Finding the Balance

TIPC Ratings

The lesson meets Target 4 criteria by incorporating the following skills:
Students identified and selected appropriate sources and evaluated sources when completing their research on a branch of government and a current event. Students were not directed to specific sites, but instead were responsible for finding their own credible sites and evaluating those sites for relevant and accurate information from multiple places. Students also utilized the knowledge acquired from their research to apply to a real world situation (current event) and explain why or why not it could happen in our county based on the research they completed on our government. This gave them a real wold perspective on how our government structure works. By researching the powers of a branch of government and a current event they needed to apply varied research skills to find their sources. All of their research needed to be 75documented and organized in a OneNote Notebook with at least three citations for every fact.

The lesson meets Approaching 3 criteria by incorporating the following skills:
Students communicated ethically among group members both within and outside of the
classroom using electronic communication such as discussion boards and live chats in addition to face to face meetings. The communication was student directed with teacher intervention when necessary to help build appropriate communication skills. Students collaborated on their projects by uploading and sharing documents in their group file on School Space. To complete the project in the allocated amount of time it was necessary for students to divide up the research and work both individually and as a team. To create their final presentation students needed to work together to solve problems within their group – especially when problems arose with the technology.

The lesson meets Target 4 criteria by incorporating the following skills:
Students utilized multiple resources to gather information and draw conclusions based on the information gathered. This was done when students analyzed what our country would be like without a branch of government. They took the information they gathered from several sources and presented a conclusion with examples and evidence showing a clear understanding of the value of their branch of government. The students applied their knowledge to a real world problem when they researched a current event and concluded and reflected on if it is possible for that situation to happen in our country based on our government structure. In both cases of analysis, students were responding to questions with multiple solutions that required them to reflect on what they had learned. Students used higher order thinking skills to create a well supported argument about what our country would be like without a branch of government and if the current event they selected could occur in the United States.

The lesson meets Approaching 3 criteria by incorporating the following skills:
Students created their own original work using any digital platform to exhibit their research and the conclusions that they drew. Students selected the appropriate technology that would allow them to deliver the information in a unique and engaging way. Their projects included audio,video, text and images and used software such as ActivInspire, PowerPoint, Movie Maker,Doodlekit, Glogster, Audacity, and many others for their final presentation. Students collaborated with their group to select a technology that would allow them to present their information in a way that would both engage and educate their classmates on the structure of the U.S. government. Their presentations offered conclusions to specific questions and problems that they used their research to support.