Happy Birthday
U.S.A.!
Project
URL:
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/unhs/july/index.htm
How it works:
Happy Birthday USA! is a
cooperative ESL project built into a WebQuest that offers English Language
Learners an opportunity to research American culture and history, while
practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It culminates in the
production and presentation of a multi-media celebration that is
simultaneously fun and academically beneficial.
Student groups act
cohesively to create a group identity, delegate responsibility, and
prepare written documents, oral presentations, and a multi-media
presentation. Individually, students research information about the
American Revolution and Independence Day as they take on the roles of
caterer, party-planner, and historical guest speaker. A variety of
web resources facilitate the quest, and citing Internet sources--one of
the requirements of this WebQuest--gets students into the habit of
research citation and underscores the taboo of Internet
plagiarism.
Standards addressed:
Students
listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and
understanding; literacy response, enjoyment, and expression; critical
analysis and evaluation; and classroom and social interaction. They
demonstrate cross-cultural knowledge and understanding, and develop
positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning,
collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity. They use technology
tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity,
and employ productivity tools to construct technology-enhanced models,
prepare publications, and produce other creative works. They employ a
variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas
effectively to multiple audiences; and use technology to locate, evaluate,
and collect information from a variety of sources.
Materials
used:
Required materials include computers with Internet
connection, Microsoft Word Office Suite, an LCD projector, and traditional
classroom materials such as a dry board, notebooks, and printed
resources.
The
students:
This WebQuest is designed for high school intermediate
ESL students in grades 9 through 12 with competence in Internet searching
and basic software presentation skills. It provides for a range of
learning styles and levels to make the learning experience valuable for a
heterogeneous, inclusive class. Differentiation may be achieved as needed
with the fluid nature of cooperative WebQuest
instruction.
Overall value:
Happy Birthday USA! synthesizes a variety of skills and subject areas, including
English Language Arts, Social Studies, Technology, and Occupations. It
enables students to hone their language skills, appreciate the nature and
characteristics of national celebrations, improve their research and web
skills, and deepen their understanding of history. Moreover, the
participants' appetites will be whetted to further explore the subjects
and expand their quests into new learning arenas. The WebQuest may also be
used for other holidays and may be extended to include material
about the students' native countries' independence days or similar
national holidays.
Tips:
The teacher is encouraged to preview the
WebQuest tasks before assigning the project to the class. Testing the
links, time requirements, number of tasks, etc. will allow the teacher
make appropriate modifications. Internet publication of the students'
presentations is highly recommended as that allows them to revisit their
work, build their portfolios, and share their accomplishments.
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About the
teacher:
Julie Vitulano is project director of a Teaching American
History grant in Manhattan. Before her work in educational grant
management, she was a high school English and ESL teacher. Throughout her
career, she has been involved with computer-assisted instruction. Her ELA
classes were all successfully conducted in computer labs. During those
years, her career paralleled the development of Internet technology in
education. She is the recipient of a variety of awards associated with
technology in education including two Impact II awards. Since becoming an
educational administrator, she has continued to act as a proponent for
infusing technology across the curricula.
E-mail:
jvitulano@nycboe.net
Subject
Areas:
ESL
Social
Studies
Technology
Grade
Levels:
9-12
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