CLASSROOM LESSON 8:
Webquest: Grading Tools

BOOK TITLE: The Report Card
AUTHOR: Andrew Clements
LESSON PLAN AUTHOR : Jennifer Stacy

GRADE LEVEL: 4-5
LESSON DURATION: 120 Minutes

OBJECTIVE

• The students will use the Internet to view different types of assessment teachers often use.

• The students will work as a team to create an assessment for one of the projects they completed during this novel unit.

MATERIALS

• At least one computer per group.

• Access to the WebQuest.

• Copies of all sheets for the WebQuest or the ability to print the sheets during the WebQuest.

MOTIVATION

• Have students review how Nora felt about grades and tests.

NEW INFORMATION

• The teacher will explain to students that teachers often use assessments other than letter grades to determine how a student is doing in the class.

• Explain that the students are going to use the Internet to view different types of assessments and that they are going to then create their own assessment as a team for the teacher to use on one of the projects completed during the novel unit.

• The teacher needs to group the students however he/she wishes.

• The teacher will then pass out the directions for, or an example of, one of the activities the students completed during the unit.  (Each team needs a different activity if possible.)

PRACTICE/APPLICATION

• WebQuest– It is recommended that the teacher view the WebQuest in advance and be prepared to explain it to the students.  The teacher may even want to have students take turns reading the directions on the WebQuest out loud.  Have students ask any questions before they begin.

EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING

• Informal evaluation will occur while the students are working on the WebQuest.
• The students will complete a Team Evaluation as part of the WebQuest.  This could be taken as a formal evaluation.

CLOSURE

• Students will share the grading tools their team created.

• Students will determine if the grading tools teams created would be something Nora from the story would like or dislike based on her feelings for grades.

• Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes

NCTE STANDARD 7

Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

NCTE STANDARD 8

Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.