Technology-Connected Lesson Plan

 

Lesson Title: What Can We Discover About Colorado?

 

Curriculum Areas:

·        History

·        Reading and Writing

·        Visual Arts

 

Grade Levels: K-6

 

Colorado Content Standards:

History:

·        STANDARD 1: Students understand the chronological organization of

history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.

o       1.1 Students know the general chronological order of events and people in history.

o       In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes chronologically organizing significant events, groups*, and people in the history of Colorado.

o       As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes  chronologically organizing major events and people of United States history; and  describing significant events and people which form the foundation of United States history in the chronological context of the history of the Americas and the world.

 

·        STANDARD 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.

·        2.1 Students know how to formulate questions and hypotheses regarding what happened in the past and to obtain and analyze historical data to answer questions and test hypotheses.

o       In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes gathering historical data from multiple sources (for example, oral histories, interviews, diaries, letters, newspapers, literature, speeches, texts, maps, photographs, art works, and available technology).

o       As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes gathering information from multiple sources, including electronic databases, to understand events from multiple perspectives; and

·        2.2 Students know how to interpret and evaluate primary and secondary sources of historical information.

o       In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes describing sources of historical information; identifying the main idea in a source of historical information.

o       As students in grades 5-8 extend their knowledge, what they know and are able to do includes distinguishing between primary and secondary sources; interpreting the data in historical maps, photographs, art works, and other artifacts.

STANDARD 3: Students understand that societies are diverse and have changed over time.

·        3.1 Students know how various societies were affected by contacts and exchanges among diverse peoples.

·        In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes

recognizing how the presence, interactions, and contributions of various groups and cultures have affected the school, neighborhood, community, and state; and describing the history, interactions, and contributions of the various peoples and cultures that have lived in or migrated to the area that is now Colorado (for example, African-Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans).

 

Reading and Writing

 

·        STANDARD 1:  Students read and understand a variety of materials.

o       use comprehension skills such as previewing, predicting, inferring, comparing and contrasting, re-reading and self-monitoring, summarizing, identifying the author's purpose, determining the main idea, and applying knowledge of foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, symbolism, and other figures of speech;

o       adjust reading strategies for different purposes such as reading carefully, idea by idea; skimming and scanning; fitting materials into an organizational pattern, such as reading a novel chronologically; finding information to support particular ideas; and finding the sequence of steps in a technical publication

·        STANDARD 5: Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

o       using organizational features to locate media or electronic information (for example, passwords, entry menu features, pull-down menus, icons, key word searches);

Visual Arts:

  • STANDARD 1: Students recognize and use the visual arts as a form of communication.
    • Grade K-4

In grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes

• identifying visual images*, themes, and ideas for works of art;

• selecting and using visual images, themes, and ideas to communicate meaning; and comparing the use of visual images and ideas.

Learning Objectives:

The learner will:

·        Locate Colorado and its neighbors on a map (either in a book or on the Internet);

·        Create a graphic that illustrates what they know and want to know about the

·        state; (KWL)

·        Rotate to different stations to learn facts about Colorado.  Record those facts

·        Draw and label Louisiana maps.

 

Materials:

·        Note-taking form

·        Station one

·        Station two

·        Station three

·        Transparencies of Colorado; tape

·       Directions to Make Traced Colorado Map

·        Books, pamphlets, Web sites, other Colorado resources

·        Books:  (or any having to do with Colorado history)

·        Colorado From Sea to Shining Sea by Amy Miller

·        Indians of the Southwest by Lisa Sita

·        Colorado Our Colorful State by Duane Smith and Kate Shuchter

·        Colorado One Nation Capstone Press

·        Indians of Colorado by Jende-Hagan BookCorp.

 

Technology Connection:

·        Computer

·        Printer

·        TV with scan converter or projection system

·        Microsoft Encarta

·        Microsoft Virtual Globe (if available)

·        Inspiration

·        Paint, Microsoft Word, Print Shop PressWriter, or other word processor

·        Video:  Rocky Mountain Legacy:  A Grand Endeavor”

·        Internet

·        Discover Colorado http://www.colorado.gov/

·        Colorado State Archives http://www.archives.state.co.us/

·        Colorado Historical Society http://www.coloradohistory.org/

Colorado Possibilities http://www.colorado.com/

 

Lesson Procedures:

·        Locate Louisiana on a world map and a US map, using books or Internet (Hint:  Go to Google, use Image option and type in U.S. map)

·        Students locate Louisiana on printed map, identify compass points, and identify neighboring states.

·        Whole group instruction, using Inspiration, do the K of  KWL – What we Know, What we Want to Learn, What we Learned.

·        In each group, using one computer, use Inspiration and do the W part of KWL.

·        Teacher Explains the three stations:

1.       Video station – watch the first section of Rocky Mountain Legacy:  A Grand Endeavor”- stop at Pioneer of Thought.  Using the note taking guide, record 3 facts about Colorado and Ute Indians that can be put on your Colorado maps.

2.     Books Station – using Books about Colorado and its history, record 4 facts on your note taking guide that can be used on your Colorado maps.

3.     Internet/Encarta Station – using the bookmarked sites and Encarta, record 4 facts on your note taking guide that can be used on your Colorado maps

·        Students go to assigned stations.  They will rotate upon teacher’s command.

·        Using the Paint Program (Start, Programs, Accessories, Paint) each student will trace outline maps of Colorado from transparencies taped to the computer screen.  Save the pic.  Open Word and use the Insert, picture from file command to bring up this saved picture of Colorado into Word.  Using facts from your note taking guide, decorate your map.  You can use clip art, draw your own in Paint, use clips from the Internet.  BE CREATIVE.

·        Share maps with the class

·        Using Inspiration, each student completes the L part of KWL using Inspiration

 

Assessment

·        KWL Charts from Inspiration

·        Note taking guides

·        Maps of Colorado

 

Extension of the Lesson:

·        K-2 students brainstorm Colorado nouns as teacher writes nouns on a chart.

·        K-2 students write and illustrate a sentence or paragraph using Colorado nouns.

·        3-6 students list Colorado nouns as part of the prewriting phase of the writing process. They will use this list to write sentences or paragraphs. They may dictate the sentences in a synergized writing exercise.

·        Complete the writing process—write a rough draft, share with a friend, revise, and edit. Have finished copy to take to the computer to publish.

·        Older students could use all the resources to write an essay on Colorado history,