Virginia Junior Realtors – 7161

Summary

This is a cross-curricular lesson that incorporates 4th Grade Virginia Studies, persuasive writing, research skills, and community collaboration. The students will act as Real-Estate Agents in Virginia. The students will work in teams of two and they will be assigned a “client.” They will be given information about the client that will help them determine which region would be best fit based on their client’s lifestyle. The students brainstorm relevant questions to interview a Real-Estate Agent from Virginia. Using this information, the students will research the products and industries of the five geographic regions of Virginia. Once the students choose the “best fit” region for their client, they will find a house to fit their client’s budget and needs. Their last task is to sell their house to the client through persuasive writing. Students may use Keynote or Google Docs to create a slideshow to persuade their clients why they should purchase a home in a particular region. Students will present their slideshows to the class.

TIPC Ratings

The students will be engaged in research using a website to research a region in Virginia. Students may also extend their research if they choose to and research a suitable house or apartment for their client. The students will have to search a home to address their client’s needs, lifestyle, and occupation. The students will be able to display and share their works on Google Docs.

The students will be assessed on an authentic real world task where they are Realtors in Virginia attempting to sell a region to a particular client. This task is purposeful since they may use these skills in their future. Students will be able to select which digital tool works best for their project. They will also collaborate with a real Real-Estate agent during this lesson.

The students will be engaged in meaningful questioning as they will create their own questions to ask a Real-Estate Agent from Virginia. These questions and their authentic task will require critical thinking and problem solving as they need to solve a real world task. The students will be able to choose the most appropriate digital tool from Google Docs, Keynote, PowerPoint, etc. Once they are finished with the authentic task, they will reflect and judge each others finial product. This task also sets goals for future growth as customer service/Real-estate is a large field that many students may consider when they are older.

The students will be able to synthesize research, communicate and collaborate with one another through research and sharing their presentation with one another. The students will be able to create original work that is meaningful and realistic. There original work will be displayed as a slideshow or PowerPoint presentation.