Materials Needed
- Computers with internet access (one per group)
- Access to experts--farmers, extension office personnel, etc
- Projector for presentations and videos
- Algebra 1 and Algebra II textbooks
- Whiteboards/ chalkboards
- Easels (one per group)
- Video equipment
- Activity handouts
- Graphing calculators
- Online graphing utilities
- Khan Academy
- Exit Tickets
Materials and Resources
What specific materials and resources (books, print materials, videos, websites) will you make available to support potential student investigations? What other special supplies, materials, or resources will you use (e.g., books, print materials, videos, websites)?
Students will have access to a reference sheet to support them with their internet searches. In addition, students will be able to watch a video covering the reliability of resources. The teacher will bookmark different topics that students may need to reference in a classroom Algebra I and/or Algebra II textbook. For example, they may mark systems of equations and linear programming. The teacher would also set up a class google document where students may post helpful websites dealing with biofuels.
What kinds of outside experts will you involve in the unit? Who are some specific people you might contact? Where in the unit will you include them?
In the unit, we plan on inviting experts of several different areas of expertise to join our students and serve as resources at different points in the project. We plan on inviting farmers from the local community to answer student’s questions about the decisions that they make about their livelihood on the farm, specifically oriented to how they decide which crops to grow. This would occur early in the unit, students start developing questions from the beginning of the unit, and after a reasonable period of time for the farmers to look at the questions the students plan to ask, we would invite them into the classroom. We have scheduled the creation of student questions for the 2nd day of the first week, and anticipate that farmers would have enough time to look at the questions by the 5th day of the first week. In addition, we plan on sending farmers a list of standard questions several weeks ahead of time so that the farmers feel comfortable coming to the classroom. Then at the end of the unit, we will invite farmers or experts from the Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group (found here http://extension.purdue.edu/renewable-energy/indiana-biomass-working-group.shtml) to come to the class and serve as a panel listening to student presentations. We will ask the experts to give students feedback on whether their presentations
were reasonable in terms of biomass content and persuasive. We plan on emailing the Biomass Energy Working Group through Lynn West at [email protected] or Chad Martin at [email protected]. The individual farmers we contact would depend on the community we’re teaching in, but we would make an effort to find farmers who are involved in the community, perhaps parents of students in the classroom if possible.
What technology will be available for student use?
Students will have access to computers (internet, Microsoft Office, Web 2.0 applications, etc.) and graphing calculators. Students will also have access to a projector during their presentations.
How will you help students identify and use appropriate resources and tools to gather, analyze, and present information from these investigations?
The primary resources students will be using during their investigations will be the internet to research their biofuel crops and the farmers we bring in to serve as experts. For students who are not familiar with conducting internet research, we will have just-in-time activities (reference sheet and video) to help with that part of the project. As for the farmers, students will have dedicated class time to develop questions to ask the farmers with their groups (click here to view sample questions). We also have a gallery walk planned so that students can evaluate their own questions and the questions other groups have formulated. We hope that by providing those support activities, students will be able to make the most of those valuable resources.
After students have gathered information either from internet research or by talking with the experts we bring into class, they will be expected to analyze it by developing a mathematical model. We will have extensive resources available to students who get stuck in this area. Some resources will be online, such as the Khan Academy. Others will be resources we provide, such as a just-in-time activity on systems of equations.
When students start thinking about how they will present their information, they will have access to a plethora of resources they may use. Instead of requiring students to use a particular presentation tool such as PowerPoint, students will be allowed to use any medium they choose to present their information in a way they deem appropriate. Some possible options include video, website, skit, etc. If students have trouble deciding which medium to use, we will talk to them about the different options available so that they can choose one that fits their style and purpose.
Students will have access to a reference sheet to support them with their internet searches. In addition, students will be able to watch a video covering the reliability of resources. The teacher will bookmark different topics that students may need to reference in a classroom Algebra I and/or Algebra II textbook. For example, they may mark systems of equations and linear programming. The teacher would also set up a class google document where students may post helpful websites dealing with biofuels.
What kinds of outside experts will you involve in the unit? Who are some specific people you might contact? Where in the unit will you include them?
In the unit, we plan on inviting experts of several different areas of expertise to join our students and serve as resources at different points in the project. We plan on inviting farmers from the local community to answer student’s questions about the decisions that they make about their livelihood on the farm, specifically oriented to how they decide which crops to grow. This would occur early in the unit, students start developing questions from the beginning of the unit, and after a reasonable period of time for the farmers to look at the questions the students plan to ask, we would invite them into the classroom. We have scheduled the creation of student questions for the 2nd day of the first week, and anticipate that farmers would have enough time to look at the questions by the 5th day of the first week. In addition, we plan on sending farmers a list of standard questions several weeks ahead of time so that the farmers feel comfortable coming to the classroom. Then at the end of the unit, we will invite farmers or experts from the Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group (found here http://extension.purdue.edu/renewable-energy/indiana-biomass-working-group.shtml) to come to the class and serve as a panel listening to student presentations. We will ask the experts to give students feedback on whether their presentations
were reasonable in terms of biomass content and persuasive. We plan on emailing the Biomass Energy Working Group through Lynn West at [email protected] or Chad Martin at [email protected]. The individual farmers we contact would depend on the community we’re teaching in, but we would make an effort to find farmers who are involved in the community, perhaps parents of students in the classroom if possible.
What technology will be available for student use?
Students will have access to computers (internet, Microsoft Office, Web 2.0 applications, etc.) and graphing calculators. Students will also have access to a projector during their presentations.
How will you help students identify and use appropriate resources and tools to gather, analyze, and present information from these investigations?
The primary resources students will be using during their investigations will be the internet to research their biofuel crops and the farmers we bring in to serve as experts. For students who are not familiar with conducting internet research, we will have just-in-time activities (reference sheet and video) to help with that part of the project. As for the farmers, students will have dedicated class time to develop questions to ask the farmers with their groups (click here to view sample questions). We also have a gallery walk planned so that students can evaluate their own questions and the questions other groups have formulated. We hope that by providing those support activities, students will be able to make the most of those valuable resources.
After students have gathered information either from internet research or by talking with the experts we bring into class, they will be expected to analyze it by developing a mathematical model. We will have extensive resources available to students who get stuck in this area. Some resources will be online, such as the Khan Academy. Others will be resources we provide, such as a just-in-time activity on systems of equations.
When students start thinking about how they will present their information, they will have access to a plethora of resources they may use. Instead of requiring students to use a particular presentation tool such as PowerPoint, students will be allowed to use any medium they choose to present their information in a way they deem appropriate. Some possible options include video, website, skit, etc. If students have trouble deciding which medium to use, we will talk to them about the different options available so that they can choose one that fits their style and purpose.