Adaptation and Advertisements

Katie Gumm

Stonebridge Elementary School Colony 3

November 2003

I was a little nervous to be placed at Stonebridge Elementary School. The school is set up differently and I knew it would be a different experience. However, I went in with an open mind and ended up having a wonderful experience. Because of the set up of the school I was able to work with all the teachers and students in Colony 3. I was able to work with each student and really get to know each one. I worked more closely with Mrs. Reilly and her group of fourth and fifth graders. It was the first time that she had had a pre-student teacher so the semester was new for both of us. Through all the challenges we learned together.

Introduction

The social studies theme that I chose was environmental and human interaction. The big enduring idea that I hoped the students would take away from my lessons was “how people use their environments depends on what is available, what is wanted, and how the group manages itself.” Based on this theme I planned activities that included creating a new school playground, learning about a different culture’s adaptations, and then using those learned adaptations to create a game. Stemming from these social studies activities, the students wrote an advertisement for a product they created to help the culture they learned about or the school adapt to their respective environments.

Theme

Exploratory Social Studies Lesson

Materials• Blank paper for

students to create the playground on

• Pencils• Colored Pencils• Paper for each

student to write answer to assessment question on

Exploratory Lesson

The objective of my opening lesson was for the students to understand that environments are changed based on human needs and environmental needs and that the environment limits what we do. To accomplish this I asked the students to create a new playground for Stonebridge Elementary, something I’m sure the students thought they needed. The only stipulation was that the playground needed to be realistic. We would have to be able to actually build it. Because of this the students ran into some challenges, but learned that the environment limits what we do.

Exploratory Lesson

Student Comments• “We could do this.”• “The tower comes

up like this.”• “We want a Merry-

Go-Round, but there is no electricity.”

• “Everything we want needs electricity.”

Reflection - Exploratory Lesson

From the students comments and their playground plans, I knew that my objective was accomplished. The students created a playground that was based on the needs of the school and the needs of the environment and was also realistic. The students did not put everything into the design that they wanted because of the environmental limits. Some students even took the project one step further and actually created products that would help them adapt to the limits they faced. This lesson fit in perfectly with what was going on at the school. Stonebridge is actually looking into building a new playground. This made the students even more engaged and they took the activity seriously. Overall the students were extremely interested and focused. The students could not wait until the next lesson.

Explanatory Social Studies Lesson

Materials• Overhead with chart

on it• Information on the

Eskimo, Pygmy, Desert, and Mountain Cultures (one copy for each student)

• One overhead chart for each of the cultures/groups

Explanatory Lesson

During the second social studies lesson students came to understand what environmental limits other cultures face and how they adapt to them. I created information packets on four different cultures. The class divided into two different groups and each group received information on one of the four cultures. The students then recorded the culture’s environmental limits and adaptations on a chart. Finally each group shared some of the information they collected.

Explanatory Lesson

Student Comments• “They have large

nostrils, how silly.”• “There weren’t any

video games!”• “How do they have

any fun?”• “They live very

differently.”

Reflection - Explanatory Lesson

The students really grasped the idea of environmental limits and how people adapt to these limits. The chart they recorded their information on was easy to use and the students had no problem with it. The information I prepared for them to read was at their reading level and they needed barely any explanations. The task may have been too easy though because each group finished very quickly. I gave each group an extra challenge then. I had them read about another culture and record more information. Because the groups finished so soon, the next time I teach this lesson I may modify the reading packets to contain more information. The students really liked reading about the different cultures. They were surprised to see how differently some people live.

Social Studies Lesson Expansion

Materials• 4 blank game boards• 4 decks of cards• 4 sets of directions• 4 sets of game pieces• Paper charts of

adaptations from last lesson

• Paper folded in half to write on and pasted on top of face cards

• Large example of question card

• Pens• Pencils

Lesson Expansion

During the last social studies lesson the students were to apply the knowledge that they gained in the last lesson. The students were to create a game using the adaptations of the culture they read about. I modeled how to write the questions for the game, the students wrote their own questions, and then played their game.

Lesson Expansion

Student Comments• “Would this work?”• “I don’t understand.”• “Can we use less of

the deck so we get questions more often?”

• “This game is fun.”

Reflection - Lesson Expansion

I taught this lesson during the students’ SQUIRT time. It wasn’t the ideal time or situation. It was a last minute switch. I let this get the best of me though. I went through the explanation of the game and how to write the questions. I knew the students were not very clear on how to write the questions, but I sent them to work anyways because I felt rushed on time. I just plowed through the lesson. I should not have done this. Luckily, I had such a small group that I was able to answer individual questions. I should have slowed down and went through the explanation again so all the students understood.

Next time I teach this lesson I would do it completely different. Instead of having each group create their own game I would have the entire class create one game with a copy for each group to play. There did not seem to be enough question cards to apply the students’ knowledge while they played and keep the game challenging. I would have the students each write a question and then make copies of the questions for each groups’ deck of cards. I think this would help immensely.

Language Arts Lessons

In the progression of language arts lessons students wrote advertisements for a product they created. The advertisements were placed in one TV that was in the IMC for the rest of the colony to view. At the end of my time at Stonebridge the TV was taken apart and the students took their advertisements home.

