Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Experience

LE Title: Colonial America	Author(s): Denise Koser/Maggie Sudol
Grade Level: 4/5	School : Edwards-Knox Central School
Topic/Subject Area:	Address: Box 630 Russell, New York 13684
Email: dkoser@ekcs.neric.org	Phone/Fax: 315-379-0030

Overview

This is a seven week, interdisciplinary unit covering the colonial period in American history. My overall goal is to give the students a feeling for the way of life during that time period. I want them to explore the problems the colonists faced, such as where to establish the colonies, how to get food and other supplies, and how to earn a living. I also want them to discover what the colonists were able to do to solve those problems.

Declarative knowledge

The students will know/understand…

…that the colonists faced many hardships in the 'New World'.
…the names and locations of the thirteen original colonies.
…that the colonists lived very differently from the way we live today.
…that the colonists protested taxation without representation in many ways.
…the order of some of the key events leading to the Revolutionary War.
…that the colonists lost many battles, but had several advantages which helped them to win their independence.

Procedural knowledge

The students will be able to…

…create a broadside using the Power Point program on the computers.
…video tape a program which will demonstrate their knowledge of the lifestyles of the early colonists.
…use pre-selected internet sites to research historical documents.
…create scripts for commercials, editorials, and news stories that will be developed into a video format

Essential questions

In what ways did the colonists live differently from the way we live today?
Why did the colonists want their freedom from England?
What steps did the colonists take to gain their freedom from England?

Connections to NY State Learning Standards

Standard #

ELA Standard 1 -

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply and transmit information.

Students:

Gather and interpret information from children's reference books, textbooks, etc., and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps and diagrams
Select and use strategies appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas from one text to another
Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, stories, posters, and charts
Use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising and proofreading to produce well-constructed informational texts
Observe basic writing conventions, such as correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well as sentence and paragraph structures appropriate to written forms

Social Studies Standard 1-

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Students:

Consider different interpretations of key events in history and understand the differences in these accounts
View historic events through the eyes of those who were there

Social Studies Standard 3

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live-local, national, and global-including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth's surface

Students:

Talk about the importance of where places are located, try to determine why they are located where they are, and asses the relationship of the location to other locations and environmental factors
Use a map to answer questions about location and place
Map the location of places using appropriate symbols
Study how people live, work and utilize natural resources
Investigate how people depend on and modify the physical environment
Read about children living in other cultures to learn about their customs, beliefs, and traditions, including food, schooling, socialization and shelter

Initiating Activity- List, group, label activity

Students will work in small groups to place about 40 words having to do with the Colonial period into six different categories. The subject for each category is determined by the group. The teacher will facilitate group discussions and answer questions concerning vocabulary. Groups will share their decisions for developing categories and justify placement of words into the various categories with the rest of the class. Teacher will use the students' finished products to play a $10,000 pyramid game show style activity, where students must guess the category after the teacher reads the words from the category developed by the students.

Learning experiences

Reading/Spelling/Vocabulary

Four books will be used (If You Lived in Colonial Times, Pheobe the Spy, Samuel's Choice, and The Secret Soldier) as resources for acquisition of each of the concepts listed as declarative knowledge. Spelling and vocabulary words are developed from these sources. During the week many activities and games are played to help integrate this vocabulary for the student. Each week a standard spelling and vocabulary test is given to assess the student's success. Students must also complete written comprehension questions covering knowledge gained through the reading on a weekly basis.

Language/Writing

Students will complete several writing assignments which will help to extend and refine their knowledge of the time period.

Students will write and perform a short puppet play based on a situation typical during the colonial period. (For example, our family went to a barn raising today.) (deduction) No formal assessment, only a group behavior self-assessment.

