| LU Title: Is It Warm Enough to Surf? | Author(s): Nancy A. Navarra |
| Grade Level: 7 | School : General Brown High School |
| Topic/Subject Area: English |
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| Email: crbeckner@excite.com | Phone/Fax:315-639-6233 |
Content Knowledge
| Declarative Knowledge | Procedural Knowledge |
| Understand what the Internet is and the purposes which it serves including communicating, browsing, searching, integrating, and creating | Visit bookmarked sites generated by the classroom teacher |
| Understand that the World Wide Web is one way to browse the Internet | Find answers to questions related to literature studied in class, using the bookmarked sites |
| Understand what a website is | Evaluate three sites selected by the teacher |
| Understand the purposes for which websites are created including research, interactive activities, web-based projects, and personal authoring | |
| Understand the criteria used to evaluate a web site |
Overview
This is a "piggyback" unit. It will be completed in conjunction with 5 pieces of literature. This unit can be completed over a period of 2 ½-3 weeks if done on consecutive days. I will not be presenting it in this fashion, however. Since I spend 2 days each week on literature and because there may be limited access to the Internet, I suggest spreading out this unit over a period of time, perhaps 4-5 weeks, with the initial presentation of Internet information to be done over 3-4 days. As the teacher presents each story and discusses its literary value, he can then exhibit the site that his related to the story and familiarize the student with its layout. This may make students more comfortable when doing the related question sheet. Students may use the Internet either at school or at home, since availability at school may be limited. This unit does not present the plans for each of the stories, but instead, the coordination of the Internet skills to be used in learning about the content discussed in each of the stories.
Essential Questions
What would be some of the disadvantages to using the Internet to research information as opposed to material from other sources?
How would you go about creating your own webpage for your school or organization?
How has the introduction of the Internet changed the way we learn?
How has the environment been affected by the prolific use of the Internet?
Initiating Activity
The teacher will distribute several M&M candies to each student. A discussion of this candy including favorite colors used for the candy and the origin of the M&M name will follow. Using an LCD Projector that is connected to a classroom computer, the teacher will visit the webpage for M&M Candies. Navigation around this site will make students aware of the kind of information a website might offer.
Culminating Performance
Students will be instructed to visit 5 websites that have been bookmarked by the teacher. Each bookmark correlates with one of the pieces of literature read in English 7 from the text, Endless Worlds published by Houghton-Mifflin Company, Journeys published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, and the motion picture, Gorillas in the Mist(edited). A worksheet of questions is designed for each piece of literature and the format of the questions mirrors that used on the reading selections from the New York State Grade 8 English Language Arts Test. Students will be asked to evaluate 3 of the 5 sites they visit by using the criteria sheets provided.
Connection to the Learning Standards
Standard: English Language Arts Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Benchmarks: Students will read information on Internet websites and answer questions about topics related to literature read in class.
Standard: English Language Arts Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Benchmarks: Students will visit Internet websites and evaluate them.
Standard: Math, Science, and Technology Standard 2: Information Systems
Benchmarks: Students will use the Internet to access information.
Standard: Math, Science and Technology Standard 5: Technology
Benchmarks: Students will apply their technological knowledge to evaluate websites.
Standard: Social Studies Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Benchmarks: Students will read about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Standard: Mathematics, Science, and Technology Standard 4: Science
Benchmarks: Students will read about the planet Mars and the idea that extraterrestrial life may exist.
Standard: Mathematics, Science, and Technology Standard 4: Science
Benchmarks: Students will read about Dian Fossey’s attempts to preserve the mountain gorillas of Africa
Standard: Social Studies Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Benchmarks: Students will read about current events such as the Iditarod.
Learning Experiences
Declarative Knowledge
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What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand . . . |
What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire and integrate this knowledge? |
What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize, and or store the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
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Concept 1: The Internet is a network of wires and satellite connections that connects computers worldwide and is used for a variety of purposes
Vocabulary terms: Internet
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Construct mini-webs from pipe cleaners
Vocabulary will be listed in Is It Warm Enough to Surf? booklet |
Prior knowledge Construct meaning for vocabulary terms
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Discuss student's prior knowledge of the Internet based on their personal use of home computers and possible access via school computers. Students may think they know what the Internet is, but will probably not truly understand the concept. Discuss the meanings of the prefix INTER and the clipped word NET to construct meaning for this term. Students will then construct webs from 6 pipe cleaners and label them with their names and a topic that interests them. (a sport, a person, a place )The information dots for each class will be a different color so that they may be easily distinguished from other class webs. Students in each class will then connect their webs with others to form a much larger class web. Webs from each class could be connected to form a 7th grade web and so on. |
Learning Experiences
Declarative Knowledge
|
What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand . . . |
What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire and integrate this knowledge? |
What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize, and or store the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
|
Concept 2: The World Wide Web is a searchable collection of almost 800,000 sites which can be browsed via search engines
Vocabulary terms: World Wide Web browser/browsing search engines |
Observe the display of "webs" from each class with the name/topic of each, considered a "site."
