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Alyssa Walsh Davisville Middle School – North Kingstown EDC 920 Final Project

Adventure Unit: Connecting Modern Day Thrill Seekers with Ernest Shackleton

 * School Setting:**

This classroom is located in Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, RI. 42 students have a double block of literacy instruction every day. These are heterogeneous groups; therefore multiple intelligences, different modalities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including a large transient population, are mixed. This unit takes about three weeks and must be done in April into May, as this is the time of year Mt. Everest is climbed per the weather.


 * Materials** :

Armstrong, Jennifer. __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__. Crown Publishers: New

York, 1998.

Tyler, Kelly. __Shackleton’s Lost Men__. NOVA Online. 26 June 2008.

http://www.pbs. org/wgbh/nova/shackleton/1914/lostmen.html

Venn Diagram Vocabulary Graphic Organizer Website Evaluation Form Lyrics to “Downeaster Alexa” by Billy Joel Middle School Research Writing Rubric (not attached) Computer access for each student when needed


 * Objectives:**

Students will read __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__ and participate in class discussions about the plot and thrill seeking behaviors displayed by Ernest Shackleton and his crew.

Students will be able to make connections between the two ships that did not accomplish their goal to reach Antarctica as described in the novel __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__ and the NOVA article “Shackleton’s Lost Men” in order to fill out a Venn diagram with at least three similarities and three differences.

Students will create three different thesis statements that could be used as main ideas for three separate essays.

Students will be able to appropriately complete the vocabulary graphic organizer using their new understanding of how new terms affected the Aurora’s expedition.

Students will sign up for a Google Alert account using “Mt. Everest Climbers” as keywords. They will filter through the alerts sent to their e-mail addresses and follow men and women currently attempting to climb Mt. Everest. They will be encouraged to look specifically at the Google Alert Blogs. Students may also change the keywords in the Google Alerts if they feel that they would get better results in other ways.

Students will record personality traits and evidence of thrill seeking behavior from the alerts.

Students will make connections between Ernest Shackleton’s need for adventure from __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__ and the men and women who are currently attempting to climb Mt. Everest. They will fill in a graphic organizer.

Students will listen to the song “Downeaster Alexa” by Billy Joel and identify thrill seeking behavior of the narrator.

Students will research a modern day thrill seeker and evaluate the websites they use for information (at least three) using the Website Evaluation Form.

Students will write a research paper (essay) discussing a modern day thrill seeker and infer why that person may display that behavior. This essay must meet proficiency according to the middle school research writing rubric.


 * GLEs**

R-7-2.1 Using strategies to unlock meaning (e.g., knowledge of word structure, including prefixes/ suffixes and base words; __common roots or word origins__; or context clues; or other resources, such as dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses; or prior knowledge) (State)

R-7-3.2 Selecting appropriate words or explaining the use of words in context, including content specific vocabulary, words with multiple meanings, or precise vocabulary. (State)

R-7-5.3 Making inferences about cause/ effect (e.g., explaining how an event gives rise to the next), __internal__ or external conflicts (e.g., __person versus self,__ person versus person, person versus nature/ society/ fate) or the relationship among elements within text (State)

R-7-7.2 Using information from the text to answer questions __to state the main/ central ideas or to provide key details (State)__

R-7-7.3 Organizing information to show understanding (e.g., representing main/ central ideas or details within text through charting, mapping, paraphrasing, summarizing, or comparing/ contrasting) (State)

R-7-8.2 Synthesizing __and evaluating__ information within or across text(s) (e.g., constructing appropriate titles; or formulating assertions or controlling ideas (State)

R-7-8.4 Distinguishing fact from opinion, and identifying possible bias/ propaganda __or conflicting information within or across texts__ (State)

R-7-16.1 Comparing stories or other texts to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or to other books (Local)

R-7-16.2 Providing relevant details to support the connections made or judgments (interpretive, analytical, evaluative, or reflective) (Local)

R-7-17.2 Participating in in-depth discussions about text, ideas, and student writing by offering comments and supporting evidence, recommending books and other materials, and responding to the comments and recommendations of peers, librarians, teachers, and others (Local)

W-7-2.3 Connecting what has been read (plot/ ideas/ concepts) to prior knowledge or other texts, __or the broader world of ideas__ by referring to __and explaining__ relevant ideas (State)

W-7.3.1 Stating and maintaining a focus (purpose), a firm judgment, or point of view when responding to a given question (State)

