VEGETOPIA!

media type="custom" key="8978926" **We're CRAZY over Vegetables at Brader Elementary School! ** **Enjoy this terrific song "Crazy Over Vegetables!" ** **﻿ **

**VEGETOPIA - a research skills project for 4th and 5th grade students: ** **Definition of //UTOPIA// ** **uto·pia ** //noun // \yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ə\ 1 **: ** an imaginary and indefinitely remote place 2 //often capitalized // **:** a place of ideal [|perfection] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> especially in laws, government, and social conditions <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3 **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> an impractical scheme for social improvement <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|See] <span style="color: #2965c7; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|utopia] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[| defined for English-language learners] <span style="color: #2965c7; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|»]

**<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 7.5pt;">1 ****<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16.5pt;">veg·e·ta·ble ** **//<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">adj //**<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"> \ <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">ˈ <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">vej-tə-bəl, <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">ˈ <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">ve-jə-\ **<span style="background: white; color: #555555; display: none; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Definition of VEGETABLE ** **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">1 ** **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">a **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;"> **:** of, relating to, constituting, or growing like plants **b** **:** consisting of plants **:** <span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant: small-caps; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[|vegetational] **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">2 ** **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">: **<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;"> made from, obtained from, or containing plants or plant products <//vegetable// soup> <//vegetable// fat>

<span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">VEGETOPIA <span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Noun <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">\ <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt;">ˈ <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">vej-a- <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> tō-pē-ə\ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">1: an imaginary and indefinitely remote place of, relating to, constituting, or growing like vegetable plants or consisting of vegetable plants or made from, obtained from, or containing parts of vegetable plants or plant products

** Unit Standards ** **A division of the American Library Association** || **Common Core Standards** || Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. ||
 * **American Association of School Libraries**
 * 1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge || cc.6.w.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
 * 2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understanding, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge. || CC.6.R.I.7 Integration of Knowledge and ideas: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue. ||
 * 3.1.1. Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflection on the learning. || **Common Core State writing Standards:** ||
 * || 3W7: conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. ||
 * || 4W2/5W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic, and convey ideas and information clearly ||

Making decisions and solving problems is something we do nearly every day. The Big 6 is an excellent process to solve problems and use as a resource for research.

Explore the Information Skills Process with: <span style="background-color: #006400; color: #00ff00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;"> [|] [|www.Big6.com] **1. Task Definition** 1.1 Define the information problem 1.2 Identify information needed 2.1 Determine all possible sources 2.2 Select the best sources 3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically) 3.2 Find information within sources 4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch) 4.2 Extract relevant information 5.1 Organize from multiple sources 5.2 Present the information 6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness) 6.2 Judge the process (efficiency) People go through these Big6 stages—consciously or not—when they seek or apply information to solve a problem or make a decision. It’s not necessary to complete these stages in a linear order, and a given stage doesn’t have to take a lot of time. We have found that almost all successful problem-solving situations address all stages.
 * 2. Information Seeking Strategies**
 * 3. Location and Access**
 * 4. Use of Information**
 * 5. Synthesis**
 * 6. Evaluation**

Watch this powerpoint to understand the Big 6 process: media type="custom" key="9132126"

Use your skills in our Library Media lesson to plan a party! With a partner, brainstorm two different things you need to do in planning a party. Your Library Media Specialist may break up the class into focusing on one of the steps in the Big 6 process. Write it neatly on a post-it note and place on the Big 6 posters in the Library Media center. Wait quiety with your partner and read the vegetable related books on the Library tables until everyone in class had completed the task. Be ready to be respectful and listen to your classmates' ideas on the steps to plan a party.

Students will research vegetables in collaboration with Brader Elementary School’s Vegetable Garden Program to learn and create a product such as:

o Comic strip: []

o Informational poster o song o rap o poem o story (use __Cloudy with a chance of meatballs__ and __Weslandia__ for inspiration) o Mobile While learning information and research skills focusing on: the dictionary (print and online); encyclopedia (print and online); research databases courtesy of UDLib Search and appropriate websites.

What is a Dictionary and how can I use it? <span style="color: #6000ff; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 180%; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">View the Power Point below: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">

Thanks to: []

Check out Merriam Webster's fantastic online dictionary at: [|www.m-w.com] More dictionaries available at: [|www.refdesk.com]

**//__ Vegetopia Project Checklist __//** Name: Room: o Informational poster o song o rap o poem o story (use __Cloudy with a chance of meatballs__ and __Weslandia__ for inspiration) o Mobile ||   || (where did I find my information) ||  ||   || == After our dictionary mini lesson, students will choose a vegetable they would like to research as well as an end product. Each student will write the definition of the vegetable they chose from the dictionary including: ==
 * 1 point for each component: || Check and initial – || Mrs. Brubaker’s initials ||
 * Name and Room # on Project ||  ||   ||
 * Project choice (circle one): || o  Comic strip http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/comic-creator-30021.html
 * Completed Notes ||  ||   ||
 * Vegetable definition ||  ||   ||
 * Veggie fact 1 ||  ||   ||
 * Veggie fact 2 ||  ||   ||
 * Veggie fact 3 ||  ||   ||
 * Veggie fact 4 ||  ||   ||
 * Veggie fact 5 ||  ||   ||
 * Bibliography
 * Neat ||  ||   ||
 * Name of Vegetable
 * Pronunciation (in parenthesis)
 * Part of speech
 * Definition

== Check out THE BIG 6! [|www.big6.com] We'll be using the Big 6 strategies in our research. To quote Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowicz: "You can do BIG things with Big6 Skills! Big6 is a six-stage process to help anyone solve problems or make decisions by using information." [www.big6.com] == Using the Big 6:
 * 1) Task Definition
 * 2) Information Seeking Strategies
 * 3) Location and Access
 * 4) Use of Information
 * 5) Synthesis
 * 6) Evaluation

Our Big6 lesson will focus on presenting the Big6 strategies and using them to plan a party.

= Finding your information: = = =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Students will use the print encyclopedia and ﻿databases from UDLibSearch to locate facts about their research topic. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">UDLibSearch Home Access: <span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS,Comic Sans,cursive,sans-serif;">UDLib Search provides Online magazines, journals, and encyclopedias for Delaware K-12 public schools

If your child could use help finding resources for school research, let UDLib/SEARCH provide him/her with images, articles, and information from encyclopedias without your ever leaving home. The UDLib/SEARCH program provides research databases via the Internet to all Delaware K-12 public and charter school students. These databases can be accessed at school library computers or any school computer with Internet access. specific topics. Students just learning to read can also benefit. Educational images are featured in every database, and there is a PreK – 2 <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">To access these resources at home, complete the following steps:
 * <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">UDLib/SEARCH databases can also be used at home. The program includes access to //<span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">Britannica Online, //<span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">World Book Online, and a number of databases that allow students to find magazine and newspaper articles on nd grade database to explore. **

**<span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">Username: udlibsearch **

 * <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">Password: homeaccess **

<span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">udlibsearch. There will not be a second box to enter the password "homeaccess."
 * <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">If you come to a page with the wording, "Please enter your library ID, barcode, or other ID," **
 * <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">enter the word **
 * <span style="font-family: Century Gothic,Century Gothic;">UDLib/SEARCH is a state-funded collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware Library. For more information about UDLib/SEARCH, go to []. **

Check your Veggie IQ!: []

Veggie Facts: [] <span style="color: #006400; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 150%; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> Clip art and animated gifs courtesy of: []