SUBJECT: History

GRADE: Fourth

TECHNOLOGY: PowerPoint, Internet

BY: Andrea Bender, Michele Reed, Richard Siebigteroth

Target Grade/Subject

The target population is a heterogeneous fourth grade class of twenty-one students. Students have mixed ability levels with two students above grade level, sixteen students at grade level, and three students below grade level. From prior instruction and class activities, students have basic writing skills, word processing skills, and basic PowerPoint experience.

This lesson allows students to research the regions of Virginia and display their projects using PowerPoint. Fourth grade students are between the ages of nine and ten and have progressed to Piaget's concrete operational stage. It is during this stage that children acquire the ability to think logically about concrete objects. Concrete operational learners acquire reversible, organized mental operations that allow them to conserve, classify, and take alternate perspectives. This lesson is well suited for concrete operational students because it allows them to organize information, which expands their classification abilities.

Since students already have basic word processing skills and drawing experience, this activity is within their zone of proximal development. Dynamic assessment is essential in this activity because the teacher needs to provide appropriate scaffolding. This activity allows for dynamic assessment because the teacher can monitor the students' abilities to understand a task within the context of a realistic problem. This also allows for authentic learning because due to the nature of the activity, scaffolding can take place between the teacher and the students.

According to Erikson, students at this age experience the crisis of "industry versus inferiority." Children need to develop a sense of industry, or the feeling of mastery and competence through success and recognition of accomplishment. This activity is well suited to help children succeed because with prior experience and teacher assistance, students will achieve mastery. Since the projects will be compiled and shared with the entire class, students will be recognized and will experience a feeling of industry.

Objectives

Standards: Virginia Standards of Learning

Research 4.9 The student will use information resources to research a topic.

• Construct questions about a topic.
• Collect information, using the resources of the media center.
• Evaluate and synthesize information for use in writing.
• Use available technology.

History The student will use the concepts of absolute location (e.g. using grid systems) and relative location (e.g. direction, reference to neighboring states, and water features) to

• Illustrate how communities in Virginia differ in physical features, such as land use, population density, architecture, services, and transportation.
• Construct physical maps and three-dimensional models that include the essential map elements and the geographic regions of Virginia (Tidewater, Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Allegheny Plateau).

C/T 5.2 The student will develop basic technology skills.

• Select and use technology appropriate to tasks.

C/T 5.3 The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.

• Use search strategies to retrieve electronic information using databases, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and telecommunications.
• Use electronic encyclopedias, almanacs, indexes, and catalogs.
• Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access information from electronic databases.

1.    Students will research an assigned region of Virginia using Social Studies textbooks, Social Studies resource materials, brochures, almanacs, atlases, CD-ROM encyclopedias, and online encyclopedias and information.

2.    Students will work in cooperative groups and participate appropriately in assigned roles.

3.    Students will create a PowerPoint presentation containing the necessary slides (title slide, slides containing information about natural resources, major cities and their population density, major water sources and transportation, map of regions with their region highlighted or colored in, and a closing slide with group members listed).

4.    Students will place the slides in the correct order (title slide, followed by map, informational slides in any order, and closing slide).

5.    Students will use accurate information about the regions in their slides.

6.    Students will present information in a clear and appropriate manner to the rest of the class.

7.    Students will demonstrate creativity by including any of the following: clip art, sounds, colors and other creative devices.

8.    Students will correctly complete the presentation information guides based on information presented by all presenting groups.

9.    Given a test on the regions of Virginia containing thirty items (fill in the blank, short answer, and listing), students will answer at least twenty-three items correctly to receive a passing grade.

Materials

• Social Studies textbook
• Social Studies resource books about the regions of Virginia
• Brochures from different regions in Virginia
• Almanacs
• Atlases
• CD-ROM encyclopedias
• Computers (one per group)
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Teacher's laptop computer
• Projection system
• Map of regions of Virginia saved to Desktop of each of the four computers (http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/geomap.html)
• Class Folder (already created folder for saving PowerPoint slides and presentations)
• Printer
• Teacher-created presentation information guides for students
• Virginia Geographic Regions Game (www.quia.com/cb/2443.html)
• Test on Geographic Regions of Virginia
• Internet access to the following online information:

http://www.vipnet.org/vipnet/travel-tourism/travelindex.html

http://www.virginia.com/virginiaonline/welcome.htm

 

http://www.virginia.com/regional/default.asp

 

Internet access to the following online encyclopedias:

 

http://www.bartelby.com/

 

http://www.yahoo.com/Reference/Encylopedia/

 

http://www.libraryspot.com/encyclopedias.htm

 

http://www.freality.com/enclop.htm

 

http://www.enclyopedia.com

 

http://schoolwork.org/encyc.html

Lesson Description

Day One

• Assign students to regions. There will be three groups of five and one group of six.
• Assign roles to students within groups (facilitator/ materials manager, and 3 or 4 recorders/reporter).
• Inform students that they will be looking for the following information: natural resources, population density of major cities, transportation, and major water sources).
• Tell students that all of the information they collect will be compiled by their group, and that they will create PowerPoint presentations about their regions.
• Inform students that they will take a test on information about all of the regions at the end of the project.
• Take students to media center.
• Allow students to use all available materials (computers, online encyclopedias and information, CD-ROM encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, Social Studies textbooks, Social Studies resource materials, and brochures).
• Circulate to ensure student understanding and answer questions.
• Have material managers turn in the research from each of the groups.
• Check to ensure that groups are collecting appropriate information.

