This is a Jon Corippo inspired, Iron Chef lesson. Using the blended learning style, it incorporates technology with good old-fashioned collaborative and presenting skills. It is a fast-paced lesson, where building the presentation will take twenty minutes and then presenting the lesson needs to be accomplished in one minute and thirty seconds. We can create and present ten lessons on the Algonquin in approximately 45 minutes.

The presentation itself is already set up for them with hyperlinks (very much like a hyperdoc). Students are also responsible only for a meaningful chunk of the presentation. Both of these lesson designs align with the cognitive philosophy. Students are also allowed the freedom to construct and show their meaning in a variety of different ways: different media, different responses to show understanding, etc. This aligns with the constructivist and multiple intelligences philosophy. They will be conditioned, much like Pavlov’s dogs, with my behaviorist method of a smile and thumbs up if it is a job well-done.

This will actually be the very first lesson students do on the Algonquin. Researching, collaborating, and then presenting/teaching the class will be a complete 180 degree turn-around from what I have done the previous three years: lets read this handout on the Algonquin and then fill out a graphic-organizer. Students will also hear nine other presentations of the Algonquin. Chances of learning and retention are sky-high. I will use a Quizizz to check for understanding after the presentations to see where any holes in knowledge are at.

This lesson plan meets the new CA Social Science standards for 5th grade. It also meets Common Core Standards on presenting knowledge of informational text.

The activity: Iron Chef Algonquin