Students will write an advertisement for a product used (i.e. spices, rocking chair) or an event taking place (i.e. the opening of the new volunteer fire station) during the time period. Students will work in groups of three, using library resources and internet resources previously researched and selected by the media specialist, to gather information for this assignment. Students will be asked to describe how this product or service will affect/change the lives of the colonists. The advertisement will be presented orally and videotaped as part of the final task. Visuals of the advertised item/event may also be developed, but will not be required. (comparing)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Support	Includes many reasons and details about how this will affect/change the lives of colonists	Includes some reasons and details…	Includes few reasons and details…	Includes no reasons and details…
Description	Description uses many vivid details creating a completely accurate picture in the reader's mind	Description uses some details creating a fairly complete picture in the reader's mind	Description uses few details, leaving the reader wondering	Description includes so few details that the reader has no clue what is being advertised
Organization	Advertisement has a clear, definite beginning, middle and ending	Advertisement has a good beginning, middle and ending	Advertisement has a loose beginning, middle and ending	Advertisement has no apparent beginning, middle and ending
Effort	Excellent effort	Good effort	Some effort	Little effort

Students will write a description and illustrate a new invention (i.e. Franklin Stove, bifocals) of the time period. Students will work in groups of three, using library resources and internet resources previously researched and selected by the media specialist, to gather information for this assignment. The students will be asked to describe how this invention will change the lives of the colonists. The advertisement will be presented orally and videotaped as part of the final task. (comparing)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Support	Includes many reasons and details about how this will affect/change the lives of colonists	Includes some reasons and details…	Includes few reasons and details…	Includes no reasons and details…
Description	Description uses many vivid details creating a completely accurate picture in the reader's mind	Description uses some details creating a fairly complete picture in the reader's mind	Description uses few details, leaving the reader wondering	Description includes so few details that the reader has no clue what is being advertised
Organization	Description has a clear, definite beginning, middle and ending	Description has a good beginning, middle and ending	Description has a loose beginning, middle and ending	Description has no apparent beginning, middle and ending
Effort	Excellent effort	Good effort	Some effort	Little effort

Students will write a news article about an event (i.e. Boston Tea Party, Stamp Act) of the time period. Students will work in groups of three, with the assistance of the teacher and the media specialist, using library resources and internet resources to gather information for this assignment. The news article will be presented orally and videotaped as part of the final task. (deduction)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Historical content	Historical information presented is totally accurate	Historical information presented is mostly accurate	Historical information presented is not very accurate	Historical information presented is totally inaccurate
Description	Historical event is thoroughly described using many details	Historical event is well described using adequate details	Historical event is simply described without using many details	Historical event is poorly described and lacks details of any kind
Organization	Event is described with a clear beginning, middle and ending and each paragraph has a main idea sentence, details, and a summary sentence	Event is described with a good beginning, middle and ending, most paragraphs have a main idea sentence, details and a summary sentence	Event is described with only a loose beginning, middle and ending, most paragraphs do not have a main idea sentence, details or summary sentence	Event is described with no apparent beginning, middle or ending, and none of the required sentences
Effort	Excellent effort	Good effort	Some effort	Little effort

Students will write an editorial about an event or issue (slavery, taxes) of the time period. Students will work in groups of three, with the assistance of the teacher and the media specialist, using library resources and internet resources to gather information for this assignment. The editorial will be presented orally and videotaped as part of the final task. (analyzing perspectives)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Support	Opinion is supported with many reasons and details	Opinion is supported with sufficient reasons and details	Opinion is supported with few reasons or details	Opinion is not supported with reasons or details
Format	Format of the assignment has been clearly followed; problem is properly identified, opinion is clearly stated, and suggestions for action are made	Format of the assignment has been followed, although perhaps not as clearly as should be	Format of the assignment has been minimally followed	Format of the assignment has not been followed
Organization	Each paragraph has a main idea, supporting details and a summary sentence	Most paragraphs have a main idea, supporting details and a summary sentence	Few paragraphs have a main idea, supporting details or a summary sentence	Paragraphs have no main ideas, supporting details or summary sentences
Effort	Excellent effort	Good effort	Some effort	Little effort

