Learner Description - Nineteen 4th graders at Sullivan School in Prospect Heights will participate in this project. During the course of this unit, the students will form committees to help with the completion of this project.

Overview -

The children will be designing brochures, web sites, games, trading cards, books, slide shows, i movies and other media to help spread the word about the dangers of drugs.

What will be taught?

The students were taught about the dangers of drugs earlier in the year. They will now apply that knowledge to develop ways to spread the information. The students will be taught how to create a web site, slide show, i movie and other ways to communicate through technology.

What will students do and learn?

The students will learn to communicate effectively through different types of media along with learning to use technology to their advantage.

Rationale - Purpose for the unit as a whole. The WHY questions.

Why would you teach this unit?

So the students learn how to communicate the harmful effects of drugs to others and be exposed to different technology.

Why would this this qualify as an Engaged Learning unit?

The students are responsible for their own learning. They will be working collaboratively in groups that they chose. This project is performance based.

Why is technology an important component of this unit?

Technology is a needed component for the students to do their research. They learn how to use the digital video camera, digital camera, imovie, Apple works templates and use word processing for a purpose and to enhance presentations.

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

The students will be learning the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol and then share their finding with others while learning how to use new technology available to them.

Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social - The WHAT questions

What new attributes (knowledge, skills, attitudes) do you expect students to gain?

• Students will develop research skills using books and technology.

• Students will develop peer- and self assessment skills through the use of debriefing at the end of group work time, and developing a class produced rubric.

• Students will learn to write for a specific audience.

• Students will learn the importance of reporting information correctly.

• Students will organize materials and put them together in a constructive format.

• Students will practice editing skills - on paper and video camera.

• Students will interact with peers.

• Students will learn the importance of communication.

What state standards does the unit address?

LANGUAGE ARTS

Goal 1 - Read with understanding and fluency

Goal 3 - Write to communicate for a variety of purposes

Goal 4 - Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations

Goal 5 - Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information

SCIENCE

Goal 13 - Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH

Goal 22 - Understand principles of health promotion and the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

Goal 23 - Understand human body systems and factors that growth and development.

Goal 24 - Promote and enhance health and well-being through the use of effective communication and decision making skills.

FINE ARTS

Goal 26 - Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced.

The How questions.

Student Assessment- The final projects will be the ultimate assessment. We will make rubrics, with the help of rubistar.4teachers.org web site, for each project. We will also be asking the middle school students for feedback after they have viewed the imovie.

Management

The students will divide themselves into groups. We will use our classroom for whole group instruction; the classroom and computer lab for group work. The equipment will be kept in the proper storage location. They will work wherever there is available space and staff will be available to help. Through Jan Travis, additional help will be provided.

Unit Evaluation

What was effective? Having Jan Travis available was the most effective. Having the students sign up for their groups was also effective. Having each group create a different project worked very well. We were able to complete may different medium to get our message across. Having many different technologies available was great. The students knew they could use whatever worked best for their final product, and it didn't have to be a computer.

What was not effective? Finding decent pictures on the internet was a bit difficult at times. Getting the brochure lined up was a pain. I think find class time to work on this project was difficult because we would then lose time for other subjects.