Assignment #5: Plan for a Fourth-Grade Field Trip to Maymont

Transcription

1 Assignment #5 i Assignment #5: Plan for a Fourth-Grade Field Trip to Maymont Daniel Batten EDUC 310U Curriculum Methods Dr. Lanham April 17, 2007 I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance during the completion of this work.

2 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 1 Fourth-Grade Field Trip to Maymont: Lesson Plan for Day Before Trip Introduction Lesson Topic: The Tasks of a Forester/Preparation for Field Trip This lesson will prepare students for the next day s field trip by encouraging students to imagine having a career in forestry. Incorporating many of the concepts taught in previous life science lessons, this lesson will describe the responsibilities of a forester and show students how they will perform some forestry tasks on the upcoming field trip. Length of Lesson: minutes. Virginia Standards of Learning: a. History and Social Science Standard CE.12: The student will demonstrate knowledge of career opportunities by a) identifying talents, interests, and aspirations that influence career choice; b) identifying attitudes and behaviors that strengthen the individual work ethic and promote career success; c) identifying skills and education that careers require; d) examining the impact of technological change on career opportunities. b. English Standard 4.1: The student will use effective oral communications skills in a variety of settings. b) Contribute to group discussions. c) Seek ideas and opinions of others. d) Use evidence to support opinions.

3 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 2 e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas. c. Concepts from several fourth-grade science standards, such as life processes and living systems, will probably be briefly mentioned during the course of this lesson. (It is expected that these concepts were thoroughly addressed in earlier lessons.) The concepts will be reviewed in more detail during the field trip itself. Learning Objectives Students will: Identify various careers in forestry. Research information on a forestry career of their choice. Identify various tools used in forestry careers. Use a tree identification key to determine the name of a specific tree. Write the results of a small-group research activity. Report aloud on the results of a small-group research activity. Write a brief report on the job of a forester. Content The following topics will be addressed during the course of this lesson: Various types of forestry careers Skills and tasks required in forestry careers Special tools used by a forester Tree identification Organization of research data Basic photography skills Logistics for upcoming field trip

4 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 3 Materials and Advanced Preparation Materials: 1. One forestry kit containing the following items: Small notepads: 2 Pencils: 2 Measuring tape (to measure trunk diameter) Disposable camera Leaf/bark/fruit envelopes: 5-6 Numbered cards to use in photos: 5 List of observation questions to be used to describe each tree Tree identification key from the Arbor Day Foundation 2. Tree identification keys: 1 for each student 3. Checklist for parents for the upcoming field trip (reminders regarding bag lunches and appropriate attire for their children) 4. A few leaves from various trees in the area it may be wise to choose trees that are rather easy to identify using the Arbor Day identification key Advance Preparation: 1. This lesson is part of a unit on plants and trees. Students should already have satisfactory comprehension of several tree concepts (parts of a tree, characteristics of leaves, photosynthesis, etc.) before this lesson begins. 2. Prepare at least one forestry kit to display during class. 3. Prepare list of the two-student forestry teams. 4. Prepare checklist for parents.

5 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 4 Teaching and Learning Sequence Introduction/Anticipatory Set: 1. Encourage students to brainstorm and compile lists of forestry-related careers. Write their contributions on the board. Be sure forester, or some closely related term, ends up on the list. 2. Focus on the career of a forester. Drill down into this career, perhaps by continuing the brainstorm session in a KWL chart. What types of things does a forester do? What types of tools would such a person use? Eventually explain that on tomorrow s field trip, each student will perform some tasks of a forester. Convey that today s lesson will describe how they will perform these tasks. Lesson Development: 1. Building upon the discussion in the anticipatory set, explain that foresters use special tools to perform their duties, and that the students will use a few such tools on the field trip. Introduce a sample forestry kit that the students will receive the next day. Show the kit bag, and then empty the bag out item by item, describing the purpose of each item as it is revealed. 2. Distribute the tree identification keys. Demonstrate to students how the key is used to identify a tree based upon its leaves. Draw a picture of a leaf on the board (or use a large photo of a leaf) and walk the class through the key until they correctly identify the tree. 3. Next, the students will practice using the tree identification key on their own. Divide the class into small groups, three or four students to a group, and give each group one leaf. Nominate one member of the group as the data recorder. Each group should identify the various characteristics of the leaf (compound vs.

