Patty+Sweeney

=Application Project Plan (APP) Planning Sheet=

Name
Patti Sweeney

Tentative Title
---Project Based Learning Hydrofracking and Debate. Exploring Unintended Consequences.

Time Allotted for Project. 6 weeks
Middle School 7&8 grade

Brief Description
Students will walk through the research process by investigating the science and societal implications of hydrolic-fracturing. Students will evaluate sources of information as they learn to identify bias and determine accuracy of information. Students will together work through 6 steps of the research process as they explore the topic of hydrofracking. Students will learn the background knowledge and be exposed to vocabulary and science content to deepen their understanding of natural gas exploration. Students will then be given a "character role" in the debate surrounding this issue. Using their research, students will then create a persuasive informational media presentation that represents their characters point of view. All of this will be facilitated through use of a virtual classroom, ie. edmodo.com.

Curriculum Goals
Students will learn and put into context some basic earth science concepts and reinforce scientific terms as they learn about the process of extracting natural gas from shale. They will also learn about environmental impact of industry. Students will actively walk through and learn the steps of the research process. Students will write expositorally and persuasively, two types of writing expected in the Common Core Standards.

Media Literacy Goals
Students will learn to identify bias in informational sources. Students will learn to rate and evaluate media resources for credibility. To encourage students to be conscious of their audience, principles of media construction and their intended message as they prepare their media.

Students come fluent in using a virtual classroom platform (edmodo.com) all o for communication and collaboration with instructor and each other. Students will learn how to create a media presentation to communicate what they have learned about Hydrofracking and a specific perspective. Students will hopefully learn the importance of being an informed citizen. Students will learn how information has a powerful impact on outcomes.

Proposed Activities
Students will have the choice of creating a interactive poster, (glogster.edu) to accompany an oral presentation to voice their "character's" point of view. Or, students can forgo the oral presentation and create a video/documentary or Public Service Announcement or Commercial using animoto.edu to communicate their "character's" point of view on the issue of hydrofracking. Disadvantages of Animoto, you can't use music and voice together. Movie Maker or imovie would also be another great tool for this project.
 * 1) Students use research strategies and virtual class room tool (Edmodo) to find and share information about natural gas exploration or hydraulic fracturing.
 * 2) Students take notes on 3 important topics about HF put forth by the teacher. For example, the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing? How does hydraulic fracturing work? What is the process look like? Students fill out graphic organizer that break down each topic and guide them in selecting the most important information for their map. (Haley : upload concept map at bottom of page. Link to word "map".
 * 3) Students take a second look a their sources. Are they bookmarked (backpack in Edmodo) so that they can easily cite them? Are they biased? If so, where is the bias and does that preclude the source from being used?
 * 4) Lesson in bias, media decoding by looking at pictures of Hydrofracking from Google Images and watching clips from gasland, and Empire State Divide. Questions to guide discussion. (See Media Decoding activity at bottom)
 * 5) Students are given a point of view. They must present their argument for or against HF in a written persuasive letter, a public service announcement or an interactive poster Roles-playing parts: Mayor of Binghamton, Potential Shaleianare, small landowner, Broome County Executive, Owner of a local pipe making business, Owner of Tioga Downs Casino, Owner of a diner, Owner of a trucking company, Alpacha Farmer, Fly Fishing Guide, Park Ranger.
 * 6) Students begin to write script for their documentary / text boxes for their glogs. Upload to Edmodo for teacher review.
 * 7) Students look for pictures to use in their presentation.
 * 8) Students document their sources using MLA citation maker.
 * 9) Students use rubric to guide them through project, to check their work to ensure the quality of their presentations.
 * 10) Students orally present their point-of-view presentations using their media presentations.

Another possible tool is AWV. []

Media DeCoding Activity: (Paste activity here)

addd Documentaries expressing both sides of the arguement.

Assessment/Evaluation
Example of finished product.
 * []

Rubric for evaluating final media project.
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Resources/Support
Today's Science - Fact on File pressconnects.com (our local paper, The Press and Sun Bulletin's webpage) 60 minutes.com - Shale and Natural Gas Drilling CBS News.com Fox News.com []

[] Local news stories about the hydrofracking issue in our area.

[]

Documentaries expressing both sides of the arguement.

Pro Drilling []

Anti Drilling

[]

To Enhance Student Background Knowledge on Fossil Fuels, I had them watch the Brainpop videos on Alternative Energy and Fossil Fuels. []

Difficulties/Obstacles
Because this issue touches different families in profoundly different ways, it is difficult for students to shake their personal bias. They often don't want to present or persuade an audience to one side of a debate when they personally feel differently. Scientific and legal terms can sometimes present a comprehension problem for students at the middle school level.


[] [] Documentaries expressing both sides of the arguement.