Project Based Learning Lesson Plan

Name

Adam Jones

Date

7/10/2015

Project Title

Natural Disasters

Grade
Level/Subject
Area(s)

Grade 5

Purpose

The purpose of this project is for students to see how

environmental conditions determine where people around the
world live.

CCLS/ISTE
Standards

Common Core Learning Standards:

W.5.1- Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a
point of view with reasons and information.
W.5.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
W.5.7- Conduct short research projects that use several
sources to build knowledge through investigation of different
aspects of a topic.
SL.5.5- Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound)
and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to
enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
ISTE Standards:
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge,
and develop innovative products and processes using
technology.
Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate
and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support
individual learning and contribute to learning of others.

Desired Outcome
- Knowledge

** Students will learn that people live in certain areas for a

variety of different reasons.

**Students will define what a natural disaster is.

** Students will describe the environmental impacts that natural
disasters can have on the environment.

Desired Outcome
- Skills

**Students will be able to communicate whether they believe

that people are or are not irresponsible for living in dangerous
places with peers.
** Students will know learn how to use a variety of Web 2.0
tools to present their argument.

Essential
Question(s)

Are people irresponsible for living in dangerous places?

Project Plan
Phase 1: Activity(ies) to set
the stage for the project

Day 1 (Activity 1): It is important for students to gain

background knowledge about natural disasters. To
begin the unit students will define what the term
natural disasters is in their journals. We will then
come back together as a class and get a class
definition. As a group we will then list various types
of natural disasters. Students will then be broken up
into small groups where they will be given one type
of natural disaster. In their group they are to work
together to come up with as many causes of the
natural disaster as possible and the consequences
that their natural disaster has on the environment
using the internet for research. We will come back
together as a class and share out what the students
found.
Day 2 (Activity 2): Many students do not understand
that many people around the world live in dangerous
places; places that include earthquakes, volcanoes,
tornadoes, hurricanes, dust storms, droughts etc. To
give students a background of the power of natural
disasters, students will be able to choose from
several different texts from the I Survived series by
Lauren Tarshis. The three texts are I Survived The
Destruction of Pompeii, I Survived The Japanese
Tsunami, and I Survived Hurricane Katrina. Each day
of the unit students will read part of the text and have
a writing to do in their journal about the text. As
students read the text they will be put into book clubs

based on which text they chose to discuss what they

wrote about in their journals.

Phase 2: Activity(ies) that

engage students in learning
(including field trips, other
explorations, visiting experts,
etc.)

Day 3 (Activity 3): For students to truly understand

why people live where they live the class will discuss
the advantages of living in particular areas. Using a
Google Doc, students will brainstorm with each other
why they think people live where they live. Some
examples may be: resources such as food, defense
against enemies, fertile land etc. We will then come
back together as a class and discuss all of the
reasons that they have come up with.
Day 4 (Activity 4): Each student will have a chance
to look at different types of natural disasters.
Students will have a chance to choose a particular
type of natural disaster (hurricane, tornado, drought,
forest fire, etc.). Students will then make a Glogster
with facts that they learn about the natural disaster
that they choose. The Glogster should include facts
such as the location of the disaster, how many lives
were lost, what year the disaster happened, as well
as including visuals that would be appealing to those
looking at it. Students will then present their Glogster
to the class.
Day 5 (Activity 5): Students will have the opportunity
to talk to a survivor of a natural disaster (If a survivor
is not available then a representative from a local
museum would work also). The class will have a
visiting expert from someone who has experienced a
natural disaster first hand. Before the expert arrives
they will write down questions that they might ask
them in their science notebooks. Using their
notebooks students can then ask the expert
questions that may help aid them in their culminating
project. The expert will also speak about why they
had chosen to live in the location that they lived
during the natural disaster.
Day 6 (Activity 6): For this activity students will have
a chance to see two different natural disasters up
close at two different stations. At the first station
students will take a look at how tornadoes are
formed and what they look like after they form. They
will use two pop bottles and water to make a replica
tornado. At the second station students will make

their own volcano using Play-Doh, baking soda, and

vinegar. In their science notebooks students will
write down their observations from each station and
relate that to how these two different natural
disasters can be so destructive on the surrounding
environment.