6 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 5 simple, for example) as they work through the key. The data recorder will write this information as the group determines it. 4. After all groups are finished, talk through each group s findings with the entire class. Hold up a group s leaf, and then ask all the relevant questions about the leaf based on the identification key. Ask one student from the group to read aloud the findings made by the group s recorder as you ask the questions. (Alternatively, ask each member of the group to contribute one or two answers.) Be sure that the entire class comprehends how each group came to its conclusions on the identification of their leaf s tree. 5. Be sure students return their tree identification keys; the keys will be needed for the field trip on the next day. 6. Next, discuss the specific project that the students will perform the next day. Cover all the logistics of the project: Students will work in two-person teams. Distribute or announce the list of teams at this time. Each team will receive a forestry kit when they arrive at Maymont. Describe the distribution of tasks for each team: one student will be the photographer; one will be the data recorder. (To keep the students attention, do not announce who will be assigned which roles yet.) Both students will be responsible for determining the answers to all the questions on the tree observation sheet. Read some questions from the observation sheet to give students a view of what they will need to do to acquire the answers. Explain that each team will collect information about five trees of their choosing at Maymont. The teams will need to complete

7 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 6 all the questions on the observation sheet for each of their five trees. Explain the photography part of the project. Explain how the photos will be used for a project after the field trip. Show how foresters identify trees in photos (that is, by using numbered cards next to the subject). Show several examples of such photos to ensure students comprehend how to take these photos. Explain that the teams will need to take several photographs of each of the five trees that they choose. Each tree should have at least one photo of the entire tree (or a large portion of it), a photo of a leaf of the tree, and a photo of the tree s bark. (Optional; this point applies only if Maymont staff approves.) Explain the collection envelopes. If any parts of a tree, such as a leaf, have fallen off of a tree the team has selected, the team can take that item and put it in one of the provided envelopes. The envelope must then be labeled with the number of the tree, as a forester might do. Show an example of what such an envelope might look like. When all logistics are explained, announce that each team can choose their roles on their own. (The students can discuss this topic at a later time, perhaps on the bus to Maymont the next day.) 7. It s assumed that the class may be a little excited about the field trip at this point. To return some serenity and focus to the classroom, have the students write a one- or two-paragraph explanation of why a forester s job is important and what would be the most interesting part of a forester s job. Collect this assignment after 10 or 15 minutes.

8 Pre-Trip Lesson Plan 7 Closure: 1. Open the floor for questions about the trip and the students project responsibilities during the trip. 2. Remind students about the items they should bring for the field trip. 3. Distribute copies of the parents field trip checklist; remind students to bring the checklist home with them at the end of the school day. Homework No homework is required for this lesson. However, students must remember to bring home the field trip checklist for their parents to review. Evaluation Student comprehension of this lesson will be assessed based on their participation and group work. Specifically: Did the student contribute to the class discussions and compilation of brainstorm ideas? Did the student show understanding of how the tree identification key is used? Did the student participate in the group activity, by working to identify their trees, recording the group s conclusions, or by reporting aloud on the group s findings after the conclusion of the activity? Did the student show comprehension of the job of a forester in their written assignment? Adaptations (A description of adaptations for this lesson is not required for this assignment.) References Careers and Technology Lesson Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2007, from

9 Field Trip Organization Plan 8 Fourth-Grade Field Trip to Maymont: Organization/Lesson Plan for Field Trip Day Introduction Field Trip Topic: Trees at Maymont This field trip will expose students to the multiple types of trees at Maymont park in Richmond. The arboretum and gardens at Maymont contain numerous unique species, both native and nonnative, that can teach students about tree life. Students will collect information about favorite trees using a miniature forestry kit. Their findings will then be used for projects and lessons back in the classroom in the days following the field trip. Length of Lesson: Approximately 6 hours. Virginia Standards of Learning: a. Science Standard 4.4: The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life processes. Key concepts include a) the structures of typical plants (leaves, stems, roots, and flowers); b) processes and structures involved with reproduction (pollination, stamen, pistil, sepal, embryo, spore, and seed); c) photosynthesis (sunlight, chlorophyll, water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and sugar); and d) dormancy. b. Science Standard 4.5: The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals in an ecosystem interact with one another and the nonliving environment.

10 Field Trip Organization Plan 9 c. Science Standard 4.8: The student will investigate and understand important Virginia natural resources. Key concepts include b) animals and plants; d) forests, soil, and land. Learning Objectives Students will: Participate in an educational program hosted by the Maymont Nature Center. Measure the diameter of tree trunks. Estimate the height of trees. Describe the texture of different types of tree bark. Describe the characteristics of different types of leaves. Differentiate between deciduous and coniferous trees. Identify specific characteristics of native and nonnative trees. Take bark rubbings from five different species of trees. Compile detailed notes about five different species of trees. Organize written information in a notebook for analysis at a later time. Illustrate five different species of trees. Photograph various elements of five different species of trees. Collect and label specimens from trees for analysis at a later time. Contribute questions and answers in group discussions about specific trees.

