Beacon Lesson Plan Library

It's That Time of Year

Brian Rowland

Description

Students devise a system for organizing and displaying information they collect about Florida colleges.

Objectives

The student organizes information using appropriate systems.

Materials

-College catalogs
-Library and Internet access
-College representatives or recent graduates of Florida colleges

Preparations

Gather materials needed.

Procedures

Authentic Context:
You are in your last year of high school. Your family has contributed to the Florida College Fund, and you have narrowed your choice down to two schools. You are to collect information about different colleges in Florida. Use print sources such as college rating guides, college publications as well as personal interviews with current students or recent graduates and the Internet. Prepare a computer-generated chart, Venn diagram or poster that compares the two colleges.

Procedure:
1. Teacher facilitates a discussion about where students can obtain information about colleges in Florida.
2. Teacher charts those information sources and may suggest others.
3. Teacher goes over the assessment criteria prior to students doing the work.
4. Students break into groups of two or three to research a college.
5. Students develop questions to answer and then begin the research process.
6. Students use the library, the guidance office and the Internet to access information about the colleges.
7. Students write to colleges for information and interview college representatives or recent graduates of that college.
8. Students select at least six areas of comparison for each college.
9. Students make a poster, comparison-contrast chart or Venn diagram to record results.
10. Students present their findings to the rest of the class.
11. The presentation and chart is assessed using the rubric developed.

Assessments

Criteria Assessment

Excellent.............................................Not There Yet
4...............3...............2...............1...............0


1. Student has selected two Florida colleges to compare.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

2. Student has developed questions to answer about the two colleges.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

3. Student has used a variety of sources in order to gather information.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

4. Student has found at least six areas of comparison.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

5. Student has used a computer chart, poster, or Venn diagram to record results of the comparison.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

6. Student has presented the findings to the rest of the class.
4...............3...............2...............1...............0

Self-reflection
If you were to attend a college in Florida, based on the information you collected, which school would you want to attend and why?

Extensions

Knowledge/Skills:
Students will be able to organize information using appropriate systems.

Enhancement:
• Students make a magazine for the class with information on all the colleges researched.
• Students write newspaper articles about each college researched.
• Students stage a college fair with each college having its own table and materials trying to “sell” the college.
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