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 Teacher
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Overview
of
WebQuest
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Introduction
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| This WebQuest
features Ian Falconer's Caldecott honor book (2000),
Olivia.
Trade books offer teachers and parents many opportunities to improve
reading comprehension skills. Falconer's references to famous works
of art and music provide additional learning opportunities.
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The primary
purpose of using quality children's literature in the classroom is
to instill a love of reading. As with any book, Olivia
should be first read for pleasure before embarking on activities
based on the book. Students should be allowed opportunities to ask
questions, make comments, and simply enjoy this delightful story.
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| The Tasks
provided for students in this WebQuest facilitate reading
comprehension skills. Students will be asked to interpret passages
from the story, to describe the characters, and the problems and
solutions of the story. Students will be performing tasks that help
them link their real lives with Olivia's. Family interactions in
the story will be discussed. Also, discussion of art and music
illusions in the book will be encouraged.
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Content areas |
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multidisciplinary WebQuest includes the following content areas:
reading, art, music, social studies. It is directed toward early
elementary. First and possibly second grade students will require
extra assistance performing the tasks in this WebQuest.
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Objectives (Kentucky Curriculum Standards):
Reading
RD-E-1.0.6
Explain the meaning of a passage taken from texts appropriate for
elementary school students.
RD-E-1.0.8
Describe characters, plot, setting, and problem/solution of a passage.
RD-E-1.0.9
Explain a character’s actions based on a passage.
RD-E-1.0.10
Connect literature to students’ lives and real world issues.
Art
AH-E-4.2.35
Recognize that artists choose to express themselves in different
styles and subject matters. (2.23, 2.24, 2.25, 2.26)
AH-E-4.2.36
Styles:
realistic, abstract, non-objective
Music
AH-E-1.2.32 Identify
and discuss various styles of music (blues, spirituals, popular, rock,
rap, country, game songs, folk songs, work songs, lullabies, marches,
patriotic, bluegrass). (2.24, 2.25, 2.26)
Social Studies
SS-E-2.3.1
Various human needs are met through interaction in and among social
groups (e.g., family, schools, teams, and clubs).
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Implementation Overview
Students will work in groups of
3 or 4 (dependent upon computer access and physical classroom
structure). Students will decide on their own how to divide the
various tasks required to complete the project, although teachers may
find it better to assign tasks based on each child's needs to be
successful. Students will need time to collect data from web sites,
respond to the data response formats, and to prepare presentations for
their classmates. This unit can be extended by examining other topics
of interest to students using Olivia as a springboard.
Young students (grades 1, 2)
will need extra support in doing this WebQuest. Teachers will need to
prepare students for following the format of a WebQuest and for
working together cooperatively. A nice modeling technique might be to
take one of the options on the student
page and do it together as a whole group activity.
Many of the
lessons include activity pages that need to be printed out. I would
recommend printing these out ahead of time, and making enough copies
for your students. You will find a list of the pages in the student
evaluation section.
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Special Resources Needed: |
- Computers with Internet access
- Multiple copies of Olivia
(preferred - one copy per group)
- Presentation Software
(PowerPoint, etc)
- On-Line Teacher Resources
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Entry Level
Skills and Knowledge
Students will need to
be able to read and write, however there are alternative materials
built into this WebQuest that allow for ability levels. For very
young students, an adult will need to be assigned to each group to
facilitate reading and writing. |
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Evaluation
A
RUBRIC will be used to allow students
to self-assess and for the teacher assessment. Teachers may also want
to use the
Scoring Guide specifically designed to evaluate student
performance in group work associated with doing a WebQuest. The final
product of this WebQuest is group presentation sharing information
found by each group on the selected topic. Individual student scores
will be based on participation in the group project and on independent
writing samples.
Student Handouts
for each Task:
Task 1:
Venn Diagram
Task 2: Graphics
Task 3: Art Contest
Task 4: Good Idea/Bad Idea
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Conclusion
This unit is an
interdisciplinary (reading, art, music, social studies)
constructionist approach to learning. Students participate in group
work, experience navigating the web, learn to read critically and
synthesize information, create presentations, and write to
communicate. This WebQuest could easily be adjusted for older
students, and teachers can adapt the activities to students'
individual needs.
Credits
Many thanks to the following
resources:
Detroit Institute of
Arts
Visual Resources Art Image Database [http://www.diamondial.org/home.html]:
famous artwork used in Task 3.
The Artchive (click on
the Mona Lisa to view art and read about artists)
[http://www.artchive.com/]
Falconer Photo (smiling):
http://www.sfopera.com/bios/bios_a-f/ifalconer.htm
Falconer Photo: Book jacket.
Falconer,
I. (2000). Olivia. New York: Atheneum.
 Back to Olivia WebQuest
Homepage |
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Author Information on Ian Falconer: