Brief Description

American history is the main focus of the 5th grade Social Studies curriculum. This lesson is a way to engage students in an exploration of our history’s past in an independent, interactive way. The students will focus on two links from this website – “Meet Amazing Americans” and  “Jump Back In Time.”  Both links provide a wide variety of choices that the students can explore independently or collaboratively with another student.  After exploring their person or time in history, the students will share what they’ve learned by doing a brief oral presentation. The students will also be asked to produce a word document that summarizes the important ideas from their exploration, accompanied by a picture that they have copied from their primary source link.  The students’ work will be put on display in a scrapbook type format for the classroom library.  From introduction to conclusion, this lesson should take approximately, two to three weeks, depending on the availability of computers.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-E1. Use formatting capabilities of technology tools for communicating and illustrating
• 3T-E3. Publish and present information using technology tools
• 4T-E2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication and publishing activities to create curricular related products for audiences inside and outside the classroom
• 5T-E1. Locate information from electronic resources

• R-E2.Use reading strategies such as making inferences and predictions, summarizing, paraphrasing, differentiating fact from opinion, drawing conclusions, and determining the author’s purpose and perspective to comprehend written selections
• W-E1.Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure and paragraph organization, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
• W-E3.Write a summary that presents information clearly and accurately, contains the most significant details and preserves the position of the author
• W-E8.Demonstrate research skills using reference materials such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks 
• 1SS-E1. Understand and apply the basic tools of historical research, including chronology and how to collect, interpret, and employ information from historical materials.

Academic

• Upon selecting a sub-topic from the assigned primary source link, students, working in pairs, will research their sub-topic and write the main ideas using a graphic organizer.
• Upon completion of their research, each partnership will produce a Word document, which summarizes the main ideas of their sub-topic and a picture copied from their primary source.  Each summary needs to include correct conventions, and accurate, clear details in correct historical sequence.
• Students will complete a worksheet, which includes: writing two to three things that they learned and/or found interesting from their research, rate themselves on their work and the project, in general. Students need to explain each of their ratings.

• Students, working in pairs, in the classroom or in the computer lab (if available), will access a designated primary source web site, investigate different links and select a sub-topic of their choice to research in depth.
• Students, working in pairs, will create a Word document, which summarizes their research from the designated primary source web site. They also need to copy and paste a picture onto their word document from the same Internet site.

• Students will need to be able to locate a primary source web site on the Internet, as well as be able to access sub-topics and additional information through the additional links that are provided.
• Students will need to be familiar and proficient with Microsoft Word for the purpose of creating, saving, and printing a document.  They will also need to know how to edit their work by using the spell/grammar checking capabilities of Word.
• Students will need to know how to copy and paste pictures from an Internet site to a Word document.

Access to computer(s) with primary source links
Classroom computer/ printer and/or computer lab
Encyclopedias or similar text (to be used as additional references, if needed)
Writing materials- graphic organizers, paper, pencils/pens
Writer’s Express or similar language arts text

Accommodations for Special Needs

• For SEI and Special Education Students:

Due to the nature of working with another student, the SEI and Special Education students will be accommodated by peer collaboration and individualized help, when needed.  Students may be paired with one another based on specific needs.  Teacher’s expectations and/or roles for individuals can be communicated at the beginning of the project and facilitated throughout the process.
• Gifted students:

Due to the independent design of this project, advanced students can work at their own pace.  Their final documents will summarize their topic in greater detail, with fewer convention errors.

1. This assignment is based on studying, identifying, and locating primary source data via the Internet. Students were initially exposed to this genre through the web site “Today In History” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html which describes an historic person or event that is relevant for that particular day. It includes primary sources in the form of writings, official documents, paintings, drawings, photographs, etc.
2. Following several visits to the above web site, introduce the students, via the Internet displayed on the TV converter, to the web site from which they will do their research for their Primary Source data. http://www.americasstory.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi  Provide a brief overview of the site, how to get to it, as well as, the different sub-topics from which the students will choose one for their research. Although there are several main headings on this site, in the case of this lesson, the students were directed to select a topic from either “Meet Amazing Americans” or “Jump Back In Time.”
3. This may be a good time to review, if necessary, how to identify main ideas, use a graphic organizer, and write a summary, using the main ideas in greater depth, and in correct sequence.
4. Allow time for the students to select a partner with whom they will work. (In the case of special needs students, teacher selection may be necessary.)
5. Once pairs and specific topics have been selected, it is time to start researching.  I have found that using a computer lab for this purpose, especially at the beginning, is best.  As the students read the information, they will record the main ideas onto a pre-printed graphic organizer.  In order for their research to be as complete as soon as possible, students need to research not only the primary information, but the additional links, as well.
6. Upon completing their research, recording the main ideas, and selecting a picture to include in their final draft, the students, as a pair, write a summary, which includes the information that they gathered, but in greater detail. The length of the summary is based on teacher discretion.
7. Prior to creating a Word document, students need to self-edit their summaries, paying particular attention to the accurate sequencing of supporting details and to correct conventions. Teacher editing may be necessary at this time, especially in regards to added support for the special needs students.
8. Once the written summaries are completed, students are ready to begin working on their Word documents.  A computer lab setting is particularly helpful at this stage.  Two computers can be used, one for writing the document, the other at the web site for quick referencing, if necessary. Prior to writing the text, students could copy and paste the graphic that they have chosen onto their Word document. In this way, they can then format their text around their picture. This can also be done at the end, after the writing is completed.
9. Culminating Activity- Each pair of students will orally present their summaries to the class.  Concluding with each person sharing at least two things that they found most interesting about their topic.
10. As an additional way of assessing the students and what they learned from this project, have them complete the attached document, which asks them to reflect upon their research process by rating the project itself, followed by an explanation of their rating.  Also, describe two to three things that they found most interesting about their topic.

Students’ assessments will be based on the following:

1. A graphic organizer is used to organize research notes
2. The completed summary will be evaluated based on :
• The inclusion of at least one visual that has been copied from the web site.
• Correct mechanics/conventions
• Clear supporting details accurately sequenced.
3. The completion of the “Primary Sources Project” worksheet and rating scale.

These assessments will be evaluated on the attached checklist.
These assessments are aligned to the previously stated objectives.