Phase I: Plans Instruction

First and foremost, I have a many standards aligned to this introductory lesson. My target group is 5th grade and within the Arizona Common Core Standards are the standards:

Strand 1: Concept 4: PO 3. Identify the impact of the following individuals on the Revolutionary War: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, King George III 

Grade 5: Informational Text K–5: Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge: 7. Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

 
My objectives are clearly stated by describing what I expect students to complete and be able to do by the end of this lesson:

Students will

• choose  a famous person in American history (specifically within the Revolutionary War strand)
• use online research skills to collect information on the lives of their important historical figure.
• create a Facebook page for their historical figure through the use of a Google Docs template.
• describe the contributions of their historical figure and assess their impact on the time period and major events occurring in the United States.

I feel these goals are appropriate for students and will keep their interest. The Facebook page will make the typical research lesson more engaging and since most 5th graders have experience with Facebook, it will be working with something they know.