Susan Cooper’s The Boggart

& CALL

By Barbara Dall & Jana Pedemonte

Fall 1998GSL 520

Description of ClassLanguage Proficiency: High Intermediate to

Advanced Previous Computer Work: Proficiency in

word processing, e-mail, web site production

Class Make-up: 20 middle school students of mixed language backgrounds

Class Goal: Final class project to synthesize year-long language and computer skills

MaterialsComputer Needs:

Computer for each group of students Web production program--Front Page Internet access Word Processing program

Other Classroom Materials: Books on Scotland, castles, Scottish folk tales Scottish music on tapes, CD Pictures, posters, food, clothing of Scotland

ObjectivesLanguage

Practice creative and factual report writing Synthesize writing, listening, research and

discussion skills Produce process and edited written work

through e-mail and web page Use process writing (e-mails) to create class

book of stories (edited writing)Computer

Reinforce all skills taught throughout the year

Procedures for Writing Activities I-III

Review e-mail tandem story writing procedures

Read directions for the writing activities

Use the buttons to complete the taskUse e-mail to complete the activity

Procedure for Web Page Creation

Review computer research and web creation skills

Explore castle sites in small groupsDivide tasks within groupsNote information and sites for web

pagesBuild web page

Activity IRead pages 62-64 (the scene where the

Boggart enters the house and eats the chocolate sauce). With your e-mail partner, write the next chapter of the story.

To listen to the story, click To listen and read the story, click here.To read the story by yourself, click here.For help with vocabulary, click here

Click on the loudspeaker to hear the story.

Back to Activity I

Activity I continued

Write a paragraph and send it to your partner

Read what your partner has written and add the next paragraph to continue the story

Continue back and forth writing the paired story until done

Activity II

Listen to an excerpt from Mendelssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave”

The music store salesman tells Emily, “See if you can find the words inside it. They say ‘How lovely the sea is!’” (p. 81)

Do you agree? Write your e-mail partner with your opinion.

Activity IIIEmily writes to Tommy to tell him of

the Boggart’s antics in Toronto. Tommy makes some suggestions about how to make the Boggart want to come home. (p. 142)

To see what a Boggart’s home could look like, visit Torosay Castle or Duart Castle, both on the Isle of Mull.

Activity III continued

How would you get the Boggart home?

Write your e-mail partner with your idea.

Will your partner’s idea work? Why or why not?

Respond to your partner

Activity IV

Create a castle web page In small groups of 3-4, research

information about castles. Use the information to create a web site

that highlights a part of Scottish castle life or history.

Your web page should contain factual information in paragraphs and graphics.

Some Places to Start…

Ian’s Land of CastlesCastles for KidsCastles of ScotlandEncyclopedia.com

Potential Problems

Difficulties in reading the text. Will need to support students in reading the original text.

Computer glitches (have books available for back up)

Finding appropriate research sites for age/language proficiency of students

Monitor small groups for cooperation and production of all students.

Evaluation of Student Learning

Written texts evaluated for Vermont Writing Portfolio criteria

Web pages evaluated for appropriate content and graphics

Group work evaluated for cooperation, input of each student, and production of final project

Bibliography

Cooper, Susan. The Boggart. New York: McElderry Books, 1993.

Gravatt, Christopher. Castle. New York: Knopf, 1994.

Macaulay, David. Castle. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1977. ----. Castle. PBS Video, 1983.

Bibliography cont.

Mendelssohn, Felix. The Hebrides--Overture (Fingal’s Cave) Op. 26. Chandos Records LTD, CHAN 8379.

Platt, Richard. Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections. New York: Knopf, 1992.

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