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Teacher Page

[[image:Standards.PNG width="202" height="461" align="left" caption="Standards Addressed in this WebQuest"]]
The selections should be taught through the conceptual lens of values across cultures. Besides learning the skills and concepts reflected in the lessons' objectives, students should be aware of the "big picture." Essential questions to consider during the study of the urban legends are:


 * ===== · What are the characteristics of an urban legend? =====
 * ===== · How do themes and connections reflect the values and the culture of the time period? =====

All Content Standards and Middle School Units can be viewed and downloaded for your viewing at the following location: [|Cecil County Public Schools Language Arts Homepage]

Prerequisites:
The lessons will be part of the eighth grade //Folklore// unit or the study of contemporary American Literature. Students will have shared personal exposure to urban legends and will have read two "hitchhiker"-type urban legends, "The Woman in the Snow" and "The Girl in the Lavender Dress," that integrate reading, literature, language, and writing using resources from McDougal Littell's //The Language of Literature////.// As well, During the lessons, students use the context of the selections to identify the characteristics of urban legends and how the legends might reflect the culture; students then analyze an author's use of foreshadowing. Additionally, students investigate the setting's effect on foreshadowing and practice identifying and using vivid language in writing and elaboration The lessons culminate with the students composing an original urban legend after using this WebQuest as an interactive learning tool.

Learners:
My Curriculum Web is a segment of our Grade 8 Language Arts “Folklore” Unit. The target audience includes students in a 100% inclusive setting with two teachers. As well, the Web will be available for all non-collaborative classes in Grade 8 to use, but my primary focus is the students I co-teach in collaborative language arts.

Our curriculum is changing substantially this year with the implementation of a new textbook. However, luckily the folklore unit is staying in the new curriculum. Our classes typically range from 25 to 65% students with disabilities. The remaining percentage in any given class could be a child with a 504 plan, but generally are average students in non-honors classes. We typically total 22-27 students in our classes. We will not likely have instructional assistant support in any of our classes in the coming year.

Our classroom is set up with a SMARTboard, which will be used to introduce the unit to students. The need for visual cues necessitates the demonstration of how to access the web quest on our Cecil County Public Schools: North East Middle School home page. From there, students will be able to navigate to my wikispace, where the webquest is one of the selections in the sidebar menu.

Also in our classroom are five iMacs, but we also have access to a full computer lab for several of our classes. Students will either complete the activities all at the same time in the computer lab, or in “stations” in our classroom with other content embedded in the instruction. We very easily weave the use of technology into our instruction by using learning groups. These students are generally paired up with a complimentary group of students for their abilities.


 * Emails are welcome through wikispace comments or email at lstill@ccps.org. **