Applying Standards Based Constructivism:
A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Students
Museum Box Personal Profile

Popular Name: Museum Box Personal Profile
Grade Level: 8th Grade
Discipline:English Language Arts
Standards: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding
Learning Objectives:
Regarding writing thank-you notes, students will:
  • Students will write a personal profile
EXPLORATORY PHASE:
  • Students will use a variety of resources to learn the types of museums that exist.
  • Students will create a museum box, which represent the student; the box contains a specified collection of items
DISCOVERY PHASE:
Performance Task
  • Students will write a personal profile using their museum box as way of focusing and organizing their written expression.

Museum Box Personal Profile
Popular name:  Museum Box Personal Profile
Grade level of lesson: 8th Grade
Discipline: English Language Arts
Standards and Performance Indicators Context
 
ELA Standard 1
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
  • Establish an authoritative stance on the subject and provide references to establish the validity and verification of the information presented.
ELA Standard 4
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
  • Use a variety of print and electronic forms for social communication with peers and adults.
  • Make effective use of language and style to connect the message with the audience and context.  
Core Curriculum Outline Connection
  • Write personal journals.
  • Share the process of writing with peers and adults.
  • Develop a personal voice that enables the reader to get to know the writer.
  • Write personal reactions to experiences, events and observations using a form of social communication. Understand the purpose of writing: for example, explain, describe, narrate, persuade, and express feelings.
  • Identify the intended audience.
  • Use tone and language appropriate for audience and purpose.
  • Use prewriting; for example brainstorming, freewriting, note taking, and outlining.
  • Use the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, and editing.)
  • Write for authentic purpose.
Learning Objectives (which will become the dimensions of the assessment’s rubric.)
Students will demonstrate the ability to write a focused, organized personal profile.
EXPLORATORY PHASE
Estimated time:
  • Setting the stage for the museum boxes: One 40-minute class period
  • Constructing the Museum Boxes: assign on a Friday, have the boxes brought in for a check on Monday: 20 minutes
  • Give students until Wednesday to complete their Museum Box at home.
  • Students are directed to write down one thing they might find in a museum.
  • Students report-out what they have written and the teacher records (and when items are repeated, tallies) what students report-out.   
  • Teacher creates groups of three using the various categories created through using the report-out process as a guide.
  • Teacher has the various groups draw an assignment out of a hat. The assignments all have to do with using a resource to creating a list of the types of museums that exist.
  • The resources may include:
  • Encyclopedia Britannia group
  • Colliers Encyclopedia group
  • World Book Encyclopedia group
  • Internet search group #1
  • Internet search  group #2
  • Internet search  group #3
  • Library search  group #1
  • Library search  group #2
  • The groups post their findings on newsprint.
  • The teacher poses the following question, "Put a check mark next to those museums on your list that might contain a box of objects that were put in the box to tell you something about the person who made the box.”
  • The teacher directs all groups to go around and look at the lists the other groups have developed, note the museums that have been checked, and put a check next to other museums group members think qualify. (carousel technique)
  • Teacher conducts a debrief during which group members are asked to defend their position regarding why a museum box might be found in a particular museum and whose museum box might be found in which museum.
  • Students are given the assignment to individually create their own museum box.
DISCOVERY PHASE
(estimated time: 30 minutes)
  • Profile writing process:  one to two 40-minute class periods
  • Reaction piece writing process: one to two 40-minute class periods.
Performance Task
  • Students will write a personal profile using the creation of a museum box as a way of focusing and organizing their written expression.
  • See Task Specifications for details regarding the task.
  • Students will view their classmates’ museum boxes, read their classmates’ personal profiles, and write a reaction piece on four students’ boxes and profiles based to a rubric developed through facilitation by the teacher. (audience beyond the teacher)
Task Specifications for Developing the Student-Generated Product/Process
Exploration “Task” the Museum Box
  • The museum box is to represent the maker through a graphic/three dimensional representation of her interests.
  • The museum box is to have at least 8 items: pictures, artifacts, objects etc.
  • The museum box is a shoe box displayed on end like a 3D picture
  • The maker may wish to decorate the box itself.
  • Do not include valuable items. (Instead make a photocopy).
 Discovery Task the written Profile
The written profile is to:
  • Be four paragraphs long.
  • Use explanation, description, narration, persuasion, and expression of feelings to inform the reader
    • why the items were chosen
    • what the items represent.
    • what they mean to the maker.
  • Contain an introduction
  • Contain a conclusion

