Name: Erica Hutchings

PART A:
This assignment will give students a chance to convert one of their favorite personal experience
MULTI-MEDIA
AUTHORING
stories into a podcast in the tradition
of StoryCorps.
A great way toTEMPLATE
get students interested and
engaged in science is through sharing stories that have connections between science and its real
world applications. This project engages very high-order thinking processes and creativity and is
capable of reaching every level of Blooms, as well as LoTi level 5. This is due to the fact that this
project is constructivist and inquiry-based by design and allows for students to use technology in a
variety of creative ways. It is capable of reaching level 5 because students can publish their work and
share it with other students in their classroom, as well as outside their walls through projects, such as
Storycorps.
Grade Level: High School
Content Area: Biology
Technology Used (check all that apply): Movie Audio Podcast Vodcast Other: (list)
Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed:
NGSS
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earths Surface Processes: The abundance of liquid water on Earths
surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planets
dynamics. These properties include waters exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large
amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and
lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks.
LS1.A: Structure and Function: Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the
essential functions of life. Feedback mechanisms maintain a living systems internal conditions within
certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and functional even as external
conditions change within some range.
LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms: Cellular respiration is a chemical
process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds
are formed that can transport energy to muscles. Cellular respiration also releases the energy needed
to maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy transfer to the surrounding environment.
LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: Organisms, and populations of organisms, are
dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
Common Core CCSS
Habits of Mind - SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.
ELA-Literacy.SL6.2: Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats and explain how it
contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.3: Delineate a speakers
argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.
Brief Description of Learning Experience:
Many of the additional learning standards above are derived specifically from my selected audio
project. The actual standards addressed will be highly individualized for students given the nature of
the project and the ability to select any story and scientific connections that result. This project will be
introduced by having students first listen to some selections from Storycorps and/or Telbio. Students
will then be encouraged to break into groups and think of possible stories that they might be able to
tell to peers or other similarly-aged students to help get them excited about biology. They will be
asked to provide a podcast with their voice and at least one source of music or sound effects, as well
as an associated handout that delves further into the science aspects of their project and an informal
script or outline detailing their ideas. The goal of this project is to use every day language to
contextually introduce scientific concepts and vocabulary in a way that is interesting to an audience
that might not know as much about science, or even the English language. They will be required to
cite sources properly.
Students will have ample time to complete this assignment, and publishing/sharing with other
classmates will be entirely optional. The teacher access all projects and will provide feedback;
however, students will be encouraged to publish and share so that their peers can access their work.
For students who choose to share, feedback/questions will be welcome from the rest of the class.
Student Engagement/Higher-Order Thinking: What LoTi level would this lesson be and
Why? Which indicators of Engaged Learning are strong and why?
This will reach LoTi level 4 for all students and level 5 for some students who choose to publish and share their work online.
This was already discussed above, but the reasoning for such high levels is related to the extent to which the technology is used
in making these constructivist projects and the creativity and thought processes involved therein. There is a direct connection to
real-world applications between the story selected and science involved, and students will use each and every level of Blooms
during the process of creating these presentations. The higher order Blooms levels that are highlighted the most are:
understanding, applying, evaluating, and creating.