Fan Fiction for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Junior 10 years later:

I often wonder what would have happened to me if I never left the reservation to go to high school. Where would Rowdy and I be off to now? Would I have gone to college? Who knows? All I can say is that my experiences have made me who I am, my entire persona, my entire being. I do not need o explain myself to anyone, I know my where I come from, I know who I am, and I know where I am going.

Down the street to the café to get a latte with my new wife. That is where I am going, then maybe back to the apartment for a little roll in the hay. I love the way she holds my arm when we walk, she reminds me a lot of Penelope, tough but fragile all at the same time. We met at a book shop reaching for the same book. I really like the way we look together.

Too bad the world is probably going to tear us apart at some point, I just hope we an fit back together as closely as we fit in my sketch. Who knows? I think my grandmother might, too bad she can’t tell me so easily with words.

Milkweed Post

As someone who has read a decent amount of historical fiction discussing the Holocaust, I was quite impressed withMilkweed. Most of what I have read is not from the perspective of a child/adolescent, and Misha’s naïve nature and search for identity in the Holocaust is familiar yet resolute. The story very matter-of-factly deals with so many issues of the Holocaust. Meeting a Nazi afterwards (fatman), life after the Holocaust in Europe and America, the world returning to normal, asking “Why me?” and wanting to die, life in the Ghetto as a non-Jew and as a Jew, the disbelief that the concentration camps could be real, etc. However, none of these situations are ever so overwhelming or realistic because the story is more about personal relationships rather than the Holocaust.

Identity for adolescents is a common theme, however, it is also a theme in many Holocaust novels and short stories. The experience is such that it can rip away the connection one has to his or her self, to loved ones and to the world. I think Milkweed does not necessarily represent any loss of identity since Misha doesn’t exactly know himself at the beginning of the novel and is not actually Jewish. The story is more about the search for identity, and since during the Holocaust identity was tough to ascertain, Misha’s journey to find his true name is long and tireless. That is why I think this book could work well in a classroom in both teaching students about the Holocaust and their own identities, though I feel it is more about identity in dealing with difficult issues.

Questions:

After reading The Wave by Todd Strasser, I was inundated with ideas about teaching the Holocaust. What do you think is the best way to do this and how can Milkweed contribute?

How can Milkweed be taught as something other than a Holocaust novel? Is this the way it should be taught?

What is the significance of Misha’s naivete? How is this a good jumping off point for teaching the novel?

Professor Nana

In case anyone hasn't gotten a chance over the course of this course to check out this website (http://professornana.livejournal.com/)I sincerely hope you do so over the summer. Checking this site will ensure that you know what the newest books are about and will allow you to keep your classroom library up to date. I couldn't find one YA book I've read that hasn't been reviewed or discussed on this website. You will not be disappointed!

Fan Fiction Assignment for The Diary of Anne Frank

This is a fan fiction assignment I actually gave to my students this year. -Marina Podokshik

For your final assignment, you are going to write FIVE diary entries. You can choose to write from the point of view of any of the following characters:

• Anne Frank
• A Jewish person living in the concentration camp (Must do additional research)
• Miep
• Peter
• Mr. Frank
• Mrs. Frank
• Margot

In your diary entries, you must answer the following questions:

1. How is the Holocaust affecting the characters life?

2. What difficult decisions does the character need to make?

3. What fears does that character have?

4. What does the character believe will happen to them?

5. What challenges does the character face?

· Must be at least 3 pages typed, double space

· Must include accurate dates

· C cannot include words taken directly from the play or book.

Fan Fiction- Can't Get There From Here by Todd Strausser

The Other Side of the Library Glass

The girl looked cold and hungry and I couldn’t help but think about how I felt as a kid, tormented by this awful skin condition. I used to steal my Mom’s makeup before school to cover it up. That ended when Tommy Johnathan Mascillo , God knows I will never forget his name, wiped my face with his finger the first week of 6^th grade and announced to the entire class that I was wearing makeup. No one would let it go after that. None of them would look at me without mumbling something underneath their breaths. And girls, forget about it, they were too insecure to be seen around me, God forbid what someone would say.

So I stayed angry for a year until I got lost in the books. My mom got a side job as a librarian the summer I turned 12. She felt bad that I had no friends I suppose so she told me to tag along at the library. I’d take the subway there after school in the winter, and when it was nice I used to walk there in the spring afternoons. The library was a solace and I wound up applying for a job there in my junior year after school. I figured I’d be there anyway so I might as well get paid for it. Anyway, I hadn’t paid much mind to anyone else I worked with until I heard the story of Bobby tormenting that poor homeless girl.

I had never felt less than a man like that in my life until just then when I saw that girl outside the library window, my reflection in the glass eclipsed her spotted face. I wanted to run out and tell her that everything would be alright like my mother had told me, but I felt like that’d be making a promise that I couldn’t keep.

She didn’t talk much outside the library, but I got the vibe that she had a good heart and that’s important. A good heart is what keeps this world going, especially in this city. She certainly wasn’t like Bobby, though; Bobby has got one mean heart in that chest, it makes the bile and acid turn up in my stomach. They wanted to bathe for Christ sakes. Who wants to walk around in soiled clothes that haven’t been washed? Sure they dirtied up the place, but they’re just kids.

I begin to clench my fists every time I think of how he made those girls go outside still soaking wet. They could have caught pneumonia. I made sure to give the girl plenty of donuts when she came in. I can’t imagine walking around in the cold wondering when the next time I’m going eat will be. I stopped feeling sorry for myself I’m sure she has a mom and dad out there somewhere, but some of them have mean hearts which is why a few of these kids end up like this. The kid’s got no place to go. No home. It’s hard to get anywhere from the streets. At least that’s what they say.

I told the girl to come back anytime and I’d have her back. Bobby won’t be bothering her or her friends again as long as I still work here. I’m pissed that the library didn’t let him go after that stunt. I do hope the girl comes back. I brought a few old sweatshirts to my office and am keeping them for her. It’s been a brutal winter so far. It’s horrible out there on the streets. Kids dying all the time, no one even knowing their real names. As bad as I had it as a kid, I still had my mom and my books, and a home. It really makes you appreciate what you do have.

As for now, I’ll wait for her to come back. I want the girl to be able to get out of the cold even if just for an hour or so, make the library a solace for her as well. I have a feeling that she’ll come back, maybe not right away, but when she does I’ll have some donuts waiting for her.

Fan Fiction Assignment

NB This is an assignment which I put together for my students.

Latin 3 Advanced – Alternate Endings

Directions: Post your 200-300 word response to one (1) of the following two (2) questions below on the class Moodle page. Total: 25 points.

tandem his Aenean compellat vocibus ultro:
“dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide, tantum 305
posse nefas tacitusque mea decedere terra?
nec te noster amor nec te data dextera quondam
nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido?
quin etiam hiberno moliri sidere classem
et mediis properas Aquilonibus ire per altum, 310
crudelis? quid, si non arua aliena domosque
ignotas peteres, et Troia antiqua maneret,
Troia per undosum peteretur classibus aequor?
mene fugis? “

1. Create an alternate ending to Book 4, in which Aeneas, warned by Mercury and confronted by Dido (see above), does NOT leave Carthage. What makes this new version of events attractive or unattractive? Why?

… ille, oculis postquam saevi monimenta doloris 945
exuviasque hausit, furiis accensus et ira
terribilis: “tune hinc spoliis indute meorum
eripiare mihi? Pallas te hoc vulnere, Pallas
immolat et poenam scelerato ex sanguine sumit.”
hoc dicens ferrum adverso sub pectore condit 950
fervidus; ast illi soluuntur frigore membra
vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub umbras.

2. Create an alternate ending to Book 12, in which Aeneas, having seen Pallas’ belt (see above), does NOT kill Turnus. What makes this new version of events attractive or unattractive? Why?

Book Trailer Review

Laura McDaniel’s book trailer was effective. The build up of the dramatic music and use of pictures and text could, I think, successfully motivate kids to read the book. I'm curious what book this trailer is about. Cool trailer, Laura!

Milkweed - Jerry Spinelli

blog entry demonstrating understanding of reader response theory :

Being that I’ve been captivated by other historical fiction books written about the Holocaust such as Number the Stars and Night, I must admit I was not overly surprised by how absorbed I became while reading Jerry Spinelli’s Milkweed. I believe that middle school students will receive tremendously benefit from exposure to this novel. In addition to teaching readers about the Holocaust, Milkweed is especially appropriate for a young adult reader because it tells a coming of age story. Misha is a character that both boys and girls can easily relate to. Although Misha’s story is not typical, his journey toward adolescence and establishing an identity is something that all students can understand. Students reading this book will be unaware that while they are enjoying literature they are actually expanding upon their knowledge of history. Spinelli did a superb job creating a character to be used in a novel for young adult literature. Despite his simplistic language, this novel really caused me to experience intense emotions. Misha’s naïve but good-hearted and honest nature cause the reader to feel an instant attraction toward him and genuinely care about his well being. As soon as a reader cares about a character they will be inclined to continue reading to make sure this character “ends up okay”. I would absolutely include this book in my classroom. I think it would be a perfect component to a middle school classroom, especially during the month of April which is Holocaust Remembrance Month.

