Unit: Short Stories (transition piece for upcoming novel study & blog posting) Date: October 4, !

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$esson Ob%ectives & Specific $earning Outcomes: S&'() (Students *ill be able to): +O,-.)./0 "1 Students *ill 2no* *hat a 3blog4 is 1 Students *ill understand that blogs are a tool for ordinary people to *rite to public online audiences about topics of their interest (550+)./0 #1 Students will appreciate the medium of blogging 6075O78()./0 41 Students *ill search for and document different blogs of interest to them1 SO$9S: :1#1 )he student *ill understand the elements of media literacy 8aterials -eeded: Computer attached to projector Worksheets Welcome to the Blogosphere (enough for every student to get one) 6rocedures;.nstructional Strategies: .1 'ridge <#=4 min> )ransition from ?ui@ to tal2ing about blogs Now that all the quizzes are in, I would like everyones attention. I will give you the next 10 seconds to ut away anything you are reading or working on and to turn your attention to the !ront o! the roo". #$ait !or students attention% &oday, we are going to 'egin discussing and ex loring 'logs #have 'log written u on the 'oard%. (ou "ay have heard this ter" 'e!ore and 'e a little 'it !a"iliar with what a 'log is. )log is a contraction o! the words we' and log. )logs are in!or"ational or discussion we'sites, "ade u 'y eriodic #occasional% osts 'y one or "ore authors. * until a'out +00,, 'logs were generally only written 'y one erson. Now, though, it is quite co""on to !ind -.)s or "ulti le author 'logs ke t 'y schools, news a ers, and other interest grou s.

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Steps <"A min> 0Bploring the *orld of 'logs )logs are written a'out a "yriad #a whole lot% o! di!!erent to ics. &hese range !ro" s orts to cooking to cars to even a ersons day/to/day ersonal li!e. 0eally, al"ost any to ic or interest you have ro'a'ly has a 'log 1 so"ewhere out there. I have !riends who have 2ust graduated school, !or exa" le, who are writing 'logs a'out laces they have traveled to work. Its interesting !or "e to hear a'out what its like to 'e teaching in 3rance. $alton -iddle 4chool has its own 'log, like "any other schools. Ill share with you one o! "y !avorite 'logs (turn on projector;sit at computer here !log is pulled up)" #easons $y %on is Crying&
http://www.reasonsmysoniscrying.com/

%ho students the !log" e(plain that posts are dated in reverse order (ne er posts first" older posts last) ' Blogs com!ine media) ords ith images" gifs" and videos ' *sually center around one main topic I want to give you so"e ti"e 1 a'out 10 "inutes 1 to get on your la to s and 2ust ex lore di!!erent 'logs. I have so"e ara"eters, though. (ou can use the google search engine to look !or 'logs 1 ty e in, !or instance, 5allas 6ow'oys 'log i! that is what you want to !ollow. 7owever, everything you look at "ust 'e school/a ro riate #no drugs, alcohol, or violence%. (ou need to write down the 'logs youve ex lored on this worksheet. Include the 'logs na"e, its we' address, and the to ic #s orts tea", !ashion, etc.% +o around classroom as students do this monitor their progress and help them find interesting !logs& ...1 +losure < "= min> I am now going to go around and collect your blog exploration worksheets. We will continue to talk about blogging on Monday. Have fun over the weekend exploring more blogs you never know when you will stumble upon something great. 8ethods of 0valuation: (for evaluating the specific objectives listed above) ' %tudent participation ( atching them as they search on their computers) ' ,he Welcome to the Blogosphere orksheet .n retrospect: (reflective notes following my instruction)

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8aterials (ppendiB: "1 Student Worksheet

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Directions: sing www.google.com! e"plore and find blogs that you would like to #follow$ (visit occasionally). Write down the web address of each blog below! followed by a %uick e"planation of the blog&s #topic.$ (Sample topics: news headlines! celebrity gossip! a sports team) '. (log name:

Web address:

)opic:

*. (log name: Web address: )opic: