Erin O’Connor
March 22, 2013
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Bladensburg Elementary School o Pre-K-6 Comprehensive School o o
Located at 4915 Annapolis Road in Bladensburg, Maryland
Enrollment of 661 students. The population breakdown is as follows: 1% o o
American Indian/AK Native, 39% African American, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander,
1% White, and 57% Hispanic.
Special education population of 7.3%, LEP population of 39.5%, and a FARMS population of 87.6%
52 certified (HQ) staff members – 34 with APC certification and 18 with SPC certification
19 fourth grade students/9-10 years olds o Reading Language Arts 4 Grade Comprehensive FAST 2 Data o o o
Advanced – 2 students
Proficient – 8 students
Basic – 9 students
This series of lessons aligns with the Social Studies and Media curriculum. The lessons teach the students the skills necessary to read and research for information on various topics which are presented in a variety of formats (e.g., textual, media, digital), in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
The technology integration for this lesson will include the use of the CultureGram Kids
Edition website to research and obtain information about a country. The summative component of the lesson will be a PowerPoint presentation designed, created and presented by each group of students.
Students will learn how to use an online data base in order to access information. o AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner o 1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and o make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, o o media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
2.3.2 Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions.
Maryland Common Core State Curriculum o Social Studies o Standard 2.0 Peoples of the Nation and World o Student will understand the diversity and commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the
United States, and the World through a multicultural and a historic perspective.

o School Library Media o 2.0 Locate and Evaluate Resources and Sources. o 1. Locate and select sources to meet the information need. o c. Apply knowledge of search strategies to locate relevant sources.
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Students will utilize printed text to write four reasons to visit a country.
Students will utilize the CultureGram database to identify nine specific characteristics of a country with 100% accuracy.
Students will identify specific characteristics of a country and use them in a Bingo game to demonstrate understanding.
Students will work together as a team to complete a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on an assigned country to encourage tourists to visit. A five point rubric will be used to score each presentation.
Assessment Plan for Unit: o Pre-assessment: Students will respond to a four question survey on how to find information on a specific topic. (Lesson 1 of 5) o Summative Assessment: Students will work together as a team to create a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation to persuade tourists to visit their assigned country. A five point rubric will be used to score each presentation. (Lesson 5 of 5) o Formative Assessments: Throughout the unit and at the end of each lesson formative assessments will be given to assess learning and differentiate instruction to enable all students to accomplish the lesson objectives.
Lesson Two of a Five Part Unit: Introduction of the CultureGram Kids Edition Website
Time Frame: 30 minutes in the Library Media Center
Overview: As part of the CultureGram unit, the students will work together as a team to learn information and characteristics of an assigned county using the online database.
Lesson Objectives o Students will identify nine characteristics of a county with 100% accuracy using the
CultureGram Kids Edition website.
o Students will work collaboratively to complete a CultureGram Information Form with
100% accuracy.

Warm -Up:
Last week as part of Read Across America, we read the book Oh The Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss.
Utilizing the Focus On book series, we research different places we might want to visit. Where else might you go to find additional information about a variety of places to visit? “Turn and Talk” with your neighbor about some ways to find information on a variety of places. At each table students will write down two ideas of places to find information. Each group will share their chart with the class.
Introductory and Developmental Activities:
The librarian will show an Atlas as a resource for finding information on countries. What information can be found in an Atlas? What are the pros and cons of the class using the Atlas for finding information on a variety of countries? Is this the most effective way to find out information about a country? Why or Why not? Is technology a better solution? Why or Why not? Is a Google search a good idea? Why or Why not?
Guided Practice Activities:
The librarian will introduce the CultureGram online database as an effective method for finding information about a country. The librarian will demonstrate how to access CultureGram Online
Database. The librarian will model how to find a wide variety of information about a country such as; people, places, history, life style, facts about the flag, and listening to the national anthem, etc. The librarians show the information linking into Australia.
Independent Activities/Meaningful-Use Task:
The students will be divided into teams to complete the independent activity. The librarian will explain that each team will select a country to research using the CultureGram online database. Each member of the team will have roles and responsibilities. The librarian will review the roles to the team members: 1)
Researcher; 2) Recorder; 3) Manager; and 4) Resource Guide. Students will be assigned to the library computers in groups. The manager will select the country for their group. Each group will have approximately ten minutes to find and record the answers on the information sheet provided. The librarian will interact, guide. and provide technical support to each group as needed.
Closure:
The students will complete a survey about their county. Next week the information tables will be used as
Bingo cards to review information the countries.
Formative Assessment:
The librarian will review the CultureGram Information sheets submitted by each group to assess the accuracy of the information obtained and adjust instructional objectives if necessary.

