Why is food in the cafeteria being thrown away?

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In this problem-based learning module, students will raise awareness about the amount of excess food wasted each day in America’s schools highlights the consumptive mindset that our county has.  Each day in third world countries, as well as our own, children go without the proper nutrition needed to focus on other activities. This module will raise student awareness about the amount of food taken from the service line and then placed in waste receptacles.  Students will gather and analyze data regarding wasted food in an attempt to design a solution to reduce food waste. Sation rotation will allow to conduct research into the global problems associated with the lack of food and malnutrition. Mathematical skills will be required to calculate rates and percentages of consumption which will be used for analysis.  

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Are we consuming more calories than we are putting out? How is our calorie intake affecting obesity and how do you maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle?

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In this problem-based learning module, students will be asked to brainstorm ideas and think innovatively both independently and collaboratively in addressing a real-world problem that is relevant to their daily lives and  health.  Are students aware of their calorie intake and how it affects their overall health? Students will investigate the calories consumed in a typical day and how much physical activity is needed to stay healthy and fit.  Students/teams will be encouraged to use the internet for research purposes in their design phase. Students will utilize various online platforms to design an infographic that can be shared with relevant individuals in the community and others in the school building

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

How do I plan a party for a given amount of guest for under $2,500?

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In this problem-based learning module, students will be given the chance to plan their idea of the perfect party.  They are given a budget of $2,500, this is the maximum amount of money they can use.  The goal is for students to plan a party that they think people would want to attend and would enjoy being a part of.  The students will need to come up with categories of what their party will need (food/drink, decorations, entertainment, location, etc).  These will then be the stations students will move at their own pace through to complete the party planning.  At each station they will need to identify what they are doing to have/do for the party and how much it will cost.  They will then have to figure out the unit cost (cost per person) for that category. The final station should allow for students to find the total cost of their part and total unit cost per person for the party.  If the total cost exceeds $2,500 students should make adjustments as needed.Students will then create an advertisement (commercial, flyer, poster etc.) to promote their party as the “PARTY OF THE YEAR!”Students will then present these advertisements to school staff, parents, administrators etc. to vote on the party they would want to throw for their own child. They should take into consideration cost per person, entertainment, and enjoyment of the party.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Developing Sound Aligned Assessments and Rubrics

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Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?""Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning?""Is there a way to teach the subject better, therefore promoting better learning?"In problem based learning, assessment needs to not only reflect the learning process but the content being learned as well.This online learning module will explore the following learning targets: •Identify how formative and summative classroom assessments are integral to instruction.•Recognize and develop high-quality performance assessments for evaluating student work.•Recognize and develop high-quality rubrics for evaluating student work.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Antibiotic Resistance

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Antibiotics save people’s lives...and make bacteria stronger and more likely to kill us.  What is the best practice to balance these conflicting issues? In this problem-based learning module, the students will be evaluating real-life medical situations in conjunction with actual staff at those institutions and offering action plans to be ‘implemented’ there.  In order to accomplish this, the science unit will be interlocking with social studies and a language arts unit that will have them identifying target audiences and sculpting a way to present their findings.  This unit has the potential to be a full problem-based unit as well as highly interdisciplinary--it’s connected to full units in social studies and language arts which stand alone but can be fully integrated if desired.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Conducting Scientific Research to Support a Claim

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How can we conduct scientific research so that we have evidence to support a claim?Students in this problem-based learning module are invited to design a testable question to guide Scientific Research, Evaluate the pH of various solutions, Identify Variables, Conduct a Scientific Investigation, and Analyze/Communicate results.    How can we conduct scientific research so that we have evidence to support a claim? Antacid tablets are a multi-billion dollar industry.  Claims are made regularly by certain brands that their extra strength tablets contain “DOUBLE the acid neutralizing power per tablet of regular strength antacids.”  How effective are antacids?  Are double-strength antacids twice as effective as regular strength antacids?  Have you ever noticed a parent/guardian/family member take an antacid tablet? Stomach chemistry is about acids and bases.  When the pH of a stomach is too acidic then it might make the person have a stomach ache.  In some cases “heartburn” or “acid reflux” are used as terms to describe the problems some people face.  Antacids are usually basic which, when taken, might help raise the pH level in a stomach thus making a person feel better.You are invited to design an investigation with a partner, or a team of 4 students, to test your own idea about the effectiveness of antacids.  The challenge?  Have a driving question, clear variable identification, and an analysis of your results.  Materials for your test will be provided to you by your teacher.  At the culmination of your investigation your design team will make a 30-second pitch on your phone to show at your family Thanksgiving meal to explain the benefits (or negatives) of using antacids, and how antacids work.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Making Our School Safe & Accessible

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In this problem-based learning module, students will work collaboratively to improve the accessibility or safety of their school or community. For example, students could identify that accessibility ramps need to be added to the school property or additional sidewalks need to be created/repaired to increase the safety of students as they walk to school. Students would work together to create models of these improvements and create a communications plan that informs the stakeholders of the materials needed to create these improvements (i.e. using volume to determine the amount of concrete, using angles to determine measurements for ramps, etc..).

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

The Drug Resistant Disease Crisis - Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning.

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In this problem-based learning module, students will work together collaboratively to establish questions and develop these questions into claims after being presented with the problem “How are today’s living standards contributing to the drug resistance disease crisis and what needs to be done to begin to reverse the effects of the contributing factors?”  The students will then work collaboratively to continue researching and will use the research to create a collaborative electronic public service announcement to go along with an individually written letter which will be sent to either a state representative, the FDA, lead community personnel, etc. Both products, the PSA and the letter will include their well defined claim, supported with evidence and backed up with reasoning.Prior to beginning module, please note: Module can be completed in isolation, or can be completed in conjunction with modules "Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Policy" (science) and/or Advancing Change through Public Awareness (social studies) as part of a full interdisciplinary unit between 8th grade social studies, language arts and science.  This would allow for students to have a wider array of questions to guide their claims and the students could build the PSA in social studies and write the letter in Language Arts.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Natural Selection and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

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In this problem-based learning module, students will examine how natural selection is involved in the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.  They will evaluate methods to preventing antibiotic resistant bacteria from developing.  Finally students will synthesize a plan to educate community members on preventing the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

The Importance of Teaching 21st Century Skills

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Every school system is unique, but we are all connected by a shared aspiration: that all students have an educational experience that prepares them for success in college, in careers, and in life. Now more than ever, educators must not only provide rigorous academic content, but we must also be more intentional about fostering critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and other 21st century skills that our young people need to navigate this complex, rapidly changing world. Download this common cartridge file for professional learning on 21st Century Skills

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network

Statistics and the internet: Is the internet trustworthy?

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Students will explore the overarching question, is the internet trustworthy?, while expanding their knowledge of statistics and comparing data sets.  They will compare two data sets as well as determine the accuracy or bias of data representations shown on the internet. Students will then have the opportunity to apply their knowledge while creating their own visual representations for data they personally collected regarding the trustworthiness of the internet.  The module concludes with a peer showcase and the post-assessment.

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Blended Learning Teacher Practice Network