Basic Productivity Presentation Tool

Lesson Idea

Lesson Idea Name: Life Cycles

Grade Level/Content Area: 2nd Grade
Content Standard Addressed: S2L1.d. Develop models to illustrate the unique and diverse
life cycles of organisms other than humans.
ISTE Technology Standard Addressed: What would you like students to know and
Creative Communicator – Element 1.6.d be able to do by the end of this lesson:
Students publish or present content that
customizes the message and medium for Students should be able to make models that
their intended audiences. show the different life cycles of organisms
such as animals, plants, and insects.
This ISTE standard requires student to make
content that centralizes a message that I can make a model that show the life cycle of
an organism of than a human.
communicates to their intended audience
(target group).

What is the student learning goal for this lesson idea?

Using this technology tool (Microsoft Sway), I will show what that I can model the life cycle of
an organism other than a human and share it with my classmates.

Selected Basic Productivity Tool:

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):
https://www.office.com/

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Level(s):

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

 Basic Productivity Presentation Tool
Lesson Idea

How will this lesson be implemented? Check all that apply.

☐ Teacher-directed: There is no student voice and choice in the activities. Students are guided by the
teacher's direction and expectations.

☐ Student-Led: Students are given voice and choice in the activities. They may select the topic for
presentation and/or determine the tool they will use to meet the learning goal. Products of
learning will be uniquely designed. Teacher simply facilitates the learning in a lesson like this.

☐ Project-based and/or Publishable: Students are completing projects to demonstrate their learning
and the projects can be shared outside of the classroom. This objective could be reached by
displaying the project on the school’s morning newscast, posting the project to the classroom
blog, presenting it to another class, or publishing it via an outside source.

Lesson idea implementation:

After reviewing the life cycle of a butterfly with my students, I will allow them to choose from
a list of animals, plants, and insects (each student should have a different organism). The
students will take some time to study their organism’s life cycle using online sources, books,
or teacher knowledge. This knew knowledge will be recorded on paper and put in order using
a storyboard. Before I release students to make their presentation, I will quickly review the
parts/information that should be included in their Microsoft Sway (This information may
include the number of stages in the life cycle, how long they are in each stage, and any new
vocabulary they have learned) and a quick demonstration on the basics of using this tool.
Students will then create an online storybook (using Microsoft Sway) to demonstrate their
knowledge of their chosen organism’s life cycle. While students are utilizing this tool, I will
monitor student progress and be readily available to answer any questions that may arise. To
conclude the lesson, I will briefly review each student’s presentation and then ask them for
permission to share it to the whole class.

Managing the technology/engagement: Describe a way to use this technology in a way that
gets students actively involved in authentic tasks and contexts? How will you manage the
classroom behaviors on the technology:

To engage students in using this basic productivity tool, I will present them with one of my
own that grasps student interest. I will then excite them with the opportunity to make their
own that can be shown to the class.
To manage the classroom behavior while using this tool, I will set a time limit that requires
students to stay on task to finish in time to share with the class. I will also allow students who
may want to learn about the same organism to work together. This will allow for
collaboration and may help students who do not enjoy working alone. One last idea that I
 Basic Productivity Presentation Tool
Lesson Idea

would like to implement in this activity is the role of ‘tech experts.’ Tech experts will be
intentionally selected by the teacher to help other students who are struggling with the
features of the tool. The teacher should still be actively helping students with their
challenges, but it can sometime become too much for just one person. The tech experts will
allow the teacher to help students with challenges that cannot be resolved with just the help
of a peer.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This activity and tool that it utilized enhances the learning experience for all students,
because it allows for student creativity (this being the highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy).
This activity and tool will cover all the learning types that can be represented in the
classroom. Audio can be used within this presentation to adhere to the learning needs of
auditory learners. Images, drawings, and videos can be utilized within the tool to cover the
needs of visual learners. And finally, the hands-on learners will be supported through the
process of making their own presentation. These features support the Representation
component of the Universal Design for Learning framework (UDL).

Reflecting on enhanced learning:

I feel that the activities I created will impact student learning by allowing students to take
leadership in their learning. Instead of simply listening or reading about the life cycles of
different organisms, students will be actively engaged in learning about an organism of their
choice.
I especially look forward to implementing the use of Microsoft Sway in my future classroom,
because I feel that this basic productivity tool represents the learning needs of all my
students and allows them with the opportunity to be creative.