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Lesson Plan #: AELP-WLG0010
Submitted by: Tish Knapp
Email: tknapp@thesanjuans.com
Date: January 31, 1999


Grade Level(s): 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject(s):

  • Language Arts/Whole Language

Duration: Two and a half weeks

Description: Students will learn to use the internet to research. Students will gather information about an author they like. Students will learn how to put researched material into a well organized, detailed essay. Students will learn how to use Powerpoint and other technology to assemble and present a multimedia presentation of an author and his/her work.

Goals: Student will learn how to research author information and synthesize the information into an essay.

Objectives:

Learning Objectives: Students will learn to use the internet to research. Students will gather information about an author they like. Students will learn how to put researched material into a well organized, detailed essay. Students will learn how to use Powerpoint and other technology to assemble and present a multimedia presentation of an author and his/her work.

Essential Skills and Strategies:
Reading
1.1 – Use word identification and word meaning skills to read and comprehend text
1.2 – Build vocabulary through reading
1.3 – Read fluently, adjusting reading for purpose and material
1.4 – Understand elements of literature fiction
1.5 – Use features of non-fiction text and computer software

2.1 – Comprehend important ideas and details
2.2 – Expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas
2.3 – Think critically and analyze authors1 use of language, style, purpose, and perspective

3.1 – Read to learn new information
3.2 – Read to perform a task
3.3 – Read for literary experience
4.3 – Develop interests and share reading experiences

Communication
2.1 – Communicate clearly to a range of audiences for different purposes
2.2 – Develop content and ideas
2.3 – Use effective delivery
2.4 – Use effective language and style
2.5 – Effectively use action, sound, and/or images to support presentation

4.1 – Assess strengths and need for improvement
4.2 – Seek and offer feedback
4.3 – Analyze mass communication

Writing
1.1 – Develop concept and design
1.2 – Use style appropriate to the audience and purpose
1.3 – Apply writing conventions

2.1 – Write for different audiences
2.2 – Write for different purposes

3.1 – Prewite
3.2 – Draft
3.3 – Revise
3.4 – Edit
3.5 – Publish

4.1 assess own strengths and needs for improvement

Materials:

  • Word, Internet, PC Powerpoint
  • PC viewer
  • overhead
  • CD player
  • video player
  • slide projector

Procedure: Process:
First, I will teach students the basics of researching on the internet. I will include a class on Powerpoint and other possibilities. I have been surprised to learn that the majority of students, even those who regularly send and receive email and get on chat lines do not have any idea about researching on the net. So I will assume that they know nothing. This assignment is to help kids begin to feel comfortable with the process as well as produce a finished product. As a group I will take them through two or three of the websites to show them how to use them. Students will then collect information and assemble it into a well organized, detailed essay and a multimedia presentation to show the class.

Collaborative work:
This process will take an estimated 2 1/2 weeks. I will critique some work at the beginning of every class to show in order to show students what to look in their own work and the work of their classmates. I will then assign students to small groups where they will critique the work of each other. This grouping will not remain the same during the process of the whole project, but students will change groups to get information from as many different sources as possible. Star websites discovered by students will be posted so everyone can benefit from them. Both the written and multimedia presentation of the author will be critiqued and I will encourage students to share inspirations on how to use the technology for multimedia. . The class will also peer evaluate each other’s multimedia presentation. Each student will have a partner to work closely with but on different authors. That partner will remain the same person throughout the project and these two people will use each other via email as sounding boards during nonschool hours when they are working on the project. This project will be strongly focused on the process and the collaborative work of the class as a whole in a search for how to’s and where’s.

Assessment:

1. Student evaluation – Each student will evaluate his/her own progress several times during the project, noting what needs to be done and what can be done better and how. They will set their own goals and then evaluate how well hey achieved them. Their final evaluation of how well they worked and what they learned will be a part of the final grade.

2. Student peers evaluation – Students will give each other a score compiled from several attributes discussed early in the project. Their evaluation will be of the multimedia presentation only.

3. Teacher evaluation – Teacher will evaluate written essays using the Orcas Island Writing Scale and the multimedia presentation using a criteria discussed often during the process and combine her/his grading with the other two facets of the evaluation process for a final grade.

Useful Internet Resources:
Online Literary Criticism Collection
http://www.ipl.org/ref/litcrit/

Arts/Humanities
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/

List of Author Addresses
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4617/authormail.html