School Library

Collaboration Planning 2-24-12 mk

Teacher(s): Chelley Vukmanic & High School English content teacher
Grade Level: 9

Plan Date: 04/04/13

Unit: 3rd Quarter, Strand 9:

Romeo & Juliet
Time Frame: 7 days (86 minute blocks)

Unit Overview and Description: 9th Grade Elizabethan Era Research

Working in collaborative groups of three or four, students will select and research a topic related to daily life
during the Elizabethan Era. Students will use both print and non-print sources to research the topic and using
MLA format, students will create a Works Cited page to include citations for their sources. During the research
process, groups will narrow their broad topic down to three or four sub-topics, with each group member being
responsible for one sub-topic. Groups will organize their research findings into a complete sentence outline. Once
students have completed their research outlines, each group will create a VoiceThread to present their information.
For the VoiceThread, each group member will be responsible for creating a slide that presents the information they
found on their particular sub-topic. Every group will then be required to make at least one comment on each of the
other VoiceThreads comparing/contrasting daily life during the Elizabethan Era to daily life today.
Culminating Learning Product: VoiceThread will be used to present information about a topic relating to daily
life during the Elizabethan Era, and groups will also use VoiceThread to comment on each others work, which
uses technology to share ideas comparing/contrasting the Elizabethan Era to our society today.
AASL Standard(s):

Content Standards (English Core Learning Goals):

1.1.1 Follow an inquirybased process in seeking knowledge

in curricular subjects, and make the realworld
connection for using this process in own life
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer
questions.
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus,
questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to
achieve success.
2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new
understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and
technology skills to create products that express new
understandings
3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and
intellectual network of learners.
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize
and display knowledge and understanding in ways that
others can view, use, and assess.
3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with
others

2.2.2 The student will select and organize ideas for specific
audiences and purposes.
2.2.5 The student will use suitable traditional and electronic
resources to refine presentations and edit texts for
effective and appropriate use of language and
conventions.
2.3.2 The student will use various information retrieval
sources (traditional and electronic) to obtain
information on a self-selected and/or given topic.
Electronic sources include automated catalogs, CD
ROM products, and on-line services like Internet,
World Wide Web, and others.
2.3.3 The student will use a systematic process for
recording and documenting information.

Maryland VSC Standards:

1.0

Students will be able to follow an inquiry process to

define a problem, formulate questions, and refine either
or both to meet a personal and/or assigned need. (All)
3.A.1 Collaboratively and independently use specific sources
to find information.
3.C.2 Use an appropriate and accepted citation style to create
a source list.
5.0 Students will be able to follow an inquiry process to
share findings/conclusions in an appropriate format to
support written, oral, and multimedia information
products and evaluate the products and the process in

an ethical manner (All)

Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
work collaboratively in a small group to create a
final VoiceThread research project
select and effectively use print and non-print
sources to research a specified topic
narrow a broad subject into several sub-topics
compose a complete sentence outline of
significant information on a specified topic
compose an MLA Works Cited page consisting of
a variety of media sources
compare/contrast daily life during the Elizabethan
Era to daily life in our society today
self-reflect on the process and final product of a
research assignment

Teacher will:
Create a list of possible Elizabethan Era topics for
students to research
Collaboratively create a project agenda with the
Media Specialist
Collaboratively create a research pre-assessment
with the Media Specialist
Go through previous student work to find two
exemplar examples of Works Cited pages,
research outlines, and VoiceThreads to show to
the students
Create a rubric to evaluate the research outline
and Works Cited page
Create a one-page resource on how to properly
format a citation using MLA and prepare a brief 5
minute lecture on MLA citations
Collaboratively create a self-reflection worksheet
with the Media Specialist
Grade the pre-assessments and group students
into heterogeneous ability groups based on the
scores of their research pre-assessment

Essential Questions:
Content:
What was daily life like in England during the
Elizabethan Era?
How did daily life in England during the
Elizabethan Era differ from daily life in our
society today?
How does knowing this background
information about the Elizabethan Era before
reading Shakespeares work, Romeo & Juliet,
benefit students?
Process:
How can you tell when a source is reputable
and reliable to use for research purposes?
Why is it important to accurately cite all
sources used during research?
How can working collaboratively in a group
improve the overall final product that is
created?
Why is VoiceThread a beneficial tool for
presenting and sharing information with
others?
Media Specialist will:

Check the list of possible Elizabethan Era

topics to ensure that the media center has the
resources to provide students with enough
information on the topic. Tell teacher if any
topics should be removed due to lack of
resources.
Collaboratively create a project agenda with
the Teacher
Collaboratively create a research preassessment with the Teacher
Create a rubric to evaluate the VoiceThread
Pull books that contain information for the
Elizabethan Era topics and place them on
books carts for students to access
Create an Elizabethan Era Pathfinder
Prepare a brief 5-10 minute lecture on how to
select a source and use an index efficiently
Prepare a brief 5-10 minute lecture on how to
use the media centers online databases
Prepare a demonstration on how to create a
VoiceThread account and VoiceThread slides
using the computer and microphone
Collaboratively create a self-reflection
worksheet with the Media Specialist

