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4th Grade Students using the Internet to research Great Horned Owls at Claude Chester School  in Groton, CT

Inspiring Real Connections With Literature Using Technology Enhancing the Reading Process   Presented by Jean Nash, 4th Grade Teacher and  Julie Coiro, Literacy & Technology Specialist  Literacy Convocation, November 4, 2000 This list of resources can be accessed online at  http://www.lite.iwarp.com/owlcurric.htm   Email Jean Nash Email Julie Coiro

 

Project  Overview	What did the plan  look like?	Procedure	Classroom Management
Activities and  Timeline	Why use  technology?	Assessment  Checklist	Link to  Standards

LINK TO STUDENT PAGE

General Overview and Purpose

Traditionally, the students in Jean's class spend most of October reading the novel Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat and creating owl reports.  Prior to this project, Jean and Julie knew each other through a mutual friend for about a year.  Jean was comfortable using computers and many types of software programs with students, although as of October, this year's class had had minimal or no contact with the software tools we would be using.  We thought it might be interesting to enhance their reading and their responses through the use of three technology tools:

1. We wanted to introduce students to story mapping and comparing characters while showing them how the software tool Inspiration can enhance the production and revision of these tasks.

2. We wanted to give students easy access to the range of age appropriate information (text and graphics) that was available on the Internet about Great Horned Owls and about Farley Mowat, author of Owls in the Family.  We organized the links for students using an online web design tool for educators called Trackstar so that all of the resources would be accessible from the same starting page. We hoped this information would provide students with an opportunity to practice reading a variety of non-fiction texts and to practice summarizing information found on these web sites to include in their reports.

3. We wanted to introduce students to the process of creating original multimedia texts with the software tool HyperStudio.  In addition to writing rough draft copies of an owl report, students would have the opportunity to work in small groups to adapt their report into an electronic stack and publish their work online to share with others.

The sequence of activities was intended to be connected in such a way that students were naturally guided through what can be called "The Reading Process", as described in the diagram below.

 
What did the plan look like?

Over the course of four weeks, we integrated reading, writing, speaking, science, technology and information literacy skills as we studied about six categories of information regarding the Great Horned Owl, which characterized the two main characters, Peeps and Wol, in the book Owls in the Family.  The six study areas included the Great Horned Owl's appearance, food, habitats, families, enemies and distinctive behaviors. In small study groups, students used skimming and scanning skills to locate and note information relevant to their particular study area.  Later, students returned to their original owl study group to share their findings with all other members; thus, all students had an opportunity be an expert in one category, yet knowledgeable about all six categories.

The following sequence of activities was introduced to students to follow the "reading process" described above.

Read and respond:  While reading, plot out story map and compare/contrast characters (in addition to many other comprehension activities)
Connect fiction to non-fiction: Gather facts about sub topics of the Great Horned Owl using the Internet in jigsaw study groups and Trackstar web site
Link Reading to Writing: Expand research findings into topical summaries
Extend to Speaking: Present summaries to the class and some “introduced the author”
Extend to Home: Internet web site with enrichment activities to complete at home

Who was involved?

This project could not have been completed without the collaborative efforts of three individuals;

1. Jean Nash, the classroom teacher, was responsible for daily instruction, classroom management, assessment and student motivation for the length of the unit.
2. Betty Russ, the school library media specialist, worked with students and taught them how to take notes and locate information using different resources.
3. Julie Coiro, the literacy and technology specialist, was responsible for correlating daily activities with state standards and district curriculum requirements, introducing new classroom practices with technology.
All three teachers collaboratively assisted students during both the research and editing process.

