Civil War Telecollaborative Newspaper
Jayna
Eichelberger
Language Arts/U.S. History/5th
Grade
Links to Files Associated with This Lesson
Content Area Objectives Assessed:
1.
Demonstrate an understanding of the differences in point of view that
existed between the North and the South at the end of the Civil War by
role-playing the part of a Southern citizen.
2.
Use knowledge gained from the study of the Civil War to write articles,
editorials, advertisements, and political cartoons and present the information
in a newspaper format.
3.
Use the writing process and skills (grammar, punctuation, capitalization,
expression)
to write newspaper articles, stories, advertisements and editorials.
Technology Objectives Addressed:
1.
Use advanced word processing skills to produce and publish a newspaper.
2.
Use email to collaborate with a partner class to communicate opinion and
fact.
3.
Use file management techniques to store and retrieve documents for
collaborative teamwork and to attach to email messages.
Activity Description
Two classes will work together to produce two Civil War Newspapers. Once class works to create articles, advertisements, and stories that portray the North at the end of the Civil War, while the other class writes from the Southern point of view.
Each
class resembles a newsroom with reporter teams working together to produce
sections of the newspaper. All
students are assigned to a team and a role that best meets their learning style
as they work cooperatively to complete assignments.
Roles include summarizer, proofreader, word processor, moderator,
telecommunications specialist, and spy. Along
the way the spy sends any information he/she thinks may be helpful to the other
side. These spy reports give each
class a glimpse of the other side. The
editors (teachers) will keep a scorecard of spy reports, which will be used as
an outline for discussion once each class sends their final product.
How
did you monitor student progress? Teacher
observation, checklists
Was
there a template or example the students were to follow?
Students had
examples of the products they were to complete at center activities as well as
descriptions of role assignments.
How
much time did you dedicate to this project?
Total:
6 Hours
Daily:
1 Hour 15 Minutes (Approximately)
How was
the final product presented?
We
first viewed our final newspaper on printed hardcopies.
There were a few revisions and then we viewed it once more on the Smart
Board. Then we emailed it to
our collaborating class. We also viewed theirs on the Smart Board when we received it
through email. Each group also read
a hardcopy version of the cooperating classes paper. Each student also got a hardcopy of the newspaper they worked
on to take home.
Who
was the audience for the final product?
The
classroom students in both classes were the audience.
Learning
Issues
What
prior knowledge was required on the part of the students in order for them to be
successful in this project?
The
students had to:
Cooperate
and collaborate, have knowledge of the events, dates, and people of the Civil
War, have some advanced word processing skills, work through the writing process
using language skills, understand how to critique and review, apply technology
skills learned to a new area (email).
How
did you schedule your students’ computer time?
We turned into a
newsroom in the afternoon for one week. Students had deadlines to meet.
If they could not meet deadlines, they worked on computers at home, or
during recesses.
What
was the location of the computers and other technology equipment used by the
students?
In the classroom
How
would you suggest beginning teachers obtain computer resources for their
students? Write grants, share with other teachers, offer to pilot
programs that use technology, keep asking!
Rate
the level of access for students to use computers/technologies as they needed: medium
Rate
the level of supervision required for the students during the project,
specifically for computer and technology use:
medium
What
hardware was required for your project? computer,
Smart Board, scanner, projector, printer
What
software was required for your project?
Microsoft Word, Groupwise
Anything
else?
No
Assessment
What
kind of assessment did you use for this project? Collaboration
Rubric/Scorecard, Newspaper Debriefing-both are attached to lesson plan.
What
categories did you assess?
The Collaboration categories consisted of Contribute, Take
Responsibility, Value Others’ Viewpoints-The Newspaper Debriefing required the
students to reflect on the project using Bloom’s taxonomy.
Other
How
does the product that you submitted compare with other students’ for the same
product? Since
this was a cooperative project, there was just one product.
What
did you like best about this project?
I loved how the students were so motivated.
The spy kept them curious. The
email collaboration and communication helped students play their roles as
Rebels. They really got into it!
Rank
the level of student involvement in this project: high
Rank
the level of student interest in this project: high
Would
you teach this lesson again?
Definitely! The students are
still talking about it and their parents were impressed.
As one kid said when it was all done, “That was fun.
It made me think so hard my brain hurt!”