"By learning you teach and by teaching you learn."

Overview:

I plan to use Nearpod to have students create lessons for our science unit about the different energy sources.  I will be picking the unit about energy sources and introducing the first topic with my own Nearpod lesson about renewable and nonrenewable resources.  Then groups will work to create the rest of the lessons that compose the unit.  Once the Nearpod lessons are complete they will use them to teach the unit to the class.  They will know how to use Nearpod based off of my review of the site/app followed by the lesson that I will teach to open the unit.  They will have a rubric and optional template to use for the lessons to fit our unit!  I hope that this will be a very engaging and motivational way to learn about the energy sources science unit we will be focusing on.  

 

Mobile Learning Tool: Nearpod

Grade: 6th grade

Content Area: Science

Unit: Force, Motion, & Energy; Earth Resources

Topic: Energy Resources

 

Standards:

Primary SOL:

6.2

The student will investigate and understand basic sources of energy, their origins, transformations, and uses.  Key concepts include nonrenewable energy sources & renewable energy sources.

 

Related SOL:

6.2

The student will investigate and understand basic sources of energy, their origins, transformations, and uses. Key concepts include potential and kinetic energy.

 

6.5

The student will investigate and understand the unique properties and characteristics of water and its roles in the natural and human-made environment.  Key concepts include the importance of water for agriculture, power generation, and public health.

 

6.9

The student will investigate and understand public policy decisions relating to the environment. Key concepts include management of renewable resources & management of nonrenewable resources.

 

Materials:

• 1:1 technology (smart phones, iPads, or laptops)

• Internet access

 

Time:

• I will begin with 1 day to teach my Nearpod introduction lesson.

• I believe that it will take about 2 to 3 class periods for the groups to create the Nearpod lessons. 

• Then it should take from 3 to 6 days to teach the 6 Nearpod lessons.

• Finally 1 day for a summative assessment.

 

My Opening (Nearpod Example) Lesson:

• Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy

• I will open this topic of energy sources by teaching the whole class the two types of energy sources, renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.  I will do this through the use of a Nearpod Lesson.

• As I teach the lesson I will also be teaching my students how Nearpod is used by myself, as the teacher, and by them, as the students.  Through this explanation they will know how it will work when they are the teachers and when they are the students.

 

Procedures:

• Group & Topic assignments

  • 6 groups of 5 students each will be randomly assigned by the teacher

  • The teacher will pass out the 6 energy source topics randomly as well

• Energy Source Research

  • Using the questions below the groups members will become experts of their energy source so that they can teach the class about it

• Create Nearpod Lesson

  • Using their devices the group will work together to create their Nearpod presentation using the rubric along the way

  • All 6 presentations are due on the same day

• Begin teaching/learning the Nearpod lessons

  • The lessons will be taught in order of the teacher’s choosing

  • The group members must work together to teach their assigned lesson

• Interact and participate in the Nearpod lessons

  • While being the students in this scenario you must follow along with the Nearpod presentation on your device and participate while also taking notes on your Sources of Energy Chart

 

Group Project Lesson Topics:

• Solar Energy (sun & wood)

• Wind Energy

• Geothermal Energy (Earth’s heat)

• Fossil Fuels

• Water Motion (hydropower & tidal power)

• Nuclear Energy (atomic fuel)

 

Each group will research their assigned energy source and become the teachers (experts) of that source!

Each group will answer the following questions in their Nearpod Lesson:

1. What is the energy source?

2. What is the origin of the energy source?

3. What are the current uses of the energy source?

4. What are the advantages?

5. What are the disadvantages?

6. Is the source renewable or nonrenewable?

 

Implementation:

• Large Scale

• Full Class (about 30 students)

• After my Nearpod opening presentation and lesson given to the entire class

• Then the class would be split up into 6 groups of 5 people