Kristen Chaffins

Day 4: Harmonics and Binary Systems

I. Analyze the learners: This lesson is designed for 9th grade honors students in a

West Virginia High School ranging from ages 14 to 16. There will be roughly twenty

students in the class and the female students will slightly outnumber the male

students. The students will largely be Caucasian, with only two students being

African American. Most of the students identify as spatial, kinesthetic, and

interpersonal learners. They learn best by using visual aids, hands on activities, and

group work. Previous learning competencies of the students include some entry level

knowledge of basic astronomy and the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. The

students will also have basic math skills needed to analyze the data. The students

are also able to use a computer efficiently and have an understanding of how to use

the internet in order to research topics and analyze data.

II. State Objectives: Students will define the difference between a single pulsar

and a binary system, as well as defining the harmonics of a pulsar through the use

of a podcast with 95% accuracy by the end of the day.

III. Select methods, media, and materials: The students encompass many

different learning styles, therefore I will incorporate different materials to my lesson.

Voki: I have created a Voki in order to enhance the experience of a bell

ringer. The Voki will ask the students their bell ringer which they will then

answer in their bell ringer notebook.

Twitter: After every class, students will be expected to write a short

reflection about what they thought of the lesson that day. I have created a

class Twitter account that will be used. This will allow the students

somewhere to give their feedback on a forum they use on an everyday basis.

Podcast: Students will be given tablets in which they will listen to a podcast

on harmonic. This will give the students a break from the lecture and will give

them time to work on their own, at their own pace. They students will answer

a few questions after listening to the podcast to assess their knowledge of

harmonics.

Blog: The students will give feedback in a discussion board type blog about

the most rewarding aspect of building robots has been. Also, they will post the

most challenging aspect or problem they had to overcome. This will allow

assessment of their progress on their robotics, as well as feedback I can use

in the future.

IV. Utilize Media and Materials: Prior to the start of class, I will coordinate with the

technology coordinator at my school to assure that we have enough tablets for each

student to use during the podcast assignment. They students will also be given time to

use a computer to post their discussion on the class blog. I will also make sure that all

tablets have the podcast downloaded to them before class so there is no breakdown in

technology during the class. They will also post their reflection on Twitter which allow

the students a forum to discuss what they like and don’t like about the class.

V. Require Learner Participation: The students will be forced to think critically when

answering their questions from the podcast. This will also create a break in the lecture,

which will allow the students a more informal learning environment. This will also

increase the amount of discussion throughout the class. They will be able to discuss the

podcast with each other before answering the discussion questions. The students will

participate in a discussion that will increase their understanding of the material, as well

as allowing me to act as a facilitator while they interact with each other. They will also

interact with each other on the class blog when discussing their final robotic project.

VI. Evaluate and Revise: The students will be evaluated on their participation in the

class discussion, as well as their answers from the podcast assessment. The discussion

will also allow an informal way for me to assess the knowledge they have on the topic

by listening to their conversations. The reflection each student posts on the class

Twitter will allow me to reflect on my methods of teaching and revise any future lesson

plans to better my students learning experience.