Behold the Wonder of Creation - Author: Sister Rosaire Anne DeMare - Grade Level: 5 - Subject Area: English Language Arts/Social Studies/Research - This project is for Grade 5 to explore and to become familiar with the National Parks of the United States, to understand the magnificence of their origins, to locate them geographically, to explore their unique features, inhabitants and inhabitants, to describe their attractions for the visitor today

Learning Experience:
Behold the Wonder of Creation

Title of Learning Experience: Behold the Wonder of Creation	Author: Sister Rosaire Anne DeMare
Grade Level: 5	School Address: St. Peter's School 400 Floyd Ave, Rome, NY 13440 School Phone/Fax: (315)336-2360/5112
Subject Area: English Language Arts/Social Studies/Research

CONNECTION TO INSTRUCTION IN CURRICULAR AREAS:

This project is for Grade 5 to explore and to become familiar with the National Parks of the United States, to understand the magnificence of their origins, to locate them geographically, to explore their unique features, inhabitants and inhabitants, to describe their attractions for the visitor today. In conclusion, the students will prepare booklet with cover page, essay, templates filled in, Bibliography, etc.

LEARNING CONTEXT

CONNECTION TO THE STANDARDS

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS

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

SPEAKING AND WRITING

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.

MATH/SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

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

SOCIAL STUDIES

Standard 2: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major themes, developments in the United States.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

Students must:

be familiar with the use of the Library.
be able to use the Automated Card Catalog.
use the online research tools: Electric Library, Grolier, etc.
request items from the Leatherstocking database.
be able to use the Macintosh computers
use ClarisWorks software to type, edit and prepare their report.
use the Internet according to the school use policy for available sites that have been stored with Webwacker or Bookmarks.
use print shop.
use of spreadsheet, enter data and create charts.

PROCEDURE

Day 1 and Day 2

Students will be introduced to the National Parks by viewing two videos: A Guide to America's Great National Parks, Volume 1 and 2, published by Time Magazine

Day 3

Students will write an essay of about 100 words about their impression of the Parks viewed on the video.

Day 4

Names of the National Parks will be printed on cards. Students will draw 5 cards by turns for their assignment.

On a map of the United States, they will locate their parks and pinpoint the spot where it is located.

Weeks 2 to 4

Gather Information and use class time in subject areas and library assigned and free time to work on the project.

The project requires the students to take notes from the following sources:

world Book encyclopedia books.
one library book, either from our library or order from the Leather Stocking catalog.
use the Internet sites.
UMI and Electric Library on the Internet.
at least one CD Encyclopedia, Encarta, Grolier's, Infopedia and another source.

Type the information gathered on the Data Base Template from ClarisWorks on the school Macintosh computers. Type the statistics gathered on the Spreadsheet to create a chart. Create a cover page using Print Shop and a colored printer. Prepare the Bibliography of at least five resources, record citations.

Use this outline to gather the information:

What is a National Park?
Where is the Park located?
Give the history of the park.
How would you describe this park to a person who wants to visit if?
What animals live in this park?
What natural physical feature is important to this park?
Name three kinds of trees that grow here.
Name three kinds of flowers found here.
What is the size of this park?
How many people live in this park?
What do the Park Rangers do?
Are there threats to this National Park continuing?

INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL

MODIFICATIONS

Time for the project will be coordinated with the teachers of Language Arts, Math, Homeroom, Resource, Library Media Specialist and Technology.

Students will be paired with a partner to help each other but they will prepare 2 separate projects. Each student will be assessed for their own work. The partners will be determined by the teachers.

Students have access to the computers in the Computer Room, the clusters in the classrooms and the computers in the Library Media Center.

The Macs are networked, so that when work is started it may be saved and accessed at most of the workstations. Most of the computers also have access to the Internet. A scanner is available to the students.

TIME REQUIRED

To prepare the project the teachers and students will need about five hours of collaborative planning and instruction.

The students will be given instruction during two computer classes to set up a Database and a Spreadsheet.

The Library Media Specialist will use two class times to instruct the students on how to use the tools available. One class will be devoted to teach the Internet, the other to learn how to use computer tools. Students will need 2 or 3 other class periods of 45 minutes, coordinated with the Language Arts teacher and Math instructor for hands-on time to do the project.

Students may work at home, before or after school, and during the lunch hour. The Library Media Center is open at those times. Individual assistance is available during other periods of time during the day.

TECHNOLOGY

The computers are networked and available for any student to use. The printers are supplied with paper and the choice is available to a printer to print a colored cover page.

ASSESSMENT PLAN

The teacher will use a checklist for progress.

Reminders about what should be finished by certain days will be posted.

Teacher will help individuals as needed and monitor the partners.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

Students will complete the project be collecting all materials in a booklet form with a cover page.

Cover page, essay, data base print out in chart form. Spreadsheet and 2 graphs of choice, Bibliography and extra materials, and information.

REFLECTION

The finished products are in the form of a booklet that will be shared with other classes and parents.

I wanted to have the students experience this project because; I have visited Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon. I will also be visiting Byce Canyon, Zion National Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on an Elderhostel experience. I will share my experiences with the students, as their products are complete.

This Learning Experience can lead to many more technology skills. It can continue to be used in Language Arts, Art, Math and Social Studies classes.

RUBRIC

POINTS	4	3	2	1	0
COMPLETE and on time	Finished by Date Due	1 day late	2 days late	3 days late	4 or more days late
OTHER INTERET-ING INFO	6 EXTRAS	5/4 EXTRAS	3 EXTRAS	2/1 EXTRAS	0 EXTRAS
ESSAY	100 word typed	75 words typed	50-100 words written	few words not typed	not done
DATA BASE	5 or more parks done	4 parks done	3 parks done	2 or 1 parks done	none
SPREAD-SHEET	5 or more parks done	4 parks done	3 parks done	2 or 1 parks done	none
COVER PAGE	done on the computer and printed in color	done on the computer and printed in black	drawn and colored by hand	either no cover page or not done well	none
BIBLIO-GRPHY	5 or more references	4 references	3 references	2 or 1 references	none
TOTAL	30	21(22)	14	7(8,9,10)	0

MARK	A+	A	B+	B	C+	C	F
POINTS	30	22	21	14	10/9	8/7	0

STUDENT NAME:

DATE:

TEMPLATE FOR DATABASE

NAME OF THE PARK:

LOCATION:

PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE TO START THE PARK:

WHY VISIT THIS PARK? (POINT OF INTEREST)

ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN THE PARK:

IMPORTANT NATURAL PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THIS PARK?

TREES THAT GROW HERE:

FLOWERS FOUND HERE:

WHAT ARE THE THREATS TO NATIONAL PARKS?

ANY OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST?
(LIKE RECREATION, CAMPING, PICNICS, LODGING, MUSEUMS, VISITORS CENTERS)

TEMPLATE FOR SPREAD SHEET

NAME OF PARK:

SIZE IN SQUARE MILES:

DATE ESTABLISHED AS A PARK:

POPULATION:

NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO VISIT IT ANNUALLY:

Citation/Bibliography Check List

Author's name (last, first) _________________________________________________________________________

Title _________________________________________________________________________________________

City of publication _______________________________________________________________________________

Publishing company ______________________________________________________________________________