Lesson Plan Two: Exploration of Civil War Webquest

Michigan Social Studies Standards and Benchmarks:

    1.Inquiry Perspective

        Standard 1: All students will acquire information from books, maps, newspapers, data sets and other sources, organize and present the information in maps, graphs, charts and timelines, interpret the meaning and significance of information, and use a variety of electronic technologies to assist in accessing and managing information.

            Later Elementary Benchmark 1: Locate information about local, state and national communities using a variety of traditional sources, electronic technologies, and direct observations.

        Standard 2: All students will conduct investigations by formulating a clear statement of a question, gathering and organizing information from a variety of sources, analyzing and interpreting information, formulating and testing hypotheses, reporting results both orally and in writing, and making use of appropriate technology.

            Later Elementary Benchmark 1: Pose a social science question about Michigan or the United States.

            Later Elementary Benchmark 2: Gather and analyze information using appropriate information technologies to answer the question posed.

National Educational Technology Standards:

    1. Basic operations and concepts

            1. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively.

    3. Technology productivity tools

            4.Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum.

            5. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Objectives:

    -Students will research information for the question, "What was life like for a Confederate/Union soldier during my chosen battle?"

Materials:

    -"Introduction" and "Task" from Civil War Webquest on printed paper

    -Research worksheet

    -Computer Lab (30 computers)

    -Internet access (Civil War Webquest via School notes page)

    -pencil

Purpose:

    -Students will learn to research relevant information about a specific battle during the Civil War.  Students will chose a battle with a partner and will research individually.  Each person from the group of two will represent either a Confederate or Union soldier.  As students learn to research for information about their chosen battle, they will also find information specific to the side they are fighting for.

Anticipatory Set:  [This happens in the classroom]

   -Teacher will reread the Government letter to the students and  remind them that they will be "fighting" in a battle against their best friend in the Civil War.

Check for Understanding:

   -This will happen on an individual basis once we are in the computer lab.  The teacher will circulate around the computer lab and ask students specific questions as they work.  The teacher will also answer any questions from the students at this time.

Modeling:

   -Teacher assigns each student to a partner.  After doing so, teacher hands out research worksheet.

   -Teacher picks one student from the class to use as a model.  Teacher says, "I am going to pretend that Jonathan is my partner.  As soon as I know my partner, I am going to write his name on my worksheet where it says "partner's name".  Now I want you to do the same thing on your worksheet.  When we go into the computer lab, Jonathan and I are going to sit at our own computers that are right next to each other.  The first thing we will need to do is decide who will be a Confederate soldier and who will be a Union soldier.  Next, Jonathan and I will decide together which battle we will be fighting in.  Before you do any research, you must fill out the top of your worksheet."

Guided Practice  [Class moves to computer lab]

   -Teacher will show students how to get to the "Process" page that shows the battles the groups can chose from.

    -Teacher will circulate around the class to make sure students have picked their battles.  Teacher will emphasis that the questions the students should be researching can be found on the Webquest in the "Task" section (all students have a paper copy of this).

Independent Practice:

   -Students will research information about their specific battle.  Although they will be working individually on this part of the project, they will be sitting next to their partner and can discuss any findings with them at anytime.

*This part of the lesson will take several days to complete *

Closure:

   -As students finish their research, they must show the teacher so she can make sure the student has a sufficient amount of information.