Illinois: Getting To Know Your State
A Project Overview
Stephanie Loftin
April 6, 2005
Project Overview
1. Assists in meeting 4th grade state of Illinois requirement
2. Consists of three components
- can be used together
- can be used separately as independent units
3. Lessons
- cross-curricular
- differentiated for all learners
- modified for all learning styles
- technologically driven
- incorporate American Memory site from the Library of
Congress
Illinois
1. Explores historical information and current data
2. Incorporates social studies, reading, and technology
3. Includes three differentiated assignments
- worksheet
- Inspiration project (AAM)
- Microsoft PowerPoint “Our 50 States” (AAM)
Abraham Lincoln
1.
Students learn about the life of Abraham Lincoln
2.
Cross-curricular: reading, language arts, social studies, and
technology
3. Activities include
- partner reading project
- character map
- Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (AAM)
4. Teacher page includes list of possible modifications for
differentiated instruction and assessment.
Take A Trip to Springfield
1.
2.
Interactive set of six cross-curricular activities (modules) in which
students simulate the planning and organization needed to take
a trip to Springfield
Modules include:
- write a business letter to obtain a Springfield Visitor’s Guide
- using Internet sites to research the trip
- create a budget and an itinerary
- find travel maps (Mapquest and Rand McNally)
and driving directions
- calculate round trip mileage
- figure amount and cost of gasoline using internet gas pricing
sites (includes math extended response)
- virtual sightseeing (includes summarizing activity)
- write a postcard (AAM activity)
3.
Extension activities
- Include graphing, map scale, calculating mean, median, mode,
and range of gas prices, writing driving directions for sightseeing in
downtown Springfield on one-way streets
4.
Teacher page includes ideas of modifications.
Extra for Teachers
• Trade book bibliography
• Illinois Websites document link on student and
teacher pages
• Idea for a presenter included
• Table with all handouts (worksheets, copies of
student pages and extension activities)
• Grading rubric (Adobe Acrobat fill-in form)
• Modifications are imbedded and/or lists of
suggestions is provided
Connections to AAM
1. Included in activities and assessments
-
Illinois: Inspiration
Illinois: Microsoft PowerPoint “Our 50 States”
Abraham Lincoln: Microsoft PowerPoint
Take a Trip to Springfield: Module 6 – Write a
postcard
2. AAM resources embedded into web design
- photographs
- sound file