Title:  WHO AM I

Project Authors:

Josefina Bernal-Gurrola, Hart, Jocepisd@gmail.com

Kelly Higgins, Lamar, Kkhiggins59@gmail.com0

Suzanne Valencia, Hillside, Snazzysuzy3@gmail.com

Emma Montoya, Bonham, ema5437@gmail.com

Morgan Topp, Rusk, mandjtopp@gmail.com

Michelle Williams, Travis mwilli05.mw@gmail.com

Leti DeSantis, Hughey,Leticiamontoya79@gmail.com

Anne Momsen, Burleson, a.momsen8@gmail.com

Subject Area and Intended Grade Level:

Description: This is a videoconference that combines the exchange format with the mystery quest format. The participating sites will incorporate group research and the use of biographies from the library into their presentations that are based on historical and contemporary figures. The end goal is for students to be able to identify the other site’s figures.

Biographies 3rd grade Social Studies

Standards and then explain the actual project

Goal is to promote the Biography section of the library and make it a cool area to be in.  

Learners Outcomes

3rd Grade Social Studies

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. The student is expected to:

(A) describe how individuals, events, and ideas have changed communities, past and present;

(B) identify individuals, including Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, Benjamin Banneker, and Benjamin Franklin, who have helped to shape communities; and

(C) describe how individuals, including Daniel Boone, Christopher Columbus, the Founding Fathers, and Juan de Oñate, have contributed to the expansion of existing communities or to the creation of new communities.

3rd Grade Language Arts and Writing

3(9) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and respond by providing evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the difference in point of view between a biography and autobiography.

(17) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience and generating ideas through a range of strategies (e.g., brainstorming, graphic organizers, logs, journals);

(B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas and organizing them into paragraphs;

(C) revise drafts for coherence, organization, use of simple and compound sentences, and audience;

(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and

(E) publish written work for a specific audience

TIME:Number of Videoconferences 2 - an introduction and presentation

Number of class periods 5

1 to check out and read biographies

1 to create/write out a graphic organizer of/on the biography

1 to present each (3-5mins each) to the class and decide which 2 will be presented during the conference.

1 to hold the actual conference

Over a 2 week period.  (some reading and writing will need to be done for homework)

Video Conference Agenda

Agenda:  45 minutes

5 min. Welcome and Introductions.  Each class shares their location and brief information about their school and the weather that day.

20 min. Short presentations.  Classes take turns presenting and each site will give 3 known facts         about that person, along with 3 unknown facts about that person

10 min.  Who’s Who.  Take turns asking the students to identify who is who.  Complement the other class specifically.

5-10 minutes.  Question and Answer.  If time and interest allows, students may enjoy asking each other questions about their respective locations and or famous people.  This could also be used as a finishing task.  Don’t forget to say Good Bye to the others and wave!

Materials:

What materials will we need to be prepared and used during VC.  What visual aids and or handout will you use?

List of important people, which students can research

Graphic organizers to record findings

Samples of presentation formats such as life size cut out posters of people

Variety of hats from various historical times for backdrop and collection of books

Simple dress up costumes made by students

Preparation:

What will students and teachers need to do to prepare for VC

Classroom teachers will preview important figures in US history and popular well-known personalities.

Students will go to library and checkout books from the biography section.  A list of possible figures will be given to students to choose from.

Post Activities:

Students can create a classroom posters with all of the facts that have been acquired over the course of the project.  The librarian will follow up with a lesson on the biography section in the library.

Assessment and Evaluation:

A rubric will be created and used to help scaffold the students in their acquisition of information on all famous figures in the project.  

An online survey will be created using Survey Monkey to assess how teachers felt the project supplemented the curriculum that was being taught.  

Implementation Plans

The “Who Am I” project can be implemented per teacher recommendation.  Some suggested times are as follows:

• Time can correspond with the scope and sequence of the curriculum

• Black History Month (February)

• Hispanic Heritage Month (September)

• Poetry Month (April - emphasize Poets)

The lead coordinator will be the teacher from each classroom site.  The recommendation is one class per site.  

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________