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Christine's Final Unit

BES Vermont Studies: Grades 3 & 4

The Rationale behind this Final Project

This particular aspect of the Vermont Unit concentrates upon a collaboration between the third & fourth grade classroom teachers, the Art Teacher, the SPED teacher, and the Teacher Librarian. The unit would span at least two months in order to cover information and new learning about the native inhabitants of our state prior to the arrival of European settlers, Vermont physical geography, the history and origins of Vermont as a state (social studies), the animals native to our state and their habitats (science), the legends and myths of the native inhabitants (Language Arts: traditional literature genre study), Abenaki crafts and artwork (Art), storytelling and writing (Language Arts: writing, reader's theatre, author's craft) and the information literacy skills needed to access and evaluate resources and information in order to present new knowledge to classmates.

Some Essential Questions of this Unit

How did the land and natural resources of Vermont influence the culture and lifestyle of the Abenaki Indians prior to contact with European settlers?
What do traditional Abenaki stories tell us about how the Abenaki lived and what they valued?
What were the most important beliefs and values of the Abenaki and how did they use the animals native to Vermont to illustrate these beliefs and values?

Goal Elaboration Statement

This unit is adapted from one that has been used in one of our district’s other elementary schools. I have taken liberties and expanded the unit to include the annual animal project that has previously not been used as a learning opportunity for teaching researching strategies such as keyword search, note-taking, proper citations. In addition, I added a previously stand alone Language Arts unit that explored traditional literature genre (folklore, legends and tales) and the elements of myths and legends that include setting, themes, plot structure, magic or trickery, connection to nature or spirituality and moral lesson. It would be my hope that the combination of animal research in context with discussing myths and legends would be an exciting unit of study for the third and fourth graders.

The classroom teachers would:

• Introduce and present background information about this Vermont unit.

• Provide a list of appropriate Vermont animals for student selection.

• Create the final assessment rubrics for the Powerpoint presentation and original myth.

In collaboration with the classroom teacher, the teacher librarian would:

• provide instruction on creating essential questions, web and keyword searching, note-taking techniques, proper citation formatting, and the use of atlases.

• would locate materials and resources to augment the school library and classroom collection of Abenaki myths and legends. Library time

• would also be available for reading and discussion of folklore and myths.

Science Goal Elaboration

• The students will understand interdependence between their Vermont animals and its habitat.

• The students will understand how the characteristic of their specific animal helps them to successfully survive in Vermont.

• The students will understand the effects of mankind upon animal populations and natural habitats.

Language Arts Goal Elaboration

• The students will identify elements of myths and legends and the important role they played in early cultures.

• The students will recognize the characteristics of native Vermont animals as they relate to Abenaki myths and legends.

• The students will be able to independently write a myth.

Information Literacy Goal Elaboration

To be successful, the students will be able to:

• Successfully search the library collection and Internet to locate appropriate resource for their animal presentation.

• Search and copy images from the Internet including correct citation information.

• Successfully take notes and organize them in a graphic organizer.

• Create a Powerpoint presentation about their specific Vermont animal that is well organized and complete with bibliography.

• Understand the importance of citing sources and to correctly complete a bibliography using appropriate grade level expectations.

Instructional Objectives

Using laptops and PowerPoint software, the third and fourth grade students will be able to create a presentation that demonstrates their understanding of the interdependency between their specific Vermont animal, its natural habitat and the connection between the animal’s characteristics and traditional Abenaki mythology and folklore.

Vermont State Standards for Third & Fourth Grade

Science: Systems

Analysis

7.11 Students analyze and understand living and non-living systems (e.g. biological, chemical, electrical, mechanical, optical) as collections of interrelated parts and interconnected systems. This is evident when students:

a. demonstrate understanding that systems are made of interrelated parts that influence one another;

The Living World

Organism, Evolution and Interdependence

7.13 Students understand the characteristics of organisms, see patterns of similarity and differences among living organisms, understand the role of evolution, and recognize the interdependence of all systems that support life. This is evident when students:

a. Identify characteristics of organisms (e.g. needs, environments that meet them, structures, especially senses, variation and behaviors, inherited and learned);

c. Describe and show examples of the interdependence of all systems that support life (e.g. family, community, food chains, populations, life cycles, effects on the environment),

and apply them to local systems; and

d. Provide examples of change over time (e.g. extinction, changes in organisms).

