General Information Project Overview Curriculum Connections Resource Connections Evaluation

  General Information

  Project Overview

This project would be integrated in our Language Arts program. We would like to team up with another four schools (preferably Grade 5 students) to form a "Writers' Circle". Each school group would be designated School A, B, C, D or E. Two students in each school would be teamed up with two students in each of the other four schools forming Writing Circles of ten students. With average classes of 30 you would be looking at the formation of 15 circles within the bigger circle.

The main purpose of each Circle would be to write stories together based on certain criteria. Each school would choose one type of story (i.e. adventure, mystery, comedy etc). Students in the first school would begin their own story by selecting the Title and beginning the story to establish the setting and character names. The students in the next school in the ABC order would be responsible for further development of the characters. The third school in the sequence would clearly identify the problem and the beginning of the plot. The fourth school would be responsible for extensive development of the plot. The fifth school would write a solution or conclusion to the story. Finally the story goes back to the first school students to be edited and revised and amended to their liking. A copy of the unamended and amended story would be sent to each school for constructive evaluation and criticism. There is also a Writers Clubhouse on the Internet were the stories could be sent for further evaluation. In conclusion we have student involvement in the creation of different components of five different stories.

The logistics of this project would have to be given much thought. Timing is very important. A time frame would have to be developed and closely adhered to by all participating schools. Schools would have to meet certain requirements in order to join our Writers' Circle.

  Curriculum Connections

Students will....

• engage in all aspects of the writing process
• use computers to facilitate the drafting, editing and revising stages of the authoring cycle
• proof-read and edit pieces of writing belonging to themselves and others
• revise with peers and teacher to clarify and substantiate points or ideas, organize material, develop main idea, provide more detail or modify sentences and provide the "best" words to clarify meaning
• compare findings with others using the Internet
• work on the conventions of story writing
• explore the writing of various types of stories

  Resource Connections

This project will incorporate the principles of resource-based learning and will include three major resources: the use of the student's own experiences and oral language to produce print; the use of literature and a wide variety of trade books to illustrate different types of stories; and the use of the authorized program materials. Computers will be used for word processing and connecting with schools in the Circle.

  Evaluation

Learning Outcomes...

• Students will increase their power over the language processes of reading and writing.
• This project will foster students' understanding of self and others and the critical role that language plays in communication.

(Technology)

• Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic communication principles of encoding/decoding, transmitting/receiving, storing/retrieving.
• Students will employ the language and terminology of communication processes.
• Students will improve their skills in word processing.