victorian era, oceanography, hurricanes and the history of sailing

Unit developed by Kara Connor

Unit based on the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle  by Avi
The scope of the unit: This unit will cover the entire book and will discuss the topics of the victorian era, oceanography, hurricanes and the history of sailing.
The purpose of this unit is to introduce to the students Literature Discussion groups using the internet as a resource.
This is a thematic unit integrating many subjects.
Main  Objectives: To improve writing ability of students, to improve reading ability of students, to improve interest in reading, to stimulate creativity, to integrate different subject matter at the secondary level, to use cooperative learning
Levels: 6th-10th grade
Subjects: English, history, science, environment

Lesson One
Objectives: The students will be able to: 1. Describe the setting of the book True Confessions  2. Infer or predict the outcome of the plot from reading the first chapter 3. understand the process of Literature Discussion groups

Procedures: 1. Hand-out the book True confessions of Charlotte Doyle  2. have the students examine the cover and discuss together what they think the story is about  3. read the first chapter to the class  4. Arrange the class into groups of four and discuss with the students the procedures and objectives of Literature discussion groups. 5. Give the students a hand-out of the guidelines of the discussion groups and go over them in class. 6. Discuss any questions they may have about the groups and what is expected. 7. Allow the students to meet in their groups for 10 minutes and allow them to discuss amongst their group the roles they will have in the group and allow them to act out their roles by reading the next chapter of the book.  8. As a group have them infer what they think will happen as the plot develops. 9. have them  individually write their description of the setting of the book and  inferences in a literature journal 10. Explain that the journals will be collected at the end and will be assessed. 11. hand-out a rubric as to how the journals will be assessed. 12. Assign the next 2 chapters for home work

Lesson Two

Objectives: The students will be able to:  1. Use the internet as a resource    2. Explain about the life of children in Victorian times  3. Discuss their findings
Procedures: 1. Allow the students to get into their Literatrure groups. 2. have the students write their thoughtas about chapters 3 and 4.  3. Allow the students to change roles in the group and then fulfill their roles by discussion of chapters 3 and 4  4. Have the groups use the interenet a few of the below sites to inevestigate and research the life of children in Victorian times. 5. have the students record their information in their journals. 6. have the students comment on their findingd s in their  journals  7. have the students dialogue in their groups how they felt about what they found.  8. Collect their journals and make comments  9. Assign chapters 5-7 for homework.
Lesson Three
Objectives: the students will:  1. Understand different types of literature journal writing
Procedures: 1. have the students meet in their groups and do their roles and discuss for 10 minutes chapters 5 -7   2. Hand back the journals and allow the students to freewrite what they are feeling at this point in the story. Give the students some open-ended questions if they are feeling stuck. Allow 5 minutes for this. 3. have the students discuss with their group what they wrote.  4. Assign a project for the students to complete at the end of the unit as a group. 5. The project must have something to do with oceanography, sailing, weather or the Victorian era. 6. have the students search the sites below for ideas for their project. 7. hand-out guidelines and a rubric for the project  8. Assign chapters 8-11 for home work.

Lesson Four

Objectives: the students will be able to: 1. research the interenet for ideas  2. Process informtion from the book and write about what they have experienced in life
Procedures: 1. Allow the students to work on the computers for 20 minutes and do preliminary research for their oceanography project.  2. have the students hand in a proposal of what their project will be  3. Allow the students to form their literature groups and discuss chapters 7-9.  3. Allow them to write in their journals about a similiar situation that they have been in that made them feel like the main character. Allow 10 minutes for this 4. Assign chapters 12-15 for home work
Lesson Five
Objectives: the students will be able to: 1. Create a presentation using prior knowledge from the book  2. definbe impropmtu and ad lib  3. Discuss the feelings about the book and write what they have learned
Procedures:  1. Allow the groups to meet.  2. Allow the students 10-15 minutes to prepare an impromptu presentation of the book to the class. 3. Discuss with the students the concept of ad lib and impromptu
4. Allow the students to present their "creations"  5. Have the audience comment and discuss the presentations.
6. For a change, discuss with the class the book so far   7. have the students describe their feeling about the class today and what they learned  8. Collect the journals 9. Assign chapters  16-20
Lesson six

Objectives: the students will be able to 1. describe a hurricane    2. describe how one identifies a hurricane

 Procedures: 1. Allow the students to research the concept of hurricanes(there was a hurricane in the book) using the sites listed below  2. Have the students report to the class what they have learned. 3. have a class discussion bout the topic of hurricanes  4. Have the students write in theior journals what they have learned from the lesson.
5. have the students finish the book
Lesson 7

Objectives: The students will be able to: 1. describe the ending of the book  2. Compare what actuially happend to what they had inferred in the beginning

Procedures: 1. Allow the students to meet in their groupa adn discuss for 15 minutes the ending. 2. Allow the students to compare their original inferences at the  beginning of the book.  3. Allow the students to write how they felt about the ending how they might have ended it etc. give them 10 minutes.  4. Join together as a class and discuss the ending.
Lesson  8

Procedures: 1. Allow the students to present their projects in class   2. Allow the students to comment on each others projects in a positive way

Lesson 9

Procedures: 1. have the students fill out an evaluation of the book, the literature groups  2. Have the studnst write 3 things they learned through this experience in their journals   3. have the students write 3 things they enjoyed through this experience.  4. have the students write 3 things they would have liked to have added or done different through this experience

Final Assessment: Collect the journal and assess according to rubric initially handed out to students

The Oceanography Society this site gives many links to infomation that deals with a variety of topics in oceanography
The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Oceanography A wealth of information on oceanography as well as links

Questions About Careers in Oceanography Discusses exactly what it says

Hurricane and Storm Tracking Gives info about all types of storm tracking

53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters

4Hurricanes -- a guide to hurricanes and severe weather from 4anything.com

Victoriana for children Informational site that talks about whAT CHILDREN DID IN Victorian times

Victorian Age: Historical Background

The Working Class Discusses the hard life of the working class during victorian era

Schooner Information about the life of the sea

Sailing Ships Information about big sailing ships