Title: Michigan-Made Products

Submitted by:

Name: Kathryn A. Cothran

School Building: Gibbing Educational Center

School District: Utica Community Schools

School Address: 11303 Greendale / Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312

E-mail Address: kc9mucs@moa.net

Subject Area: Social Studies

Intended Grade Level(s): 4-5

Description:

Children learn about different Michigan-Made Products.

With a partner, chosen by the teacher, the students will create a HyperStudio presentation that details 6 products that are made in Michigan.

Each student will research 3 different products that are made in Michigan. The student will need to understand the product and know where in Michigan this product is made, manufactured, gathered or found.

Narrative:

This lesson can bring the industries of Michigan to life within a classroom. The class begins to realize that some of the products that they use every day in their homes are actually made in Michigan. This project allows students the opportunities to look beyond our school walls into the world around them. By working in pairs and encouraging creativity this is giving the students freedom to make choices about what type of products they are interested in investigating. The information shared during the presentations will show if the students have internalized the information that has been gathered. Because this lesson encourages presenting to other classes or small groups of children in the building, this creates an authentic audience for the student sharing thereby giving purpose to the project and the learning.

Curriculum Benchmarks:

 

MI.SOC.IV.2.LE.3 Examine the historical and contemporary role a major industry has played in the state of Michigan and the United States.

 

MI.SOC.IV.2.LE.1 Distinguish between natural resources, human capital, and capital equipment in the production of a good or service.

Total amount of time for lesson:

This lesson can be completed by spending one hour a day for 10 days on the activities. Computer time is crucial in the creation of the HyperStudio stack.

Materials/Hardware/Software:

Charting products made in the United States (or World) on a bulletin board will need a large United States map, push pins, and string.

Information can be gathered from various locations such as the Michigan book (McGraw-Hill Publishing Company), magazines, library books, grocery stores, etc.

The Internet will be extremely helpful in gathering information about products.

The final presentation is created in HyperStudio (Roger Wagner Publishing Inc. ) or some other multimedia tool.

Digital camera (optional)

Preparation Teacher:

Before starting this project the teacher needs to put a large map of the United States (or world) on a bulletin board. The teacher might want to gather a couple items to place on the map as the introduction to the project--such as attaching a (small) part of the Coke case with the logo to the bulletin board with a piece of string pinpointing Atlanta, Georgia and a Kelloggs Cereal box to Battle Creek, Michigan.

Prerequisite Student Skills:

Technologically, to complete this project students need to have some HyperStudio skills. This makes the project much more timely. Academically, students need to have some skills for locating information since the students will not all be gathering the same information.

Student Activities/Procedures:

To begin this unit about Michigan Products the teacher introduces the desire to find out where products are made. The teacher gives the examples of products she has found and puts them on the map. Each item to be hung on the map needs the discussion of the natural resources, human capital, and capital equipment needed in the production of each good or service. This could either be the introduction to these terms or a continuation lesson of these terms. Each student is then required to bring in three items to add to the map. Each student must also fill out a card for it (there can be found in the attachment) and present it to the class.

Next, present the class with the rubric for the Michigan-Made Product HyperStudio Stack. Working in pairs, the students are to create a stack that starts with a map of Michigan that they have drawn using the tools in HyperStudio. Each child is to find three products from Michigan to investigate further. Each product is made into an individual card that explains: What the product is...Where it is found...How it is made and of what it is made...Interesting facts about this product...Picture of the product (either from the Internet or a digital picture of the product)....

These cards are then linked to the title card by invisible buttons that are activated by clicking on the city or area of production. For instance, on my title card map I might have a star on Battle Creek. When I click on that star it takes me to a card about Kellogg’s Cereal. Another star might be located on Detroit. By clicking there I go to a page about Ford Motor Company. The final page of the stack is about the authors and a bibliography.

After the stack is finished, the students share with other classes around the building and with each other (especially good during Michigan Week). Formal presentations should be given by the students to their individual class. These can be video taped and sent home to share with the parents.

Assessment/Evaluation:

A rubric is provided as an attachment.

Follow-up Activities:

A fun follow-up activity is to have a Michigan Breakfast (or Lunch) where all the food that is served is from Michigan. Each child brings in an item to share.