Division of School Improvement - Model Curriculum Units

IL1D The learner will be able to informally give credit for others’ ideas, images and information found in various resources.

Share journal with a shoulder buddy or other member of the class. Observe student progress on locating information on key words. Check journals to make sure students list title and author.

1. The principal enters the classroom with a letter and tells students they have received a letter from the president of the United States. The principal indicates the president wants students to research the past and collect information about the past. The president wants detailed information about how people lived. This information is important to the president, so be sure to keep careful records of your travels.

Questions

for

Students

Why would it be important to know about the past to make good decisions today?

How do you use past experiences for decisions that you make now?

Idea

Students can do presentations for another class, the principal, superintendent, or governor. They could also do the assignment for a fourth grade class to help them do research to study in preparation for their MAP tests.

2. Students choose a book to work with based on their interests. This book does not have to be the book they worked with in groups yesterday. Show students copy of the journal. Explain to them how they will keep all of their notes for the president in this journal. Explain that it will be important to write neatly and keep all material in the folder. Pass out journals to students.

Suggestion

Teachers should choose a book not used by students to specifically model each step of the lesson.

Discuss the reason for and importance of journals and diaries throughout history i.e. Louis and Clark.

Student journals will need four full-page copies of a Venn Diagram for a later lesson and several blank sheets of writing paper.

Instead of folders the journal can be a set of papers put together and stapled before the lesson begins.

KWL chart may help with questioning.

3. Students begin writing in the journals. The first page needs a name and time period on the top of the paper. Now students need to formulate and make a list of keywords for their investigation.Using these key words students choose three to focus on for their investigation. Students clearly list on the second page what their three choices are. They then locate and list three details for each category. Provide an outline format for this. All additional Notes should be kept in the journal. Discuss the importance of giving authors the credit for their ideas, images, and information. Students make sure and list their title and author on the back page of their journal.

Questions

for

Students

How do you decide on key words?

Are the key words really important?

If you were looking for information of a key work how would you find it in a book?

Why is it important to have questions before we begin our investigations?

What type of questions do you have?

What type of information are you going to be looking for about your three categories?

Suggestions

Students may need to be reminded of the charts and the questions used to formulate their key words.

Encourage students to write down interesting facts not only related to their category, but others as well. If students choose a different category but will have facts supporting it, encourage them as well.

This outline should be written out and put in their journal and well demonstrated.

An easy outline:

A. Key word (Category)

1. Supporting details

(Marzano, Ch. 6)