Simulation of a search on the web involving students LCD Projector/teacher demonstration of several "searches" on the web Vocabulary will be listed in Is It Warm Enough to Surf? booklet |
Visual representation of the "Web"
Simulation using students
Modeling by teacher |
Six students will be chosen from the class and will come up with a catchy name for themselves. Each student will be assigned to one of the class webs hanging on the wall. Remaining students from the class will request information about a certain topic to be searched by each of the six "search engines" The six students have the "power" to "browse" the webs, looking for a match. Some of the "search engines" may find "sites" which match the search request and others may not.
Students will be asked to suggest subjects to be searched on one of the search engines. Names of commonly used search engines will be introduced. The teacher can show how results may be similar or different depending on the search engine used. |
Learning Experiences
Declarative Knowledge
|
What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand . . . |
What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire and integrate this knowledge? |
What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize, and or store the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
|
Concept 3: Students will become familiar with the organization of a website and specifically, the parts of a home- page. Vocabulary: homepage URL links toolbar functions Assessment: Students will be shown five websites on the LCD projector and asked to answer questions in a paper and pencil quiz regarding information given on the homepage Concept 4: The student will see how the Internet can be used for researching information, interactive activities and web-based projects, and personal authoring. |
Read text from Is it Warm Enough to Surf? booklet LCD presentation of homepages on the Web Vocabulary will be listed in Is It Warm Enough to Surf? booklet
Quiz on websites
LCD presentation of websites exhibiting factual information for research, interactive activities, web-based projects, and personal authoring. |
K-W-L strategy
Constructing a model
Appeal to the senses (students will see/visit sites) |
Students will discuss a sample homepage in Is it Warm Enough to Surf? booklet. An explanation of the function of buttons (Back, Forward, Home, Reload, Print, and Stop) and related links will be given. Demonstration of each function and a visit to several links via the LCD projector will afford students the opportunity to experience the site. The teacher will visit the following websites in order to display the various purposes for which websites are created: Hubble Space Telescope Virtual Frog Dissection Maya Quest North Pole High School Literary Magazine (see Overview for web addresses) |
Learning Experiences
Declarative Knowledge
|
What declarative knowledge should students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand . . . |
What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire and integrate this knowledge? |
What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize, and or store the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
|
Concept 4 (cont’d) Vocabulary terms: virtual tours simulations web-based projects
Concept 5: Students will consider purpose, source, content, style, and function in evaluating a website
Vocabulary terms: None
Assessment: Students will be given an evaluation sheet and asked to fill it in using a website that the teacher will display on the LCD projector. |
Vocabulary will be listed in Is It Warm Enough to Surf? booklet
Is it Warm Enough to Surf? Booklet (page on Evaluating Internet Resources) LCD presentation of website
Evaluation Sheet for Websites handout |
Using the senses |
Discuss the criteria to be considered in evaluating an Internet Resource. Look at a sample website and discuss each of the criteria in relation to it. Distribute Evaluation Sheet for Websites handouts. Go to a second website and work through a sample evaluation together. |
Learning Experiences
Procedural Knowledge
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What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring and integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will be able to: |
What will be done to help students construct models, shape, and internalize the knowledge? |
Describe what will be done. |
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Visit bookmarked sites generated by the classroom teacher.
Find answers to questions related to literature studied in class, using the bookmarked sites.
Evaluate three designated sites selected by the teacher |
Demonstrate and practice variations
Construct a model |
Having visited a number of websites in classroom demonstrations, students will independently visit 5 websites that are related to literature read in class.
Students will search for answers relating to the literature.
Students will evaluate 3 of the 5 sites visited earlier. The teacher will select the sites, including one which is obviously of poor construction. |
Learning Experiences
Extending and Refining
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What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of . . .
The composition of a webpage
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What reasoning process will they be using? Comparing Classifying Inductive Reasoning X Deductive Reasoning Error Analysis Analyzing Perspectives Constructing Support Abstracting Other |
Describe what will be done. Students will work in groups to design a webpage for their seventh grade class. They must consider the contents, arrangement, and accuracy of information in planning the site.
