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__ Examining Culture Through FaCS __ By Amanda Miller

Making research fun can be difficult as these types of projects can very easily become repetitive, boring tasks that require very little effort. They also often provide very little opportunity for independent learning and inquiry. In Ms. Miller’s class we are trying to switch things up with a new approach to research. We are working to stimulate young learners and getting them asking questions and creating projects that engage their minds. Although this is an in class assignment, student s will be responsible for finishing anything outside of class, that they do not finish during class times . (kw1) = = An 8th grade research project overview follows.

“Examining Culture Through FaCS!” is the name of the eighth grade project. It is a cross-curricular effort designed to meet both the Indiana Family and Consumer Science Standards (p1) and also the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) information literacy standards. Through conversation in the teachers lounge, Ms. Miller, the School Librarian and Mrs. Jones, the Family and Consumer Science Teacher, came up with an idea for a project. What started as something they teased about being fun, turned into a collaboration effort! (kw2) = = = = Together, these teachers designed the basic components of the project. Ms. Miller wanted to make the library an integral part of the learning process. (p2) The two teachers had started talking about the project the year previous. It was in November the next school year that they finally got the ball rolling. The planning process was lengthy, and with other balls in their court, took a few months to prepare. Come February, they were ready to put it in action. However, taking their time was beneficial. According to Carolyn Brodie, “Collaborators need time to plan, but unless there is flexible scheduling, this time is sometimes difficult, almost impossible to schedule. (Brodie 28) Collaboration efforts between the school librarian, the classroom social studies teacher, and the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher were critical in getting the project off of the ground. (p3) Each teacher played a role in submitting input and planning their role and responsibilities for the lesson. and lesson plan.

Cooperative and independent learning as well as critical thinking play major roles in this project. (kw3)(kw4)(p8) In FaCS class students will break up into small groups of 4-5 students. In this group they will work together to complete a group project but will assign topics to work on individually before they come together again. Having a variety of activities in the project helps to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, and also gives them the opportunity to enjoy a project with their classmates. (p7) The project is predicted to last four weeks. Each teacher will discuss the project and their expectations of the students. To start the project, each student will be handed a packet. The packet will contain FaCS topics including: Fashion and textiles, Consumerism, Families, Foods and Nutrition, and Interior Design. In this packet, under each topic, there are specific questions to assist students in branching to their own inquiry. (kw5) Some examples of these questions include: What is the average family income in this culture? What is the typical home décor of a family in this country? How does this vary from different “statuses” of family? What is the typical fashion found in this culture? What does the typical meal consist of in this culture? How does this possibly differ throughout the country? (For example, southern Italy will eat more fish/shellfish with their pasta and the Tuscany region will use more red sauce.) In this culture, who is the typical head of household? These are just one or two examples of the many included for each sub-topic of the project. Although the main topics are focused on Family and Consumer Sciences, the students are required to pick different countries. This is how the Social Studies teacher becomes involved. Before the actual project, each of the teachers had discussed basic information to prepare for what they this project covered. For FaCS, this would be an end of the nine weeks project, to review some of what they had covered. The lesson plans previous to the one for this project would have prepared the students for what this project entails. (kw6) This pre-project planning will have hopefully, efficiently prepared the students to begin the project.

When the project finally began, students chose their groups and then selected the specific culture, or country they wished to focus on. I feel it is important for students to have their own choice. (kw7) Some subjects had less information than others available in the library. If this occurred, the School Librarian informed the teachers so that another focus could be decided upon. This was all determined just through the use of e-mailing student choices. Oh, how technology has influenced our decisions in running a classroom! (kw8) In each class, students were not allowed to pick duplicates, making it a first come first serve basis. Providing students with choice in a project empowers the students and gives them that ownership they strive for in their own learning. This desire at the middle school level is especially apparent.

Teachers found it important to allow students to select their own group mates. This will either help students to learn to work together, or teach them the importance of responsibility in partner selection. After students selected groups they were to discuss their projects. Each group was then to decide what the overall goal was and which team member was going to cover which specific sub-topic. Once they have determined their particular subject, students will begin the research process. Much of this research will occur during Social studies with the Librarian. Students will need to find the necessary information to answer the specific questions asked, plus additional information. They are required to have a five minute, in-class presentation as well as a visual aide and food product to discuss and share with the class.

