Finding+and+Evaluating+Resources-K

=Finding and Evaluating Resources-Kindergarten= To view or use MIMIO LESSONS click the link below to download the software for free. [] (windows) [] (MAC) [] (LINUX)

​Student Demographics:
The school I teach in now, and hope to become Media Specialist of, is in a small rural community. There are 3 Kindergarten classes, with 78 students total. We are a Title One school with 78% free and reduced lunch. The majority of the kids have been in multiple schools and homes throughout the year. All K classes are inclusion classrooms. These students have very little knowledge of information fluency, one reason for beginning with a lesson on what resources are. Also, their technology skills are very limited. Some students have computers at home, but most do not. At the beginning of the year, these students had to be taught how to use the mouse to point and click. There will have to be more time spent with these students and more guidance will be provided througout the unit.

Objectives:
Students will identify kinds of resources Students will demonstrate ability to make a choice about what resources are appropriate

Materials:
stack of books; fiction and nonfiction (enough for groups to work with) websites (some appropriate some not) pictures of people (family member pics. etc, to use as interview possibilities) Media Cart (laptop, mimio, document projector) optional chart paper markers cut and paste activity (optional)

Time:
2, 2 day mini-lessons lasting 10-20 minutes for direct instruction 10-20 minutes of guided/independent practice

Motivation:
Put up pictures and images of different holidays and ways to celebrate familiar holidays, maybe even watch video clips of different cultures to get them excited. Start a K-W-L chart about holidays to get kids thinking. Ask them about their holidays and traditions. Ask them if they know about any different holidays or ways to celebrate them?

Introduction (Finding Resources):
Ask students what they would do if they wanted to learn about a new topic or find out more about something they like. (List responses) Show students examples of resources, asking if they think it would be a good to use to find out information. (ex: books, magazines, pictures of "expert" people, websites etc.) (If you have a mimio or other interactive white board, this could all be done on it by creating a document with images of all the resources, and instead of chart paper.) Make a new list of examples with student help, using shared writing, from the list kids made (if there were good ones) and from the examples shown. Teach the word **resource**-the things we use to help us find out information (Use it as the title of the chart)

Guided Practice:
Divide students into 5 groups of 4. Give each group a stack of 5 resources and 5 nonexamples of resources. (real items/pictures of animals, toys, cars, household or school items) Have the groups sort the stack into resources and not. When the groups are finished have them share with another group why they sorted as they did. Observe students, helping correct misconceptions when necessary

Independent Practice:
Use mimio or other interactive white board, have students drag image of resource to the correct box, one at time while students are checking out books. MIMIO LESSON OR Use a cut and paste activity in which students will sort pictures of resources from nonexamples and glue resources onto a page, creating their own poster. OR Have them make up a song, dance or motion for the different kinds of resources. They can demonstrate it for you while others a re checking out.

Informal Assessment:
Use a checklist and teacher observations during guided practice and independent practice. If you choose to do student posters use as assessments. Observe students in selection of resources for individual projects.

Introduction (Evaluating Resources):
Refer back to the chart created in the previous lesson and review the word resource. Use the same stack of resources from previous and tell them that now, we have to pick out the ones that will help us learn more about the ways that other cultures celebrate holidays and the different ones they have. Hold up silly nonexamples and ask, "Will this help us find out more about how people celebrate holidays?" After a few examples and non. from previous day, show students resources that may be tricky to tell if it would be helpful. (Frosty the Snowman or Jingle Bells) Tell students that they have the hard job of trying to figure out if a certain resource will help them learn about the topic. Show them Jingle Bells and read a little. Ask students if this would help. (Response should be yes) Why? (because it tells about Christmas in different countries) Do the same with Frosty. (response should be no and it is a good story but it doesn't give us information) Repeat this method with websites, and pictures.

Guided Practice:
Again, break up students into groups. (Make sure to work with students who had difficulty with previous day's lesson) Have each child self select resources from the "Mobile Library" (book cart with topic related to inquiries that can travel between classrooms and media center) Throw in a few that are inappropriate in helping us with our inquiry. Have them put appropriate books back on cart and inappropriate books on a "Good Holiday Reading" shelf for display, after they have discussed with the group where it should go or why they think that. Allow students to share with the class about their placement. Ask them what they were thinkg when they put the book in it's place. Do the same with website and pictures of people. On mimio, pull up websites and allow groups to choose from holiday game sites, coloring sites and credilbe information sites. All the time reminding kids, "Does this help us learn anything about how different peoples celebrate?" Make a link list with websites the kids selected as being useful.

Independent Practice:
Allow students time to search the 'Mobile Library", media center, internet, and other resources for that will help in their individual inquiry projects. Keep notes on students who are seeming to struggle and follow up with individual conferences.

Informal Assessment:
Again, use checklists and conferences to assess student preformance. Have kids make a list of resources selected as appropriate to help in the project.

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