Candy in
Schools Lesson Plan
Grades: 4-5
Time Allotment: 3 days / 1 hour each day
Howard County Reading Objectives:
- Select and read personal interest materials such as brochures, books, magazines, cookbooks and websites to gain information.
- Use
online features to facilitate understanding of informational text
including URLs, hypertext links, sidebars, drop down menus, and home
pages.
- Identify and explain the author's purpose and intended audience.
- Identify and explain what makes the text a reliable source of information.
ISTE Technology Standards:
- Evaluate digital resources to determine the credibility
of the author and publisher and the timeliness and accuracy of the
content.
Materials Needed:
-
Computer lab or mobile lab
-
Internet access
-
Printer
-
LCD projector
- Microsoft Word
Motivation:
Have students imagine that their teacher just
assigned them a homework assignment. The homework assignment is
to go home and find out some information on Abraham Lincoln. Pose
the following questions and discuss with the students:
- How will you complete this research on Abraham Lincoln?
- How do you know if the information you find is accurate?
- What will you do to make sure the information is accurate?
Procedures:
Day 1- Teacher explains:
- In
this activity we will use the internet to research whether candy should
be sold in schools. Have students share their opinions on this
issue.
- Before
we conduct our research, we will practice identifying ways to
determine if various websites are valid by using different evaluation
tools.
- Have students open the internet connection and go to this website: http://studentpersonalpages.loyola.edu/2011/lbhook/www/criticallit/
- Teacher reads the opening statement at the top of the website. (using the LCD projector)
- Teacher guides students through this webpage:
- have students type their name and click OK
- have a volunteer read the text in the box
- explain
that throughout this activity students will learn how to evaluate the
validity of websites, along with discussing whether candy should be
sold in schools
- guide students through the 3 websites on
evaluation tools - be sure to point out the similarities and
differences between the 3 types of tools
- click on Fisher-Price Airplane
- Ask students if anyone remembers playing with the Fisher-Price Airplane when they were little
- Have volunteers read the opening statement and the information in the text box
- Review the questions with the students and download and print Kathy Schrock's evaluation form
- Have students click on the link for the History of the Fisher-Price Airplane
- Students can read the text in pairs or independently
- Once all students have read the information on the webpage, guide students through completing the evaluation form
- Return to the previous page and have students answer the question, "Is this Fisher-Price website valid?"
- Determine with your class whether more practice is needed (continue with Day 1) or students can evaluate the candy websites (see Day 2) independently
- Click on the link to the Tree Octopus webpage
- Ask students if anyone has heard of the tree octopus in western United States
- Have volunteers read the opening statement and the information in the text box
- If necessary, have students download and print the evaluation form
- Have students click on the link for Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website
- Students can read the text in pairs or independently
- Once all students have read the information on the webpage, guide students through completing the evaluation form
- Return to the previous page and have students answer the question, "Is this Tree Octopus website valid?"
- Explain
to students that next time they will visit 3 websites independently
that address the issue of selling candy in schools and they will
determine with the evaluation form the validity of each site
Day 2
- Begin the lesson with a review of how to evaluate websites and the issue of selling candy in schools
- Remind students that today's activities will be completed independently
- Have students return to the home page of the website: http://studentpersonalpages.loyola.edu/2011/lbhook/www/criticallit/
- Direct to students to click on the link to view the Critical Literacy Rubric
- Review the rubric with the students and address any questions
- Direct students to:
- click Home Page
- click Day 2 Activity toward the bottom of the webpage
- Teacher
either provides 3 copies of the evaluation form for each student or
each student can download and print the evaluation form on each of the
3 webpages.
- Briefly model navigating each of the 3 webpages: Junk Food, Candy Fundraiser, Sugar Association, and completing the reflection form.
- Students complete the activities at their own pace.
- Teacher monitors students and provides assistance as needed.
- At the end of class collect all evaluation forms and reflection forms.
- Explain to students that the next class will be reviewing what they discovered from their research today.
Day 3
- Prior to this day, be sure to use the rubric to score each student's work.
- Return students' evaluation forms and reflection forms
- Proceed (using the LCD projector to view each website) with discussions of the following:
- Junk Food website
- Is this site valid? Why or why not?
- How does this site address our issue of selling candy in schools?
- Candy Fundraiser website
- Is this site valid? Why or why not?
- How does this site address our issue of selling candy in schools?
- Sugar Association website
- Is this site valid? Why or why not?
- How does this site address our issue of selling candy in schools?
Closure:
- Review with students the tools to use to determine its validity
- Discuss with students how they can use what they have learned with other research projects in the future
Assessment:
- Each website has its own evaluation form to complete.
- After evaluating all the websites, students will complete a reflection
form on how each website addressed the issue of selling candy in
schools.
- Students will be assessed using a rubric.
- Click to view the Critical Literacy Rubric or download the rubric.