Wanted! Dead or Alive! Famous African Americans

Subject Area(s):

• K-12: Language Arts
• Social Studies(general)
• K-12: Technology

Grade Level(s):

• 5th-6th Grade

Description:

In this lesson fifth and sixth grade students will research a famous African American of their choice. They will identify a famous African American to be researched, choose from several websites to explore, and gather information about the African American. They will then use this information to complete a wanted poster. The classroom teacher will follow up this lesson by assisting students in using their gathered information to write a more detailed report.

Goals & Objectives:

Instructional Goals

·        Students will be able to use electronic resources to locate information.

·        Students will be able to gather and record information.

·        Students will learn new information about a famous African American.

 Learning Objectives: 

• Students will use specific websites provided by the LMS to perform a successful search of an African American.
• Students will take accurate notes of important information pertaining to their chosen person.
• Students will find and record information needed to complete a wanted poster.
• Students will orally present to the class, newly acquired information about a famous African American.
  

Motivational Goals:

• Build student’s confidence in their ability to use resources effectively.
• Promote student’s satisfaction in their research accomplishments.
• Gain confidence in processing information to fill and information need.
• Motivate students to continue to use information skills after the lesson.

Materials:

Chart Paper

Markers

Computers

Handout

Web Sites

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/afroambios.html

http://www.askforkids.com/

http://www.kidsclick.org/cgi-bin/searchkids.pl?searchtype=subject&keywords=biography&title=Biography

http://www.biography.com/search/

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/african-americans/resource/4429.html

http://www.uga.edu/iaas/history/index.htm

Procedures:

Introduction 

1. Ask students to name several African Americans from the past

as well as the present that they are familiar with. 

2. Have students explain what makes these people special.

3.  Create a list of their responses on chart paper. 

4.  Ask students why it is important for us to learn about these

famous people.

Body

1. Explain to students that today they will be researching a famous

African American of their choice.  The person can be either living

or dead.

2. They will conduct an internet search and gather information from

several electronic sources.

3. Show students the wanted poster that they will complete using

the information that they gather.

4.  This poster will be used as an outline for them to write a more

detailed report back in their classroom with their teacher’s guidance.

5. Students will be shown on the smartboard, how to first choose a

person to research and then collect information about that person.

6. The LMS will model how to take detailed notes from the

resources that pertain to the information they are seeking.

7.  Students will then go the first bookmarked website to select a person

to research.

8. They will have the rest of the class period to use the remaining

bookmarked websites to research their selected person.

Conclusion

1. At the end of the class period, students will gather in the meeting

area. 

2. They will discuss the famous African American that they

researched by sharing with the class why this person is important and

why others should learn about him/her while showing their completed

wanted poster.

3.  Classmates will have the opportunity to ask questions and make

comments.

4.The LMS will summarize the day’s lesson and explain how they

will now be able to use their notes and poster information to write a more detailed report in their classroom.

5. Their work will be collected to give to their classroom teacher.

Assessment:

-Observations will be made of students' ability to use suggested resources to access information pertaining to their topic.

-Notes will display students' ability to gather and record information.

-Completed "wanted" poster will demonstrate students' knowledge of the African American they chose to research.

-Oral presentations will demonstrate students' understanding of the lesson's objectives.

Supporting Files:

• Lesson_5_Handout.doc
  
• Lesson_5_Rubric.doc
  

Standards:

National Information Literacy Standards (K-12)

Accesses information efficiently and effectively.

• Recognizes the need for information.
• Identifies a variety of potential sources of information.
• Develops and uses successful strategies for locating information.

Evaluates information critically and competently.

• Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand.

Uses information accurately and creatively

• Organizes information for practical application.
• Integrates new information into one's own knowledge.
• Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats
• Subject: K-12: Technology

National Content Standards (K-12)

• Understands the nature and operation of systems
• Subject: K-12: Language Arts

Writing

• Gathers and uses information for research purposes

Reading

• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts