|
|
- Web-Based
Thematic Unit:
- Watership
Down-
Teacher
Resources
This web-based thematic unit has a wide range of
activities for grades 7-9. 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 some of the
following ways:
- Read the book individually as a class
- Read the book in reading groups
Pre-reading activities:
- Explore leadership styles/activities/ group
activities
- Discuss allegory - read "The Terrible
Things"
- Research the different types of rabbits
Organize a variety of leadership activities. A
good source is the National Association of
Secondary School Principals.
-
-
|
Resources
- Collect a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and
reference print resources.
- Organize computer software and hardware including a
digital camera.
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: Students will write a poem of a
favorite place and create a photo essay of that
place.
- Benchmarks
- Understands the defining characteristics of
literary forms
- Review the characteristics of a poem
- Understands how language use conveys mood or
meaning in literary works.
- Identify figurative language in a poem.
- Identify use of concrete phrases to help create a
mood.
- Reflects on what has been learned after reading to
fomulate a personal response.
- Write a poem based on a favorite place.
- Timing: Complete activity after reading
Chapter 3
- Book Connections: Chapter 1 has several
descriptive passages.
- Teacher Resources: Lesson
on teaching the photo essay
- Performance Assessments: Rubric
- Poetry rubric
- Other Activity Ideas:
- Activity
2
- Overview: Students will write a trickster tale
such as Brer Rabbit
- Benchmarks
- Understands the
characteristics of literary forms
- Identifies the purposes
of trickster tales
- Identifies the elements
of trickster tales
- Understands the basic
story elements
- Plot, character, setting,
theme
- Uses a variety of writing
formats
- Locates and reads
literarture from web-based sources
- Read and analyze
web-based trickster tales
-
- Timing: After reading a couple of trickster
tales in the novel.
- Book Connections: Chapter 6, Chapter 15,
Chapter 21
- Teacher Resources:
Carol Hurst's Lesson
- Performance Assessments: Rubric
- link to the rubric page
- Other Activity Ideas: Create a readers'
theatre script from the tales written. Or write a
readers' theatre script based on one of the trickster
tales from the novel.
Activity
3
- Overview: Students will identify effective
group traits and participate in a variety of
problem-solving activities.
- Benchmarks
- Recognizes and knows the defining
characteristics to identify a variety of literary
forms and genre (nonfiction - informational,
directions)
- Uses information from text to apply to novel
situations and personal situations
- Uses information from the internet to
understand the traits of effective group
members
- Applies information learned to problem-solving
activities
- Writes responses that are self-revealing and
analytical
- Understands personal stage in group
effectiveness
- Timing: Throughout the novel as the novel is a
study of leadership/group dynamics
- Book Connections: Anytime the rabbits must
overcome a problem.
- Teacher Resources:
- Other Activity Ideas: After completing the
novel, groups could decide on a problem that affects them
personally, socially, community-wise, school-wise and
create a plan of action. They would have to use their
skills that they learned about problem-solving and
working in groups to be successful at either eliminating
the problem or at least reducing it.
Developed by Kris
Smyth, 4/00
|