The Montgomery County Public School system (MCPS) provides an Environmental Literacy curricular unit for students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. First grade students throughout the curricular unit are introduced to plants and their life cycles. Thus, throughout this instructional design project, the unit used is designed for grade 1 students, and has been further adapted from the Montgomery County Public School Science Curriculum. Students have the opportunity to learn about different plant structures, in addition to their varying attributes and features throughout this unit. The level of instruction taught throughout the unit, and the pacing of instruction, will allow students to apply their knowledge of the engineering design process, in order to design a raft using an external part of a plant or animal as a model. The classroom teacher will provide students with opportunities to make observations about plants through multimedia presentations and conduct experiments with hands-on activities. Students will be able to make connections between living things and engineering designs. The classroom teacher will further lead students to explore engineers that mimic the design of plants in order for students to design a raft, using an external part of an animal or plant as a model, and construct an explanation of their design through multimedia (Montgomery County Public Schools, Science Curriculum Unit 4). Throughout the unit, students will also work towards multiple Common Core Standards in reading, writing, and math.

        Due to time constraints within the learning day and the wide range of content areas that are incorporated within this thematic unit, curriculum across content areas would need to be adapted to reflect the learning goals. Additionally, students have not adequately been instructed on how to navigate specific learning tools used throughout this unit in order to successfully use technology to reflect the learning goals within the summative assignment. Thus, our design focuses on adapting the curriculum across content areas to reflect learning goals and incorporate technology instruction in order to support students in the end of unit summative assignment.

Our first-grade audience is facing learning problems when it comes to the adapted science curriculum. Students have not adequately been instructed on how to navigate specific learning tools used throughout this unit in order to successfully use technology to reflect the learning goals. Additionally, the unit requires an integration of curriculum across various content areas in order for students to make thematic connections. The students must conduct research and assess their end of unit problem. Their task will be to design a raft using an external part of a plant or animal as a model. The students must construct an explanation of their design through multimedia. Our design will adapt the curriculum across content areas to reflect learning goals and incorporate technology instruction in order to support students in the end of unit summative assignment.

The end problem in the progression (i.e., last circle) is constructing explanations and designing solutions. The students will use tools and materials to design and build a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem. Students will design a raft, using external parts of a plant or animal as a model, and construct an explanation of their design through multimedia. Students will be assessed on their ability to meet criteria through their multimedia presentation. All of the criteria found in the rubrics (see below) will be used to evaluate student performance, dependent on the lesson objective.

This unit utilizes and addresses multiple ISTE standards such as: ISTE 1.3.d, ISTE 1.6.c, ISTE 1.6.b, and ISTE 1.1.c. Students will be able to build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions. Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations and create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations. Finally, students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

In order to conduct the needs analysis for this assignment, the Smith and Ragan’s (2004) Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment model was utilized, as the learning goals had already been identified by MCPS’ county curriculum (Brown & Green, 2016.) The Smith and Ragan Needs Assessment model is composed of five phases, as outlined below.

The first step of the Smith and Ragan (2004) Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment Model is to, “list the goals of the instructional system” (Brown and Green, 2016, p. 52). Throughout this thematic unit, comprised of approximately six lessons, the learning goals reflected within each lesson are (MCPS, n.d.):

1. Students will be able to identify features of different plant structures that help them to grow and survive.

2. Students will be able to observe features of bean seeds.

3. Students will be able to refine a design using features of a plant.

4. Students will be able to explain how an engineer applied his understanding of a bird beak to solve a human problem.

5. Students will use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

6. Students will design a raft, using external parts of a plant or animal as a model, and construct an explanation of their design through multimedia.

The second step of the model is to, “determine how well the identified goals are already being achieved” (Brown and Green, 2016, p. 52).  In order to gain an understanding of students’ pre-existing knowledge, the teacher will give students a pre-assessment before beginning the unit. Additionally, a questionnaire will be given to students before beginning the unit to gauge students’ ability to use the Web 2.0 tool, Jamboard, needed for the End of Unit Assignment.  Based on student responses to the questionnaire and level of understanding with the pre-assessment, the level of instruction with the technology used and content delivered throughout the unit will be adjusted. Click HERE to access the technology pre-assessment given.

The third step of the Smith and Ragan (2004) model is to, “determine the gaps between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’” (Brown and Green, 2016, p. 52). The ‘what is’ throughout this unit, is that students may not have had adequate exposure to the technology used within each lesson prior to this unit, thus impacting their ability to utilize such technology and access the content provided. The ‘what should be,’ is that students should be able to use the technology to aid in their understanding of curricular content and use the lessons prior to the end of unit summative assessment to explore the Web 2.0 tool, Jamboard.

