Florence K. O’Brien
Grade 5
Library Media

 (Part of a Collaborative Oceanography Unit/Curriculum Design constructed by:

I. COMMENCEMENT STANDARDS

Standard 2:
Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 6:
Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learnings.

 II. BENCHMARK STANDARD: INTERMEDIATE
Content Standards:

Performance Standards:

III. CONTENT OUTCOMES for Technology and Research lessons to be done in conjunction with classroom units on Oceanography (Fenninger & Tortora), Math (Levinson), and Social Studies/Language Arts (Cafaro).

Students will use presentation software to create an original online slide show about a sea creature. In order to do that they will have to:

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Students create a computer presentation based on Oceanography units in math, science, language arts, and library technology that includes: information found in print and/or non-print sources and a bibliography.

Students communicate with an authority or a peer to access information.

Students create a graph using computer software.

V. Enabling Activities

Activity #1 Retrieval of Information in the Library Media Center

Directions: Review of the Dewey Decimal System and the card catalog or OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog) based upon Oceanography unit.

Outcome: With the knowledge of how the card catalog is arranged and the arrangement of the Library Media Center (LMC) the students will retrieve a book on the subject; either in the nonfiction area or in the reference area of the LMC.

Time: Two periods

Materials: Card Catalog or OPAC, and Handouts: "The 100 Divisions"(from: How to Use the Library, Canter & Associates, 1989), "The Dewey Decimal System of Classification" (from Library Skills: Lessons for Grades K-6, Arden Druce, 1986) and The 590s.

Grouping: Class lecture & pairs

Questions: Where would you find print information about about oceanography in the LMC? Also, how would you start your search? And, what is a system? What does the word "reference" mean to you?

Activity #2 Introduction to the Internet

Directions: The Internet and how to search it.

Outcome: The student will locate a specific site and will independently search for sites relating to oceanography.

Time: Two periods or more

Materials: Computer work station & worksheet: (Oceanographer)

Suggested URL’s: Electronic Zoo: http://netvet.wustl.edu/e-zoo.htm, Sea World and Busch Gardens: http://www.bev.net/education/Sea World/homepage.html , ZooNet: www.mindspring.com/~zoonet, Zoonet for Kids: members.aol.com/zoonetkids,

Grouping: Individual

Question: What sea creature interests you? Search the Internet to find as much of the information on the handout that you can.

Activity #3 e-mail

Directions: e-mail: what it is and how to do it on the Internet

Outcome: The student will e-mail an expert on a topic or will e-mail a peer

Materials: e-mail software on the computer, URL’s: Ask Shamu: http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/ask_Shamu/asintro.html,

Pitsco’s Ask an Expert: www.askanexpert.com/askanexpert/

Ask Mr. Science: www.sch.org/tech/mr_sci/mr_sci.html

Ask a Scientist: www.nsf.gov/nstw_questions/start.htm

Time: One to two periods

Grouping: Individual computer station work

Questions: What do you want to know about your sea creature that you haven’t found in any of your searches? Also, what is an expert?

Activity #4 Bibliography

Directions: Instructions on correctly citing print and non-print information.

Outcome: Creating a bibliography for print and non-print (Internet, CD-ROMS, etc.) resources.

Materials: Handouts: "Bibliography", "Citing Internet Resources," (from Classroom Connect, March 1996.) and "Sample Entries: Works Cited Page," (from, Research Guide and Style Sheet, Clarkstown High School North, English Department)

Time: One to two periods

Grouping: Individual work

Questions: How does the reader know that the information you are citing is accurate? Also, what is plagiarism?

Activity #5 Introduction to Spreadsheet Software

Directions: Students will learn how to use the Microsoft Excel or another similar spreadsheet program for creating graphs. ? Using the size of the sharks, as given on the Infocards; create a graph on the computer. Using the information from Record Breakers create a graph on the computer.

Outcome: Students will create a graph, using Microsoft Excel, based on their math and oceanography lessons.

Materials: Microsoft Excel software and URLs to: How do Whales Measure Up? (lesson 4) www.idis.com/teachweb/cohasset/infocard1.htm through "infocard8")and Record Breakers: http://bev.net/education/SeaWorld/Olympians/oorecords.html

(If problems occur when trying to get to above site: Go to: Sea World/Busch Gardens first (http:www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/homepage.html)

then click on "Educational Resources", then "Ocean Olympians", and then: "Record Breakers"

Time: Time sufficient to cover instruction and creation of graphs.

Grouping: Individual work at computer stations

Questions: How do you make a graph on the computer? Using the size of the sharks, as given on the Infocards; create a graph on the computer.And, what do you think is the right graph to use for the information you are given?

Activity #6 Drawing or Painting Software

Directions: Students will learn how to use KidPix or other drawing/painting software.

Outcome: Students will create a graphic showing layering in relationship to salinity in the ocean and the layering of hot and cold water in the ocean based upon their lessons in oceanography.

Materials: Drawing software and computer station.

Time: One to two periods.

Grouping: Individual

Question: How would you create a representation of layered materials in the straw on the computer?

Technology Enabling Lessons

Activity #7 Presentation Software

Directions: Students will be instructed on how to use Power Point or another similar presentation software such as Hyperstudio to create a slide presentation on the computer. Outcome: They will use information that they have culled from their oceanography lessons and research lessons in the LMC, and have stored on the computer, to create a slide presentation about a sea creature.

Materials: Power point or similar software, Oceanographer worksheet, and information and graphics they have stored on the computer.

Time: 2 or more periods

Grouping: Individual

Question: How would you create a program to display what you have learned about your sea creature? What is needed to create an interesting, organized, and well-rounded program?

Name Rubrics for Total Score

Oceanography/Technology Unit

Novice = Attempts to do work = 1

Worker = With some help = 2

Apprentice = With little help = 3

Expert = Mastery = 4

Bibliography:

No bibliography = 0

Bibliography is incomplete and inaccurate = 1

Bibliography is somewhat complete and inaccurate = 2

Bibliography is mostly complete and mostly accurate =3

Bibliography is complete and accurate = 4