The
Brady Chronicles: A Digital Story
This
lesson is a collaborative project between the
fifth grade social studies teacher, the school
library media specialist, and the computer lab
teaching assistant. It is designed in conjunction
with the fifth grade social studies curriculum
and the study of the Civil War. It provides students
with a personal experience of important events
as they create their own Civil War movie clip.
They are assigned to a team that explores one
important event of the war. Each student researches
the circumstances surrounding that event and explores
primary sources related to it.
Subject
Area
Social Studies, Library Media
Grade Levels
5
Objectives
The
curriculum objective is for students to view the
Civil War through the eyes of those who were there,
as shown in their photographs, art, writings,
music, and artifacts.
Internet Used
Internet resources such as the Library of Congress
American Memory Brady Collection and Selected
Civil War Photographs provide students with a
rich selection of historical photographs of soldiers,
battle camps, preparations for battle, and battle
after-effects.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html
Students view the Civil War through the eyes of
photographers such as Matthew Brady. They incorporate
these resources into their own digital story,
providing their own insights and interpretations
of the material. The webquest format can be used
on the classroom webpage, allowing the students
to proceed with the project as an independent
learning experience.
Materials Used
Students can produce their digital story using
a variety of available multimedia software. By
fifth grade, students are usually familiar (and
bored) with PowerPoint presentations, and should
be challenged by digital editing programs such
as Movie Maker, iMovie, and Photo Story. Digital
stories can also be created using web page editors
such as Front Page and Dreamweaver. It is possible
to create a digital story without the use of peripherals
such as scanners, digital video recorders, and
digital cameras. Students can simply download
images (subject to acceptable use and copyright
restrictions). Digital video recorders and digital
cameras, however, allow students to incorporate
more of their own creative interpretations into
their project.
Standards Addressed
NYS Standards for Social Studies on the Elementary
level require that students use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of major
ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning
points in the history of the U.S. The skills of
historical analysis include the ability to explain
the significance of historical evidence. In this
lesson, students view historic events through
the eyes of those who were there, as shown in
their art, writings, music, and artifacts. NYS
Standards for Mathematics,Science, and Technology
require that students access, generate, process,
and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
In this lesson, students access information using
Internet sources and use a variety of new multimedia
technologies to present their information.
Assessment
This project offers an excellent opportunity to
assess students’ critical thinking skills
based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. A successful
work product (12 points) includes the following.
-
The student team demonstrates knowledge and
comprehension level understanding of their topic
by stating the basic facts of who, what, when,
and where, as well as the conflicts and issues
involved (4 points).
- The
student team demonstrates the creative ability
to apply, analyze, and synthesize the research
information by using it in the digital story
(4 points).
- The
student team demonstrates the ability to critically
evaluate the research information through conclusions
regarding the significance of their topic to
the overall events of the Civil War (4 points).
- Extra
credit will be offered if the student team demonstrates
improved proficiency with software and technologies
that are new to them (2 points).
Students
Involved
This unit is designed for fifth grade students
who are already have a year or two of experience
in Internet research and in the use of a basic
multimedia technology such as PowerPoint. Students
should be divided into teams that allow students
with greater needs to collaborate with teammates
with more experience and ability.
Teacher Tips
Teachers interested finding out more information
about digital storytelling can refer to "Kathy
Schrock's Tips: Great Resources for Digital Storytelling".
Discovery Education. November 2005. p. 9 (www.unitedstreaming.com)
Overall
Value
The greatest overall value of this lesson is its
ability to quickly engage students in the creative
process of historical interpretation of primary
sources. Students enjoy the empowerment of independent
learning as they use new technologies to present
their research. Teachers enjoy the challenge of
teaming with students to learn these new presentation
methods. At the same time, the creation of a digital
story forces students into a critical analysis
of their topic.
Evaluation
Students will be graded according to the following
rubric:
A
grade of A (12 points) will include
the following:
- Your
student team demonstrates knowledge and comprehension
level understanding of their topic by stating
the basic facts of who, what, when, and where,
as well as the conflicts and issues involved.
(4 points)
-
Your student team demonstrates the creative
ability to apply, analyze, and synthesize the
research information by using it in the digital
story. (4 points)
-
Your student team demonstrates the ability to
critically evaluate the research information
through conclusions regarding the significance
of their topic to the overall events of the
Civil War. (4 points)
-
Extra credit will be offered if your student
team demonstrates improved proficiency with
software and technologies that are new to them.
(2 points)
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Michael
Pisano
Mike Frerichs
Michael
Pisano has been teaching in the Clarkstown
Central School District for the past 17
years at Bardonia Elementary School. During
that time, he has taught fifth grade social
studies, math and language arts. Mike incorporates
technology throughout his teaching and was
a big part of Clarkstown’s first computer
laptop initiative.
Mike
has been happily married to his wife Angela
for the past seventeen years. They have
a nine-year old daughter named Anna. He
enjoys the quiet of his suburban neighborhood,
especially during his long walks with his
best buddy, Ranger, Mike’s golden
retriever.
Mike
is a dedicated teacher and coach in the
Clarkstown school district. He is an assistant
coach of varsity baseball at Clarkstown
North High School and was a huge part of
their 2002 State Championship season. Coach
Pisano visits many little league events.
He runs winter baseball clinics and summer
baseball camps to players of all ages. On
his spare time, Mike loves playing golf,
visiting the beautiful beaches of the east
coast and helping at with his daughter’s
softball team. |
mpisano@ccsd.edu
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Mike
Frerichs has been the library media specialist
for Bardonia
Elementary School for 8 years. He received
his MLS from SUNY Albany. He also has a
B.A. in mathematics and philosophy from
Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, and a
juris doctorate degree from Creighton University
in Omaha, Nebraska. He practiced law for
19 years prior to teaching.
He
is a Vietnam era veteran of the Marine Corps
and is active in local veterans’ groups.
An active marathon runner, outdoorsman and
cross country skier, he and his wife Catherine
divide their time between homes in New York
and Alaska.
Much
of Bardonia’s fifth grade social studies
curriculum incorporates technology. With
the collaborative efforts of the fifth grade
team and the library-media specialist, Bardonia
students have expanded their technology
research and presentation skills to the
professional level.
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mfrerich@ccsd.edu |
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