At the beginning of research, I also took the opportunity to discuss digital safety and citizenship with our students. By embedding this information into introduction lessons when student are actually about to practice these skills, I believe it adds relevance for them.
5th Grade
Our 5th graders used iPads and iMovie to create a final project about an American hero of their choosing. This "tried and true" digital tool was the best option for a longer video. Following their research, students created their iMovie by adding images, text, music, and voice recordings about their famous person. They learned about pacing, how to rearrange images and match their voice recordings to the images by editing the length of each image. They learned how to edit the display of each image using the "Ken Burns Effect". They personalized their iMovies with interesting facts that would keep their audience interested! Their final movies were uploaded to Google Drive, shared with their teacher and viewed by the entire class.
4th Grade
Our 4th graders used Apple Clips to demonstrate what they learned about a state of their choosing. 4th grade teachers asked students to find 10 facts about their chosen state that they found interesting. They didn't restrict them to the state flag or tree, though some students wanted to include those facts. They wanted their students to find the facts that they found most interesting about their state.
After students found their facts, they used their iPads to locate images that would match their facts. With that done, students created their clips. They added a poster introduction, images with live titles and a few stickers for fun. Before students recorded their voices, I walked them through the best way to edit the text if the "voice to text" was incorrect. Finally, they airdropped their final projects to their teacher's laptop and watched them as a class. This lesson was so engaging that students and teachers loved the final results.
After students found their facts, they used their iPads to locate images that would match their facts. With that done, students created their clips. They added a poster introduction, images with live titles and a few stickers for fun. Before students recorded their voices, I walked them through the best way to edit the text if the "voice to text" was incorrect. Finally, they airdropped their final projects to their teacher's laptop and watched them as a class. This lesson was so engaging that students and teachers loved the final results.
3rd Grade
Our 3rd grade teachers gave students more structure for their research as this was the first time these students would be doing individual research. To help scaffold students the teacher chose the same topic for students - loons. Also, the teachers pre-selected the websites that students could use before the project began. Student took notes about loons using their digital sources. They were encouraged to write fact without writing it word for word, in sentence fragments. This would help them avoid plagiarizing. (...a topic we covered before they started) Though this lesson wasn't individualized, it did give students an opportunity to learn how to research so that when they are released to choose their own topic, they will be ready. Once their research was done, student created Google Slideshows complete with titles, bullet points and images.
2nd Grade
Our 2nd grade teachers had already completed their research on community jobs/careers, so we worked together on a creative writing activity. Teachers read their classes the book Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky about animals and plants with mixed up parts.
Students used the website Switchzoo to create their own unique mixed-up animal. Once they had created their animal, I taught students how to take a screenshot of their animal as the website didn't have an easy way to download the image of their newly created animal. Students uploaded their screenshot animal image to Google Drawing. They then wrote about their animal using a text box inside Google Drawing. Students seemed totally engaged in this project and were proud of their final project!
