Lesson Plan for 21st Century English/Reading Lesson Revamp



Lesson Plan for 21st Century English/Reading

Teacher's Names: Julie Marsh, Kristina Nero

Lesson Title: History of Communication

Target Grade/Subject: 8/English

Length: Two 45-minute class periods per week for a total of one marking period.

Summary: Since human communication first started roughly 2.5 million B.C.E, humans have created ways to tell their story. The History of Communication project serves as a model for students to connect the current standards of writing while exploring the tools that have been invented for communication throughout history. The students will investigate an individually-chosen era ranging from 2,500,000 B.C.E. to 2010. Students will research their time period using both print and online sources; develop a digital and manipulative timeline; create a working bibliography using both Word and Google Docs; generate a works cited page; construct a Webquest that teaches others about their era; virtually collaborate with an off-site project partner located in either the Three Chopt or Fairfield District via SchoolSpace discussion board, Google Docs, and Illuminate. The ultimate goal of this learning model is to provide opportunities for learners to create an original product by applying critical thinking, communication tools, various research methods, and collaboration.

Essential questions or objectives:

1. Students will create a bibliography and works cited page demonstrating proper MLA citation, knowledge of copyright, and an understanding of plagiarism.

2. Students will understand the difference between a bibliography and works cited page and when to use both.

3. Students will identify various methods of research for print and online resources.

4. Students will differentiate between print and non-print resources.

5. Students will select appropriate sources and determine how to use the sources within their original work.

6. Students will communicate with off-site partner(s) of diverse cultural backgrounds.

7. Students will collaborate to create original works.

8. Students will determine the appropriate digital tools to evaluate and utilize information.

9. Students will select appropriate digital tools to evaluate and utilize reliable and credible resources.

10. Students will create, exhibit, and evaluate research projects in small-group and/or whole-group presentations.

Resources:

Technology Used: Provide a list of any hardware/software, web-based resources, or specialized equipment needed for this lesson

1. Google Docs

2. Prezi

3. Google Sites

4. PowerPoint

5. Quia

6. SchoolSpace

7. HCPSLink

8. iBeam

9. Laptop

10.

Other Required Resources:

1. History of Communication PART ONE Participation Rubric

2. Website Evaluation Rubric

3. Library card

4. Expository Essay Rubric

5. Elluminate Session Directions

6. Outline Examples Documents

7. History of Communication PART TWO Participation Rubric

8. Timeline Example

9. Timeline Template

10. Google Sites Directions

11. Peer Editing for Webquest

12. Peer Editing for Expository Essay

13. Presentation Rubric

14. Webquest Rubric

15. Reliable Sources/Website Evaluation Task

16. Elluminate Session Standards

Lesson Development:

Process/Tasks: (Outline the sequence to be followed in the development of the lesson. Describe the techniques/tasks to be completed by the students. Describe what the teacher and students will be doing.)

PART ONE (November 1-December 8, 2010)

1. Students will create a bibliography and works cited page demonstrating proper MLA citation, knowledge of copyright, and an understanding of plagiarism.

2. Students will understand the difference between a bibliography and works cited page and when to use both.

3. Students will identify various methods of research for print and online resources.

4. Students will differentiate between print and non-print resources.

5. Students will select appropriate sources and determine how to use the sources within their original work.

6. Students will communicate with off-site partner(s) of diverse cultural backgrounds.

7. Students will collaborate to create original works.

8. Students will determine the appropriate digital tools to evaluate and utilize information.

9. Students will select appropriate digital tools to evaluate and utilize reliable and credible resources.

10. Students will reflect final thoughts on collaborating in virtual partnerships. (Week of 12/6)

PART TWO (December 8-January, 2011)

1. Students will choose the Top 3 Advancements in Communication for their era.

2. Students will create an individual Webquest based on the Top 3

3. Students will combine their individually-created Webquest with Webquests from adjacent eras, ultimately combining 5 eras at a time in one place

4. Students will determine the appropriate tool to generate a webquest (ie. Google Sites, etc.)

5. Students will write a strong thesis statement.

6. Students will compose a five paragraph essay.

7. Students will edit a peer essay.

8. Students will present their webquest using a Prezi presentation.

FOCUS:

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS -

How do experiences influence perspective?

How does reflection of the past improve/impact our world?

How do the media influence our culture?

