Monster Exchange Project by Melanie Lewis
Prerequisite Technolgoy Skills Needed: none
Time Allotment:
Time for this project also depends on the partner class. It will take the teacher about one week to complete his/her end of the project. Students should spend 30-45 minutes in the computer lab 3-4 times to draw their monster and complete their paragraph. To redraw their monster's picture will take an addtional 30-45 minute period.
Subjects: Language arts and technology
Grade Level: This project has been completed by students grades 1-5 from all over the world. I only did it with second and third grade students
Standards: VA SOL Eng 2.11, 2.12, 3.9, 3.10 Nets*S 1, 3, 4
How can this resource be used?
Equipment, Considerations, and Teacher Prep
Objective
SWBAT
practice writing for an audience, for a real purpose. They will see the way their writing is interpreted by others and reflect on the processes of writing, reading, and interpreting.
Description of lesson
1. Complete a Real or Make Believe chart with the students on characters in stories they have read, using graphic
organizers from the following sites
• http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm
• http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
You can use an adapted Fact and Fiction Chart.
2. Watch the video, The Mysterious Tadpole, with the students using the DRTA (Directed Reading, Thinking Approach) by pausing and asking the questions you determined during your preview of the video.Focus you questions on whether or not the tadpole is real or fiction.
3. Divide the students into pairs. Have them describe to their partner a monster they have made up in their own minds.
4. While one partner is describing their monster the other one is drawing it. Reinforce with the students the importance of details and of providing good information.
5. Have the students return to their computers and using a paint program, they are to "draw" the monster they just described.
6. After students have completed drawing their monsters, they are to open Word. Using Word, students are to type a descriptive paragraph to describe their monster. Students are to save their paragraphs.
7. Have one student volunteer to allow his paragraph to be edited by the whole group. Open up both the paint and the word documents and model how to read line by line to correct for grammar. Compare the paragraph to the image. Ask students if the paragraph matches the picture. Have the students assist in giving ideas to make the paragraph better fit the picture.
8. Now, have the students open the paint document containing their monster in a separate window from their word document. Demonstrate using the COW how to resize the windows so that both the monster and the paragraph are side by side. Pass out sticky notes to the studentts. Each student should get enough sticky notes to make editing comments for each class mate. For example, if there are 18 students in your class, each child should have 18 sticky notes. Students are to walk around the room comparing the pictures to the paragraphs. They are to then jot down ideas, suggestions, or comments on a sicky note and stick it to the side of the computer.
9. Provide the students with time to edit their paragraphs.
10 Use the COW to model uploading the student paragraphs and pictures to the Monster Exchange Website.
11. Print out paragraphs from the partner class and have the students illustrate the paragraphs.
12. Show the students the pictures drawn by the partner class. Discuss which one is most/least similar.
Assessment Strategies
Below is a rubric which may be used for assessment
|
Attributes
|
1 point
|
2 points
|
3 points
|
4 points
|
|
Three essential structural elements are present -- introduction, body text, and conclusion
|
Lacks two of the essential elements.
|
Lacks one of the essential elements.
|
Has introduction, adequate body text and conclusion.
|
All elements are present at high level of skill – appropriate proportions; high comprehension.
|
|
Interest level
|
Simplistic in style and content -- uses simple sentence structures; not original in ideas nor execution.
|
Addresses the topic in cursory manner. Mixes simple and some compound sentences. Has adequate content.
|
Intersperses higher level content with adequate content. Uses compound and complex sentences as appropriate.
|
Excels in content and creative content with original ideas. Skillful use of sentence types.
|
|
Use of details and descriptive phrases
|
Has only basic details – uses few descriptive terms, and they are mostly concrete.
|
Has basic details with some descriptive terms, a few descriptive phrases, and some abstract descriptive terms.
|
Skillfully uses more descriptive terms and phrases and other modifiers.
|
Exceptional use of abstract and concrete modifiers, phrases and descriptive language.
|
|
Use of transitions -- coherence
|
Little flow of ideas. Blocky and disjointed. Relevance not always clear.
|
Ideas have some flow, and are mostly on topic.
|
Ideas flow with transitional words, yet organization remains evident. Included parts address the topic.
|
Exceptional use of vivid transitions. Topical flow and organization are evident. All parts highly relevant.
|
|
Use of supporting ideas
|
Expresses ideas with few supporting facts or opinions.
|
Expresses ideas with some supporting details and/or opinions.
|
Ideas are well supported with adequate detail and facts/opinions.
|
Exceptional use of supporting detail. Facts and opinions are distinguished.
|
|
Mechanics and grammar are correct – end-marks, capitals, punctuation, subject/verb agreement
|
More than seven errors per 100 words.
|
Four to six errors per 100 words.
|
Two to three errors per 100 words.
|
Error free, or one error per 100 words.
|
|
Spelling (this may not be a graded element for some special need groups)
|
More than seven errors per 100 words.
|
Four to six errors per 100 words.
|
Two to three errors per 100 words.
|
Error free, or one error per 100 words.
|
Resources:
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.