Lesson Outline January 5, 1998

Introduction:

1. Presentations
2. course outline
3. grades
4. photos

Important links:

[IRPs Science K-7]
[Science Education Associations]
[ AltaVista: Advanced Query] (Searching the net)

Activity 1:

1. Problem solving (building a bridge)
   ((Materials: 3 cups, sheet of paper.
   ((Task: Build a bridge from just one sheet of paper that supports a maximum number of pennies in one of the cups. The bridge span has to be at least 10 centimeters. Use the two remaining cups as support. The paper must not be glued, taped, or otherwise fastened to the two supporting cups.))
2. reflection on learning during the problem solving task
3. video (grade 4-5)
4. discussion of video

Activity 2:

1. Video: The school at Moussac
   ((The central ideas of a knowledge building community.))
2. Discussion

Activity 3:

1. Designing a curriculum, planning. (Example: [Pulleys Curriculum Concept Map])
   ((Teacher presentation of a concept map from a unit on simple machines taught in a mixed grade 6-7 class. Throughout the course, students will encounter examples from this curriculum.))
2. Negotiating the curriculum (for presentations and modeling final assignment). ([IRPs Science K-7])
   ((As a class, we will work through one example of building a curriculum [from now on referred to as curriculum {in bold face}]. We will decide on the concepts to be taught, design specific activities and guided whole-class lessons. In class, we choose one set of IRPs that most closely approximates the interests of all students.))

Activity 4:

1. Discussing final project.
   ((In this part of the lesson, we talk and make decisions about the exact nature of the project to be completed by students.))