Understandingthe Life of Jesus,

an Incarnation Catholic SchoolBig6 Research Project

By Rhonda CarrierInteractive Connections Conference 2013

Orlando, Florida

In keeping with our tradition,

we at Incarnation Catholic School

Inspire life-long learning;

Challenge each individual to be a disciple of Christ; and

Strive to live our Catholic faith through service to each other and the community.

Understanding by Design

Know your destination.

What knowledge and skills do students have?

What knowledge and skills will they have by the end of the unit?

How will you assess their success?

How will you plan lessons to help students get to a deeper

understanding?

Desired Knowledge and SkillsSt. Petersburg Diocese Religion Standards

R:A.1.48. Guide students in the skill of locating Biblical passages.

R:A.1.49. Interpret the meaning and message of the Scriptural revelations of Old and New Testament passages.

R:A.1.50. Discuss reading the Gospels, the epistles and the Acts of the Apostles as vehicles for better understanding the life and teachings of Jesus and the beginnings of the Church.

Source: http://home.catholicweb.com/dosp_ocsc/index.cfm/products

Desired Knowledge and SkillsCommon Core Gr. 7 Reading Standards

#1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

#2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an object summary of the text.

#8. Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Source: http://www.corestandards.org/

Desired Knowledge and SkillsCommon Core Gr. 7 Writing Standards

#7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

#8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

#9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Source: http://www.corestandards.org/

Enduring UnderstandingsReligion: As a result of this unit, the learner will

understand that reading about and studying the life of Jesus provides a deeper understanding of the Ministry of Jesus, and helps to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”

ICT: As a result of this unit, the learner will understand that information research strategies help to find valid, reliable, relevant, and appropriate information sources.

Essential Questions

Religion: Which online resources provide valid, relevant information about the life and time of Jesus?

ICT: How do research strategies help to guide the information-seeking process to find valid, reliable and relevant information?

Catholic Values InfusionBible reading is for Catholics.Get the whole story! When selecting a Bible,

look for a Catholic edition.Know what the Bible is – and what it isn’t.

(The Bible is the story of God’s relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.)

Source: Understanding the Bible by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Planning Strategies

Big6 Research Skills1. Task Definition

2. Information Seeking Strategies

3. Location and Access

4. Use of Information

5. Synthesis

6. EvaluationSource: http://big6.com/pages/about/big6-skills-overview.php

Step 1: Task Definition

Guiding Questions

What is my current task?

What are some topics or questions I need to answer?

What information will I need?

View Big6 for Step 1 organization tips

Step 1: Task DefinitionEach student created a set of wiki pages on the

ICS Techology Research wiki for

notes from 5 valid sources of information, one of which is the Bible.

outline,

bibliography with annotations,

3-paragraph essay with citations

Each student selected a question to research from the following list of questions.

Step 1: Task DefinitionResearch Questions

What did Jesus wear? What was it made of? Where did the fabric come from? How was it produced? What evidence do we have?

What did Jesus look like? What evidence do we have?

What roads did he possibly walk on? Who made the roads? How they were made. What kind of traffic was there? What evidence do we have?

What did Jesus eat? Where was the food grown? How was it distributed? What evidence do we have?

Step 1: Task DefinitionResearch Questions

What were homes like in the time of Jesus? Where did they get water? How did they carry and store water? How and where were those containers made? What evidence do we have?

When Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to Egypt, what route might they have taken? Describe cities they might have visited on the way to Egypt. Who lived in those cities? What evidence do we have?

Step 1: Task DefinitionResearch Questions

How big was the city of Jerusalem? What is the earliest map we have of Jerusalem? How far was it from Jerusalem to Bethlehem? What is the long-term religious and political importance of Jerusalem? What evidence do we have?

What was the ecology of the area around Jerusalem? What was the ecology around the Sea of Galilee? Describe the geography and ecology of the Dead Sea. Where is the Jordan River in relation to the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea? What evidence do we have?

Step 2: Info Seeking Strategies

Guiding Questions

What are all the possible sources to check?

What are the best sources of information for this task?

View Big6 for Step 2 organization tips

Step 2: Seek InformationWe provided the starting points for online resources

Catholic Bible OnlineNew Jerusalem BibleJerusalem at the time of JesusParables of JesusJesus Christ (Britannica)Life of Jesus The World of Jesus Digital Archaeological Atlas of the Holy LandBible Places The Roman Empire: in the First Century Map of Israel in the time of Jesus (with roads)

Step 3: Location and AccessGuiding Questions

Where can I find these sources?

What are information search strategies?

How can I evaluate the validity of the information sources?

Where can I find the information in the source?

