TitleIII Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use

OVERVIEW

  In this unit, students will be responsible for studying about a President, creating a visual presentation and taking peers on a travel back in time. Students will be given quite a bit of freedom in this unit in the ways that they present and share information. There are specific goals that need to be met and criteria that have to be followed.

During this the teacher must check students work on a continual basis so that they are able to meet the expectations. Personally I choose to use random checks and keep anecdotal notes on each students so that way they always have to be on task and meeting deadlines. One strategy that I use is "On The Clock." During this time, students have a very specific task that needs to be accomplished in a specific time period. When done consistently, this method is very effective in helping with classroom management.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

•  How have decisions Presidents have made effected your life?
• What kinds of problems would people encounter if they were transplanted to the future?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS

Content Area: ELA

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

• Note taking, research

Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

• Peer conference, use checklists to evaluate, rubric

Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.

• presentations

Content Area: MST

Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

• word processing

 Content Area: Social Studies

Standard 1-History of the United States and New York

• reading material about Presidents and their accomplishments, using information to draw conclusions about the USA

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Students will view clips from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. They will see some examples of historical figures being place in the 1980’s. Students will be asked to create a similar experience as part of their culminating performance.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Day 1

To get students thinking about the Presidents and all of the possible ways they can present; the teacher will present a complete President study presentation. This will include both the visual and the time travel component. The teacher will use a Power Point Presentation that includes pictures, video clips and sound.

Students will be presented with the assignment sheet (see attached) as well as the rubric (see assessment). Students will have the night to think about what President they might like to study and to determine if they would like to work alone or in a group.

Day 2

• The teacher will answer any questions that may have come up after students have had time to examine the rubric.
• The Presidents will be assigned. A lottery system will be used if necessary.
• Model: the teacher will use a transparency to show a KQWA (see attached) the teacher will list a few facts she knows about the President, Questions that they have, and possible places where answers can be found. The answer space will be left blank and will be completed as answers are found.
• Independent Practice: Students will complete the KQWA

Day 3

• Anticipatory Set: Students will be given a scavenger hunt with 10 pieces of information to find. They will be put on the clock and given encyclopedias, phone books, TV guides, almanacs, glossaries, and informational texts with an index, magazines, the Internet and CD-ROMs. Students will work in pairs to find the information they need.
• Students will generate a list of troubled areas. They will share where they had problems.
• Through whole class discussion, students will share where they were able to find certain types of information.
• Model: How to use resources. Create a list of what students can find where.
• Closure: Give students 5 items to find. Have them share their process. Discussion on the speed of second search compared to the first.

****This knowledge will be attained over several lessons, each showing specifically how to use the sources.

Day 4

• Students will take knowledge from the lessons on resources and research their specific President.

• Students will make a list of possible resources that they could use to find information on their topic. Example: Ronald Reagan-could be found in R encyclopedia or on the American History Timeline CD-ROM.

• Once the list is compiled, the teacher will conference with students to see what sources they have found.

While waiting for students to complete lists, teacher will assist students in their search.

Day 5

• Anticipatory Set: Students will be given a passage from an encyclopedia, CD-ROM (printed out), an informational book, and the Internet (printed out). They will be put on the clock and asked to take notes on the given topic.
• Students will share in small groups the information they found.
• Discussion: Have students find one note they took from the encyclopedia. How easy was it to find? How did you know where to look? What did you write down?
• Have students brainstorm in small groups how they could organize so they always know what information came from which source. List on chart paper.
• Introduce a color-coded system in which each source is recorded on a different colored card.
• Discuss what is important when taking notes.
• Model taking notes using same sources as anticipatory set. Put on construction paper that corresponds with the color of note-cards students will be using. Post on a bulletin board.
• Guided Practice; Give student the same sources as used in the anticipatory set. Give them a broad topic to take notes on. Have them take one note on the appropriate colored card.

• Closure: Check with a partner to make sure the correct colored cards were used and that the information was important facts not meaningless details.

****ONCE CITING HAS BEEN TAUGHT, WRITE THAT ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE CARD.

Day 6-8

Students will work on filling in chart and note taking.

