Navigating the Information Tsunami: Engaging Research Projects That Meet the Common Core State Standards, K-5
This resource-rich text includes detailed lesson plans written by experienced educators on how to incorporate Common Core State Standards–aligned instruction into research projects for students in grades K–5. The projects cover a range of social-studies and science topics—from shapes students can find in their environment at the kindergarten level to the impact of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl on American lives.   For each project described, key standards are listed and well-formatted lessons are detailed. Opportunities for activating students’ background knowledge; for engaging students in reading, writing, and collaborating; and for using a wide variety of texts are consistently present in each lesson. Accessing web resources, like tween-friendly news stories, and using such Web 2.0 tools as podcasts and digital posters are key components of the projects as well. There are several suggestions for partnering with the school’s media specialist to collect resources. This text could easily serve as a launching pad for professional learning communities seeking not only to align instruction with the Common Core State Standards but also to enrich the researching and learning experiences of students. --Sunday Cummins