Robert Page

rjohnpage.weebly.com
EDU-225
July 10, 2016
David Larson

Raft Task Card

This RAFT Card is designed for 4th grade level.
ROLE (student)
Forming of Waves

AUDIENCE
Boaters and

FORMAT
Marine radio wave

TOPIC
Students looking

Fisherman

report

at the formation of
waves and using

Row 1
equipment to
measure their
Building Rockets
Row 2
Robot making

Classmates at the

News stations and

heights.
Students learning

school

the school news

the laws of

Other teams and

letter
Oral and visual

Physics.
Students learning

judges

presentation

engineering skills.

Row 3

RAFT Row 1
Objective: Students looking at how waves are formed and the force they have behind them.
MI state Standards- 4th Grade: 4-PS4-1 Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms
of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move. (Michigan, 2016 p1)
ISTE STANDARD 1. Creativity & Innovation (a, b, d); 2. Communication & Collaboration (b,
c); 3. Research & Information (b, c, d); 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making (a, c) (International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), 2016)

Student Role: Forming of Waves

Audience: Boaters and Fishermen
Format: Marine radio wave report
Topic: Students looking at the formation of waves and using equipment to measure their heights.

Directions:
1.

Get the students in a circle with their left shoulder in towards the center.

2.

Have the students one after another raise their arms in the air and complete the circle.

3.

After once around have the students do it faster.

4.

Check with the students the direction they feel the wave is moving.

5.

Check with the students how this would relate to a real wave.

6.

Have the students draft on paper their ideas of how the waves are formed.

Resources:
http://www.noaa.gov
http://owrc.com/rowing-bay/science-of-water-waves
http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/waves/wavemotion.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Waves.aspx

Assessment:
1. Review the waves that they did to how a real wave would move.
2. Have the students make a model drawing of the reasoning
3. Share with the class your thoughts on the different types of waves.

RAFT Row 2
Objective: By using 2-liter pop bottles make a rocket that will go up and come back down with
the aid of a parachute.
MI state Standards- 4th Grade: 3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are
controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can
be improved. (Michigan, 2016 p1)
ISTE STANDARD 1. Creativity & Innovation (a, b, c); 2. Communication & Collaboration (b,
d); 3. Research & Information (a, d); 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making (b, c, d) (ISTE, 2016)

Student Role: Building Rockets

Audience: Classmates at the school
Format: News stations and the school news letter
Topic: Students learning the laws of Physics.

Directions:
1.

Divide the class into groups of three or four students each. Give each group a 2-liter
bottle and material to make fins and parachutes.

2.

Direct students to use scissors and tape to attach fins and parachute to the rocket.
Encourage groups to experiment with different size fins.

3.

Instruct the groups to put their names on the rocket and designs.

4.

Proceed outside to launch their rockets. All students that is in the launching group needs
to be wearing safety goggles.

5.

Have students hold their rockets upside down, and carefully fill the rocket about 1/3 full
of water.

6.

Have a student put the rocket on the launcher, then have another student fill launcher
with air

7.

When the others students are clear have another student pull the release cord.

8.

Have the students note the maximum height reached by their rockets and have them
record this information on their paper.

Resources:
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov
http://www.spacesociety.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ui8ITPlU8

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/fireworks-man-2-high-speeds/
Assessment:
1. Have students create a class T-chart to compare what they know about airplanes and
rockets.
2. Ask the students why the water is added and what is really launching the rocket.
3. Ask the students if they can figure out how fast their rocket launched.
4. Ask the students if they can say what Newtons law is being displayed.

RAFT Row 3
Objective: Students are to learn how to build and program a robot. Then getting the robot to
perform maneuvers and complete tasks.
MI state Standards- 4th Grade: 3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or
a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
(Michigan, 2016 p1)

ISTE STANDARD 1. Creativity & Innovation (a, b, c); 2. Communication & Collaboration (b,
d); 3. Research & Information (a, d); 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making (b, c, d) (ISTE, 2016)
Student Role: Robot making
Audience: Other teams and judges
Format: Oral and visual presentation
Topic: Students learning engineering skills.

Directions:
1. Divide the class into groups of three students each. Have students work on their design of
the robot for shooting a ball.
2. As students work to complete their design, call one group at a time to work with each
available set-up.
3. Have the students turn on the ball shooter and set the power level up to/or above 50. Have
one student push the LEGO plastic ball through the back of the ball shooter frame
towards the spinning wheels.
4. A trial is complete when the ball is launched and lands on the floor. Instruct students to
measure the distance from the point of launch to the where the ball landed on the floor.
5. Have students record the power level and the distance on their worksheets.

6. Have students repeat steps 3 through 5, gradually increasing the higher power level with
each trial by pressing the appropriate button on the power/angle control panel.
7. Have the students complete the graph in their groups. Suggest they use a different colored
pencil to connect the points, so that the graph line stands out.
8. Have them draw their own distance (y-axis) vs. power level (x-axis) line graphs with at
least 4-5 points, and have them connect the points. Once finished, compare results
between teams

Resources:
http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc
http://nxtprograms.com/NXT2/ball_shooter/steps.html
https://shop.education.lego.com
Assessment:
1. engage students in a simple exercise to refresh their familiarity with graphs.
2. During the activity, evaluate students on proper data collection, data organization, and
graph design.
3. As a class, discuss the trends observed in the data.

