Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: IVCCP Veteran Interview (Afghanistan)

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 5th Grade
Content Standard Addressed: SS5H7: Trace important developments in America from 1975 to 2001.

Technology Standard Addressed:

Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by
collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Illinois Veterans & Community

Classroom Project (IVCCP)

URL(s) to support the lesson: http://ilvets.ltc.k12.il.us/ilvets/AboutUs.aspx

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
With appropriate permissions already obtained from parents, administration, and IVCCP moderators,
students will conduct an interview with a veteran (parent of a student) who served in Afghanistan. As a class,
the students will have completed the necessary forms to participate in the IVCCP (located on the IVCCP
website under “Learning Resources” > “Forms”). They will also have reviewed material on interviewing
techniques and etiquette and how to prepare for this type of interview. Students will have prepared
questions pertaining to the veteran’s life before the war (childhood, family, school, career) and about his
experiences in the war and will have studied this period in American history through class instruction and
their own research. They will have been given opportunities to practice using the technology equipment they
will need, namely: digital video camera, lapel microphones, and basic video editing software (iMovie app).

Preparation for this project will have begun at the start of the unit on American History 1975-2001. The
interview itself will be filmed in one day. With teacher help, students will choose who will be in charge of
each job: interviewers (2-3), photographer (2 to collect photos), researcher (3-4). The rest will be audience
members and will be each be allowed to ask one question to the veteran. All of the students will participate in
the video editing process with the teacher to help. This should take up to one week of class time in order to
organize any photos and extra visuals, audio, and titles/credits. The final product will be shared to the IVCCP
website. It is intended as a final project in the unit and assessment/feedback will be given on quality of
interview and correct use of technology.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
• Video camera (digital)
• iMovie (app)
• lapel microphones
• internet access (for added photos/audio and uploading of final project)

Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of them may not be
addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level).
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: Students will be interviewing a veteran and asking him questions about his life and experiences

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
in the war. They will also be adding their interview video to a website to which students from another
state also contribute.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): The students will be given voice and choice in organizing
and conducting their interview as well as in creating their finished video product.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students will be working as a team and problem solving in order to properly
prepare and conduct the project.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: The final
project will be shared to the IVCCP website.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Students with attention disabilities or hyperactivity can be given an
itinerary of the interview process so that they can be better prepared and have more control of their
surroundings. If there are any ELL students, a translator can be brought in to participate in the interview if
possible.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: Have parents complete release forms for their
children to participate and have them and school administration informed on the entire project before,
during, and after completion. Also, monitoring student research in the classroom (mature topic) perhaps
providing age appropriate resources.

Reflective Practice: I think that this project will be meaningful for the students not only academically but also
as a community. They will be able to learn from someone who has experienced war first-hand and be put in a
real-world position of interviewing him.

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