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Explorers Report and Presentation |
Credits:
Sandy Bennett
Mountain View Elementary, Broomfield, CO
C.J. Rhodes
Mountain View Elementary, Broomfield, CO
VITAL INFORMATION
Subject Matter:
Elementary, Reading, Social Studies, Writing
Grades:
5
Software Application:
StarOffice Writer, StarOffice Impress, Internet Browser or any word processor and presentation software
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Summary:
Students will take notes from several online sources and copy maps and pictures from online sources. They then will use their notes and pictures to produce a slide show on StarImpress. From the slide show outline view and their notes they will produce a written report using StarWrite. They also will give an oral report using their slide show.
State & National Standards:
CO- Colorado Academic Standards
« Subject : History
« Standard 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry
The study of history requires obtaining and deriving meaning from historical information. It is essential that students of history be able to use the processes of historical inquiry to formulate historical questions, identify patterns of events, analyze cause-and-effect relationships, and evaluate historical arguments in order to make usable conclusions. In addition, the skills needed for evaluating historical arguments are fundamental for understanding current social issues and policy.
« Key Idea 2.1: Students know how to formulate questions and hypotheses regarding what happened in the past and to obtain and analyze historical data to answer questions and test hypotheses
« Grade/Level : Grades 5-8
Performance Indicator : gathering information from multiple sources, including electronic databases, to understand events from multiple perspectives
Performance Indicator : determining if the information gathered is sufficient to answer historical questions« Subject : Reading and Writing
« Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences
Writing and speaking are essential tools for learning, for success in the workplace, and for responsible citizenship. Developing a range of writing and speaking abilities requires extensive study, practice, and thinking. Students need frequent opportunities to write and speak for different audiences and purposes, and they need to be able to communicate expressively, informatively, and analytically. Growth in writing and speaking abilities occurs by applying skills to increasingly challenging communication tasks
« Grade/Level : CO- Colorado Academic Standards
« Grade/Level : Grades 5-8
Performance Indicator : incorporating source materials into their speaking and writing (for example, interviews, news articles, encyclopedia information);
Performance Indicator : writing and speaking
in the content areas (for example, science, geography, history, literature),
using the technical vocabulary of the subject accurately
« Standard
5: Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant
information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources
In this age of information and technology, people need reading and information-retrieval skills that will enable them to access facts, images, and text from many sources. The sheer volume of data makes it necessary for information seekers to be able to wade through a maze of facts, figures, and images, and to identify what is useful and relevant. Knowing how to locate, evaluate, and make use of an ever-increasing amount of information demands a broader repertoire of reading strategies. This implies an expanded definition of literacy that includes reading for information in a technological age. Students need to become discerning consumers of information.
« Grade/Level : CO- Colorado Academic Standards
« Grade/Level : Grades 5-8
Performance Indicator : locating and selecting relevant information
Performance Indicator : using available technology to research and produce an end-product that is accurately documented
Performance Indicator : giving credit for borrowed information in a bibliography
Local Standards:
Instructional Technology Skills Continuum
Standard #2: Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
- Begins using touch typing with home keys.
- Independently uses spell check and thesaurus.
- Changes character formatting such as font color.
- Utilizes different document layouts. (i.e. newsletter, etc.)
- Changes document formatting such as: alignment, bulleted/numbered lists, borders, line spacing, margins, etc.
- Uses import/export and copy/paste features to create a single document using more than one program.
Standard #3: Students use telecommunications to retrieve and exchange information which supports and enhances District 12 curriculum frameworks.
- Has signed Acceptable Use Regulations document on file with the school.
- Identifies violations of the Copyright Law.
- Demonstrates the correct use of copyrighted materials in multimedia products.
- Routinely uses teacher-selected Internet sites and/or links to retrieve information for classroom assignments.
- Uses search strategies to locate information.
- Saves and/or prints information from the Internet.
- Begins to distinguish among sources of information. (i.e. university, commercial, and government sites.)
- Begins to recognize the differences between content and advertisements on web pages.
- Cites electronic sources correctly.
- Develops skills to evaluate the accuracy of information obtained from electronic resources
- Creates a multi-media presentation
Lesson Outcomes:
Student will be able to collect information about an explorer, be able to take notes from various sources, and design a presentation and write a report.
Assessment:
The Slide Rubric will be used to evaluate content and accuracy of student slides.
The Oral Presentation Rubric will be used to evaluate student presentations.
CLASSROOM & TIME MANAGEMENT
Student Prerequisites:
Students should know how to have different programs open on different desktops and how to flip from one to the other. They should know how to cut and paste bits of information and how to copy pictures into the right folder for future use. They also should know how to navigate the Internet and how to use StarOffice Impress.
Lesson Preparation:
Be sure to search out web sites that kids can use and understand.
Time Frame:
8 class periods. 45 Min. per class.
