Create an instructional activity for your students using an instructional design model of your choice. Choose a grade level and subject area, identify learning objectives, design the activity, incorporate technology, evaluate its effectiveness, and reflect on the instructional design process. Be creative and have fun!
Here is an example:
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject Area: Science
Learning Objective: Students will be able to explain the water cycle and its importance in the environment.
Instructional Activity:
- Introduction: Begin by providing an overview of the water cycle and its importance in the environment. Use a video, animation, or other visual aids to engage students and introduce the topic.
- Exploration: Next, have students explore the different stages of the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. Provide resources such as diagrams, images, or hands-on activities to help students understand each stage.
- Application: Have students apply their understanding of the water cycle by creating a model of the water cycle using everyday materials such as plastic bags, cotton balls, and paper plates. This will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of the different stages of the water cycle and how they are connected.
- Assessment: Evaluate students’ understanding of the water cycle by asking them to complete a short quiz or a writing prompt explaining the importance of the water cycle in the environment.
- Reflection: Finally, have students reflect on what they learned. Ask them to consider what was clear, what they had a hard time understanding, and what they recommend will help them learn better.
Source: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/water-cycle/
Add your activity in the comments section below.
Instructional Technology: Design and Development Models
Evaluate: Applying Instructional Design Models
Responsible Digital Citizenship
Instructional Activity
Grade Level: 9th-12th Grade
Subject Area: Spanish 1:
Theme: Responsible Digital Citizenship
Learning Objective:
Students will be able to understand and apply the principles of responsible digital citizenship, including online safety, privacy, ethical behavior, and maintaining a positive digital footprint, within the context of Spanish-speaking cultures.
Instructional Design Model: Backward Design
Introduction:
To begin, I will introduce the concept of Responsible Digital Citizenship by showing a Spanish/ English language video highlighting the importance of online safety, digital footprint, and ethical online behavior. The resource will reflect digital challenges or practices in Spanish speaking countries to provide a broader, global perspective on digital citizenship. We will then have a brief class discussion in Spanish/ English, asking question to check students understanding like:
This will set the stage for students to understand the importance of the topic while building vocabulary and critical thinking skills in Spanish.
Exploration:
I will divide the students into small groups and assign each group a specific aspect of Responsible Digital Citizenship (Such as, seguridad en línea, protección de la privacidad, comportamiento ético en internet, huellas digital positiva). Students will research their assigned topic using Spanish language resources, such as articles, videos, and blog posts from reputable sources like Common Sense Media en Español or articles about how digital citizenship is practiced in different Spanish-speaking countries.
Each group will use these resources to prepare to teach the rest of the class about their assigned topic, incorporating key vocabulary and cultural examples in Spanish.
Application:
After researching, each group will create a digital presentation in Spanish.Such as Google Slides, Canva, Flipgrid) explaining their topic in detail. They will include examples of both positive and negative online behaviors, discuss the implications of these actions, and offer practical tips for responsible digital citizenship in Spanish speaking communities. This will help students see how responsible digital behavior is universal but can have cultural variations.
Assessment:
To assess student understanding, I will ask each student to write a short reflection in Spanish on what they learned about responsible digital citizenship. They will answer questions such as:
Reflection:
We will conclude the activity with a class discussion in Spanish. I will ask students to share their reflections, focusing on any surprises or challenges they encountered while learning about responsible digital citizenship. We will discuss how these practices apply not only to their personal lives but also to their role in the larger digital community.
Students will also reflect on how they can use this information to make responsible choices online and share one new idea or practice they will adopt moving forward. This reflection will be submitted either in written form or as an audio recording to ensure accessibility.
Technology Tools and Resources:
Instructions for Posting:
Students will submit their group presentations and reflections in the comments section of the Classroom Bulletin Board post titled “Applying Responsible Digital Citizenship Model Ethics.”
Description:
This activity aligns with the 21st-century educational approach, emphasizing the development of digital literacy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. It uses backward design to guide students in understanding and applying responsible digital citizenship principles while developing Spanish language skills. By focusing on essential skills such as online safety, privacy, and ethical behavior, students learn to navigate the digital world responsibly and reflect on how their actions impact their digital footprint. The activity combines language learning with practical, real life applications, promoting digital literacy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness in an engaging, student centered format.
Grade Level: High School (Spanish 2)
Subject Area: Spanish Language
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to;
Instructional Activity: Travel Guide to Latin America in Virtual Form
Description of the activity: Students will work in pairs to create a digital travel guide (using Google Slides) for a Latin American city of their choice (Latin American cities provided by the teacher). Students will include descriptions of major landmarks, foods, festivals, and cultural facts, using Spanish vocabulary studied in class.
Step 1: Research
Students will choose a city and use online resources (such as Wikipedia in Spanish) to gather information about their chosen city’s landmarks, festivals, and foods. Students will identify relevant Spanish vocabulary (using WordReference; online dictionary) and note translations and definitions to include in their guide.
