Lesson+Comparison

There is just a year separating students in 4th and 5th grades, but differences in maturation and depth are discernible. 5th graders are more independent than 4th graders because for the most part they are more comfortable and familiar with using a variety of technology. 5th graders can follow directions, make their own choices, and make predictions with more confidence than 4th graders. In deference to these differences, the 4th grade unit is planned to allow students to become more comfortable making information choices and using technology within confined constraints while the 5th grade unit is planned to allow students to become more comfortable making information choices with few constraints.

Because 5th graders exhibit more independence than 4th graders, the role of media specialist in the 5th grade unit is less pronounced than during the 4th grade unit. During the 4th grade unit, instructional scaffolding is in place during the entire project, as the students move through a detailed and somewhat constrictive pathfinder. Students are given a choice of virtual websites to explore, but they are not given free reign to find their own. During the 5th grade unit, the media specialist takes more of a hands off approach, and students must make their own choices when deciding a location/topic for their video presentation and finding sources for their information. While the instructional scaffolding is still there, during the 5th grade unit it takes the form of a general outline and instruction on how to use technology tools.

**Information Literacy Standards Comparison**
 * ** 1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. **
 * 4th Grade - Students will view a variety of information on virtual fieldtrip websites but are only required to pick and choose facts and photos to use in their scrapbooks.
 * 5th Grade - Students will analyze videotaped fieldtrips for content and similarities.
 * ** 1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information. **
 * 4th Grade - Students make independent information choices, but are provided the resources (websites).
 * 5th Grade - Students must gather at least 3 different facts for their presentation, but are not limited on where the information can come from.
 * ** 1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats. **
 * 4th Grade - Students will gather photos and information from the internet to use in a scrapbooking program.
 * 5th Grade - Students will videotape themselves with a Flip Digital Camera, then edit their files with a video editing program.
 * ** 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful. **
 * 4th Grade - Students will use the T-Format notetaking handout to organize information from the virtual fieldtrips websites.
 * 5th Grade - Students will create a storyboard of their presentation which is to include an introduction, middle, and conclusion, along with at least 3 different facts.
 * ** 2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings. **
 * 4th Grade - Students will combine writing, media and visual literacy, and technology skills in a scrapbook that describes their experience.
 * 5th Grade - Students will combine writing, media and visual literacy, and technology skills in a video presentation that accurately describes a place or event.
 * ** 2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning. **
 * 4th Grade - Students are given a limited number of virtual fieldtrips to choose from and then must create a scrapbook showing their e-trip.
 * 5th Grade - Students choose their location, record their own footage, and edit their own videos.
 * ** 3.1.3 Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively. **
 * 4th Grade - Students focus on writing skills to communicate facts and feelings in their scrapbooks.
 * 5th Grade - Students may either read from a written script or ad-lib a presentation that describes their surroundings and imparts information to viewers.
 * ** 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess. **
 * 4th Grade - Students use a digital scrapbooking program to create a scrapbook that displays their e-trip.
 * 5th Grade - Students use digital recorders and video editing programs to create a video virtual fieldtrip that can be viewed by others.
 * ** 3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts. **
 * 4th Grade - Students create digital scrapbooks to describe their experience through pictures and words, this is a common way of communicating ideas.
 * 5th Grade - Students create and edit videos that show and describe a local area or event, a format most commonly viewed on television and news.