Technology Enhanced Lesson: Endangered Species

I decided to use create a Power Point presentation to enhance my shared reading lesson about endangered species. After reading the text aloud to the second grade students as they followed along and guiding them to discover each animal's endangerment through various activites, I used my Power Point to assess the students' understanding. I had found pictures of each animal studied on the Internet, and each slide contained the animal's name, picture, and cause for endangerment. I programmed the Power Point so that only the animals' names and pictures were originally shown. For each slide/animal, the students recorded the animal's name and one cause for endangerment, based on their understanding of the lesson's content. They recorded their answers on the corresponding worksheet I had created; the worksheet contained blanks for the students to record the animal and cause for endangerment for all eight animals. After the students had finished recording the cause for endangerment for each animal, I displayed the correct answer.

I was very satisfied with this lesson! I feel that it was an excellent assessment of the focus of the lesson, and the students did a great job on the assessment. Additionally, the students were engaged throughout. This was a great experience!

Technology-enhanced Lesson

I am very excited to incorporate technological activities in my future lessons. An idea for one of my upcoming lessons involves Google Earth. My class will be learning about various continents, and I think that it would be exciting for the students to get a view of the places they will be studying, using Google Earth. This will make the continents -- their geographical features, landmarks, etc. -- more relatable for the students.

I know that this technology will help students better understand the continents of the world.

Classroom Technological Inventory

I am happy to report that the elementary school I am working in really values technology! My teacher has a computer that has access to the Internet, Microsoft Office, and various educational programs that the students take turns using during centers. Additionally, the school values technology so much that they have a computer lab -- complete with about sixty PC computers -- that each class uses at least weekly for specials classes. Although it is not digital technology, my teacher also uses the overhead projector for many lessons, especially math.

The students use Microsoft Office to type their poems and stories, and they use specialized programs to assess their spelling and language arts progress. Addtionally, there are computer programs set up to aid ELL students. I am very grateful that the students are getting such ideal experiences using technology!

Google Earth Virtual Tour: The Transcontinental Railroad

Here is the link to my Google Earth tour.

Virtual Tour Using TPACK Principles

For my virtual tour assignment, I am relying on TPACK principles to fit the pedagogy to the content I will be teaching and the technology to the content and pedagogy.



Content: 4th Grade Social Studies

• Standard 1: Students will understand the relationship between the physical geography in Utah and human life.


• Objective 3: Analyze how human actions modify the physical environment.


• a. Describe how and why humans have changed the physical environment of Utah to meet their needs (e.g. reservoirs, irrigation, climate, transportation systems and cities).

Pedagogy: I am helping my students to learn material about the Transcontinental Railroad visually by providing them with materials that allow them to see firsthand the geographic features that permeate the path and stops of the Transcontinental Railroad. I am also allowing them to feel as if they are part of the journey through journal entries in which students write from the point of view of travelers and spectators. These elements help the students feel as if they are really part of the entire experience. This way, the students learn more and better appreciate the struggles and experiences associated with the Transcontinental Railroad.



Technology: I will be using Google Earth for this lesson. Google Earth is the perfect enhancement of my lesson about the Transcontinental Railroad. It allows the students to view the locations used for the Railroad firsthand, thus helping them to understand the physical environment and the distance between stops through visual means. Additionally, Google Earth allows my students to learn the material in a fun, creative way!

Google Earth Virtual Tour Plan

Location	Activity	Google Earth Content
1. Omaha, Nebraska	Give each student a copy of a map from 1860. Have them draw railroad tracks following the path of the Transcontinental Railroad on their maps. Using colored pencils, have the students outline the territories and color in the desert, mountains, rivers, and other geographic features.	Have a link in which students can read a Wikipedia article about an overview of the Transcontinental Railroad. Then, have them measure the length of the Platte River.
2. Promontory, Utah	Using pictures and other visual aids, discuss the logistics of the train -- its appearance, what made it run (steam), the materials required to build it, the groups of people who built it, etc. Discuss how the train made it possible to ship materials quicker and easier, and how it made travel much safer for passengers.	Have the students measure the length of the distance from Omaha, Nebraska to Promontory, Utah.
3. Sacramento, California	Discuss how it took only 6 days to arrive at one's destination on the train from beginning to end, as opposed to the 6 months it took in a covered wagon. Have the students write a journal entry from the point of view of a person riding the Transcontinental Railroad for the first time. In the entry, have them describe which provisions they would take with them, in particular outlining how their supplies were adapted this time for a much shorter trip.	Have the students measure the length of distance between Promontory, Utah and Sacramento, California.
4. Washington, D.C.	Discuss the activities that occurred in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad ("The Star-Spangled Banner" playing, bells ringing, cannons going off, etc.). Have the students write a journal entry from the point of view of a spectator at such an exciting event, describing their emotions.	Have the students measure the distance of length that it would take someone in Omaha, Nebraska to travel to the celebration in Washington, D.C.
Details of image overlay / path / polygon:	Connect the three stops of the Transcontinental Railroad with the celebratory site in Washington, D.C. Teach about the enhancement of this form of travel.

PhotoStory Video