Step 2: Creating a digital travel guide
Using Google Slides, each pair creates a short travel guide in Spanish with five slides covering: Introduction to the city, landmarks, traditional food, local festivals, travel tips (including useful Spanish phrases learned in class). Each slide should include a brief, descriptive sentence, relevant images, and essential vocabulary in Spanish.
Step 3: Speaking Presentation
Pairs present their google Slide with their travel guides to the class in Spanish. Other students ask simple questions about the city in Spanish, which presenters will respond to using learned vocabulary.
Integration of Technology
-Google Slides for collaborative creation
-WordReference and Spanish dictionaries for expanding one’s vocabulary
-Voice recording apps; such as Vocaroo (optional): As an extra level of speaking practice and self-reflection students might record their speeches.
Evaluation Rubric:
Formative Assessment: Following presentations, students fill out a peer review form in Spanish, including feedback on cultural content, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Reflection: By using Backward Design, the end goals; vocabulary mastery, speaking ability, and cultural awareness could be clearly focused on. This strategy made sure that the activity was in alignment with the intended results and that students were meaningfully engaged by the use of digital and collaborative technologies.
Grade Level: 6th grade
Subject: Environmental Science (Ecosystem)
Instructional Design model: ADDIE Model
Learning Objective:
Reflection: Using the ADDIE Model makes the lesson clear and interactive providing a clear approach to the ecosystem.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-food-chains-and-webs/
Grade Level: 6th grade
Subject: Environmental Science (Ecosystem)
Instructional Design model: ADDIE Model
Learning Objective:
Reflection: Using the ADDIE Model makes the lesson clear and interactive providing a clear approach to the ecosystem.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-food-chains-and-webs/
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Subject Area: Science
Learning Objective: Students will be able to differentiate between an independent variable and a dependent variable.
Instructional Design Model: Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Technology Integration: The lesson will be presented on google slides with visuals.
1.Gain attention: To gain my students’ attention I would ask them the following “Warm Up” question. What are some things that cause you to be happy? This will be used as a springboard to help them learn about an independent variable (cause) and dependent variable (effect).
2.Inform learners of objectives: I will present students with the learning target (I can differentiate between an independent variable and a dependent variable) to help them focus on reaching the objectives.
3.Stimulate recall of prior learning: I will ask students to share where they have heard of the word variable (possible in math class, other places, etc…)
4.Present the content: I will show the students a BrainPop video on an independent variable and a dependent variable. Throughout the video questions will be asked to check their understanding.
5.Provide learning guidance: After the video, I will provide students with guided practice on differentiating these two variables by using their everyday life experiences.
6.Elicit performance (practice): I will provide students with the following leveled activities.
Level 1: Identify the independent variable in the experiment scenario. Then, identify the dependent variable in the experiment scenario.
Level 2: In your own words, explain how these two variables are different.
Level 3: Create your own example of an independent variable and dependent variable.
7.Provide feedback: I will provide students with a rubric to help guide them through these activities and will circulate around the room and provide feedback according to the rubric.
8.Assess performance: Students will complete a google form exit ticket question that will ask them to differentiate between these two variables.
9.Enhance retention and transfer to the job: Students will write a letter to a future new student to help the new student learn what was taught in the lesson. Students will write a summary of what they learned.
Reflection: This model is effective because it provides students with a lot of practice with the content as well as guidance with the use of a rubric. This process allows teachers to capture immediate data in order to provide timely feedback so that students know the areas that they need to improve on.
Instructional Activity:
Grade Level: Pre-K Age 4 to 5
Subject Area: Multicultural.
Learning Objective:
1 Introduction: the lesson will start by introducing some students in the class whose parents come from different places around the world. Students will look at the world map and point to the country they came from. Paint different flags that represent each country we will learn in this lesson.
2 Exploration: Each student will choose a country’s flag from around the world and learn how the greet in their language.
3 Application: The class will participate in multicultural activities that will showcase how each of these countries says hello in their language.
4 Assessment: During the activity, students will be asked to say hello to their classmates in the language they choose. To reinforce their memories, students will be asked to identify the different colors on the flag to help them practice pronunciation and communication skills.
5 Reflection: At the end of the lesson, students will gather on the rug to reflect on what they learned. The class will discuss and share which activity or country they liked best and why. Students will suggest any other places they would like to learn about or other languages they want to learn about.
Sources: https://www.bigheartworld.org/activity/hello-around-the-world/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJ0UlrW5DU
Instructional Activity
Grade level: 9th-10th Grade
Subject Area: Spanish 1
Topic: Physical and Personality Descriptions
Instructional Design Model: Backward Design
Technology Integration: Google Slides and Canva
Learning Objectives: Students will engage in written and spoken descriptions by describing a fictional character’s physical appearance and personality traits in Spanish.
1. Introduction
Start the lesson with a visual presentation using Google Slides that showcases diverse fictional characters. Students are prompted to describe the characters’ physical characteristics (example: “alto,” “delgado”) and personality traits (example: “simpático,” “serio”). This interactive discussion activates prior knowledge and introduces key vocabulary, creating a foundation for the day’s activities.