Students will create a political cartoon concerning an event or issue of the time period. Students will work in groups of three, with the assistance of the teacher and the media specialist, using library resources and internet resources to gather information for this assignment. (analyzing perspectives)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Support	Illustration and caption clearly express the opinion of the creators	Illustration and caption express the opinion of the creators, but may not be entirely clear	Illustration and caption poorly express the opinion of the creators	Illustration and caption do not express any apparent opinion
Historical information	Historical information presented is totally accurate	Historical information presented is mostly accurate	Historical information is not very accurate	Historical information is totally inaccurate
Detail	Picture is very detailed	Picture is somewhat detailed	Picture is not very detailed	Picture lacks any kind of detail
Neatness	Exceptionally neat	Very neat	Somewhat neat	Not very neat

Students will write a letter posing as a colonist trying to persuade a relative still living in England that he/she should either join them in the colony or stay in England. The author will be expected to support their choice with accurate details and reasons based on their knowledge of life in the colonies. (constructing support)

	4	3	2	1
Support	Many details and reasons given to support decision	Some details and reasons given to support decision	Few details or reasons given to support decision	No details or reasons given to support decision
Organization	Each paragraph has a main idea and supporting details	Most paragraphs have a main idea and supporting details	Few paragraphs have main ideas or supporting details	Paragraphs do not have main ideas or supporting details
Understanding of colonial life	Shows excellent understanding of the good/bad aspects of colonial life	Shows good understanding of the good/bad aspects of colonial life	Shows some understanding of the good/bad aspects of colonial life	Shows little understanding of the good/bad aspects of colonial life
Effort	Shows outstanding effort	Shows good effort	Shows some effort	Shows little effort
Spelling/ neatness/ punctuation	No mistakes in spelling or punctuation, very neat	Few mistakes in spelling and punctuation, mostly neat	Many mistakes in spelling and punctuation, not so neat	Mistakes in spelling and punctuation interfere with understanding, sloppy

Social studies (All activities require one class period, unless otherwise noted)

(A/I-acquiring and integrating activities, E/R-extending and refining activities)

1. Students work in small groups to decide where on a fictitious map to start a colony and provide their reasons for choosing the specific location. (E/R-constructing support)

Class brainstorms a list of supplies to take with them to a new colony. Small groups work together to limit their list to ten items. Each group is then given a physical description of the site chosen for their settlement. Students must then create a shopping list for items they will still need, but have not been able to bring with them. (E/R-comparing)
Fill in a map of the thirteen colonies. Teacher will use the overhead to guide students toward filling in the map of the thirteen colonies accurately. (A/I)
Small groups cut and paste maps of the thirteen colonies, then label current capitals and physical features using the previous day's map work as a guide. (E/R-comparing) Students will perform a self evaluation when completed. As a group they will check for errors in the work of others and then vote for the completed map which they believe has achieved the highest level of quality.
Students use three maps of the colonies to play a game which requires them to find certain facts about each of the colonies. (A/I)
(Two days) Students watch two videos that outline life in the colonies. During the viewing students will complete a graphic organizer to help them outline the information. (A/I)
Students use kitchen study picture and their graphic organizer from the previous day to write about colonial foods, food preparation and kitchen utensils. They will be asked to compare the colonial kitchen to our kitchens today. (E/R-comparing)

Rubric	4	3	2	1
Comparisons	Makes many comparisons between colonial kitchens and today's kitchens	Makes some comparisons…	Makes few comparisons…	Makes no comparisons…
Organization	Each paragraph has a main idea sentence, several supporting details, and a summary sentence	Most paragraphs have a main idea sentence, supporting details, and a summary sentence	Few paragraphs have a main idea sentence, supporting details, or a summary sentence	No main ideas, supporting details or summary sentences are used
Historical accuracy	Facts about the colonial kitchen are all historically accurate	Most facts about the colonial kitchen are historically accurate	Few facts about the colonial kitchen are historically accurate	Facts about the colonial kitchen are not historically accurate
Effort	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor

Partners use flash cards of various colonial tools and utensils to play a scavenger hunt type game. (A/I)
Partners use flash cards to play a game which will help them to learn the various colonial occupations and the tools of that occupation. (A/I)

Students design a sign for one of the colonial occupations. Because most colonists could not read, students must find a way to represent, without using words, the occupation being advertised. (MU-invention)

