Instructional Design Unit

Collaboration between 6th grade Science teacher and Media Specialist

Dixie Shoemaker
Target Audience:
The target audience is a group of 6th grade students at a rural middle school in Hephzibah,
Ga. Due to zoning, the students are a combination of rural and urban children. The majority of
the class is in the low to middle socioeconomic class. From analyzing data from PAR
assessments, approximately 60% of the students in this group are on level or benchmark, and the
remaining 40% fall below the benchmark standards in the area of science and language arts.
There are 2 gifted students in the class and a few students with diagnosed ADHD.
Problem Identification:
There has been an increasing emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math) in schools, yet it is an area where students lack a strong skill base. This evidence can be
seen in yearly CRCT scores and in unit PAR assessments. The specific information literacy and
science problem to be addressed here is students ability to navigate the internet in such a way
that they can get reliable, factual information on a science research topic using appropriate
keywords, and citing the sources they eventually choose. The teacher has noted that on science
projects year after year, (this one included) students are unable to provide sufficient, reliable,
research when using online sources. Plagiarism is also an issue, as students simply copy and
paste entire sections of websites, or worse, simply print it out and call it their own, and then cite
google.com as their source. This trend does not get better, as at a recent conference, I heard
over and over again from college professors and librarians that students even at the university
level lack basic internet research skills.
Instructional Goals:

Students will be able to evaluate a website to determine its usefulness and reliability for
use in research.

Students will be able to explain the importance of putting research into their own words

rather than plagiarizing the work of another.

Students will be able to cite a research source correctly with the aid of a citation tool.

Learner Analysis:
As noted earlier, we are working with a group of 6th graders, approximately ages 11-13,
and are composed of predominately low to middle socioeconomic level students and families.
There are about the same number of boys and girls in the class, and are composed primarily of
African American students, the smaller proportion of students being Caucasian. The class is
composed of students who test at an average and below average academic level, with
approximately 60% of students testing benchmark and 40% testing below benchmark. There
are 2 gifted students and 3 diagnosed with ADHD.
As reported by the science teacher, the students give an appearance of apathy when it
comes to school, acting like they dont care much about school, though in reality they get along
well with teachers and staff, are excited to be in class with the teacher and others, and get
especially excited when learning something new, doing hands-on activities, or utilizing
technology. This group of students seems to work best when there are hands on activities or
technology involved in their learning.
The prior knowledge needed to be able to complete this unit will be a basic understanding
of computers and how to access and use the internet. This group of students does have these
prerequisite skills, they just do not know how to use the internet effectively for research, and that
is the target of this unit.
Subject Matter Expert
There are two subject matter experts in this lesson. The first being Ms. Legoas, the 6th
grade science teacher, as she is knowledgeable of the content students will be researching and is
aware of the weaknesses the students have in the areas of science and scientific research. I, Dixie
Shoemaker, will be acting as the subject matter expert in the information literacy content of the
unit. As the acting media specialist, I am fluent in the use of the internet for research, web 2.0
tools, and copyright.

Following is the developed lesson plan for the unit, using the AASL action plan template
as a guide. Included in the plan will be the instructional objectives, standards for learning, and
plan for delivery of instruction.
GRADE: 6TH
LIBRARY CONTEXT:
Fixed

Flexible

Stand-alone lesson

Combination
Lesson in a unit

Individualized Instruction

Multiple lessons in a unit

COLLABORATION CONTINUUM:
None

Limited

Moderate

Intensive

CONTENT TOPIC: Severe Weather Conditions

STANDARDS FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY LEARNER GOALS
Standard: Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
Skills Indicator(s): 1.1.1 Follow inquiry based process in seeking
knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for
using this process in own life. 1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate
sources to answer questions. 1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected
sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs,
importance, and social and cultural context. 1.1.9 Collaborate with others to
broaden and deepen understanding.
Benchmark(s):

Evaluate web resources for their validity using a set of guidelines and peer discussion.

Create keywords for an effective internet search.

Cite and gather information from sources ethically and efficiently.

Dispositions Indicator(s): 1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction

by making independent choices in the selection of resources and

information. 1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and

formats. 1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and
accuracy of all information.
Responsibilities Indicator(s): 1.3.1 Respect copyright/ intellectual
property rights of creators and producers. 1.3.3 Follow ethical and legal
guidelines in gathering and using information. 1.3.5 Use information
technology responsibly.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s): 1.4.1 Monitor own informationseeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.
1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide
own inquiry process.
SCENARIO: Students are researching the causes of severe weather for a class project. They lack
internet research skills that will allow them to find information, analyze it for accuracy,
reliability, and appropriateness, and additionally how to use it and cite it correctly once found.
Students have access to general internet search and Galileo, though this unit will focus on
general internet research, and Galileo can be taught as an additional research lesson at a later
time.
The teacher will be responsible for:

Giving students the research assignment ahead of time, laying out expectations and an
explanation of the expected final product

Teaching students how to create and construct a list of good search terms related to their
research topic

Administering the information literacy pretest prior to the library lesson

Assessing the final product of the research task

The media specialist will be responsible for:

Creating a curated list of resources for student reference

Teaching students how to evaluate web resources for accuracy and reliability

Providing students with the resources to correctly cite sources

Teaching students about plagiarism

Administering the information literacy skills posttest

CONNECTION TO LOCAL OR STATE STANDARDS

CC.6.W.8 English Language Arts: Research to Build and Present Knowledge: 8. Gather relevant
information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and
quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing
basic bibliographic information for sources.
S6E4: Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate and
weather.
Instructional Objectives:

Students will use a checklist with guidelines to evaluate a web resource for

appropriateness and reliability.

Students will explain that they should not simply copy and paste information from

sources due to copyright rules.

Students will demonstrate the process of citing a source correctly using a citation tool or
sample.

Essential Questions:
How do you know if a source is credible?
Why is important to be aware of copyright when doing research?
How do you give proper credit to the suppliers of the information that youre using?
Final Product(s):
Students will complete a chart that evaluates three different websites for their credibility.
(Information Literacy element)

Students will create a presentation using the Web 2.0 tool of their choice (from a
preapproved list; Prezi, Smore, Glogster) to present the findings from their research to the class
as an oral presentation.
Assessment:
The website chart will be assessed using a rubric. The rubric will address the critical thinking
skills involved in analyzing the websites as well as the accuracy of the analysis.
The presentations will be assessed using a rubric created by the science teacher based on content
standards.
Instructional Plan
Resources: Prezi, http://prezi.com/fjeeoomkv-tt/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy,
Scoop.It curated list, www.scoop.it/t/research-tools-shoemaker, google forms (pretest and
posttest), http://goo.gl/forms/4JaSuYUUBP, google.com
Direct Instruction (from Science teacher)
Teacher will instruct students on how to prepare good keywords for searching the weather
terms they will be researching. She will explain the project and have taught any other
prerequisite skills. Teacher will also show a BrainPop video about internet sources prior to their
visit to the library/lab as an introduction.
Direct Instruction (From Media Specialist)
MS will ask students about their research experiences online. Ask students about how
they do research, how they take notes, cite, etc. The MS will ask students what makes a website
credible, or reliable, for use in research. Next, MS will present the prezi and talk more in detail
about how to verify the validity and reliability of a website. MS will also not importance of not
directly copying work from a source, and explain the definition and occurrences of plagiarism.
MS will make available the smore flyer for students to explore plagiarism in more detail. Lastly,
MS will show students the curated list of resources; showing how to get access to it, particularly
pointing out the APA Owl website, where students can find out how to appropriately cite a
source.

Modeling and guided practice

MS will present two websites (on Prezi). Students will browse the websites with a partner
and decided if the site is reliable, referencing the checklist. Then the class will discuss together
whether or not each site is reliable.
Independent Practice
In partners, students will use prepared keywords to search for their own sources. They
will pick three sources from the results and evaluate them for reliability. They will use the
checklist organizer given to them to complete this task. The will decide if each of the three sites
are reliable and whether or not they should be used in their research.
Sharing and Reflection
Students will come together and share thoughts with the group about successes and
failures with the process and what they would like more help with.
Resources:
Lomanno, K. Savvy Surfers: Website Evaluation and Media Literacy. AASL Learning for Life
Lesson Plan Database. http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/lesson-plan