California’s Native American Tribes

Submitted by dtschudy on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 17:58Printable version Bookmark and Share
Created By:
Doree Tschudy
Title/Role:
Teacher Librarian
Organization/School Name:
Duveneck Elementary School
Location:
California

Grade Level:
4
Type of Lesson:
Lesson in a unit
Type of Schedule:
Combination
Collaboration Continuum:
Moderate
Content Area:
Social studies
Content Topic:
California Native American Tribes
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
Dispostion Indicator(s):
2.2.1 Demonstrate flexibility in the use of resources by adapting information strategies to each specific resource and by seeking additional resources when clear conclusions cannot be drawn.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
4.3.2 Recognize that resources are created for a variety of purposes.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.
Scenario:
While in the library, the TL and teacher will act out a short skit demonstrating why good note taking is necessary. After a short discussion about the skit and check-in with the students, the pre-arranged groups will begin researching their specific tribe. They will use print materials and our online LibGuide for 4th grade Social Studies. They will keep their notes on a provided graphic organiser. The teacher and the TL will circulate helping students as needed, checking to see if the notes are concise. They will also help students decide if online sources are relevant. The students will have 30 minutes to work, then meet back and check-in with the other students in their group. The lesson will close with a discussion about why they chose the resources they did (print vs. electronic) and what they noticed as they were taking notes. The follow up lessons will be another longer research session, a "cross-tribe" sharing activity and a work period to create the final poster. Note: This lesson could easily be adapted to many Social Studies lessons. (ie: American Colonies, explorers, land regions.)

Overview:
In this session, students will be introduced to the importance of effective note taking. Using print reference materials and web resources, students will answer the essential guiding question, "How did the native Californians live in the past?". These notes will then allow them create a compare/contrast chart for their final unit project, a compare/contrast poster on their specific tribe.

Final Product:
For this lesson, each student will have filled in at least three facts for two questions on their note taking organiser. Each student in the groups has a different topic to research (food, shelter, clothing, etc.)

Library Lesson:
Students will learn note taking skills to assist them in a larger Social Studies project.

Estimated Lesson Time:
45 minutes
Assessment
Product:
Students will have completed a TL created note taking graphic organiser which will have at minimum three facts for each question asked.

Process:
The TL and teacher will circulate as students work, looking for brief notes. Each "tribe" will show their organiser as they are filed in their group folder. TL will confirm the amount of facts found.

Self Questioning:
Do I have enough information to complete the next steps? What have I learned about note taking? How can this new skill help me in other areas?

Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Interactive Resource URL:
http://libguides.pausd.org/content.php?pid=140647&sid=1325778

Resources instructor will use:
White board

Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction:
Skit preformed by TL and teacher illustrating the importance of good note taking. (see attached script) After the skit, TL and teacher will ask what were the differences between the two and have the students discuss with a partner then report out.

Modeling and guided practice:
TL shows the students the note taking graphic organiser and how to use it, stressing the need for short fact, not long sentences copied form the source.

Independent practice:
Students will use books, maps and laptops to begin the researching their tribes. Having previously reviewed how to use the LibGuide, so the students can get to work quickly.


Have you taught this lesson before:
Yes

Strategies for differentiation:
The choice of print materials will help with differentiation. A variety of reading levels will be made available.