Materials:
Research pre-assessment
Exemplar examples of: research outline, Works
Cited page, and VoiceThread
Books containing information on the selected
Elizabethan Era topics
Online databases containing information on the
selected Elizabethan Era topics
Elizabethan Era Pathfinder
MLA citation formatting handout
Computers with internet access and Microsoft
Word
Self-reflection worksheet
Resources:
X Internet

X OPAC

Unit Assessments:
Pre-assessment:
Research process pre-assessment
Summative:
Completed VoiceThread
Self-reflection

X Word

__ Hyperstudio

__ Power Point

__Video

__ Inspiration

__ Digital camera

__Scanner

__ Photo Story

X Reference books

X VoiceThread

Project Calendar
Outline of Learning Actions

Day
1

Day
2

Day

T Teacher and MS Media Specialist

Students will meet in the Ts classroom. The T will begin by administering a short pre-assessment
covering the topics of the research process, source selection, and MLA formatted citations. After the
pre-assessment is collected, the T and MS will go over the correct answers to the pre-assessment
questions. Then, the T and MS will explain the Elizabethan Era Research VoiceThread Project to
students. Every step of the process and an agenda showing expectations for each day will be
provided to the students. The T and MS will show students two exemplar examples of MLA Works
Cited pages, research outlines, and VoiceThreads so students will see good examples of each
required step in their project. Students will be provided with two rubrics: one that covers the grading
for their research outline and Works Cited page and a second that covers the grading for their
VoiceThread.
Class will meet in the media centers reference section. T will place students into their assigned
groups, which are heterogeneous ability groups based on the results of the pre-assessment. T will
supply groups with a list of possible Elizabethan Era topics (i.e. Marriages/Festivals, Food/Drink,
Transportation/Travel, Social Classes) and groups will then get to discuss the topics and choose one.
No two groups may choose the same topic, and groups will be called on in a random order to
announce which topic they would like to research. MS will have books pulled on the Elizabethan
topics and placed on a cart for students to use. Prior to students beginning their research with the
books, MS will review how to effectively choose a book for a particular topic and how to use an
index. T will also provide students with a handout detailing how to write bibliographical
information into proper MLA citations. Students will use the remainder of the block to research in
their groups using the books in the media center. T and MS will circulate to assist groups with
research and MLA citations.
Class will meet in the media centers reference section. Students will begin by reviewing their
research at this point and narrowing their topic into 3-4 (depending on the number of group members

Day
4

Day
5

Day
6

Day
7

in the group) sub-topics to focus on. Each group member will choose one of the sub-topics decided
on by the group. The sub-topic will now be the focus for that group member. MS will provide
students with an Elizabethan Era Pathfinder that includes the links to online databases that contain
information on the various Elizabethan Era topics. MS will review how to access the online
databases. Students will use the remainder of the block to research their sub-topic using the books
and computers located in the media centers reference section. T and MS will circulate to assist
groups with research and MLA citations.
Students will meet in the media centers reference section. T will review the proper way to write a
complete sentence outline and MLA Works Cited page. Students will be directed to use the exemplar
examples that they were provided with on Day One. Within their groups, students will work together
to organize their research into a complete sentence outline. Each sub-topic will be one of the
headings for the outline, so essentially each student will be responsible for one of the headings and
all of its supporting details. All sources used for the information that is included on the outline must
be cited on the Works Cited page. Groups will use Microsoft Word on the media centers reference
computers to type their complete sentence outlines and Works Cited pages. During this block, all of
the books and computers will still be available for any additional research that is necessary. T and
MS will circulate to assist groups with their outlines and Works Cited pages.
Students will meet in the media center computer lab. MS will model how to create a VoiceThread
account, how to create VoiceThread slides, and how to use the microphones for recording slide
commentary. Groups will follow along with the MS to create a VoiceThread account and then create
their VoiceThread slides. Each sub-topic will have one slide, so each student is responsible for
creating one slide in their groups VoiceThread. The group members will work together to create the
title slide at the beginning of the VoiceThread and the Works Cited slide at the end of the
VoiceThread. VoiceThreads will be saved in the class shared drive. T and MS will circulate to assist
groups with their VoiceThreads.
Students will meet in the media center computer lab. Groups view other groups VoiceThreads and
make at least one comment on each of the VoiceThreads. The comments made need to express the
similarities and differences between daily life during the Elizabethan Era and daily life today in
regards to the VoiceThreads topic. For instance, if a slide is presenting the way marriage was
celebrated during the Elizabethan Era, a group will create a comment on that slide sharing how they
believe that the marriage celebration during the Elizabethan Era was different and similar to the way
our society celebrates marriage today.
Final VoiceThreads are presented to the class and students complete self-reflections.

