Andrea Paniagua-Mejia

ETEC 570

E-Learning Project
Website link: https://mejia5thgradescience.weebly.com

Course Description:

Course Welcome Message: We are excited to welcome students and parents to our 5th-grade
science website. Here you will find important information and links that will guide you
throughout our school year science curriculum on Matter using the California Next Generation
Science Standards. It is designed for 5th-grade elementary students or anyone who is curious to
expand their learning on Matter. This course covers four weeks of instructional material on
Matter and its Interactions. It requires students to work independently, in a whole group, and
small group setting. Activities will be completed in class as well as collaboratively online using
Google applications.
Site Design:

I tried to make the site aesthetically pleasing with the least amount of distractions possible. Since
my website targets young students, I need to assure that everything that is placed on the site is
relevant to the course. Students are easily distracted and can easily be lost with overwhelming
information. Simplicity makes things easy to follow, organized, and not overly stimulated, which
allows fifth-grade students to concentrate on their objective.

The tabs are located on the top and appear on every page for guidance. Each tab is labeled
correctly and follow the same structure. Keeping the same page structure allows students to
become familiarized with the page and become well aware of where and how to locate the
information they need.

On the pages themselves, I used large headers to organize important information. The home
screen includes information about the course, a list of course objectives, a list of materials, and
an overview of the course sequence. On the project page, I outline the project objectives,
introduced the project, the tasks for the project, and the process students should follow.

On each weekly pages, I included the objectives, the class activities, and links to the
assignments, which they can also find on the Google Classroom. By placing blue links to the
assignments students can make sure that they have accessed the correct document on Google
Classroom. By identifying the links with the color blue, the student can easily distinguish them
in order to use them. For the class activities, I used sub-headers to show what activities should
be done individually, with their group, and as a class. This structure helps students easily
navigate the site and allows students to easily know what is expected of them. I also used an
additional tab with extra resources to assist my students to better understand the content. By
providing clear instructions, audio, and visuals I am able to assure I target all of my students
based on their learning needs. I also assure that hands-on activities are implemented within, to
assure my students can demonstrate their knowledge.

The quizzes are all 10 point quizzes. I provide the opportunity for my students to study
vocabulary and examples by having them log into Quizlet. This provides a fun interactive study
session to help stimulate their learning.

Course Guide:
● Students are enrolled in my 5th-grade classroom
● Students will participate in an independent, small group, and whole group instruction and
activities.
● Students will participate in in-class discussions and will meet as a group online within
Google Classroom using Google applications, to complete assignments.
● The course was developed using the Next Generation Science Standards
● This course has four weeks of an instructional time frame in which students complete in-
class activities, group discussions, and a finalized written report with a creative project.
 ● Students will complete their assignments with minimal teacher guidance. The teacher will
be seen as a facilitator during this course. The teacher is to clarify any questions students
may have and may also guide instruction to assure students obtain a full understanding of
the day's lesson.
● This course uses a variety of teacher-made presentations and activities.
● This course also implements a section with readings and videos to develop a better
understanding for the students.

Weekly Guide:

● Week 1: Introduction to Matter

● Week 2: Introduction to Mixtures vs Solutions
● Week 3: Physical vs Chemical Change
● Week 4: Putting it all together

Week 1: Introduction to Matter

Students read the informational text, States of Matter, and determine the meaning of each key
term using context clues from the text. They will complete the vocabulary organizer after reading
the text. Students will discuss their thoughts on the reading in their small groups. They will then
contribute to their cumulative project, writing a summary using key-terms and examples.

Week 2: Introduction to Mixtures and Solutions

Students read the informational text, Mixtures Science & Literacy, and Solutions Science and
Literacy, and determine the meaning of each key term using context clues from the text. They
will complete the vocabulary organizer after reading the text. Students will discuss their thoughts
on the reading in their small groups. They will then contribute to their cumulative project,
writing a summary using key-terms and examples.

Week 3: Introduction to Chemical and Physical Changes:

Students will watch a video that will help them develop a phenomenon. Students will write down
observations and things that they wonder. They will discuss in groups to construct a phenomenon
between a chemical change and a physical change. Students will discuss their thoughts in their
small groups. They will then continue to the different stations where they will apply their
understanding of a chemical vs a physical change. They will then contribute to their cumulative
project, writing a summary using key-terms and examples.

Week 4/Project Finalization:

Students begin this course by creating groups and starting on their cumulative project. Students
will continuously revisit the project and apply what they have learned during the week. Each
group will upload a discussion report describing their new knowledge of Matter and its
interactions. They will develop a cumulative project with information they have collected
throughout the unit. They will submit a written portion of the project and present a presentation
to the class. They can present their information in a variety of ways approved by the teacher.

