Florida Research

Grade 4 Florida Research Project

Enduring Understandings:

  1. Studying history helps us to understand Florida today.
  2. Geography, location and climate affected the development of Florida.
  3. Florida was settled long before the Europeans arrived in 1492.
  4. European influence on Florida had a lasting impact.
  5. Good citizens work together to solve problems and to make a difference.

Guiding Questions

  1. Who were the first people of Florida and how did they use their environment to meet their basic needs?
  2. How have the different cultural groups in early Florida influenced our state?
  3. What are the characteristics of the geographic regions of Florida?
  4. Why is Florida’s location important culturally, politically, and economically?
  5. How has Florida’s physical geography and resources contributed to people’s decision to make Florida their home?
  6. How has Florida’s physical geography and resources contributed to people’s decision to make Florida their tourist destination?
  7. How do the citizens of the state work together to solve problems?
  8. How can citizens make a difference?

Resources

Student Products are on the class wiki: http://icsflorida.wikispaces.com/

An Anhinga dries its wings after fishing in a fresh water pond

 

U.S. States & Regions Wikispaces

Essential Understanding: Citizens of the United States must be familiar with basic facts of all of the States.

This year grade 5 students study the U.S. States but next year the topic will be moved down to grade 4. This year’s grade 4 students are using technology class time to develop a database of information about the U.S. States using Wikispaces, so they learn basic State facts. I created a page for each State and entered the labels for the data needed for each State.

Students in the two grade 4 classes were divided into 5 groups to study the 5 regions of the U.S. There were groups of students in each class working on each region. I created a username and password for each student and added them to Wikispaces as members. Students each selected a State within the assigned region to start to research. As they completed the information for each State, they determined which other States needed to have information added and then worked on that State. This allowed students to work collaboratively even though they were not in the same technology class. Students will create the 5 summary pages for the regions and will decide what information will be on the page.

Most of the information is from factmonster.com. Students learned to manage data, moving it from one location to another and to sort and sift through a larger database to find what is needed for the Wikispaces project. The project also allowed the student their first opportunity to work collaboratively on a project. The project is not yet completed but it is in the final stages. icstampa.wikispaces.com

Research Skills

Enduring Understandings:

  1. Information systems, both printed and digital, are the centers of intellectual, academic, social, and cultural life.
  2. Not all information is valid, reliable, relevant, or appropriate.
  3. Technology can facilitate learning when it enables students to explore ideas, solve problems, and derive meaning.

Research Skills

  1. Questioning: Frame questions to focus an inquiry. Write open research questions.
  2. Planning: Determine and plan research strategies appropriate for the research question. Determine appropriate primary and secondary sources of information. Use topics, keywords, directories. Sample Sources: the library, atlases, maps, graphs, visual sources, oral sources, on-line databases, the Internet, simulations, case studies, etc.
  3. Gathering: Collect and record authentic, relevant information from a range of reliable and valid primary and secondary sources. Evaluate and annotate information sources. Record information by: note taking, determining what is important/relevant, summarizing, enciphering & interpreting.) (See Successful Internet Searches and Evaluating Information Sources
  4. Sifting & Sorting & Analyzing: Use a variety of methods to sort, organize, process, integrate, and analyze information. Use graphic organizers. Use the writing process. Compare and contrast data. Make tables/graphs. Make maps. Create a visual-picture/cartoon.
  5. Synthesizing & Evaluating: Create new meaning and understanding, supported by evidence from information found. Write a statement supported by tables, graphs, maps, visual images, etc. Back up statements with citations.
  6. Reporting: Communicate clear, relevant and well substantiated arguments and findings using conventions appropriate to  the mode of communication. Provide written documentation. Give an oral presentation. Use visual images to support findings. Combine text with audio and visual to create a multimedia product.
  7. Citing: Use appropriate APA or MLA format methodology to cite reference sources and create a bibliography Annotated each information source with a statement providing proof that the resources is a valid and reliable resource to use.
Note: I’ve used these essential understandings for several years. I’m not sure what the original source was.

Practice Evaluating Website

Assignment: Use the 5W’s and the tips on Evaluate Information Sources to compare the following pairs of websites.

Collaboration: Work in pairs to decide which website you could use to write a report for a science class. Keep track of the steps you take to evaluate each web site. One person in each pair is in charge of keeping the notes, but both students are responsible for making sure the information is accurate. Both students must agree on the final evaluation of the websites. An Essential Tip is use Common Sense!

