Personal Inquiry Blog

Personal Connection

2005-03-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

I think that before starting this project my personal approach was not developed completely. I easily identified questions for which I wanted to pursue answers. I think that I never took time to create a search strategy. I often looked in the wrong places for information and quickly became frustrated. Sometimes I would stop the inquiry. Other times I would ask someone for help and get back "on track".

I think that what I've just noticed about my personal inquiry approach is like some of my students that I will teach. I will be sure to teach search strategies!

Curriculum Connection - Ideas

2005-03-05T11:24:00.000-08:00

1. Indiana’s Academic Standard for Social Studies 2.1.1 states, “Listen to historical stories and compare daily life in the past and present." According to the Correlation of the Information Literacy Standards and Indiana’s Academic Standards for Social Studies, this second grade standard can best be integrated with Information Literacy Standards 1-3. I think that in particular, Information Literacy Standard 2.4, “Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand," lends itself to the social studies standard. Students will have to determine what information within a story helps them compare life in the past and present.

A teacher could read Caddie Woodlawn to second graders. The class could then discuss some of the surprising aspects of life in the past. Students could work together with a partner to compare life in the past and present using examples from Caddie Woodlawn and their own lives. The media specialist could assist the students in creating a Venn Diagram using Inspiration. The groups could save their Venn Diagram to a group space and then present their Venn Diagram to their class using a projector and screen.

2. Indian’s Academic Standard for Social Studies 4.2.7 states, “Define and provide examples of civic virtues in a democracy." Civil virtue is defined as, “Qualities that contribute to the healthy functioning of a democracy." I think that fourth graders will need to demonstrate civic virtue when they petition the school board to change the school name to Caddie Woodhouse Elementary School.

According to the Correlation of the Information Literacy Standards and Indiana’s Academic Standards for Social Studies, this fourth grade standard can best be integrated with Information Literacy Standards 1-4, 7-8. I think that in particular, Information Literacy Standard 1.1-1.5, lends itself to the first stage of this project. Students will have to recognize the need for information and recognize that accurate and comprehensive information is the basis for intelligent decision making in order to successfully approach the school board. Then they will need to formulate questions based on their need for information about how the school board functions. They will need to brainstorm how to get the information (interviews, readings). All of this will take a lot of classroom teacher leading with the support of the media specialist. Many class discussions will need to occur in an organized, step-by-step manner.

Curriculum Connection - Daydream

2005-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well, to tell the truth...

When I reread Caddie Woodlawn one of the first questions that popped into my head was "Is any elementary school named after Caddie? They really need to name Downsville Elementary School after Caddie! Why hasn't anyone thought of this?"

I guess I'm always thinking like a teacher because I began to daydream about what I would do if I were the library media specialist at Downsville Elementary School in Dunn County, Wisconsin. Over several years we would begin to build a school connection to the story, Caddie Woodlawn, and then the real person. Eventually, I would collaborate with a fourth grade teacher to design a year-long project to teach students how to approach the school board to ask for a school name change to "Caddie Woodhouse Elementary School".

Wishing

2005-03-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Having practiced an inquiry model I will be better prepared to guide students through the same process. I now know the most challenging parts of inquiry and I can design lessons to target these steps.

After browsing through other students' topics, I think that I should have spent more time watching. There are so many different exciting possibilities! I jumped into my topic because Caddie Woodhouse was on my mind, having just finished rereading Caddie Woodlawn. I liked researching Caddie Woodhouse, but there are more fun and less academic topics that I would have also enjoyed.

I think that wiggling and weaving were the most difficult steps of the process. Synthesizing ideas together to form new knowledge is challenging and sort of scary. It is as though students are creating something new that no one has thought of yet! That's also incredibly exciting! Wow!

I think my experience was very much like a student's experience in a classroom, expect that I was not guided through activities selected by a teacher. I chose the activities from the class guides that I thought would help me with each of the 8Ws. I struggled just like any other student and I also had my little triumphs - like when I finally figured out how to wiggle and weave!

I feel sad and frustrated that I didn't consciously know how to wiggle and weave before now. How could I have gotten through so much schooling without consciously sythesizing? I think that I probably synthesized, but I just didn't know that was what it was called.

Waving - PowerPoint Presentation

2005-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

I decided to create a PowerPoint presentation for my final project. I think that a presentation at the Dunn County Historical Society would be most appropriate because it will reach those who are interested in local history. I will also make the PowerPoint presentation available on my BLOG so that it is accessable to a wide audience.

Click on "Caddie Woodhouse: A Frontier Life" to access the PowerPoint Presentation.

Wrapping - Possibilities

2005-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

1. I wonder if I could present what I have learned to the Dunn County Historical Society. Maybe I could create a PowerPoint presentation for my final project. Presentations are always easier to follow with a PowerPoint presentation. I could make it available on the Internet for anyone who is interested in it.

