In the beginning of this project, I knew that I needed to pick a topic and start gathering information. I did not know to what lengths it would take to actually learn on my own and create a meaningful product. This is a topic that I could have easily Googled and read about and then just kept it to myself. After completing this project, I now know that there is more to inquiry than just that. It is about learning, but also about growing. I consider myself a life-long learner, but what does that really mean? Am I learning or just reading and discarding?
Throughout this project, I was required to utilize the 8Ws developed by Annette Lamb. Sure I had read what they were and the assignments that had gone along with them, but until I completed this project I didn't really know what it truly was. Exploring each of these 8Ws in depth has really helped me find my strengths and weaknesses in completing research becoming closer to a life-long learner.
Not only has this helped me to become a better learner/researcher, but this is important information that I can pass along to future students. I have a teaching license, have taught in the school systems, but I have not really understood the struggles that students have when completing a research project. Utilizing not only Annette Lamb's model, but others as well will help me pass along this knowledge to students, teachers, technology coordinators, parents, and the administration.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Curriculum Connection!
This is by far going to be my favorite part of the project! I know that it sounds kind of odd, but I love being able to take something that I want to learn about and apply it to the standards. For this project, I am going to apply it to grades 3 and 8.
3rd Grade Indiana Standards:
8th Grade Indiana Standards:
Curricular Activities for 3rd Grade:
3rd Grade is a great age for students to begin learning and gaining valuable knowledge about the past. Since there are five standards that relate to this topic, it can be taken in a number of directions. When working with this age group, it would be good to include a lot of hands-on activities to keep them motivated. They could explore Webquests, national historic sites, and read-alouds from children's books to educate them.
Curricular Activities for 8th Grade:
There are so many possibilities for this grade level, but here are just a few. This is where students can become really creative and create their own research projects! They can create PowerPoints, newsletters, dioramas, etc. in order to communicate their knowledge of the Trail of Tears. They can also read more information on the Cherokee and their rich heritage. This would also be a great age to take them to the Trail of Tears and let them experience for themselves.
3rd Grade Indiana Standards:
3.1.1 Describe American Indian groups who lived in the region when European settlers arrived.
ILS: 1, 2, 3
3.1.4 Give examples of people, events, and developments that brought important changes to the local community or region.
ILS: 1-5, 7, 9
3.1.5 Develop simple timelines of events in the local communities.
ILS: 1-9
3.1.6 Read fiction and nonfiction stories to identify the qualities of leaders, such as community leaders, soldiers, presidents, teachers, and inventors.
ILS: 1-3, 5, 8
3.2.7 Use a variety of information resources* to gather information about community leaders and civic issues.
ILS: 1-4, 78th Grade Indiana Standards:
8.1.1 Describe major Indian groups of eastern North America, including early conflict with European settlers.
ILS: 1-3, 7
8.1.20 Explain the influence of individuals on key events and developments of the early United States.
Example: Thomas Jefferson, Robert Fulton, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacajewea, Daniel Boone, Little Turtle, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, John Marshall, James Madison, Dolley Madison, Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, James Polk, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Horace Mann, Dorothea Dix, and Lucretia Mott.
ILS: 1-3
8.3.2 Map and locate all states of the United States, major cities, mountain ranges, and river systems of the United States.
ILS: 1-3, 5, 7
8.3.6 Map changes in national boundaries, distribution of population, and economic activities at critical stages of development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United States.
ILS: 1-3, 7
Curricular Activities for 3rd Grade:
3rd Grade is a great age for students to begin learning and gaining valuable knowledge about the past. Since there are five standards that relate to this topic, it can be taken in a number of directions. When working with this age group, it would be good to include a lot of hands-on activities to keep them motivated. They could explore Webquests, national historic sites, and read-alouds from children's books to educate them.
Curricular Activities for 8th Grade:
There are so many possibilities for this grade level, but here are just a few. This is where students can become really creative and create their own research projects! They can create PowerPoints, newsletters, dioramas, etc. in order to communicate their knowledge of the Trail of Tears. They can also read more information on the Cherokee and their rich heritage. This would also be a great age to take them to the Trail of Tears and let them experience for themselves.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
I wish...
Well, now that the project is finally completed it is time to reflect and wish upon it. I think overall my project went fairly well. There were a lot of ups and downs within the project, but I am satisfied with my final project.
