You have just received a phone call from the editor of National Geographic for Kids Magazine. Ms. Paige Turner would like you to be the latest student reporter team that travels the globe and produces mini books on a variety of countries that students will be able to use in the classroom.
Pack your passport! You and a classmate will be traveling to a country and asked to do a "sample report" based on where you are sent. After taking great notes on different aspects of the country you are visiting you are responsible for creating a poster that you will present to Ms. Paige Turner and her team of editors at National Geographic for Kids Magazine. Best of luck and safe travels!
Part
Two: Information Seeking Strategies
1. You will be working in teams of two.
2. You will be using Culture Grams for your research.
3. You must take notes using your graphic organizer.
5. Please write in complete sentences and be mindful of spelling as you are gathering information off of the computer.
6. Please take notes in your own words. No "text harvesting" allowed.
| Note Taking Tips | Working With a Partner Tips |
Part
Three: Locating and Accessing Information
Please use the pre-approved site from below.
|
Websites from Culture Grams |
||
| Australia | China | Indonesia |
| Japan | Malaysia | New Zealand |
| Philippines | Thailand | Singapore |
| South Korea | Samoa | Vietnam |
Part
Four: Using the Information
After you have finished researching, look through your notes.
Did you record information in all note taking areas for your country?
If you need to gather more information, do it now.
If you need to delete or more around information, do it now.
You will create a poster in Microsoft Publisher promoting many aspects of your country.
A final template will be sent to your Visual Casel folder in your student account.
Graphic Organizer for Persuasive Paragraph
Part
Six: Presenting Your Findings
You're in the home stretch. You have done an incredible amount of research and have put your information together nicely into a poster. It's now time for you and your partner to present your persuasive pitch to "Pack your Passport" and travel to your country that you are an expert on. Have fun presenting! At the end of your presentations the "Board of Directors" will be voting for which student team they want as their next reporters for National Geographic for Kids
Congratulations! Your teacher will grade you on your performance throughout all stages of this project using a rubric.
Part
Eight: Cultural Celebration!
It's time to have some fun and appreciate what you have learned and teams around you have learned. Your mission is to use information discovered from other teams and to complete your passport scavenger hunt.
Pack Your Passport is endorsed by the following EALR Connections:
Social
Studies
EALR 3: Geography: The student
uses spatial perspective to make reasoned decisions by applying the concepts of
location, region, and movement and demonstrating knowledge of how geographic
features and human cultures impact environments.
3.1 Understands the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the Earth’s surface.
3.2 Understands human interaction with the environment.
EALR 5: Social Studies Skills: The student understands and applies reasoning skills to conduct research, deliberate, form, and evaluate positions through the processes of reading, writing, and communicating.
5.1: Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate positions.
Reading
EALR 2: The student understands
the meaning of what is read.
Component 2.1: Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension
2.1.3 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies during and after reading: determine importance using theme, main ideas, and supporting details in grade-level informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text.
2.1.5 Apply comprehension monitoring strategies before, during, and after reading; predict and infer from grade-level of informational/expository text and/or literary/narrative text.
EALR 3: The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.
Component 3.1: Read to learn new information.
3.1.1 Understand how to select and use appropriate resources.
EALR 3: The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.
Component 3.2 Read to perform a task.
3.2.1 Understand information gained from reading to perform a specific task.
Using signs, labels, and instructions to answer questions or complete a task using grade-level text.
Interpret information from common environmental print to solve a problem or perform a task (e.g. set up and run a science experiment using steps outlined in text).
Writing
EALR 2: The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.
Component: 2.2. Writes for different purposes.
2.2.1 Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
EALR 3: The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3.1: Develops ideas and organizes writing.
3.1.1. Analyzes ideas, selects topic, adds detail and elaborates.
The following information below outlines the timeframe that you may need to complete this project. Please remember that these are estimates:
This unit works best in coordination with a classroom teacher and teacher librarian and/or technology teacher.
Students will work best in teams of two.
Plan for three sessions of research lasting one hour each.
Culture Grams is a paid service for the Mukilteo School District. It can be accessed from home but the site is password protected.
Plan to spend five to ten minutes correcting and proofing notes for each team.
Plan for three sessions of working to add information to the poster in the Publisher template.
There might not be photos available for the country of South Korea. You might need to help gather some pictures on a thumb drive for students prior to classes working on this portion of the project.
Plan ten to fifteen minutes proofing final products in Publisher and completing a scoring rubric for each team.
Plan for two one hour sessions for students to complete the writing paragraph in the classroom.
Plan for two half hour sessions for students to prepare for their classroom presentations.
Plan for five minute presentations per class.
Plan for at least an hour to ninety minutes for students to complete the scavenger hunt for the cultural day celebration.
Here is a parent letter to communicate to your parents about the project.
Created 2007-2008
©
By Rich Middaugh/Stephanie Wilson
Mukilteo Elementary/Another Fun Level III Project
Part One: Task Definition 