I. Topic/Theme:
Students will research explorers using Encarta software and the Internet
Students will prepare and present speeches based on their research

II. Length of Time:
Individual lessons each require 30-60 minutes of class time 
This unit requires a month’s time to complete

III. Michigan English Language Arts Standards and Benchmarks:
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standard II: All students will demonstrate the ability to write clear and grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs, and compositions. 
Michigan English Language Arts Benchmark 1: Write fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as stories, reports, letters, plays, and explanations of processes.
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standard III: All students will focus on meaning and communication as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in personal, social, occupational, and civic contexts.
Michigan English Language Arts Benchmark 1:  Integrate listening, speaking, viewing, reading, and writing skills for multiple purposes and in varied contexts.  An example is using all the language arts to prepare and present a unit project on a selected state or country.
Michigan Social Studies Content Standard III:  All students will reconstruct the past by comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating narratives from evidence. (Analyzing and Interpreting the past).
Michigan Social Studies Benchmark 1:  Use primary sources to reconstruct past events in their local community.

Overview of Unit

  To kickoff the explorer project, the teacher gave a Power Point presentation, which detailed expectations and deadlines of the project.  At this time, the teacher assigned an explorer to each student.  Through the use of Encarta software and the Internet, fifth grade students were able to research the lives and adventures of assigned explorers. 

  Upon receiving a rubric, students were able to highlight necessary facts from their research.  Students used their highlighted research to create hand-written rough reports in the first person.  These reports were then used as a guide when typing reports in the computer lab, using Microsoft Word.  Teacher-edited reports were taken back to the computer lab for revision.  Students used their final copies to give oral presentations to their class.  Students had the option to dress as their assigned explorer for this presentation.  All lessons and presentations were videotaped.  Presentations were shown to other fifth grades that were studying explorers at the time.