Assessment: Students will be asked to exchange their webpage with another group. They will evaluate the page using one of the Website Evaluation handouts. |
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What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of . . .
The complexity of the World Wide Web in providing its users with information.
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What reasoning process will they be using? X Comparing Classifying Inductive Reasoning Deductive Reasoning Error Analysis Analyzing Perspectives Constructing Support Abstracting Other |
Scoring Rubric
Element 4 3 2 1
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Data |
You correctly answered questions based on the literature-related websites, in a consistent manner. |
You correctly answered questions based on the literature-related websites, most of the time. |
You occasionally answered questions based on the literature-related websites, in a correct fashion. |
You were unable to correctly answer most of the questions on the literature-related websites. |
|
Evaluation Technique |
You answered evaluation questions fully with details and explanations to support your answers. |
You answered most of your evaluation questions fully with details and explanations to support your answers. |
You satisfactorily answered the evaluation questions with a minimal amount of detail and explanation. |
You answered the evaluation questions with no inclusion of details or explanation. |
The following stories and websites will be used in this unit:
"Harriet Tubman" by Ann Petry Journeys p. 87 www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad
"Little Green Men" by Barry B. Longyear Endless Worlds p. 562 www.windows.umich.edu
"Looking for E. T." by Larry Kelsey and Darrel Hoff Endless Worlds p. 568 www.iselinge.nl./roswell
"At Home with the Titan of the Trail" by Paul Dean Endless Worlds p. 322 www.and.com/iditarod/intro
Gorillas in the Mist motion picture 1989 www.gorillafund.org
The following sites were used to demonstrate the types of websites available:
Hubble Space Telescope http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/BestOfHST95.html
Virtual Frog Dissection http://www-itg.lbl.gov/ITG.hm.pg.docs/dissect/dissect.html
Maya Quest http://quest.classroom.com/welcome.asp
North Pole High School Literary Magazine http://www3.northstar.k12.ak.us/Schools/nph/student/litmag/lithome.htm
A sample website story worksheet follows along with the Website Evaluation Worksheet
Worksheet for "Little Green Men" Name __________________
www.windows.umich.edu Period _________________
Go to the address for Windows to the Universe and click on the option which says, "Enter the site." Once you have entered, go to the bottom of the page and click on the link called, "Comparing the Surfaces of Earth and Mars." Follow the instructions for the tour of Earth and Mars. Be sure to click on the football at the top of the page where it says "F" to move forward to the next page.
1. Write the ratio of Earth’s size to Mar’s size.
Earth : Mars _______ : _______
2. What are the names of the two land formations which are thought to be the continents
of Mars?
3. Although two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, the surface of Mars
has no
a) deserts b) volcanoes
c) oceans d) craters
4. Which of the space exploration projects took the pictures of the Mars craters in 1969.
Go to the page which compares the craters of Earth and Mars.
5. Turn to the next page which discusses volcanoes on Earth and Mars. In the first
paragraph, use the context clues and the photograph to determine the meaning of
"symmetrically shaped" in line 6.
Evaluation Sheet for Websites
Which site are you evaluating? __________________________________________
For which story is this site suggested? ____________________________________
Purpose
For what type of audience is this web site appropriate? (children, adults, mixed group, special interest group) ________________________________________________________________________
Is the purpose to persuade, explain, or inform? _______________________________________________________________________
Does this web site serve the purpose of the audience? _______________________________________________________________________
Source
Is the author/producer of the web site, identified? If so, who is it?
________________________________________________________________________
Is there a sponsor for the web site? (edu. – educational institution; gov. – government agency; com. – commercial) ________________________________________________________________________
Is there an opportunity to send e-mail to this site? If so, what is the address?
Content
Accuracy
Are facts or are opinions (choose one) presented on this site? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is the information easy to understand? ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Comprehensive
Does the information cover a specific time period or aspect of the topic? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are there additional print and electronic sources that are offered/suggested for additional information? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Currency
Do you believe that the information is current? Is there a date which shows how recently the page has been updated or when it was created? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Links
Are there links that are related and appropriate? If there are appropriate links, please list two. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Style and Function
Is the layout of the site easy to follow? If there are any directions, are they clear? Explain. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is the writing style of the material easy to understand? Explain. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is the site easy to navigate? (clearly labeled Back, Home, Go to Top buttons) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do other links work? Try several to see. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If the site is extensive, is there a SEARCH feature for the site itself? Yes No