History of Toys
Heidi
Fry
5th
grade/ Social Studies/Language Arts
Meridian School District
Content Areas Objectives:
Social Studies:
Become familiar with the events and the people that shaped the United States.
Evaluate the effects of technology upon society's economic system and historic development
Develop an awareness of U.S. History.
Analyze the cause and effect relationship of technological progress.
Language Arts:
Locate information from a variety of sources.
Analyze and evaluate information and form conclusions.
Demonstrate knowledge of the topic through the use of accurate facts, details and examples.
Convey clear main ideas and supporting details appropriate to purpose and audience.
Use proper sentence structure, conventional spelling, and correct grammar.
Utilize the writing process, pre-write, rough draft, self and peer editing.
Technology Objectives Addressed:
Produce work-processed documents that have been drafted, revised and edited electronically and which incorporate graphic images.
Use technology to access, retrieve and evaluate information.
Use databases to access and organize information.
Use software independently and cooperatively
Demonstrate advanced planning and organization through the use of a storyboard.
Demonstrate good use of color, balance, emphasis and unity through the use of multimedia presentation.
What was the process that your students went through to complete this lesson?
This project was primarily completed on an individual basis, with the exception of three partner projects to accommodate the needs of students participating in our district ESL program or to ensure the success of students with special needs. A team of five students went through the process in advance of the rest of the class to help me facilitate and assist the remaining 23 students through the process. This enabled me to test the lessons on a small scale and to adjust as necessary. A serendipitous aspect that I hadn't expected was the anticipation and excitement that it added to the project.
Students have previously researched the invention and use of a toy or other invention by accessing information from a variety of resources including books, encyclopedias, CD-ROM's, videos, web pages.
Students prepared a written research paper with sources of information.
Students prepared bullet statements for presentation from research paper.
Students prepared a storyboard for Power Point Presentation of research paper.
This project results in two finished products: A prepared written research paper, and an oral Power Point supported presentation.
How
did you monitor student progress?
I anticipated the prospect of students needing a high amount of teacher
assistance due to the fact this was their introduction into the use of Power
Point. So, I asked for five volunteers willing to accelerate the
completion of the research paper portion of this project, so they could go
through the process of preparing a story board and Power Point Presentation and
then be able to help me work with the remainder of the class. I had this
group of five work on the Power Point Portion of the project while the rest of
the class was working independently on their research papers. Then I had
five helpers when the rest of the class worked on their Power Points!
Was
there a template or an example that students were expected to follow?
Yes, I prepared a presentation on Silly
Putty and modeled the expectations of the project to the class. I
prepared a hard copy template for preparing bullet statements and a hard copy
form for completing storyboards. I also included these in my Power
Point Presentation so I could demonstrate how to use them, and had the Power
Point available on a stand-alone computer so students could refer back to it.
How
much time did you dedicate to this project?
Total: Six weeks
Daily (approximate): 2 hours a day plus some research done by the students as
homework.
How
was the final product presented?
This project resulted in two finished projects, a written research paper and
an oral Power Point Presentation.
Who
was the audience for the final product?
The class served as the audience for the Power Point Presentation.
Learning
Issues
What
prior knowledge was required on the part of the students in order for them to be
successful in this project? (include curriculum and technology knowledge)
This was the student's third research paper utilizing the IIM meathod, so they
were able to work independently on the research portion of the project.
Students had a proficient background in utilizing the internet and electronic
resources to gather information for their research. The papers were
hand-written in order to free up the computers in the classroom for working on
the Power Points, but they are semi-proficient in keyboarding for their grade
level. They knew how to insert a graphic, but most did not know how
to get a graphic from the internet or an electronic resource. This was an
introduction to the use of Power Point.
What
was the student to computer ratio?
Primarily one student per computer, except for the three partners pairs.
How
did you schedule your students’ computer time?
We worked on the project in a center rotation format, with each group
getting about 30 minutes on the computer each day.
What
was the location of the computers and other technology equipment used by
students?
The computers are located along one wall and are all networked with access
to the Internet. I also have one stand-alone computer.
Rate
the level of access for students to use computers/other technologies as they
needed --high, medium, low
Medium: The level of access is pretty good at Andrus. I took the
class to the lab when I introduced Power Point, so each student was able to
follow along as I projected the steps with a projector. I also have 6
computers in the classroom, so with a center rotation system, students are able
to get a good 30 minutes work time each day.
Rate
the level of supervision required for students during the project, specifically
for computer and other technology use –high, medium, low
The level of supervision was high, but manageable as I had previously
trained a team of five students to assist the rest of the class.
What
hardware was required for your project?
6 computers, projector, printer, scanner, zip-drive, CD writer.
What
software was required for your project?
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, Netscape Communicator, Microsoft
Encarta, Paint.
Assessment
What
kind of assessment did you use for this project? (Include a copy if you can.)
The research paper and the Power Point Presentation were assessed using a
rubric. The rubric was explained at the onset of the project, and each
student had a copy to refer to.
What
categories did you assess? (I.e.: content,
screen design, depth/breadth, etc.)
The research paper was assessed on content, spelling and grammatics, and the
Power Point was assessed on planning and organization, basic elements,
transitions, special effects, and content. The oral presentation was
assessed on introduction, preparation, organization, delivery (eye-contact,
gestures, voice, reference to Power Point) and conclusion.
How
does the product that you submitted compare with other students’ products for
this same project?
In the past, a poster was used for the visual tool, and quite frankly, the
students rarely referred to it. Most students used note cards, which would
often become a distraction for the audience. The confidence level of the
students was really boosted with the use of Power Point.
What
did you like best about this project?
The best part of this project was the presentations. The students
worked very hard on this project, and their pride in a job well done was
evident!
What
did the students like best about this project?
Getting to use the Power Point! The saw the "real world"
connection.
Rank
the level of student involvement in this project –high, medium, low
High! I will definitely use the student facilitators again!
Rank
the level of student interest in this project –high, medium, low
High! Student facilitators and Power Point really boosted interest!
Would
you teach this lesson again?
Absolutely! It took the research paper and oral presentation to a high
level of interest and provided the opportunity for the kids to gains a real
sense of pride in their work.
Links
to student work:
Legos
Ethchaske