Web Resource for English Langauge Arts - WebQuest (Wizard of Oz)

Hey Everyone!

I was looking around the web for some good WebQuests and I came across a few good ones, but I thought that I would post about one that you can use with younger grades. WebQuests for the younger grades are harder to find since it is tougher and more time consuming to use computers with younger students. The WebQuest that I found is called "We're Off To See The Wizard!". This WebQuest deals with the story The Wizard of Oz. It's a fun way for the students to learn about the characteristics and order of a narrative story.

I would use this WebQuest with a Grade One class in English Language Arts. The activity and WebQuest will meet the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:

Listening

• Listen attentively to a variety of oral texts for enjoyment and information
• Follow step-by-step directions
• Retell stories by relating the sequence of story events

Reading

• Participate in individual, small group, and whole class reading of texts for emergent and early developing readers
• Attempt and practise reading behaviours

Viewing

• Participate in shared and guided viewing experiences
• Share feelings and moods evoked by a variety of visual texts
• Interpret illustrations and photographs

Representing

• Use pictures, simple charts, models, and drawings to illustrate and represent experiences and understanding
• Recognize that representations have a purpose
• Reflect upon own representing skills and strategies by checking details and the meaning portrayed by representations

I would create a story corner in which there would be a rocking chair for the storyteller and a large rug for everyone to sit on. I would bring the students to the story corner and read to them "The Wizard of Oz". I'm sure many of them may have seen the movie or heard the book before, but it's a classic that every child should hear. During the story I will have the students make predictions about what they think is going to happen next and how the story will end. At the end of the story we will have a class discussion about their thoughts and feelings on the plot, setting, characters, introduction, and ending. Once we are done with the discussion I will have the students get into partners and read the "We're Off To See The Wizard!" WebQuest on the computer. The students will then complete the WebQuest and share their finished product with the class.

I believe this activity would enhance the learning of students because they will be able to explore the story of "The Wizard of Oz" in a different and more enriching way. The students will get the chance to use technology as part of their learning and complete an assignment with little direction. This will help them develop independence and help them take more of a responsibility over their own learning. The students will also be able to practice their computer skills as they will have to locate and open up the WebQuest. They will also have to navigate around the internet. This activity will also enhance the students comprehension skills as the task involves comprehension of the story as well as the instructions need to be interpreted by the child.

I hope this is an activity you can use with your students! Enjoy!

Web Resource for Mathematics - Graphing/Data Analysis

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are all enjoying your reading week break! I was searching around for good web resources and I found one that would be a great one to use for Math. It is called Kid's Zone: Learning With NCES. It is a website that allows kids to create graphs online. This website makes it easy for students to create and understand graphs. The site also uses the proper mathematical terminology.

I would use this website for a Grade Four math lesson on graphing. It meets the following objectives from the Evergreen Curriculum:


SP4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of many-to-one correspondence by:
• comparing correspondences on graphs
• creating bar graphs and pictographs using many-to one correspondence.

b) Compare graphs in which the same data have been displayed using a one-to-one and a many-to-one correspondence, and explain how they are the same and different.
d) Find examples of graphs in which a many-to-one correspondence is used in print and electronic media, such as the Internet, and describe the correspondence used.
e) Select many-to-one correspondence for displaying a set of data in a graph and justify the choice.
g) Create and label (with axes and title) a bar graph to display a set of data using a many-to-one
correspondence, and justify the choice of correspondence used.
h) Answer a question using a graph in which data are displayed using a many-to-one correspondence.

For this activity I would have the students come up with three different survey questions in which they could ask the class. I would then have each student choose one survey question. They must create a table in which they can record the data they collect. They will then have 10 minutes to walk around the room and survey their fellow classmates on the question they chose. The students will then take the data they collected and go onto the Kid's Zone: Learning With NCES website and create bar graphs to represent the data they collected. The students will ensure their graphs are labeled and contain the correct data information. Once they have done this they will each print out their graphs. The students will then get into groups of 4 and compare their graphs. They will make a list of similarities and differences. The students will then share their findings with the rest of the class.

