Scaffolding Teaching Strategy for Interactive Student Learning

Let’s create a high-energy learning environment while supporting student success through collaboration, creating, researching, personalizing, presenting and reflecting with Pages! This small-group scaffolding strategy will results in a rich-media documentation for each group that can be shared as desired.  

The topic for this activity will be "Devastating Weather," but it can be adjusted to any other curriculum area as needed. An added benefit from this project is that each student will develop a strong foundation in navigating the iPad and Mac ecosystems for future technology integration activities!   

Below, you will find an overview of the activity along with an example of the completed product.

The topic for this activity will be "Devastating Weather" but it can be adjusted to any other curriculum area as needed. An added benefit from this project is that each student will develop a strong foundation in Pages.

• In the first text box, each group will brainstorm a list of vocabulary words for "weather". Then students will participate in a Gallery Walk so that they can revise their list by adding additional vocabulary words found from other groups. They will first narrow down the vocabulary to three words that describe "devastating weather" and then refine it further to identify the single "most devastating weather" condition. Note that students are to collaborate on what "devastating weather" is, and are not to look up the definition. Meantime, the group will provide basic formatting to this text box.

• In the second text box, each group will formalize their definition for "devastating weather" as discussed by the group previously. Then all the groups will come together and share out their definitions. All groups will be encourage to ask questions about each definition so as to go deeper into the meaning. Students are then allowed to go back and refine their definitions if desired. Meantime, the group will provide additional formatting techniques to this text box.

• In the third text box, each group will provide three pieces of evidence to support their opinion that their selected weather condition is the most "devastating". Examples could be from primary or secondary resources, factual information, etc. A more detailed list of examples is listed in the instructions below. Meantime, the group will provide advanced formatting features to this text box.

•Optional: It is up to the teacher if they want to extend this activity to allow for this research section. The teacher will possibly need time to discuss how to search for credible web sources, discuss interviewing primary sources, setting a realistic timeline, etc. --- In a forth text box, each group will develop a plan and timeline to find the supporting evidence as listed above. Groups should list where or how they will find their evidence. Meantime, the group will provide even more advanced formatting features to this text box!

• At this stage, each group will finalize their project by adding a web image of their "devastating weather" as a watermark on their poster. Additionally, they will take a group photo and record a group reflection selfie video. They will then finish formatting these new items. Now they are to arrange their text box, picture, and video reflection as desired on their page. They can also include additional elements such as audio, music clips, or drawings to enhance the visual presentation if you so desire. Groups will then present their presentation to showcase their results and/or findings.*

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Teacher Notes: Read through the following instructions and make adjustments as needed. Each section list below will build upon the previous section. This project works well with students from upper elementary through high school. The timeframe can be structured in various ways: in smaller segments, as a condensed half-day session, or as an extended version if additional time is available for in-depth research.  Additional support for Pages can be found at Pages for iPad or at Pages User Guide for iPad

Objectives:

• Utilize scaffolding methods that offer clear, interactive explanations and visual aids to help students better understand complex concepts.
• Develop activities that give learners voice, ownership, and creative power over how they show understanding
.
• Create visually engaging, clearly organized, and personally expressive document.
• Explore the strengths of Pages for learning and providing interactive student experiences.

Instructions

• Divide students into groups of 2 or 3. Tell them that they will only use only 1 iPad per group as they will rotate using the device. They will need to choose who will go first, second, and third at this time.
• Today they will be creating a poster on Weather while learning all the features of creativity in Pages!  Inform the students that you will be leading them through this activity with step-by-step instructions, and they will be reviewing each other posters throughout the activity.

Section 1 - Vocabulary Text Box

• Open Pages (on one device) and then tap the + to create your poster. Choose a basic Blank vertical document. 
• Name it as, "Weather" followed by their names.
• First, you will need a create a text box. To do this, just tap on the Shapes icon at the top of the menu bar.  Then tap on “Text” and a box will appear to type in. Place the box in the upper left corner of the document.
• Give the groups 3 minutes to type a list of all the weather-related vocabulary terms they can think of into their text box. Each word in the list should be on a separate line. The first person with the iPad will do the typing. (Show how to expand the text box to show all words if needed.)
• Now choose a border color (NO FILL) and make the text 14 pt. (Style Brush, Style, toggle Border on, choose color, and change width) 
• Conduct a Gallery Walk so that students can review the vocabulary terms listed by each group. Tell students to collect additional terms that they did not think about previously. Then each group can add additional terms to their list if desired.
• Have each group make the list into 2 columns. (Style Brush, Text, scroll down to Columns)
• As a group, they should discuss what the word “Devastating” means. They are not to look up the word, nor do you give them the definition. 
• Now through collaboration, they are to choose the top 3 DEVASTATING weather terms, and then format those terms to be BLUE and text size 16.
• Now as a group, select the MOST devastating weather term and format it to be Red, italics, bold, and text size 18.
• Discuss what they have observed or learned about formatting, making changes, and other features in Pages.

