travis nelson [email protected] collaborative unit the...

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Travis Nelson

[email protected]

Collaborative Unit – The Price of Power

April 20, 2014

mailto:[email protected]

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The Price of Power Collaborative Unit

Overview

For this project I will be collaborating with Brennan Davis, a twelfth grade English

teacher at Irmo High School on a unit of study entitled, The Price of Power. This unit of study

emerges from the students’ reading of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and is thematically linked to the

idea of the pursuit of power and wealth, with a guiding focus on identifying examples of this

dynamic in historical contexts. Macbeth’s pursuit of power provides the context for his downfall

and throughout this unit of study students will research and explore historical instances of the

pursuit of power as well as its consequences. The unit will directly follow the students’ reading

of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and as such, the unit will be focused on relating the themes of

Macbeth to history and ultimately student’s lives as opposed to plot points or plot devices which

will have been studied prior to this unit.

This topic had been previously offered as a student generated, out-of-class extra credit

assignment. Mrs. Davis was interested in exploring ways to integrate this assignment into a

classroom unit of study. With this in mind we have developed a unit that places students into

collaborative groups that will explore the above themes via a research project that culminates

with a multimedia presentation during class time. Outcomes are as follows:

Learning Outcomes Chart

Content Learning Outcomes The student will be able to:

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised:

Students will be able to produce a multimedia presentation using the appropriate English language conventions.

Applying

Students will be able to create a multimedia presentation demonstrating the insight and knowledge that they have gained on their historical figure through research.

Creating

Students will be able to connect their understanding of literature (MacBeth) to real world figures.

Analyzing

Information Skills Learning Outcomes Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised:

Students will be able to successfully apply their knowledge of the Big 6 research framework.

Applying

Students will be able to locate, understand, analyze and evaluate information found online resources.

Evaluating

Students will produce accurate citations that properly attribute the thoughts and language they have appropriated in completion of their English project.

Applying

Students will be able to apply the knowledge they discovered on their topic to plan and implement a collaborative group presentation.

Creating

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The essential question of content based learning used to guide this unit will be:

What role does the pursuit of power and wealth play in people’s lives?

The essential question of Information Literacy learning will be:

How do I locate and evaluate online resources that will aide me in exploring relevant,

appropriate, and valid information in regards to our “Price of Power” English project?

As subsidiary questions to the above the following will be asked:

What elements of power and wealth are present in our selected historical figure?

What did our historical figure do with his/her wealth and power?

What consequences did the attainment of power and wealth have on this figure and those

that were affected by them?

Where is the dictator’s country located? What is the terrain there? What are some

significant social characteristics about the country, its economy and/or history? What

made it vulnerable to the Dictator?

What makes a good leader? What makes a bad leader?

How does the Dictator affect the world outside of his country’s borders? (i.e., imports?

Exports? Refugees? Diseases? Nuclear/chemical weapons?) Do they or did they affect

the US? Explain.

Should something, or was something, done about the situation? Why or why not? What,

and by whom?

The following is an example of what a student generated K-W-H-L chart might look like for this

unit.

K

What I Know

W

What I Want to

Know

Or

What I want to

Solve.

H

How Will I find

Information (Which

resources, web

pages, texts,

formulas, methods,

etc.)

L

What I Learned

Macbeth’s pursuit of

power had direct

consequences on his

life.

How has the pursuit

of power affected

people through

history? How has it

affected me?

I will locate and

evaluate online

resources via the

methods I learned in

class and via the use

of Discus resources.

The pursuit of power

has a transformative

effect on individuals

that can have long

lasting repercussions

on their life and on

the lives of those

around them.

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Learners

Mrs. Davis has cultivated a classroom of learners that regularly engage in collaborative

assignments and are accustomed to being valuable contributors to classroom conversations.

Based on beginning of the year pre-tests, the learners of this classroom can be described as

generally falling into the following reading comprehension levels:

5% Proficient

80% Approaching proficient

15% Inadequate proficiency.

Students’ multiple intelligences will be addressed through various modes of instruction as

well as through the specific roles present within the group activity. Division of these roles

allows students to learn in a way that best suits their specific needs. Students are largely

identified as hands on learners who enjoy engaging with each other in the completion of a

project.

