Introduction Teacher Resources Student Resources Project Main Menu  Web-Based Thematic Unit: The Witch of Blackbird Pond- Teacher Resources  This web-based thematic unit has a wide range of activities for grade 5-8. On this page you'll find an overview of the unit as well as lesson outlines and links to student activities. Establishing the Learning Environment This project can be implemented using some of the following ways Read the book individually as a class Read the book as reading groups Read the book as a whole class Many of the activities can be done as part of a learning center that contains books, print materials, real objects, a computer, and workspace. Consider creating a display that includes a small table and a bulliten board with pictures of the area in Connecticut around 1687, Puritan clothing, replicas of forms of punishment, pictures or models of the ships, houses, and possibly some information about the Salem witch trials. You could also include some virgin wool, a charter, and a trunk. Resources Collect a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and reference print resources. -WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA VOLUME C -B AUTHOR, Book Puritans Puritans 2 Puritan 3 Connecticut Colonial Colonial America Barbados Technology Setup Computer with "Net " access Classroom Management and Activity Guidelines Classroom activities have been provided as part of this thematic unit. A lesson overview has been provided for each activity. For each lesson, you'll find a set of benchmarks, a suggested timing of the lesson, specific pages connecting the book to the activities, performance assessments, and other activity ideas. Each activity page contains an introduction, task, process and resources, project guidelines, and a conclusion.   Activity 1 Overview: Groupwork (geologist,meteoralogists,fashion designer and transportation) compare and contrast Barbados and Connecticut Colony using paragraphs Benchmarks Understands complex elements of fiction (setting, characterization) reflects on what has been learned after reading and formulates ideas, options, and personal responses to texts Timing:Before the book is read Book Connections: Teacher Resources:See web links in activity one clothing- http://member.aolcom/calebj/FAQ_history.htm http://www.ogram.org/17thc/youth.shtml Barbados - http://www.primenet.com/~langford/places/barbados.htm#General Connecticut - http://www.50states.com/connecti.htm http://www.state.ct.us/about.htm World Book Encyclopedia Volume B and C Performance Assessments: Rubric Other Activity Ideas: Activity 2 Overview: Students will research one of the following to develop background for the novel Benchmarks Establishes and adjusts purpose for reading Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts Uses information in a text to form an idea Uses information in a text to compare/contrast Timing:After chapter three Book Connections:Chapter 6 government, Chapters 9-10 dame school, and religion page 121 Teacher Resources: See web links in activity one Performance Assessments: Rubric Other Activity Ideas:Class sharing of ideas Activity 3 Overview:Students will write a short play depicting the daily life of Kit at Barbados or Wethersfield. Uses a variety of strategies to respond to literature. Recognizes and knows the defining characteristicsto identify a variety aof literary forms and genre reflects on what has been learned after reading and formulates ideas,opinions,and presonal responces to texts. Summerizes and paraphrases information. Timing:When you have finished reading the novel Book Connections:Chapters 1,2,4,12 Teacher Resources:See web sights in activity three Performance Assessments: Rubric Other Activity Ideas:Students will share thei plays with their peers.