Using common classroom materials students will create a monster and then write a description on it's construction. The description will be be exchanged with a partnering class. Classes will then build the other classroom's monster. Students will meet via videoconference to share and compare their monsters.

Project time frame

Preparation is roughly three weeks culminating in one videoconference.

October 8 - Registration deadline

October 15 - Final schedule posted

October 19 - Monster completed and description emailed to partner class.

October 22 - Test call

October 25-31 - Videoconference to share monsters (thirty minutes)

How to sign up

Email Janine Lim (jlim@remc11.k12.mi.us) or Roxanne Glaser (rglaser@esc12.net).

If this project is open for others to participate in, include how to sign up. Include registration deadlines. Include also the number of classes that can participate (i.e. will you take the first person who responds? or can more than one school participate?)

Unlimited classes K-5

IP or ISDN?

Tell us about the type of connection (i.e. is it open only to ISDN/H.320 schools or only IP/H.323 schools?).

Learner Outcomes

What state and/or national standards are you addressing? What are the curriculum benchmarks? What do you expect your learners to accomplish?

Michigan ELA GLCES

1. Students will be able to be eager to write and learn to write.

2. Students will be able to plan to write with help from the teacher, think about how those who will read the paper will react.

3. Students will be able to make changes to their own writing by reading it to a friend and asking for ideas to improve it to make the meaning more clear.

4. With help from the teacher, students will be able to begin to know who to measure the quality of their own work and the work of others.

Michigan ETSE

5. Students will be able to identify common uses of information and communication devices.

6. Students will be able to understand that techology is a source of information, learning, and intertainment.

Methods and Activities

Describe the methods and activities for the project. Include pre and post conference activities. How will you convey the topic (lecture, discussion, hands on activity)?

1. Students were directed in a listening and following directions activity in which they had to decorate a pre-drawn monster.  They had to add horns, color a leg blue, draw three purple vertical stripes on each arm, etc. 
2. Students and I collaboratively wrote a description of a monster entitled “My Pet Monster”.  Afterwards, students individually created an illustration to accompany the description.  Students compared and contrasted their illustrations as well as discussed the relevance of word choice in our description.
3. Students made lists of the materials that they wished to use for our monster.
4. In groups, students were tasked with a particular part of the monster.  They formulated a rough plan for what their assigned part was going to be made of and look like.  Students presented their ideas before the class for a “thumb up” approval.
5. During the construction process students worked in teams to create the various parts of the monsters.
6. We assembled the parts of the monsters together as a class so that all students could see the monster come to life.   
7. After the videoconference, as a class, we discussed the differences and similarities of the monsters.  Students recognized directions that could have been made more specific to ensure success.  In addition, students were able to appreciate that all classrooms do not have the same materials and must make do with what they have when participating in a videoconference such as this. 
8. After the videoconference, students wrote in their journals one thing that they thought was really neat and one thing that they wish they could change about our videoconference.  Then, students shared their thoughts with the class. 

Materials

What audio/visual aids, handouts, etc. will you use?

Common classroom materials and videoconferencing equipment.

Videoconference Details.

Time: 45 minutes. Includes test call and conference.

Responsibilities: What will students do? What will teachers do?

Students will create a monster from common classroom materials and then dictate a description to the classroom teacher. The teacher will email the description to the partnering teacher. Students and teacher will then work together to create the partnering classroom's monster from the description received.

Agenda: Who will do each part? Which site? What visuals will be used for each portion?

AGENDA for Monster Match VC-Connections will be 30 minutes. Make sure to have the descriptions printed for the videoconference.

Welcome and Introductions (Have a student introduce your school—include town and state)

Classroom A will show the monster they created from Classroom B’s description. Students (if appropriate) or the teacher will read the Classroom B description as the camera is zoomed in on the monster.

Classroom B will show their ORIGINAL monster.

Q and A: Is it a match? Why or why not?

Classroom B will show the monster they created from Classroom A’s description. Students (if appropriate) or the teacher will read the Classroom A description as the camera is zoomed in on the monster.

Classroom A will show their ORIGINAL monster.

Q and A: Is it a match? Why or why not?

If time permits, classes will be able to ask each other questions about their school, their town, or their monster.

Credit: Is credit due to another educator for some of the ideas for your project? It's good to mention this as well.

The credit for this project goes to Roxanne Glaser. The web site for Monster Match is http://wwww.edlink12.net/monstermatch.

Feel free to include additional information required for state, national, or district lesson planning requirements.