Storytelling, Artifacts, Reader's Response, Collaborative Visualization
Introduction to Social Networking tools for Literature Circles.
Social Networking tools for Literature Circles.
This activity is designed to integrate social networking tools into a high school English class, incorporating study of the artifacts of an ancient civilization. This unit uses social networking tools to gain an informed perspective on traits of good readers, to share visual interpretations of a story in progress, to explore artifacts and social worlds of an unfamiliar, historic culture, as well as the motivations of photographers who document those artifacts. Finally, the unit will ask for expressive extension of the what readers have internalized about the culture of the Maya. Technology Objectives: DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY AND ITS PLACE IN THE NATION'S ECONOMY; TO PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR INTELLIGENT CONSUMPTION OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES; TO DEVELOP PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR PERSONAL USE OR FOR USE IN TECHNOLOGY OCCUPATIONS The tools being used are:
Edmodo.com
An invitation-only collaborative meeting space that allows users to post documents, survey answers, short "alerts," links, photos and more.
Wikispaces.com
A flexible space for collaborative work by members, who can place graphics, document,s photos, links and more for members of the group to view and use.
voicethread.com:
A collaborative writing tool that allows users to contribute, edit, and evaluate documents and make audio notes, wecam comments, doodles and more.
These social networking tools will be utilized using the following methods:
Reader's Response in Literature Circles
Topic:
Under Blood Moon is a novel about a girl from the heyday of the Maya civilization who gets caught up in city politics and becomes "chosen" to be a sacrificial victim fora regional ceremony in honor of the upcoming eclipse of the sun.
Social Networking tool used:
Edmodo.com
Process:
- Create a lit circle page on Edmodo.com.
- Assign students to join group 4e8466 and then read the assignment and become familiar with the roles.
- Students must read the beginning 3 chapters of the novel and post a total of four responses at different points in the reading from the viewpoint of each role. Posts must be at least 300 words each.
- Students must reply to three of their peers using the 140-word "Alert" format.
- Make sure you mark each post and alert "Public."
Visual Interpretative Response:
Topic:
Mayan culture.
Social Networking tool used:
wikkispaces.com
Process:
- Group students into teams of three.
- Each team will create an illustration to post on our Under Blood Moon page created on Wikispaces.com. The illustration should make visual through charts, graphic organizers, stick figures, maps, or wonderful drawings some specific aspect of Mayan culture brought out in the novel.
- Each team will research on the web the location of an actual artifact from Maya culture, whether ancient or contemporary, and will post a photograph of that artifact, including the name of the photographer, his/her email address, and the emailed response from this photographer explaining where, when, how and why he/she took this photograph.
- Each team will compose a 3-5 sentence description of your artifact and the significance of its use (who used it, for what purpose, and what special skill or know-how was involved.
- Discuss the similarities and differences that may exist among each team's illustrations and artifacts.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Topic:
Under Blood Moon is a novel about a girl from the heyday of the Maya civilization who gets caught up in city politics and becomes "chosen" to be a sacrificial victim fora regional ceremony in honor of the upcoming eclipse of the sun.
Social Networking tool used:
voicethread.com
Process:
- Assign students to choose a character from the novel and from that character's point of view narrate in a one-minute voicethread how the story ends.