Wrapping - Waving Weaving

Waving - The purpose of my personal inquiry project was to research the Sonoma and Napa Valley areas to find enough information to plan 3 days touring and tasting in California wine country. We will be traveling with friends, Donna and Bob, and together we are celebrating Bob’s retirement. The first part of our trip will be spent in Pebble Beach, then 2 days in San Francisco. Those arrangements are being taken care of by the “boys”, while I asked to plan the last three days learning about wine making. I want to share what I have learned with my husband, Donna, and Bob. I will prepare a Power Point presentation to send to them through email. I will share with them what they will want to know about the area and the different wineries. They will also be able to check out the web sites and study the maps. Let’s see if they agree with my logic!

Personal Connection - This project was of personal interest to me. We needed to know and act on a plan for our trip. (Let it me known right here and now that I NEVER make plans for trips. There are too many decisions to make and I’ve never wanted to be responsible for bad decisions.) But knowingly using components of the research models has made this a more comfortable process than I would have thought. For example, after I created a comparison map of Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, I was able to confidently say, “We must tour both areas.” I was then able to go to the next step of investigating the different wineries. I made a list of possible interests, and then after locating the wineries on a map I was able to visualize the logistics of where to go when. By making an information table, I was even more confident that I had the information I needed to plan this leg of our vacation. This thought probably has something to do with my learning style, but after finishing the table, it occurred to me, “Holy Cow, I’m finished!” It is rare that I ever think that about anything. OK, I should say I was finished with the first 5 Ws of Lamb’s 8Ws model – (Watching) exploring, (Wondering) questioning, (Webbing) information searching, (Wiggling) evaluating, (Weaving) synthesizing. Self-assessment of my progress through blog entries has also helped me focus on the critical questions of my inquiry. Knowing that it is OK to wiggle is also a confidence builder.

Challenges - The parts of the project that were the most challenging to me were the uses of technology that I had not experienced. I put off the journaling because I didn’t know what I was going to encounter at Blogspot.com. I can’t stand looking at those pages because I don’t know how to format them. But I was determined to try Inspiration, and post my concept map there. Dr. Lamb explained how to do a screen capture someplace in our reading. I couldn’t find it, so I “Googled” and found a way and posted a copy of an email. I desperately wanted to share my maps. Creating those was about a 4-step process, which I’m sure shouldn’t be, but they are ready for use in my final product. I don’t even want to talk about my nightmares of trying to continue working on the project while taking a little vacation in Mexico. That frustration just about did me in, and put me way behind. If this is how I felt, I realize how students must feel when assigned a task they don’t know how to approach.

Thank you, Dr. Lamb, for making this all so clear! I’ve always felt like I’ve given students the support they need. But what I might only be giving them is support to produce a final product – and not the full learning experience of inquiry learning.

Curriculum Connections

Dream Vacation
This project could be used to meet several 5th grade academic standard requirements. Students could be asked to plan a “dream vacation” to any city in the United States. They would begin by thinking why they would want to visit that site, what they know about it or want to find out about. They could report their discoveries in many formats or points of view, for example, writing a personal narrative as if they had already been, or creating travel brochures, or visitor bureau commercials.

Indiana’s Academic Standards:

Social Studies
5.3.2 Name and locate states, major cities, major regions, major
rivers and mountain ranges in the United States
5.3.5 Map and describe the characteristics of climate regions of the United States
5.3.7 Describe the major ways that land was used by American Indians and colonists in each region, and explain how land use changed in the past and continues to change.
5.3.9 Identify the major manufacturing and agricultural regions in colonial America, and cite ways that agriculture and manufacturing have changed in the past and continue to change.

English/Language Arts
5.2.1 Use the features of informational texts, such as formats, graphics, diagrams,
illustrations, charts, maps, and organization, to find information and support understanding.
5.2.5 Distinguish among facts, supported inferences, evidence, and opinions in text.
5.4.3 Write informational pieces with multiple paragraphs that:
• present important ideas or events in sequence or in chronological order.
• provide details and transitions to link paragraphs.
• offer a concluding paragraph that summarizes important ideas and details.
5.4.4 Use organizational features of printed text, such as citations, endnotes, and bibliographic references, to locate relevant information.
5.4.5 Use note-taking skills when completing research for writing.
5.4.6 Create simple documents using a computer and employing organizational features, such as passwords, entry and pull-down menus, word searches, the thesaurus, and spell checks.
5.5.6 Write for different purposes (information, persuasion, description) and to a specific
audience or person, adjusting tone and style as appropriate.
5.5.3 Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research
process (defines topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and documents sources (titles and authors).
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized.
• organizes information by categorizing and sequencing.

