McQueeny,+Lindsay-920

Lindsay McQueeney EDC 920 Final Project May 1, 2009 Unit: Mexico This "Mexico" unit a 10-day unit designed for 7th grade students, at the "5-8" level (average-above average). Each class is about 48 minutes. Throughout this unit, the students will be using the internet in various ways. They will learn how to evaluate websites for researching by using RADCAB and AAOCC; will be shown/given reliable websites to use for researching; will be shown how to use different search engines, along with the Boolean operators; and blog weekly about a number of topics. This unit will end with the students creating a travel brochure for any place of their choice in Mexico. The goals for this unit is to have the students learn about the Geography of Mexico; the historical overview including the development of Mexico; the different climate regions of Mexico; the physical characteristics of Mexico; the different cultures in Mexico; and the how the economy, technology, and environment interact in Mexico. Even though this unit truly focuses on Mexico, the students will also be watching CNN Student News (CNN.com/studentnews) for the first 10 minutes of class. They will be required to post a blog entry at lease one a week, about a news story that was reported on CNN Student News. The blog will have to be posted each week by Sunday night, 8 p.m. Blogging will also be required for the students to answer certain prompts throughout the unit. My hope for that students is to realize that the internet can be extremely helpful for research, but you have to very careful at how you find the reliable information. If they have a better understanding at how to maneuver through the internet to find information, these new skills will hopefully help them receive better grades on their projects and papers.

Lesson 1: Mexican map GSE: Geography Standard 1

Objectives: Students will be able to 1) identify the different physical features of Mexico on a map

Materials: -Mexico Physical Features Map ditto -Mexico Map Checklist -Overhead of Mexico Physical Feature Map

Procedure: 1. //Warm-Up:// Students will watch CNN Student News (CNN.com/studentnews) 2. Using their textbook (pg. 207), student will label the following: -Gulf of California -Gulf of Mexico -Pacific Ocean -Sierra Madre Oriental -Sierra Madre Occidental -Yucat á n Peninsula -Plateau of Mexico -Rio Grande -Baja California 3. Put a copy of their map on the overhead to have the students check their work 4. show a physical map of Mexico on the SmartBoard using: ([|__http://www.freeworldmaps.net/northamerica/mexico/map.html__])
 * Students watch CNN Student News everyday in order to keep up with current events in the world
 * required to post a comment on my blog once a week about any news story reported by CNN Student News

Lesson 2: //Geography of Mexico// National Geography Standards: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 16, 18

GSE : Geography- G1, G4

Objectives: Students will be able to 1) identify the main physical characteristics that affect daily life in Mexico’s heartland region; 2) differentiate between Mexico’s four coastal regions

Materials: -Unit 3, Ch. 10, Section 1Reading Guide (1 per student) -Guide to the Essentials: Section Summary, Ch. 10, Sect. 1 -Atlas Activity, pg. 40 -Unit 3 Checklist, pg. 34 -Latin America: Maps and Photos -Worksheet: Mexico Physical Features Chart

Procedure: 1. //Warm-Up:// Students will watch CNN Student News (CNN.com/studentnews)

2. Students will use the map of Mexico on pg. 222 to help them understand how mountains divide Mexico into five physical regions : (1) central plateau, (2) northern Pacific coast, (3) southern Pacific coast, (4) Gulf coastal plain, (5) the Yucat á n Peninsula. 3. Students will work in groups (assigned by teacher), listing the characteristics of each of the five physical regions in Mexico.

Assessment: Each group will present their information to make sure all groups have the correct answers // Homework: // Section 1 Reading Guide handout

Lesson 3: "A Place of Three Cultures" (2-day lesson)

National Geography Standards: 1, 4, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17

GSE: Economics Standard 1, History HP 2-2a, Government/Civics G&C 1-1, G&C 1-2

Objectives: Students will be able to: 1) explain how Mexico became a Spanish colony 2) trace the development of democracy in Mexico 3) identify Mexico’s social problems 4) give the main characteristics of the Mexican economy

Materials: -Textbooks (pg’s 227-231) -Section 2 Guided Reading handout (1 per student)

Procedure: 1. //Warm-Up:// Students will watch CNN Student News (CNN.com/studentnews) -Remind students to blog about one story they heard this week while watching CNN Student News

2. Start by having students list at least 10 things that they associate with life in Mexico today that are found in the United States, for example, foods, such as tacos, tortillas, quesadillas, etc. Have students explain why they think U.S. culture is influenced by Mexican culture. Encourage a discussion of cultural diffusion. 3. Read the following quotation by Hern á  n Cort  é  s describing his impressions of Tenochtitl  á  n, the Aztec capital. "The city has many squares where... every kind of merchandise...is found...There are...many temples...They are all very beautiful buildings."

4. Remind the students that they Spaniards destroyed Tenochtitl á  n during their conquest of the Aztecs. 5. Students will be split up into 3 groups: ancient Indian, Spanish, and modern. Each group will read and summarize the material in the text about their topic. 6. Students will share their summaries with the class. 7. Students will read the following terms aloud and decide if each is associated with Mexico’s Indian culture, its Spanish culture, or its modern culture: //hacienda, Tenochtitl á  n, democratic, republic, peninsula, PRI, ejidos.//

Assessment: - Blog Prompt: Based on the information in this section, how do you think that Mexico would be affected by a worldwide increase in the demand for oil? Explain. -formal assessment: Section 2 Quiz (give on different day)

Lesson 4: "Take it to the Net" Activity Extension of Lesson 4 Students will make a graph, using economic statistics from the Internet to make a graph on one or more of the following topics concerning Mexico: -//imports, exports, agricultural products, industrial products.// Procedure: 1. Remind students about the different types of graphs: //pie, bar, line,// etc.

