The Cay Learning Activity

The Cay Learning Activity Title: The Cay Webquest Curriculum: Reading -Interdisciplinary Grade-Level Span: 6th PURPOSE: Students in 6th grade read “The Cay” by Theodore Taylor. Through this activity students will: 1. Be immersed into the history, culture, geography, science of the novel “The Cay”. 2. Use research skills including the ability “to locate, process, and use information effectively” (HCPSS 6th grade Reading Essential Curriculum). 3. Complete either a graphic organizer or other form of note taking. 4. Organize the information and create a news item for a newspaper. 5. Work collaboratively with other students on an assigned project. DESCRIPTION: Students will research articles on particular assigned topics from “The Cay” The topics will be hurricanes, blindness, WWII in the Caribbean, and the geography of cays. The webquest will lead the students to appropriate articles for their topic. Students will process the information from the articles and put their findings into a graphic organizer or other form of note taking. They will use the information on their particular topic, to write a newspaper article. The newspaper article will be written from the perspective of the time period of WWII. Each group of four students will combine their articles into a newspaper. ACTIVITIES

Students will read the Cay as the prior knowledge to the activity.

The class is divided into groups of four. Each student is assigned one role - meteorologist, geographer, historian, and medical reporter. They will research information about their area of study through links which are provided to the students. Introduce students to the concept of a webquest. Students will extract relevant information from the sources which are provided by means of a webquest. Students will take notes about their information using either a graphic organizer or other notetaking process. Students will organize the information to create a news article for a newspaper. Students will collaborate to create a finished product of a newspaper, using a template for the newspaper.

CURRICULUM STANDARDS Reading/Science HCPSS Unit III,Goal1 VSC-E.1.a HCPSS Unit ! V,Goal 1 and Goal 2c VSC–A.1.a HCPSS Unit !V, Goal 2c. VSC-A.1.a,A.3.e HCPSS Unit IV, Goal 2d. VSC-A.4.c,A.4.d, HCPSS Unit IV, Goal 2d. VSC-A.4.c,A.4.d, HCPSS Unit IV, Goal 2e. VSC-A.4.g HCPSS Unit IV, Goal 2e VSC-A.4.g

NETS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

TOOLS AND RESOURCES: Hardware: Computers with Internet Access Software: MS Word Websites: Meteorologist http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm http://www.fema.gov/kids/protect.htm http://www.fema.gov/kids/knw_hur.htm www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/0308/hurricane/survival_tips.html http://skydiary.com/kids/hurricanes.html http://www.weatherwizkids.com/hurricane1.htm http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/hurricbro.html Historian http://www.brainpop.com http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/worldwariicauses/preview.weml http://www.pbs.org/wwii/ http://www.caribseek.com/Curacao/curacao-history-post-world-war-II.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/battle_atlantic_01.shtml http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/8/atlantic/index.htm http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/U505/index.html Medical Reporter http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/sight/visual_impaired.html http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/eye_noSW.html http://www.afb.org/braillebug/braille_deciphering.asp http://www.afb.org/braillebug/braille_technology.asp http://www.afb.org/braillebug/ http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=40 http://www.blind.net/generali.htm Geographer http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/curacao.htm http://www.caribseek.com/Curacao/curacao-geology-and-geography.shtml http://gocaribbean.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm? zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=gocaribbean&cdn=travel&tm=7&f=10&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=14&bt=0& bts=0&zu=https%3A//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nt.html Coral Reefs http://bird.miamisci.org/oceans/coralreef/introcoralreef/beginning/ U-Boats http://www.uboat.net/types/index.html WWII German Submarines http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq97-1.htm Evaluation http://rubistar.4teachers.org Images Other: Copies of graphic organizers, note taking sheets, Students should have prior experience using the software. Students should have prior experience using Web browsers.

ASESSMENT: Students will be assessed individually on the research aspect of the webquest. The following rubric will be used: CATEGORY

4

3

2

1

Notes

Notes are recorded and organized in an extremely neat and orderly fashion.

Notes are recorded legibly and are somewhat organized.

Notes are recorded.

Notes are recorded only with peer/teacher assistance and reminders.

Quality of Information

Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.

Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.

Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.

Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between all topics and subtopics.

Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between most topics and subtopics.

Graphic organizer or outline has been started and includes some topics and subtopics.

Graphic organizer or outline has not been attempted.

Paragraph Construction

All paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence.

Most paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence.

Paragraphs included related information but were typically not constructed well.

Paragraphing structure was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs.

Mechanics

No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.

Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors

A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.

Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Students will also be assessed as a group on their finished project of the newspaper using the following rubric: CATEGORY

4

3

2

1

Articles - Purpose

90-100% of the articles establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph and demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic.

85-89% of the articles establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph and demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic.

75-84% of the articles establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph and demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic.

Less than 75% of the articles establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph and demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic.

Articles - Interest

The articles contain facts, figures, and/or word choices that

The articles contain facts, figures, and/or word choices that

The article contains some facts or figures but is marginally

The article does not contain facts or figures that might

make the articles exceptionally interesting to readers.

make the articles interesting to readers.

interesting to read.

make it interesting to read.

CREDITS (INCLUDING CONTACT INFORMATION): Megan McGolrick – [email protected] Andreia Neto – [email protected] Beverly Barnes – [email protected] COMMENTS: This is a newly designed webquest and learning activity. It has not been taught before but was created by teachers who have taught either The Cay or the science aspects of the learning activity. It is believed that it will be a highly motivating activity for 6th graders to complete. The concepts of the learning activity have been used before in various other forms but not as a webquest with a final product of a newspaper. This activity can be scaffolded by assigning the roles based on individual student capabilities. The designing of this webquest was a great learning experience both in putting all of the information together and also in the technology learned.

Used with permission of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project (http://www.iste.org or http://cnets.iste.org) Contact: Lajeane Thomas, Louisiana Tech University, P.O. Box 3161, Ruston, LA 71272; Voice: 318 257-3923 Email: [email protected]