HayleyPlybon

KateConway
SophieHebble
AlyPetti

Case4UsingaDichotomousKey

Overview

Todaywearegoingtoexplainwhatadichotomouskeyisand
howtousethemtoidentifyIndianaleaves.

Descriptionof
Learners,Learning
Environment,
IntendedLearning
Goals,andLesson
Content

Objectives

Thelearnerswouldbestudentsaround9thgradeinterestedin
learningaboutbiologyandidentifyingdifferentIndianaleaves
usingadichotomouskey.
Themainlessonwouldbeintheclassroom,andtheactivity
wouldbeoutsidewherethereisanabundanceoftrees.
Fromthisactivitywewantourstudentstounderstandthe
differentcharacteristicsofleavesandhowtoeffectivelyusea
dichotomouskey.
Ourlessoncontentconsistsof:
definitionofdichotomouskey
advantages/disadvantages
whytheyareused
the3maincharacteristicsoftrees
alternatevs.opposite
simple,compound,doublycompound
leafmargins
entire,singlytoothed,doublytoothed,
lobed

Usingadichotomouskey,thelearnerswillbeabletoclassify
leaveswithin2minutesoftheleavesbeingshowntothem.

Givenpriorinformation,thelearnerswillbeabletoclassify
whetheraleafissimple,compound,ordoublycompoundin
under30seconds.

Givenpriorinformation,thelearnerswillbeabletoclassify
whetheraleafisentire,singletoothed,ordoublytoothedin
under30seconds.

Standards

PSS1.1Explainsystemsusedtoclassifyplants

Materials

powerpointmadeaboutleavesandtheircharacteristics

dichotomouskeyforeachstudent

Procedures

References

1. Showpowerpointaboutdichotomouskeys
a. explainwhatadichotomouskeyis
b. theadvantages/disadvantages
c. the3characteristicsyoulookfortodeterminealeaf
2. Passoutdichotomouskeystoeveryone
3. Showvideoofleavesbeingclassified
a. practicetheexamplegiveninthepowerpoint
4. Askifthereareanyfurtherquestions
5. TraveltoHorticultureParkwithdifferentIndianatrees(found
previouslybyteacher)
6. Practiceidentifyingtreeswithdichotomouskey

Assessment

videomade
treespreviouslypickedoutatpark

EichingerD.,SheetzC.,(2015).
BiologyforElementarySchool
Teachers.
Buford,GA:LADCustomPublishingInk(4954)

Ingroups,studentscanidentifyspecificleavesusingadichotomous
key.Inordertoknowifweareassessingthemcorrectly,wecouldgive
themahomeworkassignmentof10leaves,andiftheyget7outof10
intheirsmallgroups,thenasateacher,wecanknowtheyunderstand
whatwastaught.


b.WechosetodosciencefromtheSTEMsubjectareas.InBiology205,ourlearning
communityrecentlylearnedaboutusingDichotomouskeysanddidanactivityatHorticulture
ParkidentifyingdifferentIndianaleavesusingthegivenkey.Becauseweenjoyeditsomuch,
wefounditappropriatetousetheinformationtaughtasalessonplanin9thgradeBiology,
specificallybecausewedidthissameactivityinhighschoolourselves.Wefoundthe
informationfromourlabpacketinBiology205.Weknowthisinformationiscrediblebecause
ourprofessor,DavidEichinger,whohasaPhD,wrotethelabpackethimself.Inthepowerpoint
wemade,weareusingnotesthatwetookinBiology205.Thetechnologythatweareusingto
createthislessonplanisPowerpoint,togiveabriefoverviewofwhatadichotomouskeyisand
howtoidentifyaleaf.WealsousedtheInternet,toaccesspicturesandextrainformation
neededtomakethislessonplandetailed.Inordertoteachthisinformation,thepowerpointwill
actasthenotesfortheteacher.Shewillthengointofurtherdetailassheexplainshowto
identifyleaves.WealsowillbeusingiMovietocreateavideothatdescribesthedifferent
characteristicsofleafsandanexampleofhowtouseadichotomouskey.Inourvideo,wewill
givethem4opportunitiestopracticeusingadichotomouskeybeforetakingthemtoanearby
park.

Niess,M.L.(2005).Preparingteacherstoteachscienceandmathematicswithtechnology:Developinga

technologypedagogicalcontentknowledge.
Teachingandteachereducation
,
21
(5),509523.

Thisjournalarticle,
Preparingteacherstoteachscienceandmathematicswithtechnology,
discussestheimportanceofintegratingtechnologyintheclassroom.PCK,orthePreserviceteachers
pedagogicalcontentknowledgestudiedthedifficultiesandsuccessesthatstudentshadthroughoutthe
studyusingtechnology.Ourgroupalsofounditimportanttoincludetechnologyinoursciencebasedlesson
plan.Becausetechnologyisquicklybecomingusedeveryday,weincorporateditbyinvolvingavideothat
allowedourstudentstopracticeidentifyinganIndianaleafbeforegoingouttoHorticultureParkanddoingit
bythemselves.Technologycanallowteacherstoteachalessonindifferentandexcitingnewways
everyday.

Herreid,C.F.(1997).May612WhatsNextforCaseStudyTeachinginScience?.
JournalofCollege
ScienceTeaching
,
27
(2),9294.

Ourgroupfoundthisjournalarticle,
WhatsNextforCaseStudyTeachinginScience?
,from2015
veryappropriatebecauseinEDCI,wepracticeCaseStudiesallthetime.Insteadofdoingaregularlecture,
whichcanbehardtoretaininformation,acasestudyallowsyoutopracticedifferentexamplesfromdifferent
scenarios.Inourlessonplanandmorespecificallyinourvideo,weallowedthestudentstodoanexample
ofidentifyingaspecificleafbeforegoingtoHorticulturePark.Althoughwespecificallydidntincludeacase
studyinourlessonplan,itwouldbeagoodideatoincludeoneifweneededtofillmoretimeinourlesson
plan.Itcouldbeagoodwaytowrapupthedichotomouskeylessonplan.