| Unit: | Julie of the Wolves | |||
| Lesson: | Analysis of Wolf--Killer or Noble Beast? (Critical Analysis of Web Sites) | |||
| Age group: | seventh grade | |||
| Ability level: | all levels | |||
| Length of time: | one period | |||
| Objectives: | 1. Students will develop their background knowledge of wolves. | |||
| 2. Students will develop their ability to critically analyze web sites. | ||||
| Materials: | Student Sites Web Page | |||
| Student set up: | a pen/pencil | |||
| sourcebooks | ||||
| looseleaf paper | ||||
Preparation:
A discussion/lesson on note taking methods must have been covered previously. Students will have also performed a basic study of wolves, using encyclopedias and text books.
Drill:
Have students freewrite about wolves in their sourcebooks--anything they know, think they know, or have heard about wolves.
Procedure:
1. Allow five to ten minutes for students to respond to the drill.
2. Ask students to share their writings. Try to keep things from changing from a sharing of reading to a discussion on the topic of wolves.
3. Explain that, since wolves will play such an important role in the novel, it is important to continue to study and discuss them. Explain that today and tomorrow, they will use internet resources to study these animals.
4. Divide the class into three groups. In order to keep the nature of the sites certain groups will study as covert as possible, use names that do not have a qualitative meaning for the students. In my example, the alphas will study the pages representing groups against reintegration of wolves into certain areas of the United States, the betas will study pages representing groups for the reintegration of wolves into areas of the U.S., and the omegas will study impartial and news pages.
5. Depending upon the size of your class, your groups will consist of 7-10 students. As there will be more students than sites, meet with each group prior to the beginning of their research and break up the sites--say, one student studies the first two sites; another student studies the second and third; and so on.
6. Explain that students are to look over their assigned sites thoroughly, and take notes on the information they provide first. Only then should they respond to the questions on the second half of the student sites page.
7. Students will work through to the end of the period.
The background image for this page came from the Timber Wolf Information Network (T.W.I.N.) page.