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SUMMARY

KEY INFORMATION

Fourth graders will become historians. Through this project based learning, students will discover the various aspects of life for early Americans. They will complete an interactive research project that depicts life experience of an early American group (multimedia encouraged). As the goal is to encourage others to use their project to ascertain more information, small groups or individuals must ensure that the work is engaging, interesting, and relevant.

GRADE
4

TOPIC
Early America

LESSONS
Download

DURATION
6-7 Days

INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL
Project - Based Learning

AUTHOR(S)
Elementary ELA Team

RESOURCES

The lessons for this Cornerstone require the resources listed below. More information regarding the use of each of the resources can be located in the Cornerstone lesson plans.

TEXTS AND WEBSITES

DC Public Library Research Guides

"The First Americans"

"Map of 12 Geographical and Cultural Regions of North American Indians"

SUPPLIES & TECHNOLOGY

Computers with internet access	Texts and articles on topic
Interactive display materials	Chart paper

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

Cornerstones are relevant, rigorous, and aligned to national learning standards. Use the tabs below to learn more about aligning to standards, embedding the Cornerstone in your unit of study, and preparing to teach the Cornerstones.

STANDARDS
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXTENSIONS
PLANNING

STANDARDS

Reading:

RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

RI.4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

RI.4.7: Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

RI.4.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Speaking and Listening:

SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SL.4.2: Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

SL.4.4: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

SL.4.6: Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Writing:

W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

W.4.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

W.4.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

W.4.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Language:

L.4.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.4.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXTENSIONS

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

In order to be successful with this Cornerstone, students will need to know that people arrived in the Americas and that there was a variety of Native American tribes living in the Americas before European exploration. Teachers can help students build this knowledge by reading "The First Americans", watching the "Land Bridge Theory" video, and showing students the "Map of 12 Geographical and Cultural Regions of North American Indians".

In order to write about how the group of early Americans they choose to research, students need some understanding of early exploration. Teachers can use the three texts and modules about Columbus and the Taino Native Americans (Encounter, Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus?, and "From the Journal of Christopher Columbus") to develop student understanding of interactions between Native Americans and early settlers.

As this Cornerstone is research-based, students would benefit from experience with finding answer to research questions (using texts or digital sources). Students may need additional support with navigating websites, using tables of contents, typing in research questions, and so on. Reference the AGOPPE research model for additional support.

PLACEMENT

BEFORE

This Cornerstone occurs toward the end of Unit 2: Early America, so by now students will have studied theories of how early Americans came to the Americas, interactions between early explorers and Native American tribes, and the importance of studying historical events from different points of view. The Cornerstone builds on this knowledge by asking students to choose a group of early Americans (Native American tribes or early settlers) to research the daily life and experiences of a particular group of people. Students will deepen their understanding of one group of early Americans while drawing on what they have studied in the unit to understand the relationship between their chosen early American groups other early Americans. As part of the Cornerstone, students will share their interactive displays with peers, developing their presenting, speaking, and listening skills and their understanding of the diversity of groups of early Americans studied by their peers.

DURING

I can choose a group of early Americans to research for my interactive display and understand how I will be evaluated on my interactive display.
I can develop a research plan by writing research questions.
I can research my group of early Americans using print and/or digital sources.
I can take notes while researching my group of early Americans to answer all research questions needed for my interactive display.
I can synthesize my research notes into complete paragraphs by grouping related information in sections.
I can organize my information in an interactive display.
I can present my new knowledge on the early American group I researched by sharing my work with an audience.
I can reflect on my work using a self-evaluation process.

AFTER

After completing the Cornerstone, students will use continue their study by using multiple sources to learn about Jamestown and the Chesapeake Bay Native Americans while also reading about the first Thanksgiving from a Native American (Wampanoag) point of view. Students can apply their knowledge and expertise about early Americans to the culminating task of writing an opinion piece about the celebration of Columbus Day.

PLANNING

PLANNING

The Cornerstone for this unit is a research-based interactive display on one particular group of early Americans and their daily life. Teachers are encouraged to focus on the content and concepts students should develop: specific information on how a group of early Americans lived. The secondary concept students will develop is how to present their research findings. This is the interactive display. Teachers will want to reference the AGOPPE research model to develop students' understanding of the research process.

INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH

This Cornerstone is designed to deepen student understanding of an early American group's daily life, and their interactions with other groups, in addition to building research, writing, and presentation skills. This Cornerstone follows the AGOPPE research model of asking questions, gathering information, organizing information, preparing information, presenting information, and evaluating information. Students will first learn the process of asking questions by choosing a topic (a specific group of early Americans) and generating research topics and questions so that they understand what information they need to gather. Then, students will gather information using given and found sources and recording their findings. Next, the students will prepare and present their information by creating an interactive display that shows their understanding of at least three aspects of an early American group's daily life and sharing with an audience of peers, other students, parents, etc. Lastly, students will evaluate their process and product using the Cornerstone Rubric and receive feedback on the same rubric from their teacher. This AGOPPE framework will ensure that students have experience with all steps of the research process. Throughout the process, students will be given graphic organizers and/or written directions and modeling that support their development of research questions, finding sources, answering of research questions, recording of sources, organizing of the interactive display, and sharing of the interactive display. Organizers that will deepen student understanding of key concepts. To conclude the unit on the second and final day will consist of students applying skills learned in the previous lesson in order to complete an obstacle course while being assess by the teacher and peers.

LESSON PACING

Below is a recommended pacing for this Cornerstone and the objective for each lesson. More information regarding each lesson can be located in the Cornerstone lesson plans.

LESSON	OBJECTIVE
Lesson 1	Ask Questions Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Exemplar Slideshow AGOPPE Research Model Anchor Chart Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Project Rubric List of suggested early American groups Anchor chart of possible research questions Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Question Organizer Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Organizer Books, pictures, digital sources for students to explore different groups
Lesson 2	Gather Information Books, articles, etc. on topic Computers/ technology to do internet research Directions to navigate to DCPS Library website Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Organizer
Lesson 3	Gather Information 2-3 student exemplars of a research question, answer, and source from GATHERING day Exemplar books for potential mini-lesson 2 Mini-lessons 1 and 3 need computers, projector, and internet access Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Organizer
Lesson 4	Organize Information Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Organizer Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Quick Outline Sample notes for students to practice turning into organized writing
Lesson 5	Prepare Three organized sections of text on an aspect of life for an early American group from Day 4 Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Research Organizer Internet resources and books for further research or visuals Interactive display materials (poster paper, markers, Glog account, PowerPoint template, brochure template, etc.) Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Project Rubric
Lesson 6	Present and Evaluate Finished interactive displays Grade 4 Cornerstone 2 Project Rubric

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