Running

head: GOLD RUSH COMES TO LIFE

The Alaska Gold Rush Comes to Life Using Technology and Creativity Lindsey Blaine University of Alaska Southeast

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Abstract The historical Alaska gold rush and the novel Call of the Wild are combined to teach students key concepts in reading, writing, technology and social studies. This unit invites students to think about life questions like how personal struggles make us stronger, the factors influencing our decisions, and the elements of friendship. Students will develop their communication methods, practice techniques for summarizing reading and making inferences, and understand the importance of literary devices in reading. Technology is utilized in each lesson, allowing students to express what they are learning and to make connections with each other and the outside world. Literacy, technology, social studies and science are seamlessly integrated in each aspect of this unit, utilizing higher level thinking skills and a hands-on project-based approach to increase student engagement and to allow for individualized success.

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The Alaska Gold Rush Comes to Life Using Technology and Creativity The overall goal of this unit is to combine teaching strategies and tools to create unique, interesting lessons that increase student engagement. By utilizing a well-known novel set in a famous time in Alaskan history, students can relate to the setting and characters to consider bigger questions like how personal struggles make us stronger, what elements build friendships, and how conflict is an unavoidable part of relationships. There are three main objectives in this unit. The first is to increase the readers ability to infer and identify with literature. Inference is the ability of the reader to make meaning from background information, personal past experiences, and information shared but not explicitly stated by the author (Gregory & Kusmich, 2004, pg 110). The second objective is to integrate several areas of instruction. History and geography come alive with the creation of interactive posters. Students relate to conflict and challenge by listening to Call of the Wild and then discussing the novel through group discussion and daily blogs. The third objective is to challenge students with writing by encouraging summarizing and reflecting while teaching editing and publishing skills. Students will listen, think, reflect and write, demonstrating that literacy is cognitive and complex. The integration of technology allows us to create projects that increase attention, require metacognitive skills, and allow for differentiation. Technology can allow students to receive instruction that is individualized to their level of understanding. It allows students to progress at their own rate and pace (Stevens, 2010). Throughout this unit, several opportunities for differentiation occur, allowing the teacher to accommodate many learning styles and levels. Technology plays a key role in student creation as well as teacher assessment.

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Design and Implementation Timeline Day Skills/Subjects 1 Technology History Geography Group Activity Objectives/Activities Students will be introduced the unit and to livebinder complete an online pre-assessment view pictures and watch a short discovery education video about the gold rush use google maps to see gold rush areas work in a group to plan a trip to the Yukon Territory Listen to chapter 1 of Call of the Wild Begin a Globster (online poster with links) Assessment Online preassessment Start of e-portfolio Observation Rubric

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Technology Reading Listening History Technology Writing Inferring from reading Technology Writing Inferring from reading Literary Devices Technology Persuasive Writing Writing process Technology Summarizing & Inferring Science Technology Group work Fluency Group & Small Group Discussion Self-assessment

Answer questions about the novel on a class blog Checklist Listen to chapters 2 & 3 Complete their globster Answer questions about the novel on the blog Listen to chapter 4 Receive direct instruction and complete a worksheet on literary devices Listen to chapters 5 & 6 Prepare a persuasive argument about a character in the book, using peer-edit before posting as a podcast Listen to chapter 7 Contribute to a whole class discussion Watch a discovery education video about wolves Complete their persuasive argument blog Work in small groups to create an Animoto project as a book trailer Share animoto book trailers with the class Participate in a small group to whole class discussion Complete a project and unit self-assessment Worksheet

