Adelina's Whales and The Big 6 research process

Created by:

Jessica Gascard

Title/Role:

Teacher Librarian

Organization/School Name:

Mote Elementary School

Location:

Delaware

Grade Level:

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Fixed

Collaboration Continuum:

Moderate

Content Area:

Educational technology

Language Arts

Content Topic:

Gray Whale conservation (Big 6 research process)

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.

2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence leads to a decision or conclusion.

3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.

1.4.3 Monitor gathered information, and assess for gaps or weaknesses.

Scenario:

Fourth grade students have been learning the Big6 research process (Eisenberg, Michael B. Home. Michael B. Eisenberg, n.d. Web. 30 June 2013. <http://big6.com/>.)by engaging in each of the steps via the reading and science curriculum. The Teacher Librarian (TL) has been working in collaboration with the classroom teacher on Steps 1-4 of the Big6 research process. Students have read, then participated in a Close Reading of “Adelina’s Whales” from their Scott Foresman Reading Curriculum series. It is a nonfiction selection about a girl named Adelina Mayoral, who lives near the San Ignacio Laguna on the Baja, California peninsula. She, her father, Jesus, and grandfather, Pachico, share a passion for preserving the gray whales' habitat. Students have, with the TL, explored the Mayoral family’s website: pachicosecotours.com. The site describes Adelina’s grandfather and father’s whale watching ecotours. During the exploration, students used the “Trash-n-Treasure” note-taking technique (Jansen, Barbara A. "The Trash-n-Treasure Method of Teaching Note-Taking." School Library Media Activities Monthly 12 (1996): 29-32. Print.)on a website note-taking template. Students answered the Essential Question (EQ): How is the Mayoral family helping to preserve the gray whales’ habitat at San Laguna Ignacio? Students will view a PBS video to further explore the note-taking technique.

Overview:

Students will record relevant ("treasure")information from the PBS video: Saving the Ocean: Destination Baja, on their video note-taking template (Step 4- Use of Information). They will then synthesize their notes from the video and the website to answer the Essential Question: How is the Mayoral family helping to preserve the gray whales’ habitat at San Laguna Ignacio? (Step 5- Synthesis)on the Essential Question template.

Final Product:

The students will utilize their background knowledge in conjunction with their partner conversations to synthesize their website and video notes to answer the Essential Question on their Essential Question template.

Library Lesson:

The students will learn to gather meaning from a variety of media, to collaborate with others in an exchange of ideas and to develop new understandings, to use interaction with and feedback from peers and teachers to answer the Essential Question, and to demonstrate that a pattern of evidence leads to a conclusion.

Estimated Lesson Time:

45 minutes

Assessment

Product:

Students will be assessed on their notes, as well as their answers to the Essential Question, with evidence cited from both the website and the video on the note-taking templates and the Essential Question template.

Process:

The TL will observe the level of partner interactions and collaboration when students are reviewing their notes for missing information, as well as to ensure their understanding of the relevant information to answer the Essential Question. Students will also self-monitor by using partner and teacher feedback to guide their understanding and subsequent synthesis of information.

Student self-questioning:

Have I written all of the "treasure" comments from the video? Have I added any additional information after viewing the video a second time? Have I filled in any missing information after my partner discussion? Have I highlighted overlapping information on both the website and video note-taking templates? Have I chosen the most relevant information from both note-taking templates to answer the Essential Question on the Essential Question template?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Moving Image (i.e. animations, movies, tv program, video)

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Laptop

Smart board

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

1.Distribute the video note-taking template. 2.Give students a few minutes to do a “Quick Write” of what they know about the topic so far (with regards to the EQ). *Make sure they aren’t writing complete sentences. 3.Review the “Trash-n-Treasure” note-taking technique for text and ask students how they think it will work with a video. 4.Tell students that instead of looking for “trash” and “treasure” comments, they’re going to be selectively listening for “treasure” comments only. 5.Tell students that they will view a video from the Pachico’s EcoTours website, compare these notes to their website notes and answer the same EQ: How is the Mayoral family helping to preserve the gray whales’ habitat at San Laguna Ignacio? 6.Click on the “Media” link and select the PBS video: “Saving the Ocean” (you will stop the video at 7 minutes, 35 seconds).

Modeling and guided practice:

1.Begin the PBS video,Saving the Ocean: Destination Baja, pausing at key stopping points*(see below) to revisit the EQ and discuss “treasure” comments. 2.The students will record “treasure” comments (key words & phrases) on their video note-taking template. 3.Have students read over their notes. 4.Show the video again, but straight through this time to ensure their comprehension. *Key stopping points/“Treasure” phrases: 1:50/inspiring people, working to solve problems, solutions; 1:58/saving the ocean; 2:46/lagoon, home to richest sea life on the planet; 2:54/center of a wildlife refuge; 3:49/where gray whales mate, have babies; 3:55/safe from predators; (at 4:28 ask is the length of their migration is “trash” or “treasure”- it’s “trash”, interesting, but not crucial to answering the EQ); 4:37/mouth of lagoon, only place boats allowed; 5:06/whales’ privacy, no access; 5:06/tour guide association, police themselves; 5:44/guard keeps watch; 6:15/whale freeway, loaded with life; 6:43/guides make sure boats aren’t crowding nursing mothers, 16 boats at a time; 7:06/boats take turns, 90 minutes each; 7:34/controlling, regulating to keep the lagoon pristine (discuss meaning of "pristine"), better place for future generations 7:35 – STOP VIDEO

Independent practice:

1.After video viewing, students will again review their notes independently. 2.Students will then talk with a partner about their video notes, to fill in any missing information and clarify any misunderstandings. 3.The TL will hand out their completed website note-taking templates. 4.The students will review their website notes with the same partner and highlight (on both note- taking templates) any overlapping information between the video and the website. 5.The TL will circulate and monitor the students’ conversations, providing guidance where necessary and asking open ended questions to help students deepen their understanding. 6.Students will independently answer the EQ on their Essential Question template, utilizing their website and video notes.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Strategies for differentiation:

Students will work with a partner and have the opportunity to view the video more than once.

AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

English Language Arts:

CC.4.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. (4)

CC.4.W.5 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (4)

CC.4.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. (4)

CC.4.SL.1.a » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. (4)

CC.4.R.L.1 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (4)

CC.4.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (4)

CC.4.R.I.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (4)

CC.4.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. (4)

CC.4.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. (4)

CC.4.SL.1.d » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion. (4)