TheRevolutionaryWartechnology

Author:KarenPeters
Datecreated:10/23/20145:27PMESTDatemodified:11/20/20148:27PMEST

PLANNING
EssentialQuestion

Wheredoyoufindinformationonasubjectthatisreliableandunderstandable?Today'stechnologyoffersalotof
information.Howdoweknowwhenwearegettinggoodinformationversusbadinformation?

TopicorUnitofStudy

IcanfindinformationabouttheAmericanRevolutionaryWar,andcontributionsofthe"FoundingFathers"tothe
developmentofourcountryontheinternet.

Grade/Level

Grade5

Subject(s)

Technology

CTApproval/Date

21STCENTURYSKILLSANDTECHNOLOGYTOOLS
Standards

NCNorthCarolinaEssentialStandards(2011)
Subject:InformationandTechnology
GradeorConcentration:Grade5
Strand:TechnologyasaTool
EssentialStandard:
5.TT.1Usetechnologytoolsandskillstoreinforceandextendclassroomconceptsandactivities.
ClarifyingObjective:
5.TT.1.1Useavarietyoftechnologytoolstogatherdataandinformation(e.g.,Webbasedresources,ebooks,
onlinecommunicationtools,etc.).

LearningTargets/Objectives

IwillusetechnologytoresearchhoweventsduringtheAmericanRevolutionwereinfluencedbyindividualcharactersI
havelearnedaboutinthisunit.

TechnologyTools
Materialsandresources:
laptops,internetconnection
Technologyresources:
Firefox,IEExplorer,Netscape,Safari
Thenumberofcomputersrequiredis1per2students.
StudentsFamiliaritywithSoftwareTool:
Thestudentshavebeenusingtechnologyinclassessincekindergartenandtakinginstructionintechnologyusage
andthehardwareandknowledgeofhowtosurftheinternet.TTWremindthemofwhichsourcesaretobe
avoided,wheretheyarenotallowedtobe,thattheyarenottobecheckingfacebookorhackingintothe
U.S.Treasury,theyaretobeontask.
YouwillusetheinternetandbookstolookupinformationontheFoundingFatherofyougroup'schoice.Youwill
usetheinternetandbookstolookupinformationontheeventyourgroupchooses.Youwillusethisaccumulated
informationtocreateastoryusingtextreferencesaboutthecharacterintheRevolution.Youwillusethis
accumulatedinformationtocreateapresentationforteachingyourpeers.
Links:
1. History.com
2. librarysources
3. USHistorytimelineAnAmericanRevolutionhistorywebsitewithtimeline,linkstoseveralsubjectswithinthe
AmericanRevolution

Assessment/Rubrics

TWformativelyassessstudentlearningtoinforminstructionalchoicesbyusingthefollowingstratagies:
1)duringwebsiteselectionbybabywhiteboards.
2)duringselectiongamebyhandgesture.
3)observingstudents'workasthestudentsresearch.

IMPLEMENTATION
IntroductiontoLesson

TTWreviewcomputerruleswhatbehaviorisacceptable,andwheretheyareallowedtobrowse,rulesaboutsocial
networkingandattentiontotheworktheyaredoing.TTWaskifthestudentshaveeverresearchedasubjectonline
before,gatheringinformationabouthowmuchpriorknowledgetheyhave."WehavebeenstudyingtheAmerican
Revolutionforaweekorsonow,thisisaprojecttohelpyoudigalittledeeperintoyourinterests.Inassignedgroups,
wewillbeusingournewtechnologyskillstolearnmoreaboutindividualsinvolvedintheAmericanRevolution.Wewillbe
usingtheseresearchskillsinaprojectdesignedtoshowcaseyourinterestsintheRevolutionarywar.SoforrightnowI
needyoutodirectyourattentiontotheSmartBoard."

TeacherInput

IwillaskthestudentstoturntheirattentiontotheSmartBoardbeforetheyretrievetheirowncomputers.TTWaccess
theinternetandindicatethewhiteboardsateachstudents'desk."Iwanttoknowtheworstpossibleplacetolookfor

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reliable,reputableinformationontheinternet."TTWcheckbabywhiteboardstoseeifanyoneknowssheishopingto
seeWikipedia."Wikipediaisanopensitewhereanyonecaneditinformation.Whoistokeepanyonefromgoinginand
changingthedatesofthebeginingorendingoftheAmericanRevolution?"TTWcontinuedownthechoicesonthefirst
Googlepageuntilbabywhiteboardsbegintoagreeonwethersourcesarecredibleornot.Oncesomeformative
assessmenthasbeencollectedTTWallowstudentstoretrievetheirownlaptopsandbegintopractice.
GuidedPractice

AsthestudentspracticefindingdifferentwebsitesTTWcirculateandobserve,askingquestions,makingcertaineveryone
isontaskandlookingforreliablesites.IfanyquestionsareaskedorhelpisneededTTWbeonhandtoanswerthem
andtomakeanysuggestionsneeded.

