I read the "BYOD-to-Discover-Tree-Species" lesson created by Sarah Adcock, Jesse Antuma, Wilbur Tong, and Sara Abraham. I enjoyed this lesson plan very much because it incorporated the idea of using both technology and the natural environment to learn about science. Field trips and using the enviornment around you for education is not as common as it once was due to the advancement of technology and budget cuts made by education districts. This lesson plan incorporated the use of cell phones/student technology in order for students to identify plant/fruit species in the environment around them. The lesson plan demonstrated a well-though-out process of engaging students with real plants and fruits in order to become familiar with indntification techniques but in a fun and innovative way. The students were able to leave the classroom while also participating in a formal lesson--allowing students to retain information. The group created a lesson plan that was condusive to learning essential plant/fruit identification techniques which were outlined before leaving the classroom. The balance of formality and innovation was present in this lesson which I appreciated as a nature lover and a teacher.
Another aspect of their lesson plan that I enjoyed was the explicit direction of "Teach[ing] students ways to use their senses of smell, feel, and even taste, depending on the plant species being studied to make evidence based inference about the species they are observing." This step in their lesson allows students to learn skills that are usefull not only in science but in everyday life. This lesson plan provides opportunity for students to become intune with human instincts ans senses that can help them become better learners and more aware human beings. I feel as though this lesson taught students more than plant/fruit identification but an appreciation of physical and human nature.
This lesson plan reminded me of what I did this summer with the 6th graders at Scarlett Middle School. Our summer project was set up in a way that made students explore the Scarlett Forest but allowed them to use technology to further their knowledge around the plants, animal species, and weather they exprienced while exploring. I found this technique to be very useful in assisting students to retain complex information that would have been more difficult otherwise.
