Melinda Swain, Lincoln Elementary, Gallup, NM
"LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY STATE!"
Appropriate for grade 5.
OVERVIEW: This activity is proposed as an alternate to using the
social studies text in grade five. It includes integration of
critical thinking skills, reading skills, research, and report
writing skills.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity is to develop an awareness
of the concept of the "United" States, and to "learn to learn."
It provides essential motivation, excitement in "discovering" a
state, and in living and learning about that state for the entire
year. It provides opportunities for teacher/student and
student/teacher interaction--- for growth in writing skills, team
skills, critical thinking skills, and questioning skills. Through
sharing of the published reports, information is exchanged and
knowledge acquired.
OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
1. Develop report-writing skills, following a "report recipe."
2. Develop an awareness and show knowledge of:
a. Geography and climate of states
b. History of states
c. State symbols and tourism/places to visit
d. Government--- parts that comprise government and how it
works
e. Economy/manufacturing/natural resources
f. Population and distribution of states, and the "why" of
distribution
3. Become involved in publishing their reports, using the word
processor and other computer programs as they prepare covers
and appropriate graphs and other illustration for inclusion
in their report; thus developing pride and ownership of
writing.
4. Apply information using various data bases on the computer.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Students choose a state and draft a letter requesting
information from their state. The letter is then typed up on
the computer, and sent. Students receive the packet from
their state at their house. The teacher directs a discussion
and demonstration on introduction of the topic, using the
resident state as practice:
a. How to find information in the encyclopedia
b. What is the scope of the report
c. Ideas as to how to formulate questions
d. Interview a person (students) to find out more about
their state
2. Reports are generated from STUDENTS' questions--- they write
the agenda, they make most of the choices. The teacher
provides general direction only. The students follow the
"Report Recipe" in preparing their reports:
REPORT RECIPE (adapted from Suid and Lincoln)
1. Pick a subject (from objective 2: a-f)
2. Ask a question(s) that you will answer in your report
3. Plan the report around the answer (or answers)
4. Gather information from at least three of these sources:
-media -people -personal experience
-encyclopedia -other books
5. Organize material
6. Draft material
7. Illustrate report
8. Publish report
3. Students use a data base in retrieving information pertaining
to their report. Students make rough drafts of their letters
and reports, each time conferencing with the teacher on
content, scope, and direction. This provides feedback to the
student, allowing for the best possible finished product.
The teacher conducts individual conferences with students:
a. As students hand in the questions they will be answering
in their reports
b. As students submit their rough drafts--- making comments
regarding paragraph clarity, detail sentences, possible
use of illustrations, and so on.
Peer editing is encouraged. Students read their classmates'
reports, offer suggestions, ask questions for clarification,
make positive comments on writing style, or perhaps comment
on kind and/or type of illustrations.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED:
BOOKS: Suid, Murrey & Wanda Lincoln, Recipes for Writing,
Motivation, Skills, and Activities. Addison-Wesley, Menlo Park,
California, 1989.
SOFTWARE: B-GRAPH. Commodore Business Machines, Inc., 1984. DATA
QUEST, THE 50 STATES, MECC, 1988. GEOS, Berkeley Softworks, 1985.
PRINTSHOP, Broderbund, with states' graphics, public domain
software for use with PRINTSHOP.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Student written tests are given once each
six-week period. Students write a question regarding the report
topic of their state and write the answer to the question. These
are typed up and given as a test to the class. The test becomes a
"scavenger hunt." Students must ask each other about the
questions. When asked, the student can tell only where the
information can be found: i.e., the typed report, or
encyclopedia, etc. Students who wrote the question are NOT to
tell the answer!
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org