2. Exploration:
Students will engage in a creative project using Canva to create a digital self-portrait or a fictional character. They label their character with three physical traits and three personality traits in Spanish. This hands-on activity allows students to apply their vocabulary knowledge while expressing their creativity.
3. Application
Students will present their character descriptions to the class. Each student reads aloud the labeled traits from their digital portrait while their classmates guess the character based on the clues provided. This guessing game fosters a supportive environment, allowing students to practice their spoken Spanish and actively listen to their peers, reinforcing their descriptive language skills.
4. Assessment
Students will complete a peer review activity using a table to document their classmates’ character descriptions. As each presentation occurs, they fill in the table with the physical and personality traits described, along with a question for clarification. This part of the main activity encourages active listening and critical thinking during the presentations
5. Reflection
Students will write a journal entry in Google Classroom reflecting on their learning experience. They respond to prompts about what they found easy or challenging in describing characters. This reflection fosters metacognitive thinking, allowing students to assess their learning and identify areas for improvement.
Effectiveness
Observing student participation during discussions and presentations provides insight into their comprehension and ensures comprehensibility and appropriate language usage. The peer review activity serves as a tool for assessing students’ listening skills and their ability to ask relevant questions.
Reflection on the Instructional Design Process
This instructional activity was developed using the Backward Design model, beginning with the desired outcomes and tailoring the activities to ensure alignment with the learning objectives. By focusing on student engagement and interaction, the lesson integrates the Triple E Framework, enhancing learning through the effective use of technology, extending opportunities for authentic language use, and fostering collaboration among students. The design process prioritized creating a meaningful learning experience that supports language acquisition and builds confidence in using Spanish in real-life contexts.
Hi Sara, I like the way your activities aligned with the outcome of your lesson to make sure each part creates a clear purpose. Incorporating the TripleE framework is also a great way to make learning engaging and interactive for the students. It is great to see your focus on building an authentic language like Spanish in a real-life situation I like that a lot.
Instructional activity for my 8th-grade phonics students using the ADDIE model to help them identify prefixes, roots, and suffixes to improve reading comprehension:
Grade Level: 8th Grade
Subject Area: Phonics/Reading
Learning Objective
Students will be able to identify prefixes, roots, and suffixes in words and explain how they contribute to word meaning.
Instructional ActivityAnalyze
Design
Develop
Implement
Evaluate
Reflection: Using the ADDIE model helps keep the lesson organized and clear, starting from analyzing what students need to evaluating the results. The design was easy to adapt, and incorporating tech tools like Nearpod and Flipgrid kept students engaged and allowed for interaction. If I conduct this lesson again, I would add more gamified elements to boost motivation, given the specific needs of the student population.
Hi Zandra! I love this activity, especially the focus on student reflections and peer feedback. It is such a powerful way for them to engage with learning in a meaningful way. I’d like to try something similar in my classes to help students process and practice Spanish language skills. Since Flipgrid is no longer available, what other tools have you found helpful for reflections? I was thinking Padlet might work well as an alternative. Thanks so much for sharing this idea!
Grade Level: 7th GradeSubject Area: SpanishLearning Objective: Students can describe their daily routines using reflexive verbs and appropriate vocabulary in Spanish.Instructional Activity:
Introduction: Begin with a short, engaging video that illustrates different daily routines in Spanish-speaking cultures, highlighting reflexive verbs (e.g., levantarse, ducharse, vestirse). I use Edpuzzle to embed comprehension questions throughout the video to ensure students follow along.
Exploration: Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific part of a daily routine (e.g., morning, school, evening). Provide access to online resources, including articles and videos, through Google Classroom. Each group will create a storyboard using a digital tool like Storyboard to depict their assigned routine, incorporating reflexive verbs and relevant vocabulary.
Application: Have students present their storyboards to the class, narrating the daily routine in Spanish. Encourage classmates to ask questions in Spanish, promoting conversational practice. Following the presentations, students will write a short paragraph describing their daily routine using reflexive verbs, submitting it through Google Docs.
Assessment: Evaluate students based on group storyboards, oral presentations, and written paragraphs. Use a rubric that assesses vocabulary usage, creativity, and participation.
Reflection: Conduct a class discussion where students share their reflections on the learning experience. Ask them to consider what parts of the activity helped them feel more confident using reflexive verbs, what challenges they faced during group work, and how technology enhanced their learning.
Technology Integration:
Evaluation of Effectiveness:
Assess understanding through group presentations and written paragraphs. Gather feedback with a quick survey (using Google Forms) to evaluate students’ engagement and perception of technology’s role in their learning.
Reflection on the Instructional Design Process:
This activity utilized the Backward Design model by starting with clear learning objectives and planning assessments and instructional strategies to support those objectives. Integrating technology-facilitated collaboration and creativity makes the learning experience more engaging. Overall, the process encouraged students to apply their language skills in a practical context, demonstrating the effectiveness of structured instructional design in language acquisition.
Hi Elena! I love how you’ve structured this lesson! Adding reflections and peer feedback enhances student engagement. I also use Edpuzzle and Google Classroom, and even before the pandemic, they were game-changers for interactive learning in my Spanish classes. Seeing lessons like yours using Backward Design effectively motivates me to keep improving my lesson planning.
