Summary
In this lesson, while participating in novel study activities, students brainstorm and identify topics related to or mentioned in the novel Cosmic. Examples of topics include: amusement parks, space travel programs, the Gobi Desert, growth disorders, food and other social aspects of living in London, video games, and jobs for children.
Students form groups based upon the topic that they want to research. Each group then generates research questions and topics before narrowing their focus to one or two specific items. After researching the topic, students consider the pros and cons of various applications for compiling and presenting their topic (including ActivInspire, Windows MovieMaker, Go Animate, Powtoon, PowerPoint, Sketchup, and GoogleDocs).
Throughout the lesson, groups also research and answer questions regarding summarizing, paraphrasing, citing sources, and avoiding plagiarism. Students responded to questions by identifying which group member would answer which question while using a variety of resources such as Brainpop.com and textbooks to answer these questions before sharing their answer and instructing the rest of the group on the information they had learned. They also research the validity of sources and methods to determine the credibility of websites.
Students brainstorm a rubric for grading and a checklist to guide them as they worked towards meeting the rubric. Each group then compiles a presentation teaching others about their area of research, striving to identify and create a presentation with a real-world application, such as an educational television clip for elementary school students. Presentations include a quiz made by each group made to assess audience learning and the effectiveness of the presentation.
TIPC Ratings
When students are researching topics relating to the themes in Cosmic, they assemble and synthesize information to address authentic tasks. Sixth grade students, who have only just begun to explore and use their Dell laptops, are introduced to a variety of applications. After exploring these applications they consider the pros and cons of each while discussing how different applications could be designed to create the most effective presentation. Students use various tools to powerfully display and interact with information while creating a project that can be used to teach others. Throughout the lesson, students are engaged in researching and using information fluently. Students are also introduced to topics such as citing sources, paraphrasing, and avoiding plagiarism. The teacher facilitates and formatively assesses authentic tasks, the projects, and the presentations. In addition, the format of this lesson can easily be adapted to a variety of authentic experiences.
Communication and Collaboration reaches the approaching stage in the lesson, as students established group norms, organized roles to address authentic tasks, and used appropriate digital tools to facilitate collaboration. The teacher models a range of communication methods and digital tools, designed challenges that promoted collaboration within and beyond the classroom to address an authentic task, and teaches students how to collaborate purposefully and without direct supervision.
Students generate and respond to purposeful questions when they complete the required graphic organizers and justify decision-making and/or problem-solving practices as they apply digital tools to think critically and solve open-ended authentic tasks that require higher order thinking skills. The teacher models a range of critical thinking and/or problem solving strategies and associated digital tools, designs instruction that promotes solutions to authentic tasks, and supports students as they engage challenges and problems purposefully.
Students work on class assignments that blend technology and limited aspects of personal choice to generate new ideas and products. Throughout this project, students question, summarize, and make predictions on existing knowledge using provided digital tools. The teacher provides graphic organizers to support students as they developed these skills. Throughout the lesson, as students become familiar with the laptop features and applications (and could also help each other), creativity and innovation increases.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- Cosmic Research Lesson Plan
- Cosmic Lesson Introduction Flipchart
- Cosmic Research Rubric
- Project Survey
- Several Student Samples