Selfassessment rubric Participation

Rubric Selfassessments

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Project & Activity Descriptions There are several projects, activities and assessments that create this unit. The following are the main components of the unit. Some of them occur more frequently than others. The order of use is noted on the above timeline. Livebinder. Utilizing an online cloud resource, such as livebinder (2012), all of the links for the unit are organized and at the students fingertips. This organization saves time for students and teacher alike and helps reiterate to students where their focus should be spent when online. Online Pre-Assessment. Students logged into a class website where a survey was set up for them to complete prior to beginning the unit. This survey became part of their e-portfolio and results were available immediately for the teacher to review. The Gold Rush. The setting of a novel has a large impact on the audience. In Call of the Wild, the setting can be interesting to students because of the danger and excitement surrounding the gold rush. Reading the novel while learning about historical facts provides a common schema for students when discussing the literature; but, it also brings characters and places alive and helps students relate to the history. Discovery Education (2012) has great resources including videos and photographic footage of the gold rush. Other resources are also available. Introducing the unit with a short video helped gain the students attention. The students then were broken into two groups. One group was to plan a trip to the Yukon Territory to mine for gold in 1897 and the other group to plan the same trip but in modern times. Heres a sample introduction for the project: What would you have taken with you in 1897? What would you take with you now? How would you travel during each time period? How would you communicate with others?

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Create maps and plan what items of food, clothing, and equipment you would need for each trip. The students used interactive google maps to see where the miners had been and to create their own map. Once each group was finished, they shared their notes with the other group. Globster. Globster (2012) is an interactive multimedia poster. This online program lets anyone create a poster with links. The students are instructed to create a poster using facts about the gold rush. They add pictures, videos, audio, text facts and can link the pictures to other resources that they find or to another page of facts. If the students use resources outside what is listed on livebinder, they are supposed to track them on Evernote (2012). While these sources can be accessed from iPads or iPods, it is simpler to create using a computer. Blogs. On day three, students are presented with a checklist to follow and self-assess each blog post that they make. For the first day of blogging, the students will create a blog (online journal entry) in response to one of three questions from the teacher or they may respond to a classmates comment. They should create a draft and edit their blog before posting and follow the checklist. Sample questions for chapter one: 1. Foreshadowing is the act of presenting materials that hint at events to occur later in a story. What events in this chapter foreshadow the kidnapping of Buck? 2. A conflict is a struggle between two forces in a literary work. What conflicts are introduced? Against what forces does Buck struggle? 3. The inciting incident is the event that introduces the central conflict. What is the inciting incident that occurs in this opening chapter? Sample questions for chapter two & three: 1. Imagine that you are Perrault. In your blog, write about the dog Buck, describing the

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changes in him that you see happening. 2. A motive is a force that drives a character to act in a certain way. In this chapter, Buck develops a new behaviorstealing food. What motivates Buck to act in this way? What motive prevented him from acting this way in the past? 3. What actions of the dogs, including Buck, are described as hereditary? What sort of relationship between heredity and survival is described in this chapter? How does Bucks fight with Spitz emphasize or exemplify that relationship? Theyll return to this style blog for chapter seven, where they will be creating their own questions rather than responding to question options from the teacher. This involves a deeper thought process that increases engagement and ownership of work. Students can use the blog anytime they would add a journal entry, responding to ideas, work or writing self-assessments. The teacher should respond to the students posting, posing further questions for thought or response. This is a good area for differentiation as it allows students to choose a question they feel comfortable with and allows the teacher to challenge students at their level. Blog responses will also become part of the e-portfolio so students and the teacher can see their growth through the unit. Literary Devices. The use of literary devices such as foreshadowing, conflict, mood, setting and personification are all ways that authors communicate their feelings and ideas. The teacher will provide direct instruction and examples of devices from Call of the Wild, then help students on a worksheet. Persuasive Podcast. Students will further develop their skills of persuasive writing by selecting a character from the novel and choose an issue or conflict that the character is dealing with in the story. Then they will use points from the novel and real life to back up their view on

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the characters conflict. Then they will use Evernote to record their podcast. Recording audio allows students to work on their fluency as they hear their own reading. Class discussion. Two whole class discussions provide time for the teacher to assess understanding through conversation. It also builds important conversation and debate skills. For the first whole class discussion, the teacher can initiate discussion to help brainstorm ideas for the final blogs and projects as well as to check for comprehension. Example questions are 1. To what call does John Thornton, in his journey and search, respond? To what call does Buck respond? 2. Why has Buck been able to endure, survive, and master? 3. What is the probable reason that Buck sat down and howled with the wolves? 4. What point might the author be trying to make about how one should respond to overwhelming natural forces? 5. What purpose is served by telling the Yeehat stories of the Ghost Dog? During the final class, after sharing the Animoto videos, the class should have a discussion about the essential questions that occur within this unit. The teacher should break students into 3-4 smaller groups and have them record their answers to the following questions. Once finished, all groups will share two of their favorite key points of each question with the whole class. Example questions are 1. How do personal struggles make us stronger? 2. What factors influence a persons decisions? 3. What things build a strong relationship? 4. How are people changed through their relationships with others? 5. How is conflict an unavoidable part of relationships?