As high school seniors in a college prep English track, these students have previously worked

on research projects that culminate with a class presentation. Technology tools have been readily

available to these students throughout their high school career and have been used previously in

this class. From these experiences students have a working knowledge of Powerpoint, Prezi and

the classroom Smartboard.

Students in this class have a firm grasp on the “Remembering”, “Understanding”, and

“Applying” dimensions of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy but struggle at times with “Analysing”

and “Evaluating” items, especially those found via the Internet and other digital resources.

Weaknesses in these dimensions affect the “Creating” dimension as they are unable to

consistently attribute ideas to their origin sources and/or provide citations for sources that were

relevant to their sense making of a topic.

This unit will be taking place in a Senior English class and as such all learners will be

between 17-18 years of age. Students of this age are on the verge of transitioning into new

communities and new roles in their lives. Whether this community takes the form of a post-

secondary community or that of a work community these students will need to have developed

information literacy skills in order to fully transition into a world that is increasingly dependent

on information literacy skills. This unit of study meets this need by incorporating information

literacy instruction via an authentic research experience. Additionally, student needs are met

through the relevant examination of how themes found in literature can also be found in the

world around them. This enhanced understanding will better allow students to function as

members of the communities that they are a part of.

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Standards

This unit of study aligns with and supports both AASL Information Literacy Standards as

well as Common Core State Standards. Students will engage in a research process that allows

them to utilize acquired knowledge from literature experiences in such a way that allows them to

construct new knowledge from their research and draw conclusions on the way to creating new

personal knowledge. This research process will also allow for students to analyze how the

characters’ actions in Macbeth are similar to events that have occurred in the world around them.

The culminating group project will allow students to demonstrate this newly formed knowledge

in a variety of personally relevant formats. Standards to be specifically addressed can be viewed

in the chart below.

Standards Chart

Information Literacy Standards

(American Association of School

Librarians, 2009)

Common Core State Standards

(2010)

Skills

Indicators

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select

appropriate sources to answer

questions.

1.1.5 Evaluate information

found in selected sources on the

basis of accuracy, validity,

appropriateness to needs,

importance, and social and

cultural context.

3.1.4 Use technology and other

information tools to organize

and display knowledge and

understanding in ways that

others can view, use, and assess.

3.1.6 Use information and

technology ethically and

responsibly.

CC.11-12.R.I.7 Integration of

Knowledge and Ideas: Integrate

and evaluate multiple sources of

information presented in

different media or formats (e.g.,

visually, quantitatively) as well

as in words in order to address

a question or solve a problem.

CC.11-12.W.7 Research to

Build and Present Knowledge:

Conduct short as well as more

sustained research projects to

answer a question (including a

self-generated question) or solve

a problem; narrow or broaden

the inquiry when appropriate;

synthesize multiple sources on

the subject, demonstrating

understanding of the subject

under investigation.



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Gather relevant information

from multiple authoritative

print and digital sources, using

advanced searches effectively;

assess the strengths and

limitations of each source in

terms of the task, purpose, and

audience; integrate information

into the text selectively to

maintain the flow of ideas,

avoiding plagiarism and

overreliance on any one source

and following a standard format

for citation.



Draw evidence form literary or

informational texts to support

analysis, reflection, and

research.

CC.11-12.SL.5 Presentation of

Knowledge and Ideas: Make

strategic use of digital media

(e.g., textual, graphical, audio,

visual, and interactive elements)

in presentations to enhance

understanding of findings,

reasoning, and evidence and to

add interest.

Dispositions

In

Action

2.2.1 Demonstrate flexibility in

the use of resources by adapting

information strategies to each

specific resource and by seeking

additional resources when clear

conclusions cannot be drawn.

2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in

drawing conclusions by

demonstrating that the pattern

of evidence leads to a decision

or conclusion.

1.2.6 Display emotional

resilience by persisting in

information searching despite

RI 11-12.1 Cite strong and

thorough textual evidence to

support analysis of what the

text says explicitly as well as

inferences drawn from the text,

including determining where

the text leaves matters

uncertain.







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challenges.

1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance

by questioning the validity and

accuracy of all information.






















for citation.

Responsibilities 1.3.1 Respect

copyright/intellectual property

rights of creators and

producers.

1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange

of ideas within the learning

community.

1.3.5 Use information

technology responsibly.

2.3.1 Connect understanding to

the real world.
















for citation.

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Self-Assessment

Strategies

1.4.4 Seek appropriate help

when it is needed.

