Inquiry Project
Unit: Reading Comprehension
By Brylie Meister and Taya Kinsey
Project Idea: Investigation
Part I: Driving Question
Main issue- Why is it important to learn to read?
Central question- How do we start to learn how to read?
Part II: Grabber
Over a 30 minute time period
Introductory grabber:
Instructor begins by playing the following video.
Instructor follows up after the video by asking students what they think the topic is for the day. Instructor lets students guess and then tells the class about the lesson. Instructor then asks students how many of them have been read to before by a family member, friend, or previous teacher. Students are asked to describe their favorite books that have been read to them to another student sitting beside them. Instructor then calls on three different students to tell about the book they chose and why they chose it. Instructor then asks students what jobs they think would require them to know how to read. Instructor asks students to discuss with a partner about what would happen if people could not read. After a couple minutes of discussion between students, instructor will play the following video for the class.
Introduce the central question:
The instructor relates the previous videos and discussions by asking the class the driving question. The instructor will ask the class “How do we start to learn how to read?”
Lecture:
The instructor will split the students up into groups of four and ask them to brainstorm for ten minutes. Then the instructor will bring the whole class back together and ask each group to elect a leader to present what they came up with. After this initial activity, the students will be able to do this project on their own with little to no trouble. In the end, each student will be able to individually think for themselves regarding the question.
Content Standards & Objectives:
Objectives Directly Taught or Learned Through Discovery | Identified Learning Targets | Evidence of Success in Achieving Identified Learning Target |
The objective is for students to become excited about learning how to read and to get students ready to begin to learn how to read. | The learning target is for students to learn why learning to read is important for their future. | The evidence of success will be when the students present their final project and show what they learned. |
21st Century Skills:
21st Century Skills | Learning Skills and Technology Tools | Teaching Strategies | Evidence |
Information and communication | Group skills and discussion skills | Students will communicate with each other and the class | Instructor will be able to see evidence when observing the students discuss |
Thinking and Reasoning Skills | Thinking for themselves with little help from others | Students will have to think and decide on their own what to do their project over | Instructor will be able to see which students have developed enough reasoning and thinking skills when the final project is presented. |
Personal and Workplace Skills | Seeing how they work when they are given free time | Students will be given a specific amount of time to finish the project | Instructor will be able to tell which students are using their time wisely and which are not |
Assessment Plan:
The products needed for this project are the students’ personal iPads and the Powerpoint app. There are many ways to assess what the students have learned, but by using Powerpoint, the students are learning technology skills while they are doing their project.
Grading Rubric for Presentation:
Reflections:
Collaboration- critical thinking and problem solving, task management chart
Written Communication- content knowledge, discussion, checklists/observations
Map the Project:
One major product for the project is Powerpoint. To create a high-quality product, students will need to know how to navigate Powerpoint well. The students will need to know how to work the app and how to make presentations with it. The students will learn these skills by a small workshop that will be provided before this lesson. Powerpoint gives all students an equal chance to create a project, no student has an advantage over another. Each student will be able to appropriately show the class what they have learned.
Activities:
Formative Assessment- practice presentations
Summative Assessment- self-evaluation, oral presentation with rubric
Resources:
Technology- iPad, powerpoint
Materials- videos, paper
Culminating Activity
Culminating performances:
Activities | Presentation Audience | |
Group | Discuss with student who presented | Peer-review students when they present |
Individual | Present their Powerpoint | Peer-review other students |
Manage the Process:
The instructor will make sure to use classroom and time management, communication skills, and discussion skills to ensure targeted learning occurs. Some students may struggle working on their own and keeping focused, therefore, the instructor will need to walk around the classroom to make sure each student is working. Also, some students may have problems with using technology, therefore, the instructor may have to help these students a little bit more throughout this activity.
Project Evaluation:
My students will reflect on this project by evaluating their peers as they present. They will also present their final project. As an instructor, I will evaluate the project based on the final presentation and by using the rubric provided above.