11 Field Trip Organization Plan 10 Materials and Advanced Preparation Materials: 1. One forestry kit for each pair of students (the contents of which are described in the previous day s lesson plan). 2. List of tree types on the Maymont grounds (either previously made available by Maymont staff or created by teacher on advance scouting trip). 3. Prepare to accommodate for forgotten or misplaced items. Extra coats, umbrellas, and sunscreen are some items that may be needed. Before leaving the classroom for Maymont, check that each student has everything they need for the day. 4. Be sure to bring sufficient funds to pay for incidentals such as bottled water and forgotten or misplaced lunches. Also, if time permits a visit to the children s farm at the end of the day, the teacher may wish to provide quarters to each student so they can buy a handful of food for farm animals. 5. Hand cleaner or wipes for cleanup before picnic lunch and after feeding animals. Advance Preparation: 1. At least 15 days prior to the trip, discuss the trip with the assistant director of the Maymont Nature Center (currently Kathy Mortimer). Make the reservation for the visit at that time; also, make a group reservation for the Plantastic education program. Make any required payments at this time (note that Maymont often does not charge for public school groups from the Richmond area, but they may charge for services such as an all-day tram rental). Also, ask Maymont about whether students are allowed to take fallen leaves, bark, nuts,

12 Field Trip Organization Plan 11 etc., and whether they can make bark rubbings. Lastly, check to see whether Maymont has an informal list of the trees on the grounds (they currently don t have a tree guide for visitors). 2. If possible, the teacher should visit Maymont s grounds prior to the field trip. Make note of the location of specific important trees, check the seasonal condition of the trees, and review the area to ensure the suitability for student involvement (e.g., are the lawns and pathways wet, are any areas under renovation, etc.). If Maymont does not provide a tree list, make one at this time. It may also be wise at this time to take digital photos of the trees that will be highlighted and discussed in class after the field trip; completing this task ahead of time will simplify class management responsibilities on field trip day. 3. Make a decision on how the student group will travel through the grounds at Maymont. A number of areas in Maymont are not easily accessible for physically disabled people. It may be necessary to reserve the park s tram for the entire class to ensure equal access for all. 4. Inform parents about the trip well in advance, in accordance with school guidelines regarding field trips. As field trip day approaches, send reminders home to parents. Students will need to wear suitable attire for several hours outdoors; monitor weather forecast and suggest the type of clothing the students should wear in the parents reminder the day before the trip. Also, the students will have a picnic lunch at Maymont, so parents should be sure students bring a bag lunch on field trip day.

13 Field Trip Organization Plan Maymont requires that an adult accompany every 10 children. Assuming a class size of fewer than 30, make arrangements so that at least two chaperones (possibly parents) accompany the group in addition to the teacher. 6. Make transportation plan in accordance with school field trip policy. A school bus will be needed to bring the group to Maymont by 10:00 a.m. and back to school prior to the end of the school day. Field Trip Sequence At school, prior to field trip: 1. Meet in the classroom at the beginning of the day as usual. Assuming school begins around 8:00 a.m., some class time can be spent prior to departure. In addition to the typical sequence of events that occur each day in the classroom, the following activities should also occur: Present an example of one of the forestry kits that the students will use on the field trip. Show and describe the contents of the kit, item by item, and explain how each will be used. Introduce the trip s chaperones. Conduct a review of the students readiness (such as appropriateness of clothing, whether they remembered their lunch and are wearing sunscreen). Review the rules of the trip. 2. Depart school; arrive at Maymont prior to 10 a.m. for check-in procedures. At Maymont: 1. The first event of the day, scheduled for 10 a.m., is a Maymont education program called Plantastic. This 30-minute session in the Nature Center building covers photosynthesis, plant life cycles, seed dispersal, and the human