Grade Level: PRE-K
Subject Area: Science
Learning Objective: Students will be able to use their senses to discover how the properties of water, oil, and flour can be manipulated to make playdough.
Instructional Activity:
This is a popular activity that I did multiple times with my prekindergartners. The steps in this model have served as a great guide to purposefully decide the sequence of events needed to take place for the end result to be attained.
As an extension and another way to incorporate technology, I can have students engage with a sequence of events puzzle. Some will complete it with tangible materials, others can complete it on google slides.
Subject: Science
Objective: Students will be able to identify what a life cycle is and relate it to watching live caterpillars turn into butterflies. (this will be a course of a couple of weeks)
Grade Level: 1st grade
ADDIE Model:
1) Analysis:
2) Design:
3) Development:
4) Implementation:
5) Evaluation:
I will be using the 5E model and the UDL guidelines and checkpoints for equity and accessibility.
ELA/ Literacy Class
ICT class: 25 students (all students are English language learners; 6 students with IEPs )
45 minute block
Learning objective: Students will be able to make predictions and personal connections with the text.
Language Outcome: SWBAT use specific vocabulary (promotes understanding across languages) to convey ideas from chapter one.
Engagement
Introduce the subject and assess their prior knowledge by asking open-ended questions.
Do now (5 minutes): What is a prediction? How can a prediction help you? (UDL: Activate or supply background knowledge 3.1)
Invite students to make predictions based on the book cover. Have the image of the book cover from the Color of My Words displayed on the smartboard. (UDL: Offer ways of customizing the display of information 1.1)
Exploration
students observe, hypothesize, test, and question the topic in a cooperative environment. The instructor facilitates the Exploration phase.
have students do a think pair share with their elbow partner. Every student will share their prediction with their partner. (UDL: Foster collaboration and community 8.3)
The teacher will ask for 3 volunteers to share their partner’s ideas about prediction or the prediction based on the book cover.
Explanation
Instructor builds on the students’ prior knowledge by delivering formal, technical, and scientific information directly responding to the students’ assumptions, hypotheses, and observations gained in the previous phase.
Explain to the students that a prediction is a statement based on some prior knowledge. An example could be: If it’s summer time now, I can predict that tomorrow will be a hot day. (UDL: Clarify vocabulary and symbols 2.1)
Add that predictions are not always right; but does help us make informed decisions. In reading, predictions encourage students to actively think ahead and promote understanding because it makes us ask questions about the reading or picture.
Elaboration
Allow students to apply the knowledge they attained in previous phases in order to deepen their understanding of the topic.
Students may engage in problem-solving activities where they utilize newly acquired knowledge and their building, developing, experimenting, modeling, organizing, or planning skills.
Main activity: Students will create a book report on chapter one from The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph. Students will be given the opportunity to read, or listen to chapter one (UDL: Different modes of representation ). They will also have the choice (Engagement though autonomy) of reading the document in Spanish (El Color de Mis Palabras). (UDL: promotes understanding across languages 2.4)
Students will work in groups (UDL: Foster collaboration and community 8.3) or individually (optimize individual choice and autonomy 7.1) and have the opportunity to present chapter one “wash day” to all students. The book report should include:
While reading chapter one think about the following questions: (UDL: Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships 3.2)
Why is wash day special to Ana Rosa? (p. 3) What one thing has Ana Rosa shared with Mami that no one else knows? (p. 4) Does Mami encourage Ana Rosa to be a writer? (p. 4-5)
The Color of My Words Audio File Allow students to access (AT CC Closed Captions and set audio for .75 play speed). This will allow for better understanding of the reading.
Evaluation
Measures the level of students’ adoption of new information and the changes or modification in their thinking process. The evidence of such change could be students’ response to a project-based assignment in form of a portfolio, physical model, prototype, paper, etc.
Every group will present their book report or idea recollections by choosing one of the following options: (Different modes of Expression)
1- Comic strip using digital tools or poster paper depicting the key events from chapter one “Wash Day”
2- A flipgrid video summarizing the big ideas from chapter one. All students in the group should aim for 30 seconds in the video. (Clear guidelines) (Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies )
3- Create a Canva infographic and present it to the classroom. (Optimize access to tools and assistive technologies)
4- Be creative and make up your own mode of expression. Make sure to check with any of the adults in the room for guidance. (autonomy and independence)
Guide for paraprofessionals:
Source:
https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
https://commons.hostos.cuny.edu/edtech/faculty/teaching-with-technology/instructional-design/5e/
Level: 9th grade
Subject: Science
Learning Objective:
Standards: HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to explain how the rate of a physical or chemical change is affected when conditions are varied
Vocabulary:
Concentration, Molecules, Osmosis, Diffusion, Semipermeable, Isotonic, Hypotonic, Hypertonic
Instructional Design Model:
Materials Needed:
Computers, microscopes, onion cells, glass slides, access to internet to see videos and do online interactive activities
Instructional Activity:
(Note: This lesson may take 2-3 days to complete)
Engage:
Explore:
Explain:
Elaborate:
Evaluate:
Reflection:
Source: Activities were done in my classroom during the osmosis and diffusion unit.