Shield Rubric	4	3	2	1
Communication	Without using words, the occupation being advertised is easily understood	With some thought, the occupation being advertised can be determined	It is difficult to determine which occupation is being advertised	It is impossible to determine which occupation is being advertised
Historical accuracy	Objects pictured on the sign are historically accurate	Objects pictured on the sign are mostly historically accurate	Objects pictured on the sign are mostly historically inaccurate	Objects on the sign are totally historically inaccurate
Neatness	Very neat	Mostly neat	Not very neat	Sloppy
Effort	Excellent	Very good	Not very good	Poor

Students listen to the story Jamestown. (A/I)
Students practice using quill pens and create their own hornbook. (A/I)
Students complete a worksheet concerning the strengths and weaknesses of Great Britain and the Colonies before the Revolutionary War. The teacher will guide the students through a discussion as to how the colonists could have won the war with so many circumstances not in their favor. (E/R-error analysis)
Students create a timeline using important events of the colonial time period. (A/I)
(Two days) Small groups will use a scavenger hunt approach to match dates given with the important event associated with the date. Dates and events will be published and shared.

Culminating performance

Students will create a video based on the writing experiences listed above. It will follow the format of a news type broadcast. Each portion of the videotape will be recorded as it is completed. It is expected that each portion will require one week to complete. Each individual section will be graded using an academic rubric, (see language activities above) as well as a social rubric.
Students will create a power point slide using the format of the colonial broadside, information from the time period based on the writing experiences listed above, but with all of the flair of modern technology. It is expected that this will require an additional class period each day for about a week, with students working together in the computer lab. A rubric will be used to assess the quality of the final slide.

Prerequisite skills

Students will need a basic knowledge of power point.
Students will need to be familiar with the storyboard procedure to create a video performance.

Students will need to know how to access sites that are bookmarked for the internet.

Modifications

Students with poor writing skills or special needs for writing will be paired with more proficient students in writing and relieved of the responsibility to scribe answers. Word processors will also be used. Special education personnel will also be available for assistance.
Vocabulary and spelling requirements will be adjusted for students with special needs.
Students with writing disabilities will be given the opportunity to orally present information when content is being assessed.
Students with special needs in reading will have the reading material edited by the special education teacher to meet their reading level needs.

Unit schedule/Time plan

This is a seven week unit. It requires one period each day for the social studies activities, one period a day for the reading/spelling/vocabulary activities and one period a day for the writing activities. Students may be required to use some free time or study hall time to complete the activities, but the majority of the work is done during the three periods of class time each day.

Some time is necessary up front to gather materials for the unit. We have supplied students with a three ring binder and a copy of many of the materials, such as vocabulary/spelling lists, comprehension questions, worksheets used during social studies and rubrics which will be used for the entire unit. Materials used only by the teacher have been collected and stored in a folder until needed.

Technology integration

Video taping - The teacher should be familiar with the storyboard format for outlining a video production. Students should be trained how to write a video production using the storyboard format if they are not already familiar with it. Experience in using the video equipment is also helpful. Our students have already created one video this year using the storyboard format, so no additional training is necessary at this point.
Power Point - The teacher and students must be familiar with the power point program in order to create the slides. In our multi-age class, the "oldtimers" were trained in the use of power point last year, and have had an opportunity to practice using it again this year. These students will be used as peer tutors to train the fourth graders in the use of power point before we begin creating the broadside.
Internet - The teacher or media specialist who assists the teacher must be able to research internet sites and bookmark sites which are pertinent for the students research. Students must know how to access bookmarked sites. Our students have been trained by the media specialist in the use of internet, Grolier's On-Line and instructional CD's, so no further training is necessary at this time.
Webquest- The Media specialist in our school has used the webquest format to make several internet sites immediately available to students without the need to enter internet addresses. At several times during this unit the students will work in the computer lab to access these sites and become more familiar with life in the colonies.
Scanner- The media specialist used the scanner to scan in the students’ political cartoons so that they could be part of their power point presentation.