Submitted by: Amy Thomas, Susan Baker, Blake Reid, Heidi Santos
Collaborators: Joyce Ricks, Librarian, Suzanne Whitlow, ITRT
School: Twin Hickory Elelmentary
Summary
After receiving a letter from “Newsworthy, Inc.” concerning Famous Americans from our nation’s past, students embark on a project to express what third graders would like to know about these Famous Americans. In cooperative groups, students conduct research on their assigned American. Based on their research, students create questions that they would ask their Famous American and the answer they would expect to hear back. Using these questions and answers, students and teacher collaborate to create a script for a News Broadcast. Sets are made, lines are practiced, and the filming begins!
TIPC Ratings
Approaching: Students are able to search freely through books and online resources to locate, assemble and organize information that they deem pertinent to understanding the reasons behind their assigned Famous Americans’ actions. Students take information and synthesize it to form questions to ask their Famous American if living in the present day.
Approaching: The project is designed for students to work together in cooperative groups. Every element of the project is a collaboration. Following the filming, parents were invited in to view the finished News Broadcast.
Approaching: Students are encouraged to take information from historical sources and apply it to a “what if…”, modern-day situation. Based on what they have discovered about their Famous American from their research, students are able to select questions, answers and a setting for their interviews.
Approaching: This project allows students to create original work writing a script for role-play, to design and create scenery, and to make predictions what it would be like to meet a Famous American.
