Week 7 TPACK questions

Content
I will be addressing the Utah State requirements “Social Studies - Geography for Life” Standard 3, Objective 2: “Students will understand how physical processes shape the earth’s surface” and specifically “assess the characteristics and location of ecosystems” on a 2nd grade level. One of the specifications addresses using geographic tools to identify the location of various ecosystems. Therefore, I will have a unit on ecosystems in my class, and as part of that unit we will complete this activity over the course of a week, looking at one specific ecosystem each day. We will experience different kinds of ecosystems that exist on Earth, learn about their qualities, and why they exist where they do.

Pedagogy
I will be using whole class discussions to open each session of this lesson as we use Google Earth to find at least one example of each ecosystem. This lesson will be the introduction to a unit of study that goes further in depth about each kind of ecosystem we address in this lesson, as well as other ecosystems that may come up as the unit progresses. To start out we will have a brief discussion and review about the general characteristics of each ecosystem, using Google Earth. Then, also as a whole class or in small groups, we will complete a hands-on activity related to that ecosystem. Using both direct instruction and inquiry-based learning will be useful to help students grasp concepts and maintain ownership of their own learning.

Technology
We will be using Google Earth to complete this lesson. It is a very useful tool to give children a glimpse into what the world looks like in other parts of the planet. It is easy to use, which is important when working with children. Giving students the knowledge of how to use it will enable interested students to search it on their own time to discover more about the world around them. It is also a good tool for both individual and group work.