Submitted by: Diane Myers
School: Echo Lake Elementary
Summary
Using 21st Century skills and higher level questioning with Blooms, the students will complete an integrated unit focusing on the current state recognized Va. Tribes and letter writing skills. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples of Virginia, past and present. The student will also utilize historical analysis skills, including cause/effect, compare/contrast and reading skills such as fact/opinion, comprehension, predicting, and characterization. Students will write a friendly letter asking for information on the current tribes and research the tribes of the past using nonfiction books, selected internet sites, and other resources in the media center. Finally, after a classroom visit from a citizen of the Chickahominy Tribe, students will create a product to share their knowledge.
TIPC Ratings
Students were given choices in selecting what tribe they corresponded with as well as researched in the media center. When researching, the students were asked to consider nonfiction books, selected internet sites, and print encyclopedias. This information was synethesized with the information that was received from selected tribes using a tchart with then and now headings.
Students were organized in mixed ability groups with specific roles for each member of that group. Each member of the group had specific duties to enable the group to complete the assigned tasks on time. The collaboration of the team members enabled each student to complete a distinct product using the information on the tchart. The letters and the visit from a citizen of a tribe made it possible for students to communicate with audiences within and beyond the classroom. Students will share this information with other students in the school.
Throughout this project, the students were challenged with higher level thinking skills as they compared the Indians of the past with Indians of today. The lesson was structured with opportunities to analyze the knowledge to create a product with the assigned parameters.
Students applied critical thinking skills,research methods,communication tools,and collaboration in the classroom setting to create a final product of their choice that answers the real world question about the lives of Indians in VA today. The information received from letters, the podcast, and the visit from a Chickahominy citizen connected the classroom to the real world and allowed the students to collaborate effectively beyond the classroom.