Many aspects were included in this project. Students had to gather individual data for the in class presentation, collect visual data for each subject to develop a poster or powerpoint, and student s needed to cook/make a food to fit their particular culture to bring in and share with their classmates. If there were financial problems, students would make these items with the use of school materials. This project includes written notes, works cited, a visual aide, at least five minutes worth of presentation material, and a food item to share with the class. We have available many forms of technology, including a flip camera. We hope the students take pictures of anything they experiences, as some have chosen their personal home experiences as their topic. The school Librarian has provided a flip camera to students when needed. The use of this type of technology “extends the communication and interaction…leading to meaningful learning experiences.” (Callison 561)

A guided project is where students are given specific tasks to complete. Although students are given freedom on how to choose a presentation format, there are very strong examples provided to them. Students are responsible for selecting and citing at least three sources. However, students are also allowed to take pictures from those sources and be as creative with them as they would like. Students will spend time in Social Studies and FaCS working on research on computers to find the answers to the questions provided to them in the packet. Students in this project have to research their topic, put facts together, develop a visual aide, speak for 5 or more minutes, cover all topics completely, and have all members participate in research as well as presentation. Even though questions have been provided, students can write and answer their own questions they may have about their selected culture. With this type of inquiry, “learning is active, shared, and based upon pursuit of student generated questions.” (Stripling 5)

Being that there are several components to the project, it’s important for students to stay on top of things. We as teachers need to try to use motivation to keep them focusing on all parts. (kw9) Students will work on all parts of the project simultaneously. (p4) For this project, the librarian will function as the facilitator and will assist students as they look for information to answer their own questions. When the students have time in the library, they will need to locate books that discuss their culture. This could include non-fiction books, encyclopedias, cookbooks, computer website sources, or any other resources that may be available. (p5) These items will be used to find information and pictures for their oral report, powerpoint or visual aide, and cooking project. (p6) Good resources and the ability to find them are important for a successful project.

Going back to choice, students are responsible for deciding who will do what part of the project. From there, they will begin their research and design. With the help of the librarian, students will take notes and cite the sources they used for the notes. She/he will ensure that students aren’t plagiarizing. The librarian will also have a day or two where she/he will work with students in the computer lab. Here she will assist them in online searching! Students will be searching for facts, recipes, music to play during their presentation, and pictures to use for their visual aids. The librarian will also explain to students the importance of recognizing quality websites. After they have gathered their information, they will be ready to work in the classroom. In the classroom, their social studies teacher will help them assemble notes and begin the process of writing down what they will say for their oral part of the presentation. In Family and Consumer Sciences the teacher will work with students to explain each subject. She will provide examples of different clothing, food, and other items to share with the students. This will help give them a better understanding of what they are researching and hopefully encourage them to locate similar type pieces to share during their presentation.

This picture is an example of the types of items Ms. Miller will be sharing with her students in class.

Throughout the project, instructors and students will take pictures of their progress. This can be used in their powerpoint that they will be sharing with the class.

After information has been gathered and put together, each collaborating teacher will work with the groups to help develop the powerpoint they will need to present to the class to assist in demonstrating what they learned. (p9) Some students do not like to get up in front of the class. To alleviate this, the Librarian will provide a video camera to those who would like to record a live performance to be shown to the class. However, in class presentations will be strongly encouraged, as students will need practice. Visual aids will be displayed throughout the school. By doing this, it shows that collaborative cross-curricular projects can be fun and useful in the student learning process. (p10) Assessments can be difficult for students and should be made clear to students. (kw10) Some learning styles need specific step by step directions to help guide them. Assessments for this project will be done in a few different ways. To start, students will be given a rubric explaining exactly what they need to include in the project. They will return this to their teachers the day of their presentation. Meeting the requirements makes up a majority of the points. But being creative and making it fun is important too, so some of the points are based on creativity! Collaboration for this project has opened the eyes to faculty throughout this school. It was difficult, and time consuming, but in the end it was worth it. The teachers involved gained valuable experience and will be able to take from this project and add to their own curriculum in the future. Hopefully teachers will take the next step from here and continue collaborative efforts with others in the school. Some students will enjoy this project and take what they learned and apply it to their own lives. Some will hopefully even wish to investigate further. Getting our students started on the information inquiry path is the only way we can get them to continue on the right path. It is important to remember, “Rather than one view, we must teach students that life is full of questions and answers.” ~Annette Lamb

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