Direct Instruction
The learning intention for this lesson was to improve literacy through group reading about a recent earthquake in Papua New Guinea, and then create a model of how earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates.
The video shows the in class instruction, some of the learning talk between the girls as they participate in the group reading, a clip of the practical and some insight into the resources used during the lesson.
Reflection
The girls and their group worked as a team really well during the group reading; taking turns to read paragraphs out loud and also stopping and helping one another when they came across any unfamiliar words. You can hear a student off-camera say "and these are the words we use in college!" The vocabulary in science is indeed a step up!
My interactions with the group were brief as I questioned them on a few new words (such as 'seismic') or gave instructions. I wish I had more time to sit with each group and discuss/evolve their recognition of key ideas. I would love if the class could reach the end of term and be able to combine ideas from within the text to form a large key idea, rather than just pull out individual key sentences. I spent a lot of time off-camera trying to assist other groups and keep them on task.
The practical to model tectonic plates was very successful and I enjoyed being able to have learning conversations around the room with different students as they moved their pieces of bread around.
Things to Note:
Not all students had blogs set up/rolled over at the time of filming, so Journey's learning is still on a doc rather than a blog. The class are now all established on blogger and all future learning should be shared via blogs!
Class Site Content
WALT: Describe a recent earthquake, it's cause and some effects it had. Third Rock Workspace here.
Group Reading
In groups of five students took responsibility to read some paragraphs out loud, and fulfil their role within the group.
Practical
In their groups students create a 'sandwich geology' practical and model different types of plate boundaries.
Blog Post
Students link between their reading about a current earthquake and their model of how tectonic plates cause earthquakes.
Learner Generated Content
Nicola Wells
Manaiakalani Education Trust
PO Box 18 061, Glen Innes
Auckland, New Zealand