The Human Body: Digestion Rocks! A lesson guided by TPACK

The Human Body: Digestion Rocks!

As a part of a unit about the human body, this lesson will include students reading a book, “My Body,” completing a modified KWL chart on pictures around the room, using everyday materials to represent how the stomach and digestive system work, placing body parts into the proper positions using the Mimio Teach, and creating videos (using ipads) to represent how different parts of the digestive system work using everyday items of their choice.

Primary Core Goals/Outcomes:

Science:S.K–2.LS.5 Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand and apply knowledge of basic human body structures (human body parts and their functions). 

Reading:
RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. 

RL.2.IA.1 Employ the full range of research-based comprehension strategies, including making connections, determining importance, questioning, visualizing, making inferences, summarizing, and monitoring for comprehension.

Use a variety of skills and strategies to comprehend nonfiction and informational text: Headings, Photos, Illustrations, Chars’ Use Comprehension strategies: Activate prior knowledge, Ask and answer questions, draw inferences, draw conclusions, engage in discussion.

ISTE-S:

1. Creativity and innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

• a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes 
• b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression 
• c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues 

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

• d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to:

• Identify the organs in the digestive system and locate where they belong in the human body. 
• Summarize an informational text. 
• Describe the basic functions of the organs that are in the digestive system. 
• Create a model of the digestive system including multiple organs. 
• Produce a short video of their model that explains how their model represents the digestive system 
• Collaborate with peers effectively.

Pedagogical Decisions:

Image From: http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20090910/#pg26

Teacher/Student Centered The learning activities in this lesson will progress from being moderately teacher-centered, as the teacher leads students through KWLs and guided reading, then become more student-centered. The teacher will act as a facilitator for students as they complete the final learning activity.

Type of Learning The learning be abstract, using the analogy of the ziplock bags for the digestive tract. The students will have similar understandings (convergent learning) on the human body and digestive system.

Prior Experiences Students will begin with the prior experiences they have gained outside of the classroom, but they will gain more experiences and knowledge throughout the week as they complete the final learning activity.

Surface Comprehension/Deep Knowledge Deep Knowledge

Duration This lesson will span several days. This will give students the opportunity to build the foundational knowledge for more lessons in the unit.

Structure of Learning

The initial activities will be strongly structured by the teacher. As the week continues the students will have less structure, because we will be giving the students more freedom to create their video demonstrations.

Whole Group/Small Group/Individualized Learning

Whole Group: Reading the Book “My Body”, Stomach Model Demonstration, Body Part Mimio Activity

Small Group: Creating Models, Video Production

Individualized: KWL Charts

Amount of Resources There will be some additional materials required.

TPACK Activity Types:

We will be using the following TPACK activity types:

• Reading Text
• Group Discussion
• Simulation
• Answering Questions
• Completing a Chart/Table
• Building a Model
• Creating a Film

Assessment Plan:

Summative- The video presentation the students create will be assessed using a rubric.

Formative- The teacher will monitor while students lead their group discussions concerning the digestive system with questions they have created.

Formative- The teacher will observe students as they participate in the Mimio Teach activity.

Materials:

Used by the Teacher:  

• Book- “My Body”
• Butcher Paper with the question -> What are the body parts and their functions?
• Mimio Teach -> Body/ Body parts file
• Ziploc baggie, Bread, Water
• YouTube Video

Used by the Students:

• Book- “My Body”
• Butcher Paper with the question -> What are the body parts and their functions?
• Mimio Teach -> Body/ Body parts file
• Sticky Notes
• Ziploc baggies, Bread, Water
• iPads
• Collection of student-selected household materials
• Index Cards
• Crayons, markers, pencils, etc.
• Sticky notes in 3 different colors

Technologies

Used by the Teacher:

• Mimio Teach 
• Youtube video 
• Camera (To take pictures of students for their portfolios) 
• iPad 
• Decide Now! App

Used by the Students:

• Mimio Teach 
• iPads 
• Software to put video together

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:

1. Prior to the lesson, Flip Charts will be placed around the room. Each one will have an image of a body part. 
2. The teacher give students Kiwi-green (Know) sticky notes to post on the flip-charts. Students will be directed to write their names and what they already know on the stickies and place them on the charts. The teacher will then have students complete a second lap around the room placing White sticky notes (representing what they Wanting to learn) onto the flip-charts. 
3. The teacher will show students the objectives for the lesson. 
4. Before the reading, the teacher will ask students to identify the Table of Contents and the Digestive System chapter as a review of a previously taught skill. She will then lead students in a Popcorn-style reading of the Digestive System chapter of the book “My Body.” The teacher will pause the reading periodically to ask students guiding questions for comprehension. 
5. The teacher will lead students through a basic simulation of how digestion works using a Sandwich baggie, a piece of bread, and a tiny cup of water during a mini lesson. 
6. With a piece of bread, a sandwich Baggie, and a small portion of water, students will create a model of the digestive system while the steps are discussed... 
7. Step 1: Break the bread up (chewing) Step 2: Drop it in the bag (swallowing) Step 3: Pour water in (stomach acid seeps in to break down foods) Step 4: Close the bag and mush up the contents (churning) Step 5: Separate the liquid from the solid (small intestine) Step 6: Drop the dried mixture into the trash (waste). 
8. Students will now record their new thinking on a different colored sticky note from the beginning of the lesson, so we can compare our schema to our new thinking (Lavender sticky). The teacher will ask students the questions below to help prompt their answers.
1. -What did we learn? 
2. -Is there anything that we can record about our new thinking? 
3. -Do we need to change any of our think?

