Daily Lesson Plan

Cooperative Learning

 

  1. Teacher Information

Title of Lesson: Fun Factories

Standards: Science: (environment, applying)

Math: (basic multiplication, connections)

Learning Styles: Gardner: verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalistic, visual-spatial

Objectives:

  1. Academic: Upon completion of this lesson, students will demonstrate their knowledge and discuss the relevance of the Environmental Protection Agency to their lives by incorporating it using a Play-Doh Fun Factory and using basic multiplication facts to solve problems dealing with cost. Each cooperative group must submit a written document of their ideas on how to solve the problem of waste in their factory and their 100% complete order form.
  2. Social: Each student will effectively and appropriately share his/her ideas and opinions within their assigned group.

Sharing Ideas and Opinions

Looks Like Sounds Like

  • Many speakers
  • Nodding heads
  • Listening
  • Lines of Communication
  • Busy
  • Interesting
  • Noisy
  • Various voices
  • "I agree/disagree..."
  • "I think..."
  • "This is how I see it..."

Student Level: 6th Grade

Time Required: 1 hour (conducting this activity on Earth Day would be beneficial)

Background Information:

The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment -- air, water, and land -- upon which life depends.

The EPA's purpose is to ensure that all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn, and work. They see that national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information. The EPA establishes federal laws protecting human health and the environment and makes certain these laws are enforced fairly and effectively. Another responsibility of the EPA is to see that all parts of society -- communities, individuals, business, state and local governments, tribal governments -- have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks. The EPA contributes greatly to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable, and economically productive. The United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.

Source: "EPA." Online. Internet. Available: epa.org. 25 March, 1999.

Prerequisite Information:

Materials:

Group Size: 4 Roles: Boss, Technician, Production Manager,

Quality Control

  1. Teaching Procedures

Introduction of Lesson:

Development of Procedure (Concept):

Positive Interdependence: Each student must make one Play-Doh item.

Individual Accountability: Each student will write one idea about how to reduce the waste their group created.

Evaluation: Each cooperative group must submit a written document of their ideas on how to solve the problem of waste in their factory. Groups will also submit their order forms to show multiplication was completed correctly.

 

 

  1. Extensions
  2. Resources

    Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Holubec, E. J. (1993). Cooperation in the classroom. Edina, Minnesota: Interaction Book Company.

     

Observation Sheet

 

Students________________________________________

Group number_________

Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Total

Contributes Ideas
Encourages Participation
Checks for Understanding
Relates New to Old Learning
Gives and Receives Direction

When a group member performs an action, place a tally mark in the box accordingly.

Total the tally marks at the end of the cooperative learning lesson.



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 "published 10/06/99"
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