2.4.1 Determine how to act on

information (accept, reject,

modify).

CC.11-12.L.3 Knowledge of

Language: Apply knowledge of

language to understand how

language functions in different

contexts, to make effective

choices for meaning or style,

and to comprehend more fully

when reading or listening.

CC.11-12.R.I.1 Key Ideas and

Details: Cite strong and

thorough textual evidence to

support analysis of what the

text says explicitly as well as

inferences drawn from the text,

including determining where

the text leaves matters

uncertain.


























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for citation.

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Instructional Strategies

Instruction will occur both in the teacher’s classroom and the school media center. The

introduction to this unit of study as well as final product presentation will occur in the home

classroom, while information literacy instruction will occur in the school media center.

Research, group collaboration, content production will largely occur in the school media center

however students are able to work on this assignment outside of class via Discus home access.

Charted below is a general flow of how the unit will progress in regards to time. Also included

is a brief description of the forms of instruction and assessment.

Timeline Chart

Day Where Time

Allotted

Who What

Introduction

to

Assignment

Monday Classroom 90 minutes Teacher Introductory session on unit of study

and research project. Teacher will

frame the unit of study using the

question “Do we control our power

and wealth or does it control us?”

Teacher will then discuss expectations

for unit products. Students will use

these product expectations to

determine a set of benchmarks to be

delivered upon throughout the unit of

study.

Research

Skills and

Discus

Resources

Wednesday Library 90 minutes Librarian Overview of Discus and other

Pathfinder resources with a focus on

the evaluating the difference between

resources found on the open web

(Google) and those of the closed web

(databases). Students will be taught

how to locate and evaluate online

resources. Initial stages of research

process will begin on this day.

Additional time will be spent

reviewing what is included in an

annotated citation. Formative

assessment is to be conducted via

group visitation during research

planning.

Student

Research

Friday Library 90 minutes Librarian

and

Teacher

Students will continue to engage in

research on their topic. The first set

of student generated, teacher

approved benchmarks will be

reviewed at the end of this session.

Research progress will be assessed via

material selection. Additional

modeling of information literacy

skills will take place with groups that

need additional assistance evaluating

and selecting relevant sources.

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Differentiated learning needs will be met and accommodated through similar unit

mechanics that allow for students to work on group objectives that are best suited to their

individual needs. Mrs. Davis and I will be on hand to help students needing additional support.

Additionally, students with special needs may also receive additional support for this assignment

via resource teachers where specified via their IEP. Any students who progress at an accelerated

rate may earn extra credit by locating and citing text from MacBeth that correlates to their

historical figure.

Pathfinder

The pathfinder that has been created for use with this unit corresponds to the information

literacy objectives of this unit. The pathfinder features an introduction and information on a

variety of relevant online databases. Students in this class will have varying degrees of

familiarity with many of these resources. Each page of the pathfinder is split into two columns.

One column features text on the information that can be found within the database, while the

other column features information on how to perform a basic search of the database. Access to

the Purdue Online Writing Lab is provided via the pathfinder as a reference tool for creating

citations.

The pathfinder can be located via the following link:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1316235

Content

Production

Tuesday Library 90 minutes Librarian

and

Teacher

Students will engage in the

content creation aspects of

their final project. Students

do so in their choice of

production medium (e.g.

Prezi) in accordance with

teacher provided project

rubric. Teacher and Librarian

will work with groups to

ensure that unit objectives

are being met. Formative

assessment to be conducted

based on production

progress.

Presentations

Day One

Thursday Classroom 90 minutes Librarian

and

Teacher

Culmination of student

research project via product

presentations

Presentations

Day Two

Self and Peer

Reflections

Monday Classroom 90 minutes Librarian

and

Teacher

Day Two of Product

Presentations. Self and Peer

reflections to be conducted

after final presentations. As

a part of this reflective

exercise, students will be

asked to provide information

on what tips they may give a

future student completing the

same assignment.

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1316235

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Roles

1.) Planning

The planning for this unit was born from my collaborating teacher’s desire to adapt what

had previously been an individually led extra credit assignment for students into a unit of study

that all students could mutually benefit from. As such the basic idea for exploring the themes of

MacBeth via real world historical figures was pre-conceptualized prior to the creation of this

unit. All other elements of unit have been collaboratively planned with extensive emphasis

placed on the enhancements that the media center and a lesson on information literacy could

afford the unit. In our initial conversation about this unit we discussed both of our instructional

needs which led to creation of the timetable, calendar, and expected products. As I have grown

in my role this semester so too has the unit and as such a variety of tweaks have been made to

enhance the instruction that would take place in the media center in regards to information

literacy.

