PBL Lesson Plan

Fantasy Baseball and Math PBL
By: Leah Doughman

Overview:
Title: Fantasy Baseball Fact and Opinion

Grade Level: Second Grade

Goals: The goal for this project is to increase student motivation in math and across other subject matter.

Objectives: Listed below are the Georgia Performance Standards as well as the NETS●S standards that will be covered while completing this lesson in a second grade classroom.

GPS:
ELA2R4- This standard states that student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from grade-level text. The student distinguishes fact from fiction in a text.

ELA2W2- This standard states that the student will write in a variety of genres, including narrative, informational, persuasive, and response to literature. The student produces a response to literature that:
a. Captures a reader’s interest by stating an opinion about a text.

NETS●S:
Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
c. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
d. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

Rational:
Recent research has indicated that using sports in the classroom has helped to increase student motivation along with academic improvement in the classroom. This was one of the reasons for implementing this lesson plan as part of the project; it was created to help increase student motivation in math as well as other subjects. My lesson was developed to show that fantasy baseball can be implemented in the lower grade levels and vary across subjects. Fantasy baseball does not have to be carried out in just the upper level math classes. My lesson proves this, and was developed for second grade in a reading or language arts classroom.

Prerequisites:
Teacher(s) must have the fantasy baseball blog created and set up with useful as well as grade appropriate websites (or teachers can use the already created Fantasy Baseball Blog listed in the materials section below). The websites that the teacher wants his or her students to research can and should be listed as a gadget option for the blog. Several websites need to be listed so students have a number of sites to research their baseball player. The VoiceThread link also needs to be listed to the blog so students can post their picture(s) and comments and/or audio to the site. It would also be beneficial if students have previous experience with the blog before completing this assignment. (This may need to be done before fact and opinion lesson is carried out.)

Resources:
Listed below are the materials that are needed to carry out this lesson plan.
- Link to Blogger (allows teachers to create their own blog; if desired)
- Link to Fantasy Baseball Blog (this link takes teachers to an already created fantasy baseball blog)
- Link to VoiceThread
- PowerPoint on How to Create a VoiceThread
- Handouts on How to Create a VoiceThread (for the teacher)
- Rubric of VoiceThread Evaluation

Processes:
1. Before the lesson begins, the teacher needs to have the Fantasy Baseball Blog saved as an icon on the computers. This will help to eliminated wasted time and typing errors in web addresses. The definitions and concepts of fact and opinion should have already been covered too.
2. Activating Strategy: Allow students the opportunity to explore the Fantasy Baseball Blog. Teachers need to be available to assist with any questions or problems that may arise while exploring the blog. The object here is for students to become comfortable with the blog. After exploring the blog and all its components, lead students in a discussion that gets them excited about picking their favorite baseball player. Encourage them to go home and talk with their parents; get the students to find out about their parents favorite baseball player. Students need to understand that they will be doing some research on their favorite baseball player, and that they will be creating a VoiceThread on their player.
3. Once students are familiar with the all the components of the blog, show them an “already-created” VoiceThread. Allow them the opportunity to explore the VoiceThread site as well. Students need to understand that this is where they will be completing their project. This is a great time to share the rubric with the students too. They need to understand and know the requirements of the project. Teacher can go through the rubric with the students to answer questions and eliminate any confusion.
4. Next, provide students with the opportunity to explore and research their player using the “useful website” located on the Fantasy Baseball Blog. They should spend some time researching their player. This will help them to formulate an opinion about their player while gathering numerous facts.
5. While students are researching their player, try to emphasize the relativity of their player to their lives. The object, at this point, is for students to understand that these are real people who live everyday lives like them. They have a home, they go to the grocery store, they went to school, etc. They are not make-believe characters. This could direct the direction of some facts. The goal here is for students to see relativity in their lives to the baseball players lives. (This tends to increase interest too.)
6. Once students have had the opportunity to research their player and gather numerous facts as well as opinions, they need to write (in a sentence that they will record or type) their three facts and one opinion. The next step is for students to create their VoiceThread. The teacher needs to be available at all times to instruct and assist the students. Students need to have their rubrics, research, and sentences available.
7. Allow students the time and opportunity needed to create their VoiceThread (do not rush them or feel like one must complete this project in a day). At all times throughout this project, teachers need to be available to provide continuous assistance. Students should have a minimum of three facts and one opinion about their researched player recorded on the VoiceThread along with a picture of their player when the project is complete, ready to be submitted to the blog.
8. After the creation of the VoiceThreads, VoiceThread presentations will be linked to the Fantasy Baseball Blog. This will allow the VoiceThread link to be embedded into the Fantasy Baseball Blog for other classmates, parents, and classrooms to view. This is also where teachers will view the final projects to complete assessments.
9. Summarizing Activity: The teacher could project the Fantasy Baseball Blog and show some of the completed, linked VoiceThreads to the class. This is an excellent time for teachers and students to assess others work.

Feedback:
Teachers will use a combination of assessments to give continual feedback. Informal observations will be carried out throughout all stages of the project. Questioning will also be another means of assessing student growth and progress throughout this project. Students will be assessed and evaluated on the content in their VoiceThread. They should have at least three facts, one opinion, and picture of their player. The picture(s) should be an accurate picture of their baseball player, and their facts and opinions should be typed or recorded on their VoiceThread link. VoiceThread projects will also be assessed on the neatness and organization of their project. Students and teachers can receive feedback on their projects through blog postings on the Fantasy Baseball Blog from parents as well as other classrooms. Please view the linked rubric above in the materials list to see detailed assessment requirements.