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Women Who Changed America: 1800s
Description:
This research can be incorporated into a unit on nineteenth-century American women. Students will identify the role of a noteworthy nineteenth-century woman in American history and identify significant events in the woman's life. Students will work in groups to create a video or multimedia presentation about their subject. This activity will help build confidence in students ability to acheive the learning requirement and provide intrinsic satisfaction through the creation of a video/multimedia presentation.
Goals & Objectives:

LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES

 

The students will:

-use a variety of print sources to gather information about a noteworthy nineteenth-century American woman.
-access information in a CD-ROM multimedia encyclopedia.
-use tables of contents, indexes, and guide words to locate information in reference and nonfiction books.
-use a video camera or a computerized multimedia production tool (e.g. Hyperstudio) to produce a presentation on the topic.

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES

 

The students will work in cooperative groups to create a presentation about a noteworthy nineteenth-century American woman. The presentation will consist of either a video showing a simulated interview with the woman, a video dramatization about an important event in her life, or a multimedia presentation about the woman.


MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES:

 

The student will:

-become interested in the research process.
-experience increased confidence in research ability
-understand the value of information skills.
-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.
Materials & Sources:
Resource List
Women Who Changed America
Fact sheet
 
Credits:
Laurie Pate
adapted for SOS by Kori Gerbig
School of Information Studies, Syracuse University
Sources:
School Library Media Activities Monthly
March 1997; 13(7); 19-22
 
Procedures:

INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES

 

-This research project is part of a classroom unit about nineteenth-century American women. The project enhances the subject matter taught in the classroom and enables the students to investigate more thoroughly a particular woman from the unit. The classroom teacher covers the historical aspects of the subject and assists with the writing of the presentation, while the library media specialist focuses on research skills and assists with the use of technology for research and for production of the presentation.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION

 

-The classroom teacher and library media specialist will create a display of books, pictures, and other information about American women of the nineteeth cnetury (Women Who changed America: 1800s). Each woman's name will be written on a slip of paper and placed in a container.

-The classroom teacher will introduce the unit with a discussion about women's lives in the 1800s and how they differ from the lives of women today. Major events and issues of the 1800s (Abolition, Civil War, Women's Suffrage, etc.) will also be discussed to give the students some historical background for the research they are going to do. During this unit, classroom reading might focus on -Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story about Sojourner Truth, by Jeri Ferris.

-Next, the classroom teacher will explain the assignment. The teacher will divide the students into pairs. Each student will draw a woman's name from the container with the slips of paper. Each pair of students will then look at names they drew and choose one of the women to research. They will use print and electronic encyclopedias, nonfiction books, and biographies of women to gather information to fill out the fact sheet about their chosen topic. After gathering the information, each pair of students will choose to create either a 'HyperStudio' multimedia presentation or a video presentation. (Students who choose a 'HyperStudio' presentation must already be comfortable with use of the program.) Students who choose the video presentation will be given a choice of simulating an interview with their subject or producing a video dramatization of an important event in her life.

-The library media specialist will review the basic reference sources to be used; print and electronic encyclopedias, nonfiction books, and biographies. She will review the use of book indexes and the use of guide words in encyclopedias. She will also remind the students of the steps for using electronic encyclopedias.

-Students will begin their research and use the fact sheet to organize the information. The library media specialist will assist students who need additional help with research skills.

-As the students complete their research, the teacher will help students use their information to write the scripts for a video presentation or organize the information into a 'HyperStudio' presentation. (Students doing video presentations may need to ask other classmates to participate in their dramatization).

-Before the students use the video camera, the library media specialist will demonstrate its use. Under her direction, students will practice turning the camera on and off, zooming, and fading in and out before they begin the actual taping of their presentation.

-Under the guidance of the library media specialist, students will produce their videotapes or 'HyperStudio' presentations and share them with the class.


FOLLOW-UP

 

Students may:

-write newspaper articles about the women they have researched and publish the articles in a classroom paper.
-write letters to the woman.
-read biographies of other women who lived during the 1800s.
-create a timeline showing the important events in each woman´s life.
Assessment:
EVALUATION

-Fact sheets and presentations will be evaluated by the teacher and library media specialist on the basis of the quality of research, creativity, and presentation methods. The students' knowledge about the various women will be evaluated with a quiz at the end of the unit.
Sources:
School Library Media Activities Monthly
March 1997; 13(7); 19-22
Print this Lesson Plan
Presented By: School Library Media Activities Monthly
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