Phase 3: Activity(ies) in
which students share their
knowledge in a culminating
event, as well as reflect on
the project and their
learnings

Day 7-9 (Activity 7)- As a culminating activity for this

project each students will do a project arguing
whether they believe that people are irresponsible
for living in dangerous places. They must take what
they have learned so far from the unit as well other
research that they find and make an argument
defending what they believe. Using a Web 2.0 tool
such as Glogster, Prezi, or another presentation tool
they are to create a visually appealing response
using what they have learned about natural disasters
to make an argument arguing whether or not they
believe that people are irresponsible for living in
dangerous places. (Before making their presentation
I will show students examples of both good
presentations and not so good presentation so that
students understand how they can make their project
visually appealing and engaging). Student will then
present the presentation that they made to the class
telling their side of the argument.

Project Schedule
Time
Frame
Day 1

Objective
Students will build
background knowledge about
natural disasters.

Day 2
Students will choose an I
Survive text to read
throughout the unit.

Task
Students will define natural disasters,
identify different natural disasters, and
determine different causes of natural
disasters.
Students will choose an I Survive text
and begin to work in their book club
groups to discuss what they are
reading about that particular natural

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Students will identify the

reasons that people choose
to live where they live.

disaster.

Students will apply the

knowledge that they have
learned about natural
disasters to make a Glogster.

Students will make a Glogster about a

specific natural disaster and share with
the class.

Students will ask questions to

a natural disaster expert to
gain more background.
Students will observe the
destructive powers that
natural disasters can have on
the environment.

Using a Google Doc students will

discuss with their classmates why they
believe some people choose to live
where they live.

Students will see the physical and

emotional impacts that natural
disasters can have on actual people.
Students will create two different
natural disasters- a volcano and a
tornado- and make observations about
their destructive powers.

Monitoring/Assessing the Project

Benchmarks/Formative
Assessments

Several forms of formative assessment will be

performed. Throughout the lesson there will be frequent
checks for understanding. Students will also be assessed
based on participation in activities such as think-pairshares as well as their science journals and Glogsters
that are created.

Assessing the Project

(Include rubric(s))

To assess the student's final cumulative project I will use

a 5 point rubric. Students will be assessed based on the
quality of information that they have researched, that
their presentation is visually appealing and engaging,
and that they have appropriately planned their
presentation.
**See Rubric Below**

Evaluating the
Experience

There are two ways that I will evaluate the experience.

The first way that students will evaluate their experience
is to take an attitude survey reflecting on their own

personal learning. There will be a scale 5 being I think I

did my best work down to 1 being I think that I could do
a little better. The next thing students will do is write a
personal reflection about their own learning. Students will
discuss how they think they performed throughout the
unit.

Cumulative Project Rubric

Criteria

Content and
planning

Students argument
was clear; it is
obvious that they did
a sufficient amount
of research about
their argument.

Students argument
was clear however
there are some parts
of the presentation left
out.

Student did not

choose a side of
the argument

Completenes
s of task

Presentation
contained
appropriate and
accurate information
about natural
disaster. Student
included visuals that
aid in the
presentation of their
argument.

Student included
several visuals that
add interest in the
argument and support
concepts from the
argument.

Student has few

or unclear visuals
that support their
concepts.

Quality of
presentation

Presentation was of
high 5th grade quality
and was visually
engaging. Student
shows full
knowledge of
information being
presented.

Presentation was of
sufficient quality and
was visually
appealing. Student
shows basic
understanding and
knowledge of the
information that they
are presenting.

Presentation had
many errors,
information was
inaccurate or
visual for the
presentation was
unclear or plain.