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Wolves. An ongoing theme in the book revolves around nature. Learning about wolves provides more background for the story and a nice science tie in. Discovery Education (2012) has great videos on wolves or students could go deeper through a science project. In this particular unit, students watch a short educational video. Animoto book summary. Animoto (2012) is an online resource that allows users to create short videos using images, video recording, recorded audio, and more. This assignment combines all of the essential elements of a book report. The students will work in small groups to create a short video trailer for the book. It should be a summary of the book, highlighting main characters and main points. It should be 2-5 minutes long. A rubric is provided to help guide the work. Following watching all of the book trailers, the students will create a self-assessment podcast that highlights their group process. All of these elements will be entered into the eportfolio. Self-assessment. After completing the unit, students will return and retake the initial survey to demonstrate to themselves and the teacher the elements they feel they learned. The results will be included in the e-portfolio. E-portfolio. All aspects of the unit will be kept in a student folder. This electronic portfolio should include a copy of all electronic work submitted for the unit. The teacher will record a short synopsis of highlights and things that need further improvement and save it as an audio file that can be saved along with the portfolio. Reflection While planning this unit there were key things I wanted to focus on. I knew I wanted to use some fun, exciting technology to allow the students to be creative and use new tools. My main goal was to have them working and focused and I felt that assignments that made them

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think and create would serve this purpose well. My other goal was to have students relate to the reading. I chose Call of the Wild because its setting is exciting and in Alaska so the students already have some common schema with each other and the author. Its short, which allows more time to integrate other subjects and to focus more on summarizing and inferences about the literature rather than the process of reading itself. I wanted the students to relate to the reading, the characters, and the situation to help them focus on questions that they have to deal with in their own lives, like making decisions. The way the students ended up relating to the book wasnt exactly how Id pictured it, but they did take away more than what they realize on the surface. I found it extremely difficult to get them to talk about feelings or ideas but they readily would talk about how Buck felt. I came to the realization that perhaps for students of this age (6-8 grade focus), they arent comfortable opening themselves up to criticism so its easier to hide behind a character. I think it would be really interesting to add in a creative writing portion where they are writing from the perspective of an animal and had to tackle a difficult topic, like friendships. I chose to add in information about the gold rush and wolves because I think it makes the learning more rich and colorful. By introducing the unit with information on the gold rush, I was able to create an even stronger common schema with the students so that when they would start discussing the book, theyd be able to have direct references and understand each other. I think this worked out well. I could see a stronger opinion on some of the blogs after the students had researched the time period of the gold rush a bit for their posters. It seemed like they related to the harshness of the time better exploring about it in other areas than just the novel.

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The students seemed to have a good time. I liked that they were involved in work that kept them busy. The sitting and listening was limited to their iPod time with the novel. This was another area that I still am unsure about. If I were to teach this unit again, I think I would keep the listening component to the unit but I would ensure that I did an extensive amount of reading in other units and would still have individual reading time in the day. This was a lot of information and projects to fit into two weeks of class. The benefit of a fast pace was it kept students challenged and the pressure helped many of them focus. A drawback was that some of the larger projects could have been higher quality if theyd had another day to work on them. Because many of the technology tools used are cloud-based, some of the students accessed their work from home and put in additional time to get a product they were happy with; however, I couldnt assign work as homework because not all students have home Internet access. In general the projects were the most enjoyed by the students. The final group project seemed to be the favorite. The daily blogs didnt seem that innovative to this group and I noticed that other than the benefit of combining all work into an e-portfolio for review, there wasnt much reason to have them blog instead of writing in a paper journal. These students didnt respond to each other much, favoring replying to the teacher initiated questions instead. Id like to find a better way to encourage them to question and communicate on their blogs. With time, practice and maturity I think this would grow so it was a good starting point. If I were to do it again I would increase the length of the unit to three school weeks and add in a project where they have to make an argumentative podcast about a favorite character then change the argumentative blog to the creative writing assignment from an animals point of view. Increasing the length of the unit would also allow for some additional time to work on the

