Standard 1. Teachers create learning experiences using a broad base of general knowledge that reflects an understanding of the nature of the communities and world in which we live.
Teachers...
1.1 reflect a variety of academic, social, and cultural experiences in their teaching
1.2 use a broad content knowledge base sufficient to create interdisciplinary learning experiences designed to ensure that all students achieve state standards for content and achievement
1.3 exhibit a commitment to learning about the changes in their disciplines and in our world that models a commitment to lifelong learning for students
1.4 facilitate student involvement in the school and wider communities
Artifact #1: The Water Princess lesson, LibGuide link, and Worksheet
Description:
I taught The Water Princess lesson to my first graders to introduce them to a global problem that affects more than 844 million people worldwide. The Water Princess by Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel, illustrated by Peter Reynolds is a story based on Georgie Badiel’s real life in Burkina Faso. Every morning Gie Gie walks a long distance to a water source with her grandmother and cousins, hoping for the day when the water can come to her. After reading the story, students watched a small video from Georgie Badiel’s Foundation: http://georgiebadielfoundation.org/get-involved/
Students discussed what they use clean water for in their own daily lives: drinking, cleaning, cooking, bathing. We also talked about how the task of going to get water each day takes away from important activities in our typical day: school, sports, family, fun.
Lastly, students filled out a worksheet summarizing what they learned and how they felt after learning about the difficulties many people have in the world with gaining access to clean water. Students were also given an opportunity to discuss this topic with their family and make a donation through the Georgie Badiel Foundation website: http://georgiebadielfoundation.org/donatenow/
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
This artifact demonstrates meeting standard 1 because students are learning about the world around them and specifically learning how they can make a difference. This lesson helps to “facilitate student involvement in the school and wider communities” by introducing students to a world-wide problem and helps to build students’ empathy towards others. Teaching about a global problem, such as clean water access, is interdisciplinary by bringing together understanding of different cultures and water resources – where and how people get access to clean water.
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this lesson to demonstrate mastery of standard 1 because the students learned so much from this one story. The Water Princess was able to open their eyes to how important water is in our own lives, which we typically take for granted, and how clean water access isn’t so easy for others in our world. Students also learned empathy for others and how they can make a difference in our world, no matter how small.
Artifact #2: Fake News lesson plan, Fake News Presentation, News Assignment
Description:
I taught The Fake News lesson plan to my three fifth grade classes. The lesson overview and goals are for students to become familiar with what fake news is, how to spot it, and their important role in stopping the spread of fake news. The lesson begins with a fun warm-up activity of playing telephone to quickly demonstrate how news is spread and either purposefully changed (fake news) or even just mistakenly changed (false news). Students are then shown two fake websites to demonstrate how fake news can cause problems for students. The lesson also includes a commonsensemedia.org video about how to spot fake news. Students then put these tips to the test by researching one of three possible fake news stories to determine if the story is real or fake. Lastly, students reflect on the importance of determining fake news and how/why it is important to stop the spread of fake news.
How artifact demonstrates meeting the standard:
This artifact demonstrates meeting standard 1 because it teaches students to be aware of fake news in our society, which is becoming an ever-present norm, and how to combat the further spread of fake news. This lesson also demonstrates how students will come into contact with fake news now and in their future learning and helps students to use investigative tools to discern the validity of the source for themselves. In teaching students to validate their sources and to stop the spread of fake news, students are becoming involved and solving problems in their school and wider communities.
Why I chose this artifact:
I chose this lesson to demonstrate mastery of standard 1 because fake news is an important topic affecting people every day. Learning to spot fake news and how to stop the spread of fake news is the only way to combat it. As a library media specialist, I feel the high importance of exposing my students to the reality of fake news, but more importantly, how to prepare my students to find reliable sources to further their education and interests.