Description:
Students research the History of Writing using various resources in the library media center to create a time-line outlining the various changes and developments in writing styles, instruments, etc., over the course of known history. Students then select a specific topic on the timeline to research further and to locate artifacts and document the History of Writing for a museum to be created in the classroom. This lesson is designed to increase student interest in the history of writing by incorporating relevance, variety, and choice.
Goals & Objectives:
LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES
The student will:
-prepare an outline of the history of writing after reading a general article.
-find detailed supporting information about a subtopic in an outline about the history of writing.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
This project may be part of a unit on the study of communications.
MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
-become interested in the research process.
-understand the importance of information skills.
-experience increased confidence in research ability.
-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.
Materials & Sources:
Resource List
| Credits: |
School Library Media Activities Monthly
Adapted for SOS by Kori Gerbig
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
|
| Sources: |
School Library Media Activities Monthly
December 2002; 19:4; 19-20
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
http://www.crinkles.com
|
Procedures:
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-The teacher leads in instructing students, managing the project, and developing the students' “History of Writing†museum exhibit. The library media specialist identifies resources and provides instruction in location and use of the resources to complete classroom museum displays.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-How did people begin to communicate in writing? Share pictures of different forms of writing. As students examine the picture, ask them what they see. What were the writers trying to communicate? Begin a discussion on the way we communicate in writing today.
-Explain that the history of writing is as varied as the people involved in the communication. How do we know about the history of writing? One place is to go to a museum where examples of writing and written communication are displayed. Suggest that students assist in setting up a classroom museum to show the important developments in the history of writing. In order to prepare a museum display, students will need to research the topic. Outline a strategy like the following:
*Review historical events in written communication in general reference books or encyclopedias.
*Make a list of important events and decide which might go into a classroom museum.
*Research individual events or developments.
*Prepare the display.
-Students may work in small groups with general encyclopedias to read and make a list of the important developments. In a class session, lists are compared and a master outline or listing is completed. As students review the master, each may decide on a development that would be of interest to him or her.
-The class may decide on the kind of museum display they would like to do. Do they want to reproduce items? Would the like to have a museum that has items that can be touched? Should it be a virtual museum on computer? Based on the decisions, the student will know how to proceed in the library media center.
-The library media specialist introduces students to available materials. Hints to individual students in how to look for their specific item may be given. For example, the use of quills on vellum might require different sources than the history of fountain pens. Hieroglyphics might require different sources than an investigation of the development of the alphabet.
-Each student collects information about his or her topic. Set a guide for the amount of information and the visual form that might be used in making the display item. For example, enough information to fill a display card might be a guide. If students have decided to make reproductions of items, such as clay tablets or scroll, etc., they will need graphic information.
-Allow time for students to complete their research and to make their items. Provide space for set-up. Hold a grand, ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening and invite guests to see the items in the exhibit.
FOLLOW-UP:
-Students may study their topic in more depth and write a paper to deliver at the museum opening.
Assessment:
-After preparing an outline that reflects the history of writing, the students will locate information that will allow them to prepare a display of the topic researched.
Sources:
School Library Media Activities Monthly
December 2002; 19:4; 19-20
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
http://www.crinkles.com
