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Information Literacy Lesson Plan W. Bryan Boone

Frit 7136 Dr. Stephanie Jones

Pathfinder URL:
http://mcsdinstructionaltechnology.pbworks.com/Europe+-+Refe rence+Activity OR http://tinyurl.com/EuropeanReference

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Title of Lesson Curriculum Area

Nations of the European Union Social Studies

Grade Level Time Frame

6th Grade 2 - 55 minute class periods

Overview of Reliable Source Unit

This lesson was designed for a 6th Grade Social Studies Class. Teacher (1)s class consists almost homogeneously of low income students, many of whom have complicated IEPs. Many of these students have been held back at least one grade. These students have been identified by the Resource To Intervention staff and this lesson is designed to deliver Information Literacy skills that were likely overlooked because of anticipation of upcoming high stakes testing. The main collaboration is to take place between the Instructional Technology specialist and Teacher (1). The Library Media Specialist has been asked to deliver a slightly simplified version of the Big 6 research method. It is the responsibility of the Instructional Technology Specialist to provide a pathfinder/wiki page for the lesson as well as real time computer assistance.

Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standards: Information Literacy Standards for Lesson: 3. Research and Information Fluency (ISTE 2007) Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: a. b. c. plan strategies to guide inquiry. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

6th Grade GPS Standards for Lesson:

SS6G8 The student will locate selected features of Europe. a. Locate on a world and regional political- physical map: the Danube River, Rhine River, English Channel, Mediterranean Sea, European Plain, the Alps, Pyrenees, Ural Mountains, Iberian Peninsula, and Scandinavian Peninsula. b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the countries of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. SS6G10 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, natural resources, and population distribution on Europe. a. Compare how the location, climate, and natural resources of the United Kingdom and Russia affect where people live and how they trade. b. Compare how the location, climate, and natural resources of Germany and Italy affect where people live and how they trade. SS6G11 The student will describe the cultural characteristics of Europe.

Boone 3 a. Explain the diversity of European languages as seen in a comparison of German, English, Russian, French, and Italian. b. Describe the major religions in Europe; include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. c. Explain how the literacy rate affects the standard of living in Europe.
Big Idea from Lesson: Locate and Cite information Core Tasks from Lesson: Using online Databases Researching a topic to find useful and relevant information

Lesson Understandings
Students will understand that: - The research process is simplified in many ways by using the academic and instructional resources available to them; such as, online databases, Media Center Resources and the Library Media Specialist. Related Misconceptions: - Google is the only way to search the internet.

Lesson Essential Questions

Overarching Question: Topical Questions: Become familiarized with a European Country Identify the following characteristics of your through the research process. (Basic) EU nation: - Location - Climate - Natural Resources - Population Distribution - Cultural Characteristics - Government

Lesson Knowledge and Skills Knowledge

Students will know: - The difference between paraphrased information and directly quoted text - How to properly cite this information - Ask for help from the Media Specialist.

Skills
Students will be able to: - Log onto schools networked computers - Locate relevant information on online databases - Input research into formatted Microsoft Word Document, including at least one picture and table - Save work/progress to network drive with multimedia elements included - How to use a basic map and label cardinal and intermediate directions.

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Lesson Materials and Equipment

LCD Projector, interactive Promethean ActivBoard Access to Galileo, Groliers, World Book At least 26 computer stations for student use (Vision Software capable) Headphones Handouts: Lesson Rubric Two reserved days with Library Media Specialist Flash drive for students without network access

Lesson Procedures/Activities
1. Activating Strategy A.) Short lesson including video on the EUs history. (before entering Media Center) B.) Writing/Free association exercise on what students currently know about Europe and how they know this information. 2. Activity One A.) Students will be assembled in the media classroom area. The library media specialist will present the Big 6 research method to the class. Students will be encouraged to participate by using the ActivBoard and navigating from the schools home page to the Media Centers home page and to the section containing the links to the units pathfinder different online database. The media specialist will identify the databases and give a brief explanation of each databases strengths and weaknesses. 3. Activity Two A.) Students will log onto their assigned computer in the media center. The Instructional Technology Specialist will use the vision software to assume control of all of the computers and, while the Media Specialist narrates, navigate to the pathfinder and select web pages. 4. Activity Three The Media Specialist, Instructional Technology Specialist and Teacher (1) walk among the computer bays and offer assistance as the students make their way to the databases. When students have questions they will be encouraged to refer to their rubrics. (It is to be understood that, for many of these students, this may be the first attempts at authentic research.)