TIMELINE -

Week of November 15-19, 2010

PRELIMINARY STAGE - Research

● Connect with your partner via SchoolSpace Discussion Board

● Begin posting resources to Google Docs

Week of November 22-24, 2010

ORGANIZING STAGE - Bibliography

1. Generate bibliography for ten sources (print or non-print) supporting assigned time period

2. Post all ten sources in Google Docs by Wednesday, November 24th

Week of November 29-December 3, 2010

WRITING STAGE - Essay

1. Brainstorm minimum of ten advancements in communication for your time period

2. Put the 10 advancements in your timeline document in chronological order

3. Choose Top 3 Advancements in communication for your era

4. Draft a 5 paragraph essay outline explaining your Top 3 Advancements

5. Webquest Creation Tutorial

Week of December 6-10, 2010

WRITING STAGE - Essay

1. Finish timeline for your time period

2. Write your rough draft for your 5 paragraph essay

3. Peer Edit with Classmate

4. Begin designing your era’s webquest

5. 12/8 - Live Elluminate Session

6. 12/10 - PART ONE Rubric & Final Reflection Due

Week of December 13-17, 2010

WRITING STAGE - Essay

1. Webquest Design Concludes

2. Turn in FINAL DRAFT of 5 paragraph essay

3. PART TWO Rubric and Top 3 Advancements Expository Essay due by Friday, 12/17

Week of January 3-7, 2011

PRESENTATION STAGE – Webquest

1. Webquest Design Ends

2. Peer Edit Webquests

Week of January 10-14, 2011

PRESENTATION STAGE - Webquest

1. Webquest Presentations (Presentation Format is Chosen By Students)

2. Webquest Evaluations

Evaluation Procedure:

Assessment of objectives: (Include a description of the student activity or artifact the teacher will collect as evidence of content/skill mastery. State how you plan to communicate your assessment expectations to the students.)

TIMELINE -

Week of November 15-24, 2010

PRELIMINARY STAGE - Research

History of Communcation Particpation Grade PART ONE

(SchoolSpace Discussion Board & Posting Research Resources to Google Docs)

Week of November 29-December 3, 2010

WRITING STAGE - Essay

Essay Outline Required as part of the Evolution of the Essay

Week of December 6-10, 2010

WRITING STAGE - Essay

Timeline Worksheet and Rubric

Rough Draft Due (Assessed Via Rubric)

Reflection of 12/8 Elluminate Forum

Week of December 13-17, 2010

WRITING STAGE – Essay

History of Communication Participation Grade PART TWO

Final Expository Essay Draft

Week of January 3-7, 2011

PRESENTATION STAGE – Webquest

Peer Edit Webquests

Week of January 10-14, 2011

PRESENTATION STAGE - Webquest

Webquest Evaluations and Presentations

TIPC Assessment - Choose ONE Category:

(Using the rubric, identify where your lesson falls for at least one of the categories below. Write a brief statement indicating what elements of your lesson make it strong that category)

While our project is strong in all of the following areas, we feel it is strongest in the Communication and Collaboration category.

Communication and Collaboration: Students initiate communication in real and non-real time; communicate and collaborate with learners of diverse cultural backgrounds; form collaborative teams to solve real-world problems {(digital literacy, collaboration in real time (ie. Elluminate) and non-real time (ie. Discussion Boards, Community Group)} , and create original works.

Research and Information Fluency: Students select appropriate digital tools, evaluate, and utilize information; apply varied research skills to find and evaluate resources; use information and resources to accomplish real-world tasks. The real-world tasks include: research, synthesizing information, deciphering which source is credible, reliable. The resources were print (magazines, journals, books, newspapers) and non-print resources (eBooks, YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Google, Wikipedia, and various websites).

Creativity and Innovation: Students are required to apply critical thinking skills as they make decisions about the reliability of sources, the myriad of sources to choose from, and effectiveness of the sources. Students are able to choose the research methods and the communication tools to create an original work. In addition, the students will collaborate effectively beyond the regular classroom using such tools as Elluminate, Discussion Boards, Google Docs, and TypeWith.me among others.

Reflection –

Although students are required to use multiple resources to plan, design, and execute the tasks involved with this learning model, the students will not yet be solving real-world problems in this portion of the learning model. However, this learning model is meant to practice the skills needed to solve real-world problems by using technology to collaborate and solve authentic problems as the students move forward into higher order thinking skills in the next phase of the learning model. In the next phase, they will be creating open-ended questions that identify controversial topics of their choice. The collaborating students from these two schools will be coming together to debate their controversial topics thereby bridging the virtual world with the real world in face-to-face continuation of learning, communication, and collaboration.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download