Question
1. Students need to have at least a basic understanding of the Holocaust and World War II to fully understand this novel. How do you use Milkweed in an English Language Arts classroom without becoming a Social Studies teacher?
2. Should Milkweed be taught specifically as a historical fiction piece or could it be included in a unit about identity?
3. This book is ideal for teaching students about character. What literary techniques would you teach students through this novel?

The mechanical man dipped the pen into the ink and began to write.

The above is a piece of fan fiction based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. I tried to begin the sketch the way the automaton would, with markings all over the page that do not seem to connect (I think the automaton still accomplishes this better than I do). I scanned the sketch at that stage, then again when it was more developed, then again as a finished drawing. The sketch is based on a still from the 1907 Georges Melies movie L'Éclipse du soleilen pleine lune (The Eclipse).

Fan Fiction Story & Reviews

Here's a fan fiction story from two independent reading books.

Harry had just saved Dudley’s life from the Dementors when he got attacked from two of the deadliest muggles he’d ever encountered. Harry never looked down on muggles yet he never really believed that they could ever stand a chance against him in a fight.
Harry realized that by saving Dudley’s life, he had used magic, and by using magic, he had broken the rule stated in paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Well, he didn’t remember that exactly – but he knew that since he used magic in the presence of a muggle (for the second time), there was a good chance that he would be expelled from Hogwarts.
So Harry fled. Fear got hold of him. Controlled him. He couldn’t stand living with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and he was fifteen now, old enough to take care of himself. He didn’t have any money but he would hitch rides until he got far enough away that he could never see Dudley’s fat face again, never have to endure the attacks against him in the Daily Prophet, the stares from wizards who misjudged him. His friends? Ron and Hermione were made Prefects by Dumbledore, not him, and worst of all, they didn’t even tell him about it. He was the one who risked his life saving Cedric Diggory in the Triwizard Tournament. He deserved the Prefect badge, not Ron. At least Ron could have told him about it instead of him overhearing it from the house elf.
So that’s what Harry did. He hitched a ride without knowing where he was going. He just sat in the back of that muggle truck until the driver told him “I ain’t drivin’ no more”. When he opened the passenger door and stepped out onto the highway, he saw the sun setting on cornfields, its reflection of on an old church in the distance. In front of him, he read a slanted green sign, “Tulsa, Oklahoma”

Ponyboy and Johnny had no perception of time. All they knew was their new life as fugitives from the law, eating baloney, reciting passages from Gone With the Wind. All they knew was that they had been living in a church, that they were running out of food, and that they were alone. Alone, except for the crickets at night, and the creaking of the cracked floor when they walked, and the screeching of the church door opening…THE CHURCH DOOR WAS OPENING?
Johnny cocked his gun. Ponyboy picked up a cracked bottle. He’d use it too if he had to. The heavy door pushed open, grinding against the floor…and in walked the strangest looking boy they had ever seen.
He wasn’t a Soc nor a Greaser or someone in between. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and had a perfectly formed lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Johnny thought he must be part of a local gang. That scar must have been initiation. This boy was tough.
“Put down your stick!” Johnny yelled. The boy was holding a long object that resembled some sort of manmade stick. It wasn’t much of a weapon, Johnny thought. The boy wouldn’t put down the stick. He walked toward Ponyboy and Johnny. Johnny aimed his gun at the boy’s scar.

I already used magic in front of muggles once so what does it matter, Harry thought, so he shouted, “Stupefy!” A red light jetted out of Harry’s wand and struck Johnny. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Ponyboy ran at Harry with the bottle and before Harry could put the spell on Ponyboy, Ponyboy had hit him on the head with the broken bottle.

Ponyboy looked down at the two unconscious boys and wondered what had just happened. He didn’t know how to undo what had been done to Johnny. Would he ever wake up? He looked down at the intruder who was bleeding from the head. He would die if he wasn’t helped. Ponyboy took off his shirt and bandaged up the boy’s head with his shirt so he would stop the bleeding.
What else could he do? He didn’t know of a hospital for miles, he didn’t have any water or food, two boys were lying unconscious on the ground, or were they dead, he didn’t know, and he was scared. That’s when Ponyboy came to a realization: he’s only fourteen. He may have been through a lot in his life but as much as he didn’t want to believe it, as much as he felt invincible, that he could care for himself, for Johnny - he was fourteen years old. If Darry were here, he’d know what to do, if Sodapop were here, he’d know just what to say. Ponyboy needed to go home. And the funny looking kid lying on the church floor, well, he probably did too.

Not sure if we had to do this but here are two fan fiction reviews from fanfiction.net

“The Baseball Glove” a fanfiction story based on Catcher in the Rye by “love4books”.