Topic 1: Endangered Species

  1. American Alligator
  2. Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

Topic 2: Crops

  1. California Velcro Crop under Challenge (1993)
  2. Mandarin Orange

Topic 3: Early Explorers

  1. About Explorers
  2. Explorers

Topic 4: The Solar System

  1. The Solar System
  2. MoonBeam Enterprises

Topic 5: Robots

  1. History of Robots
  2. A Short History of Robots

Topic 6:  A Dangerous Chemical

  1. Ban DHMO: Dihydrogen Monoxide
  2. Facts about Dihydrogen Monoxide

Additional Topics (from Kathy Schrock’s list)

WebQuest Food Pyramid

pyramid

  1. Open a Microsoft Word document. Enter your first and last name at the top of the documents.
  2. Go to File and Save As. Name the document Food lastname 6 1 or 6 2 Save the document in the My Documents folder.
  3. Create a table in Word with 4 columns and 7 rows.
  4. In column 1, row 1 cell, enter the text “Food Groups“. Label the top of the next column, Examples. Column 3 should have How much/day. Column 4 should have What counts.
  5. Click on each of the colors on the US government Food Pyramid to view information about each food group. Enter the name of each food group in a new cell in column 1 in your Word document.
  6. View Inside the Pyramid page. Start with Grains. Click on What’s in the Grain Group? Enter at least 4 types of grain in the column beside the Grain food group in your Word document.
  7. Go back to Inside the Pyramid. Click on How much is needed? Enter the amount you need on the table in Word.
  8. Go back to Inside the Pyramid.. Click on What counts as an ounce?  Find the answer and add it to the table.
  9. Find the information for the rest of the food groups to complete the table. Work in pairs to find the answers on the website, then share the answers with each other. Each of you must complete your own table of information in Word.
  10. Be sure to go to File and Save before you quit Word, so your information for today is saved.

image and information from MyPyramid.gov

Webquest Moon Assignment – Grade 4

The Assignment

  • Work in groups of two. One person will be the Note-Taker and the other two will be the Researchers.
  • The Note-Taker should open an Open Office document. Enter the names of the three group members at the top of the document. Enter the following questions in a a numbered list. Enter the answers after the question.
  1. How far is the moon from the earth?
  2. How long does it take for the moon to orbit the earth?
  3. What is a lunar month?
  4. How old is the moon?
  5. In which direction does the moon rise each day?
  6. In which direction does the moon set each day?
  7. What phase of the moon is it today?
  8. Does the moon have an atmosphere?
  9. What are moon trees?
  10. Where are moon trees planted in Florida?
  11. In what year did man first walk on the Moon?
  12. How does the moon shine?
  13. Do the phases of the moon look the same or different in Australia from what we see in Florida?
  • Researchers use the following internet sites to find the answers to the questions. Share the answers with the Note-Taker who will enter the answers in the Open Office document.
  1. Facts about the Moon
  2. What are the Moon Trees
  3. The Moon Trees
  4. How does the Moon keep Changing its Shape?
  5. Moon Phase Today
  6. FactMonster – the Moon

Why Format?

  • Word processing software, such as Microsoft Office Word, is used to create, edit, and format documents.
  • Formatting organizes information to improve communication.

Look at the following examples. Describe the formatting techniques in example 2 that make it easier to read than example 1.

Example 1

Some Famous Scientists
Archimedes (about 287 B.C.-212 B.C.), Greek mathematician and inventor who discovered that heavy objects could be moved using pulleys and levers. He was one of the first to test his ideas with experiments. He also is said to have shouted “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”).
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a self-taught clockmaker and astronomer, who was the grandson of a slave. He is also known for his work as an architect and a designer of Washington, D.C.
Tim Berners-Lee (1955- ), a British computer whiz who radically changed the history of computing and communication when he invented the World Wide Web in 1989. Since then he has worked to make the web grow as a source of information about everything under the sun. He works at a laboratory in Massachusetts.

Example 2

Some Famous Scientists

  • Archimedes (about 287 B.C.-212 B.C.), Greek mathematician and inventor who discovered that heavy objects could be moved using pulleys and levers. He was one of the first to test his ideas with experiments. He also is said to have shouted “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”).
  • Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a self-taught clockmaker and astronomer, who was the grandson of a slave. He is also known for his work as an architect and a designer of Washington, D.C.
  • Tim Berners-Lee (1955- ), a British computer whiz who radically changed the history of computing and communication when he invented the World Wide Web in 1989. Since then he has worked to make the web grow as a source of information about everything under the sun. He works at a laboratory in Massachusetts.

