Summary
To encourage students to “Be a Voice” in the world, in connection to their reading of Elie Wiesel’s Night , students research and present the story of a RESCUER OF THE HOLOCAUST. The teacher and librarian model an interactive presentation using Padlet, in which students are exposed to a range of options for research and presentations via SymbalooEDU. The lesson encourages students’ self-discovery and strategic risk taking, using digital tools, to take ownership of their learning process. In self-chosen groups of two to three, teams select one historical rescuer. and use a collaborative Google Doc to gather and organize information in order to construct a presentation that interactively involves the audience in the rescuer’s personal story. The project rubric encourages students into investigating new tools for research and interactive presentations. Student teams collect research, write a paper, and present to their classmates. The audience votes on their involvement in the story and the engagement level of the presentation using Activotes. This data is provided to the presenting teams in private teacher-to-teams reflection conversations. Finally, with understanding of engagement data, as well as personal reflection time, students fill out a Self Reflection Google Form to share their own progress and thoughts for presenting in the future.
TIPC Ratings
APPROACHING- The teacher models finding resources and strategies to guide students in the research process. The teacher facilitates as students construct questions and select appropriate tools for their research. Students assemble and organize the information to produce a research paper and provide an authentic presentation for their classmates. The teacher formatively assesses the students, using the Project Rubric, to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work.
IDEAL- Students use Google Docs to communicate within their teams. The class as a whole shares a Symbaloo Webmix, adding and sharing resources and information. The presentations are a form of communication, and the presenting groups works to engage the audience in the story of a rescuer. Audience engagement level data is used to communicate the viewpoint of the audience to the presenting group. Finally, students reflect about the process of learning, and the tools they selected, using a Google Form. This information is shared with the members of the school looking for recommendations for researching and presenting from other students. The teacher formatively assesses the students via their presentation, using the Project Rubric, to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work.
IDEAL- Students need to problem solve with their partners, as well as experiment with and select digital tools for this project. Teams learn how to work together to select the best technology tool and risk that a particular tool might not work for their presentation, forcing them problem solve. Groups think about how their classmates might react to their engagement tools and how to best involve an audience into a presentation. The project stretches many students’ concept of a presentation being a one-way conversation and helps develop an authentic skill; engaging an audience. Students have to predict and plan for any potential problems or challenges with their tools and engagement activities. When the teacher and student conference at the end, students discuss how to develop and think through outcomes for future presentations. The teacher facilitate student learning throughout the project, only stepping in to formatively assess the learning process.
TARGET- Students need to think and create beyond what they are given to create a new product that delivers information in an engaging manner. The teacher models research and presentation skills many students have not seen or used used before, facilitating them in taking strategic risks to be innovative. When students finish the project, they reflect and set goals for future presentations based off their own presentations as well as the tools and techniques of their classmates. The teacher formatively assesses the students level of creativity and innovation, using the Project Rubric, to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work.
Student Artifact
Rescuers from HCPS Instructional Technology on Vimeo.
Download Files
Rescuers of the Holocaust, Research & Presentations Folder
Contents:
- Lesson Plan
- Project Rubric
- Student Artifacts
- Video Artifact
- Elie Wiesel’s Night
