Connecticut+Contributors

**Language Art/Social Studies Grade 4**  **Unit:** Connecticut: The Contribution State  **Purposes:** Nonfiction Reading and Writing, Research Skills, 21st Century Skills  **Overarching Essential Questions:** How do the actions of one person impact change? What if history were changed?  [|Project Wiki]
 * Essential Questions** What is community? What are an individual's responsibility to the community? What are the elements of a strong community? Why do we need others? How is the future shaped by the past and the present? How have contributions of people in the past affected my life? What can you learn about yourself by studying the lives of others?

 **Description:**
 * Connecticut: The Contribution State** is a three-tiered project where students learn, document, and make history. Students first become historians as they study the PAST, learning about the Connecticut people and events that contributed to the freedoms, rights, and quality of life which benefit us today. Next, students focus on the PRESENT, investigating people in their region who are currently making a difference in the community. Students act as documentary creators: researching, preserving, documenting, and archiving the contributions of these extraordinary citizens. Next, students impact the FUTURE, by making history as they design and implement a service-learning project. Students become contributing citizens, addressing a want or need in the local community, recognizing that they have the power to make a difference. Throughout the project, students will be collaboratively building a multifaceted resource so others can learn about and value the contributions of Connecticut citizens. They will publish their findings on the project wiki, sharing their learning through a variety of multimedia such as audio, images, hyperlinked text, digital stories, and video. What makes “**Connecticut: The Contribution State”** project unique is the lens with which we view the past. In this project, students will learn about the personality traits and character of the people who have contributed to our world today, understanding that it is not just what they did, it is who they were as people that make them important. Today, with the bombardment of celebrities and sports figures in the media, it is critical that our students learn about alternative role models who they can inspire them. //**Therefore the ultimate goal of this project is to make learning the past purposeful for students and to help them develop into active, productive citizens in our democracy.** //


 * Desired Results **
 * Established Goals:**

 **CT Language Arts Framework:**  Standard 1: Students read, comprehend and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts in multimedia formats.  Standard 2: Students read and respond to classical and contemporary texts from many cultures and literary periods.  Standard 3: Student apply produce written, oral and visual texts to express, develop and substantiate ideas and experiences. Standard 4: Students the conventions of standard English in oral, written and visual communication.

**AASL for the 21st Century Learner Standard 3**: Students share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.

 **National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)**  2. Communication and Collaboration <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collabo ratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. 3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information 5. Digital Citizenship Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Knowledge of concepts and information from history and social studies is necessary to promote understanding of our nation and our world. //
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;"> Connecticut Social Studies Framework **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;"> Standard 1- Content Knowledge **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Students will be able to: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.2.3 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">**Identify and analyze the impact of individuals, groups and events on Connecticut history** (e.g., Mark Twain, Samuel Colt, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Na- than Hale, Native American tribes
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.2.4 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Research the significance of Connecticut historical sites.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.3.7 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Trace the national origins of prominent individuals (past and present) in Connecticut.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.5.10 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Describe how physical systems (weather and climate) have affected people’s lives in Connecticut (e.g., economy, recreation, transportation).
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.9.17 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Explain significant characteristics of an effective and responsible resident in one’s state (e.g., voting, participating in government)**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">1.13.23 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Compare and contrast different ethnic groups’ contributions to the community and the state (e.g., literature, the arts, politics, festivals, cuisine, museums).

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Competence in literacy, inquiry and research skills is necessary to analyze, evaluate and present history and social studies information. //
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">Standard 2 – History/social Studies Literacy **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Students will be able to: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.1.1 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Identify the difference between a primary and secondary source.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.1.2 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Summarize information from primary and secondary sources.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.3.5 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Create written work (e.g., news articles, brochure) to describe historical events, people and/or places using evidence.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.3.6 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Organize information in outlines and graphic organizers.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.4.7 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Respond appropriately in a discussion, both listening and participating, with relevant information and/or questions.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">2.5.9 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Prepare accurate charts or graphs depicting relevant social studies information (e.g., immigration, exports, imports, population growth).

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Civic competence in addressing historical issues and current problems requires the uses of information, skills and empathetic awareness. //
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">Standard 3 - Application **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Students will be able to: **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">3.2.2 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> **Cite evidence to explain the various feelings/points of view of people in a historical situation.**
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">3.2.3 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Predict various points of view people might have on a contemporary issue.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">3.3.4 **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> Analyze articles from appropriate sources that propose solutions to contemporary issues.


 * Connecticut Mastery Test Objectives**

-Use new vocabulary from informational/expository text. - Activate prior knowledge before reading - Evaluate predictions and adjust as necessary - Summarize information to maintain focus and provide clarity. - Use appropriate resources to locate information, e.g., index, glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, directory, website on a specific topic or for a specific purpose. - Distinguish fact vs. opinion in text. - Recognize organizational patterns of text, e.g., main ideas and supporting details, compare/contrast, cause/effect, sequence of events. - Determine an author’s purpose for including or omitting details to create meaning. - Elicit, discuss and respect the opinions of others about written, oral and visual texts. - Pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute own information and ideas in group discussions. - **Apply knowledge of nonfiction text structures and craft to own writing** - Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. || What are an individual's responsibility to the community? What are the elements of a strong community? Why do we need others? How is the future shaped by the past and the present? How have contributions of people in the past affected my life? What can you learn about yourself by studying the lives of others? ||
 * **Language Arts Grade Level Expectations** ||
 * -Define words and concepts necessary for understanding content area text.
 * - Summarize information, including main idea, most important text-based facts, details, and/or ideas, e.g., newspaper, magazine, Internet articles and content journals.**
 * -Determine character traits, using knowledge of the characters' situations.**
 * -Analyze how characters deal with diversity and adversity relating to real-world situations.**
 * -Make generalizations about a topic after reading more than one text**
 * - Share opinions and judgments based on texts. **
 * **Understandings** || **Essential Questions** ||
 * || What is community?

//The student will know...// || **Skills:** //The students will be able to...// ||
 * **Knowledge:**
 * * Types of nonfiction; informational texts, feature articles, news articles, Internet multimedia
 * Purposes of nonfiction; inform, explain, entertain, persuade
 * Features and organizational structures of nonfiction texts
 * Ethical uses of resources; Citing sources, Copyright and Creative Commons
 * Fact vs Opinion
 * Factual Evidence to support opinions and conclusions
 * Important vs Interesting facts || * Draw conclusions
 * Support with evidence
 * Identify main ideas and details
 * Take notes
 * Distinguish between important vs interesting facts
 * Construct written responses to open-ended questions
 * Compare and contrast information ||  ||

opinion compare/contrast main idea details evidence support captions heading subheading copyright cite sources ||
 * ** Content Vocabulary ** ||
 * author's purpose

Important/Interesting Poster [|Animal Jigsaw Rubric.doc] Wiki Animal Profile Page [|Student Example] Research Scoring Guide [|animalresearchscoringrubric.doc] Animal Profile Scoring Guide [|The 10 wiki rubric.doc] || **Formative Assessments**
 * Assessment Evidence **
 * **Performance Tasks**

