Instructional Goals:

Students will be able to

• access information effectively and efficiently.
• evaluate a text based on specific criteria.
• become familiar with web-search techniques.

Learning Objectives: 

Students will

• recognize the layout of a web page.
• understand the criteria for choosing a Caldecott winner.
• utilize information gained to observe a book according to Caldecott criteria.
• distinguish between the different criteria to further crystallize their understanding of literature.
• evaluate a book based on specific criteria.
• generate choices for mock Caldecott Election.

Motivational Goals:

• Generate interest in the research process.
• Build students’ confidence in their ability to learn and use information skills.
• Maintain students’ interest in the research process.
• Motivate continuing information exploration.

Digital projector

Teacher laptop

Class laptops

Thumbdrives

Printer

Credits:

• ALA Caldecott Medal site

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.htm

• My kids at P.S. 127
• Sue McLeaf Nespeca—my wonderful Children’s Literature professor from Syracuse.  We did a mock Caldecott election during the residency this summer and I got so much out of it, I decided to bring it to Brooklyn.  Thanks Professor Nespeca!!

Prior to Lesson

1. Collect student thumbdrives.
2. Pick 4 thumbdrives at random.
3. Install file folder “LEADER” onto these hard drives.  These thumbdrives belong to the 4 group leaders.
4. File folder contents:
   1. activity description
   2. task sheet
   3. URL to ALA website
   4. a Caldecott criteria rubric

Day 1/2

Introduction

1. Generate excitement by creating mystery through an American Idol style reveal.  Talk about a folder that contains very important documents having been being implanted on 4 random thumbdrives.  Use dim lighting and moody music to highlight the experience.
2. Tell students that when you ring the bell (a call bell, etc) they must insert their thumbdrives.  The 4 students that have the file folder “LEADER” on their drive are the “winners.”  The remainder of the class will be divided evenly between each leader.

Body

1. Divide rest of class into groups.  There will be 7 students per group.  Since students with little or no Internet knowledge are few and far between in this population, heterogeneous grouping works fine.
2. Describe the procedure they will follow by pointing their attention to the whiteboard with the steps clearly delineated.
3. Pull up the ALA website and preview how to access important links.  Bookmarks to other resources can be found on the class website under the Caldecott category.  Review for students in real time how to access the PortaPortal. 
4. Group leaders debrief to their committees.  Today will be spent examining just the ALA site.  They have already been exposed to the criteria using grade-appropriate language. 

Day 2/2

1. Connect today’s lesson to yesterday’s by discussing related resources (i.e. PortaPortal links, selections of different Caldecott winners through the decades) to gain a better understanding of the process and selection criteria.
2. Guide the students to the selection rubric.  Have groups read over the criteria and discuss it together for about 2 minutes. 
3. Give each group 3 books (12 books total) to review according to Caldecott criteria in the rubric.  Afterward, show the class how to fill in the rubric (which has now become a ballot) for each book.  Books rotate clockwise, and it actually goes pretty fast.
4. Students print out their ballot form and groups collate them.  Group leaders drop the completed ballots into the proper bins.  Groups re-convene to debrief and prepare a short explanation (written/drawn) of their favorite illustrator and something they learned about the Caldecott election process.