Day 2

1. The teacher will kick off the lesson with some “Tummy Trivia.”
2. The stomach is a stretchy sack shaped like the letter J. It has 3 important jobs:
1. To store the food you've eaten
2. To break down the food into a liquid mixture
3. To slowly empty that liquid mixture into the small intestine.
3. The stomach is like a mixer, churning and mashing together all the small balls of food that came down the esophagus into small and smaller pieces.
1. Fun Fact: When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red.
4. The teacher will pull up the Body Parts file on the Mimio teach and have student volunteers take turns moving digestive system body parts to their correct location in the digestive system.
5. The teacher will show students these YouTube videos:


1. Kids Health: How the Digestive System Works
2. https://youtu.be/VwrsL-lCZYo
   
   
3. Mr. R’s Digestion Song
4. https://youtu.be/fiRKW0W51Pg
   
   
   
6. Teacher will use the Decide Now! app to separate students into collaborative groups. Then, she will explain their final learning activity: Building a model and producing a video explaining how their model works.
7. Students will get into their groups to discuss the project and decide if they need to bring anything from home.

Day 3

1. Students will spend class time constructing their models of the digestive system and make it their own using the materials that they found in the classroom and at home. 
2. Once models are built, students will write scripts explaining how their models work.

Day 4

1. Students will get to record their models and their explanations using the iPads. They will then create a video, explaining what is going on and telling the viewer facts on the digestive system.

Day 5

1. Present videos to class.

TIM Information:

Before taking this lesson to the next level, the cell we would have chose on the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) would have been Constructive Entry. We then increased the lesson significantly by adding additional videos and creative projects for the students to partake in and now we are at a Constructive Adaptation with the beginning stages of Constructive Transformation.

This lesson was created using the TPACK framework by Robyn Bredvick and Nikki Lyons.

TPACK

Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org

I was first introduced to TPACK as an undergraduate studying Elementary Education at Iowa State University in a class I took with Denise Schmidt-Crawford. I am now covering it in my graduate course with Dr Zeitz, check out his blog post on the topic! The TPACK framework is based on three forms of knowledge: Content(CK), Pedagogy(PK) and Technology(TK). TPACK also emphasizes the knowledge that is created when the different types of knowledge intersect. To the right is a picture from TPACK which shows the relationship of the different knowledge types and how they intersect and relate to each other. Even when I was an undergrad I really liked this framework because it shows the different areas that need to come together when creating a successful lesson and classroom. I like how it does not just focus on the content and pedagogical knowledge a teacher must have, but also the knowledge on what to do with the technology. This is a framework that can be used in the classroom to help ensure the teacher is teaching correctly, covering the content and using the technology in a beneficial manner.

Two minute videos are really the hype in education right now! So go ahead and watch this two minute video to help introduce you to TPACK!

This is a video Rural Texas Elementary School successfully planning a lesson while thinking about the TPACK framework. It includes a short description on TPACK and then continues with a lesson created by Ms. Herrigton and Ms. Flores. During this lesson Ms. Herrigton will bring her expertise on content and pedagogical knowledge and Ms. Flores focuses on the technological knowledge. Together they create a successful lesson using the TPACK framework.

The next activity is a web-quest and can be found on Zunal and was created by Kim Young for students in 6th-8th grade. The students will participate in  learning about climbing Mount Everest through a web-quest. This is a great activity where the content, teaching and technology have been carefully thought out. This is a great activity framed around TPACK where the students are able to participate in something which is meaningful and will engage them on the topic.

Reflection is an important part to learning and teaching. Here is an example of an ePortfolio a 6th grader created and then posted using Vimeo. This is an activity that could be implemented using the TPACK framework. This creates a unique opportunity where the lessons individually can be created using TPACK, knowing the culminating lesson would be to reflect on the year as a whole. Being able to reflect and create a portfolio to show off skills is a life long skill.

When researching more on the practical applications with TPACK I found a great resource on EduBlog, which has TPACK iPad Project in Schools (TIPS). This is an area where teachers can go and look at different iPad projects that have been completed with the TPACK framework. It is important to remember the thought and consideration needed to be laid out for the content, pedagogical and technology aspects of the lesson. Simply adding the technology will not create a lesson with the foundation of the TPACK framework. 

If you are wanting to learn more about TPACK, they have a wonderful website where you can start to learn more about the framework while learning how to move towards implementing it in your classroom. http://www.tpack.org/