Using this online resource would enhance the learning of these grade 4 students by having them learn about and create graphs on the computer. The students are going to be able to construct their own knowledge about graphing and analyzing data in an interactive and fun way. Students will be more engaged creating graphs this way than they would be by just doing questions out of a textbook. The students will also get the chance to interact with each other. This website uses the proper terminology such as x-axis and y-axis. Thus, reinforcing the language they should be using when discussing graphing. Many students find graphs hard to create neatly by hand, therefore, making the graphs hard to read and decipher. Using this website will ensure that graphs are neatly done and easy to read. Students will then be able to focus on the information these graphs contain.

I hope that this activity will work for you! Good luck and have fun!

Web Resource for Science: Plants

Hello All!

I have found another awesome website that will be very helpful to you as a teacher. This website is called United Streaming. It is so amazing! There are educational videos on almost any topic that you can think of. The videos on this site can also be broken up into segments so that you can show just the portions that pertain to the class material or you can show the whole video. There is only one problem with the site. You need an access code to get onto it. Many school divisions have an access code to the website. All you have to do is talk to the IT guys or the principal and they can get it for you.

I chose to use this website for Grade 5 Science under the Plant unit. It will meet the following objectives:

· Describe the characteristics of vascular plants.

1. Identify the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of plants.

· Explain some of the functions of the roots, root hairs, stems, leaves, sepal, pistil, and flowers of plants.

1. Be able to define photosynthesis and germination.

2. Can begin to describe the process of pollination.

I would show a video to the students regarding plant structures and functions. During the video the students will be filling out a fill-in-the blank worksheet in order to help them take notes on the video. This will also ensure that the students will stay watching the video. Once the video is over as a class we will correct the fill-in-the blank worksheet. I will then have the students each choose one important fact or piece of information that stood out to them or interested them. They will then create a poster for representing the fact or piece of information. The posters will be hung up throughout the room to remind students of plant structures and functions.

I believe that this activity will enhance student learning because the video is done by a child teaching the students about plant structures and functions in kid friendly language they will understand. Also, watching videos is a treat for students and they tend to be very engaged in any lesson that involve videos. The students will be representing their learning through creating posters about the information from the video. Since these posters will be put up around the classroom the students will be able to have reminders about plant structures and functions whenever they look around the room.

Here is the video that I would use:




Enjoy!

Web Resource for Web 2.0

Hello Everyone!

Web 2.0 is an excellent internet tool that can enhance learning in many different facets. Web 2.0 is a communication network that has many different applications. One of the websites regarding Web 2.0 is called Remember the Milk. It is a very cool website that allows individuals to organize their lives no matter where they are. You can get text or instant messages sent to you, share what you are doing with others, use the Google calender application, etc.

I would use this website with a Grade 8 class. I would have each student sign up for an account and I would have an account as well. I would then ensure that all assignments and announcements are sent to each student in the means that they choose. The students will also be entering important information for themselves on these accounts. They will also share what they are doing (the non-private affairs such as homework, projects, ect.) with the class.

Having the students do this will enhance their learning because it makes them more accountable for getting work done and fulfilling responsibilities. I also believe that students will take more ownership over their work by using this application because the whole class with know they have something to do.

I hope that this information gives you some ideas to do in your classroom!

Web Resource for Health Education: Feelings

Hello Everyone!

