Teaching Guide for

Exploring Lives and Artifacts in Social Studies

Introduction	Subject-Matter
Aim	Goals and Objectives
Rationale	Instructional Plan
Learners	Materials
Prerequisites	Assessment and Evaluation

Introduction

Exploring Lives and Artifacts in Social Studies is a curriculum web that introduces students to the world of social studies through the thematic strands. It is designed for 5th grade students. Students will explore Culture and Time, Continuity, and Change strands. Students will be able to address the guiding question: Why we should explore lives and artifacts in Social Studies through the use of the World Wide Web.

Aim

The “Exploring Lives and Artifacts in Social Studies” curriculum web aims to promote fifth graders understanding of social studies strands as related to the state standards by engaging them in web activities which explore cross-curriculum that includes writing, technology, and social studies.

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Rationale

The National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) observed in The Goals of 2000: Educate America Act, that social studies was omitted from the educational goals for the nation. As a result of the omission, NCSS task force published the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: Expectations of Excellence that include the ten themes that form the framework of social studies.

The learning objectives that I have selected for this unit are important because they increase the student’s knowledge methodically. Students need to learn about our countries history so they can apply their knowledge to present day problems. They need to examine the different strands to comprehend the many aspects that social studies plays in everyday life. Through learning about the ideals that America was created on, students can build a foundation for their own values and beliefs. I am trying to achieve my aim and objectives to increase knowledge of the social studies strands. These strands build a framework for social studies curriculum. They are interrelated to other disciplines of study and draw from all of the social science disciplines. It is important that teachers successfully implement social studies into their classrooms. The knowledge and skills that one needs to be successful in their school endeavors can be obtained through the ten strands of social studies. Problem solving skills is one of many skills that are addressed in the thematic strands.

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Learners

This curriculum web is designed for 5^th grade AZ students. Learning styles of the students include all of the 7 multiple intelligences. When the fifth graders were in fourth grade they met state standards in social studies, which provided prior experiences in the 10 strands.

The following table can be used in determining students needs at different stages of the curriculum web.

Description	Learners’ Needs @ entry point	Learners’ Needs @ beginning activities	Learners’ Needs @ each activity	Learners’ Needs @ end of activities
Reading levels – 5.0 – 6.0	Key vocabulary listed with def., link to Webster.com for other definitions, and reading cues: 5 w’s for main ideas	Students will work with a partner to go through each activity. Relevant links will be provided so students can research if needed to clarify their understanding.	Students will work with a partner to go through each activity. Relevant links will be provided so students can research if needed to clarify their understanding.	Students will need their learning log to assist them with their hypermedia presentation.
Appropriate sounds and images	I will keep the same background for the pages and will use a solid color instead of a print for the background. Signature song/sound for entry point page only.	Mr. Skeleton will provide tips and clues needed for each activity.	Mr. Skeleton will provide tips and clues needed for each activity.	Mr. Skeleton will provide tips and clues needed for each activity.
How specific and detailed instructions and information should be	Rational and objectives stated for whole curriculum web. Activities listed in right frame. Introduce Mr. Skeleton.	Steps will be listed for each activity to ensure that students use relevant links to enhance understanding.	Steps will be listed for each activity to ensure that students use relevant links to enhance understanding.	Steps will be listed for the hypermedia presentation to ensure that students complete presentation.
Whether I should include humor or entertaining elements	Mr. Skeleton (key) is the mascot for this curriculum web. Place Mr. Skeleton on each activity page with clues and tips for the activity. Mr. Skeleton will guide students through the different activities.	Webquests and web adventures are entertaining elements.	Webquests and web adventures are entertaining elements.	Mr. Skeleton will guide students through the steps of the hypermedia.
Navigation that is appropriate	Use frame format with navigation bar on left hand of the screen. Navigation bar will include a link to the different activities and to Webster.com. Activity pages will open in right frame. This will make it easier for students to move through the activities.	Use frame format with navigation bar on left hand of the screen. Navigation bar will include a link to the different activities and to Webster.com. Activity pages will open in right frame. This will make it easier for students to move through the activities.	Use frame format with navigation bar on left hand of the screen. Navigation bar will include a link to the different activities and to Webster.com. Activity pages will open in right frame. This will make it easier for students to move through the activities.	Use frame format with navigation bar on left hand of the screen. Navigation bar will include a link to hypermedia page. This page will open in right frame.
Amount of interactivity appropriate for the audience and subject matter	The navigation bar on the left frame will allow students to interact with the different activities.	Websites, webquests, and web adventures are highly interactive and appropriate for fifth graders. Navigation bar will provide assistance for students to be able to move easily between activities.	Websites, webquests, and web adventures are highly interactive and appropriate for fifth graders. Navigation bar will provide assistance for students to be able to move easily between activities.	The navigation bar on the left frame will allow students to interact with the different activities to recall information.

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Prerequisites

To achieve the learning objectives students will need the following skills and knowledge. Students need to have the following skills: computer, internet, and reading. Students need to have the following knowledge: understanding how to read about the colonial time period. Students will have some of these skills and knowledge before doing the lessons. Most students will have computer skills and know how to surf the web. Reading levels will vary from student to student but most of the fifth grade class will be reading at fifth grade level and will be able to comprehend the material. Students will have been exposed to limited amount of information about the colonial time period. I expect my fifth grade students to be highly motivated by this unit because of the use of computers and internet. I assume that my students self-concept as learners in Social Studies to be positive because in fourth grade they learned about the State of Arizona in which they live. Student’s positive attitudes toward Social Studies and technology will be relevant through their actions.

Subject-Matter

This curriculum web subject matter is social studies. Subtopics are 2 of the 10 strands. The 2 thematic strands I included are: Culture; and Time, Continuity, and Change. The guiding question for my unit is: Why we should explore lives and artifacts in Social Studies through the use of the World Wide Web.

