Running head: INFORMATIVE ESSAY RESEARCHING A CULTURE 1

Informative Essay Researching a Culture

Crystal Weltikol

OTL504 Social, Ethical and Legal Issues in the 21st Century

Colorado State University Global Campus

Mike Miller

September 17, 2017

Informative Essay Researching a Culture 2

Informative Essay Researching a Culture

Crystal Weltikol
JiTT Lesson
September 17, 2017

Standard Information:
Researching paper on a Culture
Teacher: Mrs. Crystal Weltikol
Grade Level: Sophomores: Communication Arts 10

Lesson Description:

Students will select a culture that is not Greek or Roman and research information about that
culture, as well as a myth (preferably creation).

Objectives:
- Students will select three cultures and be approved for one by the teacher.
- Students will begin research on the cultures general information following guidelines
provided by the teacher.
- Students will research a myth found within that culture (preferably creation).
- Students will understand proper MLA citations

Concepts and/or Key Words and Definitions:

1. MLA Works Cited and In-Text Citations
2. Informative essay requirements
3. Properly identifying credible online sources (CRAAP)
4. Properly cite sources (copyright laws and fair use policy)

Students Background Knowledge:

This lesson should be a review on how to brainstorm and outline an essay. Students should refer
to the essay rubric for proper instructions, which should be review from previous essays (and
from writing practices done in class).

Materials and Teaching Aids:

- Students should have a writing utensil
- Students should have their binders for notes
- Students will be working on classroom laptops when writing and researching the
Informative Essay
- Students should follow the CRAAP instructions, as well as the essay rubric

Classroom Management Suggestion:

- I will review the classroom policies and netiquette when researching and using school
laptops.
- I will orally assess what students know when it comes to discovering and using
credible sources
Informative Essay Researching a Culture 3

- I will review how to properly cite sources and information researched using MLA
format (following PURDUE OWL standards)
- I will have students follow C.R.A.A.P. for source credibility (posted in the room)
- I will also review Copyright guidelines with students, as well as fair use as stated in
the schools handbook. Good tips are reviewed and posted for easy review in the
classroom (Reidsville Schools, 2017):
o What is Copyright?
Copyright is a Federal law that protects your work or anyone elses
work from being copied, changed, or used without permission. In other
words, when you create a story, poem, picture, or any other works, it
belongs to you. Other people have to get permission to use it and/or
properly cite the information.
o What is Fair Use?
Fair Use is a set of guidelines that allows you to use part of
copyrighted works for educational purposes such as a report or
multimedia presentation.
o Fair Use Guidelines:
Text: Up to 1000 words, but not more than 10% of the book or article.
Poems: Up to 250 words or the entire poem if less than 250 words; No
more than 3 poems by the same author; No more than 5 poems in a
collection of poetry.
Photographs or Drawings: Up to 5 graphics or photographs by the
same person; No more than 15 images from a collection; Images
cannot be changed.
Video: Up to 3 minutes but no more than 10% of the entire video; the
video clip cannot be changed.
Music: Up to 30 seconds but no more than 10% of sheet music; Up to
30 seconds but no more than 10% of recording; the music cannot be
changed in any major way.
Citations: Remember to cite your sources; Multimedia presentation
must include a statement indicating fair use for educational purposes;
Copyright information must be included in bibliography.
o If using online sites for information, check the copyright regulations.
Some sites allow use of information without copyright infringement. If
you have questions about a site, ask your teacher or the media specialist.
o Additional sites with helpful information:
- NC WiseOwl - Cyberbee - Copyright in an Electronic Environment

Assessment:
- Students will be orally assessed on what they know or dont know when it comes to
finding credible online sources.
- Students will be assessed through the essay rubric on whether or not they know how
to properly cite sources (in-text and through a Works Cited MLA format)
- The final assessment will be the final Argument essay on a topic of the students
choice
Informative Essay Researching a Culture 4

Links outside this lesson:

This lesson should be a way for students to fully understand how to brainstorm topics
used for writing, outlining and organizing information for writing an essay, and following a
rubric and netiquette while researching and writing an essay. The focus will be properly citing
information students find on their culture and myth.

Relevant Standards:
1. Empowered Learner: 1c, 1d
2. Digital Citizen: 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d
3. Knowledge Constructor: 3a, 3b and 3c
4. Computational Thinker: 5b, 5c
5. Global Collaborator: 1a

Netiquette Polices and Expectations (posted in the classroom)

Policy Effectiveness
1 Using the Districts electronic Any violation during the use of the Districts
networks is a privilege electronic networks may lead to denial,
revoking, or suspension of access.
2 No food or drinks, lotions or combs Leave these items in the classroom or in the
near the computers. designated area of the library.
3 Log on using your own login, under Avoid the public network in order to access the
the correct student network. proper programs.
4 Dont fool around with the desktop, By not doing this, it is easier for the teacher to
C drive, icons or keyboard. explain instructions and for students to follow
them.
5 Make sure to listen to all directions In order to use class time appropriately and
according to the assignment at hand. accomplish daily work in a timely manner.
6 Follow guided instructions on proper Websites should be appropriate to the
websites to use for the assignment assignment and trusted (avoid wikis) and find an
(be sure to use trusted websites) author/publication date. If a website that is
appropriate is blocked, please see a teacher for
access.
7 No hacking or gaining unauthorized Only use files provided through the school when
access to files, resources, on the computer. Avoid social media pages, as
inappropriate websites or entities. well as other websites, such as email, personal
browsers (Amazon, etc.) or gaming. Most
websites listed above are blocked by the school
for a reason.
8 Wastefully using resources. This includes file space, printing paper, and
colored ink.
9 Avoid posting material authored or All sites must be properly cited according to the
created by another, without his/her format required.
consent and posting anonymous
messages.
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10 Properly log off all sites and In order to protect personal information and files
networks when using public when using public computers.
computers and networks.

Brief Summary

Making sure students know how to properly cite sources is crucial when doing any sort

of research, especially for an informative essay. There are various ways to review and teach

students how to find copyright policies and explain the fair use policy. Reidsville Schools (2017)

provides great tips on how to review these policies with students and give easy to follow step

that can be placed in the classroom. As an educator it is important to understand the ISTE

standards. By having classroom rules of netiquette posted in the classroom and reviewed when

using school computers (or computers in general) students can follow Digital Citizenship 1b:

students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are of the permanence of

their actions in the digital world (2017). Students will become Global Collaborators by using

digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. This will

happen more so in the fact that students are research various cultures and learning about them

and how they started or their initial beliefs. Students will also follow the CRAAP guidelines

(Bluford Library, 2017), reviewed before beginning research and posted in the classroom

throughout the process of writing the essay (or any essay). This will also help them when

identifying what is needed for MLA format and citations, in and out of the text (Purdue Owl

Writing Lab, 2017).

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References

BluFord Library. (2017). Evaluating web resources: CRAAP. SpringShare.

http://libguides.library.ncat.edu/content.php?pid=53820&sid=394505.

ISTE. (2017). ISTE standards for students. International Society for Technology in Education

(ISTE). http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students.

Purdue Owl Writing Lab. (2017). MLA formatting and style guide. The Writing Lab &

The OWL at Purdue & Purdue University.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/.

Reidsville Schools. (2017). Copyright guidelines for students and educators. Blackboard.

https://www.rock.k12.nc.us/domain/1103.