2.) Execution

Irmo High School operates on a block schedule that consists of 90 minute class periods.

The beginning of this unit of study begins in the classroom with Mrs. Davis. This initial lesson

will allow her to introduce the unit to students and to go over the unit products. Students will be

assigned to groups of three and will select the historical figure that will be the focus of their class

presentation at the end of the unit. At this point students will, as a class, discuss benchmarks that

will be delivered upon throughout the unit of study. Mrs. Davis will lead this discussion and

approve these benchmarks based on unit appropriateness.

At this point in the unit students will come to the library and I will teach a lesson that

provides an overview of Discus and other resources with a focus on the evaluating of the

difference between resources found on the open web (Google) and those of the closed web

(databases). Students will be taught how to locate and evaluate and use online databases. The

session will end with information about annotated citations and the information that should be

included within them.

Once the above lessons have concluded the students will engage in the research and

conduct production phases of this unit. At this point Mrs. Davis and I will serve to guide

students through this process providing assistance and additional modeling of skills to groups or

individual students. Each of us will perform formative assessments through visitations to each

group.

3.) Evaluation

Evaluation of final student products will be conducted through a continues collaboration

between the teacher and school librarian through the use of a rubric that was designed by the

librarian, approved by the teacher, and provided to the students in both verbal and written forms.

An evaluation of the unit collaboration will also be conducted by both the teacher and the

librarian after completion of the unit. The evaluation will help determine both the successes that

can be built upon and the areas for improvement that can be addressed in future collaborations.

This evaluation will be guided by the following questions:

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Do you feel as though the unit as a whole was successful?

How might it be adapted to better suit student need and interest?

In what ways was this unit beneficial to the students’ personal growth?

In what ways was this unit beneficial to the students’ academic growth?

Do you feel as though necessary curriculum standards were addressed in this unit?

Do you feel as though enough time was allotted for this unit?

In what ways were the collaborative elements of this unit beneficial?

Suggestions: What changes should be made in the unit?

Lesson Plan

A lesson plan has been created via the AASL Lesson Plan Database and can be found at

the following link.

http://aasl.jesandco.org/content/price-power-senior-project

A copy of this information has been included below in the event that access cannot be

obtained to the website listed above.

Price of Power Senior Project

Created By:

Travis Nelson

Title/Role:

MLIS Student

Organization/School Name:

University of South Carolina

Location:

South Carolina

Grade Level:

12

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Flexible

Collaboration Continuum:

Intensive

http://aasl.jesandco.org/content/price-power-senior-project

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Content Area:

Language Arts

Content Topic:

The pursuit of power and wealth.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.

1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity,

appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

Dispostion Indicator(s):

1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information.

1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.

2.2.1 Demonstrate flexibility in the use of resources by adapting information strategies to each

specific resource and by seeking additional resources when clear conclusions cannot be drawn.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

1.3.3 Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.

1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

1.4.4 Seek appropriate help when it is needed.

2.4.1 Determine how to act on information (accept, reject, modify).

Scenario:

A Senior English teacher is interested in making a connection between Shakespeare's Macbeth

and real world dictators, past or present. This unit of study will take place directly following the

students completion of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and is thematically linked to the idea of the

pursuit of power and wealth, with a guiding focus on identifying examples of this dynamic in

real world contexts. Students will form collaborative groups of three from which to explore this

topic. Students will create a multimedia presentation (e.g. Prezi or Powerpoint) of their research

findings that will be then presented to the class as a final unit product. The teacher will introduce

the unit and product expectations. The librarian will teach students how to locate, evaluate and

create annotated citations for online resources. The teacher and librarian will collaborate on the

creation of a rubric and will likewise contribute to the final assessment process.

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Overview:

Students will be taught how to locate, evaluate and create annotated citations for these online

sources. The essential question is for this is: "What role does the pursuit of power and wealth

play in people’s lives?"

Final Product:

The students will create a multimedia presentation (e.g. Powerpoint, Prezi) of their research

findings that will then be used to present to the class.