Blue Ribbon Test Constructed Response Questions Self Reflection 1 [|Teamwork Reflection.doc] Self Reflection 2 [|STUDENT_SELF_REFLECTION[1.doc]] [|Wiki Discussions] Author's Purpose Assessment [|The Ten Assessment Author's Purpose.doc] || [|Connecticut: The Contribution State wiki] //These introductory activities help connect to and build students' background knowledge. Please add your ideas, lessons, and resources.// || [|What I Contribute to Our Community.doc] || [|Five Finger Compact Blank for Student.doc] [|How Am I Doing Bound Book.doc] || Student Usernames and Passwords || //Students research Connecticut historical figures who have made a contribution to the local, state, country, or world community.// || [|The Connecticut Adventure] published by Gibbs Smith [|two-columnnotes.doc] [|two-columnnotesfilledtopage124.doc] [|Jigsawgroups.doc] || [|contributorselectionhomework.doc] || [|EliWhitneyFoldable.ppt] [|Author Note Graphic.doc] [|The Connecticut Adventure] published by Gibbs Smith [|Eli Whitney article] [|Eli Whitney: Inventor] [|Eli Whitney Cotton Gin] [|Character Trait List] || [|Historical Connecticut Contributor Scoring Guide.doc] || //Students take part in a service-learning project for their community.// ||
 * Learning Plan **
 * Preparation:**
 * **Frontloading Activities**:
 * **Frontloading Activities**:
 * **Activities** || **Materials** ||
 * **What is Community?**: In this lesson, students are introduced to the project. They share what they think of when they hear the word "community" and discuss the classroom community. Students write what they contribute to the classroom community on one paper hand and what they need from the community on another. The completed hands make a frame for [|pictures of the classroom community] on a bulletin board. || [|Lesson1Community.doc]
 * **Five Finger Compact** Students expand on their concept of community by creating personal goals. || [|Five Finger Compact.doc]
 * **Wiki Discussions** Students discuss questions on the [|Wiki Contributors discussion tab] about community. || Access to computers/Internet
 * **Part One: Learn History!**
 * **Reading about Connecticut Contributors from the Past** In this lesson, students read selected chapters and pages from the textbook //The Connecticut Adventure.// They read the text with the purpose of finding the names of people who have contributed in the past and what their contributions were. || //Lesson// [|Reading About Contributors from the Past.doc]
 * **Selecting a Person to Research** Students use the notes from the previous activity or other resources to select a person they are personally interested in learning more about. || [|Connecticut Contributor Selection.pdf]
 * **Create Notetaking Foldables** Students create two note-taking Foldables. One is a model for students and the other is for students to fill with notes about the individuals they have chosen to research. || [|EliWhitneygraphics.doc]
 * **Researching Historical Figure** Students research and take notes on their Foldables. ||  ||
 * **Citing Sources** Students learn how to cite the sources that they are using during their research. ||  ||
 * **Writing the Biographical Piece for the Wiki** Students use their notes to write a piece about their historical figure. The piece is composed or published on a Word template for easy copy and paste into the project wiki or type right into the wiki. || [|Contribution Profile Template.doc]
 * **Adding Pictures to the Wiki** Students copy and paste their work onto the wiki and find pictures to add to it. ||  ||
 * **Enrichment Activity: Create a Digital Story** Students use digital storytelling software or Web2.0 tools to create a digital story highlighting an aspect of their historical figure's life. ||  ||
 * **Enrichment Activity: Create a Podcast** Students assume the role of their historical figure and create a radio interview. ||  ||
 * **Enrichment Activity: Create a Talking Historical Figure** Students use [|Voki.com] or [|Blabberize.com] to create an animated talking historical figure. ||  ||
 * ** Part Two: Document History! **// Students investigate local people who are currently contributing to the community. // ||
 * **Investigating Present Day Contributors** Students use a variety of methods, newspapers, town periodicals, phone calls, to find out about people who are currently contributing to the local community. ||  ||
 * **Selecting a Person to Research** Pairs or small groups select one person that they are interested in learning more about. ||  ||
 * **Research Contributors** Pairs or small groups research the person and fill in a Layered Look Book Foldable. Research methods include interviews and print and media sources. ||  ||
 * **Writing the Biographical Piece for the Wiki** Students use their notes to write a piece about their present day contributor. The piece is written on a Word template for easy pasting onto the wiki. ||  ||
 * **Posting Work on the Wiki** Students copy and paste their work onto the wiki and add pictures, obtaining permission. ||  ||
 * **Enrichment Activity:** Create a Digital Story ||  ||
 * **Enrichment Activity:** Create a Podcast ||  ||
 * **Part Three: Make History!**
 * **Investigating Community Needs** ||  ||