Famous African American Research

Created by:

Melissa P. Johnston

Title/Role:

Assistant Professor

Organization/School Name:

University of Kentucky

Location:

Kentucky

Grade Level:

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Flexible

Collaboration Continuum:

Intensive

Content Area:

Social studies

Content Topic:

Social studies unit that covers famous African American historical figures.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.

1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

1.2.1 Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts.

1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.

1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to achieve success.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

1.3.3 Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.

1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

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

1.4.4 Seek appropriate help when it is needed.

2.4.1 Determine how to act on information (accept, reject, modify).

Scenario:

Second grade teachers and the SLMS work together plan a social studies unit that covers famous African American historical figures. The unit will be used as an opportunity to reinforce some information literacy skills previously taught in the year and to address additional skills with a research process project. Since these students have already completed some minor projects this year, they have previous experience in working with graphic organizers, reading biographies, using the table of contents and index, locating information in encyclopedias and taking notes.The SLMS and the teachers work together to plan out the unit and what role each will play in the teaching and assessment. The teachers and the SLMS work together to create a graphic organizer that the students will use to organize the information they find. Research questions will be developed through a guided brainstorming activity. The SLMS will pull all related materials for this project and house them on a reserve shelf for the students. The SLMS will also create a hotlist of websites for each famous person that students can access at school or at home. The SLMS and teachers work together to create assessment rubrics.

Overview:

Students will apply the research process in a major project that involves several lessons. The students will read about and describe the lives of historical figures and their place in history. The student can use knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning for a range of literary and informational texts for a variety or purposes. The students will use the writing process to construct meaning and communicate effectively.

Final Product:

The project culminates in a final typed essay, a portrait picture of the famous African American, and a presentation to the class of this work.

Library Lesson:

Students work with the SLMS in a series of four sessions where students will learn how to (1) develop questions that relate to and are of importance to their topic, (2) select a variety of resources to retrieve relevant information, (3) use a graphic organizer to organize the information collected, and (4) assess information to decide if it meets their needs.

Estimated Lesson Time:

120 minutes

Assessment

Product:

SLMS, teacher, and students assess final papers and presentations using rubrics that focus on main ideas and supporting details, organization, and language.

Process:

SLMS and teacher review graphic organizers and conference notes completed by students to determine whether students (1) chose appropriate sources and information to fit their needs, (2) adapted as necessary, (3) named sources they used correctly, and (4) put information in their own words.

Student self-questioning:

o Did I understand my task? Was I able to come up with questions that were important to and related to my topic? Was I able to successfully use different resources to locate the information I needed? Was I able to determine is information I found answered my questions? Was I able to adapt my searching when needed? Did I ask for help when I needed it?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)

Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)

Sound (i.e. music playback file, audio compact disc, recorded speech or sounds)

Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Interactive Resource URL:

http://

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Laptop

White board

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

Lesson 1: The SLMS and teacher review with the class what they learned earlier in the year about developing questions to guide their research. Lesson 2 & 3: The SLMS reviews skills that students learned previously in the year about types of resources they can use, putting information in their own words and not copying, locating information within a text, and giving credit to sources. Lesson 4: The SLMS and teacher explain a checklist they will use to conference with each student to see how they are progressing.

Modeling and guided practice:

Lesson 1: SLMS and teacher use an interactive whiteboard to brainstorm questions with the class about what is important to know about their historical figures. Ideas are listed on the whiteboard. Lesson 2 & 3: The SLMS follows this review with some examples to refresh students’ memory, emphasizing how to decide if something they read is important and related to their topic. Lesson 4: Using the checklist students have completed prior to their conferences, the SLMS and teacher help the students determine their problem areas and provide guidance as needed.

Independent practice:

Lesson 1: Students write the three questions they think are most important on their graphic organizers. Lesson 2 & 3: Students use the remaining time in this visit to browse through resources for needed information. The next time they come to the library, they use the various resources in the media center, including a website list, to locate information. Lesson 4: While the SLMS or teacher conference with individual students, the rest of the class continues to use various resources to locate information. Should students require more time to complete their information gathering, their teacher will allow them to visit the media center to work independently or with assistance from the SLMS.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Yes