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Bath School Disaster History Project
Bath School Disaster History Project
Rationale:
Students in fifth grade will understand Genius Hour by collaboratively working on a
history project about the Bath School Disaster, which will stay in the school as a
permanent fixture. This disaster is an important part of the community of Bath. The
teacher will model and guide students through the process, so they can successfully
complete Genius Hour independently. The hope is that students will become passionate
about topics that will inspire them to make a difference within the community.
According to the Activist Learner "Inquiry-based teaching focuses on guiding students
to address a real-life problem, and perhaps even solve it in some way or to some degree
(4)." When students are passionate about what they are doing, they become engaged in
the material and realize they can make a difference in the world.
Extensions:
Bath School Disaster Day where the students educate others in the community
about the disaster.
Service learning project that comes from the finished Genius Hour Project
Content Expectation:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group
related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations,
and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.B
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.C
Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases,
and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 5 here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the
Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate
with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9.A
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when
appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and
3 here for specific expectations.)
Daily learning target:
Understand the history behind the Bath School Disaster
Success Criteria:
I can explain, in detail, the story of the Bath School Disaster.
Vocabulary:
disaster
mastermind
consolidated
dynamite
debris
Materials :
Research questions
Chrome books
Informational text on the Bath School Disaster
Lesson Plan:
1. Introduce Genius Hour to the students. Explain that we will be doing one as a whole
group so the students will know what to do when they have to do it independently.
2. The topic of our Genius Hour will be the Bath School Disaster.
3. Activate prior knowledge and place students' answers on chart paper.
4. Divide students into small groups. Have the groups come up with at least five
questions they want to know about the disaster.
5. Have groups share out and put those questions on chart paper. Ask students if there
is any other questions we should add to our list. Add those questions.
6. Go over vocabulary that students may come across while researching. Assign
different groups questions to research .
7. Once groups are done researching, share answers.
8. Brainstorm various projects we could do as a class to present our information.
9. Choose a project.
10. Work on project.
11. Present project to the principal, other classes, school board?
12. Have students write a reflection about Genius Hour and have them begin their own.