Step-by-Step+Instructional+Strategies

1. How can we use technology to share information with others?
 * Essential Questions:**

2. What is the importance of sharing your writing?

3. Why is information organized in different ways?


 * Three Classrooms’ Collaboration Activity:** Our students will collaborate by sharing the articles that they have written individually through a wiki. They will need to incorporate the ideas of other students from the collaborating classrooms into their own “newspapers.” They will publish their final newspapers to a wiki for their classmates as well as students from the other two classes to view.


 * Each Classroom’s Collaboration:** In Mrs. Becker’s 3rd grade class, students will work together on writing their articles. They will need to brainstorm ideas for what topics to write about and they will work together on gathering the information necessary to write their articles together.


 * Equipment:** Sara Becker- 3 classroom computers, projector, mobile computer lab cart


 * Goals and Objectives:**

//Third Grade:// MD Standard 4.1.a- Students will be able to generate topics based on discussion of common experiences using techniques such as graphic organizers, journal writing, listing, webbing, and discussion of prior experiences. MD Standard 4.2.c- Students will be able to compose to inform using summary and selection of major points and examples to support a main idea. MD Standard 4.3.b- Students will be able to use suitable traditional and electronic resources to edit final copies of text for correctness in language usage and conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (self edit, peer edit, dictionary) MD Standard 4.7.b- Students will be able to use various information retrieval sources (traditional and/or electronic) to obtain information on a topic.


 * Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies:**

//Third Grade Plan://
 * 1) Introduce the idea of writing a newspaper to the students. Share examples of online newspapers. Discuss what types of articles are included in newspapers (either online or hard copy). Students will complete an exit ticket naming 2-3 different types of articles that can be included in a newspaper.
 * 2) Place the students in groups. Each group will brainstorm what types of articles they would like to include in their group’s newspaper. They will record these on a web. Once they have a general idea, the groups will conference with the teacher to narrow down to specific topics that they can write about. Specific topics will also be added to the web. This will serve as the assessment for this step of the project.
 * 3) Students will work together to create a storyboard for their digital newspaper. This can be done either on paper or using Inspiration/Kidspiration depending on the availability of technology that day. Students will complete a checklist of items that need to be included in the storyboard of their newspaper. This checklist will serve as the assessment for this step of the project.
 * 4) Students will need to gather information for their articles. There will be a whole class demonstration of how to gather information (interview, internet research, etc.) The students will then have time to complete the gathering information stage. Students will be given a graphic organizer to help them keep their ideas organized. The graphic organizer will serve as the assessment for this step of the project.
 * 5) Students will be guided through the writing process as they write their articles. They will complete a rough draft, peer edit/revise, and then create their final copy of their article which will be added to their digital newspaper.
 * 6) As a class, we will complete a demonstration of how to publish their articles for their newspapers. Students will then be given the opportunity to work within their groups to publish their articles to their newspapers.
 * 7) We will review the newspapers submitted by the students from the other classes in the collaborative project. Students will need to select one article from each of the other classes to include in their group’s newspaper. Students will complete a reflection explaining why they selected that article for their group’s newspaper. They will also publish the final copy of their newspaper, including the two articles from the other classes. The reflection will serve as the formative assessment for this step of the project. The final newspaper will be the summative assessment.

**Mrs. Morris's 6th grade Classroom Newspaper**
The students in Sara Becker, Kim Dean and Mrs. Morris’s classroom will be collaborating on a classroom newspaper. This will be done by using a wiki, each classroom will have to visit the other classroom’s wiki, read it and take an article from each newspaper and place in their newspaper.
 * Three Classroom’s Collaboration Activity:**

1. How can we use technology to share information with others? 2. What is the importance of sharing your writing? 3. Why is information organized in different ways?
 * Individual Classrooms**- Mrs. Morris’s classroom will gather information from their region to place into a classroom newspaper. This information will be gathered from the coalfields of West Virginia, which will include the Hatfield and McCoy trail.
 * Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies:**
 * Essential Questions:**


 * Goals:**
 * At the end of this unit students will understand how important news in within the world and classroom.
 * Students will understand how to put a classroom newspaper together and publish it on the web by using a wiki.
 * Objectives:**
 * The students demonstrate understanding of the basic principles related to creating and publishing a classroom newspaper.
 * The students will create text and graphics using various software
 * The students will use the internet to gain information and to communicate with other classrooms.
 * The student will gain awareness of technological advances available in the 21st century.
 * The students will learn to organize information in the correct form for a classroom newspaper.