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Lesson Assessments
Sample of student Work:

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Reflection
This was my first lesson at the Middle School level. Up until now I had only worked in the High Schools Media Center. This was a much different experience. Fortunately during the collaboration process both the current Media Specialist and Teacher (1) brought me up to speed on the task at hand. Teacher (1) had asked the Media Specialist and I to help with this lesson and explained the circumstances. I thought that this would be easier than it was. One of the big challenges was with the students lack of familiarity with technology. In todays school systems this shouldnt happen but I am finding out that it happens every day. The lesson was designed to be simple. Many of the students involved had faced many challenges and may have fallen through a few proverbial cracks. I was amazed at how many of them did not know how to open up Microsoft Word, let alone format even the title and their name. The students benefitted greatly from the pathfinder. Instead of sending them to individual websites or the rather stale Media Center Home Page alone, they navigated through the pathfinder setup. This was a good intermediate step for students of this level. The Media Specialist and Teacher (1) have both now signed up for PBWorks accounts. However, when I introduced the idea of part of the collaboration occurring through the wiki/pathfinder Teacher (1) expressed that she would not feel like she could keep up. This was fine and I knew that she might change her mind after the lesson. With this in mind I wish the lesson had been more complex so that the pathfinder could have been more so as well. This goes back to my comfort level with younger and more disadvantaged learners. This is clearly something I am going to have to get over! The pathfinder also could have used some more colorsomething that appealed to sixth graders. The lesson took two and a half days. Two days in the media center and part of a class period to work with the students on basic citation. Without access to a class load of computers we improvised and showed the citation worksheet on the ActivBoard in a classroom. Students jumped at the chance to show that they could navigate back to the pathfinder. This is where the tinyURL came in handy. (http://tinyurl.com/EuropeanReference) By the end of the unit this lesson was part of, Teacher (1) reported to the Media Specialist and I that her students, for the most part, had become familiarized with the basics of Microsoft word and finding information in databases that were provided. She also remarked that they had been asking her when they were going to the library again.

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6th Grade Social Studies Grading Rubric Category Content location, climate, natural resources, population distribution, cultural characteristics, government 4 points 5 points

Teacher (1)

6 points

Included minimal required information

Included most required information

Included all required information

Reference Skills

Used only web page as reference source

Located at least 1 online database article

Located at least 2 online database articles

Source Documentation

Listed URL only

Included most source information

Used correct MLA style documentation for all sources Created one-page MSWord document and copied and pasted text and graphic into document and applied text wrap

Word Processing skills

Created one-page MSWord document and copied and pasted text only into document

Created one-page MSWord document and copied and pasted text and graphic into document

Total Possible Points = 24 Total Points _______________ = Grade __________________

Teacher Comments:

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Information Literacy Lesson Plan Rubric FRIT 7136

Unacceptable Rating Lesson Plan 1 Acceptable Target 3
GPS/Standards for the 21st Century Learner clearly linked to learning activities. Media specialist plays a key instructional role in planning, delivering and assessing the instructional unit. Lesson elements are motivational, address student differences, and demonstrate creative use of resources. Student and teacher use of technology is integrated into lesson elements.

Your Score/Com ments

2 GPS/Standards for the Appropriate 21st Century Learner do GPS/Standards for the not correlate with (2.1, 2.2, 2.3; 21st Century Learner learning activities. C1, C2, C4) are specified. Student Student learning learning activities go activities are This primarily classroom beyond textbook or element and textbook-based worksheet-type counts and are taught in activities. Roles and isolation from content twice. area instruction. Roles responsibilities for teacher/media and responsibilities for teacher and media specialist are specialist are specified. Motivation, traditional, not an individual differences instructional and use of technology partnership. have been addressed, Instruction exhibits limited strategies and but these elements are use of few resources. not integrated with the learning activities. Pathfinder Pathfinder is Pathfinder is linked to (online incomplete and instructional activity format) does not include and includes (1.1, 1.3, 2.2; appropriate materials in more C1, C3) resources in than one format. multiple formats. Annotations are This element included.
counts twice

Pathfinder is well organized, incorporates current materials in multiple formats and annotations are thorough.
Assessment represents a true instructional partnership between teacher and media specialist. Multiple sources of data are used to assess process and product. Selfassessment is included.

Learning Assessment of Assessment student learning (2.1, 2.3; C1, focuses only on C4) content learning and is based on a single measure.

Assessment is clearly linked to specific Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Assessment is limited to evaluation of process or products, not both.

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(2.1, 2.2, 2.3; C4)

Reflection is simply a summary of events and does not address student learning or the collaborative process.

Reflection synthesizes the key events that occurred during planning, delivery and assessment of the information skills lesson. Strengths/weaknesses of the lesson are identified.

Reflection shows the ability to document and communicate the impact of collaborative information skills instruction on student achievement. The reflection clearly addresses specific elements of the lesson that could be modified to improve collaboration and/or student learning.

Notes: GPS: Georgia Performance Standards Numbers in ( ) refer to AASL/NCATE Standards; c=content knowledge; pk=professional knowledge, skills and dispositions; sl=effect on student learning

Your Score:

Rating Scale:
Score 6 7-11 12-15 16-18 Rating Unacceptable Unacceptable Acceptable Target Grade 65 75 85 95