The fourth step of the Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment Model is to, “prioritize gaps according to agreed-upon criteria” (Brown and Green, 2016, p. 52). Based upon data collected from previous years of instruction, the main gap within this unit is students’ use of technology, and their lack of knowledge surrounding the Web 2.0 tool to guide their understanding of instruction. Thus, instruction was adapted to expose students to the use of the tool throughout the six lessons, and prepare them for their end of unit summative assignment that asks students to “design a raft, using external parts of a plant or animal as a model, and construct an explanation of their design through multimedia.” Prior to this adaptation, the lessons did not include any use of the tool for students to explore with prior to the end of unit assignment.

The fifth step of Smith and Ragan’s (2004) model is to, “determine which gaps are instructional needs and which are most appropriate for design and development of instruction” (Brown and Green, 2016, p. 52). The students’ lack of use with the instructional tool, and its importance in its use within the end of unit assignment allow for this gap to be considered an instructional need. Therefore, instruction has been adapted to familiarize students with the tool and its features, prior to the end of unit assignment in which the students will be assessed on their use of the tool to explain their design model.

We will redesign a current curricular Science Unit as a part of MCPS’s county curriculum. This current unit is set to take place over six lessons. Our audience is first grade students within Sherwood Elementary School. The learner analysis plans are listed below. We utilized the Smaldino, Lowther, and Russel (2012) model to conduct this learner analysis. They suggest that the learner analysis should focus on three aspects: general characteristics, specific entry competencies, and learning styles.

General Characteristics

There are 22 students that range from the ages 6-7 in the classroom. There are 13 boys and 9 girls in the class. Students are still developing their fine motor skills which will allow them to independently navigate technology (Chromebook: touchscreen, trackpad, and keyboard). Students are all from the same community since they attend public school. This group of students each have their own personal Chromebook. Students used chrome books in their shared Kindergarten experience. 80% of students in the current 1st grade class attended the same school for kindergarten. 80% of students were exposed to MCPS science curriculum in the past. Students that attended an alternate school experience will receive additional support from the classroom teacher when using Chromebook.

Specific Entry Competencies

Students will need to know how to navigate a Chromebook independently. Students will need to be familiar with the following technology tools: touchscreen, trackpad, keyboard, or mouse. Students will complete a technology experience pre-assessment to showcase their experience with technology. This questionnaire will be given to students before beginning the unit to gauge students’ ability to use the Web 2.0 tool, Jamboard, needed for the End of Unit Assignment. Students’ personal experience with nature will improve their success rate throughout the unit. Students that have seen or have experience with the science content taught (plants, life cycle of plants, seeds, animals, transportation, etc.) will have a greater understanding when the new information is taught. Students that are lacking this background knowledge will receive additional support from the classroom teacher to access these real-life experiences. Example: taking students on nature walks to find different types of plants.

Learning Styles

Throughout this unit, students with a variety of different learning styles will have their needs met through differentiated instruction. By utilizing Jamboard throughout the unit, it provides learners with opportunities to showcase their understanding in different ways. These examples below can appeal to a variety of learners based on Gardner’s (1993) aspects of intelligence. Examples found in each performance task to show knowledge (tasks taken from Needs Analysis): Visual diagram, word bank, explicit directions, fill in the blank for scaffolding (task 1). Free draw opportunities to show what they learned which provides learners with creative ability (task 3). Opportunity for voice recordings which appeals to auditory learners (task 4). Opportunity for students to create their own hands-on design of a raft (task 5) which appeals to tactile learners.

Problem 2 in the PITP model asks students to identify features of different plant structures that help them to grow and survive by labeling the parts of a given plant. Students will be introduced to the technology used (Jamboard) in the previous lesson, and within this problem (lesson two), students will have a hands-on opportunity to use the Web 2.0 tool to demonstrate their understanding of the learning goal. The instructional goal for this lesson/sub-problem is for students to identify features of different plant structures that help them to grow and survive. The technology goal for this sub-problem is for students to label the parts of a plant and complete the sentence using Jamboard. Students will use Jamboard to demonstrate their understanding of plant parts, and to demonstrate how to use the technology in order to label the plant correctly. This sub-problem and students’ understanding of the learning goals indicated will guide instruction for future lessons. The end of unit summative assessment asks students to, “design a raft, using external parts of a plant or animal as a model, and construct an explanation of their design through multimedia.” This sub-problem and the learning goals will help facilitate students’ ability to use these tools and demonstrate each learning goal in the continuum.

