Round Rock ISD – 2008-09
Lesson Plan
Teacher: Mariah Smith
Date(s): March 2009
Subject area / course / grade level: Science and Social Studies, use of databases and encyclopedias for 3 rd
grade.
Materials:
Research form, ten computers w/database access, encyclopedias, selected biographies and books on
inventions.
TEKS/SEs:
SS 3.2 The student understands common characteristics of communities, past and present. B)
compare ways in which people in the local community and communities around the world to meet
their needs for government, education, communication, transportation, and recreation, over time and
in the present.
SS 3.10 The student understands characteristics of good citizenship as exemplified by historic figures
and ordinary people. A) identify characteristics of good citizenship such as a belief in justice, truth,
equality, and responsibility for the common good.
SS 3.11 The student understands the impact of individual and group decision on communities in a
democratic society. A) give examples of community changes that result from individual or group
decisions; B) identify examples of actions individuals and groups can take to improve the community;
C) identify examples of nonprofit and/or civic organizations such as the Red Cross and example how
they serve the common good.
SS 3.15 The student understands how individuals have created or invented new technology and
affected life in communities around the world, past and present. A) identify scientists and inventors
such as Louis Daguerre, Cyrus McCormick, Louis Pasteur, and Jonas Salk who have created or
invented new technology.
SS 3.18 A. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and
with others, in a variety of settings. A) Use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather
information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement
a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.
SS 3.17 The student communicates effectively in written, oral, and visual forms B) create written and visual
material such as stories, poems, pictures, maps, and graphic organizers to express ideas; C) use standard
grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Lesson objective(s):
Students will use KidsInfoBits, Ebsco Searchasaurus, and traditional print materials including encyclopedias to
select and print useful information for research projects about famous inventors and their inventions.
Instructional strategies:
Teacher will show students how to find articles about research topics using the RRISD “Research Resources”
webpage.
Teacher will use specific examples to demonstrate selection strategies, including recognizing and evaluating
the following factors: difficulty of reading levels, presence of pictures, PDFs versus HTML, biographies,
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Round Rock ISD – 2008-09
Lesson Plan
magazine articles (for example, contemporary Levis company versus Strauss, Levi).
Teacher will show students how to use an encyclopedia and index (review from 2 nd grade).
Teacher will show students how to select materials for simple note-taking versus printing out for highlighting
and more detailed notes.
Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs:
Although they are completing separate projects, two students are assigned to each separate inventor.
Students are encouraged to help each other. They “switch hit” for computer time, so that one “partner” uses
print resources while the other partner uses electronic resources. Librarian, aide, and teacher, monitor and
assist.
The “download MP3” feature for Kids Infobits is emphasized so that students can have articles read aloud to
them. They are encouraged to listen to the article more than once. This benefits auditory learners and makes
more difficult reading materials accessible and understandable for all students.
Students are encouraged to print (with assistance) articles and highlight information pertaining to assignment
question guidelines. This minimizes tedious or repetitive note-taking for the initial selection stage of research.
Students may select and collect & can do actual note-taking later.
Librarian and teacher both emphasize to students the value of using online resources from home and within the
classroom, and will have more opportunities for both as the project progresses. Librarian prepared a letter for
parents reminding them about the online resources.
Evaluation of student learning:
Evaluation will take place by monitoring students and making sure they found at least one useful print resource
and at least one useful electronic resource.
Research Forms are provided as a separate attachment.
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