Final Project
For my final project, I have chosen the topic body systems, a
key topic included in the Natural Science curriculum for third grade. I chose
this topic because, in my experience, students are motivated and interested to
know more about their bodies and how they work. However, it can be a
challenging unit for students because there is a lot of information and new
vocabulary.
The objective of this project is to make a challenging topic accessible and motivating by utilizing web 2.0 tools. At the end of this unit, students will be able to identify
the body parts in each body system and know its function. This project is intended to complement instruction in Natural Science class and can be used in conjunction with traditional text book based activites.
Materials: Computer/projector with the internet, Natural Science textbook
Class time: 2 sessions of Natural Science (45 minutes per session)
Stage One
To begin the class, I created an interactive PowerPoint presentation to introduce the five senses and body systems, based on Unit 3 of the Oxford Think! Do Learn series. The PowerPoint includes images, vocabulary, and explanations of the functions of each system. The PowerPoint includes pop quizzes to check students' understanding and monitor their learning. This format supports students by offering visual scaffolding for difficult concepts and new vocabulary.
The slide show should be given by the language assistant, with support from the classroom teacher to possibly translate unfamiliar vocabulary, provide additional explanations, or assist with classroom management.
Stage Two
As the final activity, I created a Jeopardy game designed to review and reinforce the unit’s contents. Students are extremely motivated by games in the classroom. Because students are having fun, it is often a relaxed way to monitor progress as opposed to giving a quiz or test.
The game can be played with two or four groups, depending on class size. Groups should be made in advance by the language assistant or teacher in order to ensure the groups are balanced to ensure equity when playing. Be sure to establish ground rules for playing in order to manage classroom behavior.
[Given COVID restrictions in class, groups can also be
formed based on where students are seated.]
Although presented in a game, this activity is useful to see what students have learned in the unit and what areas need to be reinforced. For example, students may fly through questions about the respiratory system but struggle with the vocabulary words from the circulatory system. This activity is ideally used in class before the unit exam. It can also be used for distance learning by uploading the link to the Virtual Classroom.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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