Learner Description: This group of students is a homogeneous/heterogeneously grouped class of developmental readers. They are sixth graders from a suburban middle-class community northwest of Chicago. The following types of students make up this class: low ability, poorly motivated, remedial readers, English as second language; and 504 identified.

Overview: Mrs. Duderstadt's 6th grade students will provide good books for a library in a Chicago Public School without a good library like ours.

Problem:

Chicago Public School Libraries need books. They have received many donations, but many of the books are inappropriate for a K-8 school library, outdated, or in bad condition.

The sixth grade advisory program would like to include a used book drive in their service learning projects this year.

•What will be taught and what will students learn?

letter writing, script writing, public speaking, community service, use of technology, love of books and reading

•How will this be taught?

in large and small groups as well as individual interaction through engaged and cooperative learning.

•How can technology assist this class in their project?

to communicate with a Chicago Public School via e-mail, telephone, web site to publicize the book drive using video and digital cameras, video editing equipment, scanners, computers, etc.

Rationale: purpose for the unit

•Why would you teach this unit?

To show students that there is a real life need for appropriate books in many schools

To spearhead the sixth grade advisory used book drive service learning project

Many school libraries are not as lucky as MacArthur to have the number of books available for students to read. The unit will help students realize that they can make a difference in their community. This community service will teach the students that we all need each other to make the world a better place. What better place to start than in our own backyard!

•Why would this qualify as an Engaged Learning unit?

Students will brainstorm ways to solve this problem. They will design a plan to accomplish the purpose of this unit. Students will collaborate their efforts in finding a 6th grade class in a school in Chicago that needs books for its school library. They will find out what kinds of books the students need. They will find ways to advertise the need. They will find solutions for getting books for the school. They will find ways to collect, buy, and deliver the books to the school.

•Why is technology an important component of this unit?

Technology will be used in many ways: internet to search for a needy school, e-mail to class or school for information in the form of pen pal letters, digital or video camera to make an advertisement to air for TV, video equipment to put together the commercial, and other resources as needed.

•Why is this project authentic/meaningful, and challenging for students?

This project presents a real community need. There are schools that do not have the same availability of books. Books are the heart of learning. Here is a project not far from our neighborhood school that needs our students help it to get better. Working together we can make the world a better place and it is as close as Chicago. All it takes is one small gesture.

Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social

New Attributes students are expected to gain are:

An understanding of what makes a good book to donate to another library

An understanding that all students are not as fortunate as they are

An awareness of other school communities

An appreciation of community service

Experience the intrinsic value of helping others

Experience in communicating with other ethic and cultural groups

Public speaking skills, writing skills, and problem solving skills.

Confidence in using technology to achieve goals

State Learning Standards students are expected to achieve:

State Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.

State Goal 4: Listen and speak affectively in a variety of situations.

State Goal 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.

School, district, and national learning goals support and reflect these attributes and standards.

Learning Activities

1. After Mrs. Duderstadt and Mrs. Larson present the problem to the class, students will brainstorm ideas for solving the problem

2. Teachers will establish the contacts with the Department of Libraries

3. The class will communicate with another 6th grade class in Chicago to target a book drive for their school library. (Using Bob Green's article on Aug. 27, 2000 from the Chicago Tribune, we might have a starting point)

2. Students will brainstorm ideas for running a book drive

3. Teachers will guide students to establish a prioritized timeline of activities and a rubric for assessment of those activities

3. Students will work in small groups to make and carry out plans to alert the school and community of the book drive. This could include all of the following:

making posters

announcing the drive on the district web site

producing a video commercial to be shown on Channel One and the local cable channel

contacting local businesses for collection locations or donations

preparing weekly announcements for Mac Memos and the Daily Herald

4. Groups of students will plan and manage the collection of the book donations

5. A group of students will evaluate the condition of the donated books

6. A group of students will create a "donated by" bookplate to be applied to each book

7. Students will plan a fund raiser, such as a Walk-a-thon, to purchase new books to donate to the recipient school library; small groups of students would be involved with organization, publicity, service, purchasing

8. Students will research how to process the used books to get them ready for shelving at the recipient library

9. Students will arrange for the delivery of the books to the recipient school

Student Assessment:

What are my scoring characteristics?

Students are scored on the quality and the quantity of the information gained and on the presentations given as required by the scoring rubrics prepared by both students and teacher.

What will indicate that the students are novices, practitioners, or experts?

Student created rubrics and students presentations will indicate status or mastery.

How will I measure and communicate student progress on the goals?

Students will evaluate their participation, preparation, and performance on this project by completing three separate self evaluation sheets. Communication between teacher and students will be on going through the unit. Teachers will regularly conference with students to assess and set goals.

Resources

Telephone, e-mail, computers and printers, video camera, poster board, markers, bookplate labels, scanner, internet, Chicago Public Schools Director of the Department of Libraries, school libraries and librarians in our school and the recipient school, school secretaries, local business establishments for donations and book collection locations, boxes

Management

As needed each group will have its own work space in Mrs. Duderstadt's room, the 6th grade team room, Mr. Vos' room, and in the library computer labs

Unit Evaluation

What will we need to be aware of while teaching this unit?

Teachers will need to develop a relationship with the classroom teacher and librarian at the recipient school

Teachers will need to be aware of the classroom community at the recipient school

Teachers will need to guide the formation of small groups

Teachers will need to schedule time in Mr. Vos' lab as well as the library computer labs

Teachers will need to make sure equipment is operational