Library Lesson:

Students will learn the difference between resources found on the open web (e.g. Google) and

those of the closed web (e.g. databases). Students will be taught how to locate, evaluate and

create annotated citations for these online sources.

Estimated Lesson Time:

90 minutes

Assessment

Product:

The students will create a multimedia presentation (e.g. Prezi or Powerpoint) of their research

findings that students will use in a presentation to the class. Students will be required to create an

annotated citation list for their resources.

Process:

The teacher and librarian will conduct formative assessments of student work via group

visitations during the research and presentation creation phases of this unit. Students will also

receive formative assessments of the product benchmarks as they progress that were created and

agreed upon at the beginning of the unit. The teacher and librarian will contribute to the

assessment of the final products and presentations via the use of a collaboratively designed

rubric.

Self-Questioning:

Students will be prompted to think about a number of a number of self-questioning prompts

throughout the learning process. Some examples of these questions are: "How do I evaluate the

information that I find?" "Have I found enough accurate information to answer all of my

questions?" "What new understandings did I develop about the topic or idea?"

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Instructional Plan:

Resources students will use:

Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)

Still image (i.e.paintings, drawings, plans, and maps)

Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)

Interactive Resource URL:

http://scdiscus.org

Resources instructor will use:

Projector

Laptop

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

The librarian will teach a lesson on the differences between resources found on the open web

(e.g. Google) and those of the closed web (e.g. databases). This lesson will utilize Smartboard

technology and will be structured as a series of comparative searches using each tool available

search tool. Students will receive instruction on how to locate and evaluate these resources.

Additional instruction will be provided in how to create annotated citations for these online

resources without the aid of a citation generator. Additional instruction will be provided to

students based on needs that are demonstrated via formative assessments.

Modeling and guided practice:

The librarian will model how to locate and evaluate online resources and how to create an

annotated citation for an online resource. The students will then be given an example website for

which they will use the modeled criteria to evaluate and create an annotated citation for. The

librarian and teacher will visit with each group to guide and answer any questions that students

may have.

Independent practice:

Students will be asked to individually locate, evaluate and create one annotated citation for an

article that is relevant to their topic. This article will serve as the first resource and citation for

their presentation.

Sharing and reflecting:

At the end of the lesson students will reconvene with their group members to share resources and

citations that they have created. Students will review each other’s work and reflect on their

experiences locating, evaluating, and creating the annotated citation for this source. As a part of

http://scdiscus.org/

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this reflective exercise students will be asked to discuss what a reliable resource is and how this

understanding may or may not have changed from their understanding prior to the lesson.

Upon completion of this lesson students will have one resource and citation from each member

of their group that can be used on their presentation. At the end of the unit students will share

their research findings with each other via group presentations to the class. Self and Peer

reflections will be conducted after students give their final presentations. As a part of this

reflective exercise, students will be asked to provide information on what tips they may give a

future student completing the same assignment.

Have you taught this lesson before:

No

Strategies for differentiation:

Differentiated learning needs will be met and accommodated in this lesson through the provision

of materials and resources spanning multiple reading levels and through unit mechanics that

allow for students to work on group objectives that are best suited to their individual needs. The

teacher and librarian will be on hand to help students needing additional support during class and

will also be available before and after school if needed. Additionally, students with special needs

may also receive additional support for this assignment via resource teachers where specified via

their IEP. Any students who progress at an accelerated rate may earn extra credit by locating and

citing text from MacBeth that correlates to their historical figure.

Summative Assessment

For the final product of this unit students will collaborate in groups to complete a

research project that answers the essential question of this unit of study, “What role does the

pursuit of power and wealth play in people’s lives?” In order to successfully complete this

assignment, students will be required to locate, evaluate, and create annotated citations for each

of the resources that they use to complete their research. Once research has been completed

students will create a multimedia presentation demonstrating the insight and knowledge that they

have gained on their historical figure through research while adhering to appropriate English

language conventions. Students will demonstrate their understanding of literature (MacBeth) as it

is reflected in real world figures and in turn in their own lives and communities.

A sample of what a student final multimedia project may look like can be found at:

http://prezi.com/rvrjy7e9gnat/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Multimedia products, annotated citations, and group presentations will be assessed by

both the teacher and librarian via a rubric that was created with input from both individuals. This

rubric can be found in the chart below:

http://prezi.com/rvrjy7e9gnat/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

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Presentation

Content 17- 20 Points

Provides clear purpose and

subject; pertinent

examples, facts, and/or

statistics; supports

conclusions/ideas with

evidence.

9-16 Point

Has somewhat clear

purpose and subject;

some examples, facts,

and/or statistics that

support the subject;

includes some data or

evidence that supports

conclusions.

1-8 points

Does not clearly define

subject and purpose;

provides weak or no

support of subject;

gives insufficient

support for ideas or

conclusions.

Delivery 12-14 Points

Holds attention of entire

audience with the use of

direct eye contact, seldom

looking at notes. Speaks

with fluctuation in volume

and inflection to maintain

audience interest and

emphasize key points.

8-14 Points

Consistent use of direct

eye contact with

audience, but still

returns to notes. Speaks

with satisfactory

variation of volume

and inflection.

1-7 points

Holds no eye contact

with audience, as entire

report is read from

notes. Speaks in low

volume and/or

monotonous tone,

which causes audience

to disengage.

Organization 12-14 Points

The message is overtly

organized. The speaker

helps the listener

understand the sequence

and relationships of ideas

by using organizational

aids such as announcing

the topic, previewing the

organization, using

transitions, and

summarizing.

8-14 Points

The organization of the

message is mixed up

and random. The

listener must make

some assumptions

about the sequence and

relationship of ideas.

1-7 Points

The message is so

disorganized you

cannot understand most

of the message.

Length 10 Points

Presentation is given on

assigned day. Presentation

is within one minute of

allotted time.

7 Points

Presentation is given

on assigned day.

Presentation exceeds or

is short of the target

time by 1-3 minutes.

4 Points

Presentation is given

on assigned day.

Presentation exceeds or

is short of the target

time by 3 or more

minutes.

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Annotated Citations

7 points 4-6 points 1-3 points

Source

Selection:

All sources chosen are

highly relevant to the topic;

Sources add greatly to

research potential; few, if

any additional sources

needed.

1-2 sources chosen are

not relevant to the

topic; May require a

small amount of

additional research.

3 or more sources

chosen are not relevant

to the topic; writer may

need additional sources

to complete research.

Credibility: All sources are from

credible, scholarly

materials.

1-2 sources are not

from credible,

scholarly materials.

3 or more sources are

not from credible,

scholarly materials.

Annotations: All Annotations succinctly

and comprehensively

describe the source

material; Annotations offer

great insight into the source

material.

1- 2 annotations are not

succinct, do not

comprehensively

describe the source

material, or do not

offer insight into the

source materials used.

3 or more annotations

are not succinct, do not

comprehensively

describe the source

material, or do not


source materials used.

Evaluations: All evaluations clearly

explain why the sources

were chosen, demonstrate a

clear understanding of

research process and offer

insight into the source.

1-2 evaluations do not

clearly explain why the

sources were chosen,

demonstrate a clear

understanding of

research process and


source.

3 or more evaluations

do not clearly explain

why the sources were

chosen, demonstrate a

clear understanding of

research process and


source.

Assignment

Criteria:

Each source has a proper

citation; All citations are

complete; All are in the

proper APA format.

1-2 sources do not have

proper citation, are not

complete, or are not in

the proper APA format.

3 or more sources do

not have proper

citation, are not

complete, or are not in

the proper APA format.

Mechanics,

Grammar,

and Proofing:

1-2 mechanical,

grammatical, punctuation,

and spelling errors; All of

the assignment

requirements were met.

3-5 mechanical,

grammatical,

punctuation, and

spelling errors; All

Most of the assignment


5 or more mechanical,

grammatical,

punctuation, and

spelling errors; All

Few of the assignment


20

Reflection

Students

Students will be prompted to think about a number of self-questioning prompts throughout

the learning process. These questions have been adapted from the AASL Standards for the 21st –

Century Learner in Action (2009). Some examples of these questions are as follows:

"How do I evaluate the information that I find?"

"Have I found enough accurate information to answer all of my questions?"

"What new understandings did I develop about the topic or idea?"

“What new understanding did I develop about the topic or idea?”

“How do these new understandings apply to other situations or contexts?”

“How can I get feedback on my final product to use in my next inquiry process?”

“How have I contributed to the learning of others?”

