Social+Studies

media type="youtube" key="XodHNK2SxSE?rel=0" height="345" width="420" reachtheworld1 on Jan 4, 2008 An 8-year old plays GeoGames, a free interactive Flash geography game

**Lesson Plan **
 * Grade Level: **3 - 5
 * Content Area: **Social Studies/Language Arts
 * Teacher Standards/Performance Indicators: **1a,c; 2a,b; 4a,b,c
 * Student Standards/Performance Indicators: **2a,b,d; 3a,b,c,d; 6a,b
 * Goal: **Produce a digital story using audio and visual media to research and share the many customs and cultures of Pennsylvania’s immigrant history.
 * Description: **Using a survey tool, students will take a survey to determine the diverse cultural background of the class. Each student will then conduct research to learn more about his/her own cultural background. The information will then be shared in a digital format.
 * Activities: **
 * Use Google Earth to explore various countries and discuss their location in relationship to the United States. Students will begin to identify countries’ borders, neighboring countries, and visible landforms. Students will begin to discuss and documents similarities and differences among the countries identified.
 * Students will then begin using various web-based or computer-based research tools such as WorldBook Online, National Geographic Kids, or FactMonster to find out more about the country of their heritage. Students will use a graphing tool to show the heritage makeup of the class.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Students can then interview a relative or other adult with a similar heritage. Students will create a digital storybook to share the information gathered from the interviews. Students will explore the use of a digital camera to take pictures of the person being interviewed or other related subject matter. The digital storybook should contain at least one photograph, one graphic image, one audio element, and a short paragraph.
 * **<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Extension: **<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Establish classroom pen pals with students from around the world. Exchange information about the cultural background of the students in the class. Discuss the similarities and differences of family life and school with students from around the world.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Resources and Programs: **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Websites/Online resources:
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">[|National Geographic Kids]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">[|FactMonster]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">[|ePals]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">[|Create A Graph]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">[|Mixbook], [|VoiceThread], [|Animoto], [|Glogster]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Software:
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Google Earth
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">WorldBook Online
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">MovieMaker
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">PowerPoint
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Microsoft Excel
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Hardware:
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16px;">Digital Camera

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