Overview
This WebQuest is designed for students in grades 5-8 who are interested or need extra help in the area of creative writing or language arts in general. Students must employ their imagination as well as their critical thinking skills to piece together logical short stories with clear didactic purposes. More advanced writers will learn to carefully choose their words and fable elements so that, not only will their fable make sense, but it will be rich with symbolism and underlying significance. If presented to a group or submitted for publication, the writer will learn to write will as few grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors as possible. Upon completion, the goal of this activity will have been met: Beginners will have, at the very least, engaged their minds in the task of putting together the necessary elements of a fable, while more advanced writers will have honed their ability to write deeper, more thought-provoking compositions.
Like many other activities designed by the instructors of the Great American Writers' Camp, this WebQuest teaches kids about creative writing AND has them try it out. By framing the activity as more of a game and less as an assignment they are more likely to have fun learning! Furthermore, the incorporation of outside sources slowly allows students to learn about the research process under the guise of "surfing the web" for game pieces. A successful student is one who completes this WebQuest with more enthusiasm and devotion than they otherwise might have written a school book report. At the GAWC there is no set standard for how much students should achieve; we believe they should simply push themselves to develop their writing skills as they have fun writing with their imagination! It is summer camp after all!
The Fabulous Fables WebQuest meets the following standards:
National Educational Technology Standards for Students
Like many other activities designed by the instructors of the Great American Writers' Camp, this WebQuest teaches kids about creative writing AND has them try it out. By framing the activity as more of a game and less as an assignment they are more likely to have fun learning! Furthermore, the incorporation of outside sources slowly allows students to learn about the research process under the guise of "surfing the web" for game pieces. A successful student is one who completes this WebQuest with more enthusiasm and devotion than they otherwise might have written a school book report. At the GAWC there is no set standard for how much students should achieve; we believe they should simply push themselves to develop their writing skills as they have fun writing with their imagination! It is summer camp after all!
The Fabulous Fables WebQuest meets the following standards:
National Educational Technology Standards for Students
- Creativity and Innovation
- Communication and Collaboration
- Research and Information Fluency
- Critical Thinking and Decision Making
- Technology Operations and Concepts
- Core Subject: Language Arts
- Learning and Innovation Skills
- Information, Media, and Technology Skills
UDL Analysis
The Fabulous Fables WebQuest meets the the standards of the Universal Design for Learning in a number of ways. First, the resources above present fable content through multiple means of representation: pictures, slide shows, charts, and lists. This multi-format approach ensures that students of all learning types will be able to perceive and process the content in a manner that best suits their needs. Secondly, the format of this Fabulous Fable WebQuest allows students to be engaged on a variety of levels. If they are just starting to get comfortable with the idea of creative writing then they can make the activity into a light game as a way of transitioning into more serious writing. Likewise, those students more gung-ho about writing can jump right into the activity and hone their fable-writing skills. The endless number of component combinations ensures that kids can engage in this activity over and over and over again... producing better and better fables each time! Lastly, there are many ways young writers can share their fables, thus ensuring each student will find a comfortable way to express what they have learned and produced; be it that they put their fable on the fridge, share it in competitions with friends, or send it in to GAWC.
Differentiation
One of the best aspects of learning to write fables is that anyone can do it! For younger students or those with disabilities, simply have them buddy up with a friend who can read through the resources with them. Then, the students can work as a team to compose their own fable. Likewise, students who are especially gifted should see this activity as a competition and try to perfect their fable or engage in a write-off with their friends!