Plant+IMP

This is my plan for an Interactive Multimedia Project for our unit on Plants. It is-cross curricular, including science, reading, language arts, math, and technology. In planning this project, I was amazed at how well all the subjects linked together so well and how a final project presented using a Power Point slide show would really demonstrate what the students had learned during this unit. My own growth for this project was through the focus on the development and organizing stages of a project-all the front-end work involved.



This is the Lesson Plan developed for the plant unit. I liked that it included a focus on "essential questions" that motivated the students to consider why it is important to learn so much about plants, and what their role/connection is to this real-world topic.



I included the rubric that I would use to evaluate their multimedia project. Using Rubistar was new to me, but it is a great tool for developing rubrics. It offers many different options to be evaluated, so that the rubric can really be specific to a project. I am sure to use this tool frequently and use it to help develop rubrics with my students.



Most of what I do with technology at school is limited to teaching students how to creatively use Word, Power Point, and Excel. Each year the students also do a research project, where they use the Internet as a resource. However, sites are limited to them through the listings on the 3rd grade media page. This has worked well for the projects to help the students use sites specifically geared towards their projects. I would do something similar for the plant unit. Students with the Internet could go to the Bailly Media Page and still access these sites for additional information. I like the idea of sending a parent letter home before the project so parents understand what we are working on at school, and hopefully they will allow their child to continue to research the project at home.



February 19, 2011 Dear Parents,

Currently in science, our class is studying plants and the important role they play in our environment. We have looked at the main parts of a plant, how plants are grouped, and what plants need to grow. Two of our reading stories also connect to this theme of plants. In the story, __The Gardener__, a little girl lifts the spirits of many people during the depression through her love of gardening. The students observed bulbs and planted a garden in the classroom. The story, __Night Letters__, tells how a curious, young girl’s observational skills help her write about things in nature by writing letters in a journal to the creatures in her back yard. We have also been using math skills of measurement during this unit. All activities in this unit cover State Standards requirements for the various subjects. To help students answer the question, “How do plants play an important role in my life?” I would like them to develop a slide show using Power Point for a presentation at our school’s Festival of Learning in April. Each student will choose a preferred aspect of the plant unit, and show why it is important in their lives. The students will learn the technology skills of how to create an original Power Point presentation, and they will also use the Internet for further research and graphics. Internet use and safety is always an important consideration, so the students will be using only sites available through the Bailly media web page set up by Mrs. Ward. These web sites may be accessed from home through the Bailly School web site, if your child would like to spend extra time on this assignment. Students will include appropriate documentation of all sources used. This project will be completed during classroom time at school. If you are available to assist in the computer lab with this project, please include a note on the permission form below. Sincerely, Mrs. Martin Tear off and return the bottom portion.

My child and I have read the above letter and understand the goal of this project in preparation for the Festival of Learning.

Parent or Guardian signature __. __ Student signature __. __

I am interested in helping in the computer lab with this assignment. Yes No