IndependentPractice

Asthestudentsprogresstheywillbeapplyingtheirnewskillstoaresearchprojectthatwillbepartoftheirgrade.They
willnotbetakingtheclassroomlaptopshome,butwillhaveaccesstothematschoolandwillbeusingthemtolookup
informationforaprojectthatwillinvolveinformationgatheringfromreliablesources.

DifferentiatedInstruction

1)DifferentiationforECstudents:IhavemadesomeallowancesinmylessonplansforECandatriskstudentsinthat
theymayworkinclasssolelyonthetechnologyportionsoftheassignmentwhenIampresentortheirteammatesare
theretooffersupportfortheirneeds.IfthestudenthasanIEPIplantofollowit.Asmuchasispossible,Iwouldliketo
helpallofmystudents,andespeciallywiththisprojectIwillhavemoretimetoreadforthem,writeforthem,helpthem
whereverIcan.Ialsohaveplannedthislessonsothattheotherstudentscanhelpifpersonalitiespermit.
2)DifferentiationforELL:IknowthatontheinternetthereareprogramsthatcanchangearticlesfromEnglishto
Spanishandviceversa,andtherearesomeBiographieswritteninSpanish.
3)DifferentiationforAIG:ByaskingtheAIGstudentstobeteamleadersonthisprojectIamgivingthemadded
experienceinworkingwithateam,decisionmaking,problemsolving,andofferingthemalittlecontrolinthefinalproduct
oftheirgroup.Thiswillappealtothemsimplybecausetheywillfeelthatnooneelseisbetterqualifiedtodoit.Theycan
overseeseveralaspectsoftheprojectatonceandmakesurethethemedoesn'tgetlostinthedetails.Also,bypairing
themwithstudentswhoareonlowerreadinglevels,theywillfeeltheirknowledgeisbeingusedtohelpothersreacha
bettergrade.ThatsatisfactionalonehelpskeepanAIGstudentsatisfiedandeagertolearnandhelp.

Closure

Usinganexitslipwiththreequestions:
1)Whichwebinformationsiteisstrictlyofflimitstouseduringdatacollection?
2)Howmanyfactsneedtoagreebeforeyoucanbesureyourwebsiteisreliable?
3)Howcomfortableareyouwithmovinginandoutofthesewebsitestogatherdata?

TimeAllotment

1classperiods.1.5Hrs.perclass.

MATERIALSANDRESOURCES
InstructionalMaterials

Smartboard
internetaccess
babywhiteboardsandmarkers
laptops

Resources

WewillreviewalltheinformationwehavegatheredinthisweekofclassestheAmericanRevolution,usingtextto
supportourideas,andfindingcrediblesourcesontheinternettofindmoreinformation.Wewillusetheseskillsto
developaclosingprojectcontainingashortpaperandacreativepresentationofourchoicetosharewithour
classmates.Wewillbegradedonoursuccessinourwritingskills,thesourcesweuseinourtechnology,andhow
accurateourinformationisthatwepresenttoourclassmates.

REFLECTION
Authorscommentsand
reflection

WhenIfirstplottedthislessonplan,itwasathreepartprojectthatwouldtakeoneweekandresultinpresentationof
theirchoiceaslongasitwasinformationalabouttheirfavoritepartoftheRevolutionarywar.Thestudentsweregoing
toworkontheirownbutIhadnoideahowtoassessarapsongoravideo.Inadditiontothat,Ihadnoplanformy
specialstudents.Iwasforcedtoreflectbeforethelessonplanwasfinished.Realizingthesedefencies,Ithen
reevaluatedindividualprojects.I'dwantedtoallowforlearningstylesandprefrences,butIwasnotallowingformy
exceptionalneedstudents.InanattempttorectifythisoversightIdecidedtoseperatetheclassintogroups,tryingto
groupthemequallybetweenEC,ELLandAIGstudents.InourregionwehaveaonetofiveratioofELLstudentsina
classroom.Ianticipateatleastoneineachgroup.ThenIgotthenewsthatinsteadofthreestandardsinonelesson,I
neededthreeseperatelessons.Imustjustassumethisiseducation.

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