Famous Hoosiers- Steve Frees

							History Workshop June 2008

Steven Frees
Crawfordsville, Indiana

COURSE TITLE: Indiana History

GRADE LEVEL: Fourth Grade

UNIT: Famous Hoosiers

Abstract

During this unit of study, students will research, write reports, condense reports, and give
a first person speech about a famous Hoosier. Students will discover how to research and
to find what information is relevant to the topic. Students will need to find information
about a famous person from Indiana and what makes that individual so important. This
will include researching dates and factual information. Students will need to know where
to find the information.
Students will also learn how to write a biography, informative paragraph, a narrative
paragraph, and a first person narrative speech. Students will need to be familiar enough
with their characters to also answer questions asked of them by their peers.
In conclusion, students will research a famous Hoosier, write an autobiography, condense
information, and give a speech in first person.

Focus Questions
   1. What makes a Hoosier famous?
   2. What did different individuals do to make our society a better place for others?

Benchmarks                       Assessment Tasks                 Key Concepts
Students will:                   Students will:                   • Contributions to society
• Investigate the                1. Decide on an individual
contributions and                from Indiana that he or she      • Time periods
challenges experienced by        would like to research.
people from various                                               • Historical concepts
cultural, racial and religious   2.Decide what information
groups in Indiana during         is essential in describing the   • Performing arts
different historical periods     Hoosier as an individual.
by reading biographies,          This needs to include what       • Entrepreneurship
historical accounts, stories,    genre the character
and electronic media, such       represents.
as CD-ROMs and web
sites.(Social Studies            3. Participate in writing a
Standards 4.5.6)                 first person narrative telling
                                 about their Hoosier.
•Describe role of Indiana
Artists in American visual    4. Decide what information
arts, literature, music,      is essential in describing
dance, and theatre.(Social    their individual.
Studies Standards 4.5.4)

                              .


Instructional Resources

Internet using Hoover Elementary 4th grade preapproved websites

Stein, R Conrad, America, the Beautiful, Indiana. Chicago, Ill.: Children’s Press1990

Marsh, Carole, Indiana State Greats. Peachtree City, Georgia: Gallopade International,
1990

Henricks, Ann, Indiana. Chanhasen, MD: Child’s World, 2006

Couch, Ernie, Indiana Trivia. Nashville, Tennessee: Rutledge Hill Press, 1997

Madison, James, Indiana Through Traditions and Change: A History of the Hoosier State
and its People, 1920. Indianapolis, Indiana: Historical Society, 1982

Indiana Historical Society, Hoosiers All. Indianapolis, Indiana: Historical Society, 2000

Wolfsie, Dick, Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Offbeat
Stuff. Guilford, Ct.: Globe Pequot Press, 1990

Catalog of Lessons
A. The students will accomplish this task by using outside sources such as Internet and
library material to research famous Hoosiers.
B. The outside sources will help the students accomplish the idea of multiple perspectives
by explaining how their character viewed what was going on around them and how they
adapted to the circumstances in their lives. They will accomplish the controversial issues
by explaining how their character handled themselves in different situations that they
have been faced with such as race, education, and family life.
C. The decision-making and choices will be determined on how the student feels that
their character has handled their career and how the student determines if the Famous
Hoosiers has succeseded or failed in their views.
D. We want our students to construct social studies knowledge by examining: multiple
perspectives, controversial issues, decision-making, choices, historical empathy, and
moral judgment.
E. The student will also explore the time period in which their Hoosier has lived and what
difference it has made on their character. The student will write a research paper about
this person using factual material. They will then condense the report to an informational
paragraph, which will be made into a speech, where other classes will then visit our
classroom and listen to the individual speeches.

Lesson 1: Students make a decision about whom they will portray.
Students decide and research the individual that they think would most interest them.
They also have to keep in mind that they will be portraying the individual in a first person
narrative. The students will use books and the Internet to find their information. The
outside sources will help the students accomplish the idea of multiple perspectives by
explaining how their character viewed what was going on around them and how they
adapted to the circumstances in their lives. They will accomplish the controversial issues
by explaining how their character handled themselves in different situations that they
have been faced with such as race, education, and family life.

Lesson 2: Writing Report
Students will write a Biography about their individual making sure that they include
birth, death, age, what they have accomplished, and what they are most known for.
Students need to include information about how other people saw them. Were they
always popular in their beliefs and decisions, what major decisions did they make, and
did they influence the lives of others. The decision-making and choices will be
determined on how the student feels that their character has handled their career and how
the student determines if the Famous Hoosier has succeeded or failed in their views.

Lesson 3: Students work with primary sources
Students work with photos or historic artwork such as political cartoons. They need to
work with newspapers to see how others perceived this person. Also, they need to find
out what decisions are made about this person by the newspaper and magazine articles.
The students will accomplish this task by using outside sources such as Internet and
library material to research famous Hoosiers.

Lesson 4: Rewrite into a narrative paragraph
Students will condense their biography into a single paragraph so that they can memorize
and recite their reports to their peers. They will also need to prepare answers for
questions that may be asked of them. They will present their report as a living legend.
Students need to also explain what were the other events, people, or events that forced
them to succeed. Students will demonstrate their social studies knowledge by examining:
multiple perspectives, controversial issues, decision-making, choices, historical empathy,
and moral judgment.




