Lesson # 6
MEETING the CHALLENGE
a Mini I-SEARCH Project
a Mini I-SEARCH Project
GAMING and SIMULATIONS
PROJECT OVERVIEW
In this two-part project, individual or pairs of students will be involved in a mini I-Search and the development of a technology-based game. The personal nature of an I-Search project motivates students because they get to search for something THEY want to know and investigate. In this case, because of the units previous focus, challenging treks, the overarching topic will be: MEETING THE CHALLENGE. This willinclude overcoming challenges and/or obstacles in the past or present. In other words, we want students to ask themselves, "How'd they do that!?"
Student choice will give a feeling of ownership and empowerment. As students develop their researching and writing skills, they'll be learning a process for doing research that can be used for a lifetime.
Once research is completed and findings organized in a Word document, they will be synthesized and converted to a PowerPoint game format: Concentration, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Multi-Q, or Jeopardy . Some brave souls may even decide to develop a game/template of their own (or maybe a simulation)!
Student choice will give a feeling of ownership and empowerment. As students develop their researching and writing skills, they'll be learning a process for doing research that can be used for a lifetime.
Once research is completed and findings organized in a Word document, they will be synthesized and converted to a PowerPoint game format: Concentration, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Multi-Q, or Jeopardy . Some brave souls may even decide to develop a game/template of their own (or maybe a simulation)!
Attached is a detailed description of the reasoning behind I-Search projects as well as its phases. By ding a mini- project, first, students are exposed to a the basic process without having to go in depth. In a later unit, they they can do the entire written report plus the product.
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I-Search Process Explained |
I-Search Parent Letter
ACTIVITY SHEETS & RUBRICS
The charts below will be used at sometime during this unit of work.
Project Timeline
2 days | 3 days | 3-5 days | 5 days | 2 day |
Review CHALLENGES faced during previous lessons & brainstorm CHALLENGES faced by others Introduction and topic selection | for creating researchable questions and learning how to interview, practice taking notes and citing sources | searching for information and taking notes | writing the rough draft of a paper (organizing information) and preparing the presentation. | Presentations to family & friends (AM) Presentations to other grade-level classes |