 * Equipment**: Smart board, mobile lab, projector, laptop.

Materials: Newspapers for each group Chart with labels [|Venn diagram for each group]
 * Day 1**

What is it used for? Where can you get on or find one? Who benefits from a newspaper? Who writes a newspaper? Extension Activity: Have students go home and survey ten friends or family members who read a newspaper the purpose of reading the newspaper. In addition, do they read a paper copy or online. This information will be used in a survey. Children’s Express MacMilliam Reader story
 * 1) Introduce the topic of the newspaper by the development of a KWL chart using the Smart Board
 * 2) Ask the students to brainstorm ideas what they know about a newspaper. Place their answers on the K part of the chart. Help the students by asking questions;
 * 1) New have the students brainstorm questions “What they want to know about a newspaper?
 * 2) Place the students into groups of students into groups of four? Give each group a region newspaper published on paper.
 * 3) Have each group make a list of the different parts of a newspaper (example; sports, comics, business articles, weather, stock market, puzzles, etc.). Discuss this as a whole group.
 * 4) Give each group a different part of the newspaper to cut out and place under the correct label on the chart which has been designed for the students.
 * 5) Next go to the web and show the students examples of school newspaper, region newspapers and classroom newspaper.
 * 6) Have students complete a Venn diagram by comparing and contrast a region newspaper vs. a school newspaper.
 * 7) Upon completion of the Venn diagram place one on the Smart board and complete one with student input.
 * Materials:**


 * Day 2**
 * 1) Have students tally their survey results.
 * 2) Read the book “Children’s Express”
 * 3) After reading discuss how the author organized the articles in the book.
 * 4) Discuss the different in primary source and secondary sources.
 * 5) Explain that news reporters often write stories about events that they have seen. In addition, they gather facts and observe what is happening. Next, the reporter will talk to the people involved this is the primary sources. Secondary source is an interpretation based on primary source.
 * 6) Explain to students they are going to work in groups gathering information, writing it up and publishing it into a classroom newspaper once this is completed they will publish to a web using a wiki.
 * 7) The teacher will continue going over the parts of a newspaper. Upon completion of this the groups will be assigned the type of article they have to complete.


 * Day 3**


 * 1) Before beginning our research we need to know what type of information we need to place in the classroom newspaper.
 * 2) Have students brainstorm what they think should go within the newspaper.
 * 3) Next the teacher will give each group a type of article they need to research or gather information.
 * 4) The students will be taken to the library to begin the research on their topic.
 * 5) The students will design a graphic organizer to help them include the credit information for their article.
 * Day 4**


 * 1) The groups will continue to gather information this time they can use the mobile lab to look for information on the web.
 * 2) Each group will begin gathering the information and begin the writing process of their news article.
 * 3) The students will be guided through the writing process, rough draft, peer review-editing, final copy then publish the final copy to the wiki.
 * 4) The teacher will demonstrate how to place the information on the wiki and into newspaper form. The students will follow along step by step.


 * Day 5**
 * 1) The students will read the classroom online paper from the other collaborative schools. As a class we will decide which article we will use to place in our classroom newspaper. Once this is decided we will cut and paste these two articles into our newspaper. Finally, the newspaper will be published to the wiki.
 * 2) The students will complete the “L” part of the KWL chart, this will be their formative assessment.
 * 3) Rubric will be used for the summative assessment.

**Deans 6th Grade**
Essential Questions:

1. How can we use technology to share information with others?

2. What is the importance of sharing your writing?

3. Why is information organized in different ways?

Classroom Collaboration Activity with Three Classrooms in three different areas of the United States and two different grade levels.