Day 9

• Anticipatory Set: Students will be put on the clock and write about a time when they did something nice for someone.
• Teacher will collect and read the experiences as if they were her own.
• Discussion on how students felt when someone "used" their writing as their own.
• Explanation of plagiarism and the importance of citing sources

Day 10

• Model: How to cite encyclopedia, magazine articles, CD-ROM’s and Internet sources. Put cited information on chart paper to be posted with both the necessary information and the information used. Teacher will point out common errors such as punctuation.
• Guided Practice: Hand out graphic organizer and have students complete cites for encyclopedia, magazine articles, CD-ROM’s and Internet sources
• Independent Practice: Students will create a works cited page for their sources. Students will be able to review steps and parts by using the bulletin board and the ELA Curriculum.
• Closure: Have students exchange papers and check for accuracy. Review orally the parts, in order, for each citation they used.
• Assessment: Once the teacher has proofed the page, the student will be ready for final presentation preparation. Students who do not understand will meet 1-1 with the teacher to review the steps to completing a work-cited page.

Day 11-Day 13

Students will be given time to work on Presentations. They will have access to the Internet, Power Point, Microsoft Word, Encarta, CD-ROMs, art supplies, the scanner, photocopier, and Pacon Presentation Boards.

Days That Follow

Presentations will take place.

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE

Students will be given fifteen minutes to present their projects. In this time they must cover all of the criteria on the rubric and criteria sheet. They must also present how their President would feel if he were alive today. The student must focus on three major issues which may include any of the following but are not limited to: moral standards, military, economy, race relations, gender equality, education, international relations, conservation or taxes. The student MUST also cover the same three things in their factual presentation.

 President Study Rubric

PRE-REQUISTE SKILLS

• Word processing skills, Internet search skills, using a rubric, meeting deadlines

 

MODIFICATIONS

  Because of the structure of this assignment, students of all abilities will be able to complete the assigned work. There will be a color-coded system, rubric, specific direction sheets and teacher checkpoints. Students with IEP's will have their individual needs met.

 This project gives students freedom that they do not always have when working on a long-term project. This type of project allows for students to work in small groups, at their own pace, and/or with the teacher. Instruction can be more individualized while completing a project like this. It is essential that students meet the deadlines that are given.

This unit could be used if adapted or modified at any grade level 3-12, in a variety of content areas.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

This unit is broken into 13 instruction/work days. Students work an hour to an hour and a half every day. If you have the library media specialist or other teachers assist, this can be accomplished in the amount of time.

TECHNOLOGY USE

  If students have chosen to use the Presentation boards, they are required to word process all materials. Students who are using Power Point, creating Web Pages, or are scanning pictures or documents are going beyond the expectations of this project. Students are able to present their Power Point Presentations or Web Pages by using the LCD Projector.

All students are required to use the Internet and a CD-ROM in order to successfully complete this project.

There are videos taken of presentations as well as pictures with the digital camera. These pictures can be added to the school web page.

Attachments

#1

President Study

As a group you have decided that the culminating project this year will be a study of some of the Presidents of the United States. In the interest of time, we have decided to make a few modifications to the project since we first discussed it. Your final product will be due on_______.

Rules:

1. You are allowed to work in-groups, however each student will be responsible for individual requirements.
2. You must prepare some type of visual. This is how your peers and teachers will determine if you met the requirements of this project.
3. You must make sure that you include some sort of Travel to the Future, similar to what Bill and Ted did. This must be about the same three key ideas as in your formal research.
4. You will have to work at home and school in order to complete this.

Requirements:

Each student must use/have:

3 pictures, one of which must be drawn

2 Internet sites about the President

2 books

1 Encyclopedia

1 CD-ROM

Index cards with information sources cited

Name of President on visual (easy to see)

Presidents DOB and DOD

List of terms served

Number president

15 other facts to share

family life

government positions held

explore in depth any three of the following: moral standards, military, economy, race relations, gender equality, education, international relations, conservation or taxes

(You may choose other with teacher approval.)

You will formally present how your President felt on any of these issues. Then you will be asked to put your President in the year 2000 and explain/show how he would react to current events and situations based on the same three things.

Some suggestions for a visual include, but are not limited to:

Web site, power point presentation, posters, overhead transparencies, presentation board, diorama, or any combination of the listed.

You MUST include all of the information listed above. It needs to be on your visual.

My president is ______________________________.

Hints

• Use your time wisely!
• Start plenty early

#2

 Name _________________President ____________________

President Evaluation

The part I liked most about this project was _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

The part I liked least about this project was

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

What part of the project did you work the hardest on? Why?

_______________________________________________________________.

The most interesting thing I found out about my President was

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

After listening to the presentations, I would like to know more information about________________________because _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

#3