Taking on the voice of Holden Caufield is probably harder than it looks. Ok, I can use the “phony” over and over again, but recreating one of the most distinct voices of all time is not an easy task. I think that “love4books” does an OK job – not particularly good, but not terribly off either. The one part that was inconsistent is when the writer talks about how people who “cause pain to others…should be taken from the world”. I don’t believe that Holden Caufield would ever wish death upon anyone. This is a bit extreme.

The most successful part of this fanfiction story, which takes place a week after Allie’s death (so before the actual book takes place) is the scene that the writer creates, rather than the parts where Holden tells us his view on the world. He tells a scene where Holden walks through his house and into Allie’s room, takes out his baseball glove, and tries to cry, but can’t. This was effective, because, sometimes writers need to just linger with their characters, put the in a scene, and see where they take them. This writer takes a small moment and recreates a scene that could have happened in Holden’s life and the halfway decent prose portrays how Holden may have dealt with Allie’s death. This was an appropriate selection on the part of this writer because Allie’s death is central to Salinger’s novel.

“Take the Long Way Home” a fanfiction story by “Ammundaea”, a modern retelling of The Odyssey

“Take the Long Way Home” is at times, a witty, modern retelling of The Odyssey, portraying Odysseus as a drunk who never goes home to see his wife. Setting the story in a bar is also a funny idea. However, the writing is filled with too much dialogue and too little substance. The attempt at a clever ending, in which Penny enters the bar, is predictable. Although this story has some funny ideas, it is ultimately an uninteresting retelling of the classic tale.

The Outsiders Fan Fiction

I am going to make my students create a piece of fan-fiction for The Outsiders where they will focus on the day that Johnny got beat up by the Socs from Johnny's point of view. I will show them this one I created as an example:

"Man, I hate my parents," I whispered to myself.
I walked out my front door as I heard my parents' screams begin to escalate. Their yelling followed me out the door and I could feel my face get redder and redder with embarrassment.
How did I end up in a family like this?
I began walking down the street hoping that I would cool down before meeting up with my friends. Man, if it wasn't for those guys, I don't know what I would be doing with my life. All of our gang is just one big support system. However I know that no one can replace family.
I continued walking until I made it to the abandoned lot near Ponyboy's house. I saw a football in the grass so I walked over there to pick it up. That's right when I heard a car pull up beside me.
"Oh look who it is. It;s a Greaser!," someone yelled from the car.
I knew it was too late to run so I turn around and saw 5 guys coming at me. They each had their madras shirts and rich looking shoes on. Typical Socs.
"Get out of our territory," I yelled.
"Or what?," one of them responded.
Before I could say anything else the boys all ran at me at the same time. I tried to make a run for it but the largest of the group grabbed me. At that point all the boys started punching me at the same time. I felt like someone was hitting me with bricks all over my body and the pain was unbearable.
"Help me," I screamed.
Soon after I was on the floor and I could feel them kicking me with those rich shoes I had admired beforehand. Each kick was like a sledgehammer to my ribs and stomach. I could feel the world darken around me as I cried out "Help me!" one final time.

Fanfic (as the kids call it) By Emilie Jones

Emilie Jones

Fanfiction Post – Forged by Fire (Sharon M. Draper)

Angel’s Eyes

Told from the perspective of Angel

Why was I born into the stupid, messed up family? There are times, when I’m dancing, that I am lost. I spin and spin and spin. My mind goes blank, and my thoughts fly away. And I’m lost. Not the kinda lost that you see on that commercial with the snot-nosed kid crying in the middle of a busy room and he can’t find his parents. My lost is a good lost. My lost means that I don’t have to cringe every time I hear the door to my room open because I’m afraid it’s my drunk father ready to play one of his “games.” My lost means that I don’t have to watch my mom take pills or drink or get beat up by Jordan – my father. My lost means that I don’t have a father or a mother, just a brother. Gerald. This is when I open my eyes and I see me and Gerald living a good life away from Cincinnati and away from all this crap. I dance and dance and dance. And sometimes, when I’m really lost in my dancing, I smile. While I am dancing and getting lost, I see things I don’t see when I’m standing still. My eyes open, and I see my family like the Washington’s family – a loving mom, a supportive dad, a house that we’ve lived in for more than 6 months.

But eventually, I have to stop spinning....... I have to. When I do stop, I tightly hold my eyes together so that I can block out the father and mother I do have. I try to keep my eyes closed until the next time that I can get lost.

Fan Fiction assignment for The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

I shared this with the class via Google Docs sharing, but I wanted to make sure this was posted before Tuesday's class and there was no link to the class Google Docs folder.

Fan Fiction assignment for The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

Neil Schleifer

In Gary Blackwood’s THE SHAKESPEARE STEALER, the orphan boy Widge discovers that Julian, his fellow acting intern at the Globe Theatre, is actually a girl, Julia, in disguise. This gender-bending hidden identity inspires playwright William Shakespeare to invent the character of Viola, who pretends to be the boy Cesario, in TWELFTH NIGHT.

Your assignment is to create another story in which Widge encounters one or more of Shakespeare’s other characters in real life and inspires Mr. Shakespeare to write their story. Please choose from one of the following five scenarios:

1) Widge encounters the three weird sisters from MACBETH and, knowing their power to predict the future, gets them to reveal his own!

2) Widge meets ROMEO AND JULIET as they plan to elope.

3) Widge thinks he’s seeing double when he sees two pairs of twins, Masters and Servants from COMEDY OF ERRORS, and goes to the theatre’s physician for an eye check-up.

4) Widge plays matchmaker between the cocky fencing-master Petruchio Armin and the sharp-tongued cook, Goodwife Kate Willingson and tries to help Mr. Armin with THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Your story may be no shorter than three-typed pages, double-spaced, Arial font, 12 point.

Page margins may be 1”. Please include at least five vocabulary words from the following list:

alcove

genial

curfew

rapier

urchin

derisive

jerkin

prudent

stance

melancholy

Be sure to use the vocabulary words appropriately and correctly and every time you use a vocabulary word be sure to indicate it by having it appear in bold.

Five Websites Related to Adol Lit

Here are five websites that have been most useful to me as a teacher.

1) http://www.readwritethink.org/

This is a great resource for lesson plans of all kinds and for all ages. This is the website that I go to when I'm thinking of lesson plans. Its stamped and approved by Dr. S-B herself, who told me that she sits on a panel that comes up with LPs for this website. I've found many ideas on this website that I've incorporated into the classroom and have found success.

2) http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/general/

This is a rubric generator: type in your information and print and you've got yourself a rubric. This is what I use for assessment for my classes and it has served me well (and i've found it very useful).

3) http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/8th_grade/8_Short%20StoriesElementsofFiction.pdf

Skip to the appendices on this 8th grade class pdf document and you'll see why I chose this as my #3. This fiction (reading and writing) comprehensive lesson plan has worksheets, definitions, creative writing prompts, and a rubric (which I incorporated into my own).

4) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Ever ask, "what's that rule of grammar?" This site was recommended to me by a professor in my MFA program so I go to it whenever I need to look up a grammatical rule. I consider it the most reliable source in this area.

5) http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal.cfm

Finally a site on adolescent lit in particular, here's the website for all Newbery Medal winners. Looking for a adolescent lit book? Look here and you're bound to find something decent. There's also information on the medal itself as well as other awards.

I hope this was useful for some of you!

Fan Fiction — Rowley Jefferson's Journal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

September

Another year in middle school and I’m stuck with this journal. This is Rowley, by the way. Rowley Jefferson. How did I forget my name? Geez. My parents gave it to me this morning. They told me to write down every thing that happens this year in it. Why would I want to do that? They said it would make me feel better when I’m upset. Fat chance of that. I don't think they remember what it's like to be in middle school. When you’re not popular, there’s not a whole lot to make you feel better. Except maybe ice cream. Or making crank calls. But you can’t play sports because you’re no good. And you don’t want even want to your time thinking about school because everything about it stinks.

The only reason I’m writing in this lousy thing is because my friend, Greg, is also keeping a journal. So how bad can it be? Greg is always coming up with whacky ideas. They always sound great but then when we try to do them they never end well. I wonder how this one will turn out. I just hope I don’t leave it in the cafeteria for someone to find and hang up the pages all over school. That would just be beyond the pits.

Webquest Paragraph Description

I'm not sure where to post this, so I'm posting it here:


Write a one paragraph description of the activity that the web quest asks students to do and explain why you think it would be a good one for your students. Save this is a Word document. I will tell you later how you will upload it to our class blog. Take a look at the template

I used a webquest for the first time in student teaching this spring. We have been reading Daddy was a Number Runner by Louise Merriwether, a novel about a 12 year old girl living in 1930s Harlem. I wanted to incorporate technology into a lesson somehow and since the book had several characters, I thought of having each student “become” a character in the book. I designed a webquest that outlined a month long assignment that included a character webpage, class blog, a rubric, and a reflective letter. The idea behind this assignment was to have students take on a point of view of their character through research and application. They learn how to create a webpage through google sites. They also create original posts and responses on the class blog, creating a social media type, interactive atmosphere. I reviewed the webquest with them on the first day to outline the assignment and posted links from my sample character homepage and class blog so they can refer back to the webquest at any time. This assignment was overall a success, bearing technological difficulties. Students took on the mindset of their characters in striking ways and said they enjoyed the lesson. I hope that they learned something about literature and technology.

