Glogster for Idaho

Official Lesson Plan

Lesson Overview: Students will be conducting research about specific characteristics of the geography of Idaho. Students will use organize their research and transform it into an online poster using Glogster. Students will then present their poster to the class. Students will participate in an online survey, using Survey Monkey, about the assignment after completion. Grade Level: Fourth grade Content Subject(s): Geography, State History, Language-Writing and Speaking Estimated Duration: 5-6 sessions; 45 minutes each. Lesson Objectives: 1. Students will be able to take notes in complete sentences following a Reading Guide. 2. Students will be able to transfer the key components from their study guide neatly into a Glogster poster. 3. Students will be able to conduct and organize research using predetermined websites and a Reading Guide for at least two Unusual/Special landforms in Idaho. 4. Students will be able to use Glogster to generate an online poster. 5. Students will be able to present their Glogster using clear annunciation and voice volume. Content Standards: 4.SS.2.1.4 Describe the physical regions of Idaho and identify major natural resources and landforms. 4.SS.2.3.3 Identify the geographic features of Idaho and explain their impact on settlement. CCSS ELA 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. CCSS ELA Writing 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. CCSS ELA Writing 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. Lesson Outline: Part 1: Motivational/Preparatory Activity 1. Ask students what they enjoy most about living in Idaho. (As students are

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speaking, the teacher will write what they say into a Wordle). Ask students what the term geography means. (The study of the earths landscapes). Give the students one minute to work with a partner to make a word cloud of everything that comes to mind when they think about Idahos geography. Show the class the Wordle from what they said they loved about Idaho earlier. Next, as a class, create a Wordle of everything the students came up with regarding Idahos geography. (Teacher will create a new Wordle for the students to put ideas into). Tell the students that they will be creating online posters to persuade others to visit Idaho. Show students a sample of a Glogster poster: http://cbrediger.edu.glogster.com/geo-of-wa Discuss the sample with students. Ask them what they think is done well and what could be done differently.

Part 2: Informational Activity 1. Hand out student Reading Guide. 2. Review the layout of the Reading Guide and the best practices for completing it. Students will need to fill in the guide with complete sentences unless otherwise noted. (The students will have already completed similar looking Reading Guides for other History lessons). 3. Tell the students that they will be conducting their research in pairs and individually. However, their final assignment will be done individually. 4. Review how students will access the website page in My Big Campus (our schools online learning platform) to use for further research of Unusual/Special landforms in Idaho. 5. Demonstrate how students will create a Glogster account. (Additional directions are attached to student Reader Guide). 6. Students will go to this website: www.edu.glogster.com. Next, they will log in as a student and they will need to input the teachers class code (for security purposes class code will not be provided in this lesson plan). After that they should be able to log in on their own from any computer with an Internet connection. Part 3: Application Activity 1. Students will partner read Chapter 2 from A Rendezvous with Idaho History: Geography of Idaho (classroom text). As they read they will fill in the Reading Guide. 2. Take the class to the computer lab to conduct further research. 3. Tell the students that they will be required to research information about two Unusual/Special landforms in Idaho: Hot Springs (Soda Springs), Bruneau Sand Dunes, Balanced Rock, City of Rocks, and/or Craters of the Moon.

4. Students will log into My Big Campus (the school learning platform) using their student usernames and passwords. Then they will go into our class group. In the class group they will have access to a bundle titled Exploring Idahos Geography where they will be able to conduct research using the following sites: a. http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/id_geography.htm b. http://www.sodaspringsid.com c. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/id-cityofrocks.html d. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Idaho/CratersMoon/description _craters_moon.html e. http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/parks/bruneau/bruneau.htm f. http://southernidahobyways.com/2010/11/balanced-rock/ 5. When students have completed the Reading Guide they will need to check in with the teacher and have it signed. 6. The teacher will need to remind the students to include everything from the rubric (last page in the Reading Guide packet) in their Glogster poster. 7. After getting the OK students may create their Glogster account and begin making their poster. Part 4: Closure Activity 1. Each student will participate in a presentation of his or her Glogster to the class. 2. Finally, each student will take the unit reflection survey found at: http://goo.gl/btlTox Assessment: Student glogs and presentations will be evaluated based on the rubric at this link: http://goo.gl/wAk1q8 Materials, Resources, and Equipment: 1. Account with Glogster.com (there is a 30-day free trial version) 2. Access to a full computer lab 3. Student Reading Guide: http://goo.gl/6DxQYR 4. Unusual Landforms Reading Guide: http://goo.gl/bkmv1o 5. Projector and projector screen 6. Unit Rubric: http://goo.gl/wAk1q8 7. Reflection Survey: http://goo.gl/btlTox 8. Internet Resources Websites for Unusual Landforms: a. http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/id_geography.htm b. http://www.sodaspringsid.com c. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/id-cityofrocks.html d. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Idaho/CratersMoon/description _craters_moon.html e. http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/parks/bruneau/bruneau.htm

f. http://southernidahobyways.com/2010/11/balanced-rock/