Bringing Books Alive with Technology

Syllabus and Course Outline Design By Mary Kate McNulty

Course Description:

This hybrid course will be for 4th-6th graders who love to read and are interested in becoming better readers. We will read high-interest text, and then use technology to understand, connect, analyze, and evaluate the text independently, in small groups, and all together. Students will have a final project that has them working in small groups and using video technology. This is a hybrid class so some meetings will be together in a computer lab, while other assignments will be on the internet at home. Primary Objective: Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to use a wide variety of strategies, tools, and media to comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate grade-appropriate text. Secondary Objectives: Students will be able to gather, organize, and present information through various forms of media. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to make inferences about characters in text and compare the characters traits. Students will be able to create a character avatar and description and present to the class. Students will be able to respond to shared text during group discussions and online blog posts. Students will be able to synthesize and critique ideas through small group discussions. Students will be able to develop oral presentation skills by presenting small projects to classmates. Students will be able develop arguments about the text and support ideas with evidence from the text. Students will be able to use a flipcamera and software to show their understanding of the novel.

Objectives:

Textbooks: Resources: Instructional Methods:

Various novels at appropriate reading levels for students. Computer Lab, Kidblog.org, Google, Linoit, Doppleme.com, Microsoft Paint, Prezi, Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Podcasts, Flipcam, Animoto This hybrid course where students meet weekly to work individually and collaboratively within a Book Club. There will be weekly online blogging activities to be completed outside of the class meeting.

Grading:

Weekly Assignments Blog Posting Attendance/Participation Final Project

45% 15% 10% 30%

Grading Scale:

A= 90-100

B= 80-89

C= 70-79

D= 60-69

F= 0-59

Activities:

The instructor on a weekly basis will monitor the various course activities.

Unit Schedule
Unit/Week Unit 1 Introduction/What is a Book Club Week 1 Objectives Students will be able to gather, organize, and present information through various forms of media. Students will be able to respond to shared text during group discussions and online blog posts. Learning Activities Introductions Getting to know you activities Look at various novels and read summaries Choose a book Meet with Book Club expectations, assign roles within book club, getting to know you Assignments Completed blog entry Book Club meeting Participation in author research

Students will be able to synthesize and critique ideas through small group discussions.

Unit 1 Introduction/What is a Book Club Week 2 Students will be able to gather, organize, and present information through various forms of media. Students will be able to respond to shared text during group discussions and online blog posts.

matrix, make predictions Teach how to use the blog and students practice making a prediction on the blog. Students respond to other students posts Research author of novel using google and other websites Meet with Book Club review Blog entries expectations, discuss book Linoit post-its (provide starter questions if needed) Use Linoit to write post it notes to collaboratively respond to questions Each student listens to a podcast of the beginning of each novel he is reading. Respond on blog: How is listening to it as a podcast different than reading it?

Unit 2 Setting of the Novel Week 3

Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to develop oral presentation skills by presenting small projects to classmates. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters,

Meet with Book Club discuss Blog entries (at home) book - focus on setting (provide Created setting of a scene starter questions if needed) Presentation to the class Using paint or another art program, recreate the setting of a scene in the novel Present and share setting design with the class Meet with Book Club discuss book - focus on character analysis (provide starter questions if Blog entries Avatar created Description and explanation of

Unit 3 Character Analysis

Week 4

setting, plot, conflict, and needed) avatar problem/solution. Use doppelme.com to create an Created Prezi/Powerpoint avatar for a character in the novel Students will be able to make Presentation to the class inferences about characters in Write about a character on the blog text and compare the characters traits. Students will be able to create a character avatar and description and present to the class. Students will be able to develop oral presentation skills by presenting small projects to classmates. Students will be able develop arguments about the text and support ideas with evidence from the text. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to make inferences about characters in text and compare the characters traits. Students will be able to create a character avatar and description and present to the class. Students will be able to develop oral presentation skills by presenting small projects to Meet with Book Club discuss book focus on character analysis and character development (provide starter questions if needed) As a Book Club, compile all avatars in a Prezi or Powerpoint and write a brief description about each character. Explaining why the avatar is designed this way. Each Book Club presents their Prezi/Powerpoint to the class. Create a paper Facebook page for a character Blog entries (at home) Description and explanation of avatar Create Prezi/Powerpoint Presentation to the class Paper Facebook page for a character

Unit 3 Character Analysis Week 5

classmates. Students will be able develop arguments about the text and support ideas with evidence from the text. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to develop oral presentation skills by presenting small projects to classmates. Students will be able develop arguments about the text and support ideas with evidence from the text. Meet with Book Club discuss Blog entries (at home) book (provide starter questions if Created Interactive Story Map needed) Presentation to the class Independently create an Interactive Story Map on readwritethink.org Compare these with others in the same Book Club and present these to the class

Unit 4 Novel Analysis Week 6

Unit 4 Novel Analysis Week 7

Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to synthesize and critique ideas through small group discussions. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of

Meet with Book Club discuss book focus on plot (provide starter questions if needed) Within Book Club - write a script from a scene of the book or write a commercial to sell the book to other students Type script in Microsoft Word Meet with Book Club to finish script for scene or commercial

Blog entries (at home) Script for final project

Unit 4 Novel Analysis

Blog entries (at home) Script for final project

Week 8 Unit 4 Novel Analysis Week 9

Unit 4 Novel Analysis Week 10

literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to use a flipcamera and software to show their understanding of the novel. Students will be able to identify and explore the elements of literature, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and problem/solution. Students will be able to gather, organize, and present information through various forms of media.

Rehearse script Learn how to use a flipcam Students video scene/commercial Use basic video software Animoto to put together video Blog entries (at home) Video created

Presentation of final video projects to the class Course evaluation and reflection

Blog entries (at home) Presentation of final videos to the class