Differentiation:
Overall, the implementation of the 5E model is very useful in the science classroom. It helps pique students’ interest, and the focus on student-centered and hands-on learning is helpful for them to be able to retain information about the content that is being taught.
Grade Level: 8th Grade
Subject Area: Social Studies (U.S. History)
Learning Objective: Students will be able to analyze the causes and effects of the American Civil War, identifying key figures and events.
Instructional Design Model: ADDIE mix with UDL
Content Differentiation:
Grade Level: 1st grade
Subject Area: Science
Learning objective: Students will be able to identify how weather changes over time and how you can prepare or adapt to those changes.
Instruction: Ask students what tool would they use to measure temperature. After watching a video of Tracking Heat Waves by Cyberchase. Once the video is done ask the students How did Cybersquad figured out whether it had been getting hotter over the past 30 years and how the Cybersquad found differences in temperature around Factoria. After let students relate to real-life situations.
Exploration: Take the class on a walk outside to look for spaces where people or animals can stay cool on hot days and bring a thermometer, paper, and pencil. While on the walk encourage students to use their 5 senses to observe what they see and feel. Every time students see or feel a cooler space, they should write or draw it.
Explain: After you come back from the walk. Make an anchor chart with the spaces you found that are cooler and write some features they have. Once students are down they can get a shoe box or tissue box, glue, scissors, and recycled materials to make a Dioramas. Children will draw a picture of what they want their Dioramas to look like. To create a Dioramas, each child will do the following:
Assessment: Give students an exit ticket question to answer. For students who still cannot write have them draw what is a cool place for people and animals to stay cool. For those who could write have them answer: What is the temperature that is considered a heat wave?
Reflection: Have a whole class discussion and ask students what they liked best about this lesson and what was difficult for them. Build an anchor chart so they can always look back on it.
Source: https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/heat-waves-video/cyberchase/
Backward Design Approach Grade level 8 ENL Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
Learning Goals:
Essential Questions:
Standards:
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Assessment Tasks:
Performance Criteria:
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences
Learning Activities:
1.Introduction (Hook)
Begin with discussing examples of characters from popular media (movies, books) and what makes them memorable (stand-out) and relatable.
2.How Do Characters Change and Grow Throughout a Narrative?
3.Enhancing Our Storytelling Skills Through Character Development:
Culminating Activity
Closure:
Facilitate a class discussion where students reflect on their learning about character development through creating digital stories. Discuss challenges faced and strategies used to overcome them.
Differentiation Strategies:
Reflections:
I like how I can utilize Computer Science and ELA standards while using the backward design approach. Ever since I learned about Scratch, I have tried to find ways to implement it in my classroom. I look forward to using it even more next year. Of course, there could be more mods used in this lesson, but the approach in itself is interesting, and I wanted to try it.
Instructional design model: Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Instructional activity based on this lesson plan: PBS LEARNING MEDIA: Investigating why summer days have more daylight.
Learning Objectives
· Understand the concept of Earth’s tilt and orbit around the Sun.
· Explain why summer days have more daylight compared to winter days.
· Use technology to visualize and model Earth’s movements and their impact on daylight.
Vocabulary terms:
· Axis
· Tilt
· Orbit
Gagne’s nine events of instruction activity design
1. Gain Attention
2. Inform Learners of Objectives
3. Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning
4. Present the Content
5. Provide Learning Guidance
6. Elicit Performance
7. Provide Feedback
8. Assess Performance
9. Enhance Retention and Transfer
Incorporate Technology
For creating interactive videos, platforms like YouTube or educational websites can be utilized for the initial content. Multimedia presentations can be crafted using PowerPoint, or Google Slides. Interactive quizzes are best executed on platforms such as Kahoot! or Quizlet. For digital presentations, students can use tools like Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint for their projects.
Evaluate for effectiveness
Begin by closely monitoring student engagement and participation throughout the session. Observing how actively students are involved, the quality of their interactions, and their enthusiasm for the material. Following up with quizzes and assessments from various digital tools that help measure understanding. Utilize quiz results and worksheet answers, to gauge how well the students have grasped the concepts. Lastly, evaluating final projects provides a comprehensive insight into students’ abilities. Projects allow for creativity, accuracy, and presentation skills to be assessed and modified accordingly.
Using Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction helped create a structured and engaging lesson. Each step ensured that students received information, actively engaged with the content, and applied their knowledge. The hands-on demonstration and use of technology provided multiple ways for students to learn and understand the concepts. This instructional design approach can be adapted for various topics and grade levels, making it a great tool for educators.
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject Area: ELA (Speech and Language Students)
Instructional Model: Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Learning Targets:
1. I can identify and define context clues in a given text.
2. I can use context clues to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Gain Attention:
The provider will start the lesson with a short video or animated clip on YouTube that introduces the concept of context clues.
Inform Students of the Objective:
The provider will state the learning targets for the lesson and emphasize the importance of context clues in understanding and interpreting texts.