2. Another possibility is writing an article for the Dunn County News, the local newspaper. I think that there is a history section that local historians contribute to. More people would have access to the information if I write an article.

Wrapping - Uses of Information

2005-03-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

I have learned a lot about frontier life and how religion and politics influenced Caddie Woodhouse. What I have learned is connected to a lesser-known historical figure. Therefore, I think that what I have learned is going to be of interest to local historicans and the community around Dunn County, Wisconsin. Maybe readers of Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons would be interested in learning about the historical backdrop for the books too.

Weaving - Reflection

2005-03-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

The "weaving" process is sort of like putting clues together from several sources to find the answer to a mystery.

Weaving - Findings

2005-03-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have discovered information that supports the answers to the following two guiding questions:
Guiding Question #3: What religious interests were in power in the country in which Caddie lived?
Guiding Question #4: Did Caddie fit in with the religious climate or was she in opposition to it?

Guiding Question #3
1. Methodism was growing rapidly during the 1800s because of the work of circuit riders
2. A circuit rider's life was lonely and he did not earn a lot of money
3. Circuit riders traveled in all seasons through all weather to spread the Gospel
4. Circuit riders stayed with families that would let him in for the night and feed him dinner
5. Many communities welcomed circuit riders with open arms
6. Frontier families missed church meetings that they enjoyed back East
7. Methodism brought: family prayer, neighborhood prayer meetings, class meetings, quarterly meetings, love feasts, and camp meetings
8. Religion make communities strong and they pulled together to help one another
9. Religion made families close-knit

Guiding Question #4
1. In Caddie Woodlawn the circuit rider led family prayer, a Methodist tradition
2. Although we do not know if the circuit rider mentioned in the book was a Methodist, it is very likely that he was.
3. The circuit riders visit was exciting and "an event"
4. Caddie's mother considered it a time to "entertain" when the circuit rider arrived
5. Caddie and her sibblings liked the circuit rider, especially his deep voice when he prayed
6. They held church services at the Dunnville schoolhouse when the circuit rider was in the area
7. The circuit rider stayed with the Woodhouse family because it was the largest house in the neighborhood

Synthesis in a nutshell ~
During the nineteenth century, Methodism rapidly grew in the United States. This was due in part to the faithful efforts of circuit riders, like the Woodhouse family's circuit rider, who traveled long and lonely routes through the frontier wilderness spreading the Gospel.

The Woodhouse family was influenced by the circuit rider, probably a Methodist preacher. They welcomed the circuit rider and considered it an honor that he stayed with them on his way through the area. According to Caddie Woodlawn, Caddie's family conducted family prayer, one of the rituals that their circuit rider probably taught his flock. They faithfully met at the Dunnville school for church services when the circuit rider could conduct services.

The Woodhouse family was a traditional Christian frontier family; their faith permeated their lives. Caddie's character was shaped by the influence of her parents and other Christian role models in her life. The circuit rider and her teacher were other influential people.

Weaving - Method

2005-02-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

I decided to collect information on five sheets of paper. Each sheet is headed by a different guiding question. Underneath each question I listed the information that supports an answer to the question.

Wiggling - Conversations

2005-02-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've been talking to my family about this project. They're interested in it because Caddie Woodhouse grew up 6 miles from where we lived in northwestern Wisconsin.

Wiggling - Examples

2005-02-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of interesting information. Some information answers or helps to answer my essential question and guiding questions, but other pieces of information do not.

For example, I located information about the gendering and discipling of rural Wisconsin women. A lot of that information is interesting, but not all of it supports the answer to my questions. The information is too specific and concentrates on the sexuality of frontier women. I will toss some of this information.

Wiggling - Evaluation Criteria

2005-02-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

I will filter the information I collected by asking myself if the information answers my essential question or guiding questions. The information must answer or help to answer at least one of the following questions.

Essential Question
1. How did the era and time influence Caddie Woodhouse?
Guiding Questions
1. What things were happening politically in the country in which Caddie lived?
2. Did this person fit in with the political climate or was Caddie in opposition to it?
3. What religious interests were in power in the country in which Caddie lived?
4. Did this person fit in with the religious climate or Caddie in opposition to it?
5. Do you think Caddie could have done the same thing(s) in a different time period? Why or why not?

Wiggling - Memories

2005-02-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

I remember that my sixth grade teacher taught my class how to "wiggle". He showed us how to record research information on indexcards. After collecting information, he taught us how to sort the indexcards into categories. Each category became a paragraph in our research report. It seemed to help me organize information.

Webbing - Reflection

2005-02-24T17:38:00.001-08:00

Reflection: Searching for information is hard work and sometimes a bit frustrating! Interestingly, I found that the places that I thought would have a lot of information about my topic, had very little. The opposite was true of the places that I thought would have little information - they had the best information.

Concern: I want to make sure that I spend more time evaluating and using this information than accessing it.

Webbing - Revising Question

2005-02-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

I have had little success finding information about the effect politics had on pioneer families. This topic may not have been researched and written about.