Here is a link to the webquest: http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listcharactemr1.html#cat1

-This is Jonah btw

Neil's Stupendous Webquest

Webquest Review

I’d like to review Neil’s webquest, cleverly titled, “Shall I compare this Webquest To a Summer’s Day?” This webquest is clear and thorough. It outlines an assignment in which you will “become the Bard of Fordham” in which you create your own sonnet with both metaphor and simile in Shakespearean style. This is a great idea that should engage students into Shakespeare and the difficult task of mimicking his writing into a sonnet. Neil makes the concept of metaphors and similes understandable by providing famous artwork such as “Starry Night” for visual learners and a link to an explanation/examples.

The webquest itself is outlined clearly from the introduction to the task to the conclusion. It is filled with links to Shakespeare’s sonnets and on iambic pentameter. The Shakespearean language is also defined on the webquest for comprehension. There is a link to a class blog where students are required to post their sonnets and comment on each other work. Neil makes sure to tell students to respect each other in critiquing their work.

Web Quest Review

http://cmcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/webquest/moran/rj.htm
I found the web quest “Let’s Throw A Wedding For Romeo & Juliet” to be quite interesting. The task requires students to consider various aspect of the Elizabethan era including food, music, fashion, games, entertainment, hairstyles, decorations and the wedding service. The students are even required to create a guest list that is appropriate for the lives and times of Romeo and Juliet. What I liked the most about this web quest is the abundant resources it includes. The web quest includes over fifty outside links that are organized by which section of the web quest they will be most beneficial for. It is evident that the teacher who designed this quest put a great deal of time and effort into ensuring the students learning will be optimal. I also found the fact that the web quest included rubrics for each task to be beneficial. I believe this will help the students better understand what is expected of them and the standards they will be expected to meet. Rubrics should be given in advance whenever students engage in independent learning to motivate students to remain on task. This web quest would be the perfect addition to an interdisciplinary English Language Arts/Social Studies unit. This web quest really encourages students to thoroughly explore all cultural aspects of the Elizabethan era which in turn will help them both better understand and more thoroughly appreciate Romeo and Juliet. However, since the web quest was created in June 2000 I would suggest updating the links or at the very least making sure the links still work.

Can't Get There From Here - T. Strasser

I have never blogged before and I am not sure I did this correctly. Are we doing the same thing here as we are on blackboard? T. Strasser's book , Can't Get There From Here, was really a good read. Sad, as the author tells a disturbing tale of runaway teens and how they fight for survival. I need to find the good books account.

Romeo and Juliet Web Quest Review

http://www.mshogue.com/ce9/R_J/web_assign_rj.htm

This webquest would be good for an introduction to Shakespeare, a pre-reading activity. As the language and culture of Shakespeare seems distant and intimidating to middle school students, this activity does a nice job of separating the important skills and knowledge necessary to understanding Shakespeare. The activity requires the students to go to a variety of sites in order to obtain information about Shakespeare’s life, the globe theater, the culture and traditions of marriage and food, the language of Shakespeare, and Shakespeare Insults. There is a great deal involved in reading Shakespeare and having a solid introduction and background knowledge will allow Shakespeare to be a more enjoyable experience for students. While introducing Romeo and Juliet to my students, I had slight difficulty in determining how I wanted to organize the introduction, as introducing Shakespeare is key to hooking the students. Granted I was collaborating with my cooperating teacher and the school’s literacy advisor at the time, but the students needed an introduction to the language. The story of Romeo and Juliet was familiar, but it was the language that was preventing them from becoming engaged. This webquest allows the students to explore some of the more distant traditions and cultures of the time period, as well as methods of breaking down Shakespeare’s language in order to understand. In addition, Shakespeare was very clever with his insults and humor throughout the play. This webquest devotes a section to Shakespeare’s insults as well as has the students create their own insults. Thus, breaking down Shakespeare’s language and applying the language to their everyday lives.

Overall the web quest is quite dry until the last activity, which I think will engage students in actively reading Romeo and Juliet.

