Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Water Cycle Exploration

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 4th Grade

Content Standard Addressed:

S4E3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to demonstrate the water cycle.

Technology Standard Addressed:

5 – Computational Thinker
3 – Knowledge Constructor

Selected Technology Tool:

Discovery Education
Legends of Learning Games

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://games.legendsoflearning.com/games/WyJnYW1lcyIsNjU1XQ==

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

For this lesson and I have met the engagement and representation pieces of the UDL framework. For
engagement specifically I have created varying demands and resources to optimize challenge. Students are
able to read information about the water cycle as well as watch a video. In the end they were challenge to a
game testing their knowledge on the water cycle based off the readings/watching in the interactive board.
For representation I offered many different displays of the same information. Alternatives for auditory
information would be the definition/description of the Piece of the water cycle. This is also an interactive
board so students with auditory impairments can listen to the videos at their own volume and their own pace.
I made the text clear to see so students with visual impairments have in easy time reading the activity. The
first part of the board has the students reading some definitions and watching short video clips. This is
supplying students with a background noise that is needed to play the game.The end of this interactive board
has the students playing a game. This game activates background knowledge from the beginning of the
interactive board.

Lesson idea implementation:

This lesson will start with students gaining access to be interactive board All about the water cycle.
The students will start with the first text box on the interactive board. The students will read the few
sentences about that specific vocabulary word/part of the water cycle. The end of the text box gives the
students instructions to watch the video next to it and move down to the next text box. The students will
continue to complete this activity by reading and watching until they reach the extent and their learning
section. In the extend their learning section students will be asked to read the instructions to a game they will
be playing. Once they have read all of the information about the game they will follow the link to the games

Spring 2018_SJB
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)
website. During this whole lesson the teacher will be walking around helping students if necessary. The
teacher can potentially pull a small group of students to read the text boxes to them for a better
understanding/support. The teacher will be there to troubleshoot any technology struggles that the students
may have.
At the end of the game students are asked to show the teacher their final game score. The teacher
needs to be available to receive the scores from the students. Because this lesson happens in the middle of
the water cycle unit the student should be able to score at least a six out of eight or higher. The teacher will
take note of everybody’s game scores to see who needs further instruction on the questions asked in the
game. When everyone has completed the game the students can review the questions and answers from the
game as a class. If all students scored an eight out of eight there’s no need to do this whole class review. This
lesson in total should take no more than 30 minutes. Each video in the interactive board is less than three
minutes long. The students are also reading a 1 to 2 sentence definition of the vocabulary word before the
video. The game is stated to take 7 to 10 minutes. With support from the teacher for those in need of them
everyone should complete the lesson in the 30 minute time frame. An extension of this lesson to bring the
students to a higher learning level would be having them draw their own version of the water cycle on paper.
Students will get to use their knowledge from the videos as well as the game to support their drawings. These
drawings can be presented to the class with a short explanation of why they drew what they did.

Reflective Practice:
I feel that the activities that I have created will positively impact student learning. There are short videos
about the different parts of the water cycle. These videos being short will keep the students focus and
attention. After watching these videos myself they seem very interesting and engaging to the real world the
students are in. I believe that the game also reinforces what the students have learned in the beginning part
of the interactive board. Something that was discussed in the above box for a further extension of the lesson
is having the students draw their own version of the water cycle. Doing this could allow the students to show
their knowledge of the water cycle by doing a kinesthetic learning activity. Students will be be able to
reference the Interactive board in their drawing process. This will reinforced everything that was learned
during the interactive board lesson. The students can also present these drawings to the class and describe
why they drew each part the way they did. This gives students many different perspectives of how their peers
view the water cycle. One way to enhance this project is adding a technology tool of a podcast. For the
further extension of the learning students who are not good at drawing can always create their own short
little podcast describing the different parts of the water cycle. This can be another way for students to display
their learning from the interactive board.

Spring 2018_SJB