Saturday, July 2, 2011
Locating and Partnering with co-teachers plan
Co-teacher Plan
My plan for this project is to use Epals and Skype for a correspondence/writing activity with students from around the world. I call the project Cultural Comparison.
I already had a Skype account, but did not know their was a particular section for "Skype in the Classroom". (This was on the resource list for this module.) I joined Skype in the Classroom and am eager to correspond with other teachers in the future on various projects. For now, Skype will be utilized as a culmination for my Cultural Comparison unit.
1st Contact: Lucia Bonfanti, from Italy. She teaches a class of students who are 7-9 years of age and they are interested in being epals with us next year.
2nd Contact: Betty Payne, my mother-in-law who is fluent in Italian and was also a music teacher.
Plan: Teachers and students will utilize epals (www.epals.com) to correspond with each other in order to share information about their culture and learn about each other.
Timeline:
September- As a whole class, set up introductory correspondence with their Italian epals.
In order to do this, I will have my students generate questions for their epals and well as answer some questions about themselves. They will then write a short letter and use it in their first email to their epals.
October - Students will complete a graphic organizer that shows "A Day in My Life". This organizer will contain information about a typical day for them. Students will then send these to their epals in Italy. The epals send their typical day to my students. These become great idea starters for future emails.
November - Students create an on-demand writing about three of their holiday traditions. They may choose Thanksgiving or Christmas as their focus. These are then sent to their Italian epals.
December - Students create a holiday craft item to send as a package to their epals in Italy.
January - Students write thank you letters to their epals.
February - Each student creates 2 questions to ask their epal. Questions may not be yes/no questions. We will Skype our Italian epals and let the students see each other and ask their questions.
April - Skype our epals again. This time students will ask questions in their epals native language (Italian). I will invite Betty Payne into my classroom to work with my students on some basic questions they can learn in Italian. For example, all my students can learn "What is your favorite" it Italian and then specific words such as "sport, hobby, food, etc."
Technologies used: This project utilizes epals, Skype, computers, and microphones.
Standards:
Social Studies/Geography
Cultures & Societies
Culture is the way of life shared by a group of people, including their ideas and traditions. Cultures reflect the values and beliefs of groups in different ways (e.g., art, music, literature, religion); however, there are universals (e.g., food, clothing, shelter, communication) connecting all cultures. Culture influences viewpoints, rules and institutions in a global society. Students should understand that people form cultural groups throughout the United States and the World, and that issues and challenges unite and divide them.
SS-EP-2.1.1
Students will describe cultural elements (e.g., beliefs, traditions, languages, skills, literature, the arts).
SS-EP-2.1.2
Students will study a variety of diverse cultures locally and in the world today and explain the importance of appreciating and understanding other cultures.
Geography
Geography includes the study of the five fundamental themes of location, place, regions, movement and human/environmental interaction. Students need geographic knowledge to analyze issues and problems to better understand how humans have interacted with their environment over time, how geography has impacted settlement and population, and how geographic factors influence climate, culture, the economy and world events. A geographic perspective also enables students to better understand the past and present and to prepare for the future.
SS-EP-4.1.1
Students will use geographic tools (e.g., maps, globes, mental maps, charts, graphs) to locate and describe familiar places at home, school and the community.
Writing
- W.2.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
- W.2.3. Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
- W.2.5. With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
- W.2.6. With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
READING
- RI.2.1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
- RI.2.6. Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
- RI.2.7. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
- RI.2.9. Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
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