Section 2 - Definition Text Box

• Rotate the iPad to the next student in the group.
• Create a new text box and give it a different border and a colored Fill background.
• Inform the groups that they are to refer back to their previous discussion on what devastating weather is. Using this discussion and their highlighted terms, they are to come up with their own official definition for Devastating Weather.
• Type the definition into the text box, starting with "Devastating weather is...".
• Change the font type, bold the text, and center.  
• Put another border style and color around the text box.
• Add a special effect such as a shadow.
• Each group should present their definition, and all groups are encouraged to offer positive feedback to support each presentation.
• As a class, compare and contrast the definitions shared by each group, highlighting both similarities and differences.
• After everyone has shared, tell the group that they can change, or modify, their definition if they choose too.  Given them at least 4 minutes to do so.

Section 3 - Evidence Text Box

• Rotate the iPad to the next student in the group.
• In this box, each group is to provide their anticipated evidence that allows them to prove that their weather choice is the most devastating of the three they had selected from, starting with "Evidence will be:".
• Let students know that examples of evidence can include primary and secondary resources, factual information, and more. Here are some ideas to help them get started:
• The highest number of lives lost or injured.
• Current weather channel reports.
• The destruction and cost of property damage.
• Accounts from people who experienced the weather event.
• Interviews with rapid responders.
• Live video or audio footage.
• Maps showing the extent of destruction.
• Now each group will list in the text box their three evidences they plan to research for.
• Then bullet each statement with a number or an image.  (Style Brush, Text, scroll down to Bullets & Lists)
• Change the Line Spacing to 1.5.  (Style Brush, Text, scroll down to Line Spacing)
• Offset the margins of the three questions in the text box. (Style Brush, Text, scroll down to Margins)
• Have a fill color put in the text box and choose a new Border Style. (Style Brush, Style; toggle Border, then tap on Style which is below Border, then choose a new border style)

Optional: Section 4 - Plan/Timeline Text Box

• It is up to the teacher if they want to extend this activity to allow for this research section. The teacher will possibly need time to discuss how to search for credible web sources, discuss interviewing primary sources, setting a realistic timeline, etc.
• Rotate the iPad to the next student in the group.
• Create a text box with, “Our plan and timeline to find the supporting evidence is…”
• Groups will list where or how they will get their evidence.
• Meantime, the group will provide more advanced formatting features to this text box!

Section 5 - Picture as Background (aka Watermark):

• Rotate the iPad to the next student in the group. 
• Open Safari and do a safe search with Google for your weather event.
• Find a vertical picture (not a thumbnail) and either Save To Photos or Copy.
• Place the picture into the document background by doing the following:
• Click on the carrot to the right of the File name (in the upper right corner). Now tap Document Options, tap Document Setup, scroll down and tap on More Options.
• Tap + in upper right, tap Photo or Video, then tap on your desired photo.  
• Expand picture to cover ALL of page by dragging the control handle bars. 
• While the photo is still selected, change the opacity by tapping the Style Brush, and reduce the Opacity level.   
• When ready, click Done in the upper left corner.  If adjustments are needed, then go back through the steps again to do so.

Section 6 - Personalize with an Image and Video; and prepare a Presentation to showcase your findings.*

• Rotate the iPad to the next student in the group. 
• Take a picture of the group and place it in the document.  Add a border and format as desired.
• The group will use the camera to do a Group Reflection Selfie Video*.  In less than a minute, have the group reflect on a question that you will provide to them. Insert the video on the document. 
• Now they are to arrange their text box, picture, and video reflection as desired . They can also include additional elements such as audio, music clips, or drawings to enhance the visual presentation if so desired.
• Each group will present their document and video in front of the class.
• Each group will send a copy of this to their teacher.

*You could replace the Video with a Group Reflection Audio if desired.

Attachments

Scaffolding Example.png

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Attachments

Scaffolding Pages Example.pages

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