Section Four: Differentiating Instruction through Technology

Introduction

Using technology to help in differentiating the classroom is a newer option for the
teacher. Technology has made many advancements over the years and it has become more
popular to use in the classroom (Gunter & Gunter, 2014). Though there are still plenty of
teachers that resist using technology in the classroom. Communication in the classroom is also
very important. Relaying the information to the parents and students about what is going on in
the classroom is helpful. This could be done now by using emails or a website to relay the
information to everyone (Gunter & Gunter, 2014). Teachers looking to use differentiating
instruction in the classroom need to look at the tools, standards and rational for using these
methods.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Name of Technology Tool: Internet
The internet has become a useful tool in the classrooms and at home. Students can find
many things on the internet that can help them with their studies. Teachers could use the internet
to find different programs the students can use to learn more (Barone & Wright, 2008). To help
students that may be struggling in an area of study in the classroom. Though there is plenty on
the internet to stay away from because of the content if my have. It still is a useful tool in the
classroom. This could allow students to work on materials that are their level of thinking (Barone
& Wright, 2008). It will help in research projects and reading materials for a report. There are
plenty of educational games students can play but it would be suggested that the teacher look at
them first to find out if they are appropriate for students (Barone & Wright, 2008).
ISTE Standards
The use of the internet would fall under all four of the criterions of the ISTE standards
(ISTE, 2016). It could also touch all the sub standards that is listed under the 4 main topics. This

being that the internet can be so widely used by anyone of about any age (ISTE, 2016). The
internet can be used to look up almost anything the student may need to know to complete a
project (ISTE, 2016).
Name of Technology Tool: Laptop
Laptops have become very popular in schools. This being that they are portable and fairly
light weight for students to use. They are mobile so the students can move around and use them
in many places. With the permission from the teacher they may even be able to be brought home
so the student can work on their homework or project (Siegle, 2014). A student having their own
laptop can allow the teacher to differentiate the assignments students get to best support their
needs. In some schools teachers have been sending students home to watch videos of the teacher
giving instructions as homework (Siegle, 2014). Then the student would return to school where
they would work on their homework at a level that would satisfy their needs (Siegle, 2014).
Giving the teacher more time to work with students that may be struggling with a subject (Siegle,
2014).
ISTE Standards
By looking at the ISTE standards the laptop could be used to meet all the criterias and
also all the sub criterias standards (ISTE, 2016). Because of the vast amount of things, a laptop
can be used for nowadays (ISTE, 2016). It is a vital tool for a school to have and make available
for the students (ISTE, 2016).
Name of Technology Tool: Personal Website
Website have become popular for a teacher to have. Many things can be put on a website
nowadays. There are a few sites that offer free personal website that one can design themselves.
A teacher could even set up their students with their very own website (Gunter & Gunter, 2014).

This way a teacher can leave assignment or notes for which only that student could see. This
giving the teacher the option to differentiate the work each student may need to do (Gunter &
Gunter, 2014). The student or teacher can share the site with the parents (Gunter & Gunter,
2014). They can see what their student has been doing or what they need to be working on. It
could be used as a way for the students to communicate back and forth by using their websites
(Gunter & Gunter, 2014).
ISTE Standards
Using a personal website for communication and to get ones homework from can be
useful (ISTE, 2016). This would cover the main standards of the ISTE standards and meet all of
the sub standards that are list as well. Having the students using a personal website they can keep
track of the work that needs to be done and the work they have done (ISTE, 2016). It allows the
parent to see what work the student has done as well (ISTE, 2016).
Pros and Cons
Whether a teacher or student is using technology to do their work with. There will always
be pros and cons to go with it. By a teacher differentiating instruction with students some still
could be left behind (Gunter & Gunter, 2014). This could also cause some students to think they
are better than others because they are working at a higher level than others. The teacher needs to
set the technology in a way for all students to use it. Making sure there are clear instruction on
the use of the technology for all levels of the students to understand (Gunter & Gunter, 2014).
Otherwise students that may struggle with the learning may be even left behind more (Gunter &
Gunter, 2014).
Concluding Paragraph

It is very important that teachers get to know what works for their students. Making sure
all students have a good understanding on how to use technology. This may require the teacher to
instruct the students in many ways. Having a teacher to differentiate the instructions so all
students can learn should be the priority for every teacher. Students should be able to learn at a
pace that will make them successful.

References
Barone, D., & Wright, T. E. (2008). Literacy Instruction with Digital and Media

Technologies.

Reading Teacher, 62(4), 292-302.

https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ820650&site=eds-live&scope=site
Gunter, G., & Gunter, R. (2014). Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating

Technology in

a Connected World (8th ed.) Grand Canyon University

http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2014/teachers-discovering
computers_integrating-technology-in-a-changing-world_ebook_8e.php
International Society of Technology in Education (2016). ISTE Standards for Students
Teachers
http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students

and

Siegle, D. (2014). Technology: Differentiating Instruction by Flipping the Classroom.

Child Today, 37(1), 51-55.
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1020565&site=eds-live&scope=site
http://www.michigan.gov
http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-students

Gifted