Concept Mapping

American Revolution - Why Fight?

Name: Michelle Childress	Date: Sept, 2010
Curriculum Content: Social Studies	Grade/Level: Fourth
TN State Learning Accomplishments: http://www.state.tn.us/education/curriculum.shtml 4.5.07 Identify the causes and results of the American Revolution. a. Explain the events that contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
NETS-S Performance Indicators:  http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm 1a - apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. 2a - interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. 6b - select and use applications effectively and productively.
NETS-T Performance Indicators:  http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm 1a - promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. 2a - design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 2d - provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
TN State Computer Technology Learning Accomplishments: http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/computer/index.shtml 4.1.2.b. Demonstrate the proper sequence of steps to operate a computer.
Essential Question: What were the events which contributed to the eventual outbreak of the American Revolution?
Concept Map Integration Plan: A concept map will be generated from a brainstorming session and subsequent instructional periods which visually outlines the key concepts to answer the essential question. The final version could be printed for each student to add to a study guide or notebook. A student created paper copy could also later by used for a teacher assessment or for a review session on this particular topic.
Brief description of the Instruction Plan: Students will brainstorm a list of terms, vocabulary, and important people’s names which they associate with the general term American Revolution using Edistorm. The students will then begin to read and discuss materials from their textbook related to the events which led to the American Revolution. Streaming videos, outside materials from the media center, and discussions will all contribute to the knowledge base for this objective. At the conclusion of the planned instructional periods the brainstorming ideas will be arranged into a concept map which lends further organization of the initial ideas generated from brainstorming into a visual which can better synthesize the information. Ideas not key to this concept will be eliminated, while new additional information can be added. A final map will visually demonstrate the key events which drove the colonies into a war with Great Britain.
Additional Technology Integration to be Used:  This lesson plan will make use of both a Web 2.0 tool as well as a concept map generated in PowerPoint.
Description of the ‘relative advantage’ of all technology being used in this lesson: The brainstorming session will be conducted online using Edistorm in a classroom setting.  The teacher will guide creation of a concept map at the conclusion of the instruction on the events leading to the American Revolution using PowerPoint.  The final concept map can be altered, changed, and eventually printed for the students to use as a study guide.  None of this continually evolving work is possible quite easily when using technology which lends itself to quick editing and printing of the finished product.