A WebQuest about WebQuests

A darkly hummored video

10 Fun and Easy Science Tricks

This YouTube video shows you how to entertain your friends at a party, or family gathering, with interesting science tricks. They are easy to make, and you and your kids may even like to do a bit of research on the scientific principle behind the tric. Then you can show off not just with the "magic", but with your scientific intelligence...


This is the link for the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_f3SkxTWxc&feature=aso

"Pigeon Impossible" A video lesson plan

I had great fun with this video, and since I know my VIII grade kids have grade love of role playing, I think they will enjoy the opportunity to play the roles of spy and pigeon.

Feel free to use it if you think it might be useful for you, and/or to contact me if you have any questions.

URL: http://video.kidzui.com/videos/1310713?related%5Bchannel%5D=funniest-videos

Plot: A rookie secret agent is faced with a problem seldom covered in basic training: what to do when a curious pigeon gets trapped inside your multi-million dollar, government-issued nuclear briefcase.

Student target group: 8th grade students (ages 14 -16)

Objectives:
• To help improve students ‘oral communication skills
• To stimulate students’ creativity and spontaneity in the use of the English
language.
• To incorporate the use of technology to teaching methodologies
• To promote teamwork and peer review
• To find interesting ways to help students


Total allotted time: 80 minutes
-Breakdown: Previewing: 10 mi
Viewing: 10 mi (Video length 6 mi)
Post viewing: 60 mi (Preparation time30 mi)

Methodology:
 Previewing:
o Teacher asks students if they have ever seen a spy movie, and if they like
this type of movies.
o Teacher asks students to form pairs, and each pair to choose a card that
has a pair of glasses or a bird.
o Teacher assigns each team a number (odd for “glasses” and even for “birds”)
o Teacher tells students that they are going to pretend that they are voice
artists of the kind that provide the voice for cartoons in films.
o Teacher indicates they are first going to see the video, and do an exercise
as preparation for their artists’ work.

 Viewing: 15 mi (Video length 6 mi)
o Teacher plays video and asks students to write the sequence of events that
form the plot of the video on the form provided.
o Teacher may play video a second time to allow students to check their plots.

 Post viewing: 60 mi (Preparation time30 mi)
o Teacher asks students to create a dialog for the video, according to their
assigned pictures (if a “bird” card, for the pigeon, and if a ”glasses”
card, for the spy). Allotted time is 30 mi.
o Teacher indicates that students should rehearse the dialog, since they will
be interpreting the roles in front of the class, with the background of the
movie for special effects. Dialogs can be read.
o Teacher calls the numbers previously assigned, in order to form the couple
spy-pigeon that will present the dialog to the rest of the class.
o Teacher uses scoring rubric for grading performance, but students vote on
the “pigeon” and “spy” that they liked the most.
o “Winners” are asked to perform again in front of the whole class, and are
awarded a prize.

Necessary materials:
• “Bird” and “glasses” cards (12 of each, or according to the number of
students in class)
• Cards numbered from 1 to 24 (or according to the number of students in class)
• Plot Sheet form (12, or according to the number of students in class)
• Scoring sheet for teacher use (1 per student)
• Prizes of your choice (a bag of chocolates, a couple of bags of popcorn, a certificate of accomplishment, a silhouette of the “Oscar” with a photo of the students’ faces , etc)

Two of my classmates blogs

The first blog is from Mandy. She is smart, with a nice soft kind of energy that is the sugar coating over a very determined and assertive personality.

I think her blog in colors and patters shows this characteristic. Her links are working, which is more than I can say for mine (haven't found the way to make them automatic yet!)

She struggles a bit with the vocabulary at times, but her ideas are clear, and her blog offers interesting topics.

The other blog, belongs to Catalina.

I like her quotations, it is artsy, and as in a tasty salad (her love for food shows)she tosses and mixes English teaching, and personal insights. It is easy to navigate, and very colorful.