UNIT TITLE: The Millennium Project
Author: Marty Kaspar
E-Mail Address: mkaspar@arbor145.org
School: Arbor Park Middle School: Oak Forest, Illinois
School Home Page URL: http://www.arbor145.org/
THEME: Biographies
BROAD CONCEPT: Contributions to Society
GRADES: 5th – 8th
INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: English, Reading, Social Studies, History, Computers,
UNIT GOALS AND PURPOSE: By
participating in this unit, students will learn many details of the lives of
famous people in history from the last thousand years. By working in groups, they will be
cooperating with each other to achieve a finished project. The students will learn a lot about
their topic by doing the research and compiling the results into a finished
multimedia presentation using Compton’s
Interactive Encyclopedia and a special part of that program called
“Showmaker”. The new Compton’s Encyclopedia ’99 Deluxe has the presentation
portion renamed “Presentation Maker”.
They will learn about other famous people from viewing other groups’
projects as well. The students
will learn how to operate within a team setting to achieve a goal. They will learn about different technologies
and how to operate them. The teacher will benefit from the unit by collecting
the finished projects and saving them for future reference with other
classes. The unit will be
evaluated based on both the group effort and the individual’s effort within
that group. The evaluation will be
ongoing because each student will be rating themselves and the other
members of their group during the ten days. Each group member will rate themselves and the other group
members on their collaboration effort and their individual contribution, the
average being taken as that individual’s grade for 60% of their total
grade. The remaining 40% of the
grade will be based on the group’s coverage of the topic, use of materials, and
presentation, determined by the instructor (see rubric). The quality of the production at the
end of the unit will be the determining factor for the group grade, making this
performance-based evaluation.
Each student will receive a grading
rubric to use for themselves and their group, to be completed at the end of
their project, just before presentations begin. (See the instruction
sheet for student and teacher use of the rubric.) The combination of the student assessment and the instructor
assessment also makes the evaluation summative. (See the Teacher
Rubric Calculator, a working spreadsheet, to calculate the grades)
TIME FRAME: 10 days
Day 1: Explanation of project, selection of group members, designation of group roles within each group (researcher, group leader, techno-wizard, slide-show producer), selection of topic, brief overview of materials and technology that will be used.
Day 2: Begin research on topic. Each member of the group does research on their assigned portion of their topic. Two members use the Internet; two use library materials including CD-ROM reference material. Slide-show producer should use Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia to do research and bookmark appropriate materials for future use in the slide show.
Day 3: Same as day 2 with the group reversing roles. Internet researchers use library materials and library materials researchers use the Internet.
Day 4: Groups get together to share their research, and organize and outline their presentation. Begin to write the script that will accompany the slides and cross-reference with the pictures that might accompany the text (location, source, etc.)
Day 5: Under the direction of the group leader, begin to compile the slide show. The producer works the computer, the techno-wizard scans pictures or exports/imports them from the internet, the researcher gathers additional materials as needed, and the group leader assigns tasks as needed and keeps track of all the sources, both from text or other media, for future copyright credit at the end of the slide show.
Day 6: Continue as in day 5.
Day 7: Continue as in day 6. Preview the rough draft/ final show. Decide what needs to happen to complete the final project.
Day 8: Put the finishing touches on the project. Include credits, copyright information, etc.
Day 9: Presentation of the slide shows and evaluation.
Day 10: Presentation of the slide shows and evaluation.
OBJECTIVES:
In this lesson, students will:
MATERIALS:
__ Desktop Publishing - Print Shop Premier, Microsoft Publisher
__ Brainstorming - Inspiration (if available)
__ Word Processing - Microsoft Works or Word
__ Spreadsheet - Microsoft Works (if needed)
__ CD-ROM Encyclopedia – Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia, Compton’s Interactive World Atlas,
Microsoft Encarta, Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, Picture Atlas of the World, etc.
__ Multimedia - Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia “Showmaker”
__ Other software pertaining to unit – Any software needed to facilitate the transfer of media from one source to
another, i.e.
paperport if using an HP scanner, etc.
STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:
1.C.3d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material.
3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication.
3.C.3b Using available technology, produce compositions and
multimedia works for specified audiences.
5.B.3b Identify, evaluate and cite primary sources.
5.C.3a Plan, compose, edit and revise documents that
synthesize new meaning gleaned from multiple sources.
5.C.3b Prepare and orally present original work (e.g.,
poems, monologues, reports, plays, stories) supported by research.
5.C.3c Take notes, conduct interviews, organize and report
information in oral, visual and electronic formats.
16.A.3b Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.
17.C.3a Explain how human activity is affected by geographic factors.
26.B.3d Visual Arts: Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create 2- and 3-dimensional works and time arts (e.g., film, animation, video) that are realistic, abstract, functional and decorative.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL PROMOTE ENGAGED LEARNING:
Day 1: Explanation and preparation of project. The teacher will explain that each group will be compiling research on a famous person that made a contribution to society, and re-organizing that information into a 10 – 15 minute slide show using Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia and Showmaker or Presentation Maker. On this first day, the group members will be selected, designation of group roles within each group (researcher, group leader, techno-wizard, slide-show producer) will be decided, each group will select their topic, there will be a brief overview of materials and technology that will be used. An explanation of the roles of the group and the teacher will be discussed (see Student and Teacher Roles below). If the final two presentation days are known, it is a good idea to invite any administrators, school board members and parents to attend. Doing this now gives them ample time to RSVP.
Day 2: Research day. Each member of the group does research on their assigned portion of their topic. Researcher and techno-wizard use the Internet; group leader and slide show producer use library materials including CD-ROM reference material. Slide-show producer should use Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia to do research and bookmark appropriate materials for future use in the slide show.
Day 3: Another research day. More research with the group reversing research materials used. Techno-wizard should use Compton’s to get familiar with the technical aspects of importing various media into the program.
Day 4: Brainstorming and planning. Groups get together to share their research, and organize and outline their presentation. Inspiration could be used in this stage of the project. Begin to write the script that will accompany the slides and cross-reference with the pictures that might accompany the text (location, source, etc.) The script could be written using a word processor and copied and pasted into the slide show later. The use of a storyboard would be helpful. The group leader should be responsible for making sure that none of the script being used is being plagiarized, and that the information sources are being documented.
Day 5, 6, & 7: Production Days. Under the direction of the group leader, begin to compile the slide show. The producer works the computer, the techno-wizard scans pictures or exports/imports them from the internet, the researcher gathers additional materials as needed, and the group leader assigns tasks as needed and keeps track of all the sources, both from text or other media, for future copyright credit at the end of the slide show. The file that is the slide show should be saved to a central server, so it can be viewed from any computer on the network using Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. The files are generally too big to be saved to disk, especially if outside media has been imported. Teachers unfamiliar with the technical aspects of this procedure should seek the help of their own techie to insure a smooth presentation day.
Day 8: Completion Day. Put the finishing touches on the project. Include credits, copyright information, etc. Make sure that all parts of the show, the file and any imported media are saved correctly and be opened from the computer attached to the projector so that the presentation days run smoothly.
Day 9: Presentation Day. Presentation of the slide shows to the class using a projector attached to the computer and evaluation by the teacher of the group’s efforts. Administrators, school board members and parents who have been invited to view the results should have good seats.
Day 10: Presentation of the slide shows and evaluation.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS:
At the conclusion of the unit, during the last two days, each group will
present their slide show to the rest of the class using a projector attached to
the computer. Each slide show
would have saved to a centrally accessible file on the network and opened up on
the computer that has the attached projector. Since the files will be saved to a central server, they
could be marked as “read only”, so other students don’t accidentally mess up
their work, but could access the show using the Compton’s Encyclopedia
Showmaker program. The shows might
be able to be posted to the Internet to be shared by many, if the copyright
issues could be resolved.