Magical Fairytale Moments Web Quest: A Review

http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/ridge/wq/savona/index.html

This web quest deals with fairytales and would be perfect for teaching a book such as J.R. R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”. After reviewing some other web quests, which were often confusing, this one seems simple and straightforward. The students must first select a fairytale to read from a list on the research page (most of which are rather short). Then they must answer several questions about their fairytale, asking them to think critically and analyze the story they have just read. After this, the student must brainstorm their fairytale and create options for how they want their story to develop. Finally, students must create their own fairytale using the elements they have just encountered and learned about. Although somewhat juvenile, this web quest will prove to be fun for the students, allowing them to think both critically and creatively about a story. It would be best for middle schoolers. If all goes as planned, this will teach the students about literary elements in fairytales and how to analyze this information. Its simplicity is appealing and the web quest also includes a grading rubric for the teacher that the students can also see. This will be valuable to both student and teacher as they both will be aware of the requirements of the assignment.

Emilie Jones - Tears of a Tiger Webquest

Emilie Jones

 

Webquest Search

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

 

http://mkershner.tripod.com/id6.html

http://www2.mcsdk12.org/blk28/WebQuests/Underage_Drinking_Webquest.htm

 

 

I reviewed two different webquests for Sharon Draper’s book, Tears of a Tiger.   This is a novel that I have been using as a read aloud in my 7^th grade class.   My class read another book in the same series called Forged by Fire that they absolutely loved. The first webquest listed was definitely geared towards a higher level student (higher than 7^th grade). Students were asked to analyze and make connections between a piece of poetry and the themes and issues in the novel.  I would use this webquest as an extension project/assignment for my higher level students.  The second webquest was more on the level most my students are on.  I like the second webquest because it was to be completed early in the reading of the novel and dealt with social issues in the novel.  Some of the best class discussions that I’ve had this year were about the social issues in Tears of a Tiger and Forged by Fire.  The second webquest was a great place to build engagement and investment in the novel early on.  The students also got a chance to do creative responses to pictures as well.  This would be a good supplement to reading the book, but definitely an activity used to build engagement early on. 

The Outsiders Webquest

The Outsiders Webquest

Website: http://outsiders06.tripod.com/

Description: This was a great and interactive webquest that had many higher-level questions in it and was easily accessible to the students. It gave students the opportunity to put themselves in the mindset of the characters in the novel to get a better understanding of their motives and actions. What I thought was great about this website was that it included activities for the individual to do as well as entire group. Along with this, they also provided a way for the students to evaluate themselves and their group performance in performing the tasks in the Webquest. I think that this would be highly effective in my classroom because it provides students with Internet resources, it fosters their higher level thinking abilities that deal with the major themes in the book, and it supports their strength in group work. I would love to implement this in my classroom because it connects technology to my classroom and helps the students discover their own answers to the essential questions I have about this novel including the reasons why people join gangs and the similarities that all humans share.

Some Additional Webquests & Adolescent Literature Sites

Webquest: Speak:

http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/SPEAK/

 Webquest: Persepolis:

 http://questgarden.com/68/89/6/080728084932/index.htm

 Adolescent Lit Sites: 

http://www.literacymatters.org/adlit/intro.htm

http://www.adlit.org/

http://www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/ya.htm

http://www.teenreads.com/

 

Webquest: The Absolutely True DIary of a Part-Time Indian

If I were to be hired as an 8th grade teacher next year, I would like to have my class read The Absolutley True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.  I would consider using activities from this webquest which I found online: http://sites.google.com/site/hannaswebquest/Home .  This webquest asks students to compare and contrast the main characters life with that of a real teenager growing up on a reservation.  Students will have to write journalistic articles on two topics: Indian Reservation Schools & Alcoholism in Americans.  In order to write these articles students will have to use online reference sites and critically question Alexie’s depiction of the the two topics.  The task gives a number of online resources that students will need to use to determine how true to life Alexie’s depiction of the Wellpinit reservation is in the book.  This activity is good for my students because it asks them to process information from various sources, as well as question another source of information.  Hopefully asking students to question stereotypes with this exercise will add to their critical analysis of the text.  In addition this activity will develop students’ comparative writing skills as they will be asked to compare and contrast what they have found online with information found in the novel.  Lastly, the activity incorporates technology in an authentic way asking students take on the role of a journalist, and to present their understanding in the form of an article.  A nice thing about this webquest is that it adjusts the tasks for different grade levels.  

Webquest for Seedfolks

http://teacherweb.com/MA/Applewild/SeedfolksWebQuest/h1.aspx

Contemporary adolescent literature is not my thing. Give me dead, white male authors! If I'm feeling crazy, I might read something from a living, white male (Prof. George is probably cringing. I promise I'm open to exploring new authors and genres). I share this because this assignment was something of a challenge for me, which is why I chose to find a webquest for Seedfolks. I thought the book was great, but that might have something to do with the fact I finished it while commuting, like Prof. George promised.