14 Field Trip Organization Plan 13 use of plants. (Much of this material should have been covered earlier in the unit back at school, but the program will provide a helpful review and may also serve to calm the students somewhat.) An instructor from Maymont will guide the students during this time. 2. At the conclusion of the program, distribute forestry kits to the two-student teams. Give each team a few minutes to inspect the contents of the kits before leaving the education room. 3. Gather the group outdoors in the rear of the Nature Center building and either board the tram or begin the forestry walk. (This decision should have been made prior to field trip day based on the teacher s evaluation of the students physical ability). 4. The group will then travel throughout the Maymont grounds, stopping to inspect the various trees. The teacher will stop at selected trees to conduct discussions about the trees and set the tone for the students own research. Topics of discussion could include: Identification of parts of a tree Tree size and shape; reasons for these characteristics Leaf characteristics (color, spacing, amount, simple vs. compound, alternate or opposite, etc.) Trunk characteristics (width, bark color, texture, etc.) Characteristics of flowers, berries, nuts, and fruit Root system (visibility, appearance, etc.) Tree age; how does one find out the age of a tree? Is the tree a home for birds/insects?

15 Field Trip Organization Plan 14 Is this a native or introduced tree? How could humans use the tree? Shelter/wood for building, etc. At the cactus garden, compare the survival tactics of cactus and trees At the bear area, discuss the types of trees bears might appreciate 5. At appropriate locations in the park, encourage students to perform the required observation, collection and photography tasks on five trees of their choosing. (The arboretum area near Maymont House and the Japanese Garden are two excellent locations for these activities.) For each chosen tree, the teams should attempt to: Complete the observation sheet for the tree. Students should write their sketches and notes in their forestry notebooks. Identify the type of tree using their identification key. Take a photograph of the entire tree (or a large portion of it), as well as a photo of a leaf of the tree, and a photo of the tree s bark. The numbered labels (provided in the kits) should be used in each photo. Collect any materials from the tree that may be found on the ground and place them in the labeled envelopes provided in the kits. (Skip this task if the Maymont staff does not wish for group to conduct this activity.) 6. Move throughout the park and provide ample time (90 minutes, perhaps) for the group to complete their research activities. When everyone has taken their tree photos, give students the opportunity to use the remainder of the film in their cameras as they wish, as long as the subjects are appropriate.

16 Field Trip Organization Plan After research work is complete, the group will gather for a picnic lunch and relaxation. If time permits, the group can also visit the Children s Farm to see (and feed, if appropriate) the animals. 8. Return to the bus at the appointed time. Collect all forestry kits as students board the bus. Be sure the students names are on their kits and that the disposable cameras are inside. After school is out for the day: 1. Get film from disposable cameras processed after school. Be sure photo packs are labeled properly so each pair of students gets their own photos the next day. 2. Review the photographs taken by students. Make note of (and remove, if warranted) any inappropriate photos. Evaluation Students will be evaluated based on their participation and project work during this field trip. Specifically: Did the student participate constructively in class discussions? Did the student correctly follow instructions during the research phase of the trip? Did the student, along with his or her partner, complete an observation record for five trees? Adaptations (A description of adaptations for this lesson is not required for this assignment. However, some mention has been made throughout this document on the considerations the teacher needs to make for physically disabled students.)

17 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 16 Fourth-Grade Field Trip to Maymont: Lesson Plan for Day After Trip Introduction Lesson Topic: Review of New Tree Identification Skills This lesson will use the field trip to Maymont to build upon the students new skills in tree identification. The project work from the previous day will be reviewed in discussion. Students will continue learning about trees by starting a new project: a field guide for one tree of their choosing. Lastly, a quiz on tree identification will be given to check for understanding of this learning. Length of Lesson: minutes. Virginia Standards of Learning: a. Science Standard 4.4: The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life processes. Key concepts include a) the structures of typical plants (leaves, stems, roots, and flowers); d) dormancy. b. Science Standard 4.5: The student will investigate and understand how plants and animals in an ecosystem interact with one another and the nonliving environment. c. Science Standard 4.8: The student will investigate and understand important Virginia natural resources. Key concepts include b) animals and plants; d) forests, soil, and land.

