Teacher's Guide
This webquest could be used to enhance student understanding of a persuasive writing unit as well as social studies standards.. This webquest was designed for 4th grade but could also be used with grades 5 and 6. Students should be familiar with iMovie, but if they are not, their final project could be done using a variety of other presentation tools, e.g., Educreations, Explain Everything, Google Slides, Weebly, Shadow Puppet Edu, to name a few. Estimated number of class sessions is 8-10. For specific learning standards for this project, please see below.
Understanding by Design
Stage 1: Desired Results
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
NCSS Social Studies Theme 1: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.
Established Goals
Students will learn about another region and its culture and use persuasive writing skills to communicate their learning.
Understandings:
Students will know:
Knowledge
Essential Questions
Why do people decide to live where they do or move to other places? Why is location important? How do people interact with the environment and what are some of the consequences of those interactions? What physical and other characteristics lead to the creation of regions? How do maps, globes, geographic tools and geospatial technologies contribute to the understanding of people, places, and environments?
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Students will create a 3-5 minute video that will inform their audience about their region study.
Other Evidence
Graphic organizer with notes and resources cited
Self Assessment and peer assessment upon completion of videos.
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Students have been learning about the difference between countries and continents.
They have done various mini-research projects exploring other cultures.
Students will be using a variety of websites to gather information.
Students will be collaborating with classmates to create a movie showing what they have learned.
Students will use a rubric to evaluate peers and self.
Students will have the choice to work individually or with a partner. Students are provided with a wide range of reading levels, audio, video.
Resources:
Time For Kids
Encyclopedia Britannica
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands
Peer and Self Evaluation rubrics were taken from Revisit, Reflect, Retell. by Linda Hoyt.
Photo credits:
Pyramids
New Zealand
Understanding by Design
Stage 1: Desired Results
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
NCSS Social Studies Theme 1: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.
Established Goals
Students will learn about another region and its culture and use persuasive writing skills to communicate their learning.
Understandings:
Students will know:
- About the culture of another country (music, clothing, food, religion, etc)
- About the geography of a country (landforms, bodies of water, climate, wildlife)
- About points of Interest in another country (landmarks, museums, architecture, historical monuments, etc.)
- About transportation systems of another country (subways, trains, buses, trolleys, etc )
- show understanding of their target audience
- form a position statement
- use evidence to support position
Knowledge
Essential Questions
Why do people decide to live where they do or move to other places? Why is location important? How do people interact with the environment and what are some of the consequences of those interactions? What physical and other characteristics lead to the creation of regions? How do maps, globes, geographic tools and geospatial technologies contribute to the understanding of people, places, and environments?
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Students will create a 3-5 minute video that will inform their audience about their region study.
Other Evidence
Graphic organizer with notes and resources cited
Self Assessment and peer assessment upon completion of videos.
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Students have been learning about the difference between countries and continents.
They have done various mini-research projects exploring other cultures.
Students will be using a variety of websites to gather information.
Students will be collaborating with classmates to create a movie showing what they have learned.
Students will use a rubric to evaluate peers and self.
Students will have the choice to work individually or with a partner. Students are provided with a wide range of reading levels, audio, video.
Resources:
Time For Kids
Encyclopedia Britannica
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands
Peer and Self Evaluation rubrics were taken from Revisit, Reflect, Retell. by Linda Hoyt.
Photo credits:
Pyramids
New Zealand