Project-Pathfinder

PATHFINDER PROJECT home

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION During the second semester, the fourth and fifth grade students create a project/presentation on a particular different topic year to year (alternating science and social studies). The computer teacher, librarian, and classroom teachers all team up to help them to create their presentations with PowerPoint, as their visual aid. The top presentations in each class will get to compete with an outside unbiased judge to win a prize (one year, the public librarians judged!).

This year, students choose a U.S. president. They will focus on who that person is (how they spent their life as a boy, hobbies, etc.), how that person achieved the position (on what arguments did he win over the public, etc.) and, more importantly, how that person changed the lives of the people while in office. They can also have “fun facts” page of interesting information they found that doesn’t fit elsewhere. The purpose is to merge research (and proper research etiquette, including basic citation), informational writing, and making some basic connections to personal lives.

2. STANDARDS ([|SS GLEs])
 * SS3a.B: Identify and describe the significance of the individuals from MO who have made contributions to our state and national heritage; examples include, ... Harry S. Truman, [etc.]. [only some would "describe," but other students would listen/learn from presentation]
 * SS3a.G: Describe the contributions of Thomas Jefferson [only some would "describe," but other students would listen/learn from presentation]
 * SS7.A: Select, investigate, and present a topic using primary and secondary resources, such as oral interviews, artifacts, journals, documents, photos and letters
 * SS7.A: Use and evaluate primary and secondary sources (diaries, letters, people, interviews, journals and photos)
 * SS7.A: Identify and use library and media resources (electronic resources, dictionaries, encyclopedias, videos, periodicals, atlases...
 * SS7.B: Create maps, graphs, timelines, charts and diagrams to communicate information
 * SS7.D: Use technological tools for research and presentation
 * SS7.G: Identify, research and defend a point of view/position

3. WEB RESOURCES AND DESCRIPTIONS a) eThemes [|**http://ethemes.missouri.edu**]: b) IPL2 []
 * The National Portrait Gallery: Hall of Presidents - This site by the Smithsonian Institution gives portraits and sculptures they have of the Presidents. With citation, this site will give you images you can use in your visual aid. It also includes basic biographical information.
 * Presidents' Hall – From the official government website, each president is given an image and biography. It also includes links to many of the presidents’ wives.
 * Pick an Election – This gives graphs on votes electing the presidents, as well as some of the major issues brought up in each campaign. You can also find information on how elections take place.
 * [] - this “index” gives you a handy list of the forty-four presidents. Once you click your president, it will give you a list of facts. Pay close attention to the “notable events” and “points of interest” sections. It also links to other great internet biographies. Also take a look at the “historical Documents” and “Audio/Video” links to get first-hand experience of what the President has to say.
 * **Presidents** of the United States - another pathfinder by IPL2 with a list of sources to browse if the other links given here doesn’t cover your need of information. It also includes books that you might want to check out from your public library (we don’t have these in stock here at the school).
 * The American **President** -- another website that provides key events and biographies for all Presidents and some of the First Ladies.

c) Sweet Search []  or Sweet Search 4 Me (for elementary students) []
 * ===[|President Barack Obama | The White House]  – Official website for President Obama. Please refer to this page for our practice research sessions! Since you have studied our current President in class, we will complete a small research/visual aid together as an example! ===
 * ===[|Visit Presidential Libraries and Museums] – Website for all Presidents who have a presidential library. First click “Learn about the Presidential Libraries,” then click your president on the left bar. Not all presidents have a presidential library. ===
 * ===[|Presidents of the United States - Frequently Asked Reference]  - linked from the Sweet Search site, ipl2 gives links to answer frequently asked questions like: who was the youngest/tallest/heaviest president? Or even who haunts the white house and who was the first to fly in an airplane? ===

d) Virtual Learning Resources Center []
 * [|**U.S. Presidents**] [|- Biography.com - Biography.com] – Gives links to great and detailed biographies for each president, even giving videos and other multimedia to research. Use the subtitle links to jump to the specific information you need or want!
 * [|Which] [|**US President**] [|would be the worst roommate Short List] [|**...**] – Interesting link to the weird, strange, or otherwise unwanted habits of our presidents. Take a look for your “interesting facts” slide in your presentation!
 * [|Presidents of the United States - Guides, Reference Aids] Another source for images (including First Lady and Vice President). Select your topic(s).

e) netTrekker d.i. (JCKL database)
 * Scholastic: Inauguration Time Line – click the picture of the interactive timeline of INAUGURATIONS – that gives inauguration and US History facts from 1776-2005.
 * University of Texas at Austin: Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century - Explore the Presidential timeline of the 20th Century (1900-1999). Click the “Interactive Timeline” and browse. Don’t forget to look at the exhibits and gallery on the top of that page for images.
 * Associated Press: Born to Lead? Young Men Who Grew up to Become President – Browse this site and play the game to see if YOUR president is listed. Learn something about their lives as young boys, and gain an image of them as a youngster.
 * Log On and Learn: Discover Presidental Log Cabins – Learn and gain images about four of our president and their families: Washington, Grant, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. (click History and then find the name under “Learn about Four Presidents).
 * **Presidential Pet Museum: White House Pets 1953-2009  - Interesting fun facts about our President’s pets. **
 * Smithsonian Education: Idea Labs: Mr. President – list links you to facts about each of our nation’s presidents, presidential quotes and images from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

4. SUMMARIZE/EVALUATION OF THE FIVE SITES AS A SELECTION TOOL: I found Sweet Search to be the least helpful because it wasn't very user-friendly, and there wasn't enough difference between Sweet Search and 4 Me. With budget concerns in mind, I find the ipl2 the best of the bunch. It was well organized, easy to search, and contains already-made pathfinders for many popular topics. Still, the search process was great and many of the searches I completed in the others led me back to them! If there were no budget concerns, I would vote netTrekker number one. Not only did it give the chance to find ratings on some sites, but it was easy to navigate. I also found a more variety of sites than the others. I would also use eThemes as well, especially for the fact that it separated out what age the sites were aimed at. My last word: I'd use any of these //except// Sweet Search.