Kristen's+Unit

Lesson #1 o **8.2.4.B:** Locate historical **documents, artifacts**, and places critical to Pennsylvania history. o **8.2.4.C:** Explain how continuity and change in Pennsylvania history have influenced personal development and identity. o Belief systems and religions o Commerce and industry o Technology o Politics and government o Physical and **human geography** o **Social** organizations o **8.2.4.D:** Distinguish between **conflict** and cooperation among groups and organization that impacted the history and development of Pennsylvania o **Ethnicity** and race o Working conditions o Immigration o Military **conflict** o **Economic** stability || □ 1. Creativity and innovation þ 2. Communication and collaboration þ 3. Research and information literacy þ 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making þ 5. Digital citizenship þ 6. Technology operations and concepts
 * = Daily Lesson GAME Plan = ||
 * **Lesson Title:** Where in Pennsylvania would be the best location for a field trip to help us in our study of our state's history? |||| Related Lessons: Geography and Math ||
 * **Grade Level:** 4 |||| **Unit:** Social Studies ||
 * ==GOALS== ||
 * **Content Standards: Pennsylvania State Standards for Grade 4**
 * I**STE NETS-S**


 * Instructional Objectives:** The students will research historical locations in Pennsylvania selecting the best choice for a field trip later in the year. The students will identify the historical location, what makes it significant to the history of Pennsylvania (what happened there), where the site is located, and what activities are available for visiting school children. ||
 * ==ACTION== ||
 * **Before-Class Preparation:** Determine student groups (homogenous-so accommodations for students with learning disabilities can be made and also work together with their special education teachers for additional time). Secure computers for 8 small groups of three students each. Ensure all computers are able to connect to the internet for research. Plan a time for students to have an extra lesson in the library on writing bibliographies. Create and post a graphic organizer on the classroom website for students to use for their research. ||
 * **During Class** ||
 * **Time** |||| **Instructional Activities** || **Materials and Resources** ||
 * 10 minutes

180 min. (over 4 class periods)

15 min. (over the course of 4days) |||| Introduce the project by asking students to raise their hands if they’d be interested in planning the fourth grade field trip for the year (or at least determine where we will go). Our PTA has provided us with $1000 for the entire fourth grade class to take a field trip. You and two other classmates will determine where we will go based on the amount of money we have to spend. Your fellow classmates will then vote where they want to go based on your information. The trip must enhance our study of Pennsylvania history and our future as citizens of the state, country and world. Assign student groups, have them sit together, distribute “Field Trip Project” packet and read through expectations. Decide which person will be the secretary, researcher, and computer operator (jobs will change every day so all students have an opportunity to perform each task).

On the first day of research, model (and review) using search engines to locate information using LCD projector and teacher computer. Review techniques for determining site reliability (.com, .net, .org, .edu). Students begin working in groups to research historical locations in Pennsylvania. Students identify the historical site, determine where it is located (town), the historical significance to Pennsylvania, and record what activities the site has to offer school groups. Select three that “appear” to be the best places to visit to use for the next two lessons. After all lessons in unit (including these) are completed, students will choose the best location and prepare a persuasive speech to share with the class regarding why this historic site should chosen.

Each day at the end of the period, groups share examples they found in their research. || Field trip project packet, 8 laptop computers

Graphic Organizer template created in Word linked on our class webpage ||
 * ==MONITOR== ||
 * **Ongoing Assessment(s):** A checklist will be used daily by the teacher to record 21st century skills the students use successfully/unsuccessfully. Observation will be used to monitor small group work to be sure one person is not dominating the project. A rubric will be used daily to evaluate the information the groups discovered during the research stage. Students will evaluate each member of the group’s contributions on a daily basis using a rubric. (Good use of the rubric)


 * Accommodations and Extensions:** Since several students in the class have IEPs for learning disabilities, accommodations will need to be made to the assignment. For these students, websites will be bookmarked for student use. A printed project packet will be provided to all students so those who feel more comfortable using paper/pencil may do so and those who want to use the laptops may do so. I have a student who is reading/writing below a first grade level. To assist him in this assignment, I will teach him to use Garage Band or another audio recorder on the computer so writing will not interfere with his learning. I will suggest that students who have difficulty reading use Voice Over, a text-to-speech utility that reads words on the screen. ( Very specific accomodations, nice!)

