Jack Daw & WebQuest

So, like I said in the last blog, during the months of January and February, I am really going to have to limit the amount of time my students are in the computer lab. This is unfortunate because my students will be reading some really great literature that really could really lend itself well to technology--first they will be reading Othello by Shakespeare, and then they will read Night by Elie Wiesel.

I know that for Othello I plan to use technology primarily in pre-reading activities as a method of "hooking" the students into Shakespeare--which is often a very daunting task. The students will participate in two activities that integrate technology as a means of providing introductory knowledge and material and to help create connections with the students:

1) Jack Daw--students will move between stations that have a variety of materials related to information about the Elizabethan era. Some of the materials include photocopied reading materials about the Globe Theater, images of Queen Elizabeth accompanied by reading material, images of clothing at the time, a PowerPoint about Shakespeare and his life, a small film about Queen Elizabeth, reading material and a small film clip about the plague.

2) WebQuest--I found the questions for this WebQuest at the PBS website that provides lesson ideas for teaching various Shakespeare plays. What I really liked about this WebQuest is that it has students look up more than just information, it also has them look up images and visuals. This will really help the students when they begin reading the play because they will have images of the characters in their minds. The WebQuest also helps the students better understand the racial attitudes of the time and the historical context of the play.

Mid-Late February: we will begin reading Night, and I am still trying to figure out exactly what I will do in that unit. That is the unit for which I am submitting my eThemes request, so I will probably wait until they have sent me my eThemes resources. I do know that will be a great unit for technology use, though, particularly through film clips, images, news, maps, etc.