Integrating Technology Into the Science Curriculum

 

Jeana Marinelli

The Family Academy, Manhattan

 

Summer Research Program for Science Teachers

Summer 2006

 

 

 

Objective: Students will be able to use the internet as a tool to understand how technology can improve the quality of life.

 

DO NOW: What is your favorite internet website?  How often do you use it, and how does it make your life better?

 

Set-Up:

            Desks and computers are arranged in groups of four

            Colored Task Cards are taped to each desk

 

Introduction to New Material:

            Have students write their answer to the DO NOW on a post-it, and each student will put their post-it on the board.  Share answers and go over learning objective. Explain that today students will performing a self-directed web quest to see that the internet can improve the quality of life.

 

Web Quest: (students will rotate in a jigsaw- 8 minutes each station)

Task Cards:

Task A- You are a top lawyer in the New York City District Attorney’s office.  This evening, you will be flying down to Miami for a crime prevention convention. Because your flight is at 7pm out of JFK on Jet Blue Airlines, your day is very packed each minute until then!  Find a site on the internet that will help you save time at the airport.  You are not checking any baggage,

 

Task B- Congratulations!  You have just graduated eighth grade!  Because you are a motivated student, you would like to make some extra money during the summer to begin saving for your very first car. Find a website that will help you find youth jobs in New York City.

 

Task C- You are an 8th grade Science Teacher at a school in New York.  You want to show your students science websites that have hands-on activities and will encourage them to love science!  Find three websites that are appropriate for middle school kids.

 

Task D- You are a very successful athlete (in any sport you might imagine).  Because you are always traveling with your team, you don’t get much chance to catch up on world events.  Also, you do not see your family very often but you love your twelve year old very much.  Find a website that you can use to catch up on the latest news, but that is suitable for a middle school-aged student.  Make the website presents news in an interesting, and fact reliable way.

 

Upon finishing each station, students will share their results with one another and put their results on the board.

 
 

 

Task

Website

How does this improve the quality of life?

A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Closing: Students will journal about how each task might enhance the quality of their life.  Students will also think critically and answer the following questions for homework.

 

  1. Which task was your favorite?  Why?

 

  1. How does the internet improve the quality of life?  (in greater ways than chat rooms and music downloading)

 

 

  1. Did you run into any difficulties finding the sites for each task?  How might these be avoided?

 

 

  1. In what ways might the internet reduce the quality of life?

 

 

  1. Design two tasks of your own for a similar activity.

 

 

Standards:

Standard 2: Information Systems

Key Idea 1: Information Technology is used to retrieve, process and communicate information as a tool to enhance learning. [1:1- 1:5]