|
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text: Indicator 3: Analyze information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, cutaways and overlays. Research: Indicator 1: Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend the investigation. Indicator 2: Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources. Indicator 4: Compile and organize important information and select appropriate sources to support central ideas, concepts and themes. Indicator 6: Use style guides to produce oral and written reports that give proper credit for sources and include and acceptable format for source acknowledgment. Indicator 7: Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written or multimedia reports, to present information that supports a clear position about the topic or research question and to maintain an appropriate balance between researched information and original ideas. Communication: Oral and Visual:
Deliver informative presentations that demonstrate an understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in a logical format. Indicator 8d: Use appropriate visual materials and available technology to enhance presentation. Indicator 8e: Draw from multiple sources, including both primary and secondary sources, and identify sources used. Writing Processes: Indicator 1: Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas. Indicator 4: Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies to address purpose and audience. Indicator 7: Use a variety of sentence structures and lengths. Indicator 10: Use available technology to compose text. Indicator 17: Prepare for publication writing that follows a manuscript form appropriate for the purpose, which could include such techniques as electronic resources, principles of design and graphics to enhance the final product. Writing Conventions: Indicator 1: Use correct spelling conventions. Indicator 2: Use correct capitalization and punctuation. |
Lesson Summary: This lesson is designed for Language Arts students in grades 9-12. This project is research-based. Individual components and/or requirements of the project can be modified according to grade and ability level. In this project, students will be researching a state of their choice. It is suggested that students choose a state, which they have never visited. It is also suggested that only 1 student per class research a given state. Their objective is to research a state with an anticipated trip in mind. They will need to locate data in a variety of areas including travel time, accommodations, entertainment, historical landmarks, famous people from that state and interesting facts. All of this information will be compiled and formatted in a travel brochure. Along with this brochure component, students will also be asked to present an oral presentation based on their research findings.
On a block schedule, students utilize at minimum 4 classroom blocks to complete this project. The first day is used to present requirements, brainstorm ideas and begin researching. The next is for research time and compiling the bibliography. The third, roughly, is for planning and designing the brochure. Although, more time may be needed, especially for those students less proficient with Microsoft publisher. The last day then is reserved for student presentations. Commentary: I have used this project primarily in my Creative Writing class, with obviously expanded and more elaborate writing requirements. Students have responded very well as they are permitted to choose their own research topic and have the freedom to design their “trip”. I have also used this project for my 9th graders when we read the Odyssey. Students create a brochure based on all of the various places visited by Odysseus.
How much time spent by the teacher and library resource specialist on research strategies, appropriate sources, etc should be determined by teacher judgment. Students need also be familiar with Microsoft Publisher as they will be using this program to format and design their brochures. Scoring Guidelines: Ongoing assessment will take place throughout the unit. The timing of the unit may be extended based on student progress. There will also be daily assessments with determined goals in mind. For example, on the first day in the LRC, students will need to have located their 4 sources and found data to answer their initial questions. By the second day in the LRC, students should have compiled all of their research information. The third day is designated for the design of the brochure, and the final day is for the oral presentations of student projects. These progress checks will be completed both with teacher observation and individual consultation with students. Post-Assessment: Students will be assessed at the end of the unit with their travel brochures and their oral presentations. Scoring Guidelines: See attached rubrics for scoring of travel brochure and oral presentations.
1. Students will be presented with the requirements of the project. 2. Students will be asked to brainstorm ideas for states they would like to visit. Again, it is suggested that students do not choose a state they have visited previously. 3. KWL method will be applied here. First, students will be asked what students already know about their states, and then , what would they like to know, especially if they were going there on a trip. Teachers can make suggestions here as a guide including travel time and route and possible rates, accommodations, entertainment, restaurants, amusement, academic interests, historical landmarks and many more. Students then design their research questions based on their brainstorming lists. 4. Students are in the LRC for the next 2-3 days gathering research data, compiling a bibliography, designing their brochure, and preparing their oral presentations. 5. The brochure should include a cover with a picture/photo of the state and student information; an additional state motto or quote would be appropriate. The inside of the brochure should highlight what that state has to offer including landmarks, points of interest, restaurants, hotels, famous people and whatever other creative touches the students wish to add. The back of the brochure should include the bibliographic information and a map of their state highlighting routes they would have taken during their trip. Also included in the project should be some actual photos (minimum of 5) of their state with captions. 6. The oral presentation will be loosely based on their brochures, but they are free to add video and/or sound clips to their presentations. They should be approximately 3-4 minutes in length and will be edited by their peers. 7. The third day in the library should be reserved for designing the brochure and preparing the oral presentations. Depending upon student familiarity with the program, this step may take a little longer. 8. The final day of the project will be the oral presentations of student research. Students will be conducting peer-editing at this step in the process.
This lesson can be easily adapted for the abilities of a variety of learners with different skill sets. A more gifted learner could perhaps design a multimedia project to enhance their work, while a student with lower ability can research the state in more general terms. For example, they could design a picture of the state and then incorporate the motto, the geography, the flower, the economy and any other points of interest.
Students can use this information outside of the classroom when they are
actually planning a family trip. Their
data gathering strategies would be especially helpful in planning a
trip. In the classroom, students can
use this knowledge to support learning geography in Social Studies or perhaps
for background in Language Arts class when dealing with a particular area and
vernacular in the
Students will be given certain goals that will need to be achieved in the LRC during specific classroom blocks. If they don’t complete the work, they will be asked to work on their home computer. They will be encouraged to use their internet and any other resources available outside the high school LRC to enhance their research and work.
This project can easily be connected with Social Studies as students learn geography. It can also be used in Math as students perhaps calculate the travel time, gas mileage, or perhaps how much money they would need for their trip.
For teachers ¨ LRC ¨ Rubrics for travel brochure and oral presentation ¨ Handouts for travel brochure and oral presentation ¨ Bibliographic materials for citation of sources ¨ Microsoft Publisher For students ¨ LRC ¨ Microsoft Publisher ¨ Variety of sources including print and non-print sources ¨ Research questions and notes ¨ Design ideas for brochures ¨ AAA books
¨ KWL ¨ Microsoft Publisher
Students should use infosearch for their data gathering. Students will be using Microsoft publisher to design their brochures.
Students will be using research to facilitate the entire lesson from the creation of questions, data gathering and designing the brochure and oral presentation.
Sample brochures would be a great idea to show students, even if they aren’t exactly travel brochures. Students may just need to see an idea of what a brochure should look like. Also, a tutorial on the program may be needed to enable students to navigate through the designing of their projects. This will all be based on student proficiency on the computer.
¨ Scoring rubric for travel brochure ¨ Scoring rubric for oral presentation |