W-7-3.2 Making inferences about the relationship(s) __among__ content, events, characters, setting, __theme, or author’s craft__ (State)

W-7-3.3 Using specific details and references to text or relevant citations to support focus or judgment (State)

W-7-3.4 Organizing ideas, using transitional words/ phrases and writing a conclusions that provides closure (State)

W-7-8.2 Including sufficient details or facts for appropriate depth of information; naming, describing, explaining, comparing, use of visual images (State)

W-7-9.1 Applying rules of standard English usage to correct grammatical errors


 * Lessons**

Day One: Introduction to Unit including objectives Computer Work: Sign up for Google Alerts Begin Reading __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__

Days Two – Six: Reading and discussion of __Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World__ Vocabulary graphic organizer

Day Seven: Discussion of qualities of a good thesis statement Writing of three thesis statements that accompany the novel

Day Eight: Read “Shackleton’s Lost Men” and fill out Venn Diagram

Day Nine: Computer Work: Sort through Google Alerts and begin work on thrill seeking behavior records Graphic Organizer comparing Ernest Shackleton to Mt. Everest Climbers

Day Ten: “Downeaster Alexa” – listen to song and complete margin notes with thoughts Class discussion on thrill seeking behaviors displayed by narrator Discussion of writing assessment and expectations for the research essay

Days Eleven – Fourteen: Research of modern day thrill seeker Website Evaluation Forms Work on Research Paper (essay)
 * Assessments – Formal and Informal**

1. The Venn diagram will be collected with a thesis statement assignment. Venn diagram in an informal assessment; it will be used as the prewriting / brainstorming for the more formal thesis statements assessment of compare and contrast skills. 2. Vocabulary sheets will be collected. 3. Records of personality traits and thrill seeking behavior will be collected. 4. Graphic organizer between Ernest Shackleton and current Mt. Everest climbers will be collected. 5. Website Evaluation form will be collected. 6. Research paper on a modern day thrill seeker is the culminating writing assessment for this unit.

“Shackleton’s Lost Men” For this assignment, find ten phrases from the NOVA article that describe how Aurora’s men’s are struggling to return safely to England. Phrases must include at least one “ear candy” word. You may need to look words up in a dictionary to see if the definition supports the men’s struggles. **England** Examples: Impaled by ramrods of ice – paragraph # 1 pressure of the pack - paragraph # 1 **1.** **2.**  **3.**  **4.**  **5.**  **6.**  **7.**  **8.**  **9.**  **10.**   **Website Evaluation Form**
 * Handouts**


 * Name:** _________________________________________________________________


 * Website URL:**


 * Type of Web Page** (circle one):

Advocacy Business/Marketing Informational News Personal Entertainment

Y/N Are there grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation errors on the page? Y/N
 * Authority: ** Is there an author or organization responsible for the content on this page?
 * Accuracy: ** Are the sources for the information clearly listed? Y/N

Are there any advertisements on the page? Y/N If yes, are they clearly separate from the information/content on the page? Y/N
 * Objectivity:** Does the information on the page seem one-sided (biased)? Y/N

If yes, do they indicate when the page was written? Y/N Do they indicate when the page was first put on the Web? Y/N Do they indicate when the page was last visited? Y/N
 * Currency: ** Are there any dates present on the site? Y/N

Are the topics the page will cover clear? Y/N Are the topics covered completely? Y/N
 * Coverage: ** Can you tell that the page is finished and is not under construction? Y/N

Based on your answers above and class discussions on evaluating the quality of a webpage, are you satisfied that this webpage addresses all your needs? Write a brief answer to this question. ____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“**Downeaster Alexa” By Billy Joel**

Well I'm on the Downeaster "Alexa" And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound I have charted a course to the Vineyard But tonight I am Nantucket bound We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday And left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home Too proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone So I could own my Downeaster "Alexa" And I go where the ocean is deep There are giants out there in the canyons And a good captain can't fall asleep I've got bills to pay and children who need clothes I know there's fish out there but where God only knows They say these waters aren't what they used to be But I've got people back on land who count on me  So if you see my Downeaster "Alexa" And if you work with the rod and the reel Tell my wife I am trawling Atlantis And I still have my hands on the wheel Now I drive my Downeaster "Alexa" More and more miles from shore every year Since they tell me I can't sell no stripers And there's no luck in swordfishing here. I was a bayman like my father was before Can't make a living as a bayman anymore There ain't much future for a man who works the sea But there ain't no island left for islanders like me