Tech Lesson Plan

Famous American Acrostic Research

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Lesson Plan

Grade: 5 Time: 60 minutes

Goal: After conducting Internet searches, the student evaluates the results and refines the search terms to get more specific information to meet his/her needs while researching their Famous American to write an acrostic poem.

Standards:

• American History, Research Skills for History

Social Studies 05‐S2C1‐04

• Research and Information Literacy

Technology 05-S3C2-01: Locate and synthesize information to revise search strategies.

Objective:

• Students will research their Famous American using digital resources (laptops) evaluating results and refining search terms to get specific information in order to facilitate the writing of their acrostic poem.
• Students will keep notes on provided sheet noting: 

1. the search terms used, those that produced valid information AND those that did not
2. the URLs which they used for information
3. the information that was gathered

Materials:

• Laptop Cart
• Students’ personal devices from home (must have filed permission form)

Accommodations:

• Students ‘A’ with cognitive delay will be have pre-bookmarked websites to view in order to locate information for his Famous American.
• Student ‘B’ who is gifted will be required to note his research in a word processing document.
• Student ‘C’ who is an ELL has been given a familiar Famous American, Abraham Lincoln.  Her Famous American will be used for ‘guided practice’.

Anticipatory Set: 10 min

• “Today we are going on an internet scavenger hunt!  We’re going to look for our Famous American and information about our Famous Americans in order to write our acrostics.”
• “Would a scavenger hunt be successful without clues? What if the clues were vague and said for example ‘walk down the street.’  In the same way, when we are conducting our scavenger hunt for information we don’t want to give our device vague clues.  We want to use detailed clues so that our device presents us with relevant information that we’ll use for our acrostics.”
• “I need some information on Walt Disney and I’d like you to raise your hand to suggest some search terms that I can type into my search engine.”
• Teacher will illustrate the success or lack of success in finding information with suggested search terms by live typing them into her search engine with results being shown on SmartBoard.  

Procedure: 40 min

1. Guided Practice: As a class, including the teacher: 10 min
1. Students will write/type the letters L-I-N-C-O-L-N as their acrostic will only use the last name of their Famous American.
2. Note that these letters will be like a compass for their scavenger hunt, guiding their research.
3. Students will search the name “Lincoln”
4. Students will scroll through information, browsing results
5. Students will continue searching and browsing results of following terms

• “Abraham Lincoln.”
• “Who is Abraham Lincoln”
• “The life of Abraham Lincoln”

1. With each search and browse teacher will model recording of search term, information used and URL where information is found.
2. Example: 

Search terms	URL	Letters	Information
Lincoln,  Abraham Lincoln,  Who is Abraham Lincoln The life of Abe Lincoln	http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/sites/homes.htm	L	Lived in a log cabin when he was young.
		I

1. Independent Practice: Individually, students will conduct research on their Famous American: 30 min
1. Remind students to give detailed directions (clues) to their device for a more successful search.
2. Students will note their search terms, successful and unsuccessful
3. Students will record the information they will use to complete their acrostic.
4. Students will record the URL from which the information was found.
2. Teacher will monitor research, walking around classroom, ensuring that research is detailed and providing sufficient information for acrostic.

Closure: 10 min

• Why is it important to give provide our device with detailed search clues when doing research?
• prompt students to reference their notes for specific examples
• If I am looking for a picture of Walt Disney to display on the final copy of my acrostic and I’d like my picture to be of Mr. Disney as a young man rather than old and I’d like him to be standing with Mickey Mouse. What clue might I type into my search engine to find that picture? 
• Image of young Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse
• Let’s all type that in and see if we find what we’re looking for.
• Students will submit their research and be assessed on completeness and quality of research and information.

Name___________________________________________________________________________

Search terms	URL	Letters	Information