Lesson Plan for Implementing

NETSSTemplate I
(More Directed Learning Activities)
Template with guiding questions
Teacher(s)
Name
Amber Vickers
Position

Local School Technology Coordinator

School/District

Dacula Elementary School/Gwinnett County Public Schools

E-mail

[email protected]

Phone

770-294-5163

Grade Level(s)

Content Area

Language Arts/Career Education

Time line

2-3 Weeks

th

Standards (What do you want students to know and be able to do? What knowledge, skills, and strategies do you
expect students to gain? Are there connections to other curriculum areas and subject area benchmarks? ) Please
put a summary of the standards you will be addressing rather than abbreviations and numbers that indicate which
standards were addressed.
Content Standards
GCPS AKS Standards:
Use technology to produce and publish writing
Collaborate with others
Type a two page paper with help
Conduct research using several sources
Common Core Standards:
Read and comprehend informational texts
Write informative paper
Conduct research using credible sources
NETS*S Standards
Creativity and Innovation-Students will create original presentations
Communication and Collaboration-Students are using a variety of programs to communicate information
Research and Information Fluency-Plans, organizes, analyzes, evaluates, and ethically uses information
from a variety of sources and media
Digital Citizenship-Students practice legal and ethical behavior
Technology Operations and Concepts-Students select and use applications effectively and productively.

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Overview (a short summary of the lesson or unit including assignment or expected or possible products)
Fifth grade students in the state of Georgia are required to complete a Career Portfolio in which they
research and present information about a career that interests them, or a career which they want to
know more about. As a result, they will learn about the requirements necessary to pursue a career in
the chosen cluster. The Career Portfolio will consist of 4 components: a research proposal, a
research graphic organizer, an essay, and a digital presentation. Students will review the 17 different
career clusters they have learned about from their school counselor throughout their elementary
school years. They will select the career cluster that most interests them. They will create the
research proposal in which they discuss their reason for choosing this career area, what prior
knowledge they already have, how this project will help them make a connection between their
academic and career goals, and what type of mentor they would need to help them complete their
project. They will then use a graphic organizer of their choice and several predetermined websites to
conduct research on a specific career within that cluster. They will research the job duties, education
needed, work schedule, future job market, salary, and benefits of that career. Students will use the
research they gather to write an informational essay about their selected career. After completing the
essay, the students will make a presentation using the presentation tool of their choice. Students will
then present their projects to the students in their class.
Essential Questions (What essential question or learning are you addressing? What would students care or
want to know about the topic? What are some questions to get students thinking about the topic or generate
interest about the topic? Additionally, what questions can you ask students to help them focus on important
aspects of the topic? (Guiding questions) What background or prior knowledge will you expect students to bring
to this topic and build on?) Remember, essential questions are meant to guide the lesson by provoking inquiry.
They should not be answered with a simple yes or no and should have many acceptable answers.
How do writers conduct research?
How do you know which resource materials to use?
What is a career cluster?
What are the duties and responsibilities of the career I have chosen?
What type of training and education will someone need to obtain this job?
What is the work environment like (information such as indoors/outdoors, office or fieldwork, type of dress
for work, individual or group work, etc.)?
What is the salary and job outlook for this type of career?
What needs to be included in my career presentation?
What are good skills that presenters use when presenting?
Assessment (What will students do or produce to illustrate their learning? What can students do to generate new
knowledge? How will you assess how students are progressing (formative assessment)? How will you assess
what they produce or do? How will you differentiate products?) You must attach copies of your assessment and/or
rubrics. Include these in your presentation as well.
Assessment is performance based, generative, and ongoing. The students are creating products for a real
purpose and audience. Students will submit their Project Proposal to the teacher for approval and will also
have their parents sign. Part of the ongoing assessment in this project is that the students are asked to use
the class dropbox to turn in their research at the midpoint of the project to allow the teacher to assess their
progress and focus on what is still needed. Students will also submit their research at the end of the
research process to be evaluated using a rubric. Students will type their research paper and be assessed
using an informational writing rubric. They will also be graded on their final presentation. Students and the
teacher will both assess the final presentations using a presentation rubric. The students are reflecting on
their performance as well as the performance as others.
Resources (How does technology support student learning? What digital tools, and resourcesonline student
tools, research sites, student handouts, tools, tutorials, templates, assessment rubrics, etc.help elucidate or
explain the content or allow students to interact with the content? What previous technology skills should students
have to complete this project?)
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Handouts: Career Clusters Handout, Research Proposal, Research Organizer, Presentation Checklist,
Career Essay Checklist
Rubrics: Informational Writing Rubric, Research Rubric, Presentation Rubric
Websites: GCPS Student Portal-Dropbox, http://www.onetonline.org/, http://www.careeronestop.org/,
http://www.insidecareerinfo.com/, http://www.bls.gov/home.htm, http://www.lessonpaths.com/learn/i/careerexploration-for-5th-grade/paws-in-jobland, http://www.careeroverview.com/career-assessment.html
Software: Kidspiration (graphic organizer), Word Processing Program (Word), Presentation software
(PowerPoint)
Web 2.0 Tools: www.popplet.com (graphic organizer), www.prezi.com (presentation), www.emaze.com
(presentation), www.powtoons.com (presentation)
Instructional Plan Preparation (What student needs, interests, and prior learning provide a foundation for this
lesson? How can you find out if students have this foundation? What difficulties might students have?)
Over the course of their elementary school years, students are presented with each of the 17 career
th
clusters. In their 5 grade year, students review all 17 career clusters. They discuss different careers that
fall into these clusters. Before the project begins, the teacher will review the 17 clusters and have students
pick the one that they are most interested in researching. Students may have difficulties choosing the
cluster they want to research. Encourage them that picking this career does not mean that they have to do
this career one day. The teacher may work one on one with students who continue to struggle with
choosing a cluster, helping them determine which one might be of most interest to them. The teacher will
explain what is needed in the research process. They will model effective research strategies and ensure
students know what is needed for their research. Students have prior knowledge of all using Popplet and
Kidspiration for graphic organization purposes so they can use whichever one they feel would be most
helpful. The students have also used Powtoons, eMaze, Prezi, and Powerpoint to create presentations so
they are able to make a choice on which tool they would like to use to present their research. Teacher will
review what is expected in the final presentation. Oral presentation skills are also reviewed before students
present since this will be part of their evaluation.

Management Describe the classroom management strategies will you use to manage your students and the use
of digital tools and resources. How and where will your students work? (Small groups, whole group, individuals,
classroom, lab, etc.) What strategies will you use to achieve equitable access to the Internet while completing this
lesson? Describe what technical issues might arise during the Internet lesson and explain how you will resolve or
trouble-shoot them? Please note: Trouble-shooting should occur prior to implementing the lesson as well as
throughout the process. Be sure to indicate how you prepared for problems and work through the issues that
occurred as you implemented and even after the lesson was completed.
Most all work will be completed in the computer lab. Teacher will present the Career Cluster review
presentation to the whole class and then students will work to discuss which career they are choosing.
They will work independently on their computer to complete the career proposal form. Students will use
websites that are predetermined by the teacher and that are bookmarked on their learning links Symbaloo
page. Teacher will check daily to ensure these websites are working appropriately. Students will choose to
work collaboratively or alone to research the career that they have chosen. They will have the choice to use
the graphic organizer provided by the teacher, Popplet, Kidspiration, or another approved program that will
help them organize their information. Students will submit their research at midpoint for the teacher to
ensure everyone is on track. The teacher will be able to see what students are struggling with and where
she can better assist. Students will use class time to write their research papers, then type their papers and
create their presentations during lab time. They will have the choice in what presentation tool to use.
Students already have prior knowledge of eMaze, Prezi, Powtoons, and Powerpoint, so they will choose
from those tools. If there are internet issues during research or while creating the presentations, students
can work on paper to plan out their presentation or paper. They may also use Powerpoint, which can be
inserted into eMaze and Prezi. Powerpoint can be used if there are continual technical issues.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Activities Describe the research-based instructional strategies you will
use with this lesson. How will your learning environment support these activities? What is your role? What are the
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students' roles in the lesson? How can you ensure higher order thinking at the analysis, evaluation, or
creativity levels of Blooms Taxonomy? How can the technology support your teaching? What authentic,
relevant, and meaningful learning activities and tasks will your students complete? How will they build knowledge
and skills? How will students use digital tools and resources to communicate and collaborate with each other
and others? How will you facilitate the collaboration?
During this activity, students are engaged in authentic and meaningful activities. They are assuming a
professional role by investigating what their desired job will be like. They are using technology like word
processing programs and presentation tools that professionals use in their daily life. Their presentations are
going to be useful to the audience that they will be presenting to as they are all learning about jobs that they
may or may not desire one day. The lesson is student directed with the teacher assuming the role of
facilitator and co-investigator. The students are taking responsibility and making decisions about their
learning. The teacher is monitoring the learning while not controlling or over-simplifying, and allowing
students to explore areas outside their own area of expertise. They are also collaborating with others to
acquire the needed knowledge and skills. The environment is collaborative in that students are able to
learn from each other and understand multiple perspectives. Even though they may not be working on the
same career, they are set up at tables where they can talk with others in their group about their project and
presentation. Students are taking the research that they gather, analyzing and evaluating it, in order to
create their own creative project using their choice of presentation tools. The technology used allows the
students to collect all their work in an organized way by utilizing a portfolio, as well as be creative in the way
they present their findings.
Differentiation (How will you differentiate content and process to accommodate various learning styles and
abilities? How will you help students learn independently and with others? How will you provide extensions and
opportunities for enrichment? What assistive technologies will you need to provide?)
Students are given the choice in how they want to show their research. They are also given the choice of
what program to use based on what they are comfortable with. Students are urged to find information on all
the areas. Some find more than others and some come with more prior knowledge than others. On the
form of what to include in the presentation, there is a list of requirements as well as some optional areas
they can include if they need an extension activity. Some students choose to present what they learned
and then some created resumes to pretend like they were applying for the job and they used what they
found in their research to create the perfect resume. Students complete their research at various times, so
those that finish first are able to explore some of the digital tools used for the presentation in more depth.
The links for research have been provided to the students using Symabloo so that they are easy to locate.
Reflection (Will there be a closing event? Will students be asked to reflect upon their work? Will students be
asked to provide feedback on the assignment itself? What will be your process for answering the following
questions?
Did students find the lesson meaningful and worth completing?
In what ways was this lesson effective?
What went well and why?
What did not go well and why?
How would you teach this lesson differently?

