Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
Alonna has worked at the K20 Center since June of 2019. Previously, she worked as a high school science teacher and department chair at Oklahoma City Public schools. Alonna is currently pursuing her master's degree in secondary science education at the University of Oklahoma. As a curriculum specialist, Alonna spends her time working directly with teachers to implement authentic teaching practices, as well as writing ready to use lessons for K20's LEARN website.
Building upon students' understanding of gravity, this lesson helps them to determine that gravity is attractive and is correlated with mass and inversely correlative with distance. Rather than using calculations or formulas, students use data and tables to determine whether the provided information... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: November 9th, 2022
Relative Gravity and Gravitational Force
This lesson is intended to support life science standards found in biology. The lesson is not intended to cover the standards completely, but rather to supplement them and raise awareness of ethical issues and racism in science and medicine. Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: March 11th, 2024
Ethics in Scientific Research
In this lesson, students use an online fossil database to explore changes in life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. Students also make predictions about environmental changes and how those changes affect organisms living in different environments. Students then analyze anatomical similarities... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: August 10th, 2022
Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
Environmental Racism in America
During this fifth and final lesson in the Connecting Social Issues and Health Inequalities unit, students will analyze Marvin Gaye's song, "Mercy, Mercy Me," discuss the history of environmental racism in America, and complete and present their project proposals. Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: July 13th, 2023
Environmental Racism in America
During this fourth lesson in the Connecting Social Issues and Health Inequities unit, students will view Oklahoma's life expectancy map, identify environmental threats that contribute to these life expectancies, and discuss what these threats mean with regard to air quality and society. Students then... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: July 13th, 2023
Comparing Communities
During this third lesson in the Connecting Social Issues and Health Inequities unit, students will analyze satellite images of two locations, calculate the percentage of squares that are mostly forested and those that are mostly urbanized (using aerial images of two different zip codes with drastically... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: July 13th, 2023
The Role of Green Spaces
Environmental Factors
During this second lesson in the Connecting Social Issues and Health Inequities unit, students will analyze Oklahoma City's air quality and pollutant levels from 2020 and summarize important information about air pollutants in a public service announcement. Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: July 13th, 2023
Environmental Factors
In this introductory lesson to the Connecting Social Issues and Human Health Inequities unit, students will explore asthma through a variety of station activities, videos, readings, and charts. In doing so, students will better understand what occurs in the respiratory system before, during, and after... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: July 12th, 2023
Understanding Asthma
This lesson focuses on applying Newton's third law of motion, and on finding solutions to problems associated with collision. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to examine and explain evidence to support Newton's third law of motion, identify a real-world problem involving a transfer of... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: February 1st, 2023
Forces and Motion
Participants will develop a broader understanding of what makes real-world phenomena engaging, student-centered, relevant, and grade-appropriate. During this session, participants will explore the role of phenomena in lessons that may be delivered virtually or in blended learning environments. By centering... Read more »
Created by: Alonna Smith
Date Updated: January 14th, 2022
