Overview

This page is designed as a cross curricular unit for English and Social Studies students in eight grade. It integrates students' understanding of how to write poetically to convey information and a message formulated during this webquest. Different learning styles, Gardner's Multiple Intelligence, and Bloom's Taxonomy were taken into consideration when developing and designing this webquest. Rubrics and graphic organizers are included to make are included for assessment.

Adobe player is required to access graphic organizers.

Goals & Objectives

Students will:

Learn about hardships faced by slaves in the antebellum south using on-line resources.

Demonstrate an understanding of rhyme scheme and refrain.

Work collaboratively with peers.

Social Studies Standards Addressed:

Standard 6.4:Indicator 9 Evaluate the views, beliefs, and impact of different social groups on a given historical event or issue.

Standard 6.4:Indicator 10 Evaluate how individuals, groups, and institutions influence solutions to society's problems.

Standard 6.4:Indicator 13 Evaluate actions an individual, group, or institution might take to counteract incidents of prejudice, discrimination, expulsion, genocide, slavery and the holocaust.

Language Arts Standards Addressed:

Standard 3.2 (Writing) All students write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purpose.

Indicator D. 1. Gather select and organize the most effective information appropriate to a topic, task, and audience.

Indicator D. 2. Apply knowledge and strategies for composing pieces in a variety of genres (e.g. narrative, expository, persuasive, poetic, and everyday/workplace or technical writing).

Thinking and Communications Skills

While working on the slave hardship worksheet students were asked to make inferences about how the particular hardship impacted the live of the slaves.

Additionally students were encouraged to analyze the lives of slaves and summarize the dehumanizing impact of slavery on them and their family.

Students needed to work together as a team to come up with the refrain for their song.

When students were engaged in creating a CD cover they not only had to engage in creative production but also team work and creative problem solving as they chose which of the images to include in their cover.

Students will need to compromise as they agree on the CD cover and the refrain for their song.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligence's

Intelligence	Activities
Verbal/Linguistic	Writing the lyrics, Worksheets, Rhyme Scheme
Logical/Mathematical	Progression of the Webquest (process page), formula for writing lyrics, synthesis of research with formula
Spatial	CD Cover , following pattern of rhyme scheme, label rhyme scheme on expert worksheet
Bodily-Kinesthetic	Interactive nature of webquest, writing answers on worksheet, arranging images on CD cover, hand eye coordination with webquest
Musical	Compost ion of lyric, music note graphics
Interpersonal	Working together to develop refrain, create cover and interdependence inherent in task
Intrapersonal	Real-life scenario, individual rubric, expressing their own feeling in lyrics, selecting their research priority
Existential	Deeper understanding of the value of human existence.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Taxonomy	Activities
Knowledge	Define/label/recognize rhyme scheme, refrain. Discover facts about hardships faced by enslaved people.
Comprehension	Summarize and answer questions based on research. Transfer knowledge to composition of lyrics.
Application	Apply researched material from worksheets and lyric expert sheet to complete lyrics according to directions.
Analyze	Pictures are gathered based on relevance to topic. Group distinguishes and develops appropriate refrain.
Evaluate	Images, refrain, rhyme scheme has to be evaluated by all group members to meet rubric requirement.
Synthesis	All parts must of the project and process must be synthesized to create song and CD cover.

Gregoric's Learning Styles

Concrete Sequential Structure of the webquest Procedure page Following rubric Gathering their own information Graphic organizers Individual work component	Abstract Sequential Graphic organizers Access to information needed to complete each handout Individual work component Individual input
Concrete Random Challenge of writing according to rhyme scheme Individual work component Opportunity for further research	Abstract Random Enjoy the interpersonal aspect of working in a group Freedom to select their own topic Freedom to select images relating to their topic Opportunity for further research

Sense and Meaning

It is important that this project has sense and meaning to students so that new information is retained. The hypothetical scenario of having student write a song for the popular music group U2 to perform will elicit a positive emotional response. Additionally, students prior knowledge of Bono's (U2's lead singer) social activism will engage them in the process, and and their own social conscience will be stimulated by their research.

Emotion

Students will have an emotional response to the hardships endured by enslaved people. This emotional connection is essential for retention. Additionally, the emotional response will motivate students to work together to complete the project.

Dunn & Dunn Learning Styles

Global Learner Analytical Learner would both appreciate the discipline activity that is inherent in the elements of this webquest. Many of the activities allow the different learners to operate within their comfort zones thus contributing to likelihood of retention