Procedure
 

	Language Arts Connecticut Framework	Science  Connecticut Framework	Learning Resources & Information Technology Connecticut Framework	National Educational Technology Standards
Responding to Fiction: Students will read the story Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat and respond in many written and oral comprehension activities.	Reading and Responding  1.1 , 1.2 , 1. 3, 1.14
Responding to Fiction: Students will use the software program Inspiration to compare and contrast the main characters in the story and design a visual representation of the similarities and differences between the two characters. Students will also create a story map as whole class discussion.	Reading and Responding  1.2 , 1.14  Producing Texts 2.5 Exploring and Responding to Texts 4.2		Application Standard 5	Indicator 6
Connecting fiction to non-fiction: In jigsaw study groups, students will gather facts about one of six topics (appearance, food, habitats, families, enemies and behaviors) about Great Horned Owls using Internet resources formatted in a Trackstar outline, print resources (encyclopedias, books), electronic resources (card catalog, reference CD-ROMS), and videotapes.	Reading and Responding  1.7 , 1.11, 1.14  Producing Texts 2.1 , 2.3	Relationship of Structure and Function  5.1 , 5.4 , 5.7  Cycles of Life  6.1 , 6.7	Information Strategies Standard 3 Application Standard 5	Indicator 3 Indicator 5
Linking Reading and Writing: In small groups, students will regroup and summarize their findings of the study topic with other members of their group, so that all members hear about facts from all six categories.  Students write rough drafts of their summaries and then incorporate their findings on a card that becomes part of that group's HyperStudio stack about The Great Horned Owl.	Reading and Responding  1.1 , 1.14  Producing Texts 2.1 , 2.3 , 2.5  Applying English Language Conventions 3.1 , 4.2	Relationship of Structure and Function  5.1 , 5.4 , 5.7  Cycles of Life  6.1 , 6.7	Information Strategies Standard 3 Application Standard 5 Responsible Information Use Standard 7	Indicator 3 Indicator 5 Indicator 6
Extending to Speaking: Students use a few Internet resources to extend their study of the author, Farley Mowat.  A mock scenario is set up in which the author is invited to speak at their school, and they are responsible for introducing the author to the audience in a brief oral presentation.	Reading and Responding  1.1 , 1.3 , 1.14  Producing Texts 2.1 , 2.3 , 2.5		Information Strategies Standard 3 Application Standard 5	Indicator 5
Extending to Home: Students are given opportunities to share new learning opportunities with their parents through a list of extension links to web sites they can explore at home (wider range of reading, dissecting owl pellets, responding with art,  creating games and assessment tools).	Reading and Responding  1.1 , 1.7 , 1.14 Exploring and Responding to Texts 4.2	Relationship of Structure and Function  5.1 , 5.4 , 5.7  Cycles of Life  6.1 , 6.7	Information Strategies Standard 3 Application Standard 5	Indicator 3 Indicator 5

What did the day to day activity look like?

A. Classroom Setup: The classroom has five networked Macintosh computers, with one computer
being hooked up to a large TV monitor mounted high on the wall for large group computer work.

B. Timeline

Week 1:

• students begin reading book and responding with discussion and written tasks
• students learn note taking practices at library

Week 2:

• students research categories of owl facts using Trackstar’s Internet Resources;
• explore features of HyperStudio in small groups
• whole class begins developing Inspiration webs

Week 3:

• students write summaries and create HyperStudio cards;
• class continues reading, journaling & discussing
• class continues work in Inspiration

Week 4:

• students finish Hyperstudio stacks; add animation
• some research author, develop introductions and videotape presentations to class

C. Traditional Literacy Responses:

1. Comprehension Questions
2. Spelling word lists from chapters
3. Just-in-time vocabulary, editing lessons
4. Class and small group oral discussions
5. Running Records from oral reading
6. Story mapping, journal writing
7. Crossword Puzzles

D. What technology was used and why?
 

Introduce students to story mapping and comparing/contrasting characters with Inspiration...WHY? visual aids enhance production and learning links provide concrete examples of relationships easy editing encourages revision to add new learning users are motivated to manipulate ideas more readily	Provide access to pre-selected age appropriate text and graphics about Great Horned Owls on the Internet...WHY? Fosters connection between fiction and non-fiction Easier to locate specific information quickly Provides practice skimming and scanning with predictable headings outlined in text Encourages exploration beyond their study topic Fosters opportunities for collaborative learning and discussion about texts and information
Foster discussion, information literacy skills and efficient use of technology with an Internet tool known as TrackStar...WHY? Links are pre-selected, organized for instruction and easy to access from one page Easy access for “just in time learning” Encourages discovery learning beyond the topic Provides opportunity to apply technical skills and learn Internet browser vocabulary	Provide opportunities to create original multimedia texts with the software tool HyperStudio...WHY? Provides alternative ways of reporting facts Fosters interaction with others to design, develop, publish and present products that communicate curriculum concepts to many audiences Provides practice in using appropriate software to create clear and meaningful presentations of ideas Motivates students with new forms of expression
Mock scenario: Author Farley Mowat is invited to speak at your school…your students are responsible for introducing the author to the audience in a brief oral presentation...WHY? Provides links to biographical informational text Builds connection to concept of authors as real people Authentic purposes encourage participation Provides opportunities to use appropriate technologies to create oral products to share with others Enrichment opportunities for students who finish early	Foster a stronger home-school connection by encouraging Internet use and discussion at home...WHY? Provides opportunities to view resources they're not able to view during the school day because of the lack of time Students can interact with resources at their own speed and interest level. Fosters an increased awareness for parents and opportunities to interact with their children at home Presents the potential for more time spent reading and learning for enjoyment.

Classroom Management Strategies and Assessment

 

Classroom Management Strategies Segment whole project tasks into smaller parts; complete some at the computer and some at your seat; rotate through with partners Consider center approach Working in partners with peer assistance “Yellow stickies” on computers Keep a watchful eye on all groups and help bring back on track if necessary More than one adult for “crowd control” Unplanned bonuses	Grouping Strategies Must consider levels of learning and how children work together No more than 3-4 in a group Group is made up of high, medium and low learning levels Try variation with Jigsaw Study Groups
Assessment Used the digital camera to capture engaged learning Developed rubric for Hyperstudio Expected student reflection on process through journaling and discussion Individual story maps (Curriculum Objective) Observations / student comments Graded traditional tasks	Unplanned bonuses just-in-time hypertext learning (food chain) exploration naturally extended to learning about different kinds of owls lots of student discussion elicited with photos (comparison, excitement, choice) information easier to locate than with books digital camera motivated better projects and helped to assess engaged learning
Comments from Students Wow, this is cool! This is fun. Hey, I like this program. This is amazing. How did you do that?!	Capturing Engaged Learners Students are… explorers teachers producers of knowledge cognitive apprentices managers of their own learning

 
Student Assessment Checklist
 

Content: ____ / 30    (5 pts. each)  Is the information in the student's own words? Does the information reflect an effective summary from note cards?  Is the information accurate?  Are all resources cited appropriately?  Is more than one source cited? Are there sufficient details ( __ or more) about the topic?  Has the information been correctly edited for  spelling punctuation marks subject verb/agreement capital letters	Comments:
Literacy Skills: ___ / 30  (3 pts. each)  Has the student demonstrated the application of  defining new vocabulary and using correctly in context identifying elements of story (setting, characterization, theme, conflict, plot)  comparing and contrasting characters responding to texts in oral discussions and written assignments sequencing events in the story using a table of contents and index to quickly locate information skimming and scanning for information using headings  taking notes using note cards and a variety of texts citing sources in appropriate format presenting ideas orally with enthusiasm and good voice inflection	Comments:
Teamwork   ___ / 20    (5 pts. each)  Did the student take an active role in locating information?  Did the student interact well with other group members at the computer?  Did the student assist a partner in the editing process? Did the student interact well with other group members off the computer?	Comments:
Computer Skills    ___ / 20  (5 pts. each)  Did the student create an original card in HyperStudio, use the painting tools, add a text box, a button with a sound and a transition? Was the information entered into a word processor in a timely fashion? Did the student participate in the group discussions of story mapping and characterization using Inspiration?  Was the student able to follow pre-selected links on a web page, locate information and use the back button to return?	Comments:



Link to Standards

Language Arts Content Standards: Connecticut Framework
During this unit, the student will:

• describe the text by giving an initial reaction to the text and describing its general content and purpose [Reading and Responding 1.1]
• interpret the text by using prior knowledge and experiences (identify and infer important characters within a work) [Reading and Responding 1.2]
• reflect on the text to make judgments about its meaning and quality [Reading and Responding 1.3]
• use a variety of monitoring and self-correcting methods (skimming, scanning, reading ahead, re-reading, using resources, summarizing, retelling, readjusting speed) [Reading and Responding 1.7]
• identify and use main ideas and supporting details in informational texts [Reading and Responding 1.11]
• interact with others in creating, interpreting and evaluating written and visual texts [Reading and Responding 1.14]
• communicate effectively in expository modes [Producing Texts 2.1]
• gather, select, organize and analyze information from secondary sources [Producing Texts 2.3]
• engage in writing, speaking and developing visual texts through frequent reflection, reevaluation and revision [Producing Texts 2.5]
• proofread and edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization [Applying English Language Conventions 3.1]
• explore and respond to contemporary literature (read, view, listen to and react to it in a variety of ways) [Exploring and Responding to Texts 4.2]

 

Science Content Standards: Connecticut Framework
During this unit, the student will:

• understand the classification and physiology of the great diversity of organisms and identify relationships of structure and function [Relationship of Structure and Function]
• identify structures found in organisms (e.g. talons, legs, wings) [5.1]
• describe features that help organisms to survive in different environments [5.4]
• explain the features of living things that are good indicators of their roles and places in an ecosystem [5.7]
• recognize patterns and product of genetics and evolution [Cycles of Life 6.1 and 6.7]
• identify external features of organisms that help them survive in different kinds of places
• recognize characteristics of species that sometimes give them an advantage in surviving

Learning Resources and Information Technology Standards:  Connecticut Framework
During this unit, the student will:

• demonstrate a command of information skills and strategies to locate and use effectively print, non print, and/or electronic resources to solve problems, conduct research and pursue personal interests [Information Strategies Standard 3]
• select appropriate resources from a variety of media formats
• identify and use basic print, non print and electronic sources
• use appropriate technologies to create written, visual, oral and multimedia products to communicate ideas, information, or conclusions to others [Application Standard 5]
• use appropriate software (e.g. word processing, desktop publishing, graphing or charting) to create clear and organized presentations of ideas and conclusions
• use multimedia tools to create clear and meaningful presentations of ideas
• demonstrate basic operation of equipment needed for information access
• demonstrate an ability to take notes with assistance
• demonstrate the responsible and legal use of information resources, computers and other technologies, recognizing the social, economical, and ethical issues [Responsible Information Use Standard 7]
• apply established bibliographic standards for giving credit for information or ideas used

National Educational Technology Standards:
Performance Indicators for Grades 3-5
During this unit, students will:

• exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology (Indicator 3)
• apply productivity / multimedia tools to support personal productivity, group collaboration and learning throughout the curriculum (Indicator 5)
• design, develop, publish, and present products using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom (Indicator 6)

 

 
 




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