My strengths were being able to gather the information, evaluate it, and apply it. However, it was hard for me to actually sit down and read all of the information I had at hand. Also, writing in a blog was a brand new experience for me, so adjusting to that was a little challenging.
I think that my personal inquiry experiences are very alike to those of children and young adults that I will come in contact with. It is usually easiest to gather all of the information, but piecing it all together is the hard part. I know through personal experience that in order to successfully complete a project well, a timeline is a MUST for me!
My strengths were being able to gather the information, evaluate it, and apply it. However, it was hard for me to actually sit down and read all of the information I had at hand. Also, writing in a blog was a brand new experience for me, so adjusting to that was a little challenging.
I think that my personal inquiry experiences are very alike to those of children and young adults that I will come in contact with. It is usually easiest to gather all of the information, but piecing it all together is the hard part. I know through personal experience that in order to successfully complete a project well, a timeline is a MUST for me!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Waving
How am I going to communicate my project to others? Well I am obviously sharing this with the entire class, but what about the other people in this world? In order to educate my family on our historical heritage, I will be sending (e-mail or mail) a copy of my final product. This will help them better understand the struggles our ancestors underwent. I am also going to continue to leave this blog on the web so maybe some people will learn more.
So what exactly is my decision? I am sure you have all heard the expression, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well in my case I have 14 pictures, so I guess it will be worth 14,000 words. I have created a collage of pictures that I found on-line and in books. I know that it may not appear to be a lot, but pictures can sometimes speak for themselves...
I have also created a PowerPoint Presentation that can be viewed at:
https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/ajpicket/TheTrailofTearsProject1.ppt
So what exactly is my decision? I am sure you have all heard the expression, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well in my case I have 14 pictures, so I guess it will be worth 14,000 words. I have created a collage of pictures that I found on-line and in books. I know that it may not appear to be a lot, but pictures can sometimes speak for themselves...
I have also created a PowerPoint Presentation that can be viewed at:
https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/ajpicket/TheTrailofTearsProject1.ppt
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wrapping it together!
What’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word wrapping? The first thing is obviously a package. I think about Christmas time and the part of the year that I dread when trying to make the presents look presentable. So I think that this is going to be a “messy” wrapping. According to the 8Ws developed by Annette Lamb, “Wrapping involves creating and packaging ideas and solutions.” This means creating a product. The hard part is deciding what kind of product I need to create. There are a lot of options and it’s time to choose.
These are some of the options I am considering:
These are some of the options I am considering:
- Map: I can create a map of the Trail of Tears and along with the map, an essay explaining the triumph and journey of the Cherokee Nation.
- Newsletter: One of my favorite things to do is create newsletters. I have an idea to create a newsletter about the nation, Trail of Tears, and the U.S. government.
- PowerPoint: This is a product that is used widely these days. It is easy to create and simple to follow for others.
- WebQuest: I have used Webquests in the past and think that it is an excellent way for students to learn. This could also help me with my future career.
- Play: I could create a play to have people reenact the experience.
- Collage: One of my favorite things to do is photography. Within this, I like to create collages of different experiences in my life. This could be done with pictures and photographs.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Hmmm...
The more that I have thought about it, the more I have been disappointed in my last blog. I think that sometimes simple phrases can be used, but in my case, it was just not useful enough. So, I therefore added to an Inspiration web that I have already created!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Web I Weave...
It is time that I begin to weave a new web. This is the part of the process that I will put all of my information together. I have gathered and evaluated my resources and information, now I just need to put into a project. As stated by Annette Lamb, “encourage students to process information rather than simply copying…transform information into new forms.”
One of the main ways to organize this information is to create a concept map. Since I have been using Inspiration throughout this project, I will use it again to create a concept map.
Although this concept map doesn't seem to have a lot of information on it, phrases can be just as meaningful as paragraphs. These are the main thoughts and ideas that I saw through my reading/research and what I will incorporate into my project.
One of the main ways to organize this information is to create a concept map. Since I have been using Inspiration throughout this project, I will use it again to create a concept map.
Although this concept map doesn't seem to have a lot of information on it, phrases can be just as meaningful as paragraphs. These are the main thoughts and ideas that I saw through my reading/research and what I will incorporate into my project.
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