Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Where in the world?

Content Area: Geography
Grade Level(s): 6th
Content Standard Addressed: SS6G1 Locate selected features of Latin America; SS6G7 Locate selected
features of Europe; SS6G10 Describe selected cultural characteristics of Europe. WIDA Common Core State
Standards for English Language Arts, Speaking and Listening, Presentation of Knowledge & Ideas #45 Report
on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace; Add
audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main
ideas or themes.

Technology Standard Addressed:

ITSE-S Standard 1: Empowered Learner- Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing,
achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
1a: articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them
and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1c: use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their
learning in a variety of ways.
1d: understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose
use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging
technologies.
ITSE-S Standard 2: Digital Citizen- Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living,
learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal
and ethical.
2c: demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing
intellectual property.
ITSE-S Standard 3: Knowledge Constructor- Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools
to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves
and others.
3a: plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their
intellectual or creative pursuits.
3b: evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other
resources.
3c: curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of
artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
ITSE-S Standard 6: Creative Communicator- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively
for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their
goals.
6d: publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Selected Technology Tool: Microsoft Powerpoint

Blooms Taxonomy Level(s):

Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

Level 1: Awareness Level 2: Exploration Level 3: Infusion Level 4: Integration

Summer 2017_SJB
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Level 5: Expansion Level 6: Refinement

Lesson idea implementation: This geography project will serve as an introduction to a Social Studies unit on
Europe. Students will be independently researching their chosen country and creating a narrated PowerPoint
presentation. The students will then watch each others presentations to complete a graphic organizer. The
teacher will introduce the project by showing an example of a narrated PowerPoint on France. First, the
students will watch the PowerPoint to see what a completed project will look like. Then, the students will
watch the presentation another time with teacher-guided exploration. The teacher will elicit from the
students the components of the project. The teacher will also demonstrate proper research techniques. The
project will take 5-6 Social Studies sessions- 2/3 for research and 3/4 for PowerPoint creation.

Student learning will be assessed based on inclusion of required material (location, geography, resources,
etc.) and presence of required presentation features (narration, pictures, text). These PowerPoint
presentations will afford students freedom to choose a country in which they are interested and freedom to
present the material in creative ways. This project offers many caveats for differentiated learning. Students
that excel in PowerPoint creation can add short video clips, animation, or interactive graphics. Students may
also dive deeper in their research to provide their classmates with more information. The presentations will
be available to other classmates in order to create a Master Resource for each student including information
from all of the presentations. The lesson will conclude with this resource creation.

The teacher will provide feedback throughout the research and creation processes. The teacher will provide
written feedback throughout the research process through Check-Ins with the students to ensure the
students stay on track. Feedback on the presentations will be given by the teacher as well as anonymously
from other students.

This lesson idea is easily adaptable for an ESOL classroom. The teacher can help guide students to sources
that are at an appropriate level. The research aspect gives students with language diversity the opportunity
to read and rewrite simple texts. The narration part of the PowerPoints allows students to revisit
presentations as often as needed to complete their Master Resource. Students can also choose their country
of origin and include personal experiences or pictures. This offers students opportunity to share what they
know and make personal connections with the project.

Summer 2017_SJB