Time Corps Cadets: A Visit to Native Americans in North America – Grade 4
Individual application Team application
Task Title
Task Discipline
Abstract
Introduction
Lesson/Unit
CT Curriculum Frameworks
Teacher or Student Technology Standards
Assessment
Student Work
Reflections
Material Resources
Technology Resources
Submitted by / Kim Ruiz, Nancy Cantara, Sara HodgdonGrade Level / Fourth Grade
Subject / Social Studies
Email Address of primary author /
School / District / Goodwin Elementary School/ Mansfield
RESC / Contact person and email / Jane Cook
EASTCONN
Mill #1, 3rd Floor
322 Main Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
(860) 455-0707 ext. 3011
Task Title: Regional study of North America based upon various Native
American Tribes
Task Discipline: Social Studies/Native Americans
Abstract: The overall purpose of this unit was for fourth graders to study the geographic features and natural resources of North America. This is done through a regional study of Native American tribes and how the different areas affected their every day lives.
Introduction: Fourth grade students with the assistance of the classroom teacher, library media specialist, technology staff, and support staff created multimedia informational web applications on various Native American tribes as a way to study the geographic features and natural resources of North America. Students used different types of technology and Web 2.0 tools to tell the story of Native American groups. They did this by creating avatars, actively posting and participating on classroom wikispaces, using scanners, web-based search engines, interactive SMART Board activities, headset microphones for recording, classroom wireless laptops, and finally, utilizing personal VoiceThread accounts to create a Native American VoiceThread for a final digital product.
The Lesson / Unit
· Lesson objective-
Students will work as members of a team and will demonstrate an understanding of the geographic features and natural resources of North America through Native American tribes. They will accomplish this by using VoiceThreads as a medium to create a piece of digital media suited for posting on a classroom wikispace.
· Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions
The Essential Questions are derived from the Mansfield Public School’s curriculum documents.
· How do the natural resources and geography of a region affect culture?
· How were rules and traditions beneficial to the well being of a Native American group?
· What are the ways people depend on, adapt to, and alter the physical environment?
· How can I use technology tools to work with others to identify, locate, organize, create, and share information when presented with an information problem?
· Task description
As a fourth grade unit of study students will be introduced to the various Native American Regions including the Eastern Woodlands, Southeast, Plains, Southwest, Northwest, and the Arctic.
1. Classroom teachers divided the Native American Regions between two classrooms and assigned groups of students to tribes within those regions. Students were assigned specific topics within those tribes. Students were assigned tribes and topics in accordance with reading levels and availability of leveled texts.
2. The classroom teacher modeled Big Six Strategies and note taking procedures using an interactive SMART Board lesson.
3. Classroom teachers created a classroom wikispace for students to post information about themselves as a way to familiarize themselves with this type of digital media.
4. Students were assigned a fake email address, username (non-identifying for confidentiality and safety purposes) and password for the use of wikispaces and VoiceThread accounts.
5. The technology teacher gathered digital images and saved them in a public folder for students to access in order to create a unique avatar for themselves when they signed on and interacted both on wikispaces and in their future VoiceThreads. Here are some examples of student avatars:
6. Students were taught as a whole class how to login to the classroom wikispace by using their newly assigned usernames and passwords.
7. Students accessed these images and uploaded them to their wikispace and future VoiceThread accounts.
8. Students were provided with opportunities to answer a set of questions about themselves and post these answers on the wikispace without using their real names. Other students in the classroom would log on, and read the postings and try to guess who the student was based on the information provided in the postings.
9. As a whole class activity students were introduced to VoiceThreads by viewing a Voicethread created by the classroom teacher on the SMART Board that explained what a Voicethread is and the tools available in a Voicethread as a way to communicate knowledge.
10. Here is the link to this Voicethread titled: “What is a VoiceThread?”
http://ed.voicethread.com/ - u141129.b210693.i1105030
11. As a whole class activity in conjunction with #9 students were taught how to sign into a VoiceThread using their usernames and passwords (student VoiceThread accounts were set up prior to this by the technology teacher). Students were given a handout that mirrored the process modeled for them on the SMART Board. Students were given the rest of the class period to practice signing in and out of the VoiceThread.
