LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES The student will: -use research skills to acquire biographical information on persons associated with the American Revolution. -locate and use at least one reference source, online or print, and demonstrate ability to search for the subject. -organize the selected information onto a chart. -use critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate the information to determine significance and infer motivation for actions. -engage in the production of a video project depicting the conclusion of a battle scene, which will incorporate the students' biographical research.

MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The student will: -become interested in the research process. -understand the importance of information skills. -experience increased confidence in research ability -understand the value of information skills. -achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.

INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES -The classroom teacher will introduce the unit and the project: a video presentation depicting the conclusion of a battle scene, such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord, with members of the class portraying various characters associated with the Revolution. Some students will portray interviewers on location, and other students will portray various characters associated with the Revolution, who will give their perspective and opinions as to why things turned out the way they did. The classroom teacher will present an overview of the period, using books, vidoes, and filmstrips to demonstrate what life was like and what factors led to the friction between the colonies and Great Britain. The students will meet with the library media specialist for a rousing booktalk on biography and begin to work in small groups researching people for the video project. The teacher will work with students as they write short scripts based on their character's perception of the event to be depicted in the presentation. The art teacher may assist with the design of backdrops and scenery. The students will meet with the library media specialist again to transform the library media center into an onsite battle location and learn to use the video equipment to carry out their project.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION -The initiating activities of the lesson may take two sessions. Students will listen to a booktalk on the use of biography in understanding the American Revolution. They will discuss how biography is different from fiction and what kinds of sources are used, such as letters, diaries, newspaper, recorded speeches, official documents, church records, etc,. many of which will have been used in the biographies selected. -Students will work in small groups of two or three. They will be given a chart on which they will fill in the name of the person they are going to research. They will locate and use at least one reference source, print or online, to assist in filling in the chart. The chart will indicate the name of the person, date of birth, and activities significant to the American Revolution.

-During a later session, students will orally present information in groups, allowing each student to cite at least one fact. After the short presentations, students and the library media specialist will analyze their data and discuss the point of view held by different participants in the Revolution. Students will begin to infer motives leading to their selected characters' choices and actions.

FOLLOW-UP The students may: -find and read fiction books based on the events of this period, comparing and contrasting the characters with those from real life. -write mock diaries or journals based on the person they have researched, or make up a fictional person living during the American Revolution.