Exploring the Seven Continents of the World

Subject Area(s):

• Geography

Grade Level(s):

• 5th-6th Grade

Description:

This social studies project is to reinforce students knowledge of the seven continents of the world in which they will research and examine the geography of the continent, way of life, education and recreation. Students will be assigned groups; there will be seven groups with approximately 4-5 students per group. The resources they will be using to complete this project are the encyclopedia, Internet, and atlas to acquire information on the continents. Each group will be assigned to research the following information listed below:

1)Using an atlas, they will locate and record information on the geography and climate of the continent.

2)Using an encyclopedia book or encyclopedia computer program, students will locate and record information on their way of life-city and rural, education, and recreation

3)Using the Internet or non-fiction book found in the library on their continent, they will locate and record information on animals and plant life.

Standards:

National Information Literacy Standards (K-12)

Accesses information efficiently and effectively.

• 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

Participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

• Shares knowledge and information with others.
• Respects others' ideas and backgrounds and acknowledges their contributions.
• Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to identify information problems and to seek their solutions.
• Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to design, develop, and evaluate information products and solutions.

Information Skills and Subskills (K-16)

Definition

• Identifies requirements of research task
• Determines amount/type of information needed to complete research task

Planning

• Identifies potential information sources
• Creates a general framework for organizing information found
• Identifies potential formats for presenting results

Exploration

• Explores range of information resources

Collection

• Skims/scans information sources
• Locates relevant information within selected sources
• Identifies and extracts relevant information from selected sources
• Uses highlighting and/or notetaking skills

Organization

• Filters out irrelevant information
• Summarizes/synthesizes/classifies final information
• Organizes final information for presentation

Presentation

• Assembles organized information for presentation
• Presents results

Evaluation

• Evaluates end product