This lesson is for : Grade 1:
Summary
We all hear about famous Americans from the past, but would we recognize them if we saw them in real life? Were they tall or were they short? What color was their hair? Their eyes? First graders at Davis Elementary were tasked with creating life-size famous Americans, so they needed to find details about their physical appearance, as well as the usual important facts. First students were given an overview of the assignment and were told to form groups of three or four classmates who would work well together. Once they were in their groups, the students chose which famous American they wanted to create. They could choose from: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, and Eleanor Roosevelt (SOL1.2). Next they began their research, with the librarian’s help, using OneSearch. Their teacher gave them a chart with six questions to guide their research, including information about their person’s physical appearance. After they finished their research, the students measured their person out on chart paper and cut him or her out. Then they decorated their person with construction paper, trying to make them look as life-like as possible. They also added speech bubbles with facts about their famous American. The completed life-size images were displayed in the classroom. Photos were also posted online. See student samples: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BykgMgzq4lmwZkhKZmllSHpidjQ&usp=sharing
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating: Developing – Explanation: Students used a teacher-created research guide which included an open-ended section for students to record information of personal interest. Students used OneSearch with the librarian’s guidance to find good sources of information. To rate higher, students could have generated more of their own questions for research, and they could have evaluated the accuracy of their resources in an age-appropriate way.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Approaching – Explanation: Students chose their own groups, and they assigned tasks to each other. Photos of their projects were shared beyond the classroom by posting them online. To rate higher, students could have collaborated with experts from a museum to get additional details about their famous person’s physical appearance, and they could have reflected on their group roles after the project was over.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Developing – Explanation: Students had to measure correctly to show the life-size height of their famous person. They had to use their research to decorate their person accurately. They had to decide which important information to include in the speech bubbles. To rate higher, students could have justified their design decisions, and they could have added digital tools like a QR code that could be scanned to display a video or additional information.
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Approaching – Explanation: Students designed and created their own life-size pictures of famous Americans. They could choose how to decorate their person within the parameters of being realistic and accurate. To rate higher, students could have taken risks and gone beyond the assignment in creative new ways. They could have reflected on the creative process with a rubric.
Student Artifact
Lesson Materials