However, I think that there is ample evidence of how the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln effected pioneers in Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons.

Webbing - Websites and Study Trips

2005-02-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ugh...The historical society websites are useless! I thought I would surely find a significant amount of information about Caddie Woodhouse on these websites.

During Spring Break I plan to visit the Dunn County Historical Society when I am visiting my parents in Wisconsin. Maybe they will have information about Caddie Woodhouse at the museum.

Webbing - New Search Term

2005-02-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

I had a new idea when I was searching online databases. I remembered that in the book, Caddie Woodlawn, the author mentioned a circuit rider that visited Dunnville on his route. I decided to search "circuit rider and faith" and I found a plethora of articles about circuit riders and their influence on pioneer religion.

Idea: I need to add IUCAT and Hamilton East Public Library Catalog to my search strategies graphic organizer. They have print sources including books.

Webbing - Database Search

2005-02-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

Using the database provider EBSCOhost and the search term "frontier faith", I found an article about religion on the frontier entitled Focus on the Frontier Family: How Methodists Strengthened the Christian Home - and Changed It. I think this article may help me to answer the following guiding questions: What religious interests were in power in the country in which Caddie Woodhouse lived? and Did Caddie Woodhouse fit in with the religious climate or was she in opposition to it?

I think I need to find information about politics during the 1860s and the influence the American Civil War had on pioneers. I also want to search the historical sociey websites next.

Webbing - Journal Articles

2005-02-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

So far I have found two journal articles that discuss pioneer women in Wisconsin. I found both articles on the Academic Search Elite database. One of the articles I requested from interlibrary loan. I think that these articles will support my understanding of Caddie Woodhouse's personal development.

Webbing - Search Terms

2005-02-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

Search terms can make or break a search. Here are my search terms so far:

Webbing - Search Strategy

2005-02-17T16:27:00.001-08:00

During the webbing step it is important to consider where I am going to access the information I am seeking. I want to access information effectively and efficiently, so I need a strategy. The following is a list of search tools I will try. I think most of the search tools will produce journal articles.

For information about Caddie Woodhouse's personality, I think that the best source are books written by her granddaughter, Carol Ryrie Brink. The stories in Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons are true; few facts were changed. The historical society websites will likely contain information about pioneer lifestyle.

Wondering - Research Questions

2005-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

I attended an information literacy workshop today! Using the Research Cycle Model, we practiced writing essential questions and created graphic organizers using Inspiration. I think that a graphic organizer is a good example of a "scaffolding activity" because it helps organize ideas.

At the top of my graphic organizer is my essential question. Below the essential question are three categories with a few guiding questions that support the categories.

Wondering - Think Tank

2005-02-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed writing my "wish list" of things I wanted to learn about Caddie Woodhouse. I was surprised by the number of questions I brainstormed. The questions just kept flowing! Although some questions seemed related, unfortunately the list did not help me to narrow my topic.

I decided to explore Think Tank, a website designed to help students develop a research organizer for reports and projects. Based on my subject, I chose from a variety of suggested questions. This helped me to refine my topic. Here are my Think Tank results:

Topic: How did the era and the time influence Caddie Woodhouse?
Subtopics:
1. What things were happening politically in the country in which this person lived?
2. Did this person fit in with the political climate or was s/he in opposition to it?
3. What religious interests were in power in the country in which this person lived?
4. Did this person fit in with the religious climate or was s/he in opposition to it?
5. Do you think this person could have done the same thing(s) in a different time period? Why or why not?

The topic and subtopics are engaging and reflect a true inquiry-based approach to learning. I am really excited to begin discovering how the era influcenced Caddie Woodhouse and her childhood in northwestern Wisconsin.

I will definitely use Think Tank with students. Often children are excited about a general topic, but they do not know how to narrow a topic so it becomes more specific and manageable. This is an excellent tool for students.

Click on Think Tank to explore your own topic!

Wondering - My Wish List

2005-02-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

~ I wish I could go back in time to visit the Woodhouse family.
~ I wish I could go back in time to visit Caddie's schoolhouse.
~ I wish I could go back in time to visit the Dunnville store.
~ I wish I could go back in time to visit a lumber camp.
~ I wish I could interview a pioneer.
~ I wish I could retrace Caddie Woodhouse's steps.
~ I wish I knew the real names of the people in Caddie Woodlawn.
~ I wish I knew what the Woodhouse family looked like.
~ I wish I knew exactly where the Woodhouse home was located.
~ I wish I knew where Indian John's village was located.
~ I wish I knew the name of Indian John's tribe.
~ I wish I knew where Indian John's tribe wintered.
~ I wish I knew if any schools are named after Caddie Woodhouse.
~ I wish I knew if any Woodhouse decendants live in northwestern Wisconsin.
~ I wish I knew where little Mary was buried - poor Mary doesn't have a gravestone.

Woodhouse Home
Dunn County, Wisconsin