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Goals and Objectives

The guided question (general goal) can be furthered through the use of the 2 thematic strands in my curriculum web. The objectives for this unit are preordinate based on the state standards that correlate with the 2 thematic strands of Social Studies. This curriculum web includes two types of learning objectives: knowledge and process. The reason I utilized these two types is because I addressed different strands and standards in the curriculum web to provide the students with a well-rounded experience.

Knowledge learning objective: The learner will describe the economic, political, cultural, and social processes that interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, and cooperation and conflict (Strand 1).

Process learning objective: The learner will investigate the colonists’ shared sense of individualism, independence, and religious freedom that developed before the Revolution (Strand 2).

Instructional Plan

This curriculum web is designed to increase students’ knowledge about Colonial Period of America. Each activity page is linked on the navigation bar on the left frame. Lessons and activities are to be used in sequence so students can use relevant websites to enhance their comprehension. The lessons/activities will spread over several days and will vary depending on students and amount of time in computer lab. I project that one lesson/activity page can be completed per day for a total of 5 – 6 days. If the teacher choose to have the class complete the whole Culture Webquest then that part of the curriculum web will take a couple of days by itself. Teachers will demonstrate the techniques described in the activities using a projector to show students what steps they will be doing. This will be done at the beginning of each lesson/activity page. Students will be paired together to do activities. Teacher will then assist students by walking around and offering help to students. Students will write findings in their travel log during each activity. The travel log can either be a word document or spiral notebook. Teachers need to decide if their students are capable of having multiple windows open on the screen and can move back and forth between the curriculum and word document (travel log), if they cannot then teacher should provide paper and pencil for travel log. Teacher should modify for lower level students to individualize instruction. Students will design a hypermedia presentation at the end of all the activities. The hypermedia will include facts/highlights from their travel logs about the colonial period of America. Teachers can provide the opportunity to individual students that can work at their own pace and complete the curriculum web at home or school. Students will need to read through the lessons on their own and complete the activities sequentially.

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Materials

Computer lab - 2 students sharing a computer
Computer Projector
Travel log - paper and pencil or word document
Power Point Software
Internet access
Student Internet access permission slips

Assessment and Evaluation

Strand 1

Objective: The learner will describe the economic, political, cultural, and social processes that interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, and cooperation and conflict.

Ipswich House: The students will record findings such as artifacts from each time period in their travel log. Teacher will use the following rubric to score travel log entry. Excellent on the rubric means that the student included all artifacts and their uses, Fair means included some artifacts and uses, and Very Poor means did not include any artifacts and their uses.

Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor
1	2	3	4	5

Culture Webquest: Slide Show

Teacher will use the following rubric to score the slide presentation for the webquest.

Was your slide show appealing in appearance?
Did you have all the required elements?
Was your slide show easy to understand and/or navigate for the participants?
Was HyperStudio easy or difficult for your group to use? Explain.
How well did your group work together? Did everyone in the group contribute equally?

Circle Appropriate Number

Beginning
1

Developing
2

Accomplished
3

Exemplary
4

Score

HyperStudio Slide Show

Content

Contains very little information about two aspects of the culture with no detail or organization

Contains information about two aspects of the culture with little detail, may not be clear and organized

Contains organized, and clear information about two aspects of the culture with some detail

Contains detailed, organized, and clear information about two aspects of the culture

Strand 2

Objective: The learner will investigate the colonists’ shared sense of individualism, independence, and religious freedom that developed before the Revolution.

Colonial Days Web Adventure: The students will record the types of artifacts and their uses under mystery feature in their travel log. Teacher will use the following rubric to score travel log entry. Excellent on the rubric means that the student included all artifacts and their uses, Fair means included some artifacts and uses, and Very Poor means did not include any artifacts and their uses.

Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor
1	2	3	4	5

Miss Columbia: Students will write a journal entry/story about the imaginary visit of Miss Columbia. Teacher will use the following rubric to score journal entry.

POINTS

DESCRIPTION

A 4 paper will be written in the appropriate genre being assessed. The paper will be well organized and clearly written. There will be sufficient details and descriptions to engage the reader. The author will have closure to the paper.

A 3 paper will be written in an appropriate format. Attention to details will be evident. The paper may have some missing details and incomplete descriptions. The author may not have a sufficient closure.

A 2 paper may show an incomplete knowledge of the skills assessed. Very little description is given in the paper. Closure is missing.

A 1 paper will show little effort in writing. There will be a definite lack of understanding the format for the paper.

Assign a 0 if the student doesn’t turn in the paper on the due date.

N/S

Assign a N/S (Not Scorable) if the writing can’t be read.

Culminating Activity: The students will create a hypermedia presentation using facts from their travel log. 10 – 12 slides are needed for the hypermedia presentation. Use the following rubric to evaluate student’s presentation.

POINTS

DESCRIPTION

A 4 presentation is extremely creative, colorful, neat, and organized. There will be a title page that mostly includes a creative title, your name, and a picture. Each slide of the presentation will include a picture and information about the four activities.

A 3 brochure is rather creative, colorful, neat, and organized. There will be a title page that somewhat includes a creative title, your name, and a picture. Each slide of the presentation does not include a picture and information about the four activities.

A 2 brochure is somewhat creative, colorful, neat, and organized. There will be a title page that hardly includes a creative title, your name, and a picture. Each slide of the presentation does not include a picture and information about the four activities.

A 1 brochure is hardly creative, colorful, neat, and organized. There will be a title page that doesn't include a creative title, your name, and a picture. Each slide of the presentation does not include a picture and information about the four activities.

Assign a 0 if the student does not do a presentation.

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