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning:
Using the grade level text, begin a review of vocabulary terms related to context clues that students have learned in previous lessons. The provider will use an interactive game to assess prior knowledge and retention of words and meaning, like Jeopardy.
Present the Content:
The provider will present a short passage with unfamiliar words. The passage will be read to the students and presented on Google Slides to make it interactive with minimal visuals. Unfamiliar words will be highlighted and the students will have to find the corresponding key words or sentences where context clues can be found.
Provide Learning Guidance:
The students will receive support in identifying different types of context clues, such as definitions, synonyms and antonyms or sentence/word examples. Students will be encouraged to collaborate with others.
Elicit Performance: (Practice)
The provider will divide students into small groups or independently and provide them with a different passage. Each group will work together to identify and discuss the context clues to determine the meanings of their new underlined vocabulary words.
Provide Feedback:
The provider will give constructive feedback and facilitate a class discussion. Students will be able to share their strategies and help others if needed.
Assess Performance:
The provider will assess individual understanding by having students complete a worksheet/ digital form consisting of 10 short passages in which they have to identify the meaning of an underlined vocabulary word using the multiple choice format of answers for each question.
Enhance Retention and Transfer:
Students will create a digital story or presentation using their new vocabulary words appropriately to show the application of their knowledge and skills of the meaning of the word.
Title of the Lesson Plan: Partner with me in Reading.
Subject: ELA
Ages/Grade: First grade
Goal: To become good readers and improve their reading comprehension.
Objective: Students will be able to retell the main idea of a story and participate in group discussion.
Students will be able to communicate effectively through reading and listening to their classmates and teachers.
Students will be able to define the main idea
Students will be able to identify patterns in a sentence
Standards and/or Guidelines:
• 1SL1: Participate collaborative conversations with diverse peers and adults (e.g., in small and large groups and during play).
• 1SL1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and participate by actively listening, taking turns, and staying on topic.
Name of Instructional Strategy: Read aloud
Resource Materials Needed:
• Reading books
• Notebook
• Pencils
Lesson Activities:
• Step 1: Set a stage
• Step 2: Break students into small groups.
• Step 3: let each group choose the book that they would like to read aloud
• Step 4: Read the books that each group chose aloud
• Step 5: Have each group tell me the main idea of the book.
Family Engagement Activity: Teacher will send students home with books to read aloud and then write down the main idea in their notebook.
Assessment: Students will take a short quiz about a passage that I’ll provide and then they will answer questions about it.
I used the backward approach by starting off with the learning goals then the rest.
I used the Backwards Model since I need to think of my students goals to plan their intervention and so they can meet their specific IEP goals. My students in this group are both in 2nd grade and working on narrative retell skills and using descriptive language.
Lesson: Story Retell and Character Description
Session Objectives:
1) Students will select characters by using adjectives to describe length and color of hair, clothes
and features as well as spatial prepositions to place characters in scene.
2) Students will create a story using story grammar elements and retell.
Materials:
1) http://www.pixton.com Comic Book Website
2) Story Grammar Marker Visuals
3) Adjectives Cards
4) Story Grammar Marker sheet
Procedure:
1) Review adjectives to describe characters
2) Students will describe character they would like to incorporate in story using adjectives
previously reviewed
3) Then students will create a story by selecting setting, and create an initiating event
4) Students will describe character feelings and add thinking or speech bubbles to assist with
selecting appropriate feeling word.
5) Students will produce a character plan and incorporate speech and thinking bubbles.
Concept Review/Assessment: Using the Story Grammar Marker sheet students will retell all elements orally or written depending on time and include adjectives when provided the opportunity in retell.
Grade 2 Math Place Value using Backwards Design
Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize and understand the concept of place value for two-digit numbers.
2. Compare and order two-digit numbers based on their place value.
Activity:
Step 1: Identify Desired Results
– Students will be able to identify the value of each digit in a two-digit number.
– Students will be able to compare and order two-digit numbers correctly.
Step 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
– Students will demonstrate their understanding by completing a digital sorting activity and a comparative worksheet.
– Students will participate in a group discussion and share their reasoning behind their choices.
Step 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Activity 1: Place Value Sort
– Introduce the concept of place value to students using a digital interactive tool, such as an online place value game or a virtual manipulative.
– Provide a set of two-digit number cards (e.g., 35, 82, 49, 57, etc.) to each student or group of students.
– Instruct students to sort the number cards into two categories: “Tens” and “Ones” using the digital tool.
– Students will drag and drop the cards into the correct categories, demonstrating their understanding of place value.
– Monitor students’ progress and provide guidance as needed.
Activity 2: Compare and Order Numbers
– Distribute a worksheet with a series of two-digit numbers (e.g., 47, 65, 82, 53, etc.).
– Instruct students to compare and order the numbers from least to greatest or greatest to least, based on their place value.
– Encourage students to use their understanding of tens and ones to determine the correct order.
– Once students have completed the worksheet, facilitate a group discussion where students share their reasoning and strategies for comparing and ordering the numbers.