Extra Resources:
By providing students with extra resources, and the opportunity for extra credit provides students
with a sense of accomplishment as they are assuring that they are doing everything possible to
increase and better their grades. By doing so, they are simultaneously increasing their content
understanding. Videos and interactive websites allow for even my lowest performing students to
obtain a better understanding of the content. It also provoides students a resource to review
before the quiz as well as closer to the end of the year, as everyone prepares to take the state
science assessment.

Design Reasoning:

This class is structured very similarly to my current fifth-grade classroom. I am adamant in

implementing technology in my classroom. I believe that using technology efficiently provides
my stduetns a sense of responisbility, independence, and enthusiasm in their learning. They no
longer need to solemnly depend on my instructions, but instead, they are capable of taking
control and submitting activities at their own pace and work collaboratively with tier classmates
inside as well as outside of the classroom.

Time is given throughout the unit to work on the written group assignment. This allows students
to have important discussions that will enhance their understanding of the content. By providing
students with a range of opportunities to work independently, small group, and as a whole group.
It keeps everyone connected to their learning and provides the responsibility back to the students.
The tecaher in this course is simply seen as afacillitator. Students take lead and contorl of their
learning. A variety of information is presented in various different formats to help all students
with different learning abilities. Groups were arranged by the teacher to assure that all students
can work cooperatively and have a fair opportunity to speak up and collaborate with their
classmates.
The Next Generation Science Standards encourages the implementation of a student-developed
phenomenon. Taking this into consideration, I developed the opportunity for students to either
begin a lesson each week with either a presentation or video. This allows students to write down
their observations and things that they wonder. This will lead to an overall science phenomenon,
with a group discussion, followed by a whole group instruction, a meaningful phenomenon will
be developed. This phenomenon will lead our instruction.

Each lesson ends with an assessment. This takes place in form of a Google form, which is an
online quiz. Students are familiar with this form of assessment. This will provide the teacher
with an overall class evaluation. It will allow the teacher to analyze the students understanding,
which will guide instruction. Besides the quizzes, I assess students based on their group
discussions, online collaborations, independent class activities, and a final project.

Next Generation Science Standards:

5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
5-PS1-2: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change
that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
5-PS1-3: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
5-PSI-4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances
results in new substances.

Learning Objectives and Explanation

Remember Objective:
Objective: Students will recall that matter can be changed in different ways.

Explanation: Students need to remember the idea that matter can go through different changes,
solid, liquid, and gas, based on observable characteristics. This objective falls in the Remember
classification because it involves students to retain the general concept that matter can go
through different changes, and those changes represent either a chemical or physical change.

Understand Objective:
Objective: Students will be able to identify and explain the difference between a physical
versus a chemical reaction.
Explanation: It is essential for students to understand the difference between a physical and
chemical change. This objective falls in the Understand classification because they need to
identify that a chemical change occurs when a substance changes into a new substance with new
properties. They also need to understand that a physical change is a change of matter that may
change the appearance of a substance, but does not create a new substance.

Apply Objective:
Objective: Students will be able to categorize different substances based on their characteristics,
and whether the substance is experiencing a physical or chemical change.

Explanation: Students need to apply their knowledge of chemical versus physical change. This
objective falls in the Apply classification because students demonstrate their understanding that
objects have observable characteristics to help identify their property. By categorizing specific
properties they are implementing their understanding of the content being presented.

Analyze Objective:
Objective: Students will be able to compare & contrast the different characteristics of chemical
and physical changes as they review a restaurant menu. They will need to analyze the food item
and indicate its category of physical or chemical change.

Explanation: This objective falls in the Analyze classification because it will allow students to
apply their knowledge to organize the different properties by their distinguishable characteristics.
For example, if they observe temperature change, bubbles, odor change, color change, etc., by
combining one or more substances, then they would identify the change as chemical.

Evaluate Objective:
Objective: Students will be given a cumulative activity in which they will be completed with a
small group from the beginning of the unit. Based on their discussions and understanding they
will develop a final project containing their summarized understanding of each activity and how
each activity connects to their understanding of Matter and its Interactions.

Explanation: It is important that students are given the opportunity to interact with a variety of
activities, independent, audio, visual, kinesthetic, to be able to analyze each activity. This
objective falls in the Evaluate classification because it entitles students to evaluate a substance
and make a decision based on their understanding of the matter unit.

Create Objective:
Objective: Students will be able to develop a project representing their understanding of Matter.
Students can present their project in a variety of forms. Students will develop a cumulative
project with the information they have collected throughout the unit. They will submit a written
portion of the project and present a different form of presentation to the class. They can present
their information in a variety of ways approved by the teacher. Students may present their project
by Google Slide presentation, children’s book, video, art gallery, song, poem, etc.

Explanation: This objective falls in the Create classification because it allows the students to
develop an independent project and demonstrate their creativity and understanding of both
chemical and physical properties.