Implementation Steps:
1. Decide on what the students need to have in their notes for their report and create a template. The one I used is included. Place the notes template into each student's folder.
2. In the lab the first time, have students open the Internet on one desktop and StarOffice on another. On the StarOffice desktop, open the explorer notes template. Give the students the web pages you would like them to explore and let them do that. They should be looking for answers to the question on the template. Watch them carefully, as they like to copy whole chunks of information rather than take notes. This might take two class periods, or at the least one and a half.
3. Have them print their notes and then start on a slide show--telling them how many slides they are to have. We had to have at least 5---Title, 3 about the explorer(one of these had a map of the explorers route), and a bibliography. They must have their slide show checked out before printing. You will want them to print the outline view and the view that puts four slides on a page. This piece will also take two or three class periods.
4. Now we used the Outline view and the printed notes to write our written report. We worked on good leads and paragraphing. The outline definitely helped with the paragraphing. They were asked to do this part double-spaced so that when they printed it the first time they could use their hard copy to revise and edit and then go back and make the corrections on StarOffice. This piece took another two class periods.
5. After this was done the students orally gave their reports to the class using the slide show as a point of interest. This took another one to two class periods.
RESOURCES
Lesson Resources:
Attachments:
1. Empty Note page - Download StarOffice File -- Download MS Office File
2. Checklist for Slide Presentation
Links:
1. Zoom Explorers - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/
2. European Explorers Rescources - http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/explorer.htm
STUDENT PRODUCT(S)
Product(s) Description:
Attachments:
1. Student notes from Template
3. Student Explorer Slide Show
REFLECTION
Comments:
This process could be used for any report. The kids loved doing the slide show and having the outline notes to produce their written report. I have found that drafting and then printing forces them to make correction and then they even find more ways to make their written report better. I would also consider coming back to the final copy a day later to make sure it is the best it can be.
Do You Have These
These things are a must for your slide show. Check them off if you have them.
1. Birth/death _______
2. Where explorer was born _______
3. Country explorer explored for _______
4. Why explorer explored ___________
5. Where explorer traveled. A description of his route not just a map. It
would be great on a map slide. _______
6. What explorer was looking for _________
7. What explorer found _________
8. Important sightings on his trip ______
9. Important happenings on his trip ________
10. What were the benefits of his trip. Good and bad things that happened
______________
11. Map _____________
12. Reference page (5). The last slide would be a great reference page __________
13. Neatness __________
14. Spelling/Grammar ________
ALL OF THE ABOVE PARTS ARE WORTH 10 POINTS EACH
15. Notes (5 points)
16. Presentation (20 points)
Student Sample Notes
FERDINAND MAGELLAN
Where born Sabrosa,Portugal
When born 1480
When died 1521
How died if available In a battle in the Philippines
Any extra info about childhood or until time of exploration
Educated in the Portuguese court, Magellan proved himself in
many battles in the name of his country
What country did he explore for?
He sailed for his native Portugal. Thereafter, he sailed for Spain
Why did he explore and what was he looking for?
An all sea route to Asia
What important things happened on his journey?
War with natives died in Mactan in the Philippines.
What important things did he or those that were part of his exploration see
or do?Have battles with natives.
What good things happened because of his journey?
Proved the world was round.
What bad things happened because of his journey
It took three years and almost 200 people died, Magellan was one of them.
You need to have a map of your explorers journey/ies
A picture of your explorer would be nice
Would you like to sail with a guy who lost over 200 men, four ships, and never
completed his journey? I sure wouldn't, but Ferdinand Magellan did exactly
that.
He was born in a town called Sabrosa, which is in Portugal in 1480. He didn't
know this at the time, but he was going to be commanding the first expedition
to sail around the world. Ferdinand Magellan was educated and proved himself
in many battles for his country. Later on, Magellan became a Portuguese sea
captain who sailed for Portugal and Spain. He explored to find an all sea
route from Spain to Asia by traveling west.
He sailed with over 200 men and five ships, The Victoria, The Trinidad, The
Conception, The San Antonio, and The Santiago. He explored to prove the world
was round. He sailed from Spain in 1519 on his expedition. He sailed through
the Strait of Magellan, which is why it's called the Strait of Magellan today.
A good thing that happened was that he proved the world was round and some
uneducated people still thought it was flat. A bad thing that happened was
that he had many battles with the natives of the Philippines.
On April 27, 1521 he died in a battle on Mactan, which is in the Philippines.
Only one ship, The Victoria, made it back to Spain. Since a ship made back,
he did find a route from Spain to Asia by traveling west. Magellan is probably
one of the greatest Portuguese explorers. It was just too bad that he died
a little before the completion of his journey.
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Developed under a grant from Sun Microsystems, Inc. Open Gateways at Mountain View
Elementary School by Steve Gandy, Technology Coordinator - mountain.adams12.org/TISS
© 2003