View Big6 for Step 3 organization tips

Step 3: Location & AccessWeb Search Strategies

Identify keywords to search for in search engines

Use quotes around words that should be grouped together.“sand sharks” not sand shark

Use minus sign to tell search engine to ignore a wordMullet –hair to search for info about mullet the fish

Source Web Search Strategies in Plain English.

Step 3: Location & AccessBible vs. Google Searches

Search in Catholic.net for specific keywords. Do not enter a question or a phrase.Robe, wool, cotton, linenA search for “what did Jesus wear” will result in a

search for the word “Jesus” – which obviously is not specific enough.

In Google, it is possible to enter a question such as “what did Jesus wear” but these results are not always accurate, valid sources of information.

For both the Bible and Google searches students needed help determining keywords to search.

Step 3: Location & Access Keyword Online Bible Search

Step 3: Location & AccessBible Search Results: robe

Click on a Chapter to read additional text to get a better sense of the meaning.

Step 3: Location & AccessBible Search Results: linen

Step 3: Location & Access Read Google Search Hits

Step 3: Location & AccessBe a URL Detective

Use the URL to identify the domain name and web extensions and what they represent. Incarnation Catholic School website URL =

http://www.icstampa.org/ icstampa is the domain name and .org is the extension.

Common extensions .org = organization .com and .co = company .k12 = most US public school sites .edu = US higher ed .gov = US government .ac = higher ed outside of US usually used with country code,

example, “.ac.uk” .net = network

Step 3: Location & AccessBe a URL Detective

Step 3: Location & AccessBe a URL Detective

Truncate the URLhttp://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/gehall/xtology

2.htmThe .edu.au indicate this is a university in

Australia.http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/ In Google, truncate the

URL to the domain name to find out more about the domain. This is the website for the Australian Catholic University.

Additional research on the website indicates the author of the web page in question (xtology2.htm), is a Catholic priest.

Step 3: Location & AccessBe a URL Detective

Find who links to a site. Search in Google to find which other websites link to it. link:http://www.jesuscentral.com/ji/historical-jesus/

jesus-firstcenturycontext.php

Other Christian, but not Catholic sites link to this site. The recommended page includes a summary of the political setting, economic setting, and daily life in Palestine at the time of Jesus, so although it is not Catholic, this information is acceptable for student use. A bibliography indicates information sources including Bible references.

Step 3: Location & Access5W’s for Valid Sources

1. WhoWho published the website?Who is responsible for the content found on the

website?What are the qualifications of the web publisher? Is contact information provided?

2. WhatWhat is the purpose of the site? Is the information consistent with other sources?

Step 3: Location & Access5W’s for Valid Sources

3. WhereWhere does the information come from? Is it a primary or secondary source?Are sources cited?

4. WhenWhen was the site created?When was the site last update? Is the information recent enough to be useful?

Step 3: Location & Access5W’s for Valid Sources

5. Why would you use the information?

Did the site give you the information you were researching? Does it help to answer the research question?

5W’s image4 fingers = Who?,

What?, Where?, When?

the thumb = Why?

Step 3: Location & Access5W’s for Valid Sources

Students quickly learn that researching the site to determine its validity, reliability and relevance takes more time – and more patience – than finding the information and taking notes from the source.

Step 4: Use of Information

Guiding Questions

What information do I expect to find in this source?

What information from the source is useful?

View Big6 for Step 4 organization tips

Step 4: Use of InformationRead, or view and listen to videos, and take notes.

Sample Student Notes

Finding Jesus' Face The artists worked to pull impressions from the Shroud of Turin, the famed blood-stained linen that many believe was the burial cloth of the crucified Christ.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/real-face-jesus-christ/story?id=10235129#.UFDXwKDvg9Q

1968 60 Minutes Said to have been written by a public official in Jerusalem during Christ’s life time. He is in stature a man of middle height and well proportioned. He has a venerable face. His hair is the color of rip chestnuts, smooth almost to the ear, but above them waving and curling with a slight blue radiancey and it flows over his shoulders. It is parted in the middle on the top of his head, after the fashion of the people of Nazareth. His brow is smooth and very calm with a face without a wrinkle or a blemish, lightly tinged with red. His nose and mouth are flawless. His beard is lugshorient and uncreased of the same color of his hair. Not long but parted at the chin. His countenance is full of simplicity and love. His eyes are expressly and brilliant. He is terrible in reproof, sweet and gentle in admonition, cheerful and ceasing to be grave. His figure is slender and erect. His hands and arms are beautiful to see. He is the fairest of the children of man.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20026089-10391709/what-christ-looked-like/

Step 5: Synthesis

Guiding Questions

How will I organize my information?

How should I present my information?