Prewriting

Materials• Large example Graphic

Organizer• One graphic organizer for

each student• Picture of Super Slide• Students’ adaptation chart

from Social Studies• Extra Activities• One folder for each student• Pencils• Colored Pencils• Advertisements with

rhetorical questions• Procedural Checklist for

each student

PrewritingI started the lesson by reviewing with the students what we had learned in social studies and introducing a product I had created to help the school adapt to an environmental limit. As a class then we started writing an advertisement for the product. We reviewed different types of adjectives and the concept of rhetorical questions was introduced. We filled in the example graphic organizer together. The students then had time to create their own product and start writing down some of their ideas on their graphic organizers.

Prewriting

Student Comments• “That is so cool!”• “I could do this.”• “Like Got Milk?”• “Like pretty, prettier,

prettiest.”

Reflection - Prewriting

The students were so excited to create their own product and write an advertisement about it. They were bursting with ideas as soon as I showed them my product.

I could tell from their comments and feedback that they really understood the concepts I was presenting to them. I thought that rhetorical questions would be a hard concept, but as soon as I gave them the example of “Got Milk?” they understood. The only thing I might change is to have the students write ideas to a question I present before we go into a discussion. I might keep more of the students engaged this way.

The students were engaged and focused. The energy was high, but it was a positive energy. You could feel their excitement.

They couldn’t wait to fill in the entire graphic organizer.

Drafting

Materials• Large example graphic

organizer• One graphic organizer for each

student• Picture of Super Slide• Extra Activities• Folder for each student• Pencils• Colored Pencils• Advertisements with slogans• Two to three sheets of typing

paper for each student• Example of draft of

advertisement• Procedural Checklist for each

student

Drafting

We had not finished going through all of the prewriting activities so we continued with this. We discussed slogans and pictures in advertisements. I then showed the students my draft and explained this is what they should be starting today. I then gave the students time to finish filling in their graphic organizer and start their draft.

Drafting

Student and Teacher Comments• “We love to see you

smile.”• "Is Got Milk? a

slogan too.”• “Can we start yet?”• “You’re the writer,

you can write what you want.” (teacher)

Reflection - Drafting

Again the students completely understood the concepts presented. They came up with millions of examples of slogans. Every once and awhile while they were working, they would just blurt out a slogan.

The writing aspect came pretty easy for the students. Some of the students had a little trouble thinking of a slogan to write. Some were similar to other slogans and some were rewritten many times. I just said it was all part of the writing process.

I received a lot of questions dealing with if what the student had written was okay. I responded that he or she is the writer / author and he or she can write what they want.

Revising, Editing, and Publishing

Materials• Extra Activities• Large Rough Draft for

example• TV publishing idea with

example of completed ad

• Large revising / editing checklist

• One sheet of paper for each student’s final copy

• Revising and editing checklist for each student

Revising, Editing, and Publishing

I started the revising, editing, and publishing procedure with showing the students an example of a final copy. Then as a class we went through the revising and editing process. I then showed the students the assessment rubric. So the students would not be focused on the grade, but the writing I told them it was just what I would be looking for in their advertisement. Once I thought the students understood what was expected I gave them time to finish the draft of their advertisement, revise and edit, and finally publish.

Revising, Editing, and Publishing

The revising, editing, and publishing process took longer than one class period so we continued another day.

Revising, Editing, and Publishing

Student Comments• “This doesn’t sound

right here. You should add to.”

• “Our advertisements get to go in their? How cool!”

• “That word is spelled wrong.”

• “You’re missing your rhetorical question.”

Reflection - Revising, Editing, and Publishing

The TV was the perfect publishing method for the advertisement. The students thought it was so cool. They could not wait to put their advertisements in the TV. It turned out to be an incentive for the students to finish their work.

The students understood the revising and editing checklist. They took it very seriously and wanted to help their partner as much as they could.

The students were focused and engaged the entire time. Most did not want to stop working until they were done. Some students even came up to me during their free time and asked to work on their final copies.

Assessment Rubric

The assessment rubric was very easy to use and create. The criteria came right from the graphic organizer, revising and editing checklist, and six traits of writing.

The assessment rubric I created seemed to be very fair. The scores the students received were objective and clearly reflected the students work.

The rubric showed a range of scores from middle to high. The highest score was a perfect 15 and the lowest score was a 7. I feel that the lowest score may have been due to effort in completing the final copy, because the student’s rough draft would have scored better than the final copy. My cooperating teacher commented that these scores reflect the students’ other writing as well. My confidence in my teaching was boosted because there were no very low scores.

Rough Draft #1

Final #1

Assessment #1

Explanation of Assessment #1

I scored word choice with a five because two adjectives were used, the purpose of the product is explained, and the wording is clear and precise.

I scored organization with a five because all five parts of an advertisement are included, the advertisement informs and persuades the reader in a clever way, and the advertisement has structure.

I scored layout / presentation with a five because the advertisement is organized and I would stop and read it if I was flipping through a magazine.

Rough Draft #2

Final #2

Assessment Rubric #2

Explanation of Assessment #2

I scored word choice with a one because no adjectives are used and the purpose of the product is not clear.

I scored organization with a three because some of the parts of an advertisement are included and the advertisement has some structure.

I scored layout / presentation with a three because the product being sold is known, but I would definitely pass up this advertisement.

Conclusion

I feel that for the most part my lessons were well written and well executed. I would make some changes and some improvements, but overall things turned out better then I expected. I had a wonderful experience and feel prepared to teach elementary social studies, language arts, and science.