(Text is from Famous Scientists – the World Almanac for Kids)

Formatting Guidelines

Remember the following Formatting Guidelines:

  1. Only use the Enter key at the end of a paragraph, not at the end of every line. Remember that dates and address lines in letters may be “1-line paragraphs”.
  2. Do not write in All Caps. It is more difficult to read and it is considered to be “shouting” in writing.
  3. Use no more than 2 fonts per document. Use a san serif font (font without feet such as Arial) for headlines and section titles. Use a serif font (font with feet such as Times New Roman) for the main text.
  4. Do not underline. Use Bold or italics to add contrast for headlines or section headings.
  5. Do not use a font size larger than size 14 for headlines and section headings. Do not use a font larger than size 12 for the main text.
  6. Place only 1 space after period, commas, question marks. Do not place a space before these punctuation marks.
  7. Place only 1 space between words.
  8. Indent paragraphs with the Tab key, not with the spacebar. or better, use the format paragraph menu to format all paragraphs correctly and consistently.
  9. Use the format font menu to adjust the text to 1.5 or double spacing, if necessary.
  10. Left align the text.
  11. The text should be black and do not highlight unless there is a specific reason to use color. (Color is more expensive to print than black ink.)
  12. Use number lists or bullet lists to organize lists of information.
  13. Use correctly formatted tables to organize rows and columns of information.

Formatting a Cover Letter and Resume Writing

Cover Letter Assignment

What is a cover letter? The cover letter is sent with the resume. You have written an application letter in your language arts class that will be your cover letter to send to high schools with your resume when you apply for high school.

  1. Go to Criterion Writing. Copy the letter that you have already written, then paste it into Word.
  2. Format the cover letter. Please view the sample cover letter template.
  3. Make note of the fonts and font size you use. You will use the same font and font size to format the resume that you will write. Go to Edit and “Select all”. Then use the Format Font Menu to set the font, size, and line spacing.
  4. Use the “Save As” function to save the document to “My Documents”. Name the document letter firstname lastname
  5. Ensure that all formatting is correct and consistent. Is the spacing consistent through the letter? Is spacing around punctuation correct?
  6. The cover letter should fit on a single page. Adjust paragraph spacing and line spacing if necessary to fit the letter on a single page.
  7. Spell check and and grammar check, then proofread carefully. Correct errors.
  8. Save the cover letter again. (Note: Use Save not Save As)
  9. Monday class, please submit the cover letter to http://drop.io/ICStech8_1
  10. Wednesday class, please submit the cover letter to http://drop.io/ICStech8_2

Resume Assignment

  1. Read the quote below from JobStar.
  2. Examine both the chronological and functional resumes on the JobStar site.
  3. Read your cover letter to get ideas for the resume.
  4. Begin to plan what you will say and how you will organize your resume. What type of resume seems to be the best for you, chronological, functional, or a combination? What categories will you use?
  5. Begin a draft resume, if you have time.
  6. Homework: Next week in class, you will write, format and submit your resume to the drop.io for the class. Between today and then, you will talk to your family and friends about your resume. What do they think you should include on it? What are your important characteristics, skills and accomplishments should be mentioned?
  7. You will use the Formatting Guidelines from this blog to format the resume.

What is a resume? (Quote from JobStar) In the following, when it says “employer”, think “high school admission officer”. When it says “workplace”, think “high school”.

The resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer’s workplace.

Your resume has to sell you in short order. While you may have all the requirements for a particular position, your resume is a failure if the employer does not instantly come to the conclusion that you “have what it takes.” The first hurdle your resume has to pass–whether it ends up in the “consider file” or the “reject file”–may take less than thirty seconds.

The most effective resumes are clearly focused on a specific job title and address the employer’s stated requirements for the position. The more you know about the duties and skills required for the job–and organize your resume around these points–the more effective the resume.

You will need information to write a good resume. Not just information about jobs you’ve held in the past but also information to select the most relevant accomplishments, skills and experience for THIS position. The more you know about the employer and the position, the more you can tailor your resume to fit the job.

Resume Samples for Students (Note: the resume must fit on a single page.)