1-Pager
Back to Plan
Deliverable

🧺 Source Evaluation Report

Content Expertise Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Effective Communication Self Directed Learning Collaboration ESS.2.C K-ESS3-3 ESS.3.C ESS.3.A LS.2.C Big Ideas Performance Tasks Real-World Challenge Learning Partners and Clients Submission Required

Using photos, a short farmer video clip, a 4-H Extension visitor comment, and nonfiction picture cards, students sort sources into 'helps us learn' and 'not for this question' with heavy adult support. Each small group selects at least 3 useful sources, including at least 1 primary source and 1 secondary source, and explains orally why each source is useful for learning about erosion on farmland. Adults document rejected sources and student reasons with picture labels and dictated sentences.

Plan day
Day 3
Duration
45 min
Grouping
Small Group
Steps
7 steps

Lesson plan

7 steps · 45 min
# What teachers do
1 [Gather on the rug and look at the big question card: “Which sources help us learn about erosion on farmland?” The facilitator points to picture icons for photo, video, farmer, and book card, then models thumbs up for “helps us learn” and arms crossed for “not for this question.” (6 min)
2 [Watch the short farmer video clip and listen to the 4-H Extension visitor comment. After each source, you turn and tell a partner one thing you noticed about soil, water, plants, or farmland, using the sentence frame “This helps because I saw/heard ____.” (7 min)
3 [Stand up for a quick movement break: pretend to be raindrops falling, water moving downhill, and plant roots holding soil in place. Sit back down when the facilitator holds up the root picture card. (3 min)
4 [In small groups, sort photo cards, nonfiction picture cards, the farmer video image card, and the 4-H comment card into two baskets or mats: “helps us learn” and “not for this question.” You touch, point, and say why each source fits, while an adult writes your words or adds picture labels. (12 min)
5 [From the “helps us learn” pile, work with your group to choose 3 useful sources to keep. Make sure you keep at least 1 primary source and 1 secondary source, and place them on your group report mat with simple reason cards such as “shows real farm,” “teaches about soil,” or “shows water moving dirt.” (8 min)
6 [Share your group report with the class. One by one, point to each chosen source and say, “We chose this because ____,” while the facilitator helps name whether it is a primary source or a secondary source and records rejected sources with student reasons. (7 min)
7 [Close with a quick check: hold up 1, 2, or 3 fingers to show how many sources your group chose, then point to the source that will help most with tomorrow’s land model work. The facilitator previews that these sources will help the class test which ground covers slow erosion best. (2 min)
Preparation (10 items)
  • Select and prepare a small set of concrete source materials: farmland erosion photos, a short farmer video clip, one recorded or written 4-H Extension visitor comment with picture support, nonfiction picture cards about soil, water, plants, and a few clearly unrelated decoy sources.
  • Create two large sorting mats or baskets for each group labeled with words and visuals: “helps us learn” and “not for this question.”
  • Prepare a large class question card with picture cues: soil, water, farm field, and plants, plus the question “Which sources help us learn about erosion on farmland?”
  • Make primary and secondary source visuals using child-friendly icons, such as “real person/real farm” for primary and “book/photo card that teaches” for secondary.
  • Create simple reason cards with visuals and short phrases such as “shows real farm,” “shows water moving soil,” “teaches about plants,” “about something else,” and “does not help this question.”
  • Set up group report mats with three spaces for chosen sources and a spot to mark one primary source and one secondary source.
  • Prepare adult documentation sheets for each group to record rejected sources, student quotes, dictated sentences, and any gestures students use to explain their thinking.
  • Test the video and audio before class, and print a still image from the farmer video so students can revisit that source during sorting.
  • Plan small groups with strong peer support and assign an adult or helper to groups that need extra language, attention, or decision-making support.
  • Post an anchor chart with sentence frames and gestures: “This helps because ____,” “This does not help because ____,” “I saw ____,” and “I heard ____.”
Student-facing instructions
You will look at different sources to decide which ones help answer our class question about erosion on farmland. You will use photo cards, nonfiction picture cards, a farmer video, and a 4-H comment card. First, you will watch and listen closely. Next, your group will sort each source into “helps us learn” or “not for this question.” Then you will pick 3 useful sources to keep. Your group must keep at least 1 primary source and 1 secondary source. You will point to each source and tell why it is useful using words like soil, water, plants, and farm. Your goal is to build a small source report that helps your class get ready to test land models and learn which surfaces slow erosion best.