Implementation

Procedure: 

• Engage students by opening with the story, The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
• Create a KWL chart with the students finding out what they all know already and what they want to know about the solar system
• Present pictures of planets and discuss with students basic facts about each one that they know about
• Assign two planets to each student that they are in charge of researching. They will find the answers to the following questions about their planets:

1. What is the planet's distance from the sun?
2. What is the diameter of the planet?
3. Does the planet have any moons? If so, name them
4. What is the atmosphere like on this planet?
5. Are there any unusual features about this planet?

• Once they have completed their online research on their planets, students will put together their findings onto a Prezi presentation
• Students will use the SPACE template for their presentation and each question they answered in their research will be placed on a separate slide
• The presentation should be formatted as a planetary tour seen through the eyes of tourists visiting the planets (ex. What would tourists see? smell? feel? if they were touring the specific planet)
• When students have finished creating their presentation on their planet, each student will present the slideshow to the rest of the students to help them learn more about the planets
• While each student is presenting, the other students will be adding to their KWL chart in the 'L' section on what they are learning from the presentations that they did not know prior

Technology Integration:

                    Internet for planetary pictures 

                    Internet for research on planets

                    Prezi online slideshow for presentations
                    Microsoft Word document for KWL chart

Differentiated Instruction:

                    Cognitive Delay - The majority of the lesson requires more writing and typing than speaking. For students with cognitive delay, they will be able to perform throughout this lesson and project because it only requires writing and typing what they know and presenting their pictures. They can show their presentation without worrying about talking to the class about what they learned because it will be written out on the presentation.

                    Gifted - Students that are tested as 'gifted' can be given the challenge of finding out deeper content surrounding their planet assignment. They can research the atmosphere around the planet along with any craters that were formed and the chemical properties that are present if any.

                    ELL - The written requirements are not too long or difficult. ELL students will be completing the same assignment since the majority of the project has to do with finding pictures and relating the content to it from research. I won't be requiring paragraphs of facts they found on their research, but I do expect that they can create a bullet point list of what they found out about what their planet looks like and consists of. The visual aids can assist in the language barrier as well.

I want this lesson to be accommodated to fit all of my students' needs whatever they may be. This lesson should be learned by every student and I researched ways to fit their needs within the lesson plan so that I can make it easier on them and more comprehensible. I am currently in a BME class and am learning about the SIOP model and how to accommodate and scaffold lessons for ELL students. I am engaging students in creative and higher order thinking by pushing them into researching every minute detail about their planets and the surrounding atmospheres and action that happens in space. I have learned that technology practices are very important and effective if you are using the proper methods and if all students have accessibility to the type of technology you are incorporating in the lesson. I feel that all of my students have accessibility to the internet and the Prezi source as well as with collecting photos for their presentation.