Susan ChrobakSusan Chrobak

Technology TeacherTechnology Teacher

Swansea ElementarySwansea Elementary

Fourth Grade Colorado Fourth Grade Colorado HistoryHistory

A yearlong project done in A yearlong project done in collaboration with the fourth grade collaboration with the fourth grade

students and teachers.students and teachers.

Initial Meeting with 4th Grade Teachers

• Discuss overall unit• They showed me a packet they wanted

the students to complete• We decided we needed to work with

the kids on vocabulary and how to do research

• The end result would be a powerpoint

Determining What’s Important

• Review 5 Ws to find the important pieces of an article

• Create a graphic organizer on Kidspiration

What Is A Good Website?• I found a couple different checklists to

help the students understand the qualities of a good website.

• Then, I created my own checklist• We began looking at several websites

to see if they met the criteria for a quality website

Requirements for a Quality Website Website Name___________________

Visual 1. the page loads quickly _____ 2. author’s name/email address is posted _____ 3. date of last revision is posted _____ 4. pages are labeled with a heading _____ 5. type styles/backgrounds make page clear and readable _____ 6. links are easily identified/grouped _____ Content 1. information is thorough _____ 2. purpose of page is obvious _____ 3. other links are available and relevant to the subject _____ 4. the page is informational and not an advertisement _____ Miscellaneous 1. the page has it’s own search engine _____ 2. each supporting page has a link to the home page _____ 3. the site engages the visitor to spend time there _____ 4. the site is easy to use _____ Rating _____/__14__

What is a Search Engine? ILT lesson 5.8 is a worksheet that

students fill out to learn about keywords and search engines.

• I modified the worksheet to include Colorado History words.

• We used google, ask, nettrecher and yahoo.

Beginning Research• Students learned how to do 2 column

notes.

• ILT lesson 4.2- find two facts about Colorado history.

Vocabulary Project• I met with the 4th grade teachers in the

hallway and we agreed upon 10 words related to mining in Colorado

• ILT lesson 5.3 was used to learn the new vocabulary words. (making a table in word, inserting images into the table)

• This lesson took 4-5 class periods

Vocabulary Project con’t• The classroom teachers helped me to

conference with each student individually about their vocabulary project.

• We explained to them how they got the scores they did based on the rubric

Alexis Santos 12-01-08 Sanchez Vocabulary Word

Definition Picture

1. lode mining

Hard rock mining.

2. vein Crystals

on the walls in the rock.

Vocabulary Rubric Uses Technology Effectively

4 Table created correctly Columns labeled Vocabulary words filled in correctly Images placed in table correctly Definitions completed

Rubric con’t Produces Quality Work

4 Assignment completedDefinitions correctImages match words and definitionsComplete paper heading included

Rubric con’tEffort

4 Perfect attendance

No refocuses

Always on task

Bibliography 101• ILT lesson 4.3 was used to practice

creating a bibliography with the internet websites

• 2 class times were used for this lesson

Learning Powerpoint• The 4th graders also needed to

complete an author study as part of their curriculum

• We used the author study to practice research and review the powerpoint program they learned last year.

Final Steps• Students will do 5 more vocabulary

words pertaining to Colorado history

• Students will create their powerpoint about Colorado history

• I will upload their powerpoint into slideshare.net

Reflections• This project may not have taken the

entire year if students were learning about and doing some research in the library.

• Unfortunately, our school does not have a librarian so collaboration of this sort is not possible.