2. Students will make a graph of their choice: 3. Students will use the following website to find the appropriate information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html

Assessment: Rubric will be given to students before they start so they know what is expected of them 4 || Exemplary- The graph is well executed and shows a thorough understanding of how to display statistical information. || 3 || Adequate- The graph is well conceived and shows good understanding. || 2 || Minimal- The graph shows some understanding, but is poorly executed. || 1 || Attempted- The graph is incomplete. ||

Lesson 5: Researching using the Internet: Use of Boolean Operators In this lesson, the students will be taught how to do research on the internet, preparing for their final project of the unit. Using the SmartBoard, I will show them the different search engines and how to use the Boolean operators. I will explain to the students that this tool can be very successful in helping them narrow down their results when searching relevant key words. Since younger students do not know how to properly research, I will demonstrate how to use the Boolean operators to the students first. They will then brainstorm as a class to try different key words and combinations, using "AND", "OR", "AND/OR", and using quotation marks.

Materials: -Boolean Worksheet ( 1 per student) - list of recommended search engines (1 per student) -computer with internet for each student

Procedure: 1. //Warm-Up:// Students will watch CNN Student News (CNN.com/studentnews)

2. Explain worksheets given to students

3. Students will work individually on the worksheet using the Boolean Operator

Assessment: Students will write a few sentences on what they took away from this assignment and how will this help them for their final project

Lesson 6: Evaluating Websites for Researching I will explain to the students what RADCAB and AAOCC stand for and what to

Objectives: Students will be able to determine whether or not a website is reliable by using the RADCAB™ and AAOCC checklists

Materials: -RADCAB Rubric Information Evaluation Assessment (1per student) -AAOCC checklist -computers with the internet for each student -http://www.radcab.com/

Procedure: 1. Explain AAOCC (Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, Coverage) and RADCAB (Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, Bias) 2. As a class, we will look at the following websites according to the AAOCC checklist (Athority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, Coverage). A. Use the following websites: __Accuracy/Authority__ - US Holocaust Memorial Musuem ([|__http://www.ushmm.org)__] -Dihydrogen Monoxide- [|__http://www.dhmo.org__]

__Objectivity__ -Consumer Reports: [|__http://www.consuerreports.org__]

__Currency/Coverage__ -USA Today: [|__http://www.usatoday.com__] -CNN: [|__http://www.cnn.com__] 3. As we go through the websites, the students will be filling out the checklist given

Assessment: Students will research on their own and make their own travel brochure

Checklist for AAOCC

Accuracy: 1. Is this website free from error? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 2. Are there editors and fact checkers for this website? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___

Authority: 1. Is there an author for this site? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 2. Are the author’s qualifications listed? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 3. Do the qualifications make the author an expert on the subject? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 4. Is the publisher reputable? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___

Objectivity: 1. Is the information presented with a minimum of bias? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 2. Is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 3. Are the goals clearly stated on this site? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___

Currency: 1. Is the content of fthe work up to date? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 2. Is the publication clearly stated? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___

Coverage: 1. Are the topics explored in depth? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___ 2. Are the topics relevant to your topic? Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No___ Website: ___________________________ Yes ___ No ___
 * Compare the number of Yes’s vs. No’s. Do you think these websites are reliable?


 * Use this checklist when you are doing your own researching!!!

MEXICO TRAVEL BROCHURE You will be making a travel brochure for anyplace of your choice in Mexico. Your brochure should be folded into 3 sections, with all 6 sections (front and back ) filled with information. Be sure to include the following: Check out these Websites: [|__http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/home__] -- type in your destination under "Search World Book"- click Go- a list of information should come up (try choosing the first option) [|__https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/__]
 * Due Date: _____________________________________
 * This travel brochure assignment will equal **ONE TEST GRADE! (Total points: 100)**
 * Feel free to use websites of your choice, but remember RADCAB and AAOCC!

Brochure Requirements:

-Tourist Attractions/Historical Sites/Landmarks -Climate Region -tell what the climate is like for each season of your specific place -suggest clothing people will need to pack to go here -Pictures of your destination -List restaurants -Hotels/Resorts -Where should people stay? -Are the hotels close to tourist attractions? -Map of the area -Language/Dialect of the area -Transportation -Attach a works cited page with the sources you used (follow the format given) Brochure Should Be: // Colorful! Neat! Easy to Read! Descriptive! Informative! Organized! Creative! Grammatically correct!//  Travel Brochure Project  Travel Destination: CATEGORY ** || ** 4  ** || ** 3  ** || ** 2  ** || ** 1  ** || ** Total Points ** || Attractiveness & Organization ** ||  The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> The brochure has well-organized information. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> The brochure's formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader. || Graphics/ Pictures ** || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems "text-heavy." || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen. || Content – Accuracy & Completeness ** || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> All facts/ requirements in the brochure are accurate and included. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Most of the facts/ requirements in the brochure are accurate and included. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Some of the facts/ requirements in the brochure are accurate and included. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Few of the facts/ requirements in the brochure are accurate and included. || Spelling & Grammar ** || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> No spelling or grammar errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> No more than one spelling or grammar error remains after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> No more than three spelling or grammar errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Several spelling and/or grammar errors in the brochure. || Sources ** || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> 2 websites and 1 book are used and listed in very small font at the bottom of the back of the brochure and are documented correctly using MLA format. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> 1 website and 1 book are used and listed in very small font at the bottom of the back of the brochure and are documented correctly using MLA format. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> 1 source was used and listed in very small font at the bottom of the back of the brochure and are documented correctly using MLA format. || <span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"><span style="font-family: HKPBLA+Arial;"> Sources are not documented or are not documented correctly using MLA format. || Total Points ** || Comments: ** ||
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