Using Cooperative Learning to Design Scientific Experiments, Essay Example

Overview of the Lesson/Module:

Students will be grouped according to individual abilities. Each group will consist of an individual with strong artistic skills, strong writing skills, strong research skills, and strong critical thinking skills. In groups, students will be asked to determine a scientific question that they could make a research project for and perform it in class. Students will be asked to determine what steps and materials they need to accomplish this. Internet sources will be used as needed to determine what other scientists have done previously to answer the question. They will then carryout their experiment, and create a presentation including a written report with drawings of the actual experiment. Some group work will be collaboratory and some group work will be individualized, focusing on the strengths that each student has to offer. The goal of this project is to promote the ability of individuals to work in a group in a format that promotes different group members taking on different tasks to ensure that the group project could move forward in a meaningful way.

Objectives of the Lesson/Module:

To conduct and report on a scientific experiment using group collaboration.

Primary Resources:

The primary resource used will be Internet resources that students will discover on their own.

Additional Supplemental Resources:

Students that speak a native language other than English will be provided with dictionaries or online translators to help them translate their vocabulary to the English language. Students may also refer to library books and Internet resources to conduct further research.

Activities, Timeline/Due dates:

Day 1: Pick a topic with group members and begin conducting research. List all steps and tools needed for the experiment.

Day 2: Gather supplies and set up the experiment. Conduct experiment and record results.

Day 3: Complete drawings of the experiment and begin the written report.

Day 4: Review the drawings and written report as a group to make sure these meet group expectations.

Day 5: Present findings to the class as a group.

Assessment / Grading

Student performance will be assessed based on the presentation and written report they will provide. Points will be given for the ability to work together coherently and remain focused and professional, effectively delegate tasks to team members, to use Internet resources to determine what is needed to perform the experiment, and to write, illustrate, and revise the paper in a manner that creates a consistent product. These points will be made into a rubric on the scale of 0 to 4. Students who surpass these goals will receive a 4 for each point, while those that do not meet them at all will receive a score of 0.