california mission research project teacher guide -...

CALIFORNIA MISSION RESEARCH PROJECT

TEACHER GUIDE

by

Melissa Hughes

Deborah Lawson

Karen McKelvey

EDTEC 572, Minjuan Wang

SDSU, COMET 2

Spring 2009

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Table of Contents Introduction 3 CourseMaterials 5 Module1:HowtoLocateResourcesontheInternet 6 Activity1:IntroductiontotheMissionResearchProject 7Activity2:BrowsingforResourcesontheInternet 8

Module2:HowtoResearchyourMission 10 Activity1:ReadingforMeaning:LearningtoSkimandScan 11Activity2:Notetaking—Curseofthehighlighter! 14

Module3:HowtoCreateaPowerPointPresentation 17 Activity1:GettingStarted 19Activity2:AddingYourNameandtheNameofYourMission 21Activity3:Summarizingvs.Plagiarism 23Activity4:FindingCopyrightFreeImages 25Activity5:AddingImagestoYourPresentation 27

CALIFORNIA MISSION RESEARCH PROJECT TEACHER GUIDE

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Introduction Fourth grade California standards call for students to learn about the role of the missions in the history of California, research a topic, cite sources, and write an information report.

The following are California standards addressed in this instructional package:

History & Social Science Standard 4.2 Students describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.

1. Describe the Spanish exploration and colonization of California, including the relationships among soldiers, missionaries, and Indians (e.g., Juan Crespi, Junipero Serra, Gaspar de Portola).

2. Describe the mapping of, geographic basis of, and economic factors in the placement and function of the Spanish missions; and understand how the mission system expanded the influence of Spain and Catholicism throughout New Spain and Latin America.

3. Describe the daily lives of the people, native and nonnative, who occupied the presidios, missions, ranchos, and pueblos.

4. Discuss the role of the Franciscans in changing the economy of California from a hunter-gatherer economy to an agricultural economy.

Writing Strategies Standards: Research and Technology

1.5 Quote or paraphrase information sources, citing them appropriately.

1.6 Locate information in reference texts by using organizational features (e.g., prefaces, appendixes).

1.7 Use various reference materials (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, card catalog, encyclopedia, online information) as an aid to writing.

1.8 Understand the organization of almanacs, newspapers, and periodicals and how to use those print materials.

1.9 Demonstrate basic keyboarding skills and familiarity with computer terminology (e.g., cursor, software, memory, disk drive, hard drive).


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Introduction (continued)

In this project, students will utilize the Internet to research a mission, and rather than preparing a traditional written report, they will create a PowerPoint presentation featuring their assigned mission.

The project was designed for Gates Elementary School, where 56% of the students are English learners. Most are proficient with conversational English and are reading at grade level. Many need additional support in academic content language. Most students have limited experience with basic research, but no experience with multimedia presentations.

All classrooms have a digital projector, as well as between 5 and 10 computers. All classes have access to a full computer lab, with digital projector, two times a week for a 50-minute period. Slightly more than half of the students have computers with Internet access at home.


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Course Materials Assessments (included in Appendix A)

California Mission Research Project PowerPoint Template

Disneyland PowerPoint Presentation

Introductory Video

PDF Files:

o Module 2, Activity 1—Word Hunt

1. What is Expository Text? (pdf)

2. Reading Expository Text (pdf)

3. Know it All - Reading on Screen (pdf)

4. Know it All - Previewing (pdf)

5. Know it All – Types of Reading (pdf)

o Module 2, Activity 2—Note-taking: Curse of the Highlighter!

1. Instructional Practice for Struggling Readers (pdf)

2. Know it All – Taking Notes (pdf)

o Module 3, Activity 3—Summarizing vs. Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism Activity (pdf)

2. Plagiarism Self-Check (pdf)

Student Guide

Teacher Guide


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Module 1: How to Locate Resources on the Internet

Overview

This module will provide students with practice in performing a basic Internet search for useful websites about their assigned mission. They will also learn to bookmark these sites in order to return to them at a later time.

Objectives

Given a computer with Internet connection, the student will log on to the computer and launch an Internet browser.

The student will perform a search for their assigned mission by name.

From the search results, the student will click on each link and evaluate the site to determine if it will be useful in later research.

From a website determined to be useful for later research, the student will bookmark the site.

Before the Activities

Review with students the procedure for logging on to school computers. Make sure students have memorized their login information, or have them bring along that information to the computer on a reference card.

Assign one of the 21 California missions to each student. Students should also write the correct spelling of their mission name on a reference card if they do not have it memorized.

These activities may be performed in the classroom or in the computer lab.

Preview vocabulary: bookmark, browser, cursor, Firefox, Internet, PowerPoint, toolbar, website, window.


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Activity 1: Introduction to the Mission Research Project (15

minutes)

Materials PowerPoint presentation about Disneyland (in Media Links)

Lesson Plan This goal of this activity is to capture the attention of the students by showing them a multimedia presentation about a familiar and exciting place. It also aims to motivate students to learn new technology skills.

1. Pre-lesson activity: Display a PowerPoint presentation about Disneyland to gain attention, stimulate interest and motivation.

2. Tell students that they are going to see something about a place they will recognize. As each slide is shown, discuss how the author found information about Disneyland in each category and put it together in a program called PowerPoint.

3. Inform students of the objectives. Tell students that they will learn how to make something like this, but which instead gives information about the California mission assigned to them.

4. Stimulate recall of prior learning. Remind students of the animal research reports they worked on in third grade. Tell them that this will be a new way to present the material they find in their research.


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Activity 2: Browsing for Resources on the Internet (60

minutes)

Materials Award chart and stickers

Chart paper and markers or whiteboard

Student Assessment Checklist (Appendix A)

Student login information for school system

Lesson Plan 1. Inform students of the objectives. Using a computer with an Internet

connection, the student will log on to the computer and launch an Internet browser. From there the student will perform a search for their assigned mission by name. From the search results, the student will click on each link and evaluate the site to determine if it will be useful in later research. Finally, if a website is useful for later research, the student will bookmark the site.

2. Tell them to watch as you demonstrate for students how to locate and open Firefox in the dock bar by clicking on it.

3. Initiate practice. Introduce “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” as a way to signal the teacher if they are ready to continue or need help during a task. Practice with students. Award stickers for correct response and provide corrective feedback if necessary. Ask students to signal with a “thumbs up” when they have launched Firefox.

4. Tell students to watch as you demonstrate for them how to how to locate the search window in the browser toolbar and type the name of a California mission, such as San Diego.

5. Show students how to click on each link in the search results. As you demonstrate how to browse each link, think aloud as you evaluate the usefulness of the site.

6. Finally, demonstrate for students how to bookmark a useful site. Say, “To bookmark the page you are currently viewing, click on the Bookmarks menu and choose Bookmark This Page.”


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7. Initiate practice. Allow them sufficient time to search, evaluate each website on their search results, and bookmark useful resources. Refer them to the student guide for questions to ask themselves about each site.

Assessment

1. Pass out the Student Assessment Checklist and instruct students to signal teacher with a “thumbs up” when they have three websites bookmarked. Provide confirming or corrective feedback as necessary. Award stickers to students who complete the task without error.

2. Sign off on each student’s checklist.


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Module 2: How to Research your Mission

Overview

Students often read with a purpose. Generally speaking, primary elementary school students digest more literature reading versus expository reading (science and social studies) on a regular basis. This module has two activities. This module will not only provide students with practice in expository reading and comprehension, but strategies for note-taking, summarizing and creating a bibliography, all of which are relevant to their mission research topic.

Objectives

Using bookmarked websites, the learner will research (find information about) assigned topics pertaining to the mission.

Using the information found in research, the learner will write information for each topic in his/her own words on the appropriate slides of the PowerPoint template.


Review with students their prior knowledge of reading comprehension related to what they may already do in language arts. Discuss the similarities and differences of literature-based reading compared to reading for science, social studies or news articles. Frontload the lessons with diagrams from Module 1, that familiarized them with the format of the Web.