Analysis and Instructional Decision Making: o o o
The librarian will calculate the results of the PowerPoint rubric to determine the number of students that meet the assigned objectives and to analyze what instruction is essential for the next level of learning.
At the end of the unit, the librarian will administer a post assessment to each student. The librarian will compute the percentage of change from pre to post assessments in order to measure student growth.
The librarian will identify students who did not master the student objectives and provide additional guidance and support for these students during their independent time.
Reflection and Self Evaluation: o Pre and post assessments will be used for reflection and evaluation of the unit.
o PowerPoint presentations will be reviewed as evidence of students’ learning. o Professional goals will be created after a review of all artifacts.
Time Frame: 30 minutes in the Library Media Center
Overview: As part of the CultureGram unit, the students will identify 10 characteristics about their country that would encourage a person and or family to visit.
Lesson Objectives o Students will understand the impact of tourism throughout the world. o Students will identify 10 points of interest in a designated country that would make it a great place to visit.
Warm-Up:
The librarian will ask the students about the vacations they have been on before. The librarian will ask the students to think about their favorite part of the vacations. Why do you think this was your favorite part of the trip? “Turn and Talk” with your neighbor about your favorite part of a vacation. The students will work as a group at each table to chart their favorite parts of a vacation. The students will share their charts with the class.
Introductory and Developmental Activities:
The librarian will explain to the students that there are many things they like to do on their vacations that are also available in the countries we are currently studying. Also the countries have many other interesting places to visit and things to do.
The librarian will explain the meaning of tourism.
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes. (PowerPoint slide)

Guided Practice Activities:
The librarian will explain that countries make a lot of money from people visiting and touring them. Countries create attractive brochures and colorful websites to encourage people to visit them. The librarian will show students some tourism websites and the things they put on them to make their country appealing. (PowerPoint slide)
The librarian will introduce the Interesting Places activity. The students will view tourist attractions around the world on the interactive whiteboard. The students will match the picture of the tourist attractions with the name or location.
Independent Activities/Meaningful-Use Task:
The librarian will explain to the students that during their next class session, each group will create a PowerPoint presentation to encourage people to visit their designated country. Before the group can create a PowerPoint presentation, the students need to do some research to find reasons and interesting places for people to visit their selected country. The librarian will explain that information can be found on the CultureGram website.
The students will work in groups using the CultureGram website to find the information on the topics included in the informational worksheet to be used in creating the PowerPoint presentation. Each member of the team will have roles and responsibilities. The librarian will review the roles to the team members: 1) Researcher; 2) Recorder; 3) Manager; and 4) Resource
Guide. Each group will have approximately ten minutes to find and record the answers on the information sheet provided. The librarian will interact, guide, and provide technical support to each group as needed.
Closure:
The groups will then look at the information sheet and their vacation charts and circle anything that is the same.
Formative Assessment:
The librarian will review the list of 10 tourist attractions submitted by each group to assess the accuracy of the information obtained and adjust instructional objectives if necessary.
Analysis and Instructional Decision Making: o o o o
Examine student work samples for evidences of student achievement in relation to the
Maryland State Curriculum/Maryland Common Core State Curriculum and the AASL
Standards for the 21 st
Century Learner indicators and objectives.
Compute the percentage of change from pre to post assessments in order to measure student growth.
Identify students who did not master the student objectives and implement appropriate interventions to improve your next lesson.
Decide what instruction and assessment is essential for the next level of learning.

Reflection and Self Evaluation: o o o
Cite evidence(s) of learning to explain how you influenced learning through your instruction.
Reflect on which strategies were effective and why? Reflect on which strategies were not effective by explaining why not.
What are the implications for your future instruction? List 2 professional learning goals for yourself that emerged from your reflection and experiences with this unit.