Global Warming Portfolio Project

Created by:

Colet Bartow

Title/Role:

Library-Information Literacy Specialist

Organization/School Name:

Montana Office of Public Instruction

Location:

Montana

Grade Level:

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Combination

Collaboration Continuum:

Moderate

Content Area:

Language Arts

Mathematics

Science

Content Topic:

Global Warming

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.

3.2.1 Demonstrate leadership and confidence by presenting ideas to others in both formal and informal situations.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

3.3.5 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within and beyond the learning community.

3.3.7 Respect the principles of intellectual freedom.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.

3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.

Scenario:

Eighth grade students are working on individual investigations of a topic related to global warming in an integrated Science/Math/Language Arts unit. Students are required to create an electronic portfolio that illustrates key information related to their topic. Students will present their portfolios at the end of the school year at an evening open house in the library media center for parents, faculty and community members. Several students will be presenting simultaneously with opportunities for the audience to ask questions of each student. The eighth grade teaching team has asked the School Librarian(SL) to assist the Language Arts teacher in teaching the students how to create an annotated works cited list using an online citation generator. The SL has team taught lessons on intellectual property and information processing with the Language Arts teacher during the course of the project. The SL has also worked with individual students to identify essential citation information for the various resources they have collected. Because the students will present their portfolios in the library, each student will have a rehearsal in the library with the SL and the eighth grade teaching team before the open house.

Overview:

Eighth grade students will synthesize learning in Science, Mathematics and Language Arts to present accurate, relevant, authoritative and current information about global warming using digital tools and information processing strategies. The essential questions are: Has the climate of our world changed in the last fifty years because of human activity? How can you justify your response?

Final Product:

The student develops a portfolio that will contain: photographs/illustrations; graphs/charts, vocabulary list; a student-generated podcast; and an annotated works cited list of current resources.

Library Lesson:

Students will learn: how to identify project-appropriate resources; how to effectively use a range of resources; how to define and identify intellectual property; and how to ethically credit the owners of intellectual property.

Estimated Lesson Time:

120 minutes

Assessment

Product:

The eighth grade team, SL and students use an instructor-designed rubric for each required portion of the portfolio and presentation. General criteria used for the portfolio include: statements of objectives; samples of products/performance aligned with the objectives; and, evaluations and student reflections on the quality of work. The annotated works cited list will conform to MLA formatting and include all elements of an annotation as taught.

Process:

Students will maintain a self-assessment journal throughout their work on this project outlined by the Self-Questioning items below.

Student self-questioning:

Have I completed each required portion of this assignment to the best of my ability?Have I followed the rules for accessing information and technology? Have I credited each source of information in the correct format? Have I adequately described each source in the annotated works cited list? Have I adequately answered the essential questions for this project?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)

Still image (i.e.paintings, drawings, plans, and maps)

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

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

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Laptop

White board

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

The SL will instruct the students on MLA rules for citing sources and provide example "formulas" in a mini style sheet for students to generate works cited entries with their own project resources. The SL will give instructions on how to access the online citation generator (usernames/passwords, URL, etc.). The SL will define an annotated works cited list and provide examples of annotations. The model annotations will include: a brief statement about the format and topic; the author/creator's credentials; three significant facts learned from the source; and a statement about why the source was chosen.

Modeling and guided practice:

The SL will use student project resources to create 2 or 3 sample MLA citations with the class. The SL will demonstrate data entry for several format examples and guide students through one or two examples generated from the class. After writing a model annotation with the whole class, the SL will guide individual students in writing a concise and clear annotation for a variety of formats during the remainder of the lesson.

Independent practice:

Students will independently complete MLA citations for each project resource using the mini style sheet. They will complete a generic form to transfer citation information from source cards before entering information into an online citation generator. Annotations for each of their sources that include: a brief statement about the format and topic; the author/creator's credentials; three significant facts learned from the source; and a statement about why the source was chosen.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Yes

AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

English Language Arts:

CC.8.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. (8)

CC.8.SL.4 » English Language Arts » Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas » 4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. (8)

CC.8.SL.1.b » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. (8)

CC.8.SL.1.c » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. (8)

CC.8.SL.6 » English Language Arts » Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas » 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (8)

CC.8.SL.5 » English Language Arts » Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas » 5. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. (8)

CC.8.W.6 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. (8)

CC.8.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. (8)