Preview vocabulary: bold, keyword, main idea, scan, skim, summary.


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Activity 1: Reading for Meaning: Learning to Skim and Scan

(45 minutes)

Materials Mission San Diego de Alcala passage (PDF) taken from a bookmarked

website.

Post-It, individual student white board, or other mode for instant student response

Chart paper and markers or whiteboard.

Highlighter markers

Post-Its

Lesson Plan The goal of this activity aims to build skimming and visual recognition skills.

1. Gain attention by saying, “You are going on a scavenger hunt.” On the projection system, write a unique high-level content-related vocabulary word which students may not be familiar with that also comes from the Mission San Diego de Alcala passage. Inform them that somewhere, in the upcoming passage, is this unique word. On the teacher’s signal, students will race to find the word. Whoever finds it first may come up to the front and highlight it.

2. Inform students of objectives. After students have found the vocabulary word, explain to them that they will be learning to skim and scan non-fiction reading. This procedure will help them locate their assigned topics for the mission project.

3. Recall students’ prior knowledge. Discuss known types of non-fiction reading. Identify which category the assigned passage may be.

4. First, model with the same non-fiction text how to skim and scan for key words that stand out. Inform students that words typographical features (italics, bold) or proper names are examples of words, which may be important in the text. Look through headings, titles, tables and graphs that may be included in web-formatting text. Next, Distribute Post-Its and Mission San Diego de Alcala passage (face-down). Write five more words on a


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whiteboard or chart paper; four of the words should come directly from the text; the fifth word should not appear in the text. Give students five minutes to hunt for the words, but not to read every sentence. Students are to circle the word when it is found.

5. Guided learning: Use Mission San Diego sample passage to show examples of words that stand out graphically, and how topic sentences give clues to the paragraph’s context. Remind students they are not to read the entire text, word-for-word. Suggest that reading the first sentence in a paragraph may be a clue as to where the word may be located (main idea). Provide confirmatory and corrective feedback as necessary. Monitor around the room to see if students are circling words in their expected locations in the passage. Award stickers to students who are accomplishing the task correctly.

6. Elicit performance and feedback. As soon as the four words are revealed, have students skim the text, looking for the four words, then circle them.

7. When they know which word does not appear in the text, they write it on the Post-It, or white board face down, and put down their pencils to signal they are done.

Assessment

1. On teacher’s signal, ask for Post-Its or white boards to be held up to check for understanding.

2. How many students found the correct word in the allotted time?

3. Collect passages, and observe if students were able to locate most words.

Extension/Supplements/Job Aids

What is Expository Text? (pdf)

Reading Expository Text (pdf)

Know it All - Reading on Screen (pdf)

Know it All - Previewing (pdf)

Know it All – Types of Reading (pdf)


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Bibliography

Gary Hopkins, Education World 02/28/2003 http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp301-01.shtml


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Activity 2: Note-taking—Curse of the highlighter! (30

minutes)

Materials Mission San Diego de Alcala passage (PDF) taken from a bookmarked

website


Highlighter markers

Post-It, individual student white board, or other mode for instant student response

Lesson Plan This goal of this activity is to build student skills for note-taking, discriminating relevant from irrelevant information for a report.

1. Gain student attention. Write the topics on the board:

a. Description of the Mission

b. Padres’ Life

c. Indians’ Life

d. Special Features of the Mission

2. Then write the numbers 1, 2, 3, or 4 (corresponding to the topics on the board) on slips of paper and have each student draw a slip to determine the topic of his or her research.

3. Inform students of objectives. Explain to students that the highlighters are another way to help skim and scan for notes. Today they will be using them to refine even further the data they read in order to apply to their mission projects later.

4. Recall prior knowledge. Remind students that they still need to comprehend what they are reading in order to find the most important details that apply to their topic. They don’t need to read everything, but skim for main ideas, keywords, etc.


