Brief Description

Students will access a website with a host of links that will enable them to discover historical events, births of famous people and trivia that occurred on the same birth date as theirs, but not necessarily the same year.  Students will gain an insight to such things as what the moon looked like the evening of their birth, the cost of a postage stamp, songs that were popular, foods that were the fad and political figures in vogue.  Collaboration will take place when students add a paragraph about the most important event that occurred on their birthday to the website history book.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-E1. Use formatting capabilities of technology tools for communicating and illustrating

• 3T-E1. Use formatting capabilities of technology tools for communicating and illustrating

Academic

• While working individually in the computer lab, students will access a website (www.dayiwasborn.net) and follow prescribed steps to complete the Data Input Handout.
• The students will determine if information at website is interesting enough to record, or may explore other links that are provided to allow more advanced research.
• Upon completion of handout, each student will share pertinent information about his/her birth date in a two-paragraph summary outlining the more interesting facts that were discovered.
• Working alone, and using a format of choice on the computer, students will design a one-page certificate, card, letter, poem or other creation for a Mother’s Day present.  It must include three facts from the research that students feel will be a surprise to their mothers.

• While working individually, students will access a website that encourages students to explore other links, while at the same time recording information for their research.

• Students will be capable of accessing a website on the Internet and following directions at site to access links if they choose to explore other options for their research.
• Students will have the ability to open and type a Word document while still researching online.
• Students will be adept at opening a Word document in order to compose a two-paragraph summary.

• Computer lab with Internet access.
• One hard copy of the website outline called Project Outline Handout for each student.
• One hard copy of Data Input Handout for every student.
• A Fact Sheet for special needs students.
• A Student Assessment Form for each student.

SEI and Special Education students will work with a regular study buddy and gather five facts about their birth, date which they will include on a Fact Sheet.  This might include a drawing of how the moon looked or what song was the number one hit at the time.  Once the Fact Sheet is completed students will produce a finished product for their mother (for Mother’s Day) in the form of a card.  This may be designed on the computer, but a hand drawn creation would be acceptable.

Gifted students will include a short biography of either an artist, a musician or an author whose works had some connection to student’s birth date.  This will be included as a third and fourth paragraph in their summary.

Procedures

• Access website (dayiwasborn.net) on classroom computer and review in class prior to going to computer lab.
• Provide students with hard copies of Project Outline Handout and Data Input Handout for use in the lab.
• Special needs students will be given a hard copy of the dayiwasborn.net Fact Sheet.
• During lab time, students will access appropriate website and record facts and information on their copy of the Data Input Handout. Special Needs students will record facts on their individual copies of the Fact Sheet.
• Upon completion of Data Input Handout students will open a Word document and type a two-paragraph summary that outlines facts and information that they found during their research that they find interesting.   Students that complete the Fact Sheet will begin working on a card for Mother’s Day designed on the computer.  A card that is hand drawn is acceptable.
• Once students complete the summary they will design a Mother’s Day card, certificate, poem, letter, or other creation using the computer.  They may decide on the type of format, but some choices might be Publisher, PowerPoint slide, or Paintbrush to name a few.  The finished product must be computer generated.
• Reach students will begin working on their Mother’s Day assignment after completing their summary, which includes a third and fourth paragraph about a famous artist, musician or author.
• Students will collaborate on this project by adding information about their birth date in the website history book.
• Students will go to website and follow directions for entering data in the “new entry” section.

• Using the dayiwasborn.net Writing Checklist, students will self-evaluate.
• Teacher will assess using the dayiwasborn.net Mother’s Day Project Checklist.
• Special needs students will use Project Assessment Form to self-evaluate.