Professional Team Towns
Eighth grade students would choose cities in the United States that have a professional
league sports team. Why do teams locate in certain cities? What other attractions are in that city? Plan vacation itinerary; persuade other teams to relocate; write persuasive letter to newspaper to recruit a team to their city...

Social Studies
8.3.7 Analyze geographic factors that have influenced migration and settlement patterns and relate them to the economic development of the United States.

8.5.9 Describe changes in entertainment and recreation, such as the growing interest in sports of various kinds, in the mid-nineteenth century and explain how these changes related to urbanization and technological developments.
(same geography standards as 5th)

English/Language Arts
8.5.4 Write persuasive compositions that:
• include a well-defined thesis that makes a clear and knowledgeable appeal.
• present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning to support effective arguments
and emotional appeals.
• provide details, reasons, and examples, arranging them effectively by anticipating and answering reader concerns and counterarguments.
Example: Using the research completed on public transportation, write a persuasive letter to the mayor on why the community should or should not invest more resources into public transportation.
8.5.3 Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research
process (definesthe topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized and that the topic has been refined through this process.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by categorizing and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Research the topic of the benefits and drawbacks of public transportation. Conduct research to learn why some experts argue that we should use more public transportation. Survey parents and friends to find out how often they use public transportation for school, business, or pleasure travel. Summarize the findings and write a report on the pros and cons of public transportation.
8.4.4 Plan and conduct multiple-step information searches using computer networks.
8.4.5 Achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas.
8.4.6 Use a computer to create documents by using word-processing skills and publishing programs; develop simple databases and spreadsheets to manage information and prepare reports.
8.4.7 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and clarity.
8.4.11 Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation, and research.
8.4.8 Edit and proofread one’s own writing, as well as that of others, using an editing checklist or set of rules, with specific examples of corrections of frequent errors.
8.4.9 Revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of view; and transitions among paragraphs, passages, and ideas.

AASL Information Literacy Standards for Learning

Standard 1 The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
The student who is information literate recognizes that having good information is central to meeting the opportunities and challenges of day-to-day living. That student knows when to seek information beyond his or her personal knowledge, how to frame questions that will lead to the appropriate information, and where to seek that information. The student knows how to structure a search across a variety of sources and formats to locate the best information to meet a particular need.
Indicators
Indicator 1. Recognizes the need for information
Indicator 2. Recognizes that accurate and comprehensive
information is the basis for intelligent decision making
Indicator 3. Formulates questions based on information needs
Indicator 4. Identifies a variety of potential sources of information
Indicator 5. Develops and uses successful strategies for locating information
Standard 2 The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
The student who is information literate weighs information carefully and wisely to determine its quality. That student understands traditional and emerging principles for assessing the accuracy, validity, relevance, completeness, and impartiality of information. The student applies these principles insightfully across information sources and formats and uses logic and informed judgment to accept, reject, or replace information to meet a particular need.
Indicators
Indicator 1. Determines accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness
Indicator 2. Distinguishes among fact, point of view, and opinion
Indicator 3. Identifies inaccurate and misleading information
Indicator 4. Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand
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Standard 3 The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
The student who is information literate manages information skillfully and effectively in a variety of contexts. That student organizes and integrates information from a range of sources and formats in order to apply it to decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, and creative expression. The student communicates information and ideas for a variety of purposes, both scholarly and creative; to a range of audiences, both in school and beyond; and in print, nonprint, and electronic formats. This Standard promotes the design and execution of authentic products that involve critical and creative thinking and that reflect real world situations. The indicators under this Standard therefore deviate from the traditional definition of use. Rather than suggesting that students simply insert researched information into a perfunctory product, the indicators emphasize the thinking processes involved when students use information to draw conclusions and develop new understandings.
Indicators
Indicator 1. Organizes information for practical application
Indicator 2. Integrates new information into one’s own knowledge
Indicator 3. Applies information in critical thinking and problem solving
Indicator 4. Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats