Brief Description

During this lesson, students will use a variety of sources to find information about a chosen state.  The resources will be electronic and print.  The research will be used to write a formal report about the state.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

5T-E1: Locate information from electronic resources.
5T-E2: Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness and bias of electronic resources.

W-E4: Write a report that conveys a point of view and develops a topic with appropriate facts, details, examples and descriptions froma variety of cited sources.

Academic

• Students will be able to access information about their states.
• Students will gather information about their states.
• Students will write a report about their states.
• Students will evaluate whether they would like to live in their chosen state, based on the information they collect.

• Students will use electronic resources such as Internet sites and CD-ROM encyclopedias to gather information.
• Students will evaluate the usefulness of the information from the electronic sources.

• Students need to be able to navigate to a given page on the Internet, either by following links or typing in a URL address.
• Students need to be able to use a CD-ROM encyclopedia.  This includes using search strategies and navigating the pages.

Computers with Internet access.
CD-ROM encyclopedia (we used World Book)
Print materials, such as books and  encyclopedias
State Report Organizer

Accommodations for Special Needs

Special Education students will have the project modified based on their individual needs.  Modifications could include reduced work or support such as peer reading or assistance from the teacher.  The same modifications can be made for English Language Learners.

Procedures

• Before beginning research, the class will discuss how to tell if a resource is valuable and relevant.  This will include showing examples of resources and discussing them as a class.  Examples should include resources that would be useful and some that would not, such as commercial websites.
• The class will brainstorm what information they want to find out about their states. This information should include: state symbols, state capital, economy, geography, history and climate.  Any other additional information that the students want to include can be added.  An organizer will then be created for the students to use to take notes. Click here to see an example.
• Students will use the online and CD-ROM resources to find information about their states. A web page has been created with links to appropriate web pages (see here). Students will also collect all necessary bibliographic information from each site and the CD-ROM resource.  In addition to the electronic resources, students will use appropriate print resources such as books and encyclopedias.
• Using this information, students will write a report.  This report will include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.  The conclusion will consist of an evaluation of the state: whether or not the student would like to live there and why.  The report will also include a bibliography of resources.
• Students will be able to use the computer lab and the classroom computers to complete this project.

Students will be assessed at various stages of the project.
Students will be required to turn in their notes organizers.  These will be assessed for completeness and accuracy.
Students will be required to turn in their rough drafts for feedback.
The final assessment will be the final draft of the report.  Students will be assessed on the Six Traits of Writing, the accuracy of their information, and the completeness of their bibliographies.

Teacher Name: Liesl Mitchell
Site: Coronado
Date Submitted: January 30, 2002