Online Exercise 7: Standards

Locate a state standard(s) for the grade you are teaching. Identify a standard that can be addressed through a short unit (one to five days).

Alabama Science Course of Study--Seventh Grade8.) 10.) Identify differences between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

Examples:
- DNA-double helix, contains thymine;
- RNA-single stranded, contains uracil
• Identifying Watson and Crick as scientists who discovered the shape of the DNA molecule

Now visit the ISTE NETS standards to see whether one or more of those is appropriate for helping you meet the content standard(s) you have selected.

National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Students

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
d. process data and report results.

If so, identify the tools, such as software or websites that you will be using or have used in a past lesson. Now that you have the standards in mind and have selected your technology, think about how you might assess or did assess whether your students have met the standard(s).

Tools:

http://www.dnaftb.org
http://www.dnalc.org/websites/
http://www.dnai.org/
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/dna/allabout_12.asp

Will you use quizzes? Tests?

I will probably use a quiz or test to assess student learning at the end of the unit.

A performance-based task?

I will have students create some type of model comparing the structure of DNA and RNA after using the sites to do research. I will also have students complete a web-based scavenger hunt using the four sites listed.

Next, think about the learning activities.

How will each activity address the standard(s) you have selected?

Students will apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information when they do the research for creating their model. Students will locate, organize, analyze, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media in completing the scavenger hunt.

How will the activities help your students succeed on the assessment?

The model will require students to apply the knowledge they gathered during research and that information will be presented on the assessment. Also, the scavenger hunt will be used as a study guide for the assessment.