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5. Students should skim their copy of the passage for information related to the topic chosen. They then use a highlighter marker to highlight information that supports the topic. The highlighted text provides a visual representation of the "notes" students might write if they were using library resources to research the topic.

6. Guided learning. Stress that the highlighter is just another tool, like the crayons, and is not meant to highlight all the text read – just the specific topic they are assigned.

7. Elicit performance and feedback. Once students have found their specific detail, each student writes only what they highlighted on their Post-It, in their normal handwriting. If they realize there is not enough room, instruct them to attempt to go back and cross out other words or phrases that are not essential to the note-taking process.

Assessment

1. Have students share with each other what they wrote on their Post-Its.

2. Write on topic matrix poster what each group came up with. Compare columns among the groups to see which group kept their information succinct, and which ones included too much of the text.

3. Notes on the board ought to show general similarities among each other.


a. Fact Fragment Frenzy—Demo Tutorial http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/factfrenzy/opening.html

If able, show this online interactive tutorial to class as a whole group, or assign students to practice at terminals to get a feeling for selecting parts of text for note-taking.

b. Incredible Shrinking Notes—Lesson Plan http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp322-02.shtml

c. Instructional Practice for Struggling Readers (pdf)

d. Know it All—Taking Notes (pdf)


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Bibliography

Gary Hopkins, Education World 9/26/03

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp322-03.shtml


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Module 3: How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation

Overview

In Module 3, students are introduced to the Mission Research PowerPoint template. Each slide in the template has instructions on what information to enter on that slide.

Recall that at this point in the instruction, students have conducted their own individual research on the Internet and taken notes on index cards. Students will need their individual research index cards for this module.

Module 3 has five activities. The goal of the first activity is for students to locate the Documents folder and open the template. The goal of the second activity is for students to type their name and the name of their mission on the first two slides. The goal of the third activity is for students to summarize their research on the slides in the template. Finally, the goals of the fourth and fifth activities are to find copyright-free images and insert them into the presentation.

Prior to this lesson, the teacher needs to load the Mission Research PowerPoint template into the Documents folder on the students’ computers. Also, the Disneyland PowerPoint example should be open on the teacher’s computer and displayed via the projection system when students enter the classroom/computer lab.

This Module will take approximately 90 minutes at minimum.

Objectives

Using a PowerPoint template provided by the teacher, the student will create a PowerPoint presentation about a mission.

Using the information found during the research process, the student will write information for each topic in his/her own words on the appropriate slides of the PowerPoint template.

Given a variety of electronic image sources, the student will use the sources to locate at least two copyright-free images and add them to the presentation.


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Review the following vocabulary with students. Post these words on a classroom chart for easy reference. Remind students they can refer to the Student Guide’s Glossary for additional help. Vocabulary: bookmark, browser, cursor, Firefox, Internet, PowerPoint, toolbar, website, window.

View the Introductory Video (in Media Links) for background information on students’ use of PowerPoint.


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Activity 1: Getting Started (10 minutes)

Materials Mission Research PowerPoint template (in Media Links)

Disneyland PowerPoint example (in Media Links)

Chart Paper and markers or whiteboard

Students’ research index cards

Lesson Plan 1. Gain attention and motivate student by having the Disneyland PowerPoint

presentation projected on the large screen when students enter the room.

2. Provide rationale for what the students will do in this module—to demonstrate what they have learned about a California mission. Tell students the presentations will be shared at the Spring Open House and posted on the class website.

3. State objective for this activity. Tell students this activity is designed to teach them how to get started with their mission PowerPoint presentation. Tell students they will locate and open a PowerPoint template provided by the teacher.

4. Tell students you will first demonstrate how to do something and then they will have a chance to try it.

5. Introduce “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” as a way to signal the teacher if they are ready to continue or need help during a task. Practice with students. Award stickers for correct response and provide corrective feedback if necessary.

6. Initiate discussion with students. Ask student to recall how to locate the Documents folder on the computer desktop.

7. Tell them to watch as you demonstrate for students how to locate and open the documents folder.


Remind your students that the

award stickers are for those who follow directions promptly and accomplish the

tasks correctly.

