Schedule
Three 45-minute classroom sessions.
Goals
Peer teaching: Students will teach other members of their class about the biome they have studied so that all class members have information on all biomes. Public speaking and presentation: Students will prepare for and present their learning to families.
Materials
Presentation planners, written assessments
Procedures
Students will work in their small groups to each complete a written presentation planner. They will decide which students will present which information in their practice presentation to classmates and then for a culminating presentation to families. For the practice student share, each of the six groups gets five minutes to present their biome and answer question from peers. For the family share, usually the next day, students will present their model to groups of families who are rotating throughout the classroom to see all six models.
Assessment
Formal: End of Unit Written Assessment, teachers review planners
Informal: Teacher observation of discussions and presentations
Suggestions for Teachers
- Make sure that each student in each group completes a planner.
- Explicitly teach enunciation and eye contact as communication and presentation skills.
- Have chairs put away to allow room for models, students, and families.
- At the share, take a moment to review the steps of this entire curriculum so that families understand the depth of the work. Or a group of students could be prepped and do this.