Heather Paganica                                                                      July 29, 2004

Project Title: Charlotte’s Web Web                                          Michele Dornisch

 

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

 

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE CHARLOTTE’S WEB WEB

 

In this project students will be creating a graphic organizer (a web) after each chapter read in the book, Charlotte’s Web.  This will enable the children to remember important details from the story and also make sure that they are paying attention throughout each reading session.  After each small web is created, students will have some easy, readable study guides for when tests and/or quizzes about the book occur.  In essence, the students’ will be summarizing each chapter using inspiration or kidspiration.

 

THE LEARNERS OR PROSPECTIVE LEARNERS

            The learners in this class are a group of approximately 25 children in a 3rd grade inclusion classroom.  The needs of the students in this classroom vary.  Students will be put in groups of approximately 2 or 3 to create these charts presentations.

 

THE CONTEXT OR ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THE POJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

            This lesson will be implemented in the usual classroom setting.  The teacher will ask various critical thinking questions before, during and after the reading of each chapter.  Instead of the standard, write a summary or answer the following questions series that usually follow up a reading, the students will create these graphic organizers in groups of 2 to 3 (preferably).  Because there are 2 teachers in the classroom, one will be able to oversee those students on the computers and the other teacher can circulate around the room as the other students discuss, and plan out what they will create on the Inspiration.

 

OBJECTIVES OR GOALS FOR THE LESSON (OR PROJECT)

The children will be able to:

Ø      Create a graphic organizer for each chapter read.

Ø      Incorporate at least one picture on each web created.

Ø      Use the web to correctly summarize what was read in the chapter.

Ø      Create at least 3 questions that can be answered using their web.

Ø      Create a visually appealing graphic organizer for each chapter.

Ø      Create a book graphic organizer summarizing the book as a whole.

Ø      Answer 3 questions from another groups’ web.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM:

 

THE PROBLEM TYPE

            Many times students will hem and haw when asked to write a summary about what they just read.  By using inspiration we still have the students summarize but in a more creative way.  Not every student can write an eloquent summary and remember everything they read.  By using Inspiration as a mindtool students (especially visual learners) may be more apt to remember what they read.  Visual cues such as pictures that can be created in Inspiration can help children to remember what they read.  Of course right after their reading students can often remember what they just read.  By creating a visually appealing summary (graphic organizer) students can better remember what they read.  When a teacher prepares a study sheet or a graphic organizer, it is the teacher who remembers.  Allowing students to create their own study sheets helps them to remember.

 

HOW THIS PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF IN MY SPECIFIC FIELD AND IN THE CONTEXT FOR WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN TO CREATE THIS LESSON OR ACTIVITY

            Being a special education teacher, I see many students who struggle with reading and writing.  Many times reading a paragraph is so difficult for a student and writing a paragraph causes much frustration for a special needs child.  This lesson will allow those students with special needs (and even those that don’t have special needs) a different way of summarizing.  Maybe all the students in class won’t summarize this way.  Maybe there are students who would be better off writing the summary in paragraph form because that is how he/she remembers best.  In a classroom of differing learning styles, this lesson can give students another way of ‘taking notes’. 

 

RATIONAL THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND IS TRULY A PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH ‘LEARNING’

If a student does not enjoy a book, chances are, they are not going to learn much about anything that happens in the book.  If a child truly cannot write a paragraph well, chances are he/she is not going to learn the material he/she needs to learn.  This lesson gives the students another outlet for their note taking.  Maybe even if a student was allowed to just take notes on a chapter, they still wouldn’t get it.  Maybe a teacher can’t explain it.  Children learn so much from their peers.  By allowing cooperative learning opportunities, students can help each other to learn the material.  Maybe a friend can better explain it.  By working on the project together, students can bounce ideas off of each other.  This allows them to share ideas and build their web together.  Each child brings something to the table.  The end result is usually wonderful. 

DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED SOLUTION AND ORIGINAL MATERIALS

            How do the materials developed solve the problem?  Children naturally love the computer.  I think using the computer is a great way to motivate my students.  This solves the problem of students moaning and groaning about writing yet another paper.  The students are still using words to represent their thoughts in their web.  This is great because they still need to use their words to express themselves, but they can also use graphics and color to spice it up. 

 

            How do I do this?

  1. Read and discuss Chapter one of your book.  After reading and discussing, or while reading and discussing (you need to decide what your students can handle), go over with your students a little bit about Inspiration.  They are going to need some guidance.
  2. Using the information gathered from Chapter one, step by step walk the class through the beginnings of a web.  Have students add their own thoughts into the web.
  3. Don’t complete the first class web on your own.  Call students up and have them try some things out.  In the beginning you’ll have to walk them through some of it.  Have the students decide what is important enough to put in the web and what can be left out.
  4. After the web is almost complete, choose 3 students to come and complete the web.  Split the class up into groups of 3 or 4.  Have some students working on the computer right away.  The students who don’t have computer access at that time can create a draft at their desks.  Have them combine their ideas and then sketch it out.  (not too much writing yet).
  5. Give the first group of children about 15 minutes, then switch off.  The students who have already created their webs can print them out and discuss them among their group.  Changes can be added and modifications can be put on the computer at a later date.  These students can also come up with at least 3 questions about the chapter that could be answered using their own web.
  6. At a later date (to be determined by the teacher) students can exchange webs and questions created.  After questions have been answered the students who created the questions can check the answers for accuracy.  All webs will be handed in to the teacher to check.

 

 

 

 

ASSESSING THE STUDENTS’ PROJECTS

0

No project presented

 

 

 

 

1

1 picture used

Not very much correct or important information

Questions created no relation to web

Not very visually appealing

Attempted, but answered all questions incorrectly

2

2 pictures used

Some correct or important information

1 question created that relate to web

Visually appealing

Answered 1 question correctly

3

3 pictures used

Most correct or important information

2 questions created that relate to web

Pretty much visually appealing

Answered 2 questions correctly

4

4 pictures used

All correct or important information

3 or more questions created that relate to web

Very visually appealing

Answered 3 questions correctly

 

 

 

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

            This is a collaborative project.  In this project students will work collaboratively to create their web.  Each group will also create questions about their own web, requiring them to critically think about what they did create or what they should create.  Often in a collaboration, one student sees something that the other students may not have picked up on, on their own.  By making this a collaborative effort, all groups can get the most out of the project.  This collaboration allows students to use their own learning strategies.  A visual learner will have the web to look at.  An auditory learner will listen to the banter that goes on among a collaborative group.  There are many aspects of the project that all students can become involved in.

REFLECTIONS

            I have never used inspiration with a group of children.  I think it will be interesting to see how my 3rd graders pick this up.  I am anxious to see what they come up with.  I myself have now played with Inspiration a little further than I had in the past.  I think that my students will enjoy finding different pictures to enter into the web.  For those students who are a bit more formal, it will be interesting to see the different shapes they use in their webs.  After assessing using the webs and the questions created and answered, I will consider using this on other stories.

 

LIST OF REFERENCES

 

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/charlotte/chpt1.htm

 

White, E.  B.  (1952). Charlotte’s Web.   New York; NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

 

Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Computers as mindtools for schools: Engaging critical thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Evaluation of Peer Products
At each point that one of the four course projects are due, each student will be asked to evaluate the products of 2-3 others in the group (depending on the number of students in the course). You will use the project rubric and report rubric to guide your evaluation. When you've completed the evaluation, you will locate the course discussion forum and post your written evaluation of the project on your groups' discussion forum (each group will be provided a separate forum for this).