Grade Level: 4th grade
Subject area: Social Studies
Unit Topic: Capitals and Governors of Alabama
Collection map: books, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs
Information Literacy Model: The Big6 model will be used for this lesson because it allows students to organize and evaluate the information that they locate by a process.
Web 2.0 technology used: Students will write on the class blog daily to explain their research for the day and experience they had while evaluating information. The students can also inform other student on the blog of resources that are beneficial or not while doing research.
Technology equipment used: LCD projector, laptop, enough computers with Internet access for each group, online databases (AVL), bookmarked websites
Success of unit: The assessment will include the progress check list, the Research Logs, the classroom presentation, and the hard copy of the presentation material. After evaluating the lesson the library media specialist can reflect on the outcomes of the lesson to see if they standards were met effectively.
Collaboration: The library media specialist will collaborate with all fourth grade classroom teachers. Fourth grade social studies standards are on Alabama history, therefore the lesson is designed to meet those standards. The classroom teachers will bring ideas that they have done in the past to see what needs to be added to this lesson to make it more effective.
Overview: Students will research the five sites of Alabama's capital and the first governors of the state. They will create a presentation including the physical location of each site and the political and geographic reasons the site was chosen and abandoned, if applicable. The presentation will also include information about the (or a) governor that served while the capital was at the specific location they are researching. Presentations will be given in a PowerPoint.
Content Standards:
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(K-12)
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1. The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
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IL(K-12)
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2. The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
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IL(K-12)
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3. The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
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IL(K-12)
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9. The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.
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SS(4) Alabama Studies
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5. Describe Alabama's entry into statehood, including Alabama's constitutions and the three branches of government.
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ELA(4)
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12. Organize information on a specific topic obtained from grade-appropriate reference materials.
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Primary Learning Objective(s): The students will research using various resources the location of, political and geographic reason for choosing and/or leaving one of Alabama’s capital sites. The student will then add a brief biography of the governor’s life who served at each site presented. Students will organize the information into a Research Log and use it to create a PowerPoint Presentation following the guidelines provided.
Additional Learning Objective(s): Students will contribute to the learning community by working in groups of two or three to complete the research project. Students will access, evaluate, and use information to complete the research project. The students will blog daily about their experiences while conducting research.
Procedures/Activities:
1.) Use an LCD projector and computer with Internet access to review how to search the AVL and give an overview of the websites bookmarked for student use. Examples are:
(Alabama Department of Archives & History)
The governors site contains links to biographies on all of the govenors of Alabama. The capitals site contains a brief history of the five capitals of Alabama.
2. ) Divide the students into groups of two or three depending on class size and assign each group an Alabama capital site and the (or a) govenor that served at that site. (St. Stephens-William Wyatt Bibb; Huntsville-Thomas Bibb; Cahaba-Israel Pickens; Tuscaloosa-John Murphy; Montgomery-group choice)
3.) Give out Research Logs (1 spiral or composition notebook per group) and guidelines. Discuss these with the students and answer any questions they have. Show the students the Checklist for Presentation that you will use each day to monitor their progress and answer any questions they have.
4.) Take the students to the library media center and/or computer lab to complete research over two to three class periods. Ask the technology specialist to assist when possible.
5.) As they locate information, the students are to summarize or paraphrase the information in their own words in their Research Logs. See the My Guidelines attachment for the required information.
6.) Check the students' Research Logs as they have questions and throughout their research time and, record their progress on the Checklist for Presentation sheet. (See attachment) The Research Logs and checklist will be part of the assessment.
7.) Show student how to post their blog on the class blog of the information they would like to provide for the day.
8.) Once the students have collected all of the necessary information, explain PowerPoint presentation format.
9.)Allow two or three class periods for groups to complete the presentations. Again, monitor their progress with the Checklist for Presentation. Ask the technology specialist to assist the groups needing assistance in completing PowerPoints.
10.) Have two groups present their work each day, until all groups have gone. You may want the groups that finish early to begin presenting while the other groups are still working or you can draw numbers/names from a hat.
Assessment Strategies: The assessment will include the progress check list, the Research Logs, the classroom presentation, and the hard copy of the presentation material.
Extension: Students could do a virtual tour of the sites of Alabama’s capitals or take a field trip to Montgomery.
Remediation: Students may use the textbook or other groups' projects to increase knowledge about Alabama's five capitals and selected governors.
Accommodation: Students will work in groups and the teacher may excuse students out of parts of the work as needed. The teacher can also provide resources already printed for students to gather information.
Modification: Students will work in groups and depending on the IEP be allowed to participate orally only.
Rubric: MyRubric.xls
Guidelines: Guidelines.doc
Checklist: Checklist for Presentation.doc
Collaboration Plan:
To present my lesson to classroom teachers I would call a grade level meeting to discuss plans for the upcoming quarter. I would then discuss the importance of student knowing Alabama history and relate the lesson to the state standards. I would have a handout that briefly explained the lesson to the teachers. I would then ask them for suggestions on how I could make this lesson better. We would then plan how we would implement the lesson.
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