Most of the webquests for Seedfolks were similar in nature — creating a character and writing a chapter from that perspective. I love the idea of having students make their own version of Seedfolks. Such an assignment will not only engage them in a creative capacity, but it will also force them to think about the book from a different perspective. As creators, students become invested in the book and the final product. This particular webquest interested me because of the teacher's emphasis on tone and style — two important tools every writer should develop. The webquest does not simply ask students to do research; they must synthesize their findings into a finished product that resembles Fleischman's book and relates to it. That's a challenging, yet interesting webquest. Hopefully, students will be as excited as I am for this assignment. Students have a lot of freedom in deciding how they want to proceed. I'm a big believer in offering students choice, which is another reason why I like this.

If I use this webquest in my classroom, I would modify the directions with the intent of clarifying them. I found the instructions under the "Process Page" a bit confusing and wouldn't want my students to have any problems. The chart on the "Your Seefolks Chapter" page is a great organizer for students.

Anthem: A Utopian Society Webquest

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/lewis/anthem/t-index.htm

The webquest instructs students, after reading Anthem by Ayn Rand, to form small groups and research the concept of utopian societies, and ultimately formulate their own in both personal essays and a three-dimensional model. Each student in the group is given a role (scientist, historian, philosopher, and human rights activist) and asked to contribute to the group project.

Each role is very clearly defined with a lot of support and resources to get students started. A highly detailed rubric is given for all the included assignments and the webpages are easily navigated.

The text is certainly a good one for eighth grade students and the task is well planned for the age group. There is a lot of good differentiation built into the assignment so it should appeal to a majority of a class and hold their interest. It could serve as a great introduction to a longer work such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell as well. Given the task and the material the webquest could happen across classes as well- history, social studies and ELA classes could all use this project.

I really like the idea of using Anthem to get students to think about creating their own society and working as a group to make decisions. The webquest is really designed to start a dialogue between students and bring a real sense of critical awareness to their reading.

Laura Mcdaniel's Webquest posting: A Wrinkle in Time

http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/Wrinkle/index.htm

This webquest for the novel A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle asks students to become Meg, the main character of the text, and to time travel to outer space in order to save her father and brother from “the clutches of evil.” The resource includes a series of printable study guides that include vocabulary instruction, guiding questions (detail and inference) and chapter-by-chapter as well as end-of-book final projects. There is also a link for additional supplementary resources and a teacher’s page.
My kids would greatly benefit from this webquest for numerous reasons. My kids struggled with the higher-level thinking skills necessary to uncover the many dimensions of A Wrinkle in Time this year. I taught the book with weekly packet-type homework assignments, and rarely received thoughtful responses. In class discussions were beneficial and fruitful, however those only occurred every two days or so due to scheduling; therefore, my lower readers fell farther and farther behind. This resource in particular sparked my interest because it creates a sense of excitement by having the kids be “time travelers” and by using vocabulary such as “your mission” as opposed to “your task” or “your work.”
Also- my school only has one set of computers that are often taken by the composition instructor, so computer time is limited. Therefore, having printable worksheets along with a technological companion gives me a back-drop and mixes it up for the kids as well. All of the guided questions are differentiated for all levels/ types of learners, and spiraled with standards-based skills. The recommendations for final projects are also beneficial to different types of learners and include board-games, plot analysis, etc. Although the site is neither aesthetically pleasing nor incredibly interactive, it is a great introduction to the technology we have available but rarely use, and will allow my kids to all work at their own pace. It also comes with a rubric, which is GREAT!

Bridge to Terabithia WebQuest

Here's another great webquest on a more traditional piece of adolescent lit, THE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA.

http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/webbridgetth.html

This webquest combines ELA content objectives (vocabulary; themes; critical thinking) with creative writing and cooperative learning, and does it in a way that ties in really nicely to the content of the book -- each task in the webquest creates a piece of the bridge to get to Terabithia. The final piece of the bridge cannot be completed alone -- it is either completed with a partner or with the entire class' assistance. This works beautifully with the theme of cooperation and friendship that Jess, the book's protagonist, learns.

Adolescent Literature sites

Here are a few Adolescent liteature sites I discovered that I think are worth sharing:

http://www.grouchy.com/angst/

Favorite Teenage Angst Books from The Grouchy Café

http://www.teenreads.com/

Website of The Book Report Network, a privately held corporation located in New York City that was founded in 1996.

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

The Children's Literature Web Guide managed by David K. Brown, Director, Doucette Library of Teaching Resources

http://www.read.gov/teens/

The Library of Congress’ Center for the Book site

http://www.reading.org/Resources/Booklists/YoungAdultsChoices.aspx

The International Reading Association is a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. Their Young Adults Choices Booklist is an annual list of new books that will encourage adolescents to read featuring books selected by young readers themselves