Reflection of Collaborative Process and Planning:

How the Planning Went:
The collaborative planning went well for this unit. I chose to work with an English teacher who is hesitant
to attempt new technologies in her lessons because she does not consider herself to be a very technological savvy
individual. I thought that working with her would be a positive experience for both of us, since it would allow me
to build confidence in collaborating with a reluctant teacher and it would hopefully help her feel more at ease with
incorporating a new technology into her lesson.
Fortunately, we both have planning during the same block on B-days, so we planned for this unit during
B-day planning blocks. We also met once after school before attending a mandatory faculty meeting. I truly
believe that sharing a common planning block made this planning process much easier for me, and I think that is
something I will have to keep in mind for the future. As a Media Specialist, I will need to carve out planning time
and make myself as available as possible for content teachers.
Stumbling Blocks Encountered:
One of the biggest stumbling blocks that I encountered during this process was that the content teacher I
worked with had difficulty delegating activities to me. When we were discussing which parts of the project and

lessons I could take on, she was reluctant to have me do much on my own, other than locating the books in the
media center that contained information for the research topics. She seemed to want to be in charge of all of the
mini lectures, examples, rubrics, etc. that were necessary for our project. Considering that this is one of my
colleagues who plans on a content team with me and knows that I am capable of doing a good job with creating
these project essentials, I was a little offended by her reluctance to allow me to take on more of the work. Her
response was, When I work with the Media Specialist, I appreciate her input, but I really like to have control
over all aspects of the project. After I reminded her that I have lots of experience creating mini lectures,
resources, rubrics, and examples, and after I explained all of the time she would be saving by allowing me to take
on more of the responsibilities, she gave in.
I found this stumbling block to be very concerting because if one of my own colleagues who is used to
collaborating with me is hesitant to let me take on responsibility when in the role of Media Specialist, I worry that
when I do become a Media Specialist, many classroom teachers will feel the same way. This is especially true if I
end up going to a brand new school to be their Media Specialist and the teachers do not even know me. I will just
have to convince teachers like I did my colleague in this instance. Perhaps when I become a Media Specialist and
begin meeting with teachers to collaborate, I might show them examples of rubrics and assignments I have
created so that they can see what I am capable of. Also, explaining how much time the teacher will save by
allowing me to take on more responsibility will also be helpful in convincing teachers.
Another stumbling block was the teachers initial reluctance to incorporating VoiceThread into the project
simply because she was not familiar with this new technology. She was concerned that if she did not know
program, then she would not be able to help her students with it. While I understood her concern, I explained that
I could give her a quick tutorial of VoiceThread prior to using it with the students so that she would know how to
help them. Also, I assured her that I would be there with her when her students were completing the VoiceThread.
She said at this point that even with me giving her a tutorial prior to the students using VoiceThread, she would
feel more comfortable with me presenting the VoiceThread process to the students. I gladly accepted this
responsibility. I believe that she was not convinced into using VoiceThread until I logged onto her computer and
showed her examples of VoiceThreads that my students had completed during the second marking period. Once
she saw examples of student VoiceThreads and understood that I would be taking on the bulk of the instruction
and assistance during this portion of the lesson, she agreed to it.
This stumbling block was actually good for me to encounter because I believe it will help me in the future
when I come across other teachers who are hesitant to use technology that they themselves are unfamiliar with. I
think that it takes practice to build confidence in convincing adults to trust you with something as important as an
assessed project for a core subject course. The more practice I get with reassuring teachers that I am capable of
not only teaching their students how to use this technology, but also teach them how to use it, the better!
Topics Learned in Course and Applied to Planning:
During Module One, I learned how different teaching styles and the ways adults learn can affect the way
that I approach a teacher when collaborating with that teacher. For this assignment, I worked with a teacher who
has a very different teaching style than my own. This meant that I had to use a few different methods when
collaborating with her so that we were both comfortable with the outcome. I had to stress the benefits of
collaboration and allowing me to play a valuable part in the process.
During Module Two, I learned how Web 2.0 tools can be used during the inquiry process. VoiceThread is
a useful tool for creating a final product. VoiceThread allows students to explore creatively presenting
information through images and a variety of options for commentary, including written, voice recording, or video
recording. Other than images, students can also choose to create a slide using Microsoft Word, which is helpful
for including a Works Cited slide at the conclusion of a VoiceThread to accurately credit information to its source.
Also, the best part of VoiceThread is that students are able to add to other students VoiceThread projects by
adding their own comments to the slides. This allows for the sharing and collaborating process to go beyond the
assigned small groups. In addition, I found the Module Two article Steps to Designing Inquiry-based Units that
was published anonymously in School Library Media Activities Monthly very helpful when working on this Unit
Plan.
I used the information on Multiple Intelligences learned during Module Three to create a collaborative
Plan that would appeal to multiple intelligences. The Elizabethan Era Research VoiceThread Project incorporates
many Multiple Intelligences: Reading the text for information and then organizing that information into a

completely sentence outline appeals to Verbal-Linguistic, The visual images and fonts used to create the
VoiceThread slides appeal to the Visual-Spatial, Moving around through the reference and computer sections of
the media center during the research and creation processes appeals to the Kinesthetic, Working collaboratively
within small groups appeals to the Interpersonal, and the self-reflection appeals to the Intrapersonal. Finally, the
information about rubrics during Module Three helped me create rubrics to effectively evaluate student
performance.