Dr. Kimberly Rombach's Courses
 State University of New York College at Cortland
Childhood/Early Childhood
Spring 2006
 

EDU 647: Social Education in the Digital Age
Assignment: Internet Resource Guide
Assignment description and corresponding grading rubric:
Social Studies Internet Resource Guide

The Internet can be a useful tool for educators as they research and learn new skills and content for teaching their students. One of the problems that educators may face when attempting to use the Internet as a research tool may be that they find searching for content specific websites difficult because there are now literally millions published on the World Wide Web.

The goal of the Social Studies Internet Resource Guide assignment is to give you an opportunity to compile comprehensive, reliable Internet sources that can be used as resources for teachers or students. 

Assignment description: You are asked to choose one of the ten thematic strands for social studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands) and compile a resource guide that contains at least 10 Internet sources that pertain to your chosen strand. You will need to determine whether you want to create a resource guide that references sites created for teachers or students. The Internet Resource Guide will be completed as a Word document to be handed in as well as published on the Internet so other educators can access your information. This assignment is worth 15 points of your overall course grade.

Each of the 10 entries to your Social Studies Internet Guide should include the following information:

1. Web site title

2. Web site address

3. Content Annotation
     a. What content is on the site?
     b. What format is the content (interactive/non-interactive)?
     c. How is the site's navigation?
     d. How often is the information updated?
     e. Who owns the site?
     f. Are there useful links (check them)?

4. Classroom Use
     a. How can the site be used in the classroom?
     b. What particular part(s) (pages) of the site would be most useful?
     c. Who is the targeted audience (teachers, students)?

5. Teacher Notes
     a. What helpful hints could you give future teachers who visit this site?
     b. What do teachers need to know before visiting this site?

6. Student Notes
     a. What do students need to know before visiting this site?
     b. What grade level and age would most likely benefit from the content of the site?

7. Current research supporting the site
     a. Where did/does the site's owner(s) get the information published on the Internet?


When compiling and writing your Social Studies Internet Resource Guide, please use the following outline:

1. Introduction Paragraph
     a. Explain the purpose of your guide and provide details regarding your guide's content.
     b. Identify and describe the social studies strand that you have chosen to focus on for this
         project.
     c. Identify whether your reviewed sources were targeted for teachers or for students.

2. Body of Internet Guide
     a. Follow the above outline to identify all information to comprehensively describe all sites
         in your guide.

3. Closing Paragraph
     a. Explain what you have learned from completing this assignment.
     b. Describe specific ideas that you have for integrating social studies Internet resources
         into your future teaching.

Social Studies Internet Resource Guide Grading Rubric

 

Target

Acceptable

Unacceptable

Content

The introduction paragraph explained the purpose of your guide, identified and described your chosen strand, and identified the targeted audience of the reviewed web sites.
(3 points)

The introduction paragraph explained the purpose of your guide, identified your chosen strand, and identified the targeted audience of the reviewed web sites.
(2-1 points)

The introduction paragraph identified your chosen strand and identified the targeted audience of the reviewed web sites.
(0 points)

The content annotation for ALL listed Internet sites: explained the information found on all reviewed sites, described the format of the content, commented on the site's navigation, identified how often all sites were updated, identified the owner(s) of the sites and identified whether any provided links were useful.
(2 points)

The content annotation for MOST (9-8) listed Internet sites: explained the information found on all reviewed sites, described the format of the content, commented on the site's navigation, identified how often all sites were updated, identified the owner(s) of the sites and identified whether any provided links were useful.
(1 point)

The content annotation for SOME (<8) listed Internet sites: explained the information found on all reviewed sites, described the format of the content, commented on the site's navigation, identified how often all sites were updated, identified the owner(s) of the sites and identified whether any provided links were useful.
(0 points)

ALL listed Internet sites provided the following information about classroom use including: how the site can be used in the classroom, the particular pages that are most useful, targeted audience.
(2 points)

MOST (9-8) listed Internet sites provided the following information about classroom use including: how the site can be used in the classroom, the particular pages that are most useful, targeted audience.  (1 point)

SOME  (<8) listed Internet sites provided the following information about classroom use including: how the site can be used in the classroom, the particular pages that are most useful, targeted audience.
(0 point)

 ALL listed Internet sites provided the following information as Teacher Notes including: helpful hints for future teachers visiting the sites and any prior knowledge teachers need to know before visiting the sites.
(2 points)

Most (9-8) listed Internet sites provided the following information as Teacher Notes including: helpful hints for future teachers visiting the sites and any prior knowledge teachers need to know before visiting the sites.  
(1 point)

SOME (<8) listed Internet sites provided the following information as Teacher Notes including: helpful hints for future teachers visiting the sites and any prior knowledge teachers need to know before visiting the sites.
(0 point)

ALL listed Internet sites provided the following information as Student Notes including: any prior knowledge students need to know before visiting the sites and an appropriate grade level(s) and age(s) for student use.
(2 points)

Most (9-8) listed Internet sites provided the following information as Student Notes including: any prior knowledge students need to know before visiting the sites and an appropriate grade level(s) and age(s) for student use.   
(1 point)

SOME (<8) listed Internet sites provided the following information as Student Notes including: any prior knowledge students need to know before visiting the sites and an appropriate grade level(s) and age(s) for student use.
(0 point)

ALL listed Internet sites provided information stating where the sites' owners got the information that was published on the sites.
(2 points)

MOST (9-8) listed Internet sites provided information stating where the sites' owners got the information that was published on the sites.
(1 point)

SOME (<8) listed Internet sites provided information stating where the sites' owners got the information that was published on the sites.
(0 points)

Organization

The resource guide was well organized using the provided outline. Subtitles identified each of the three sections of the resource guide. 
(1 point)

 The resource guide was organized using the provided outline. 
(.5 point)

The resource guide was not well organized. Parts of the required sections of the guide were missing.
(0 point)

Mechanics

There were no grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation errors throughout the text.
(1 point)

There was an occasional grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation error that did not distract the reader.
(.5 point)

There were many grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation errors that distracted the reader from the content of the writing.
(0 point)