Day Two

• Take students to media center.
• Have material managers pass out the research from the previous day.
• Allow students to complete and organize research in order to prepare for PowerPoint presentation.
• Circulate to ensure that students are correctly organizing research and information.
• Have material managers turn in research from each of the groups.

Day Three

• Have map of regions of Virginia saved to the Desktop of each of the four computers and teacher's laptop.
• Take students to computer lab and have them sit with their groups around computers.
• Have material managers pass out students' research about regions.
• Explain to students that they will be compiling their information using PowerPoint to create a presentation to share with the class.
• Instruct students that their presentations must have at least eight slides (title slide, slides containing information about natural resources, population density of major cities, transportation, and major water sources, map of regions with their region highlighted or colored in, and a closing slide with group members listed).
• Instruct students to put the slides in the following order: title slide, followed by map slide, informational slides in any order, and the closing slide. (Responsibility of facilitator)
• Model and demonstrate PowerPoint presentation format by showing an example of a similar project about a region in another state on the teacher's laptop and projection system.
• Instruct students that each group member should have an opportunity to create one or more slides.
• Model for students how to insert the saved map into a PowerPoint slide.
• Model for students how to highlight or fill in a specific region or portion of the map.
• Circulate to ensure student understanding and assist where needed.
• Allow students to begin their PowerPoint presentations today, if time allows.
• Monitor to ensure student understanding and equal participation.
• Inform students that they will also be working on their projects tomorrow.
• Instruct students to save their projects in the class folder.
• Have material managers turn in research from each of the groups.

Day Four

• Take students to computer lab and have them sit with their groups.
• Have material managers pass out students' research about regions.
• Remind students that their presentations must have at least eight slides (title slide, slides containing information about natural resources, population density of major cities, transportation, and major water sources, map of regions with their region highlighted or colored in, and a closing slide with group members listed).
• Encourage students to be creative on the slides; they may use clip art, sounds, colors, or any other creative devices.
• Instruct students to complete the remainder of their presentations.
• Circulate to ensure understanding and equal participation.
• Have students save their completed projects in the class folder.
• Have each group print one copy of their presentation.
• Have material managers turn in all group research and printed copies of presentations.

Day Five

• Take students to computer lab.
• Allow student to get into their groups for brief discussion and review of presentation.
• Preview each presentation to ensure that the information is correct (if any information is missing or inaccurate provide students with correct information).
• Pass out presentation information guides to each student.
• Instruct the students to listen and record important information about each of the regions by filling in the blanks, listing, and answering questions on the guides as presentations are being given.
• Using the laptop and projection system, have the group facilitator retrieve their group's presentation from the class folder. (The reporter will speak to the class and the facilitator will control the transition of the slides.)
• Have each group's facilitator and reporters present to the class. (Facilitator responsible for title and closing and advancing slides, reporters responsible for their individual slides)
• Review the information on presentation information guide to ensure that students have the correct information recorded.
• Provide compiled copies of each of the PowerPoint presentations for students to use as study guides along with information presentation guides.
• Inform students that they will be tested tomorrow on the information.

Day Six

• Instruct students to collect their information presentation guides and printed PowerPoint presentations.
• Take students to computer lab.
• Using the laptop and projection system, play Virginia Geographic Regions game (www.quia.com/cb/2443.html) with the whole class, allowing students to use study guides.
• Return to class once the class has completed the game.
• Instruct students to put away all materials and study guides.
• Give students a test on Regions of Virginia.

Evaluation

Continually evaluate students' progress by looking over their research and PowerPoint presentations after each day. Evaluate students' abilities to work in cooperative groups and participate appropriately in their assigned roles. Evaluate information presentation guides by checking in class and circulating to each student to assess individual guides for correct and accurate information. Evaluate the students' knowledge about the regions of Virginia based on test performance.

Criteria

Exceeds Expectations

Meets Expectations

Does Not Meet Expectations

All Eight Slides are present (title page, pages containing information about natural resources, population density of major cities, transportation, and major water sources, map of regions with their region highlighted or colored in, and a closing page with group members listed [20 points]

• Eight or more slides are present. [20 points]
• At least seven slides are present. [15 points]
• Fewer than seven slides are present. [10 points]

Order of slides (title slide, followed by map, informational slides in any order, and closing slide) [20 points]

• All slides are in the correct order. [20 points]
• One slide may be out of order. [15 points]
• More than one slide is out of order. [10 points]

Accuracy of information presented about the regions in each slide. [20 points]

• All slides contain correct information. [20 points]
• One slide contains missing or inaccurate information. [15 points]
• Two or more slides contain missing or inaccurate information. [10 points]

Overall presentation (facilitator and reporters presented information in a clear and appropriate manner) [20 points]

• The facilitator and reporters worked well together and presented information in a clear and appropriate manner. [20 points]
• The facilitator and reporters worked somewhat well together and the presentation lacked some flow. [15 points]
• The facilitator and reporters did not work well together and the presentation had no overall flow. [10 points]

Creativity (students added clip art, sounds, colors, and other creative devices in their presentation. [20 points]

• Students demonstrated a great deal of creativity in their presentation. [20 points]
• Students demonstrated some creativity in the presentation. [15 points]
• Students demonstrated little or no creativity in the presentation. [10 points]