12. Students were taught how to use the “Doodle and Written Commenting Tools” by decorating a candy corn that had already been “doodled and commented” on by the technology and classroom teacher. Students signed into their VoiceThreads and practiced doodling and commenting. Students were also taught how to tag their VoiceThread so that it appears in a specific “browse” and how to “share” their VoiceThread in a safe manner on the website.
http://ed.voicethread.com/share/225365/
13. As a whole class activity, the technology teacher uploaded animal pictures into a folder and modeled for students how to upload those pictures to a VoiceThread. Students logged into their accounts and uploaded animal pictures and spent time with the Library Media Specialist researching their particular animal and writing information about it.
14. Students were introduced to headset microphones and the teacher modeled the steps necessary for recording on a VoiceThread. Students used their researched pieces of writing to record information about their animal on their VoiceThread. Students used the doodle tool application for this VoiceThread as well.
15. These previous lessons were all used for practice purposes and to familiarize students with the steps necessary for creating a VoiceThread.
16. Many Social Studies class periods were used to research, collect information, collaborate with team members, and gather pictures on their specific topics and tribe.
17. As a whole class students were taught how to scan pictures and documents while saving to a public network folder. (See the handout given students that mirrored the modeling done on the SMART Board)
18. As a whole class the classroom teacher modeled how to use the teacher-created VoiceThread Storyboard as a way to organize the scanned pictures and information so that it would be user friendly for students when creating their VoiceThreads. Many class periods were spent organizing and editing researched information with classroom teachers and support services staff to complete the storyboards.
19. Students used the VoiceThread Storyboards to upload their scanned in photos in a logical sequence. When all of the photos were uploaded to the student’s VoiceThread accounts, the student then began to record information about the geographic and cultural characteristics of their Native American region. Some students chose to use the Doodle tool as a way to convey specific information.
20. When all student VoiceThreads were completed students logged on and listened to their classmates’ VoiceThreads and left constructive comments about what they had learned.
21. All student VoiceThreads were uploaded onto the classroom wikispace for students to further access and make comments. Students aided in designing the “Look and Feel” of the classroom wikispace that held these Native American VoiceThreads.
· Context within which the work was produced
Classroom teachers divided the Native American Regions between two classrooms and assigned groups of students to tribes within those regions. Students were assigned specific topics within those tribes. Students were assigned tribes and topics in accordance with reading levels and availability of leveled texts.
· Prior learning required
This unit is designed to be a late spring unit that builds on rudimentary knowledge of Native American groups and adds the dimensions of research, collaboration and digital storytelling. Teachers introduced the major Native American culture groups and regions in the fall of Fourth Grade. Early in the year smaller projects such as wikis were done to introduce some of these technology skills.
· Types of groupings used in this task
Students were grouped in whole class, small group, and one-on-one groupings depending on the lesson and activity being taught within the unit.
· Any differentiated strategies used in this task
1. Students with reading difficulties had content reading materials presented as guided reading group activities, through podcasts or MP3 recordings, or support service staff was available to read material aloud to the student.
2. The teacher read difficult material as a read aloud, and included lessons on reading strategies such as previewing with the pictures, or clarifying difficult vocabulary, and using non-fiction headings as guides to the expected content. This helped develop student fluency and comprehension.
3. High achieving students were assigned above grade level reading texts as well as reporting on more than one tribe.
CT Curriculum Frameworks and CT Student Technology Standards:
The State of Connecticut Social Studies Curriculum Framework (1998), the Connecticut Prekindergarten through Grade 12 Computer Technology Competency Standards for Students (2001), NETS·S (2007), and/or the AASL Standards for 21st Century Learner (2007) and the Connecticut Information and Technology Literacy Framework (2006)
· MPS – Soc. Stud.: How do the natural resources and geography of a region affect culture?
(CT Frameworks – SS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
· MPS – Soc. Stud.: How were rules and traditions beneficial to the well being of a Native American group?