STUDENT AND TEACHER ROLES: The teacher’s role in the project will be
that of facilitator, both technologically and pedagogically; guiding the
students in their pursuit of knowledge about their topic and in their use of
the various pieced of software and hardware needed to complete the project. The student’s have one common role,
that of researcher. Each of the
four group members needs to research a specific part of the subject’s life. The parts should include family
background, education, personal life, and contribution to society. Geographic locations of various events
in the subject’s life should be included using maps. Historical perspective should be shown using timelines. Besides researching his or her portion,
each group member has an assigned role.
The group leader assigns tasks, keeps everyone on task, and keeps track
of sources used for copyright information. The Techno-wizard takes pictures, maps, sound, video, or
whatever and scans it or exports/imports it from the Internet. The producer works the computer, using
the Showmaker part of Compton’s Encyclopedia to compile the slide show, and the
researcher gathers additional research as needed and helps the others whenever
needed.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PRINT RESOURCES STUDENTS MAY USE:
Any Encyclopedia, book or magazine in the library or from home can be used,
as long as the source can be validated.
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC:
Any biography containing information on the subject could be used.
FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE INFORMATION AND MEDIA PERTAINING TO THIS UNIT, TEACHERS MAY WANT TO USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ARTICLES:
Title1: Social Studies Resources for Educators
URL1: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/social.htm
Description1: links to massive amounts of
content
Title2: Virtual Reference Library
URL2: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/referenc.htm
Description2: links and descriptions of
gargantuan proportions
Title3: The Computer Learning Foundation
URL3: http://computerlearning.org/
Description3: good links to various
technological sites that could aid in this or future tech projects
Title4: The Internet Public Library
URL4: http://www.ipl.org/
Description4: links to the some of the best
stuff on the web
Title5: Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia and Related Documents and Links
URL5: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/mtss/fairuse/default.html
Description5: information to help the
teacher with copyright issues
Title6: Networking, Local Area Networks and World Wide Web Resources for K-12 Educators
URL6: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/network.htm
Description6: links to info on networking, etc.
RELEVANT INFORMATION, STUDENTS
WILL VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITES:
Title1: Welcome to the Biographical Dictionary
URL1: http://s9.com/biography/
Purpose of Use1: This dictionary covers more than 28,000 notable men and women who have shaped our world from ancient times to the present day.
Description1: Birth years, death years,
positions held, professions, literary and artistic works, achievements, and
other keywords can be used to search the dictionary. It has a section with links to other biographical data, and
a section with other ideas for teachers to use with this information.
Title2: 4000 Years of Women in Science
URL2: http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html
Purpose of Use2: Biographical information and photographs of important women from the scientific fields.
Description2: A great listing of many women
who have made significant contributions to the scientific community, organized
in an alphabetical listing, time listing, and field of study listing, complete
with photographs (if applicable) and references.
Title3: Welcome to Renaissance Personalities Student Home Page
URL3: http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/
Purpose of Use3: Biographical information on 31 important people from the renaissance period.
Description3: A class project from a few
years back done by 8th graders with limited information, but
specific information, written at that level.
Title4: Biography. Com – The Web’s Best Bios
URL4: http://www.biography.com/
Purpose of Use4: Searchable database from the Biography Channel.
Description4: Over 25,000 biographies and
2,500 videos. What else do you
need?
Title5: No title – comes up in frames to start.
URL5: http://www.achievement.org/mainmenu.html
Purpose of Use5: Has biographies of and interviews with people who have shaped the twentieth century by their accomplishments.
Description5: Very cool look at the
beginning. The site is probably
heavily sponsored, and one of the main purposes is to get the visitor to
subscribe to the “Achievement TV” broadcasts.
Title6: Directory path from within Yahooligans
URL6: http://www.yahooligans.com/School_Bell/Social_Studies/History/Biographies/
Purpose of Use6: A good staring point for other biographical resources
Description6: Just follow the path directed
in the URL, and search or browse when you get there for additional info and
sites.