Social+Studies

=SOCIAL STUDIES=

Technology

 * 30 Student Computer Lab
 * Internet Access
 * Scrapblog (free)

= = =Curriculum Standards =
 * **Standard: Geography**
 * **Benchmark:**
 * **A. Identify on a map the location of major physical and human features of each continent. **
 * **B. Define and identify regions using human and physical characteristics.**

[Image Source: http://replicatorinc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/scrapblog_logo_lowres.jpg]

Description

 * The focal piece of technology in this lesson is the use of Scrapblog. Scrapblog is an outstanding tool for creating and sharing online collages, slideshows (stories), postcards, greeting cards etc. This site stands out from others of its kind because of its ability to allow creators and users of Scrapblog to interact with one another and experience the visual expression of others.
 * In this particular lesson students will be learning the “//5 Themes of Geography//.” Students will first select a nation that they are familiar with and/or would be interesting in further researching. After further research students should zoom in on a particular geographical area within the nation which will be highlighted in this project. Students will then create a Scrapblog account and their own Scrapblog collage (using as few words as possible) to describe their geographical location. Students will be required to know enough about their location to make sure that they have pulled together enough information within their photos to explain all “5 Themes of Geography.”
 * The next step will be for students to publish and share their collage with their peers. Each student in the class will be responsible for reviewing classmate Scrapblogs in order to review geographical locations as well as learn the “5 Themes of Geography.” To make sure this learning takes place each student will be responsible for reviewing 5 other Scrapblogs and commenting with a statement that applies to both the Scrapblog and one of the "5 Themes." In order to make these applications further research may need to be done.
 * For example, I created a Scrapblog with pictures that I have recently taken in Colorado combined with clipart from Google Images. At the time had taken the pictures in Colorado I had also learned a lot about the geography of Pike’s Peak, as I took a railcar to the top of the mountain with a tour guide. Because I had previously known that “America the Beautiful” was written while looking at that view, I was able to incorporate some of those hints within my Scrapblog.
 *  //Example Scrapblog//: []


 * || = 5 Themes Overview = ||
 * **1. Location** || * __Absolute Location__: an exact spot on the earth (latitude, and longitude)
 * __Relative Location__: one place in relationship to another (White Hall is near Chipotle) ||
 * **2. Place** || * __Physical__: climate, landforms, bodies of water, plant animal life (earth’s landforms)
 * __Cultural__: cities and towns, governments, religion, education, language, and traditions (human characteristics) ||
 * **3. Region** || * Group of places that have physical/cultural features in common. They allow us to make spatial generalizations. ||
 * **4. Movement** || * People, goods and ideas move from one place to another (immigration and/or diffusion) ||
 * **5. Human Environment Interaction** || * __Adaptation__: jobs, building homes, clothing, and sports
 * __Interaction__: people depend on, adapt to, and modify the world around them.
 * This theme is about how people and their environment interact, how geography influences the lives of people, and how people alter their geography to meet their needs. ||


 * There is no specific research on Scapblog but it shares similarities with other technologies. Blogs allow for the interactions among their users which can be a valuable tool for learning. Students also tend to be more likely to share ideas through a blog which is key in creating an environment where students can learn from the back and forth dialogue created between them.
 * In this activity students are using blogs to interact with student created digital media in order to learn content.
 * In Ferdig and Tammmel's (2004) article "Content Delivery in the "Blogosphere" they discuss the importance of Vygotsky's theory of learning through discourse. Ferdig and Trammel (2004) note, "Blogs are useful teachning and learning tools because they provide space for students to reflect and publish their thoughts and understandings. And because blogs can be commented on, they provide opportunities for feedback and potential scaffolding of new ideas."

= = =Tried & True or New & Innovative? = = = Scrapblog is definitely a new and innovative piece of technology. It has brought together the ability to gather and share images with the ability to blog about those images with a large audience. This combination of technology can be very powerful for learning as students are able and in this case required to interact with the work of their peers.

**References**
==Scrapblog Inc. (2009). Scrapblog: create a world for your pictures. Retrieved on March 8, 2009, <span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Segoe UI','Lucida Grande',Arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 31px;">from []. == <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 105%; line-height: 31px;">Ferdig, R. (2004). Content delivery in the "blogosphere".//The Journal Online (Technological Horizons in Education)//,//31.//