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8. Next, tell them to watch as you demonstrate how to locate and open the Mission Research PowerPoint template located in the Documents folder on the Dock Bar.

9. Initiate hands-on practice. Remind student they can find step-by-step instructions in the Student Guides. Students locate and open Documents folder, then locate and open PowerPoint file. Ask students to signal teacher with a “thumbs up” when the Mission PowerPoint document is open. Signal with two “thumbs up” when their partner is also done.

10. Evaluate performance as students complete this task. Provide confirming or corrective feedback as necessary. Award stickers to students who complete the task without error.


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Activity 2: Adding Your Name and the Name of Your Mission

(20 minutes)

Materials Mission Research PowerPoint template

Chart Paper and markers or whiteboard



Lesson Plan 1. State objectives for this activity. Tell students in this activity they will type

their name and the name of their mission onto two slides within the presentation.

2. Tell them to watch as you demonstrate how to enter text on each of two slides.

3. Demonstrate how to position the cursor at the end of the text, delete text, and type the name of the mission. Remind students to use capital letters when necessary and to check spelling.

4. Demonstrate how to move to the next slide using the down arrow on the window.

5. Demonstrate how to position the cursor at the end of the text, delete text, and type your name.

6. Initiate hands-on practice. Remind students to check the name of their mission and their own names on the two slides.

7. Evaluate performance as students complete this task. Provide confirming or corrective feedback as necessary. Award stickers to students who complete the task without error. Ask students to signal teacher with a “thumbs up” when first two slides are complete. Signal with two “thumbs up” when their partner is also complete.

8. Remind students to save their files periodically. Write SAVE on the whiteboard. Demonstrate how to save a file by selecting “FILE” from the menu and then “SAVE” from the pull down options.


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9. Ask students to save now. Signal teacher with a “thumbs up” when done.

Assessment

1. Assess student progress. Record observations on the Student Assessment Checklist. Place a checkmark on Student Checklist indicating the text on the first two slides is complete.


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Activity 3: Summarizing vs. Plagiarism (30 minutes)

Materials




Previously used passage, Mission San Diego de Alcala

Dictionary, thesaurus, other reference materials

Lesson Plan

The goal of this activity aims to tie new student-acquired note-taking skills with paraphrasing information for a report.

1. Gain student attention. Provide each student with a copy of the Mission San Diego de Alcala or an alternative reading passage. Then have students turn over the paper and write a paragraph summarizing the most important elements of the reading selection. While writing, do not allow students to turn over their papers to return to the reading. After they complete their writing, allow students to turn their papers over and use the passage to correct any misinformation or to revise and edit their summaries.

2. Inform students of objectives. Explain to students that plagiarism is a very important detail to avoid when producing a report. Use the analogy of a student writing a creative story, only to have another one copy and write the exact same story and credit self as the author. Give examples of consequences that can happen in school for plagiarism.

3. Recall prior knowledge. Give students a specific amount of time to read the assigned passage. When they are finished reading, have them use the remaining time to consider the facts they might include in a summary of the passage, even look back at what they wrote in the note-taking lesson.

4. On a separate sheet of paper, instruct students to write a summary paragraph of the passage, without turning the passage right-side up for reference. They may use the notes on the back for reference only, if at all.


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5. Guided learning. Compare and contrast for them, that unlike the previous lesson, they will need to write in complete sentences, and not phrases as with note-taking.

6. Elicit performance and feedback. Encourage students to use other writing tools that they may be familiar with in the classroom (student dictionary, thesaurus, word wall words) to make their summary personalized. They ought to aim to make their paragraph as unique from the original article, without avoiding the purpose – to summarize facts.

Assessment

1. Have students listen to or read another assigned passage of text, and write a brief (one paragraph, no more than five sentences) summary of that text.

2. Have students pair together with a partner. Partners pick a new news article from online (practicing web searches), print it and read. Each student writes his/her own summary, and then trade with the partner to compare versions. Partners can compare versions to the original. Students can self-assess if they were too close to the original article, or not.