Assessment of Performance Task
Dimensions of a personal profile using a museum box as a way of focusing and organizing written expression
 Criteria for a score of
4
 Criteria for a score of
3
 Criteria for a score of
2
 Criteria for a score of
1

The writing process
 Uses all of the following effectively
---prewriting,
---drafting,
 ---revising,
---proofreading,
--- editing.
 Uses most of the following effectively
---prewriting,
---drafting,
 ---revising,
---proofreading,
--- editing.
 Uses some of the following effectively
---prewriting,
---drafting,
 ---revising,
---proofreading,
--- editing.
 Uses few of the following effectively
---prewriting,
---drafting,
 ---revising,
---proofreading,
--- editing.

Audience Awareness
 ---The manner of expression and language are appropriate for the audience for which the profile was written.

---Adjustments are made based on peer and adult commentary.
 ---The manner of expression and language are mostly appropriate for the audience for which the profile was written.

---Some adjustments are made based on peer and adult commentary.
 ---The manner of expression and language are somewhat appropriate for the audience for which the profile was written.

---A few adjustments are made based on peer and adult commentary.
 ---The manner of expression and language are infrequently appropriate for the audience for which the profile was written.

---No adjustments are made based on peer and adult commentary.

Expression of purpose
 It is clear that one or more of the following purposes for writing are being addressed:
---Explanation -----Description
---Narrative
---Persuasion
---Expression of feelings.
 It is somewhat clear that one or more of the following purposes for writing are being addressed:
---Explanation -----Description
----Narrative
---Persuasion
---Expression of feelings.
 It is not very  clear that one or more of the following purposes for writing are being addressed:
---Explanation -----Description
----Narrative
---Persuasion
---Expression of feelings.
 Makes it unclear that one or more of the following purposes for writing are being addressed:
---Explanation ----Description
----Narrative
---Persuasion
---Expression of feelings.

Personal Voice
 Personal  reactions to
---experiences,
---events,
 ---observations.
are in evidence
Personal  reactions to
---experiences,
---events,
 ---observations.
are somewhat in evidence
 Personal reactions to
---experiences,
---events,
 ---observations.
are occasionally in evidence
 Personal  reactions to
---experiences,
---events,
 ---observations.
are not in evidence

Conventions of English
 The  rules of
---Punctuation
---Grammar
---Spelling
Are always effectively and correctly employed.
The  rules of
---Punctuation
---Grammar
---Spelling
Are usually effectively and correctly employed.
 The  rules of
---Punctuation
---Grammar
---Spelling
Are sometimes  effectively and correctly employed.
 The  rules of
---Punctuation
---Grammar
---Spelling
Are rarely effectively and correctly employed.
Resources to Be Made Available to Students
  • Students are to provide their own items for the museum boxes.
  • Art supplies should be made available as needed.
  • Access to a copying machine should be arranged.
  • Collecting shoeboxes from shoe stores can facilitate the process.
Suggestions for the Teacher
Exemplars
  • The teacher may wish to create his own museum box and personal profile as an exemplar. There are pluses and minuses in doing this. The pluses are that it provides guidance. The minuses are that it may limit or curtail student engagement and problem solving.
  • Photos of this year’s museum boxes and copies of the accompanying profiles should be kept for use next year, either as exemplars or as interventions.  
Additional aspects
  • It is recommended that a peer review procedure be built into the writing process.
  • It is recommended that the teacher facilitate the development of a peer reaction piece (outline or rubric form) by the students.
  • The lesson could be expanded through oral presentations.
This lesson incorporates ideas found in a learning experience titled “Making a Museum Box”, created  by Elly Schleifer which was peer reviewed by the  New York State Academy of Teaching and Learning.