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June 1, 2000
Wow! You've Got to See This:
Turning Kids on to Research through Technology Integration
By Sherry H. Buchanan
Students are busily working at the computers, chatting away, laughing, and having a grand time. Computer games? No, they are completing research projects about people who influenced the American Revolution! During my tenure as a library media specialist, I dreaded beginning research projects with fifth graders. They really didn't like doing research projects, it was difficult to find materials appropriate for their reading level, and it was a major accomplishment to keep them on task long enough to complete the project.
Two years ago, I decided to change the focus of research study by integrating the research as part of a much broader technology project. Our fourth- and fifth-grade study begins by building on knowledge the children already have about multimedia and how to create slideshows. The children enjoy being able to include all the "bells and whistles" that multimedia applications allow! Microsoft PowerPoint and Roger Wagner Publishing's HyperStudio are used to introduce them to the world of multimedia. They love using PowerPoint because "that's what the grown-ups use." They love HyperStudio because they feel they have control over their creations. They enjoy creating their own special effects rather than choosing from those created by someone else. Both applications allow the children to experiment and to be innovative with their presentations.
As the learning progresses, the students create short slideshows about topics that require little or no research, such as themselves, their families, school, a hobby, or a special interest.
Two students have worked as a team to create a presentation on a shared topic of interest. Pictured are screen shots of the beginning slides of a PowerPoint presentation about dinosaurs.
Students practice using video and digital cameras to create movies and graphics. The school is fortunate to have access to wonderful digital cameras by Sony, and the students get very excited about learning to use the equipment. They capture graphics from other sources as well and edit or integrate the graphics into their own artwork using Adobe Photoshop or Broderbund's Kid Pix Studio. The students create and scan drawings or paintings for use in their creations. The more the children do, the more they want to do! (To view some of the children's graphic creations, visit the Merrimack Elementary School Web site .)
Students create short video clips of their teams at work.
Once the students are comfortable with the basics of creating a presentation, the library media specialist introduces the research aspect of the project. Merrimack School's fourth and fifth graders follow the steps of the Big Six, a popular information literacy model. The children know they will be using the information they gather to create a multimedia presentation, so they take this phase seriously. The classroom teachers and I collaborate in selecting a list of topics from the Virginia Standards of Learning. Students may choose to research famous Virginians or key figures of the American Revolution. They also include important documents related to the persons they select. Working in pairs because there are not enough computers to allow them to work individually, they stay focused on the questions they have developed to guide their research. After I caution the students not to copy directly from the text, they paraphrase and summarize the information they find, carefully checking its accuracy. They use the Internet, online encyclopedias, and related databases, in addition to books and other print materials.
 Erica and her partner search for books relevant to their topic. Although the importance of technology is emphasized, they never forget that it is only one piece of the research puzzle!
It is critical to keep the technology in perspective by showcasing it as merely one tool of many available for research. As part of the information-gathering phase, the children also search for graphics and sound clips to enhance their presentations. Although I encourage students to create their own graphics and sound, it is important for them to understand how to acquire permission to use materials created by others and how to cite sources. If contacted, most people will allow the children to use their graphics in school projects.
With the information gathering complete, it is now time to write. Pairs of students use their notes to write an article about the person they researched. By typing their draft in a word-processing application, they may take advantage of the program's editing tools to do an initial edit of their work. After peer editing between partners is done, students revise their work to be published in their slideshow. When the final draft is ready, they decide how the information will be distributed among the slides. A storyboard is used to plan the slideshow by selecting the chunks of text for each slide, along with any graphics and/or sound to be included. The group is still smiling and the excitement is mounting because the students know that the next step is to actually create their slideshow.
After the partners choose either HyperStudio or PowerPoint to create their final presentations, the adage "Two heads are better than one" fits as they help each other spot and correct mistakes or brainstorm how to achieve a certain special effect. Because they have already typed the text for their show, they merely have to cut and paste the chunks of text onto the correct slides. Graphics, color, and sound are added, and the appearance is formatted to suit the creators. During this phase of the project, it is common to hear such exclamations as "You've got to see this!" or "How did you do that?" at which point everything stops while someone in the group teaches the others a neat new thing he or she has discovered.
On presentation day, the children proudly share their wonderful, information-packed projects on topics such as key figures in the American Revolution (for example, John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Paine) and important historical documents such as The Virginia Statutes of Religious Freedom and the Declaration of Independence. They are still smiling and want to know when they will get to do more research. That is quite a change from the moans and groans of "I don't understand!" and "Do we have to do this?" of prior years!
Malorie's PowerPoint presentation on the Virginia Declaration of Rights is just one piece of her group's presentation to the class. Two of her slides are pictures above.
Possible Topics for Research
Research projects such as Malorie's presentation on the Virginia Declaration of Rights allow students to become immersed in the topic as they learn and create. The following Virginia Standards of Learning are used to generate topics for research.
HSS.4.4 The student will describe the social and political life of Virginians between the Revolutionary War and the end of the Civil War, with emphasis on
- the contributions of Virginians to the establishment of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the success of the new national government;
- conflicts between northern and southern states and within Virginia, including Nat Turner's Rebellion, and events leading to secession; and
- Virginia's role in the Civil War, including major battles and leaders in the Confederate army, including Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
HSS.5.3 The student will describe colonial America, with emphasis on
- the factors that led to the founding of the colonies, including escape from religious persecution, economic opportunity, release from prison, and military adventure;
- geographic, political, economic, and social contrasts in the three regions of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the South;
- life in the colonies in the 18th century from the perspective of large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, and slaves;
- the principal economic and political connections between the colonies and England;
- sources of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution;
- key individuals and events in the American Revolution including King George, Lord North, Lord Cornwallis, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine; and
- major military campaigns of the Revolutionary War and reasons why the colonies were able to defeat the British.
HSS.5.4 The student will analyze the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in terms of
- the British and American heritage, including the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and the Articles of Confederation;
- the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence; and
- the powers granted to the Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and those reserved to the states.
Using standards of learning allows the children to acquire a deeper understanding of the concepts for which they are accountable. (For more information on the Virginia Standards of Learning, visit A Commonwealth of Knowledge, the Web site of the First Lady of Virginia, Roxanne Gilmore.
Integrated technology and research units are highly motivating for elementary children of all ages, but especially for fourth and fifth graders. As children develop multimedia presentations using the information from their research, authentic purposes exist for their learning. Teachers are able to facilitate strong connections among the Virginia Standards of Learning, information literacy, and technology. Students have fun, strengthen their research skills, and become more adept at using technology effectively. The end result is students turned on to research through technology integration!
Email: Sherry H. Buchanan
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