Additionally, students will engage in reflective exercises throughout the unit. At the end of

the lesson on source evaluation students will reconvene with their group members to share

resources and citations that they have created. Students will review each other’s work and reflect

on their experiences locating, evaluating, and creating the annotated citation for each source. At

the end of the unit students will share their research findings with each other via group

presentations to the class. Self and Peer reflections will be conducted after students give their

final presentations. As a part of this reflective exercise, students will be asked to provide

information on what tips they may give a future student completing the same assignment.

Collaborative

I shudder to think what my collaborating teacher thought of me at the beginning of this

unit. While we enjoyed a fantastic dialog with each other the truth is that at the beginning of this

unit I simply did not have enough of a conceptual understanding of the unit planning, lesson

planning, or the standards to truly know what a final product would look like. Having said that,

my teacher seemed to be genuinely enthusiastic about the creation of this unit, my involvement

in it, and ultimately in its future implementation. I feel as though my collaborating partner is

interested in and open to future collaborative endeavors of this nature. From my perspective the

collaboration was a wild success as it afforded me the opportunity to obtain real world

experience in a large variety of activities that I have never engaged in before. I had a blast

collaborating with my partner and look forward to future collaborations with new teachers.

Personal

The experience of creating and revising this collaborative unit is one that in many ways I

feel has only just begun. Much of what I learned during the course of this semester and through

the production of this unit has been an entirely new experience for me and accordingly my

understanding of the core components of this exercise are vastly different today than they were

three months ago. My current knowledge of AASL and Common Core State Standards is

leagues beyond where they were when I started this unit and as such I would have

conceptualized this unit in a different way based on these understandings. Additionally, I have a

greater sense of confidence in myself and my own advocacy, thanks in large part to the SCASL

21

conference, that I feel will allow me to better advocate for the prominent inclusion of AASL

skills and standards in a newly formed collaborative unit. My own inexperience has easily been

the greatest challenge for me in the creation of this collaborative unit. Having never been in a

classroom in a professional role it has been somewhat difficult to conceptualize what will

actually “work” and what simply will not. I have learned so much in the creation of this unit

though and have similarly been able to conquer a series of daunting and intimidating firsts.

Completion of this unit allows me to now say that I have fully completed my first lesson plan,

my first pathfinder, and my first collaborative experience with a professional in the field. The

completion of these, in addition to the other components of this collaborative unit has taught me

just how much I truly had to learn and how much I still have to learn. It is in this sense that I feel

as though this unit has just begun. This experience has afforded me the opportunity to build a

framework for all of my future curriculum knowledge and gains. Though I am in no means

“experienced” now I do have a great deal more experience than I had when I started this process.

In this way I am a similar to a first draft ready for revision.

22

References

ALA. (2014). Learning Standards & Common Core State Standards Crosswalk. Retrieved from:

http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/crosswalk/ela common core and aasl

learning standards crosswalk

ALA. (2014). Lesson Plan Rubric. Retrieved from:

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplan

database/AASL%20Rubric_final.pdf

ALA. (2014). Lesson Plan Checklist. Retrieved from:

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplan

database/Checklist_final.pdf

ALA. (2009). Standards for the 21st-Centruy Learner. Chicago, Il: American Association of

School Librarians.

Mitsein, S. (2014). Annotated Bibliography Rubric. Retrieved from:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smitsein/English_106/Assessments/Annotated_Bibliography_

Assessment.html

ReadWriteThink. (2003). Oral Presentation Rubric. Retrieved from:

www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30700_rubric.pdf

UEN. (2014). Oral Presentation Rubric. Retrieved from

http://www.sites4teachers.com/links/redirect.php?url=http://www.uen.org/Rubric/rubric.c

gi?rubric_id=19

http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/crosswalk/ela

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplandatabase/AASL%20Rubric_final.pdf

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplandatabase/AASL%20Rubric_final.pdf

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplandatabase/Checklist_final.pdf

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/lessonplandatabase/Checklist_final.pdf

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smitsein/English_106/Assessments/Annotated_Bibliography_Assessment.html

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smitsein/English_106/Assessments/Annotated_Bibliography_Assessment.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30700_rubric.pdf

http://www.sites4teachers.com/links/redirect.php?url=http://www.uen.org/Rubric/rubric.cgi?rubric_id=19

http://www.sites4teachers.com/links/redirect.php?url=http://www.uen.org/Rubric/rubric.cgi?rubric_id=19

travis nelson [email protected] collaborative unit the...

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