18 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 17 d. English Standard 4.1: The student will use effective oral communications skills in a variety of settings. b) contribute to group discussions. d) seek ideas and opinions of others. d) use evidence to support opinions. e) use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas. Learning Objectives Students will: Report aloud on the results of a small-group research activity. Use a tree identification key to determine the name of a specific tree. Discuss the characteristics of native and nonnative trees. Plan their work on a field guide for a particular type of tree. Take a tree identification quiz. Content The following topics will be addressed during the course of this lesson: Review of results and lessons learned during field trip Tree identification: experiences, successes and struggles in Native and nonnative tree types Materials and Advanced Preparation Materials: 1. Forestry kits as retrieved from students the previous day 2. Developed film from students disposable cameras

19 Post-Trip Lesson Plan List of questions that need to be addressed in the students field guide project 4. Tree references books that students can bring home with them (optional) 5. Tree identification quiz Advance Preparation: 1. Review the teams observation notes prior to class to get a feel for how well they completed their assigned tasks. Make notes to prepare to give praise and further guidance to team members in the upcoming class period. 2. Put each team s developed photos in their corresponding forestry kit. Teaching and Learning Sequence Introduction/Anticipatory Set: 1. Begin the lesson by arranging students so they are sitting with their forestry partner from the previous day s field trip. 2. Return each team s forestry kit to them and encourage the teams to review their photos. Lesson Development: 1. Allow a few minutes for some casual, yet directed, class discussion about how well the field trip project went. Ask questions to draw out students opinions. Did each team have enough time to get their five trees documented? What was the hardest part of the project? What do they think of their photos? Did they learn anything that surprised them? 2. Direct the discussion to tree identification. Did the students determine the name/type of their selected trees? Form the discussion around both the yes and the no answers:

20 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 19 Teams who respond in the positive can be asked to show the class how they identified one of their trees by making a brief oral report that can be accompanied by the photos they took of the tree and any specimens they retrieved from the grounds around the tree. For any trees that could not be identified by their teams, use the tree identification key with the entire class to identify them. (Remember that Maymont has a number of rather exotic trees that may be difficult to identify; students shouldn t be penalized for not being able to identify all their trees.) 3. Close out the discussion with a relatively short discussion on native and nonnative trees. Ask students to offer up some of their selected trees as examples of native and nonnative trees. Eventually focus on trees that are native to Virginia and encourage students to be on the lookout for such trees around their home and neighborhood, as well as around the school playground at recess time. 4. Next, explain that each student will create a field guide for one of the trees they selected on the field trip. Using the observation notes from the previous day as a starting point, each student will perform research on one tree species of their choice and create a multi-page scrapbook that describes the tree. Ground rules for the creation of the field guides include: The teams will not work on these guides together, other than to share any relevant resources (observation notes, for example) they collected the previous day.

21 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 20 The members of each team must select different tree types for their respective field guides (multiple field guides for a particular tree type can be created by the class as a whole, however). The research can be done using the Internet and/or reference books. 5. Distribute the list of topics that need to be addressed in the guide. Some of the possible questions include: Observations about the tree, as recorded in the observation sheet. Detailed research findings about this kind of tree. Some topics would include how the tree acquires water, what the purpose of its leaves is, how it changes from season to season, where it typically grows in nature, possible ways humans use the tree, and what animals rely on it. If the students have collected anything from the tree (leaf, rubbing, bark), it can be used as the illustration for the title page of the guide. A picture or drawing of the tree s leaf, or press an actual leaf in the guide. Photos of the tree that were taken at Maymont can also be used. 6. Explain that the field guides will be compiled over the next couple days. The main research part of the project work must be completed as homework, while the actual creation of the guides will occur in the classroom. When they are finished, the guides will be combined into one book and submitted to the school library so all students can see it. 7. Give students a few minutes to confer with their team members and choose the tree type they want. When finished, students should return to their regular seats.

22 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 21 Closure: To assess understanding of the main lesson, distribute a quiz on tree identification. The quiz will show a number of illustrations of leaves; the student will be required to use his or her identification key to determine the type of tree to which the leaves belong. Also include some questions on terminology related to tree identification (compound vs. simple leaves, alternate structure, and so on). Homework The homework required for the main research portion of the field guide will probably require more than one evening s work. Consider the depth of the question list, decide on a number of evenings required and assign portions of the list for each evening. Each day, check to be sure each student has completed the assigned section. As the sections are completed, students can use their findings in the creation of their field guides in class. Evaluation Student comprehension of this lesson will be assessed based on their test results, participation and completed projects. Specifically: Students will be given a quiz that evaluates their skills and expanded vocabulary in tree identification. At a time in the near future (but not on the first day back from the field trip), students will be given a larger test that will assess their knowledge of the concepts and vocabulary used during this unit. Concepts would include topics such as photosynthesis and plant anatomy. Students will demonstrate knowledge of one particular type of tree by creating a field guide that shows findings from research about the tree. (The field guide will be completed by the time this unit is finished.)

23 Post-Trip Lesson Plan 22 Adaptations (A description of adaptations for this lesson is not required for this assignment.) References My Tree Book. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2007, from