Our+Stories+On+A+Podcast

__//**Lesson #8:**//__ **__Grade Level: __** Kindergarten  __**Unit:**__ Plants and Animals

__**Assignment type: **__ Podcasting Project

__**Lesson objectives: **__
 * Students will be able to recognize the and pronounce the important terms in relation to plants.
 * Students will understand the necessary steps to grow a live plant.
 * Students will create a journal that will exhibit their understanding of the nature surrounding us and how plants affect the environment.
 * Students will be able to create an audio version of their written journal through technological media and create a podcast.

**__Time required to complete this lesson: __    ** __Write It Down and Hear Me Aloud! __// **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">2 class periods to research and locate the plants living in the school environment (inside and outside).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">2-3 hours to have student/teacher discussions and research what is necessary for plants to grow.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">1 hour understanding what a journal is and the importance of a journal.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">3.5-4 weeks to be able to observe and collect information about their growing plant.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 121%;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Title of lesson :__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 140%;"> //<span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 8pt;"> <span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt;">

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> __**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Resources/materials needed: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Chart pad to write down previous knowledge in group discussion.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Books that relate to the growth of a plant and its natural environment. These include (but are not limited to):
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Dig and Sow! How Do Plants Grow?: Experiments in the Garden (At Home With Science)** by Janice Lobb
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow** by Joanna Cole
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**A Kids Guide To How Plants Grow** by Patricia Ayers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**What's It Like Living Green?: Kids Teaching Kids, by the Way They Live** by Jill Ammon Vanderwood
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Green and Growing: A Book About Plants** by Susan Blackaby
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds On The Move** by JoAnn Early Macken
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Individual journals for each of the students, dated with each date for the writing to take place.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Headset/microphone to record journal podcasts.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Access to Vocaroo which allows students to record their own podcasts quickly and easily.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> __**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Description of lesson: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Student will have already planted their individual plant. We will begin with a group discussion on how plants grow, what is necessary for them to grow and what we can do to make sure that our plants keep living. Students will then create a day to day journal on the looks of their plant, what they had to do to it that day (move it out/in to the sunlight, provide it with water, more soil, etc.). They will write this down in any manner that they would like as long as it is in journal form. This means that it must have the date on top of the page and be inside their journal notebooks. They can express their feelings and observations in any order they would like as long as there is an entry for every day. Once the students have witnessed the growth of their plant for a minimum of 2 weeks and have made all journal entries, students will create a journal that is a podcast. This podcast will be posted on the website so all students can see the differences and similarities between the variety of plants. Students will create the podcast through combining 3 of their journal entries that give the entire scope of their plant growth. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13.2pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> __**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Assignment (homework or in-class): **__<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The student will create an online podcast through the journals that they will create. Student must choose 3 entries to combine that gives an outline for the growth of the plant. After combining these, students will paraphrase their writing and create a finalized version of what their podcast will entail. When they have a final version, students will use Vocaroo to create their own podcast. When students have finished their podcast, they will post it on the website for other students and parents to enjoy. Here is an example of what the students journals will look like:

<span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">__**//<span style="color: #9900ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 132%;">Listen To Me! //**__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"> media type="custom" key="4580804"

This is an example of a journal from a student as a completed podcast. It can be similar to this as long as the student understands the process necessary for their plants to grow and makes sure to mention their observations and thoughts throughout the growth process.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Technology used: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13.2pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Technology used in this lesson <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13.2pt;">is <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Vocaroo. This website allows the students to create their podcast in a simple manner. What makes it so easy to use is that the students can record their podcast, and listen to it to make sure that it sounds appropriate. If the students do not like the sound of their podcast, they can easily record it by the click of a button. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">__The technology used in this lesson changes the teaching / learning in this way:__ <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 13.2pt;">  ** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Using the website of Vocaroo allows the students to look at their perspectives from multiple types of view. Those students who are audio learners are able to listen to their recording and recognize whether or not their written work makes sense. They hear the words that they wrote down being read back to them and provides them with a different outlook on their journal writing. In addition, it allows the students to be hands on with these types of lessons. Instead of having the students read their journals aloud to the class, they are able to record their journal and post it for everyone to hear. They can create multiple episodes based on their journal entries and if they don't like the way that they sound or the order or their words, they can easily re-record it without hassle. It makes the lesson much more exciting and lets the students know that there are different ways in which journals can be broadcast or told to the rest of the class.