View Big6 for Step 5 organization tips

Step 5: SynthesisSample Student Bibliography with Annotations

"Catholic Answers Magazine." Let Your Face Shine on Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/let-your-face-shine-on-us. GOOD site because: IS written by knowledgeable Catholics.

Staff, Overtime. "What Christ Looked like." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20026089-10391709/what-christ-looked-like/. GOOD site because: IS on a well know television show and has many links talking about its

information.

TRACHTENBERG, THEA, and SUZAN CLARKE. "Computer Artists Say They've Re-Created Christ's Face Using Shroud of Turin." ABC News. ABC News Network, 30 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/real-face-jesus-christ/story?id=10235129. GOOD site because: IS from a reputable news network.

"The Real Face of Jesus?" History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. http://www.history.com/shows/the-real-face-of-jesus/photos/. GOOD site because: IS from History Channel and data it contains was gathered by well

trained scientists.

Step 5: SynthesisSample Student Paragraph with Citations

The model of Jesus that I will be looking at first is the Image that has been created from information found on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is the Cloth that was placed over Jesus when he was buried and has given researchers many clues on what he might have looked like. People believe that his bloody and cut up face left an impression on the Shroud and many artists and scientist have worked to create the image said to be on the Shroud. (TRACHTENBERG, THEA, and SUZAN CLARKE.) In their image Jesus is depicted as an aged man who had a flowing beard, long dark tangled hair, a small mouth, an oval shaped face, and a large forehead. Although they could not tell much else of his physical appearance they could find that he was between 5' 11" and 6' 2". (The Real Face of Jesus?)

Step 5: SynthesisWorks Cited and In-text Citations Suggestions

PreK - 1: Just identify the type of source - Book, Computer, People, Me - and use a graphic approach (e.g., picture, stamp, icon, sticker). See example of stamps: http://big6.com/pages/posts/citing---for-the-very-young-super3-style-33.php

1 – 2: In addition to the graphic, add the name of the type of source (Book, Computer, People, Me). Add additional types of sources - website, article. Also, have the students identify the Title - the name of the item.

2 – 3: Add Author and drop the graphic. So, now the style is Author Title, Type, . Here's an example: Michael Eisenberg, The Big6, Website.

3 – 4: Add Date, as in Author, Title, Type, Date. Here's an example: Michael Eisenberg, The Big6, Website, 2011.

5 – 6: Add Location, as in Title, Type, Author, Date, Location. Here's an example: Michael Eisenberg, The Big6, Website, 2011, www.big6.com

7 – 8: Use RefWorks or EasyBib to create full, formal bibliography entries with an annotation indicating the validity of the website.

7 – 8: Students should also use in-text citations.

Step 6: Evaluation

Guiding Questions

Did I do what was required?

Did I complete each of the Big6 Stages efficiently?

View Big6 for Step 6 organization tips

Step 6: EvaluationSample Student Self-Evaluation

Did I do what was required?I think I did do everything required.

Did I complete each of the Big6 Stages efficiently?I think that I did a good job at answering the Big6 Stages efficiently. I think that I defined the task well and came up with an approach to find research. While coming up with research strategies I think I had a good approach, but I would have liked have been able to gather more information faster. It would have allowed me to compare more information quicker than thoroughly looking at each website before comparing them. I think that I validated all of my sources well, and that I only used the most reputable of all my sources. While I did use a lot of the information from my websites I would have like to have been able to gather more information from them them. My bibliography was well written and I think my my annotations were good. To me this has been a good evaluation of my work and of how I put my research together.

Big6 Research Skills1. Task Definition

2. Information Seeking Strategies

3. Location and Access

4. Use of Information

5. Synthesis

6. Evaluation

Evangelize, Catechize, Educateat ICS

Resources Incarnation Catholic School, Tampa, Fl http://www.icstampa.org/index.php

ICS Wikispaces http://icstampa.wikispaces.com/ICS+Wiki+home

ICS Tech Research with UbD Research Unit Plan http://icstechnologyresearch.wikispaces.com/ICS+Tech+Research+Home

Big6 Skills http://big6.com/pages/about/big6-skills-overview.php

Web Search Strategies by Common Craft: http://www.commoncraft.com/video/web-search-strategies

Be a URL Detective on ICS Tech Blog: http://rcarrier.edublogs.org/2011/08/09/be-a-url-detective/

Web Site Evaluation 5Ws on ICS Tech Blog http://rcarrier.edublogs.org/2011/08/09/web-site-evaluation-5ws/

Common Core Standards http://www.corestandards.org/

Understanding by Design http://www.authenticeducation.org/index.lasso

Images from Bible: FreeFoto.com

Hand: http://pixabay.com/en/hand-sky-fingers-hands-57312/

Team image by Joanne Bujak-Dominak, teacher at ICS Other images in Jordan by Rhonda Carrier