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The last piece of the project will be when the students will present their presentations to their class. The
other students in the class will rate them using the presentation rubric. The teacher will compile his/her
rating as well as the input of the other students and then give the student their final grade. Part of their
presentation will be reflecting on what they learned and if they are still interested in this career choice. I will
also ask students to give me feedback about what they thought of the lesson. I have not gotten to this part
of my project yet, so I am not ready to answer all of these questions.
There are some things that I know I will do differently. The language that was used in the proposal was
confusing for some of the students. This was the information we gathered of the Georgia Department of
Education CCRPI website. It needs to be worded more elementary friendly. Next time I will consider giving
students the option to work on the entire project with a partner. Some students really struggled on various
parts of the project and I learned I could not be as available to as many students as needed additional help.
I would also love to set up some video conferencing sessions for students to be able to interview people
who work in their career choice. This year I ran out of time and we didnt really have the resources. We are
scheduled to receive video conferencing tools in the next few weeks as part of our technology upgrade, so
next year we will have better resources to accommodate this addition to the project.

Closure: Anything else you would like to reflect upon regarding lessons learned and/or your experience with
implementing this lesson. What advice would you give others if they were to implement the lesson? Please
provide a quality reflection on your experience with this lesson and its implementation.
I have really enjoyed this project and I think the students have too. Since this is a required state initiative,
the classroom teachers have been tackling this project in different ways throughout the last few years. I
think adding all the technology pieces and choice really helped make this project more fun and interactive
for the students. It was important that they were already familiar with the presentation programs as well as
the different programs they were able to use to organize their research.

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