America theBeautiful 
Margaret Brown
Introduction
Standards
Objectives
Activities
Assessment
Results
Resources
Introduction
Students will read about historical American landmarks or symbols. After they gather information on one topic, they will present it to their classmates.
Subject History
Topic: National Landmarks/Symbols
Grade Level: 3rd
Student Lesson http://ctap295.ctaponline.org/~margaret/student
Standards Addressed

Third Grade
History
3.4 
          Students understand the basic history of important national landmarks, symbols, and documents that create a sense of community and cherished ideals amongst its citizens (the U.S. flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Capitol, etc.)

back to the top
Instructional Objectives
 

•Students will compose and answer Who, What, Why, Where, and When questions on the topic -Bald Eagle after reading the same information on the topic.

  • Students will choose one of the following landmarks/symbols as their topic: White House, Washington Monument, Mt. Rushmore, Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, Jefferson Memorial, Capitol, Grand Canyon, and St. Louis Arch.
  •  Students will read about their topic in a variety of resources (internet, books and magazines.)
  • Students will paraphrase information to have a Who, What, Why, Where, and When for their topic.
  • Students will make a hyperstack for their topic.
  • Students will make an oral presentation of their hyperstacks.
    • back to_the top 


    Student Activities
    Students will play a game making who, what, why, where, and when questions. Then they'll research a topic finding the who, what, where, why, and when information about their topic. Finally they will present a hyperstack they have made about their topic.
     

    Introductory Activity
    Students will listen to a story about the bald eagle. Then all students will read  in their Houghton-Mifflin textbook  a story about the bald eagle and compose their who, what , why, where and  when questions and answers. Students will then form teams. They  will   take turns asking opposing teams the questions they just wrote.  They will score  points for answering questions or stumping their opponent.

    Enabling Activity(ies)
    Students will listen to books about America. They will choose with a partner one of the ten landmarks to research. Together they will find  the Who, What, Why, Where, and When  information about their topic using a variety of sources. They will also save pictures of their landmark in a class Hyperstudio drop folder.

    Culminating Activity
    Students will make a hyperstack using Hyperstudio about an American landmark and present their hyperstacks to the class. 

                                                                                             back to the top
    Assessment
    Assessment included both a test on funbrain.com named USA and a rubric on their hyperstacks. The rubric is on a scale of  1 to 5.
    Rubric requirements to receive a 3:
    * has four cards
    * each card has a button
    * each card has a picture
    * each card has two sentences
    *each sentence makes sense
    (All five requirements are needed to make a 3, three to four requirements equals a 2, and less than three equals a 1.)
    Rubric requirements to receive a 4 or 5:
    * All five requirements that make a 3 and...
    *The pictures fit the words.
    *The sentences are in correct sequence.
    *There are more than 8 sentences total.
    *The cards are visually appealing.
    (All of the above aspects to receive a 5 and two or three of these to make a 4.)

    back to the top 


    Results

    Students Pretest Posttest Rubric
    Student 1 60% 84% 4
    Student 2 64% 72% 3
    Student 3 68% 92% 3
    Student 4 28% 92% 3
    Student 5 40% 72% 3
    Student 6 40% 76% 4
    Student 7 48% 76% 3
    Student 8 36% 96% 3
    Student 9 16% 80% 3
    Student 10 28% 76% 4
    Student 11 52% 100% 4
    Student 12 64% 92% 5
    Student 13 56% 92% 3
    Student 14 64% 100% 5
    Student 15 52% 96% 3
    Student 16 60% 100% 4
    Student 17 48% 100% 4
    Student 18 48% 80% 4
    back to the top
    Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

    Introductory Activity
    Armento, Beverly J., Gary B. Nash, Christopher L.Salter, Karen K.Wixson.From Sea to Shining Sea.Boston:Houghton Mifflin Co.,1991.

    Take Me Home Booklet. The Education Center, 1988.

    Enabling Activity
     World Book Encyclopedia. 1990 ed.

    New Standard Encyclopedia.1977 ed.

    Borglum, Lincoln.Mount Rushmore:The Story Behind the Scenery  Nevada:KC Publications,1993.

    Curlee, Lynn. Rushmore.New York:Scholastic, Inc.,1999.

    Gaustad, Susan.Save the Statue of Liberty Activity Book.New York:The Instructor Publications,Inc.,1985

    Goodman, Beth.A Picture Book of the U.S.A. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1991.

    Price,L.Greer.Grand Canyon:The Story Behind the Scenery.Nevada:KC Publications,1991.

    Waters, Kate.The  Story of the White House.New York:Scholastic, Inc. ,1990.
    www.whitehouse.gov 

    www.postcards.com

    www.nps.gov/nama/monuments/monument.htm

    www.lakelandtours.com

    Culminating Activity
    Ashton, David. Hyperstudio Made Very Easy.  New York: Scholastic Professional Books,2000 
     

     
    back to the top

     
     
     

    Williams Ranch School
    14806 Pleasant Valley Rd.
    Penn Valley,CA 95946
    Margaret Brown email: mrs_mbrown@hotmail.com
    Last Revised: 04/03/2001 

                                                                     back to the top