Overview - Over the next three weeks, the students will become immersed in the Ancient Civilizations that help create our societies today. We will be taking a closer look at: The Roman Empire, The Ancient Greeks, The Heirs of the Roman Empire, Asian Empires, and the Early American Civilizations. The unit will be set up once again as a Project Based Learning Activity. Our standards will encompass NYS Social Studies, Common Core Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Standards, as well as the Four C's of Effective 21st Century Learning.
The students will be broken into collaborative groups of their choice. They will be expected to complete three projects in a ten day time frame. Their first assignment will be to create a 10 minute Power Point Presentation in their Civilization. The next task that must be completed is an assessment that must be given to the students following the PP Presentation. The final piece to this project is a travel brochure complete with a two minute vacation video. Over the remaining four days of the project, the groups will present, assess, and educate their peers about their civilizations.
The students will be using multiple assessment pieces during the project. Each day they will fill out a peer evaluation rubric which grades the other workers within their group. The students will be given an overall average at the end of each week. Their grade will be dependent upon the amount of work they produce over that time frame. We will also be evaluating the students on their Power Point Presentations, Assessments, and Brochures. They will assess themselves using rubrics at the end the unit, and their will be a reflection process to offer closure.
Monday - 3/9/15 -
Our classes were shortened to 25 minutes periods due to Monday Morning Meeting, and a presentation from the Department of Homeland Security on internet use. Thank you to our presenters for an informative and powerful message to our students.
With the limited amount of time in class, the student groups were given the chance to finalize their charts. They were responsible for creating a Driving Question, A "Needs to Know List", and a master plan. Each section is vitally important in laying out the groundwork for a successful project. If the students are not able to finish completing their charts today, then they are allowed to stay after school tomorrow to complete the assignment. Tomorrow, we will begin lessons on proper note taking.
Tuesday - 3/10/15 -
The student led groups started their first day of peer evaluations. We briefly discussed the responsibility that goes along with evaluating your peers. We talked about respect for others and showing integrity in their decisions. We explained that this is an extremely valuable tool that can be used in many ways. This process will reward those workers who are always on task, and it will motivate those who need to be pushed to succeed.
The groups began the process of taking notes today. A lesson was taught about Power Point presentations using a clip from the internet. A survey was conducted asking 10,000 professionals about the top ten tips for having a successful presentation. We read through them and took notes. Afterward, a brief lesson was provided on how to break sentences down into key words and phrases. This is an extremely valuable skill necessary in research.
The students were then expected to split into pairs, within their groups, and begin processing the textual evidence into key words. They are expected to pull three to five facts per section from the readings. Some groups are utilizing "post-it" notes, while others are using the more traditional route of note taking. They are also encouraged to use graphic organizers if they please. The choice is being left up to them. AS usual, at the end of class, they are expected to evaluate each other on their daily performance.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - 3/11/15, 3/12/15, and 3/13/15 -
In Social Studies, the groups are now deep into their research projects. They students were required to create a driving question, need to know list, plan, take notes, draft a Power Point, create an assessment, and design a travel brochure. Wow!! That was a lot to say. Needless to say, they worked very hard this week,along with their teacher.
Each phase of the project is closely monitored for quality, and the students are not allowed to move into the next phase unless it has been signed off on. These situations occur each and every day in work place settings. Many corporations have to pass approval phases to move projects ahead. While this work is being conducted, the groups are expected to evaluate their peers each and every day. This ensures that all students are carrying the weight in their respective groups. If someone decides that they want to sit back and let the group carry them, then they will suffer the consequences of their peer evaluation grades.
The students are really giving a lot of positive feedback about the evaluation system. They are stating everyone is carrying the workload. Awesome!!! Stay tuned in for the latest updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment