Thursday, May 20, 2010

5B Novel Study: The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

To view a full screen version of this VoiceThread and leave a comment for 5B through the tool, please use the following link:
5B Novel Study: The Incredible Journey


5B has just completed a novel study using the VoiceThread multimedia tool. The visual component of this VoiceThread project has allowed grade five students to showcase comprehensive volcabulary words, setting/locations and core characters from their novel study captured in a free tool called Wordle. This online tool is becoming increasingly popular in education because its versatility across all subject areas. Wordle creates ‘word clouds’ or a visual display using text.

During the reading of the novel, each student was responsible for creating a Microsoft Word document listing important vocabulary words, significant locations and main character names for each chapter. After the novel was finished, students copied and pasted their assigned chapter list into Wordle and a word cloud was created. Wordle gives users the artistic freedom to customize their image by choosing:
• foreground and background colour schemes
• horizontal/vertical layout of the words
• font style

Once Wordle images were uploaded into Voicethread, students recorded their chapter highlights through the use of an external microphone.

Ms. Tonhauser

5B has just completed technology enhanced project combining Wordle, language arts writing, summarizing skills and their recorded voices. Our VoiceThread focuses on the thrill seeking novel, The Incredible Journey that we read together as a class. Each student was assigned a partner and with that partner they were asked to summarize a chapter of the novel into eight main events. They also had to choose twenty interesting and important words found within the chapter for the wordle they created. We are lucky to also have some very talented artists in our class who recreated a beautiful cover for our project. Many students commented that it was an exact replica of the original on the cover of the book! The students were thrilled to see their finished work on display for the entire world to view! They had a fantastic time working collaboratively and creating their own summaries for The Incredible Journey.

We hope you enjoy our VoiceThread!
Mrs. Berube

16 comments:

  1. What a great idea for a novel study! I'm sure that your students were very engaged using these different tools, and it's clear that they produced some wonderful work. Thanks for sharing this completed project!

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  2. Truely an incredible journey for you and your students! Thanks for the great idea!!!

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  3. What an interesting way to use Wordle in a novel study. I will share this project with my fellow teachers.

    Ms. Macdonald
    Florida, USA

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  4. I was ecstatic while listening to this extraordinary exhilarating description skillfully performed by 5B

    I enthusiastically recommend that everyone should listen to this skillful presentation that will keep you spellbound.

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  5. I have left a comment on your Voice Thread but thought I would leave one here too. Well done! This is great work. I love the idea of using Wordle for each chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading this lovely book.

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  6. I love the way your students combined Wordle with VoiceThread!

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  7. Great work 5B. It was a amazing project. The wordles were so creative. Keep up the great work!

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  8. Great work 5B. It was so creative!

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  9. Wow. That was one good voicethread. I loved it.

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  10. I loved it. Especialy the front cover of your wordle. Also the wordles were very creative.

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  11. this was a good idea from Kendra Geisler

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  12. Every one was great! Chantalle Wilding

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  13. Great job 5B. We really enjoyed listening and the colorful wordles.

    From 4L

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  14. Hi, 5B! Congratulations on a remarkable project. You must all be so proud. What a cool way to share your learning!

    Ms. Kwan

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  15. You did great 5B!! Nice job, and I loved the wordles!


    Zoe 4L

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  16. What a great creativity... It is really cool that you are doing that... The project goes well..
    Essay Writing

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