Web Site Cooperative Project

Unit Summary

Context:

    1. Class should already have focused with depth into a theme or larger body of work such as a novel or play. Assignments would have been given that incorporated different types of intelligences and allowed for the opportunity to celebrate creativity. Example assignments would include:
Draw a picture or create a collage of one of the characters of the novel.
Rewrite a chapter or part of the story through a minor character’s point of view.
Write a review about the novel, using the text as your primary source.
Choose a song that represents the feelings or thoughts of the novel. Explain why you chose that song, using specifics from the text and the song.
Dramatize a part of the story.
    1. Class should understand the techniques and organization (especially the roles) of collaborative learning and they should be comfortable with the flow of group work. Throughout the unit, the students should be responsible for updating the teacher and class concerning their progress.
    2. Students should have ample access to computers.
    3. The teacher should have a strong computer background and web capabilities or an assistant to help with technical issues.
    4. Students must understand that the web site will be available to the general public and listed on major search engines in order to promote the authenticity of the work.
    5. Parents and students should sign a basic consent form allowing the student’s work, name and if applicable, their picture on the web site.

 

Objectives:

    1. Students will determine what characteristics make a web site interesting to other teenagers.
    2. Students will work cooperatively with a small group in order to accomplish a group product which will tie into the class work.
    3. Students will foster life skills such as prioritizing, multi-tasking, time organization, and decision-making skills through a project of their own design within a given time frame.
    4. Students will understand the steps necessary to revise and format a work in order to prepare it for publication.
    5. Students will be able to teach others what they have learned about specific aspects of a text or theme they have read or studied.
    6. Students will understand the importance of audience

 

Activities:

    1. Students will look at different web sites through a gallery tour, ask other Internet users, and discuss as a class the criteria necessary to attract a visitor’s attention. Students will prioritize the criteria.
    2. Students will understand the scope of the class project (a web site about a novel, theme, etc.) and limitations of resources available.
    3. Students will break into small groups based on the following topics: art, creative extensions, reviews, language devices, theme, social issues, etc. Students will decide on their own groups based on their interests.
    4. Students will review as a class the assignments completed in class for the text. They will begin to think about which assignments would be useful for their portion of the web site.
    5. Students will work in small groups discussing assignments, overall concept of section, new work that will be necessary, roles, and task assignments. Student’s will prioritize tasks and set deadlines to meet class goal.
    6. Students will pick students from other groups to provide example products from assignments that were already done in class. These products will be included in the small group’s section of the web site.
    7. Students will work at computer labs in order to prepare (type, scan, record, etc.) necessary products.
    8. Teacher will review criteria for a good web site and a good product with class.
    9. Students will revise their own works in light of criteria and then share in peer groups for peer revision.
    10. Students will make final revisions and complete final formatting for their products.
    11. Students will turn in their assignments to the respective groups.
    12. Small groups will assemble the products keeping in mind the criteria previously discussed.
    13. Students will write a "catchy" introduction for their section of the web site and make a small oral presentation of their group’s finished product.
    14. Teacher will do final formatting and assembly of web site to ensure consistency.
    15. Pictures will be taken of each small group to include on sections of the web site.
    16. Students will review final web site and present it to the school and community.

 

Assessments:

    1. Students will create a self-evaluation of their own effort towards the project as well as the group’s effort as a whole. They must list at least three things to celebrate and two suggestions for improvement regarding their work as well as the group’s.
    2. Students will receive a group grade on their oral presentation of finished products.
    3. Students will receive a group grade on finished product.
    4. Students will write a final essay about the novel which will ask that they include aspects from their group work as supporting references to their argument.

 

 

 

Web Site Cooperative Project

Day 1

Lesson Plan

Lara Hill

Objective: Students will determine what characteristics make a web site interesting to other teenagers through viewing different web sites, asking other teenagers, and creating a group list of criteria.

