Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario
Christine Shikenjanski
1. Target Audience
My target audience will be my 14 & 11-year-old sons, Jesse and Alex. Grades 9th and 6th respectively. My son’s are homeschooled.
2. Materials – The materials needed for this activity are
· Web 2.0 Tool called StoryJumper
· a computer
· the Internet
· a creative mind
3. Objectives – The objectives behind this learning scenario are Cognitive.
· This learning scenario is designed to help Jesse and Alex analyze, evaluate and synthesize new mental skills.
· Each child will be required to demonstrate a concept in a new situation as it applies to his instructions.
· Each child will be required to follow directions, identify and analyze a past president’s performance and policies for successes and failures, and will need to effectively make an assessment that will help them to determine which animal that president would be.
· Each will need to demonstrate their creativity in order to express their individuality.
· This will serve to assist each child with identifying his creativity, which will ultimately help them to be more focused and motivated.
4. Procedure – The procedure’s I will follow for this learning objective will be:
Step 1) Each child will be given a set of instructions.
Step 2) Each child will be required to research a former president.
Step 3) Each child will need to interview an adult or family who can add to their research on their president.
Step 4) Then each child will be required to take that information and create a children’s story about that president’s place in history.
Step 5) They will need to include dates in office and at least 2 successes and 2 failures of that president.
Step 6) They then will need to equate that president to a animal of the child’s choice.
Step 7) Once the president has been transformed into the animal each child will be required to rewrite that president’s place in history from the animals point of view.
5. Web 2.0 Tool – The Web 2.0 Tool that I have chosen is called StoryJumper. StoryJumper is a site that gives parents, kids, and authors a fun set of perceptive tools for writing and illustrating kids stories. The goal is to inspire anyone that's ever wanted to write a kids story to get started.
6. Social Participation/Social Learning – This lesson will include the interaction of each child as it is from their research and prospective that each story will be told. Additionally they will be required to interview at least one adult or family member about their chosen president for additional perspective.
7. Making Connections – This lesson will be perfect for both children. Both enjoy the challenge of creativity in writing. In addition, each child will take on the task of researching a past president, which will be useful to them from a historic point of view. As this is the first year each child has been homeschooled they both have had previous opportunities to conduct research via the Internet. As such this assignment will offer each the opportunity to connect with previous knowledge (researching), and be beneficial in creating new knowledge, (learning about the presidents).
8. Create/Produce – Once each child has completed this lesson, they will be able to publish their book. As such, they will always have with them a published product that they can share with an authentic audience.
9.Reflection – Once each child has completed their project I will give them an opportunity to reflect on this project through a 4-question survey. I will ask them:
1) Did you enjoy this project?
2) What did you learn from this project? Please name 3 things.
3) If there were an option to do this project again, what would you add or change?
4) Do you feel this project challenged you?
I also feel that this project would be very beneficial to each child. It gives them not only the opportunity to learn about past presidents, to practice their skills in researching and interviewing skills, it also gives them an opportunity to assess their president from a their own point of view. The step of connecting their president with an animal allows them additional creativity which helps round out this assignment. It also allows the child to express himself individually.
Assessment - How will you assess whether or not your students and you have met your objectives? Design your assessment and include a detailed description of how it will work.
In assessing whether or not my son’s have met my objectives it is my belief that their end work will be the determination as to whether they have met my objectives.
Rubric for StoryJumper Assignment
Following Instructions | 10 points |
Picking a former president | 10 points |
Interview with Adult | 10 points |
Creating story | 20 points |
2 Successes, 2 Failures | 2.5 points per – 10 points |
Choosing an Animal | 10 points |
Completion of story | 25 points |
Completion of survey | 5 points |
If each child follows my directions and completes the assignment as laid out, they will have successfully met my objectives. I am looking to see that each child has gained new knowledge, has demonstrated their creativity and stretched themselves in assessing each presidents past performances. Further I want each child to feel proud of this end product. Before a final grade can be issued I will collaborate with 2 other adults to read the story for accuracy regarding the chosen presidents. Once it has been determined that the information is accurate then I will assess each project.
Final Video: Documentary