Dark+Game+Lesson+Activities

 ** The Diary of a Spy ** 1. Teacher: Discuss with students the key figures discussed in chapter 1, as well as any questions students have. Encourage students to research some of the answers to their questions on their own and report back to the class later on what they find. (10-15 minutes) 2. Teacher: Assign or allow students to choose one of the historical figures from the reading to research further. Suggestions: Abraham Woodhull, Robert Townsend, Lady 355, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Franklin (5 minutes) 3. Teacher: Explain to students that they will create a diary for their chosen figure. The information they put in their diary should come mostly from chapter 1 of //The Dark Game// and at least 2 additional credible sources. They can use their imagination, informed by their research, to fill in the gaps and bring their figures to life. Hand out the assignment sheet and rubric. (5-10 minutes) 4. Librarian: Discuss what kinds of information they think they need to look for, and which kinds of sources they think would best fit their needs. Make a class list of this information using online composition tool ( [|cosketch.com] ). Students can save or print this list for their reference. (15-20 minutes) 5. Wrap up: briefly discuss what the students learned today and what they plan on learning and doing to complete this project. (<5 minutes)
 * Day 1 **

1. Briefly review project, and lists the class made yesterday. (< 5 minutes) 2. Librarian: Show students the [|source evaluation tool] and explain the importance of using only credible sources. If time allows, practice using the tool on a resource of your or your students’ choice. (10-15 minutes) Optional: ask students to print out the tool and fill it out for each source they decide to use. 3. Librarian: Discuss what students should do with information once they have located it online or in print sources. What should they take notes on? How many notes should they take? Ask them to keep notes on the provided handout to help them organize their research. They will turn in the research notes with their diary. (5-10 minutes) 4. Librarian: Explain the importance of telling your audience where you got your information and that they will use [|easybib.com] to create a bibliography page to tell readers where they found their facts. Demonstrate easybib on the projector or Smartboard using a book source and an online source. (10-15 minutes) 5. In the time remaining, allow students to begin researching their historical figure, evaluating resources, and taking notes. 6. Homework: continue researching and taking notes.
 * Day 2 **

1. Using the notes they took, students should create 3 diary entries from the point of view of their historical figure. 2. Remind students they will also need to create their bibliography page and circulate/answer questions as needed. 3. Homework: Prepare the diary, notes, and bibliography to turn in tomorrow. Optional: prepare to briefly share aloud what you learned about your historical figure and colonial society.
 * Day 3 **

Suggestion: Librarian and Teacher should collaborate on the grading of this assignment using agreed-upon rubric(s). Librarian could grade the source notes and bibliography, and Teacher could grade the diary.

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