Dear Teacher (sorry, I forget your name!) I taught at-risk 8th graders, and had a good deal of success with webquests that used online interactive games. These games, if you plan ahead a bit, can involve both reading comprehension and some writing in response to that day's events.
If you go to my webpage http://www.geocities.com/a_lesemann/thinkinggames.html I have a number of thinking games that are online here. The National Geographic webquest that automatically comes up when you search on Lewis and Clark tends to be the younger kid's version - which is fine for 6th grade and under. But the more sophisticated one is more fun - the kids learn things like: shoot the bear! There is no room for vegetarians on this trip! And I found that my one rambunctious kid tried - really - to take a canoe over the falls. With predictable results. It's good to give kids some background knowledge - of course, it's also good to find out what they already know about these things, and then have them do some fiction writing, playing the roles of the characters, diary as the Native Americans, say, and as Lewis, Clark, or maybe the only man who died on the trip. On the National Geographic websites, there are lots of short articles that can be copied into a word format and then printed out - good reading comprehension practice - and used as background info. Another game (for sharper cookies...) is the viking game. Tougher! You can email me back if you wish...hope this helps! Amy Lesemann, St. Thomas the Apostle... On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 11:01 AM, <[email protected]>wrote: > Send Mosaic mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Mosaic digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. off topic ([email protected]) > 2. Writing/reading ideas for struggling writers (Rhonda Brinkman) > 3. 2nd grade text structure plan (mary mullin) > 4. Re: 2nd grade text structure plan (Stewart, L) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:27:16 -0400 > From: [email protected] > Subject: [MOSAIC] off topic > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi all.? > Is anyone in the greater Hartford, CT area using Fundations, either in the > classroom or in small support groups for students?? Please email me off > line....thank you! > Martha > [email protected] > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:07:29 -0500 (CDT) > From: "Rhonda Brinkman" <[email protected]> > Subject: [MOSAIC] Writing/reading ideas for struggling writers > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > Hello Everyone, > > I sure could use a couple ideas for my writing/reading class. I teach > two sections of an 8th grade writing/reading class with emphasis on the > writing. The class is students who struggled with English the first > semester. They are a tough crowd to sell writing to. I would love ideas > on interactive websites or theme based project that is engaging. We > have done autobiographies and biographies (where they read on a person > and did a poster timeline-they did like this). We just finished up > heroes with the 60 minutes clip on the ?Sully? the pilot that landed > the plane in the Hudson. We did reflections and discussion plus an > activity from ?Read Write Think? to tie in. This definitely kept their > attention. SO I guess I am asking for tried and true activities. > > Thanks so much! > > Rhonda > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:13:33 -0400 > From: mary mullin <[email protected]> > Subject: [MOSAIC] 2nd grade text structure plan > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Here?s what I have gathered about text structures from my research and > sharing from other collaborating teachers in my district. I teach 2nd > grade. > I only have a hard copy of the graphic organizers so I will describe what > the graphic organizer looks like. I used the chapter 4 from *Exploring the > Literature of Fact* by Barbara Moss as a resource. I began this unit by > reviewing features of nonfiction. Each child used old copies of Scholastic > News and Reading A-Z books to make a Features of Nonfiction Text booklet. > It > included Table of Contents, Title/Heading, Photographs/Captions, Types of > Print, Diagrams/Labels, Maps, Charts/Graphs, Index, Glossary > > > > Introduction to Nonfiction Text Structures > > 2 weeks + > > For each structure we used several examples of books. Then we first created > class definition, after reading more examples we created a symbol for > coding > text (class voted). Next, we created a body movement (again we voted). We > created a reference chart with structure, definition, key words and symbol. > Students began to read and code books after we?d introduced Description, > Sequence and Comparison. We then took a week for Problem and Solution and > Cause and Effect, continuing to have kids read lots and lots of nonfiction > text and coding the different structures found in each book. > > 1st lesson Defining Nonfiction Text Structures > > Example of different kinds of houses, vehicles > > *Description > > Anchor book(s) *Growing Pumpkins* (big book) almost any nonfiction book > > Graphic organizer: center oval with extended lines > > *Sequence > > Anchor book(s) Biographies (written in sequence format) > > *From Peanuts to Peanut Butter*(big book)** > > *The Vegetable Garden*(big book) > > *From Seed to Plant Rookie Read About Science* by Allan Fowler > > *From Bean to Bean Plant* > > Graphic organizer: 3 rectangular boxes with arrows between** > > *Comparison > > Key Words: Different from same as, like/unlike, then/now > > Anchor Books: *How Spiders Live* ( big book) > > *About 100 years ago* > > Graphic organizer: Venn Diagram** > > *Problem/Solution > > Anchor Books: *Where Does All the Garbage Go?* By Melva Berger > > (Big Book) ) I also used articles from Ranger Rick magazines, > > Graphic organizer: 2 boxes with arrow between** > > > > *Cause/Effect > > Anchor Books: *Seeds Get Around* (big book) > > *Hurricanes *by Catherine Chambers > > *What on Earth? Tornadoes* by David & Helen Orme > > Graphic organizer: 1 rectangular box on 1st line with arrows to 3 boxes > below > > > > This week I had each child make their own text structures reference chart. > Tomorrow I will have the students read and code prior students? nonfiction > reports. Then students will complete a planning sheet listing 2 topics > they > are experts at and 2 topics they want to learn more about. I will confer > with each child and pick a topic to research. We will use a polycam to > share > with another 2nd grade class in our district as we move along in our > process. Then with my librarian?s help we will gather resources for > students > to read and take notes on. All the while I will be helping students decide > on what text structure/graphic organizer best suits their needs as a > writer. > Each child will write, revise and edit their ?book? and finally publish it > and share it with other 2nd grade classes. mary** > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:30:37 -0400 > From: "Stewart, L" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] 2nd grade text structure plan > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Message-ID: > < > ba1568ff65cf264f81b4db5c1f6ad85f04b4468...@bpsmail2007.branford.k12.ct.us> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > I teach third grade. Since my students have already been exposed to text > structure, I went through my classroom books, making sure that I had > examples of each type of structure. After direct instruction on the > different models, the children were handed books and worked in very small > groups to determine what structure the book followed. They then had to > report back to the class and prove their choice with evidence from the text. > I threw in a book that was a combination of fiction and non-fiction. The > kids loved the practice so we have repeated it a few times with different > books. Through this activity, they seemed to develop a strong sense of the > different structures of non-fiction text and they were having fun. > > Leslie R. Stewart > (203)481-5386 X310? FAX (203)483-0749 > [email protected] > > Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter > and those who matter don't mind." > ~ Dr. Seuss > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > End of Mosaic Digest, Vol 31, Issue 15 > ************************************** > -- Amy Lesemann, Reading Specialist and Independent Learning Center Teacher, St. Thomas the Apostle School _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
