Integrating Social Studies and Technology
For my Social Studies Methods Course, I wrote a series of lesson plans that are designed to be used in a 4th grade unit on Native American tribes in Oregon.
According to the Technology Integration Matrix, the lessons correspond to a number of characteristics and levels which work to create a meaningful learning environment in the 4th grade Social Studies classroom. The lessons described below explain which approach to technological integration they take. Please click on the lesson plan for additional information and links to each resource used in the lesson.
The first lesson, Living Cultures-The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon, introduces students to Native American Tribes that exist in Oregon today. The lesson takes a Constructive Entry approach to learning because it teaches information through technological sources such as a documentary and google maps.
In the second lesson, called Native American Research, students conduct online research of Oregon Native American tribes and record their findings in google docs or using a graphic organizer handout. Students are encouraged to work together. In this way, the lesson takes a Constructive Adaptation approach because students “choose and manipulate technology tools to assist them in molding their understanding” of Oregon Native American tribes (http://www.azk12.org/tim/). If students choose to work together on their research, the approach shifts to Collaborative Adaptation.
The third lesson helps students Define Culture and build background knowledge for further study of Native American culture. Information on culture is introduced through images and video. Students further explore culture by defining their own personal culture. They create a word web in their vocabulary notebooks and define culture through the sentence frame “My personal culture consists of________.” 
Then students use Google Slides to create a visual representation of their personal culture. I have created a Teacher Model
to illustrate this project. After students finish their visual representations, they use magazine clippings to create another model of personal culture that can be displayed in the classroom. These slides and collages will be used later in language arts class. Students will use the images they chose for their slides to write about their personal culture through descriptive narratives and poetry. Students also use their understanding of culture in future lessons in which they write letters to current Oregon tribes. In the letters, students ask questions about the tribes’ cultures based on topics that interest them, such as food, clothing, sports or art. These lessons all take a Constructive Infusion approach because “students make connections with technology tools to construct deeper understanding across disciplines” (http://www.azk12.org/tim/).