 

Materials:

4-5 computers with Internet access (numbered 1-5)
4-5 web sites that are of similar topics
CD player
Copy of Katachurian – Sabre Dance on CD
Buzzer
Students’ notebooks
Pens / pencils
Shape cards (cards with 4-5 different shapes on them) – enough for whole class
Overhead or Chalk Board
Grid Paper

 

Procedure:

  1. Do Now: Freewrite about web sites or advertisements you have seen that are interesting to you. Think about why those sites are interesting. Is it because of content, formatting, and / or presentation? (about 5 mins)
  2. Mini-discussion: Short large group discussion about do now. (about 10 mins)
  3. Instructions: Teacher explains to students that they are going to look at some web sites and determine some of the plusses, minuses, and interesting aspects of the sites for teenagers. Teacher explains the rules of the musical computer game. (about 5 mins)
There will be 4-5 sites with Internet access. Students will rotate around each of the stations and look at the sites for a brief time. They can discuss the site, the formatting, etc. – reasons the site may (or may not) be interesting to teenagers. When the buzzer goes off, the students will then stop viewing and talking so that they can list aspects of the site that were plusses, minuses, and interesting for the station. They should write the station’s number as well.
When the music starts they can go to any station that they have not been to, but they must remain moving until the music stops and then must stop when the music stops. They will then look at the site and discuss. When the buzzer goes off, the students will then write in their notes.
The rotation will continue so that each student can visit each site.
  1. Create PMI sheet: Students create PMI sheet in their notebooks with space for each of the stations. (about 5 mins)
    2. Station Plusses ++++++++++ Minuses - - - - - - - - - Interesting ?????????
    1
    2
  2. Musical Computer Game: Students rotate through 4-5 times. (about 20-25 mins)
  1. Tell students to get ready with notebooks and pens.
  2. Play music. Students move around room.
  3. Stop music. Students move to nearest station they have not been to before.
  4. Students view site (about 2 minutes).
  5. Buzzer goes off. Students stop viewing and talking. Students take notes on PMI chart for station. (about 2 minutes).
  6. Begin at (b) and repeat so that each student may go through the full rotation.
  1. Processing: Students go back to their seats and look over their PMI sheets. They will take a few minutes to write in their journal about their findings overall. Teacher will hand out shape cards in order to break up students into 4-5 small groups. (about 5 minutes)
  2. Small Group Discussion: Students will work in small group to come to a consensus about their findings. They need to decide on the top three pluses, three minuses, and three interesting aspects of the sites. (about 10 – 15 mins)
  3. Large Group Discussion: Students will discuss as a class the small group. Teacher will list on board or overhead. The class will then use their small group work to decide what are the most important positive aspects of a good web site, which aspects could trigger problems for site viewers and what aspects were questionable. They will then prioritize (through votes) the top five plusses that they believe are important indications of a good web site. (about 10 – 15 mins)
  4. Review Homework Assignment: Teacher will explain that the students will now get more information from other people outside the classroom. They will ask three other people (at least 2 of them should be teenagers) to rate the positive aspects for a web site which were voted on by the class. The three people in the investigation should spend some time on the Internet on a regular basis. Students will create (on graph paper provided) a chart listing the top five criteria for a good web site, the class’s order of criteria, and three columns for the three people they will question for homework. (about 10 mins)

    Example Chart (should be on board for students)
    5. Criteria

    Class’s Vote

    Person 1

    Person 2

    Person 3
    Good images

    2

    		      
    Quick load time

    1

    		      
    Interesting text

    3

    		      
    Valuable Links

    6

    		      
    Easy to read text

    5

    		      
    Informative text

    4

    		      
  5. End Class

Follow-up: Students will create chart, interview three people and prepare to bring in evaluations for the next class.

 

I have not written up the rest of this unit.  If you have any ideas, comments, or suggestions, please email me at lgchill@yahoo.com

This page last updated on March 14, 2001.

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©1999 - Hill, Lara and her English 1 Honors Class