Mr. Ambrose’s 6th Social Studies Class:  2002-2003

LIFE IN THE USA: A Survey of “Everyday Life” in the United States. .

The formula is simple:

L = TBC

LEARNING                    =

THINKING and Background    Info.                                     

BUILDING Knowledge & Concepts               +

COMMUNICATING What   Has Been Learned

Part 1. Thinking and Background Information:

1.    IDENTIFY PROBLEMS to be Solved:  A whole-class CrossTalk to identify problems to be solved. (Back to ALL Social Studies Units)

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2. BACKGROUND: One week of Direct Instruction by the teacher.   Worksheets, skill development, _notes from text, and vocabulary assignments by the student.....  with  quizzes, etc.(Students usually work by themselves.)

1.     Overview-vocabulary

2.     Region by Region (Text p.39-49)

3.     The 50 States

3. FTE CERTIFICATION: (required for each student and coop group in order to become FTE’s (Field Trip Experts):

1. Geog Quiz  (G)        2. States Quiz  (S)  (retakes of States Quiz at end of Part 2 –below—for those students who need quiz)

3. Economics Quiz (S)     4. Government Quiz (G)

Part 2. Building Knowledge and Concepts:

1.  THE STUDENTS BECOME EXPERTS: The students are problem solvers who research, work at Print Media Stations and Educational Technology Stations in order to get information and data which they think about, rebuild into a personal library of information and personal experiences.

udents relate the details they find during their research to the concepts introduced (in Part 1) and thereby develop a deeper understanding of those concepts.

 2. LIFE IN THE USA:   —“BUILDING KNOWELDGE”    

·      Field Trip Assignments:

Field Trip Assignments will be jointly created by Teacher and FTE ‘s.  Each FTE shall research and prepare for its specific Field Trip Assignment.  Research findings and related resources shall be stored the FTE’s notebook or folder on the Team 6-4 Intranet.

WHO IS BEING VISITED

EXACTLY WHERE

JOBS-CHORES

HOUSING -FOOD

RECREATION-CUSTOMS

Invent 3 or 4 adults and 1 child.   They must have names and must be related to each other.

 

 

 

Where in the world?   Where in the Country? Where locally? What kinds of transportation used?-

Adults must have jobs.

Child must have chores and perhaps some form of schooling

What of living quarters, resources, styles?  What kinds of foods?  Where cooked?

Sports, holidays, customs, free time use, pop culture, national traditions, etc.

·      Learning Activities and Rotations:

# Academic Skil l Learning Activity
01 Vocabulary Define vocabulary words for unit (text p. and Geog Voc-HS.)
02 Maps, Charts, Graphs Study Regions USA -HS
03 Tech Resource Dev. Create MS Word Doc -regions of US (use Mac USA)
04 Maps, Charts, Graphs Study Mac'Nstates
05 Maps, Charts, Graphs Study HyperStates
06 Maps, Charts, Graphs Study Missiissippi River ( HS)
07 Maps, Charts, Graphs Quiz on Mississippi River
08 Maps, Charts, Graphs Study US Map (HyperCard)
09 Maps, Charts, Graphs Explore USA Atlas
10 Maps, Charts, Graphs Quiz on all 50 States …… keep taking until 100 % (no exceptions)
11 Organized to Learn Notebook and resource check …… surprise… at any time
12 Notes- Research VIRTUAL Fieldtrip to a Region in US (WebQuests …online)
13 Notes- Research Create MS Word Doc -Great Flood of '63 in St.Louis (CD + Video)
14 Soc. St. Concepts Concept Chart --- view several digital videos -Films US
15 Notes - Research White House and Washington DC -HS
16 Soc. St. Concepts Study Gov't-HS
17 Soc. St. Concepts Quiz on Federal System and the Nature of Rights (HS)
18 Soc. St. Concepts ReadText - answer P.
19 Collaboration Play a session of Cross Country USA.
20 Discussion of Issues Talking Place Discussions to help with Virtual Field Trip
21 Discussion of Issues Whacky Wheel 50 States
22 Presentation Blue Screen Mov- 1 scene from your Virtual Filed Trip
23 Collaboration Group - Self Evaluation

3.   THE STUDENTS REFLECT on the information they have found; they re-sequence the information and re-think it. Small group discussions, study groups, collaborative On-Line discussions (The TALKING PLACE), and interactive quizzes provide opportunities to refine learning and build understanding.

Each student must contribute to the discussion for  this Unit found at The Talking Place on-line.       

4. THE TEACHER MANAGES all these opportunities for students to explore and to  build knowledge and concepts.

Each FTE show and discuss with the Teacher the research and resources it has created.

 

Part 3. Communicating What Has Been Learned:

1.  THE EXPERTS CERTIFY THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS: The students respond to test questions and test activities in order to certify their knowledge of details and understanding of concepts.

·       Team 6-4 “Vocabulary Specialists”:

2.  THE WORKSHOP:  STUDENTS PREPARE TO TEACH:  The students create multi-media presentations in which they demonstrate through informative cross-teaching, the quality of their knowledge of details and understanding of concepts.

3. LIFE IN THE USA:   —“COMMUNICATING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED”  TEST, WORKSHOP AND TEACHING - PRESENTATION  ROTATIONS

JOB # 1. PREPARE FOR  PRESENTATION:

Use the research notes and resources created to prepare for a presentation of your Field Trip findings.

JOB # 2. PRESENTATION

1.     (one of the following ) (1) A Hyperstudio Stack presentation (2) a Bluescreen Virtual Reality Interview or Dramatic Skit or (3) a Music Video i

2.   This is actually your TEST on the Unit

3.   You will each receive a Geog Vocab Grade and an Presentation Grad

JOB # 3. EVALUATION PANEL (G)

1. Each FTE will serve as an Evaluation Panel and use the Blue Screen Presentation Rubric to score the “performance” of another FTE’s. Each FTE may be asked to serve as an advisory panel to help evaluate HyperStudio or Music Video Presentations.

JOB # 4. . VIEW Finished Vocabulary Movie (W)

1.Watch and learn from finished movie.

 TEST  SCORECARD:  (Geog SCORE) _______(Presentation SCORE)___________

(Back to ALL Social Studies Units)