(CT Frameworks – SS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11)
· MPS – Soc. Stud.: What are the ways people depend on, adapt to, and alter the physical environment?
(CT Frameworks1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12)
· MPS –Tech Objectives (End of Grade 4): How can I use technology tools to work with others to identify, locate, organize, create, and share information when presented with an information problem?
(CT Pre-K-4 Computer Technology Performance Standards For Students: Competency Standards 4, 5, & 6 -Competencies 4.1A, 4.2A, 5.1A, 5.2A, 5.3A, 5.5A, 5.6A, 6.1A, 6.2A)
(NETS·S Standards: (1) Creativity and Innovation, (2) Communication (3) Research and Information Fluency)
(AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner: Standards: 1.1-1.4, 2.1-2.4, 3.1-3.4)
(CT Information and Technology Literacy Frameworks: Content Standards 1-7)
Assessment:
Classroom teachers assessed student learning by viewing each individual VoiceThread and utilizing the rubric for a numerical grade.
Rubric for VoiceThread Project
Objectives / 10-8 points / 7-4 points / 3-0 points1. Students will demonstrate their ability to complete an information task by using the Big 6™ Information and Problem Solving process as presented in a teacher guided wiki. / Student uses the Big 6 wiki to define, organize, and collect information with minimal teacher prompting. Student completes the post project evaluation of the effectiveness of their process. / Student uses the Big 6 wiki to define, organize, and collect information with teacher prompting. Student completes the post project evaluation of the effectiveness of their process with teacher guidance. / Student minimally follows the Big 6 process. Student requires direct teacher guidance and prompting to contribute to the wiki and complete the task. Process evaluation is weak or missing.
2. Students will work as members of a team and demonstrate their ability to collaboratively collect and organize team information and a teacher guided wiki. / Student shares resources as a team on the wiki with minimal teacher prompting. / Student and shares resources as a team on the wiki with teacher prompting and assistance. / Student needs direct teacher guidance to share resources as a team on the wiki.
3. Students will describe the culture of a Native American group in their digital media / Student describes culture accurately and with sufficient detail with minimal teacher prompting. / Student describes culture accurately and with sufficient detail with teacher prompting and assistance. / Student needs direct teacher guidance to describe culture accurately and with sufficient detail.
4. Students will describe effects of biomes on the life of their North American group in their digital media. / Student describes the effects of biomes accurately and with sufficient detail with minimal teacher prompting. / Student describes the effects of biomes accurately and with sufficient detail with teacher prompting and assistance / Student needs direct teacher guidance to describe the effects of biomes.
5. Students will produce a piece of digital media using VoiceThread that “tells the story” of their Native American group / Student digital media clearly presents ideas that include relevant details, is clear to the listener/viewer. Digital media is suitable for VoiceThreads. Project is completed with minimal teacher prompting or assistance. / Student digital media needs additional details to present a clear, complete picture. Project completion requires teacher prompting and assistance for tagging and the VoiceThread. / Student needs direct teacher guidance to produce digital media suitable for VoiceThread.
Student Work (files embedded): Here is a sample of a VoiceThread that was created on The Iroquois’ Traditions and Education.
http://ed.voicethread.com/ - u141129.b424025.i2243342
Here is another VoiceThread on Seminole life:
http://ed.voicethread.com/#q+namerican09c.b524637.i2871300
Reflections: Using the SMART Board is a great way to diversify instruction and model the steps students needed to learn for wikispaces and VoiceThreads. The use of color, touch and interactivity also appealed to the highly visual learners and multiple sensory modalities of students.
Students were motivated and engaged when creating and interacting with the wikispaces and VoiceThreads. The completed VoiceThreads prompted discussion and motivated students to want to learn more from their peers. The collaboration among teammates continued when students were allowed to comment on each others’ VoiceThreads sharing what they had learned from one another. This activity empowered students to be the teachers and experts on their topics. This assured experience for all grade 4 students in the district allowed them to learn these social studies objectives from their peers in the digital media formats of VoiceThreads and Photo Stories. (The other two schools in our district used Photo Story as a digital product).