teacher

Introduction:

This WebQuest features Judith St. George's Caldecott honor book (2000), So You Want To Be President, offer teachers and parents many opportunities to improve reading comprehension skills and to gain knowledge about previous President's and their experience in the White House.

The primary purpose of using quality children's literature in the classroom is to instill a love of reading. As with any book, So You Want to Be President, should be first read for pleasure before embarking on activities based on the book. Students should be allowed opportunities to ask questions, make comments, and simply enjoy this delightful story.

The Tasks provided for students in this WebQuest facilitate reading comprehension skills. Students will be asked to interpret passages from the story, to describe the characters, and the problems and solutions of the story. Students will be performing tasks that help them link their real lives with previous Presidents. Presidents and their interactions in the story will be discussed. Also, discussion of art and music illusions in the book will be encouraged.

Content Area:

This multidisciplinary WebQuest includes the following content areas: reading and social studies. It is directed for fifth grade elementary students. This webQuest could be intended for forth grade students, but will require extra assistance on performing the tasks included in this WebQuest.

Objectives:
(Kentucky Curriculum Standards)

Reading:

RD-E-1.0.10

Connect literature to students lives and real world issues

RD-M-2.0.11

Use text features (e.g., lists, charts, graphs, tables of contents, indexes, glossaries, captions, diagrams, headings) to understand a passage.

RD-M-2.0.12

Apply knowledge of organizational patterns (e.g., cause and effect, comparison, contrast, sequence) to understand a passage.

RD-M-4.0.11

Locate and apply information for a specific purpose (e.g., following directions, completing a task

RD-M-x.0.6

Scan to find key information

RD-M-x.0.9

Reflect on and evaluate what is read

RD-M-x.0.10

Connect information from a passage to students' lives and/or real world issues.

RD-M-4.0.14

Interpret the meaning of specialized vocabulary.

Writing:

WR-M-1.4

Transactive writing is informative/persuasive writing that presents ideas and information for authentic audiences to accomplish realistic purposes like those students will encounter in their lives. In transactive writing, students will write various forms, speeches, editorials, propsals, other kinds of practical/workplace writing, articles in magazines, academic journals, newspapers, and brochures.

Art:

AH-M-4.1.41

Create are for specific purposes using the elements of art and principles of design to communicate ideas.

Social Studies

SS-M-5.1.3

History is a series of connected events shaped by multiple cause-and-effect relationships, tying the past to the present.

SS-M-5.1.1

Different perspectives (e.g., gender, race, region, ethnic group, nationality, age, economic status, religion, politics) result in different interpretations of historical events.

Implementation Overview:

Students will work in groups of 3 or 4 (dependent upon computer access and physical classroom structure). Students will decide on their own how to divide the various tasks required to complete the project, although teachers may find it better to assign tasks based on each child's needs to be successful. Students will need time to collect data from web sites, respond to the data response formats, and to prepare presentations for their classmates. This unit can be extended by examining other topics of interest to students using So You Want to Be President as a springboard.

Students in forth grade will need extra support in doing this WebQuest. Additional adapations can be made for younger grades. Teachers will need to prepare students for following the format of a WebQuest and for working together cooperatively. A nice modeling technique might be to take one of the options on the student page and do it together as a whole group activity.

Many of the lessons include activity pages that need to be printed out. I would recommend printing these out ahead of time, and making enough copies for your students. Even though this is one of the postions for a student, he or she can still get the material for the group. You will just have it printed before hand. You will find a list of the pages in the student evaluation section.

Special Resources Needed:

Computers with Internet access

Multiple copies of So You Want to Be President
(preferred - one copy per group)

Software: Microsoft Word

Poster Board

Markers

Pencils

Paper

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge:

Students should be able to read and write, and it would help if the students had some computer background, and some informational background on the role of the president of the United States.

Evaluation:

A RUBRIC will be used to allow students to self-assess and for the teacher assessment. Teachers may also want to use the Scoring Guide specifically designed to evaluate student performance in group work associated with doing a WebQuest. The final product of this WebQuest is group presentation sharing information found by each group on the selected topic. Individual student scores will be based on participation in the group project and on independent writing samples. There will be a Rubric for the Writing and the Art in Task 4.

Student Handouts for each Task:

Task 1: Activity 1: Stoplight Vocabulary, Activity 2: Vocabulary Words, Activity 3: Synonyms
Task 2: Anticipation Guide and President Characterists Concept Web
Task 3: Literature Map
Task 4: Writing: Why I Should be President & Art: Slogan Design

Conclusion:

This interdisciplinary webquest (Reading, Social Studies and Art) is based on the constructivist approach to learning. Students work in groups to complete the four tasks provided. They will learn to read for detail and comprehension by navigating through the Webquest and searching the internet to find information for their vocabulary words. They will read, write, draw, and present a final product to the class, in order to make real life connections through literature. This webquest can be easily adapted to older, more advanced students, but because of the reading level and content of the book, younger students (Kindergarten - second grade) would have more trouble relating to the webquest.

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