This document outlines two lesson plans that utilize technology and web-based tools. Lesson One involves students researching volcano evacuations to create a 5-step evacuation plan using online videos and presentation tools. Lesson Two tasks student groups with developing a future plan as executives of a company losing profits to newer technologies, including proposing options and defending their choice while researching a real example. Both lessons aim to teach geography and economic standards through collaborative projects presented online.

1. Web-Enhanced
Learning Mini-Lesson
Plans Project
Bryan Di Gregorio

2. Lesson One
Anchored Instruction
Volcano Evacuation Plan
O Grade level: 9th
O Subject: Geography
O Tennessee Standard Number: 3.0 Geography
O Standard: Geography enables the students to
see, understand and appreciate the web
O of relationships between people, places, and environments.
Students will use the
O knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts within the
six essential elements of
O geography: world in spatial terms, places and
regions, physical systems, human
O systems, environment and society, and the use of
geography.

3. Lesson One (cont.)
O Uses of Technology: Internet for research and problem
solving, using web-based tools to create student products
O Lesson Summary: In groups of 3 or 4, students will take
on the role of scientists tracking the eruption of a volcano
and will be tasked to create an 5-step evacuation plan for a
nearby city. Prior to their task, students will watch videos
and news reports of recent eruptions in Iceland. We will
discuss as a class what we saw from the videos and what
stood out. Students will use the internet in order to research
the proper methods of evacuation; including when to
evacuate, how to do so in an orderly fashion, and what’s
needed from cooperating groups such as
police, firemen, doctors, nurses, etc. In order to do
so, students will also need to know the signals a volcano
gives to let you know if its progressing or regressing. After
completing their plan and publishing it using a choice of
web-tools handpicked by me, students will then orally
present as a group.

4. Lesson One (cont.)
O Student product: Students will create
their evacuation plan consisting of the
required elements (the 5 steps, what’s
needed from other agencies/people, and
at least 5 relevant pictures) by either using
a slide-show web tool or creating a poster
presentation with Glogster.com. Students
will take turns talking in front of class
about their plan and the process they
went through to create their plan.

5. Lesson Two
Scenarios
O Grade Level: 11-12th
O Subject: Economics
O Tennessee Standard: Standard 2.0: Globalization of
the economy, the explosion of population growth,
O technological changes and international competition
compel students to understand,
O both personally and
globally, production, distribution, and consumption of
goods and
O services. Students will examine and analyze economic
concepts such as basic needs
O versus wants, using versus saving money, and policy-
making versus decision-making.

6. Lesson Two (cont.)
O Uses of Technology: Locating and evaluating
information on the Internet, using the Internet for
information problem solving, and using web-based tools
to create student products.
O Lesson Summary: I will devise a scenario of a
company who’s profit margins are diminishing because
the product it produces is losing its market value and
appeal to consumers. As a class we will discuss a
similar situation in history to put the scenario in
perspective. Students must develop a believable plan
for the future and discuss an example they researched
from the internet where a company either took a different
path than the one they chose or something similar.

7. Lesson Two (cont.)
O The scenario: You are the CEO of a Memphis based scientific and
graphing calculator company. With the economy being weak and
the age of smartphones, laptops, and tablet computers (which can
emulate and process the same functions as your calculators) being
more accessible and used by the general public your margins of
profit are in the negative and the company has been reporting
losses for the past year. Stock prices for your company are at an
all-time low. Stock owners and investors in your company are
worried about the direction your company is headed. Your
employees are in fear that there may be layoffs in the near future.
Your company is currently worth approximately $55 million and your
cash on hand is $11 million (20%). You decide to set up a board
meeting with your fellow top executives and division heads in order
to devise a plan for the future. You must adapt a list of five different
steps you can take and you must choose one and defend it. You
must also research a similar situation in history and discuss it. You
must use PowerPoint or web-based presentation software to create
you presentation to the class.

8. Lesson Two (cont.)
O Student Product: Students in groups of 4 or 5 will take on the
role of a board of executives of a company that is currently
producing a form of technology (graphing calculators) that is
losing market value and appeal due to simulated technologies
reproduced on newer gadgets such as smartphones and
tablets. The company’s profit margins are diminishing and in
order to survive it must plan for the future. Considering the
scenario, students will cooperatively concoct a list of 5 different
options that the company could take. They must describe the
advantages and disadvantages of each. After creating the 5
options, each group will have to agree on one option and
defend it in front of the class. They will also be required to use
the internet to research a similar real-world situation and
describe what that company did and how it’s similar or different
to the option that they chose. Students will put together this
information using presentation software, web-based or local, in
order to present to the class.