The task analysis for the instructional design project was conducted using the Smith and Ragan (2004) approach, which consists of five steps that can be performed when conducting the learning task analysis. As outlined by Brown and Green (2016), these five steps to be performed include (p.72):

1.Write a learning goal: There are two instructional goals within this learning problem. Instructional Goal: We will identify features of different plant structures that help them to grow and survive by labeling the parts of a given plant.

Technology Goal: We will label the parts of a plant and complete a sentence by using Jamboard, in order to identify features of different plant structures that help them to grow and survive.

2. Determine the types of learning of the goal: The goals will be achieved through direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice, as demonstrated in the instructional slides (Instructional Slides 12-32, taken from Task Analysis.) Students will also have a hands-on opportunity to perform a “nature walk,” and find a plant of their own to observe within this lesson.

3. Conduct an information-processing analysis of the goal: Students will be taught the structures of a plant by the classroom teacher in a whole group lesson (Instructional slides). Students will showcase their knowledge of plant structures by labeling parts of a plant on Jamboard (Performance Task.)

4. Conduct a prerequisite analysis and determine the type of learning of the prerequisites: Students will complete a technology experience pre-assessment to showcase their experience with technology. This questionnaire (Slide 34, taken from Task Analysis) will be given to students before beginning the unit to gauge students ability to use the Web 2.0 tool, Jamboard, needed for the End of Unit Assignment. Additionally, students will complete a pre-assessment on their background knowledge of parts of a plant. The assessment will question students on their understanding of living things and their knowledge of plant structures.

5. Write learning objectives for the learning goal and each of the prerequisites:

Lesson 1 Day 1 and 2: Label the parts of a flower using a word bank.

• Students will need to have an understanding of different plants and their structures.
• Students will need to know how to identify different parts of a flower.

-Roots, leaves, flower, stem

• Students will need to know what makes plants grow and survive.
• Students will need to manipulate images inserted, and use the images to label the parts of the plant.

Lesson 2: Draw and label a picture of a lima bean plant seedlings when sprouted.

Lesson 3: Insert text to write about how a paper helicopter is like a maple seed.

Lesson 4: Insert text to identify similarities between the beak of the kingfisher and the bullet train.

Lesson 5: Insert images of your raft design. Use a combination of drawing, labeling, and voice recording to describe your design.

Sequence of Events: Google Slide Presentation (Lesson 1), Google Slide Presentation (Lesson 2), Google Slide Presentation (Lesson 3), Google Slide Presentation (Lesson 4)

        Each lesson’s sequence is broken down into a google slide presentation. Activities and guidance can be found in each presentation. There are multiple technology and media resources incorporated into this unit. Students will utilize the online platform Jamboard during each lesson. Students will use their Chromebook to access Jamboard. Students will watch multiple videos throughout the lesson to aid science instruction. Multiple learner’s needs are met through differentiated instruction. By utilizing Jamboard throughout the unit, it provides learners with opportunities to showcase their understanding in different ways (differentiation taken from Needs Analysis): visual diagram, word bank, explicit directions, fill in the blank for scaffolding (task 1), free draw opportunities to show what they learned which provides learners with creative ability (task 3), opportunity for voice recordings which appeals to auditory learners (task 4), opportunity for students to create their own hands on design of a raft (task 5) which appeals to tactile learners.

Progress Monitoring: Click HERE for each lesson’s performance task (taken from Needs Analysis). Click HERE for rubrics outlined in these lessons.

Students’ progress will be monitored through Jamboard activities that check for understanding throughout each lesson. Performance tasks will be completed through the online platform Jamboard. This MCPS Science Curriculum was adapted within the framework of Smaldino, Lowther, and Russel (2012) to design and conduct the learner analysis. They suggest that the learner analysis should focus on three aspects: general characteristics, specific entry competencies, and learning styles. Each learner’s needs in the classroom are met through differentiated instruction as well as UDL principles: Multiple Means of Representation, Action and Expression, and Engagement. Students are given a variety of opportunities to showcase their understanding through Jamboard features (i.e., examples found in chart above). In this unit, students' different backgrounds and experiences were kept in mind. The classroom teacher provides students with adequate opportunities to learn how to navigate and use Jamboard in order to be successful in this Unit.