The Universe, Earth and the Environment

Theories, Systems and Forces

7.15 Students demonstrate understanding of the earth and its environment, the solar system, and the universe in terms of these systems that characterize them; the forces that affect and shape them over time, and the theories that currently explain their evolution. This is evident when students:

a. Identify and record evidence of change over time (e.g. erosion, weathering, fossilization);

b. Identify and record patterns and forces that shape the earth (e.g. geological, atmospheric);

c. Identify and record the interrelated parts of earth systems (seasons, time, weather, etc.);

Communication Standards

Writing Reports

1.8 In written reports, students organize and convey information and ideas accurately and effectively. This evident when students:

d. Use appropriate organizing structures; and

e. Use a range of appropriate elaboration strategies such as including appropriate facts and details, describing the subject or narrating a relevant anecdote.

Information Technology/Information Literacy

Information Technology

1.18 Students use computers, telecommunications, and other tools of technology to research, to gather information and ideas, and to represent information and ideas accurately and appropriately.

Research

1.19 Students use organizational systems to obtain information from various sources (including libraries and the Internet). This is evident when students:

a. Recognize and define their need for information;

b. Develop an effective search strategy to satisfy their information needs;

c. Conduct effective searches for information and ideas;

d. Evaluate information for timelessness, relevance, bias, accuracy, quality, and accessibility;

e. Synthesize and organize information;

f. Present information in appropriate formats;

g. Evaluate the information literacy process, and

h. Demonstrate the ethical use of information and information technology, including citing sources and respecting copyright.

Vermont GE's specific to this part of the unit

IT3-4:1 Students demonstrate proficiency in the effective use of technology by..

Working with files

cutting, copying, and pasting within a document and across documents

IT3-4:2 Students demonstrate responsible use of technology systems, information, and software by

Intellectual Property

Documenting sources of information obtained through electronic resources (e.g., identifying author and URL).

IT3-4:3 Students use technology/productivity tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity by

Word Processing

Combining text with picture on a single page

Adding non-textual elements

Manipulating styles (e.g., fonts, style, size, color of text, alignment).

Using spell check.

Visual Organizer

Illustrating a simple concept (e.g., concept map, web, bubble, etc.).

IT3-4:4 Students demonstrate the use of a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences by

Multi-Media

Creating a slide presentation including title slide, graphics, text, voice, sound related to topic and documentation of sources.

IT3-4:5 Students demonstrate use of technology for research by

Digital Resources

Accessing information from a workstation, LAN or Internet-based electronic encyclopedia.

Using multiple resources including:

Library catalog

Electronic resources

Internet web pages

Searching & Search Engines

Preparing a search off-line using a teacher-prepared form/strategy.

Using a search engine predetermined by the teacher, implementing the search strategy developed and locating pertinent information.

Browser

Navigating to various websites by typing a URL into a browser or using a list of links indentified by the teacher.

Navigating using forward, back. home, and refresh.

Using hyperlinks to navigate the world wide web.

Problem solving and Decision Making

Identifying decisions made..."Example: What key words did you use in your internet search?"

Culminating Assessment

In most cases, an informal assessment would happen each library class time, while specific rubrics would be used for the capturing images activity, the graphic organizer lesson and the creating citations lesson. The culminating assessment would evaluate the individual student Powerpoint presentations as well as the original Abenaki myth performance. The rubrics for both the Powerpoint presentation and myth performance would be created and completed by the two classroom teachers. The Powerpoint rebric would most likely include a check list for such items as an introductory slide, slides providing details and information about the animal, which include 3 images of the animal, slides explaining the relationship between the animal and its natural habitat, which includes at least 2 images of the habitat, at least one slide that connects the animal to traditional Abenaki folklore and a final conclusion. A sample of a Powerpoint rubric is available at the University of Wisconsin, Stout Campus website; http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/pptrubric.html.