Lesson 5: Presentation
The student will explore the time period in which their Hoosier has lived and what
difference it has made on their character. The student will write a research paper about
the person using factual material. They will condense the report to an informational
paragraph, which will be made into a speech, where other classes will then visit our
classroom and listen to the individual speeches.
Using primary source material, students will present their first person narratives to their
peers. They will need to use actual words or the person and their peers. The students will
also need to include criticisms of themselves in their work. Then they will make a large
circle facing outwards so they can present speeches to other classes. The students will
shake hands with their peer and start out by saying, “Good Morning, I am -------. I was
born in ----and died in ---- or am still alive. I am – years old”. Then they will present
their information in a timely, interesting and informative manner. After a designated
time, the audience will move one person to their left to hear the next presenter. This will
continue until every participant has heard the presenter’s speech. Every presenter will
speak at once using the blab school method.


ABSTRACT
 This is a description of the assessment. It describes the task that the student is assessed
with and a description of what the students need to do to complete the test. The student’s
knowledge of this project, as presented in their final biography, paragraph, and speech,
will be the determining factor in demonstrating if they have gained the knowledge
needed. This will be determined by the factual information obtained and the student’s
knowledge of the famous Hoosier, when delivering their speeches and answering the
questions provided by the listeners and myself.


Prompt
This is the material and resources that the students will need to use to be successful on
this task. The purpose of this prompt is to provide the students with the information to
complete the task. It also helps them gain the knowledge of finding the Historical
information that is needed to have the correct information. A prompt could be presented
through Internet usage, encyclopedias, autobiographies, biographies, and fictional and
nonfictional books. Each student will be provided time for class and media room use.
The students will be able to use computers, encyclopedias, and library materials, such as
resource books and autobiography materials. Students will also be given the opportunity
to study past biographies and first person speeches that were presented in previous years.

Directions to Students
These are the instructions that the students receive to guide them in completing the task.
The directions should tell the students exactly what is expected of them. These
instructions will include information about the length of the report, the numbers of facts
needed to receive different grades, ways of writing reports, and how to do a first person
speech. It will also give the time limits, where they can get the information that they
need, and who will help them. They will also include a statement of what is needed to
complete the task as well as the rubric that the students will be graded from. The teacher
will provide time in class and also will allow time to go to the media room to do research
and to obtain information.
Procedures
These are the procedures that the instructor will follow in enforcing the assessment. Steps
will be listed for the instructor to follow in explaining what the student needs to do to
complete the task. Each step will be explained thoroughly. The instructions will be listed
so if the instructor is not available, a substitute could follow the instructions. The
instructor will read the reports and listen to each speech in order to evaluate the student’s
knowledge. The student will demonstrate what they have learned in this activity by
presenting their speech, completing their reports and being able to answer questions
about their famous Hoosier. Research papers will be collected and discussed with each
student when they feel they are finished. Then the paragraphs will be written and another
consultation will be held to discuss how the student has done on this piece of work.
Finally a consultation will be held with each student on his or her first person speech with
advice on what information should be included in the speech. Data will be graded by
using a rubric.

Scoring Rubric
Each benchmark that is being assessed should be explained thoroughly in the scoring
rubric. The scoring has a three-point scale explaining the criteria needed for each
benchmark. A score of one shows that the students have put out the effort in researching
the task. A score of two and three explains what is needed to do the best possible job and
receive the best possible score. The cells on the grid explain what the point system is for
each benchmark.


SCORING RUBRIC

BENCHMARK                                              SCORE
                                  1                        2                       3
Students will           Data is researched      Data is researched      Data is researched
describe the role of    and correct.            and correct.            and correct.
Indiana artists in      Information about       Important facts and     Important facts and
American visual         the individual is       information are         information are
arts, literature,       informative and         given in a detailed     given in a detailed
music, dance, and       factual. Four or less   report. Information     report. Information
theatre. (Standard      facts about their       is conclusive and       is conclusive and
4.5.4)                  famous Hoosier          informative.            informative. Their
Investigate the         have been identified    Five or more facts      speech is delivered
contributions and       and included in an      will need to be         in an informative
challenges              informative report.     identified about        manner and the
experienced by                                  their famous            student is able to
people from various                             Hoosier and written     answer possible
cultural, racial, and                           in an informative       questions that are
religious groups in                             report. Students will   asked of him or her.
Indiana during                                  have included the       The student will
different historical                            role that their         have included the
periods by reading                              character has played    role that their
biographies,           in literature, music,   character has played
historical accounts,   dance or theater.       in literature, music,
stories, and                                   dance, or theatre.
electronic media,                              They will also have
such as CD-ROMs                                to be able to explain
and web sites.                                 the contributions
(Standard 4.5.6)                               and challenges that
                                               their character has
                                               experienced during
                                               different historical
                                               periods. (What has
                                               made the individual
                                               stand out in the time
                                               that they were or are
                                               alive).