HOW IT WORKS
A Herculean Task is an interdisciplinary program involving
English and math that also integrates technology into the
English curriculum so it can be aligned with the ELA
Standards. In this way, students can be learning content-area
material as well as honing their skills to take the new English
Regents. Initially, students are introduced to the myth of
Hercules in class and they decide which qualities of Hercules
are similar to those of our modern day heroes.
The class separates into cooperative learning groups, where
they fill out the triangles in a pie-graph handout with all twelve
labors of Hercules and determine which specific qualities he
would need to use in order to accomplish those labors. On a
second handout, the groups answer teacher-generated
questions, this time representing their answers using fractions,
decimals, and percentages. Each group presents their
answers to an assigned question, and is graded on how
persuasively they present their argument. Subsequently, the
students complete a third handout that depicts their answers in
a box chart.
Next, students learn how to create graphics of their own choice
using Microsoft PowerPoint to depict their answers. A
demonstration of Microsoft PowerPoint is given using a
computer on wheels and a projector before taking the students
into the computer lab. When in the lab, students are asked to
determine how computers can help them represent their
answers—using fractions, decimals, and percentages— to the
teacher-generated questions. Then they pair off to work on
creating those graphics. The student-made graphs and box
charts are then redistributed to the other cooperative learning
groups, who are asked to interpret the information and use it to
write a persuasive essay that argues whether Hercules needed
strength or intelligence to accomplish his labors.
THE
STUDENTS
A Herculean Task can be used successfully with basic-skills
through honor-level classes as part of a unit on mythology.
Since the program includes a wide range of learning
strategies, it is especially useful when teaching classes that
contain students who are being mainstreamed.
THE
STAFF
Sandy Del Duca taught English to all grade levels for the past
seven years at DeWitt Clinton High School. She developed
this program five years ago and implemented it in her ninth
grade classes. She has facilitated various staff development
workshops, including a series sponsored by the Bronx
Superintendent’s
Office entitled “Integrating Technology into
the English Classroom to Meet the New Regents Standards.”
She also participated in preparing a CD-ROM for the district
on integrating technology into the classroom. In September,
Sandy joined the Manhattan Superintendent's instructional
team as a staff developer.
WHAT
YOU NEED
In order to replicate this program, teachers will need a copy of
the myth of Hercules and the handouts that were created for the
program. They will also need a computer on wheels and a
projector, as well as access to a computer lab that has
Microsoft PowerPoint or another software program that can be
used to create graphics.
OVERALL
VALUE
The program maximizes the use of technology because it
enhances the existing curriculum and is directly aligned with
the new English Regents. It uses instructional time effectively
since the computer activity is integrated into one specific
aspect of a unit, and is focused on the preparation students
need to meet the new standards set forth by the State of New
York. Moreover, the program’s varied activities address the
different learning styles of students while promoting critical
thinking skills and encouraging positive social interaction.
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