The students in mine, Sara Becker, and Lou Ann Morris’ classrooms will be collaborating through a wiki. Each class will be writing a “newspaper” about what is going on in their areas. The “newspapers” will be viewed through the wiki and viewed by their peers along with the collaborating students in Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Morris’ classrooms.


 * Individual Classrooms** – In Ms. Dean’s classroom, the 6th grade students will work in groups to write articles that pertain to the area in which they live. They will be writing articles that reflect on their particular area, grade level, and any pertinent information for their district.


 * Equipment:** Mobil mac lab, projectors, newspapers (Knox News Sentinel and Morristown Citizens Tribune). Editing programs such as Word.


 * Goals and Objectives:**


 * Tennessee State Standards**


 * 6th Grade Language Arts and ISTE STANDARDS.**


 * SPI 0601.1.6** Choose the correct use of quotation marks, commas (i.e., in direct quotations, with explanatory material within the quote, proper use with end marks) and colons (i.e., in business letters, preceding a list of items)


 * SPI 0601.1.9** Recognize usage errors occurring within context (i.e., double negatives, troublesome words {to/too/two, their/there/they’re, its/it’s, sit/set, lie/lay, affect/effect, may/can, leave/let, teach/learn, accept/except, capitol/capital, principle/principal, between/among}).


 * SPI 0601.1.17** Use dictionaries, thesauruses, electronic sources, and glossaries as aids in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words.


 * SPI 0601.1.19** Recognize and use grade-appropriate and content specific vocabulary within context.


 * SPI 0601.3.1** Identify the purpose for writing (i.e., to inform, to describe, to explain, to persuade).


 * SPI 0601.3.12** Select the most appropriate format for writing a specific work-related text (i.e., instructions, directions, letters, memos, e-mails, reports).


 * SPI 0601.4.3** Determine the most appropriate research source for a given research topic.


 * ISTE.nets.s**


 * 1. Creativity and Innovation**

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.


 * 2. Communication and Collaboration**

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media

b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and format


 * 3. Research and Information Fluency**

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.


 * 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making**

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources

b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project


 * Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies**


 * 6th Grade Plan by Ms. Dean**


 * 1) 1. Discuss with students the importance of newspapers whether they be online or print. Students will discuss the differences on online news articles versus printed materials and give three reasons for which they prefer. Students will also discuss in a think-pair-share as to what could be shared online more efficiently and what could be shared in print media more efficiently. (Think-pair-share, is discuss with your partner, find three other ideas then share with group.)
 * 2) 2. Students will be placed into groups. Each group will choose a type of article they would like to write about. These ideas will then be placed into a storyboard. [|See attached.] Each group will decide on a topic for their story and this will be the first assignment.
 * 3) 3. The next assignment will be completing their storyboard by either using digital tools such as Inspiration/ Kidspiration or they can use regular paper and pencil. There will be a rubric/checklist of information in their storyboards. This is an assessment for this assignment.
 * 4) 4. The students will gather information for the articles from the Internet, and or Newspapers in our area. The students will then have time in class to gather and organize the information they have gathered and use graphic organizers or other types of information organizers to gather and assimilate their information. These organizers will serve as an assessment for this project.
 * 5) 5. The students will then write their rough draft, go through peer review / edit. Their final copy will be submitted to the class for final approval. This will be an assessment for this project.
 * 6) 6. Students will have a newspaper editor from the local newspaper, “//Citizens Tribune//” to come and talk and discuss the process of turning in articles for publishing.
 * 7) 7. The groups will then submit their articles to the Wiki.
 * 8) 8. The groups will then read the articles from the other two teachers and select an article to submit a post on and either ask a question or make a comment.
 * 9) 9. The students will then submit a reflection as to why the chose the article they did and how they feel about the process we have worked on for the past week. This reflection will be the summative assessment. The online newspaper will coincide with the reflection as the student’s summative grade.