3. Students can refer to Plagiarism Self Check (pdf).


Learning to Paraphrase Without Plagiarizing http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030904thursday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

Plagiarism Activity (pdf)

Plagiarism Self-Check (pdf)

Bibliography

Gary Hopkins, Education World, The Long and Short of It: Summarizing Important Details 9/26/03 http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp322-01.shtml


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Activity 4: Finding Copyright Free Images (30 minutes)




Lesson Plan Say to students, “Is a picture really worth 1,000 words? That depends on the image. Some may be worth only 10 words, while others might be enough to inspire an entire set of encyclopedias. In any case, if you add images to your PowerPoint presentation, it's going to make your information more valuable and a lot more interesting for your audience. Images not only add important visual information to your presentation, they also give your audience a break from looking at big blocks of text.”

Show examples and non-examples of images and slides with big blocks of text on a PowerPoint presentation about Disneyland.

Ask students to comment on the slides as you display them. Draw a large circle on the white board. Write, “Great slides have…” in the center and write students’ observations on the whiteboard around the circle.

1. State objectives. Tell students they will be finding images on the Internet and adding them to their presentations.

2. Ask students, “Where can we find images for the mission presentation?” Make a list on the whiteboard as students share. Give sticker awards for participation.

3. Tell students that there are lots of images on the Internet for them to use but they have to be careful which images they use.

Ask students, “How would you feel if someone stole a drawing you had spent hours working on, and then sold it without your permission?” Award stickers to students as they share.

Discuss the importance of copyright? Say to students, “Most images on the Internet are "owned" by someone - usually an artist, a photographer or a company. That is, these people or companies own something called the copyright on the image. You need to get special permission to use these images, and you


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may also be asked to pay money for them. Some images aren’t copyrighted and they are called "royalty-free" images, and you don't need to get special permission or pay money to use them. Instead, you can just use the image as you like.”

4. Tell students there’s a special symbol that shows if an image has a copyright. Write the copyright © symbol on the whiteboard.

5. Show students examples and non-examples of copyright free images on the Internet.


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Activity 5: Adding Images to Your Presentation (30 minutes)


Disneyland PowerPoint example



Lesson Plan 1. State objective for this activity. Tell students in this activity they will add

images to two slides in their PowerPoint presentation. Tell them they will use the links that you have set up on the class website.

2. Start a discussion and students recall how to locate the class website.

3. Demonstrate how to locate the class website at: http://www.svusd.org/p_subject.asp?sid=19690&sm=a3

4. Demonstrate how to select one of the copyright-free photo libraries linked to the class website, and type the name of their mission in search field.

5. Demonstrate how to browse images until you find one that works for your presentation. Encourage student participation by having them vote on the image. Be sure to think aloud as you demonstrate browsing.

6. Demonstrate how to save an image by dragging it to the desktop.

7. Open the PowerPoint Mission Research document.

8. Find the first slide (slide 1) where an image can be inserted. Show students how to use the up and down arrow keys on the window if necessary.

9. Demonstrate how to import the image into the slide by double-clicking on the pre-set icon in the window, selecting the file from the menu, and clicking the “INSERT” key.

10. Find the next slide (slide 5) where an image can be inserted. Show students how to use the up and down arrow keys on the window to move to the next slide.


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11. Demonstrate how to import the image into the slide by double-clicking on the pre-set icon in the window, selecting the file from the menu, and clicking the “INSERT” key.

12. Demonstrate how to type a description above the image.

13. Initiate hands-on practice. Ask students to refer to their Student Guides for step-by-step instructions. Ask students to have their partner check their work as they go. Signal teacher after they have completed slide 1 and again, after they have completed slide 5 with a “thumbs up”.

Assessment

1. Evaluate performance as students complete this task. Provide confirming or corrective feedback as necessary. Award stickers to students who complete the task without error.

2. Assess student progress. Record observations on the Student Assessment Checklist. Place a checkmark on Student Checklist indicating that images have been correctly placed on the two slides.
