Lesson Ideas For Evaluating Information Project

Lesson Ideas for Evaluating Information Project Lesson Idea #1 Grade: 7th Subject: World Geography Standards: 7.1.01 Understand the complex nature of culture. a. Explain how people living in the same region maintain different ways of life. 7.2.1 Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems. Problem Statement: Though they share similar traditions and a common history, the governments and economies of the Koreas are drastically different in nature. Following an activity where I demonstrated the proper use of the Big6 problem solving strategy, students will be required to browse preselected news related websites to identify key events taking place between North Korea and its neighbors. More specifically, the students are to identify possible reasons for the different forms of governments and economies between these two nations. Note: I will not completely abandon the students and their efforts to complete the task required of them. However, I want the students to learn by doing. This includes experiencing the joys and hardships of research. Step 1- Task Definition 1. The students are required to browse the Internet to identify any significant problems related to North Korea and their neighbors, or world for that matter. 2. Once a problem has been identified the students are required to generate a list that outlines the type of data that will be needed to complete the task. Step 2- Information-Seeking Strategies 1. We as a class will identify all available resource present to complete the task. The only stipulation is that all resources used must be available in my classroom. 2. We will also create a list of keywords, phrases, or ideas that can be researched to make the project run smoother and be more effective. Naturally, these keywords should be related to events specific to the Koreas. Straying away from specific characteristics at this point could be very easy to do.

Stage 3- Location and Access 1. Utilizing the list of available sources to be used on the project the students are to research the Koreas to decide whether or not the information is factual or simply created by an individual who is either not an expert on the Koreas or an individual who may be demonstrating a biased opinion favoring either North Korea or South Korea. 2. As the students continue to research their topic more questions can, and will, arise. Keeping the overall goal in mind any part of the process may be revised at this point. Stage 4- Use of Information 1. At this point the students should have decided on the resources that are to be used specifically on the topics of North and South Korea and whether or not the information proves to be valid. Any invalid information, or sources of this information, should be discarded at this time. Stage 5- Synthesis 1. Having gathered useful and valid information the students will create a presentation centered on their findings of the information on the Koreas. I will allow the students to choose what method they are going to use to present their findings. The only stipulation is the fact that the presentation must be submitted electronically. Stage 6- Evaluation 1. The students must evaluate their final product at this point. They should ask themselves does my presentation answer the initial question at hand. If not. It is ok to revise the product at this point. Another question that should be asked is whether or not the sources proved to be valid. Though this task was previously performed, it should be revisited through out the project. 2. Overall quality of the project should be assessed. Is the material correct? Does it follow the guidelines set forth? Is the presentation appealing? Etc… Note: Any stage of the Big6 problem solving strategy can be revisited and revised for more accurate and effectiveness.

Lesson Idea #2 Grade: 7th Subject: World Geography Standards: 7.3.08 Understand how human activities impact and modify the physical environment. a. Describe effects of human modification on the physical environment including global warming, deforestation, desertification, and urbanization. Problem Statement: As human interaction with their environment continues to grow, so does the need to counteract the negative impact this interaction has on the environment. Using the InfoSavvy, actually NetSavvy, problem solving strategy(s) the students will develop their own questions, processes, and means to gain information about the negative effects humans have on their environment. Step 1- Asking • The students will discuss their surrounding environments and generate a question(s) that identify any negative impacts humans are having on the environment. Step 2- Accessing • The methods used to gather the information to answer the question will be discussed at lengths during this step. The students will decide whether or not to use the text, an encyclopedia, an expert, or the Internet to gather the data. The fact that seventh graders will be completing this activity it is very important that we understand the skills needed to complete this activity and at what level are the students able to compete the task. Step 3- Analyzing • This step is very important in the completion of the task at hand. Of course, the task can be completed without getting to in depth with this stage but omitting pertinent information can prove to be very crucial to the effectiveness of this activity and of the results as well. Validity of the website, and data, is very important because the data needs to be correct and nonbiased.

Step 4- Applying • The students are to create a PowerPoint presentation that defines the negative effects humans have on the environment, provides strong evidence that there is a negative impact, and provides possible solutions to the problem. Step 5- Assessing • We as a class will come together to have a debriefing on the project as a whole. Rating the overall success of the project based on the questions asked, the processes used, the validity of the data, and the presentation of the findings will be conducted at this point. Also, the decision as to whether or not an acceptable solution was reached will be decided at this point as well.

Lesson Idea #3 Grade: 8th Subject: American History Standards: 8.4.05 Understand the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizens living in a democratic society. Problem Statement: If more people understood their rights, responsibilities, and privileges of being an American citizen would the nation, overall, be a better place to live? Using the Research Cycle students will identify the question at hand, create more questions from it, decide on what steps will be taken to answer the question, collect the data, create a project, and evaluate its effectiveness.