Lesson Ideas for Evaluating Information Project

Lesson Idea #1

Grade: 7th
Subject: World Geography
Standards: 7.1.01 Understand the complex nature of culture.
a. Explain how people living in the same region maintain different ways
of life.
7.2.1 Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a
variety of economic systems.

Problem Statement: Though they share similar traditions and a common history, the
governments and economies of the Koreas are drastically different in nature.

Following an activity where I demonstrated the proper use of the Big6 problem solving
strategy, students will be required to browse preselected news related websites to identify
key events taking place between North Korea and its neighbors. More specifically, the
students are to identify possible reasons for the different forms of governments and
economies between these two nations.

Note: I will not completely abandon the students and their efforts to complete the task
required of them. However, I want the students to learn by doing. This includes
experiencing the joys and hardships of research.

Step 1- Task Definition

1. The students are required to browse the Internet to identify any significant
problems related to North Korea and their neighbors, or world for that matter.
2. Once a problem has been identified the students are required to generate a list that
outlines the type of data that will be needed to complete the task.

Step 2- Information-Seeking Strategies

1. We as a class will identify all available resource present to complete the task. The
only stipulation is that all resources used must be available in my classroom.
2. We will also create a list of keywords, phrases, or ideas that can be researched to
make the project run smoother and be more effective. Naturally, these keywords
should be related to events specific to the Koreas. Straying away from specific
characteristics at this point could be very easy to do.
Stage 3- Location and Access

1. Utilizing the list of available sources to be used on the project the students are to
research the Koreas to decide whether or not the information is factual or simply
created by an individual who is either not an expert on the Koreas or an individual
who may be demonstrating a biased opinion favoring either North Korea or South
Korea.
2. As the students continue to research their topic more questions can, and will,
arise. Keeping the overall goal in mind any part of the process may be revised at
this point.

Stage 4- Use of Information

1. At this point the students should have decided on the resources that are to be used
specifically on the topics of North and South Korea and whether or not the
information proves to be valid. Any invalid information, or sources of this
information, should be discarded at this time.

Stage 5- Synthesis

1. Having gathered useful and valid information the students will create a
presentation centered on their findings of the information on the Koreas. I will
allow the students to choose what method they are going to use to present their
findings. The only stipulation is the fact that the presentation must be submitted
electronically.

Stage 6- Evaluation

1. The students must evaluate their final product at this point. They should ask
themselves does my presentation answer the initial question at hand. If not. It is
ok to revise the product at this point. Another question that should be asked is
whether or not the sources proved to be valid. Though this task was previously
performed, it should be revisited through out the project.
2. Overall quality of the project should be assessed. Is the material correct? Does it
follow the guidelines set forth? Is the presentation appealing? Etc…

Note: Any stage of the Big6 problem solving strategy can be revisited and revised for
more accurate and effectiveness.
 Lesson Idea #2

Grade: 7th
Subject: World Geography

Standards: 7.3.08 Understand how human activities impact and modify the physical
environment.

a. Describe effects of human modification on the physical environment including

global warming, deforestation, desertification, and urbanization.

Problem Statement: As human interaction with their environment continues to grow, so

does the need to counteract the negative impact this interaction has on the environment.

Using the InfoSavvy, actually NetSavvy, problem solving strategy(s) the students will
develop their own questions, processes, and means to gain information about the negative
effects humans have on their environment.

Step 1- Asking
• The students will discuss their surrounding environments and generate a
question(s) that identify any negative impacts humans are having on the
environment.

Step 2- Accessing
• The methods used to gather the information to answer the question will be
discussed at lengths during this step. The students will decide whether or not
to use the text, an encyclopedia, an expert, or the Internet to gather the data.
The fact that seventh graders will be completing this activity it is very
important that we understand the skills needed to complete this activity and
at what level are the students able to compete the task.

Step 3- Analyzing
• This step is very important in the completion of the task at hand. Of course,
the task can be completed without getting to in depth with this stage but
omitting pertinent information can prove to be very crucial to the
effectiveness of this activity and of the results as well. Validity of the
website, and data, is very important because the data needs to be correct and
nonbiased.
Step 4- Applying
• The students are to create a PowerPoint presentation that defines the negative
effects humans have on the environment, provides strong evidence that there
is a negative impact, and provides possible solutions to the problem.

Step 5- Assessing
• We as a class will come together to have a debriefing on the project as a
whole. Rating the overall success of the project based on the questions asked,
the processes used, the validity of the data, and the presentation of the
findings will be conducted at this point.

Also, the decision as to whether or not an acceptable solution was reached

will be decided at this point as well.

Lesson Idea #3

Grade: 8th
Subject: American History

Standards: 8.4.05 Understand the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizens living
in a democratic society.

Problem Statement: If more people understood their rights, responsibilities, and

privileges of being an American citizen would the nation, overall, be a better place to
live?

Using the Research Cycle students will identify the question at hand, create more
questions from it, decide on what steps will be taken to answer the question, collect the
data, create a project, and evaluate its effectiveness.