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projects. The pre and post assessments didnt provide much information for me so I think Id alter them as well. Conclusion The integration of technology expanded this lesson from an old-fashioned book report into a thorough social studies project that encouraged students to relate their lives and relationships today with the lives of others in the past. Literacy also played a key role. Students learned about the importance of literary devices, worked on fluency, and wrote each day. The freedom of choice on projects and the emphasis on self-assessment encouraged students to have a stronger role in what they learned. The e-portfolios were a nice accumulation to share with students, teachers and parents but due to the length of the project didnt provide a lot to compare with but it would be a great file within a longer e-portfolio. It was a successful unit and with a few changes I feel it would be even more effective while remaining interesting to the students.

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References

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Gregory, Gayle H. & Kuzmich, Lin. (2004). Differentiated literacy strategies for student growth and achievement in grades K-6. Corwin Press. Stevens, Angela. (2010). 3 Benefits of educational technology in the classroom. Reading Horizons. Retrieved from: www.readinghorizons.com/blog/post/2010/06/07/3-Benefitsof-Technology-based-Education.aspx

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Appendix A List of online tools

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Animoto. Video slideshow maker with music. www.animoto.com Discovery Education. Wolf lesson plan and links. www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lessonplans/wolves-at-our-door.cfm Alaska Gold Rush. www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/klondikefever.cfm Evernote. Cloud program that allows storage of video, audio, clips, etc. www.evernote.com Globster. Online interactive poster creation. www.globster.com Livebinder. Store information and links in binders and bookshelves. www.livebinder.com London, Jack. (1903). Call of the Wild. Online audio book. http://www.thoughtaudio.com/titlelist/TA0024-Call/index.html

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Appendix B Pre and Post-Assessment Questions The questions can be imported into quizsnack.com or surveymonkey.com and then the survey can be embedded into a classroom blog. The teacher can access all results and do a comparison of pre and post unit. Both assessments can be included in their e-portfolio.

UNIT PRE- AND POST-ASSESSMENT

Heres a way to see how much you learn in this unit. Begin each statement I know how to then circle 1 (not at all), 2 (somewhat) or 3 (very well). Before After Identify at least 3 main locations (towns, trails, rivers, etc.) that 1 2 3 1 2 3 were important to the Alaska Gold rush Name at least 3 historical gold rush figures 1 2 3 1 2 3 Explain at least 2 ways that the gold rush shaped parts of Alaska 1 2 3 1 2 3 Describe at least 3 ways gold may influence economy, culture 1 2 3 1 2 3 and the future of an area Describe at least 3 facts about wolves 1 2 3 1 2 3 Explain how wolves have had an impact on Alaska 1 2 3 1 2 3 Identify key points in a novel 1 2 3 1 2 3 Define and give examples of setting, plot, foreshadowing, 1 2 3 1 2 3 conflict and figurative language Use at least three different methods in my writing 1 2 3 1 2 3 Explain at least two ways to clarify meaning and understanding 1 2 3 1 2 3 of what I read Describe 3 types of technology used to communicate with 1 2 3 1 2 3 others Describe the conflicts of main characters 1 2 3 1 2 3 Use at least 2 different programs to research 1 2 3 1 2 3 Use at least 2 different programs to create and publish work 1 2 3 1 2 3 Use my knowledge about a character to reflect on my own 1 2 3 1 2 3 personal decisions Describe at least two things or ways that help a person make 1 2 3 1 2 3 decisions Describe at least two ways how people change through 1 2 3 1 2 3 relationships

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Appendix C Globster Interactive Poster Grading Rubric

GLOBSTER POSTER GRADING RUBRIC

Assignment Completed; Effort

Does not yet meet expectations 0 1

Little effort was put into the final draft. It was turned in after the due date. Little effort was put into the project.

Meets expectations 2 3
Final draft of poster submitted to teacher by due date. Significant effort was put into the poster. The project shows some planning and has some creative elements. Several facts are included. There are very few grammar or spelling errors. 6-10 facts are included and most sources are cited.