– Emphasize the importance of place value in determining the order of numbers.
Evaluation:
Formative Assessment:
– Observe students’ engagement and participation during the place value sort activity using the digital tool.
– Provide immediate feedback and guidance to students as they work through the sorting activity.
– Monitor students’ discussions during the group activity, assessing their understanding of place value concepts.
Summative Assessment:
– Evaluate students’ completed worksheets, checking for accuracy in comparing and ordering two-digit numbers based on place value.
– Assess students’ ability to explain their reasoning and strategies during the group discussion.
Reflection:
During the instructional activities, it is crucial to provide guidance, monitor students’ progress, and provide timely feedback. This helps ensure that students are on track and have a clear understanding of the concepts being taught. The formative assessment methods allowed for ongoing observation and feedback, while the summative assessment provided a comprehensive evaluation of students’ understanding of place value and number comparison.
As an instructional designer, it is essential to continuously reflect on the effectiveness of the instructional activities and assessments. Adjustments can be made based on student performance and engagement. By considering students’ needs and abilities, the instructional design process can be tailored to create a supportive and engaging learning environment for second-grade math students.
Nicole Berrios
2nd grade
Subject: Computer Science/Programming
Learning Objective: Students will be able to explain how to move a sprite (character) forward and backward on a stage by creating an animation in ScratchJR.
Learning targets:
Vocabulary:
Activity:
Introduction: Ask students, What do they know about programming? Elicit responses, adding their responses to large chart paper, introducing ScratchJr Icon on laptop. Open icon, and briefly introduce the different components of the app, for example, home screen and the plus sign to create a new project. Explain to the students programming is the way we tell a computer what to do. Today, we are going to be computer programmers and program our sprite (character) to move forward and backward on the stage using motion blocks. Modeling how we interact with the interface of the ScratchJr app, how to move the blocks,and how to use the workspace.
Exploration: Next students will explore the ScratchJR app on their assigned laptops. Students will utilize the different motion blocks to move their sprite forward and backward on the stage. Taking notice how many motion (blue) blocks they need to move the sprite from one side to the other side of the stage and back. Encouraging students to see what happens when we use different motion blocks, How does the sprite move when using different motion blocks?
Explain: After, students will explain how they made their sprite move to another student. Each student must use vocabulary based on activity. They must explain the steps they used to move their sprite across the stage and back. Students must explain using the steps they used in sequence order to make their sprite move.
Elaborate: Then, students will be directed to create a poster to show other students in 1st grade how to make their sprites move using the ScratchJr app. The students will be able to choose how they want to create their poster, using poster board or google slides. Students will work with a partner to create their poster explaining the steps on how to use the app and make their sprite move forward and backwards across the stage. Students will then be asked to present their posters to other students.
Evaluation: Exit tickets will be provided for students to answer the following questions:
Grade 4 Math
Lesson 1.3 Compare and Order Numbers
Objective: To compare and order whole numbers based on the values of the digits in each number.
Vocabulary:
· Place Value
· Expanded Form
· Period
· Standard Form
· Word Form
Mathematical Practices:
MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
MP4: Model with mathematics.
MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically.
Essential Question: How can you compare and order numbers?
Engage:
Explore:
Explain:
Elaborate:
Below Level:
Reteach 1.3 (Compare and Order Numbers) with teacher
Whole Group: Questions 1- 2, 4-5, 7-12, 15-16, 22
On-Level:
Go Math Book pages 18-20 (Compare and Order Numbers)
Whole Group: Questions 1-2, 4-5, 7-12, 15-16, 22
Advanced:
Enrich 1.3 (Place-Value Puzzle)
Advanced Learners Activity
Whole Group: 1-2, 4-5, 7-12, 15-16, 22
Evaluate: Reflect on Essential Question
Math Journal: Suppose the leftmost digits of two numbers are 8 and 3. Can you tell which number is greater? Explain.
Homework/Follow Up: Practice and Homework Lesson 1.3 (Compare and Order Numbers)
Early Finishers:
Post Assessment:
6th Grade ELA
Learning Target: I can analyze and interpret figurative language in poetry.
Instructional Activity:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFnB6M8Qig/80tOZuOF8I5ZfXwJEawYjQ/edit?utm_content=DAFnB6M8Qig&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Open link to access activity
Hey Kattie, I love your idea of using a storyboard and having students come up with a current version of Macbeth!
I chose a lesson where the students would use Scratch to Animate a Name. Since this is one of the introductory lessons to Scratch, we will be logging in through CSFirst so I have access to their work before the publish it
Lesson
Slides
Rubric
Grade Level-6-8
Subject Area:Computer Science/Coding
Learning Targets:
Engagement: Discuss things online that catch our eyes. Discussing the different Google Doodles and why and how they change.
Exploration: Students will look at different completed projects and compare and contrast. They will discuss the animations and what they notice is happening.
Explanation: Explain the blocks, watch the tutorial videos, and model the add ons thought mini-lessons
Mini-Lessons:
Elaboration: Students will have time to explore the videos and use the Scratch blocks to create their own animations. They can work alone or with a partner. UDL and translanguaging concepts will be embedded in the lesson so that it is differentiated and accessible.
