Conducting Short Research Projects: Native American Tribes in Your Region

  Conducting Short Research Projects: Native American Tribes in Your Region Grade Levels: 3–4 Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies CCSS Co...
Author: Ronald Neal
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Conducting Short Research Projects: Native American Tribes in Your Region Grade Levels: 3–4 Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies CCSS Concepts: Complex Text, Collaborative Conversations, Research & Inquiry

DAY 1: Plan & Research Materials: books, magazines, and images about Native American culture and stories; maps that show the location of various Native American nations in North America; projector or interactive white board, device with Internet access (computer, phone, tablet), KWL chart Objectives:  Students will use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of Native American tribes and their cultures.  Students will begin to conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Day 1 Activities: 1. Use projector or interactive white board to display a map of Native American nations. 2. Ask volunteers to share what they know about the past and present lives of Native Americans. Share a little bit about what you know about the cultures and what you would like to learn. 3. Direct students to look at the map and find the region of North America in which they live currently and where they were born (if born in North America). 4. Call attention to the Native American nations that lived where they live today. Have students share to the class what tribes originated where they were born. 5. Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to choose the Native American tribe they would like to study most specifically. Students will stay in these groups throughout the project. 6. Have students complete the “know” and “want to learn” section of a KWL chart within their groups by answering these questions:  What do you know about Native American culture? What do you know about the tribe you chose?  What do you want to learn about Native American culture, specifically the tribe your group is going to investigate? 7. Have students share their KWL charts with the class. Hearing what other groups want to learn may help each group brainstorm more ideas for investigation. 8. Provide each group with some books and images (e.g. maps, photographs) that will help them answer the questions the students listed in their KWL charts.

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9. If there are not enough computers or mobile devices for each group, have the groups rotate so each group gets at least 15 minutes of Internet time. You may want to bookmark some resources in the browser to give students a jumpstart. 10. Have students investigate where the tribe originated and where members of the tribe currently live if the tribe still exists today. Then, students should begin answering the questions listed in their KWL charts. 11. At the end of the projects, students should present what they have learned and complete the following as a group:  the “learn” section of the KWL chart  a presentation outline  audio or visual representations of what they learned (illustrations, maps, short movies, audio recordings, etc.) 12. Individually, students should prepare to write a short summary to explain what they learned.

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DAY 2: Organize Research & Collaborate Materials: books, magazines, projector or interactive white board, device with Internet access (computer, phone, tablet), KWL chart, printer Objective:  Students will determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases and consult reference materials, when necessary.  With guidance and support, students will use technology to produce a presentation.

Day 2 Activities: 1. Have students use books, images, websites, and blogs to continue their research. If there are not enough computers or mobile devices for each group, have the groups rotate so each group gets at least 30 minutes of Internet time. 2. Guide students to discuss key details and make notes about important information. 3. Access Complex Text: As they research, students will find some texts difficult to understand. Tell them to think about their purpose and note key details in each paragraph, rereading as necessary. When they encounter difficult words, guide them to look for context clues. Students should use digital or print glossaries and dictionaries to find the meaning of words when the context clues are not enough. 4. Students should begin creating an outline for their presentations. 5. Each group’s presentation should be organized into three parts: introduction, body, and closing. During the introduction, students should briefly present their research. Then, students should use the body to present their written report and audio or visual aids to the class. Finally, students should present a sentence or two summarizing what they have learned about their topic and how it connects to Native American life. 6. Work with each group to help refine their outlines and prioritize their tasks for finding information and developing audio and visual aids. 7. Students should complete their research at home or during their free time throughout the day. Have students work together to divide up the unanswered questions and other group tasks.

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DAY 3: Prepare Presentation Materials: books, magazines, device with Internet access (computer, phone, tablet), printer Objective:  Students will edit and revise a presentation outline.  Students will add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.  Students will prepare to report in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas.

Day 3 Activities: 1. Today, students will complete their presentation outline and should work on creating audio and visual aids that will support the content of their presentation. 2. Support each group in finding or creating audio or visual aids. For example, some groups may wish to record a folk tale or legend to support Native American beliefs. Others may wish to find or create videos, draw pictures, or construct visual representations picture writing, tools, transportation, clothing, or shelter. 3. Student should practice their presentation. Tell students to make sure their group members are speaking clearly and at an understandable pace. 4. Students may need an extra day to practice and refine their presentations. 5. Have each group present on the 4th or 5th day. 6. Individually, students should write a summary explaining what they learned.

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Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Day 1 Grade 3

Grade 4

Day 2 Grade 3

Grade 4

Day 3 Grade 3

Grade 4

RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g.,maps, photographs), and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey information clearly. W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey information clearly. W.4.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet to produce and publish writing as well as interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. W.4.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet to produce and publish writing as well as interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, or tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. SL.4.5 Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

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