Exceeds expectations 4 +
Poster was submitted early or on time and shows great effort into a clean appearance. The poster is creative and it is clear that planning and time went into design and creation. It is unique. Many facts are included and all are accurate. There are no spelling or grammatical errors in the document. 10 or more facts are included and all facts and pictures are cited.

Creative

Demonstrates Knowledge Grammar & Spelling

Very few facts are included or those included are not accurate. There are more than 5 spelling and grammar errors. Less than 5 facts are included. No sources are cited.

Research Facts & Citation

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Appendix D Self-Assessment for Argumentative Podcast

Podcast Self-Assessment
Ideas My message is clear I know enough about my topic I try to make it interesting Organization I have a good beginning I tell things in the right order I have a good ending Conventions I speak clearly I speak at a good rate/speed My voice is loud enough Voice This sounds like me I say what I think and feel My listener will be interested

Good

Okay

Needs Work

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Appendix E Checklist for daily blog (online journal and response)

Checklist for blogs I have included . . . A title An introduction A main point (or question) in one complete sentence 2-3 Supporting sentences A conclusion I wrote in complete sentences I used correct punctuation I checked my spelling My main point or question adds to the topic

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Appendix F Rubric and questions for self-assessment of small group project

Rubric for Animoto project

Scoring Mechanics 1 = minimal Many spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors; sentence fragments; incorrect use of capitalization 2 = adequate Some spelling and grammar errors; most sentences have punctuation and are complete; uses upperand lowercase Main idea or topic is in first sentence; semidefined topic; attempts beginning, middle and end sections; some order of main idea and details in sequence Works with partner most of the time 3 = strong Few spelling and grammar errors; correct punctuation; complete sentences 4 = outstanding Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation; complete sentences; correct use of capitalization Interesting, wellstated main idea or topic sentence; uses logical plan with an effective beginning, middle, and end; good flow of ideas from topic sentence to details in sequence Consistently and actively works with partner; Contributes knowledge, opinions, and skills

Ideas & Content Key words are not near the beginning; no clear topic; no beginning, middle, and end; ideas are not ordered

Good main idea or topic sentence; main idea is fairly broad; has good beginning, middle, and end sections; main idea and details are sequential, as appropriate Effectively works with partner; participates in discussions most of the time

Peer Interaction Uncooperative, off task, unproductive

What was your favorite part of your project? What was the hardest? What might you change for next time?

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Appendix G Worksheet for literary elements

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Name: _____________________________________

Date:____________

Literary Terms
Each term will be used only once, so cross out the words as you go! alliteration allusion antagonist climax conflict denouement first person foreshadowing metaphor onomatopoeia personification plot protagonist setting simile symbol theme third person limited third person omniscient tone 1.The _____________________ is the most exciting point in a story. 2.The time and place of the action in a literary work is called the ____________. 3. __________________ is a struggle between opposing forces, such as two people fighting or the problem in the story. 4.The __________________ is any events that occur after the resolution in a story. 5. ___________________ is the use of clues that suggest or predict what will occur later in the story. 6.A writers attitude toward his or her subject is called the __________________. 7. __________________ is the feeling created in the reader by the literary work. 8.The _____________________ is the central message of a literary work. It is a generalization about human beings or about life. 9. A/an _____________________ is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. 10.Anything that stands for or represents something else is called a/an ______________. 11. ________________________ is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. An example is:What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? 12. ______________________ is the use of words that imitate sounds. Examples are: crash,bang, clang. mood

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13. ______________________ is a type of figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics.An example is:Sorrow walked through my door and sat down next to me. 14. A/an _______________________ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared without the use of likeor as.Example:On the football team, the defensive line was a concrete wall. 15. A/an ______________________ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared with the use of likeor as.Example:On the football team, the defensive line was as solid as a concrete wall. 16.The ________________________ is the main character in a literary work. 17.The ________________________ is the character or force in conflict with the main character in a literary work. 18.The __________________________ point of view is when a character tells the story, and the reader knows only what this character feels and sees. 19.The __________________________ point of view is when a voice outside of the work tells the story, and the reader can tell what any character thinks or feels. 20.The _______________________ is the sequence of events, or what happens, in a story.