I have discovered yet another great website that can be useful in the classroom. This website is called Out on a Limb- A Guide to Getting Along. It contains interactive information on thinking and sharing, perspectives (how we see things), listening, getting along, and feelings. This website is set up in a digital story type fashion. I would use this activity in a Grade One classroom under the topic of feelings. It would meet the following curriculum objectives:

Social Relationships
Making friends

• identifying and expressing feelings

I would use the feelings section (found on the bottom right-hand side of the site) of this website to teach a lesson on identifying and expressing different feelings or emotions. I would show the students the short little digital story on feelings. This story shows a bunch of different faces that are a different color for each feeling. The feelings include confused, happy, sad, angry, excited, etc. We would then have a discussion of each feeling and why the makers of this website possibly chose the colors they did to represent each feeling. I would also ask the students to give examples of times when they have felt these different feelings or emotions. After we have had a good thorough discussion of feelings I would have the students design their own faces that represent each emotion. I will then have these faces laminated so they can be used throughout the year. Each morning the students will have an opportunity to choose the emotion they are feeling and stick it to their desks. This way the students will begin to learn how to identify the different emotions that each other is feeling. It will also give them a way to express themselves without actually using words.

This activity will benefit the students because they will be able to learn the emotions and feelings of their classmates. It would also give them the chance to react to these emotions through acceptable and appropriate means. The students will also, as I said above, be able to express themselves freely in a way that does not involve words. This will create an very welcoming, open, and accepting environment that is free from judgment. Having a digital story of what these emotions are like would enhance learning because it would give the students a visual interpretation of emotions. I think the students would really enjoy this activity and it would lead to deeper thinking about emotions and feelings.

I hope this activity will be helpful for you!

Web Resource for Art Education: Visual Art

Hey Everyone!

I found a cool website that can be used for Arts Education under the Visual Art strand. It's a website called Mark Kistler's Imagination Station. This website is really cool because it is very interactive. There are online art lessons, examples of artwork, Mark's artwork, and information on the history of art. I would use this website in Grade Seven for the Visual Art strand of Arts Education. It will meet the following objectives:
Students will be able to:

• understand and use various aspects of the creative process when developing works of art
• continue to determine and explore appropriate media, technology, forms and methods for visual expression
• develop co-ordination and skills for using appropriate tools, technology, materials and techniques
• purposefully use the elements of art and the principles of design in their own work

I would use this website by showing the students the online video of how to draw animals. In this case the students would be watching the video on how to draw Non-Manga Space Hamsters. The video is a step-by-step art lesson. I would show the video and have the students follow along by drawing their own Non-Manga Space Hampsters along with Mark. I would then display the artwork in the halls of the school or on the walls of the classroom.

I believe this website would benefit the students greatly. This is because I am a horrible drawer and would not really know where to start with the kids. There is no way I would be able to teach students how to draw properly. Using these online lessons would be neat because the students would get step-by-step visual instructions from a real artist. The students would be able to follow along and create visual art by using an online resource. I would also be learning along with the students.

This is a very cool website! Check it out!

Web Resource for Science: The Solar System

Hello Everyone!

I have discovered yet another great internet resource to use with your students. This time the resource is on astronomy. The students can learn about and "explore" outer space from their classroom or home. The website is called KidsAstronomy.com. This website contains information, activities, games, projects, and songs on outer space, the solar system, deep space, space exploration, civilian space travel, and the universe. I would use this website for Grade Three Science. It meets the following objectives:

1. Describe the solar system.
   1. Compare the sizes of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth.
   2. Name the planets .
   3. Describe some characteristics of each planet.
   4. Locate the planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in the sky or on sky charts.

I would use this resource by breaking the students up into small groups. Each group would work together in researching the solar system, the planets, and the moons. They will do this by taking part in a treasure hunt that I will create. This hunt will have a variety of questions the students must answer. Once the students have researched this information they will use the information to create a 3-D replica of the solar system. They will then present their solar systems to the class.

I believe using this resource would be beneficial to the students because they would be working in groups researching on the internet and then creating a 3-D replica of the solar system. Each person will bring different strengths to the group and they will then be able to work together and teach each other different skills. By working together the students will learn how to navigate the internet, see visual, musical, and print information about space, and use that information to create something that is real, therefore making it more relevant to their lives. The students will then learn how to transfer knowledge discovered on the internet into something concrete.

I hope this website is helpful!