Introduction
Students created an ecological lesson plan which they implemented in their classrooms. This application will include a review of the results of the Feathered Friends lesson plan that I created. My summation will begin by focusing on the goals of the lesson and whether or not the intended learning outcomes were achieved. Additionally, I will discuss the successful parts of my lesson plan and how modifying aspects of it might increase student performance. Lastly, I will reflect upon the backward design process of creating lesson plans.
Goals and Intended Learning Outcomes
Yes, I believe that the goals of my lesson were achieved. I sensed that my students obtained an enhanced understanding of how special characteristics provide bird species with survival advantages in particular environments. By the end of the lesson, students were able to provide examples of how bird bills, feet and wing characteristics enable the species to survive and thrive in their environment. I know that the students had this understanding because they expressed their new knowledge through pictorial representations and verbal explanations. They were able to create appropriate environments for their species based on their feet, wing and bill characteristics.
Lesson Implementation Success
One of the partrs of the lesson that was successful was the group discussion. As I circled around the room I heard some great discussion on how the wing span of a humming bird and a robin differ and also, how the feet of a swan differ from those of an eagle. Students worked well together in a group setting and took turns expressing their opinions. Another part of the lesson that was effective was having the students create a fictitious bird species. The students were engaged in the activity and the assignments gave them the freedom to use their creativity. To enhance this activity I added a webcam live feed to the lesson. We watched the footage from the “Delcorah Eagle” (Delcorah, 2012) nest webcam. It was fascinating to view the eagles’ nest which was situated in the branches of a cottonwood tree 80 feet up. I believe it was an excellent addition to the lesson because students were able to view young eaglets jumping around the nest, flapping their wings in preparation to take their first flight. We had just discussed wingspan and shape of wings so they were able to apply their new knowledge to this real life experience.
Backward Design Process
I discovered the backward design process for creating a lesson to be very effective. It makes sense to begin a lesson plan with the end result in mind. As I planned the lesson I continually referred back to my objectives to ensure that the activities and procedures of the lesson supported my purpose.
References
Decorah Eagle Cam. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.decoraheaglecamalerts.com/ie.htm
