A Journey Through a Child's Eyes

Primary Learning Outcome(s)
A.  Students will work in groups and use the internet to find 10 facts on specified topics.
B.  Students will create a horn book that contains the 10 facts.
C.  Students will orally present their book pages.

Related QCC Standard(s)

Grade 4
Social Studies
Strand:  History
Topic:   Exploration of Colonization
Compares and contrasts early colonial settlements in the New England, Middle Atlantic and Southern Colonies
- climate
- physical features
- settlers' country of origin
- settlers' motivations
- forms of government, and
- use of natural resources.

Technology Intergration
Strand:  Research
Topic:  Research
Standard:  Uses research techniques with teacher guidance

Materials and Equipment

television (for teacher demonstration of internet search)
computers with internet access (for students)
crayons or colored pencils (if needed)
printer paper
construction paper

Technology Connection

  • Students will use the computer to research specified topics.

Step One:  Introduction

"How many of you would like to have lived in the colonial days?  Do you think that the children of colonial times had as much fun as children of modern times?  Well today, you are going to be put into groups to research a few topics and make a decision on whether you think the children in the colonial days had fun in their childhood or if it was all work and no play.  The topics that you will research today will not only pertain to children, but to the adults of colonial times as well.  It is important for you to research these topics, for the simple fact that the colonial times are the roots to many of our heritages.  You will be able to see how things have changed but yet stayed the same.  The first topic that you will have the option of researching will be the types of food that people ate in colonial days.  Another topic that will be available for you to research will be the toys or games that children, as well as adults, played or used for entertainment during colonial times.  The third topic that you can research will be the different types or ways of schoolings that were available to colonial children and adults.  After you research your chosen topic, you, along with your group members, will assemble a horn book.  You will then share your group project with the class."
What different types of foods were eaten during colonial times?
What kind of toys/games did the children or adults play with or use for entertainment during colonial times?
What different types or ways of schoolings were available to colonial children and adults?

Estimated time: 5-7 minutes

Step Two:  Teaching the Primary Learning Outcome(s)

(1.)  Teach the content relevant to the primary learning outcome(s)

Part 1: Collaborative Activity

The teacher will divide the students into 3 groups.  The teacher will assign each group a topic of research.  The topics are as follows:
  • Food
  • Toys/Games
  • Schools
The teacher will instruct the students that they should assemble into their groups.  The teacher will suggest that the students pick an organizer for the group.  The organizer will have the responsibility of deciding which facts the group will use.  The teacher will also inform the group that the organizer will be responsible for making sure that each group member contributes at least two facts to the book.  The teacher will then inform the students that they also need to select one group member to type their part of the book.  Each member will be responsible for writing or typing their facts on a sheet of paper but only one group member will type page containing all of the facts.  The teacher will inform the students that each topic will represent one chapter of the book, therefore each group will have to have at least 10 facts on their topic.  The teacher will tell the students that they can use some of the facts that have been discussed in class, but a majority of their facts need to be new.  The teacher will enlighten the students on the fact that the topics are topics that have been discussed very briefly and the purpose of research is being done to inform the students of the proper information on each topic. The teacher will tell the students that they are going to be using the internet to help with their research.  He/she will inform the students that there are numerous websites pertaining to the colonial times, but he/she has chosen several for them to view to assist them in finding the proper information.  The teacher will then model using the internet and finding a fact that would be appropriate for the book.  The teacher will then instruct the students to begin their lesson.  The teacher will have the following websites displayed or written on the board for the students to refer to:
FOOD websites:


Toys/Games websites:

Schooling for children websites:

The teacher will remind the students that, as they work, each member is to contribute two facts.  He/she will also inform the students that they need to turn in their two facts typed or written on a piece of paper to verify their participation.

(2.)  Check for understanding before going on.

The teacher will check for understanding before going on by asking the students questions.  The following questions will be asked:
1.  What are the topics that will be researched?
2.  How many facts are required from each group as a whole?
3.  How many facts are required from each individual student?
4.  Who will be responsible for picking the facts that will be used?
5.  Will everyone type all of the facts and turn it in or will there be a person from each group responsible for that?

(3.)  Provide practice and feedback related to the Primary Learning Outcome(s)

The teacher will give each group a word, idea, or a topic other than the three for the book to practice pulling up on the internet.  The teacher will observe each group going through the process of pulling up a website pertaining to the topic she gave them, gathering a fact about the topic, and documenting a fact about the topic.  When the teacher sees that the group is on the right track of completing the assignment, he/she will allow the group to proceed with their research.  The teacher will tell the students that as they gather their facts, they can proceed with typing them on Microsoft Word, a program that the students will have had previous experiment with.  As the students proceed to complete their assignment, the teacher will remind them that this book will be one that will be available to the entire class.  He/she will also suggest that the students be as creative as possible.  The teacher will suggest that they add clipart to their pages or illustrate the page after it has been printed.  He/she will tell the students that the more
appealing they make their chapter, the more interesting it will be.

Part 2:  Presentations

After the groups have finished their pages for the book, each group will share their pages with the class. The teacher will collect the groups' pages and assiss them.  The pages will then be compiled into a book and put in the class library where it will be available as a reference to the students.  They will be allowed to check it out to read in class or to take home to read. 

Estimated time:  1 - 4 hours (can be divided up into several days of work)

Step Three:  Closure

The teacher will review orally some of the important facts about the research topics.  The teacher will inform the students that through their research, they have discovered the foods, toys and games, and the schooling opportunities that children and adults had available to them during their time.  The teacher will remind the students that that particular time period was a very important time period for our nation and that knowing that particular information about that time would better help them relate to the lifestyles back then.  The teacher will then point of the important fact that time and technology have both changed so much that the students were able to access the internet and retrieve informational material about happenings that were over 200 years ago.

Assessing the Primary Learning Outcome(s) (PLOs)

  1. <>The students will use the internet to research and find facts on a specific topic.  The assessment will occur in Step 2 #1, as well as at the end of the lesson, using a Collaborative Activity Rubric
  2. <>The students will create a horn book containing 10 facts on a specified topic.  The assessment will occur in Step 2 #3.
  3. The students will present their finished project.  The assessment will occur during Part 2- The Presentation.

The facts that each group presents  can be recreated on a prowerpoint presentation and then presented to another class.


Students can partner with other having more advanced skills. Ask the students to record a summary of the information that they have learned in their notebooks.


For students with exceptional needs changes can be made in instruction and teaching delivery to enhance student participation and learning.

Collaborative Activity Rubric (group)

Facts researched and Group Participation




1. Each member of group contributed at least 2 facts about their topic.




2. Each member of the group created at least 2 pages for the horn book..




3. Horn Book was neat and creative.




Presentation Rubric (Individual)

Presentation Participation




1. Student presented at least 2  horn book pages.

2. Student used correct grammar and spoke clearly.

Pre/Post Test Questions:
1. What was a horn book?
        a. A book that contained recipes

b. A book that contained the pieces of paper with the alpahbet, lord's prayer, and symbols.
        c. A book that conatined colorful pictures.
        d. A book that contained different descriptions of horns.

2. Discuss interesting facts that you found out about your topic of choice.

Rubric to Assess Open-Ended Question:

Described 3 or more facts
10 points
Described 2 facts
6 points
Described 1 fact
2 points