Mission POSSIBLE

Mme. Zavalauaskas

INTRODUCTION:

Memorization is a key element in the study of a foreign language in the United States, yet, for many students, it is not a skill they have. The mission for our French class is to analyze this problem of memorization and to develop new policies in our class.

The level 2 French students in this district are charged with gathering evidence and researching this phenomenon, and to report back strategies that assist in memorization.

Your mission is to find strategies that assist a learner increase his/ her skills in a foreign language / LOTE class.

You will use the following process to accomplish this investigation.

TASK:

Your TASK is to create a pod cast or narrated power point presentation that will share your findings. You must meet the following criteria:

PROCESS/RESOURCES:

The 6 Steps of the Public Policy Analyst

1. Define the Problem worksheet1

2. Gather the Evidence worksheet 2

3. Identify the Causes worksheet 3

4. Evaluate an Existing Policy worksheet 4

5. Develop Solutions worksheet 5

6. Select the Best Solution worksheet 6

Create a slide for each step of your process, including a cover slide with the problem and your group members. Each slide will have a visual component.

When you share the Best Solution piece, have the five strategies listed that your group rated on the feasibility and effectiveness chart. As a group, come up with the best three. Create a slide for each strategy with examples.

Use the links I have given you. If you go out beyond those provided, you must supply the actual web links on your resource page at the end of your presentation.

Use the following links for your research:

1. Strategies and learning to learn- take an online survey of how you learn:

http://www.studygs.net/memory/

2. Scientific support for memorization:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060809082610.htm

3. Academic tips for learning:

http://www.academictips.org/index.html

4. How to memorize a foreign language:

http://www.ehow.com/how_9273_memorize-foreign-language.html

EVALUATION

Evaluating Student Presentations
	1	2	3	4	Total
Organization	Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Subject Knowledge	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate.	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.
Graphics	Student uses superfluous graphics or no graphics	Student occasionally uses graphics that rarely support text and presentation.	Student's graphics relate to text and presentation.	Student's graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
Mechanics	Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact	Student reads all of report with no eye contact.	Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report.	Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes.	Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.
Elocution	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.	Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation.	Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.
				Total Points:

Karen Franker Developed by Information Technology Evaluation Services

Exemplary	Proficient	Partially Proficient	Incomplete	POINTS
Research Questions	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
	Wrote thoughtful, creative, well-worded specific questions that were relevant to the assigned topic.	Wrote well-worded, specific questions that were relevant to the assigned topic.	Wrote questions which lacked focus, were poorly stated, and were not entirely relevant to the assigned topic.	Wrote questions which lacked a specific focus, were poorly stated, and not relevant to the assigned topic.
Selection of Sources	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
	Identified highly appropriate sources in a variety of formats (books, journals, electronic sources).	Identified mostly appropriate sources in a variety of formats (books, journals, electronic sources).	Identified a few appropriate sources but made little attempt to balance format types.	Identified no appropriate sources in any format.
Note-taking & Keywords	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
	Extracted relevant information.	Extracted mostly relevant information.	Extracted a lot of information which wasn’t relevant.	Extracted irrelevant information.
	Brainstormed keywords, categories, related terms that were effective in researching the questions.	Selected mostly effective keywords to use in researching the questions.	Selected some keywords that were not effective in researching the questions.	Selected no effective keywords to use in researching the questions.
	Wrote notes including succinct key facts which directly answered all of the research questions and were written in the student's own words.	Wrote notes which included facts that answered most of the research questions and were written in the student’s own words.	Wrote notes which included irrelevant facts which did not answer the research questions. Some notes were copied directly from the original source.	Wrote notes which included a majority of facts which did not answer the research questions. Most or all notes were copied word-for-word from the original source.
Organization and Synthesis	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
	Presented content clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and effective supporting evidence.	Presented most of the content with a logical progression of ideas and supporting evidence.	Presented content which failed to maintain a consistent focus, showed minimal organization and effort, and lacked an adequate amount of supporting evidence.	Presented content which was unfocused, poorly organized, showed little thought or effort and lacked supporting evidence.
	Selected an appropriate and effective format to creatively communicate research findings.	Selected an appropriate format to structure and communicate research findings.	Needed to select a more effective format to structure and communicate research findings.	Failed to select an appropriate format to communicate research findings.
Citations/ Documentation	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
	Cited all sources of information accurately to demonstrate the credibility and authority of the information presented.	Cited most sources of information in proper format and documented sources to enable accuracy checking.	Cited most sources of information improperly and provided little or no supporting documentation to check accuracy.	Created citations which were incomplete or inaccurate, and provided no way to check the validity of the information gathered.
	Used information ethically all of the time.	Used information ethically most of the time.	Failed to use information ethically some of the time.	Failed to use information ethically.
TOTAL POINTS

Kathy Shrock

CONCLUSION:

After completion of the web-quest, students will have at least three new approaches to memorization to be incorporated into their study habits.

STANDARDS

Standard 1 of LOTE: Communication Skills

Students will be able to use a language other than English for communication.

Standard 1 of ELA : Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Mathematics, Science, and Technology Standards

Standard 1:    Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2:   Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 5:   Technology

Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.