Story Time: A Collaborative Learning Project By Kristen Hains and Sarah Whittemore Sarah Whittemore Ed 200 Fall 05 Trinity College

A project for learners of different ages Our curriculum project is designed for an elementary school similar to M.D. Fox Our project involves Kindergartners and 5 th grade students working together in groups

Objectives Students will develop interpersonal skills through collaborative activities with students of different ages. Students will develop creative thinking skills. Students will improve writing and grammar skills. Students will learn to identify morals in stories, how to write their own moral story, and explain the moral theme to other students in the class. Students will use artistic expression to portray the ethnic diversity in their group.

JUSTIFICATION The CT State Framework ( ) curricular goals and standards name using the arts for “expressing and illuminating human experiences, beliefs and values” and for students to be able to “reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate their own and others’ work.” Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) Gardner’s Theory Multiple Intelligences (1983) Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development

Class schedule DAY 1 Teachers will assign groups of two K and two 5 th graders. Each group will be assigned a book to read together. After reading, the group will discuss the story to identify the moral theme. Groups will brainstorm ideas for their own story. DAY 2 Students will work together in their groups to write a short story. Students will write a story that will demonstrate a moral theme of their choosing. The characters in the story should be reflective of the ethnic diversity in their group. Later, the 5 th graders will revise stories during their language arts period, paying particular attention to spelling and grammar. DAY 3 Teachers will demonstrate how to build a book out of provided art materials. Each group will then be given the necessary materials and a direction sheet to construct their own book. If some groups finish early they can begin drawing illustrations and writing in the text of the story. Kindergartners will be asked to practice their letter formation by writing the text on at least one page. DAY 4 Student groups will continue working together to complete the illustrations and text in their books. Teachers will rotate freely between groups to provide guidance and support. We hope that students will take advantage of their different academic achievement levels to learn from each other. DAY 5 Students will present their stories to the class. Each group will be required to read their story out loud to the class and then answer any questions other students or teachers have about their story. This may include questions regarding the moral theme, characters, illustrations, and their experience working together.

DAY 3 Teachers will give a brief demonstration on how to construct a book out of various art supplies. Students will then work in their groups to create their own book. Teachers will provide groups with a directions sheet and students will have to assign tasks to make sure all steps are completed.

DAY 4 Students will write the text of their story into the book they have built. Kindergarteners will be expected to write the text for at least one page of the book so they can practice their letter formation. Students will work together to illustrate their book.

EVALUATION For evaluation of this curriculum project we do not want teachers to assign grades. We believe that letter grades are not appropriate for Kindergartners, especially because students will be working together in groups composed of different abilities. Instead, teachers will reinforce the intrinsic value of learning through comments based on the following criteria.

EVALUATION Teachers will evaluate students based on: Their ability to work together in groups Produce a final book Explain the moral of their story to other students Improve their writing and grammar skills