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Jay Ziegler
08
Project
Summary
Hendy Avenue
Elementary
Elmira City Schools
5th Grade History Scrapbooks
1. General Overview of the
Proposed Project:
Students will construct a
scrapbook based on at least six major time periods in US History.
Throughout the school year students will learn about several
important time periods. During that time students will be
instructed as to specific information that needs to be included in
their scrapbook. In addition to that information, students will
then include materials of their choice to further show understanding
of the selected topic. The teacher will serve as a facilitator in
guiding students toward resource sites that students can explore and
use in collecting information for their scrapbook. These sites
include internet sites, Historical sites, and government agencies.
2. Clear Purpose and
Objective:
The intended objective of this
project is that students will be engaged in a hands-on activity in
which they choose the materials that best help them understand
particular time periods.
3. Stakeholders: grade level,
who will benefit, who will participate in this project.
19 fifth grade students will
participate in this project. Five of these students have IEP’s . A
special education teacher will assist these students in their
research. All students will benefit as they use different learning
abilities in learning about US History.
4. U.S. History Content Area
Project will cover US History from
Jamestown settlement to current events. Project will focus on six
major time periods. Colonial Period, Civil War Era, Immigration,
WWII to present.
5. Outline Describing Content
In November of this school year
students will begin collecting information in the Jamestown
Settlement. December-January Rev. War Period Feb-March Civil War
Era April-June WWII to present The general focus will be on
cause and effect relationships.
6. Software to be used,
internet materials, contacts, etc.
Internet materials used will be
websites from historical sites and websites students find during
this research. Students will also take notes from information they
learn from Web Quests and Virtual Field trips.
7. Level of Student
Involvement
Students will be involved on a
weekly basis researching and selecting pictures, documents, letters
and articles related to selected social studies themes.
8. Evaluation process (include
students when possible)
Students will be required to at
least 3-4 visual materials for each time period. It is expected
that each student will choose materials that will demonstrate a
cause and effect relationship occurring in each specific theme.
9. Timeline: how you envision
the project being carried out between start up and conclusion
Students will begin gathering
pictures, copies of primary resources, and research information
beginning in November. Students will begin assembling their
materials throughout the school year. Students will be able to add
materials to past areas of study during the school year. It is
expected all students will finish their scrapbooks by June.
10. Comments or Questions:
This is my first attempt at a US
History Scrapbook. I believe students will enjoy collecting
historical materials of their choice for their scrapbook project.
This activity allows for a great deal of student ownership.
Students will learn how to research and collect information, and to
display that information in a sequential, logical manner.
Reflections
5th Grade United
States History Scrapbook
My project for the TAH
was a US History Scrapbook. Students were given a guideline
instructing them of the format and the topics that needed to be in
their scrapbook. The purpose of this project was to allow students
to gather information about US History covering the time period from
1600 – 2008. The project allowed them to add a personal touch as to
what information they wanted to include as well as the manner in
which they wanted to display that information.
The project was a
positive professional development experience. Students demonstrated
their enthusiasm and their interest in American History. It was
edifying to see students motivated to find information and pictures
about major historical events. The project also allowed students the
freedom to research and display minor historical events, events or
people that aren’t always covered in a student textbook.
The
TAH PROJECT
US History Scrapbook
activity was a very worthwhile experience and I do plan to do it
again next year. However, I will need to change my approach. I
learned that it was difficult for students to find pictures easily.
This was primarily because of the time necessary for students to
find pictures on the internet. Also, our classroom only had three
computers connected to a printer so that limited students to their
access. My thought is that perhaps I could begin to gather numerous
pictures that students could choose from in an effort to save time.
The pictures could then be scanned. We did use a scanner for this
project but when using the scanner, it would then limit the class to
only two computers connected to a computer.
The student response to
this activity was positive. Students were anxious to find pictures
and to share their findings with others students. I noticed that in
sharing their pictures of an event with a fellow student, that
student would in turn be also interested in the event and would then
go and retrieve pictures of that event for their scrapbook as well.
I liked seeing students “teach” other students. Students were being
exposed to historical events that they might otherwise not have been
exposed to.
To teach US History
using a scrapbook next year, there are a number of changes I will
make. One change would be during each unit of study, students will
be given a list of people or events that need to be in their
scrapbook. I will have various pictures available of these people
and events for students to choose from. This will save time and help
lower functioning students to be successful in completing their
scrapbook. It will give them a sense of accomplishment and motivate
them to find pictures on their own. Another change in instruction
will be to have students present their scrapbooks to the class
during the course of the school year. This will enable students to
see some of the different methods available to construct a scrapbook
as well as give them ideas for people and events to include in their
scrapbook. One major change would be the method I would use to
introduce this project. I will locate completed scrapbooks done on a
variety of subjects and present them to the class. This will give
them ideas as to how they want to proceed with their format.
In closing, I found the
TAH project to be an overall positive one. Students were engaged in
learning about American History and they were enthusiastic in
completing their scrapbooks. The activity lends itself well for the
potential that students will continue developing a scrapbook
independently over the summer months. They also may use these skills
to develop a scrapbook on other topics. And lastly, there is also
the possibility that students can use these research skills in
future grades.
Mr. Ziegler
5th grade
teacher
Hendy Avenue Elementary
School
110 Hendy Avenue
Elmira, New York 14905
Ziegler
08 Reflection in Word
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