Notes+from+chat+1st+October

Taken By Lilian Moore. 1/10/ 11pm =**//How can we reduce the environmental impact of packaging around the school?//**=
 * Notes from chat between Lilian Moore and Cass Cook 1st October 2009.**
 * Running with Inquiry question

Lesson 1: Just a few more points that may be of importance: Maybe have a quick 5 minute walk around the school yard in the introduction to see what packaging is lying around on the groundand how it is polluting the yards, so that the students can see why they are undertaking these lessons. I think its important that if the students are going to be looking at solutions to a problem then maybe they should see why the problem is so big. If we were to do that then we could show pictures on the IWB of packaging that is clogging our waterways and parks after we show the pictures of packages in step 2. From then on after the students see the different packaging images, see whats lying around the school yards, and see what effect it then has once it gets swept into our waterways then they can understand how important it is and where the chain starts from when they look at their own lunchbox. Hope that made sense! I know we only have 50 minutes so we have filled a lot of time but how much ICT do you think we need in each lesson. Do you think that we need more computer based stuff in this first lesson?
 * Refine lesson sequence
 * Introduction to the topic;
 * Use IWB for images of packages Introduce
 * Introduce different types of food packaging-physical examples
 * Discuss what is reuseable, recyclable and waste
 * IWB images randomly placed on screen students click and drag to sort into groups- whole class activity- reinforcing the definitions of reduce reuse and recycle
 * students sort the packaging within their own lunchboxes into each of the 3 categories and come up with alternate forms of packaging that can reduce waste. Have students analyse the class bin (as best they can) to see what they have done with their packaging already this day, how much packaging is in there and what could have been recycled, reused.
 * Teacher will record the ideas of alternate forms of packaging on the IWB and add to the class wiki.
 * Wholeclass develop survey questions based on lunchbox activity for members of other grade 4 class - types of packaging in their lunchboxes and ways to reduce waste packaging

Lesson 2: Lesson 3: Special needs student requires specific task description and group. With support of Integration Aide ​ If we are adding a 4th group I think this student may fit well within that group given the tasks they will undertake (Cass ) Lesson 4 : Students present their information to the class- inviting parents and making information available on the intranet- will need technician's help. Group 4 could discuss and distribute posters into each class and give a quick talk on what they have learnt.
 * Divide students into 3 groups- competent students are grouped with those who require more assistance
 * Teacher sorts groups prior to the lesson
 * Group 1 will use the "Why Recycle" resource from the learning federation - explore ways to reduce the effects of packaging on the environment
 * students in group 1 will share their findings on the class wiki
 * Group 2 Devise survey questions- must be specific- simple collation conduct survey to other grade 4 class. The questions have been devised at the tuning in stage (lesson 1) so here at the finding out stage is where the survey should be conducted (Cass). Could we make it a whole school survey of random people in each class. That way it will become a whole school based inquiry and make the students feel like they are making a difference. If we have 3 groups then 8 people in ea ch group will need to be actively involved.
 * Group 3 will explore the environmental benefits of reduce, reuse and recycle using 'Ollie's world'.
 * Group 4 - Not sure if another group is needed but Im putting it out there. I just think if we have 3 groups then that is alot of people in each group and maybe could break it down again. Group 4 could be based around really making adifference in the school yard and go even furthur into the inquiry based question. This group could makes notes on how many bins there were around the school, how many recycling bins in each classroom, where does most the rubbish sit in relation to the bins. The students could then type up this information on the wiki and publish their results.
 * Group 1 present information that describes ways to reduce the effects of packaging on the environment
 * Group 2 Collect and collate results of survey explain results
 * Group 3 present research information explaining the environmental benefits of reduce, reuse and recycle.
 * Group 4 using Microsoft Publisher develop posters and fact sheets to put in each class room and around the school on minimising packaging, reducing waste and recycling.
 * Decide on format of presentation.
 * Group 1 poster with narrative.
 * Group 2 graph with written analysis explaining the results
 * Group 3 Powerpoint

  