Awesome ideas for our project and lots of work today!

And even more coming, this exhibit at the Austin Public Library that opens tomorrow explores all avenues of early Austin food, including what food was indeed local, how food was prepared, how and where people shopped for food, what it cost, and where people went out to eat.  !!!

http://library.austintexas.gov/press-release/how-prepare-possum-19th-century-cuisine-austin

Fits like a glove!

Exploring our authentic audience options

Am keeping my fingers crossed!  I just emailed Chid Nutrition Services to ask them for their collaboration with this project.

TEKS Party!

Selecting and aligning the TEKS that are going to be addressed through our project is a enlightening task!
It has make me reflect on the need for Science TEKS to be a part of this amazing experience. We are investing such a great amount of time, effort, money and human resources. The learning is going to be huge in Math, language Arts, Social Studies an Health, but it needs to be some Elementary Science too.

Video/Image Resources for the Flood

We searched for various videos/images to flood students with before they get into groups to carry out their own mind mapping activity.  Our idea was to use QR codes as the instrument to initially expose students to this concept.  Teachers will carry out a mind mapping activity at the beginning to model the process. 

Super Size Me Intro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H156Z08Pck0

Super Size Surgeon General clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N5i-0t8m94

What are Chicken Nuggets made of?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T67DvoH2H3E

Pros and Cons of Vegan Diets for kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5nQpbvQe_c

Calories and Nutrition Facts Cartoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0O87gWv-Xk

Why we gain weight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4yfULy2RjA

Little Chef

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QHCzAkUII

4^th Grader Documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQo1D3v8Y98

.gov

http://challenge.gov/search?utf8=✓&terms=food

Amazing Junk Food Facts

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/03/10-interesting-junk-food-facts/

25 Amazing Food Facts

http://www.naturalnews.com/specialreports/25-amazing-facts-about-food.pdf

Families that eat together, stay together

http://www.antartica.cl/antartica/servlet/LibroServlet?action=browseSubCategoria&id_subcategoria=666&id_categoria=7&pagina_actual=1&orderBy=-1

Fast food nation

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1654

Topics for Daily Reflection

When we met today we talked about how important it is for students to reflect each day.  We considered topics to reflect on and want to offer sentence stems to help students get started with their reflecting.  Below we are including possible topics for students to reflect on:

-What learning did I acquire today?
-What learning do I still need?
-How did I contribute to the work my group is doing?
-How did I collaborate with others?
-What are my next steps?
-What can I do to improve on my collaborative skills?
-What type of technology needs do I/my group have?

Timeline of Activities

While meeting today, we decided it would be a good idea to create a timeline of dates certain tasks would need to be completed in order for everyone to stay on track and meet the final deadline for presenting findings to the targeted audience.  Below is the start of the timeline we created:

Week 1
Day 1: Problem Statement and Groups identified
            -Teambuilding
            -Entry Event (Video/Image Flood, Mind Mapping 2x-group/individual, self-guided exploration)
            -Math Workshop
            -LA Workshop
            -Read Aloud
            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 2: Presentation Format
            -Teambuilding
            -Lesson on Technology Apps/Resources (through the use of QR Codes)
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading           
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 3: Target Audience narrowed/identified
            -Lesson on how to receive and give feedback
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading

            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 4: Plan of Action & Timeline
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading

            -Reflection w/sentence stems

Week 2
Day 5: Possible Field Trip
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 6:
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 7:
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 8:
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems

Week 3
Day 9: Possible Field Trip (Leander Public Library)
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 10:
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 11: Data pertaining to presentation
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 12: 
            -Math Workshop

            -LA Workshop

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems

Week 4
Day 13: Create Presentations
            -Review Lesson on how to receive and give feedback
            -Math Workshop (final)

            -LA Workshop (final)

            -Technology Tips

            -Read Aloud 

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 14: Presentation Rehearsals

            -Read Aloud

            -Silent Sustained Reading
            -Reflection w/sentence stems
Day 15: Presentations
            -Reflection based on feedback received/given
Day 16: Presentations
            -Reflection based on feedback received/given

Student Menu

During the course of the four weeks, students wil be expected to choose several topics from each category in preparation for the presentation product:

Language Arts: 4 or more
Math topics: 4 or more
Technology: 3 or more
Science and Social Studies: 1-2 or more

Language Arts (Reading & Writing)                        Science                      

-  Personal Narrative                                                                                          -  Matter
-  Letters/Emails/Formal Invitations                                                                   -  Earth Science
-  Reflections (non-negotiable)
-  Expository Texts
-  Persuasive                                                                                                      Social Studies  
-  Procedural
-  Diary/Journal                                                                                                   -  Demographics
-  Identify if read                                                                                                 -  Map Skills


Math                                                                         Technology                                                                                                  

-  Graphs/tables                                                                                                     -  Blogs
-  Timelines                                                                                                           -  QR codes
-  Pictographs                                                                                                        -  Google Docs
-  Number lines                                                                                                     -  Face time
-  Conversions (units)                                                                                           -  Glogster Edu
-  Budgets (with operations)                                                                                 -  iMovie
-  Writing checks for variety of cash transactions                                                 -  App store/create
                                                                                                                             -  Prezi/Powerpoint
                                                                                                                             -  Edmoto
                                                                                                                             -  Poll Everywhere