It is that time of year again when I get to prep for one of my favorite units of the year: The Egypt Project. What is the Egypt Project you may ask? It is a Writing Research Project with a really fun celebration at the end.
Below I will map out this four week unit and explain our celebration time!
Week
ONE:
1.) Get organized! Students will be working in partnerships and
research clubs. Students should also be grouped in research clubs after
selecting topics, which is about 3-4 students in the same topic. Each research club
will receive a research club folder to keep track of work, name badges, and a
group norms sheet.
2.) Brainstorming: To begin, you will
introduce the research study
of topic of
Ancient Egypt. Place
books/articles/handouts related to each of the topics out on tables, Let
students walk around the room from topic to topic to sit, explore, and read
information you have gathered. As you walk around the room, remind students
they will get to pick three of their favorite topic choices. When the book walk
is complete, students go back to their seats and independently choose 3 of
their favorite topic choices. Hand out and go over the “Choose a Topic” paper. You
will place students in groups before gathering to write again.
Get your bulletin Board ready! This is where I have all my groups place their facts they have found during research.
Here is a closer look at how things become more organized as they learn to put subtopics together.
3.) Brainstorming: Pass out “Boxes and
Bullets” worksheet. The topic is in the box and the subtopics are organized
next to each bullet below. Copy boxes and bullets paper back to back with the
“Subtopic Brainstorm” sheet. (Each student in each group should receive their
topic with the subtopic brainstorm sheet attached.) Place
books/articles/handouts into tubs and hand to the group it is assigned to. Go
over Research group gathering routine. (Use teaching handout for this) Research
groups will divide out the subtopics and begin gathering information about each
one. As students find information that is important and useful, they will write
it on the “subtopic brainstorm” sheet. Allow 2 days for this activity. Make
sure research clubs meet and share what information they have collected about
their topic.
Week
TWO:
4.) Drafting: Once enough information is
gathered on the subtopic brainstorm sheet. Students will begin drafting using
the subtopic drafting paper. The drafting paper has a rubric imbedded right on
it so there are no surprises as to what is expected.
5.) Drafting: Once each group member has
completed their subtopic draft, it is time for the research club to work as a
group on a common goal. They will be meeting to work on an introduction and
conclusion for their article.
Week
Three:
6.) Peer Conference: If
research clubs are waiting for their peer editing group (another research
club), they work on the ”while you wait” packet. Once both groups are ready to
meet, students read their articles aloud to the other research club. The
listening club will give a positive statement of what they heard that good
writers do (not what they liked about what happened) and the listening club
will tell something they WONDERED about the article (identifies something that
is missing) The writers do not answer. Verbally.
7.) Teacher Conference: Once the entire
research club has completed peer conferencing with their partners, the group
will sign up to meet with the teacher. If
group is waiting
for the teacher, they work on their “While You
Wait”
packet. until
the
teacher calls
up the group. Each member of the group will read a loud the sections to their
article they have been working on. Students read
the whole story to the teacher, teacher doesn’t look at story until after, each group member has a change to
say a
few things they did that good writers do (strengths) and teacher identifies an
area in the writing that can be improved (goal).
8.) Peer Editing: Peer editing
can happen within the research club itself or students may continue with their
peer editing
partner
they have had all year. Either way, If the student is waiting for their
partner, they work on the ”while you wait” packet (prompt, handwriting, grammar
practice)
Students swap papers. Using red pen, each partner looks for mistakes and makes
editing marks. When students think all the mistakes are found, they will hand
back and talk about the mistakes with their partner.
Week
Four:
9.) Publish: This is
when research
clubs meet to use
google slides on chrome books or a computer lab setting to publish. As
the teacher, you will
need
to create a google classroom account by going to www.classroom.google.com.
Click on the plus sign and drag down to create a class. Give your classroom a
name, section number, or subject. Then click on it. Look at the bar that says
Stream, Students, About. Click on students and begin inviting your classroom. If
you are visual like myself, follow visual steps by going to How
to set up google classroom assignments
10.) Publish: If google classroom is not for
you, I have editable templates for articles in this zip file. Otherwise you can use templates to create your articles on poster board. This is what I have done with my own classes and the kids LOVE it.