Lesson #2
 * Back-Up Plan:** In case the computers aren’t available or there would be a network problem, students could research locations using their textbook, __Pennsylvania: Adventures in Time and Place__ (2000). Plan to either take the students to the library to locate additional texts or magazines or sign-out materials to use in the classroom if the library isn't available. (perhaps a trip to the library to locate additional texts or magazines?) ||
 * ==EVALUATION== ||
 * A rubric will also be used to evaluate the final project where the students select a location and defend their selection based on their ability to stay within a budget, driving distance in a school day, student activities available for the trip and potential learning from the experience. ||

o **8.2.4.B:** Locate historical **documents, artifacts**, and places critical to Pennsylvania history. o **8.2.4.C:** Explain how continuity and change in Pennsylvania history have influenced personal development and identity. o Belief systems and religions o Commerce and industry o Technology o Politics and government o Physical and **human geography** o **Social** organizations o **8.2.4.D:** Distinguish between **conflict** and cooperation among groups and organization that impacted the history and development of Pennsylvania o **Ethnicity** and race o Working conditions o Immigration o Military **conflict** o **Economic** stability || □ 1. Creativity and innovation þ 2. Communication and collaboration þ 3. Research and information literacy þ 4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making þ 5. Digital citizenship þ 6. Technology operations and concepts
 * = Daily Lesson GAME Plan = ||
 * **Lesson Title:** Why a Wiki? |||| **Related Lessons:** Geography and Math ||
 * **Grade Level:** 4 |||| **Unit:** Social Studies ||
 * ==GOALS== ||
 * **Content Standards:**
 * I**STE NETS-S**

**During Class** ||
 * Instructional Objectives:** The students will research historical locations in Pennsylvania selecting the best choice for a field trip later in the year. The students will identify the historical location, what makes it significant to the history of Pennsylvania (what happened there), where the site is located, and what activities are available for visiting school children. ||
 * ==ACTION== ||
 * **Before-Class Preparation:** Create an example wiki on our school Moodle site to use as a model for showing students what a wiki is and how to use it. Create an ePals account looking for classrooms across the state of Pennsylvania who are willing to share information about the historical significance of their towns with us. Students could collaborate with these children if other schools from the state are using ePals and looking for ways to collaborate. This isn’t something we can rely on since it is dependent upon a classroom (or more) being able to work with us. Posting our need on ePals very early in the year with a project start date for late winter/early spring so enough other schools could join us would allow enough time to know if this is an option or not. ||
 * **Time** |||| **Instructional Activities** **This lesson should be taught the day after introducing the unit and reviewing how to determine website reliability.** || **Materials and Resources** ||
 * 10 minutes

25 minutes

10 minutes |||| Introduce a wiki. Explain what a wiki is and why it will be beneficial to use during their PA field trip project. Show an example of a wiki I made on our school Moodle site. Since this is the first time students will be creating a wiki, I will model each step and then have the students create the basic structure of their wiki as I guide them through the process.

Distribute laptops to student groups. Have one student from each group log on to the network using their username and password. Next, open Safari or Firefox located on the dock. Type in the school Moodle address: []. Click on the wiki tab at the top right of the page. Once there, close the laptop to watch how to create a page. Show the pencil icon, + sign and - sign. To create a page, click on the + sign and give your page a name. Have students think of a name for their wiki that is unique to them. After 5 minutes, focus student attention back on the screen to show how to do this. Next discuss with students what information might be helpful to have on the wiki (names of historic sites, cost, distance, what happened there, activities available for children etc.). Instead of using pencil and paper, you will be able to keep track of your work here and can add to it at home or whenever you have access to a computer. Provide students with a printed copy of our Moodle site to staple to their agendas for use at home. Demonstrate how to add information to the wiki page, how to edit information (use the pencil icon), and how to change the theme (what your wiki looks like). Answer any questions. Allow students to create their wiki and add pages they will need for completing the PA field trip project. Meet with individual groups to check in on progress and answer any questions.

Have groups share their wiki using the LCD projector. Classmates offer feedback on a Post It note (ways to make it easier to understand or compliments).

Ongoing throughout the project, students will keep track of their learning on the wiki. || 8 MacBook laptop computers; LCD projector

(25) Printed copies of district Moodle site, printed copy of step-by-step directions

LCD projector and cord ||
 * ==MONITOR== ||
 * **Ongoing Assessment(s):** A checklist will be used daily by the teacher to record 21st century skills the students use successfully/unsuccessfully. Observation will be used to monitor small group work to be sure one person is not dominating the project. A rubric will be used daily to evaluate the information the groups discovered during the research stage. Students will evaluate each member of the group’s contributions on a daily basis using a rubric. Observation will also be used to monitor student work on a daily basis. Redirection and guidance will be provided as needed.


 * Accommodations and Extensions:** Since several students in the class have IEPs for learning disabilities, accommodations will need to be made to the assignment. For these students, websites will be bookmarked for student use. A printed project packet will be provided to all students so those who feel more comfortable using paper/pencil may do so and those who want to use the laptops may do so. I have a student who is reading/writing below a first grade level. To assist him in this assignment, I will teach him to use Garage Band or another audio recorder on the computer so writing will not interfere with his learning. I will suggest that students who have difficulty reading use Voice Over, a text-to-speech utility that reads words on the screen.


 * Back-Up Plan:** In case the computers aren’t available or there would be a network problem, students could keep a written account of the historical places they’ve found in Pennsylvania using a graphic organizer (see attached). ||
 * ==EVALUATION== ||
 * A rubric will also be used to evaluate the final project where the students select a location and defend their selection based on their ability to stay within a budget, driving distance in a school day, student activities available for the trip and potential learning from the experience. ||