8th-grade Inquiry Unit - Explore Lesson 

 

Lesson Title: How Can We Use Primary and Secondary Sources to Explore Ideas about Inquiry Topics?

 

Inquiry Phase: Explore

 

Grade Level: 8th Grade

 

Essential Questions:

1. What was the impact of the Civil War on Denton County citizens?

2. How can we assess primary source artifacts and secondary source materials in terms of validity and bias and use these resources to support a particular interpretation of historical events?

 

Lesson Plan Objectives:

At the end of these lessons, students will be able to:

1. Use keywords effectively to access information within resources.

2. Skim, scan, and record main ideas or questions.

3. Analyze sources for their strengths and potential to provide targeted information.

4. Keep a bibliographic record of resources reviewed.

 

Social Studies TEKS (for this lesson):

§113.20. (b) Knowledge and skills.

(29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:

(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about the United States;

(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions.

(G) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author.

 

ELA-R TEKS (for this lesson):

§110.18b Research/Gathering Sources

(23) Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather.

 

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Indicators:

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.

 

Assessment Tools: Resources Graphic Organizer and Inquiry Phase Exit Ticket

 

Resources for this Unit of Study

 

Resources for this Lesson:

YouTube video “Niall Ferguson on Historical Interpretation”: http://youtu.be/ww_Li3jFHbQ

Denton County and the Civil War Pathfinder

Resources Graphic Organizer

Resources Graphic Organizer Teacher Resource

Inquiry Phase Exit Ticket

 

Estimated Lesson Time: One 50-minute Lesson

 

Instructional Plan Outline:

 

Classroom Teacher – School Librarian(s) Collaboration:

• Educators create a Wordle of words, concepts, ideas, and questions that students brainstormed in the Open Phase Lesson or recorded on graphic organizers. • Educators model exploring resources using keywords.

• They model completing the Resources Graphic Organizer (see the Resources Graphic Organizer Teacher Resource).

• They comonitor students’ exploration of resources.

• They share responsibility for reviewing students’ Resources Graphic Organizers and Exit Tickets.

 

Measurable Outcome or Final Product: Students will interact with resources in multiple formats and record keywords, ideas, questions, and bibliographic information on a graphic organizer. They will determine whether the resource is a primary or secondary source and analyze the relative usefulness of the resource to answer questions related to the keyword(s) or inquiry topic.

 

Preparation

• Educators make one copy of the Resources Graphic Organizer and Inquiry Phase Exit Ticket for each student (or small group) or provide the graphic organizer electronically.

• Educators create a class Wordle based on the students’ Open Phase brainstorms, Admit Slips, and/or Exit Tickets.

• Educators review the resources and prepare think-alouds to model completing the graphic organizer.

• Integrate academic vocabulary into think-alouds: inquiry, background knowledge, inference, notemaking, and citing evidence.

• Integrate discipline-specific vocabulary into the lesson: primary source documents and artifacts, secondary source documents, Unionist, abolition/abolitionist, secede, validity, bias, and point of view.

 

Motivation

1. Dr. Niall Ferguson is a professor of history at Harvard University: http://www.niallferguson.com

2. Play his YouTube video “Niall Ferguson on Historical Interpretation”: http://youtu.be/ww_Li3jFHbQ

3. Click on “Show More” to see the transcript. Project it on the whiteboard. Skim and scan and highlight key ideas.

4. Educators lead a brief discussion about Dr. Ferguson’s video, interpreting historical “facts” and how historians as well as people who experienced historical events first-hand convey a particular perspective or point of view.

5. Educators post the lesson objectives and let students know their job is to explore multiple resources, keep an open mind about what “it was like” during the Civil War in Denton County, and identify topics/questions about which they are curious and want to know more.

 

Presentation

6. Educators distribute the Resources Graphic Organizer and select two resources from the resources for this unit of study. (See the Resources Graphic Organizer Teacher Resource for examples).

7. Project the class Wordle and educators (and students) review keywords.

8. Educators use think-alouds to select resources and keywords, locate information, skim and scan, and record primary or secondary source, main ideas, questions, brief bibliographic information, and rate the usefulness of the resource to support their study of the broad inquiry topic, Denton County during the Civil War. Be sure to demonstrate using the “find” feature to search a Web page for keywords and record in parenthesis the number of time a word or phrase appears on a page.

9. Review notemaking formats as needed. Discuss brief citation (enough information to locate the source again if needed).

10. Educators talk about the importance of a bibliography or Works Cited to validate secondary sources. They remind students to learn as much as possible about the author or creator of a primary source document.

 

Student Participation

11. Students work with partners or small groups use keywords from the class Wordle to explore resources and record format and type of source, keynotes, notes, questions, brief bibliographic information on Resources Graphic Organizers.

 

Guided Practice

12. Educators monitor as students work collaboratively to complete the assigned tasks.

 

Closure and Reflection

13. Educators pair student groups; student share their initial explorations with one another. 14. Students complete Exit Tickets. 15. Educators invite volunteers to share accomplishments or challenges.

 

Assessment

16. Educators assess the students’ Resources Graphic Organizers and Exit Tickets.

 

Follow Up

17. Give students additional time to explore resources to support them in identifying compelling questions in the Identify Phase, the next phase in the inquiry process.

 

Lesson Plan Resources

 

For Students

8th_Grade_Explore_Resources_Graphic_Organizer.docx

 

8th_Grade_Inquiry_Phase_Exit_Ticket.docx  

 

 

For Educators

8th_Grade_Explore_Resources_Graphic_Organizer_Teacher_Resource.docx
 

 

Lesson Plan

8th_Grade_Explore_Lesson_Plan_Only.docx

 

8th_Grade_Explore_Lesson_Plan_Full.pdf