Evaluation: Students will share their successes and challenges. We will discuss how they overcame those challenges or we will help brainstorm ways for them to do so. Students will self-evaluate using the rubric. The teacher will also assess using the rubric.
Nice lesson, do you know where I can find lessons for grades K-2?
Lesson:
Rubric
Slideshow
I am attaching a link to a lesson we used for Animating a Name using Scratch through CSFirst. This is a lesson that I was able to carry out remotely and in person with my middle school students.
Grade Level 6-8
Subject Area: Computer Science/Coding
Learning Targets:
Motivation/Engagement: Discuss how things appeal to the eye. Why do things catch our eye? Discuss the different Google Doodles.
Exploration: Have the students watch the introduction videos and then explore the program using different blocks from the Scratch platform.
Explanation: Teacher will conduct a series of mini-lessons with the class and show some completed examples.
Mini-Lessons:
Elaboration: The students will create their own programs animating a word. It can be”
Day One- Animate name, sports team, nickname, something that represents you.
Day Two- Animate a character trait such as kindness, courage, gratitude, etc.
Evaluation: Students will reflect on the experience and share successes and struggles. They will discuss how they overcame it. Students will self-assess using the attached rubric. Teacher will use the same rubric to assess based on the criteria.
Rubric
This sounds like such a fun lesson. I like how you have the students sharing their struggles along with their successes. It normalizes this idea that something can be hard and still lead to success.
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Subject Area: Science/Engineering
Learning Objective: Students will learn how to use Tinkercad to design a backpack tag.
Engagement: Share story about a student who accidently took the wrong backpack and didn’t have their epi-pen in an emergency. (Luckily their parent had an extra) How can we make sure kids don’t get their backpacks confused. (Students say make a tag)
Exploration: Students are introduced to Tinkercad Software and create an account. Students take the 10 tutorials and begin to build the technical skills needed to create a tag.
Explanation: The teacher will introduce mm graph paper, the criteria for the tag, then model and explain creating a blue print of their tag.
Elaboration: Students are asked to draw their idea with two views (side and front), label the measurements and submit their design for approval. Next they create the tag in Tinkercad.
Evaluation: Students must find a friend to review their design to see if it meets the criteria, then complete a printing form to hand it. After the object is printed they will then reflect on a response sheet about the skills used and how closely their tag resembles their blueprint and how they would improve their design if given the opportunity.
The 5E model allows me to create a lesson that flows over several days and insures the students have clear engagement goals at each step.
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject Area: Science
Learning Objective: Students will explore how animals in a species can have similarities and differences.
Engagement: How can we sort these wolves? Students will observe different pictures of wolves on a Jamboard. They will begin sort them into different groups based on their traits. For example, They will observe the color of their fur or the color of their eyes. Then they will begin to sort them into groups based on those features. They will note that there are wolves that are mostly gray and wolves that are mostly white.
Exploration: Students will listen observe and sort animals using their sense of hearing. They will listen to the sounds of different birds like cardinals, orioles, mallards, eagles and hawks. The sounds will be shared on Google Slides. They will begin to sort the birds by their sounds this time.
Explanation: The teacher will explain how animals of a species have similar traits. The more common the traits are, the more closely related the animals are. The teacher will define the word species and have her students copy the definition. Even though, animals are in the same species, there will be variations. Teacher will define new word while students copy.
Elaboration: Children will then begin to study another species of animal. They will use a book and the internet to observe how the animals are the same and the variations seen in these animals.
Evaluation: Children will code an interactive collage project on Scratch. They will highlight the species they studied. Then children will code the similarities and variations observed in this species. Students will follow a checklist to make sure they have everything they need in their project. Students will complete an exit slip where they will reflect on their understanding of new vocabulary, the identification of the similarities and variations in a species. They can also reflect on the difficulty or ease of creating their coding project on Scratch.
I like using the 5 E’s to design a lesson because it is very student centered. The steps keep the students engaged because it allows them to explore the topic. I think the use of technology enhances motivation. Students love to show off their new knowledge with digital tools like Slides and Scratch.
Grade Level: 11th Grade
Subject Area: Computer Science
Learning Objective: Students will be able to write and execute the JavaScript programming language code to add Keyboard input Interactivity and to add Complex Sprite Movement like collisions to a 2D animation using Code.org Game Lab.
Instructional Activity:
5.Exit Ticket: Once you have playtested and made sure your code is
working and you 3 pairs of sprites are colliding, click REMIX, then
click RENAME “My Collisions Animation Project by…”
6,Click SHARE and COPY the URL of your animation project. Then
Post the link on CLASSWORK tab as evidence of your awesome
coding power!
Topic: Introduction to Programming Concepts using Scratch
Grades: 6 – 8
Objective: I will learn how to animate a sprite in Scratch.
Grade Level: 2nd
Subject Area: Science
Learning Objective: Students will be able to explain that all living things have a life cycle and give an example of one.
Instructional Activity: