.

Lesson One
Learning about Science and Conservation Through Ekoloko
This game can be used to teach citizenship, teamwork, and academic standards: civic values and government, and Earth and Space Sciences (Human Interactions with Earth Systems).
Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify common effects human have on the environment.
• Students will be able to list the effects of deforestation.
• Students will be able to create an alternate plan to correct the impact of humans.

Tasks:

• The students will log on and begin the first quests on Ekoloko.
• The students will complete the Leaf Life Hunt quiz after "talking" to other characters within the game.
• The students will report their scores to their teacher before moving on to the next quest (rate of accuracy, points, and coins earned).
• The students will create an alternative plan to help protect the planet and reduce the amount of damage that humans do to the Earth.
• This can be continued to use in Social Studies, during team-building activities, and to teach about cyber bullying.

Assessment:

• A quick, formative assessment will take place after the students take the quiz on Ekoloko.  Pending them passing, they may move on to the other tasks and quests.
• A simple rubric will be used to grade each student's alternative plan document.

This game really has infinite possibilities.  Many of the games contain mathematical concepts embedded into them.  Due to the large amount of reading, reading comprehension can be tested by asking students to recall to most important details of their readings.


Lesson Two

Steel Roller Coasters
This lesson is adapted from the Minnesota Department of Education website.

Objectives:

•  Students will be able analyze different attributes of roller coasters to determine which roller coaster is best.
• Students will be able to create step and leaf plots to organize data.
•  Students will be able to construct graphs to analyze date using Excel, or paper/pencil graphs.

Math Skills and Processes: Data analysis, Representation and Reasoning and Communication

Key Question: How can you determine how different attributes make up the best steel roller coasters?

Tasks:

• Students will use the internet to investigate popular steel roller coasters and gather specific data.
• Students will analyze five different attributes: speed, height, length, duration, and year built for 12 different steel roller coasters.
• For each attribute, student will make a line plot and decide how to score each roller coaster across the attributes.
• Students will make a stem and leaf plot describing one attribute of a roller coaster to create a scoring system of 1-4.
• Students will identify data landmarks (mean, median, and mode) for given attributes.
• Students will need to make a statistical argument over which roller coaster is the best that is supported by mathematical reasoning.
• Students will present their arguments using presentation software/websites or social network websites (i.e. PowerPoint, Prezi, Edmodo, KidBlog, Globster, etc.) of their choosing.  For those who need to, a poster can be created instead of using technology.

Lesson Three
Writing Fairy Tales

Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify plot, character, and the setting of a fairy tale.
•  Students will be able to recognize the elements of a fairy tale.
•  Students will be able to write a story and develop a character.
• Students will be able to write a story so that the setting can be understood by the reader.
• Students will be able to write a story so that it has a clear plot, including the rising action, the climax, and the resolution.

Hardware Used:

• Computers or tablets
• Speakers and headphones if in an area where sound would be disruptive
• ENO board
• Projector

Software Used:

• Storynory.com
• Kerpoof.com
• Inspiration 9

Student Activities and Products:

• The teacher will discuss the literary genre of fairy tales and the components of a fairy tale.
• Students will pick a fairy tale of their choice from storynory.com.  They will read it online, and if they need it, may download the audio to follow along.
• Students will need to identify the main character and traits associated with those characters, the plot with the essential components, and the setting of the story.  This can be done on sticky notes as it is an informal assessment and shared and compared with their classmates.
• Students will begin to create their own fairy tale and organize their ideas using Inspiration 9.  A story map will help students organize the plot of their story.
• Once students have created a clear plot, setting, and characters, they can create their story using kerpoof.com.  Students must use text and pictures in their story.
• When finished, the students will share their stories with their classmates on the ENO board, using a projector.

Adaptations:

• Students can be put into groups if they struggle with the basics of computer software.
• Extensive teacher modeling with allow students to follow along.
• For English Language Learners, text can be written in the native language.  The stories on storynory.com can also be read in a native language.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on the ability to recognize and create plot, characters, and setting with the sticky note activity and with their final stories from kerpoof.com