Goals:

1. To introduce the subject of oceans to the students.
2. For the students to work in a cooperative and beneficial manner with their peers.
3. For the instructor to introduce the objectives of a collage learning activity.
4. For the students to use their creativity. This will be done through applying their knowledge of oceans and information from the novel in the form of a collage.         
5. Use clues from the novel to extract examples of survival.

1. Multiple copies of Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor (1993, Avon Books Pub.)
2. Magazines for students to use pictures to construct collages
3. Glue and multiple scissors
4. Posterboard

Procedure:

1. Read novel. The novel will be assigned two weeks prior to this teaming activity, or as the teacher deems necessary depending upon his/her students' reading levels .
2. The students will be required to read the novel during silent reading time for the two weeks prior to day 1 of the teaming activity. The silent reading time is the first 35 minutes of every school day.
3. Introduction to oceans. All three classes will be together in one room to participate in the "Oceans webbing activity." The students will think aloud about everything they know about oceans.
4. The instructor will guide this discussion as he/she constructs a diagram of the web on the board. The students will take notes. The instructor will look for, and ask the students to look for references from the novel to promote discussion on oceans.
5. The instructor will introduce the goals of the collage learning activity to the students.
6. The instructor will divide the students up into groups of five for a collage learning activity. The instructor will ask students to cut pictures, words, etc. from magazines to form a collage about what they feel is the most important aspects of oceans.
7. The students will be given between thirty minutes and one hour to complete their collage.
8. At this time the instructors will walk around to answer any student questions and suggest possibilities if necessary. This will help direct the groups who may have troubles getting started.
9. Each group will share their collage with the rest of the class. During this time they will explain why they chose each respective item.
10. The students will return to their regular classrooms. The pod is divided into three separate classrooms with approximately twenty-five students in each.
11. The instructor will explain to the students the concept of Survival at Sea. Students will be returned to their regular classrooms for this.
12. Each individual classroom will focus on one of the following areas: survival on a  ship, survival in the water, or survival on an uninhabited island.
13. Each classroom will then go through another webbing activity like the first one, except the center and focus will be their respective areas of survival (i.e. at water, on ship, or on land).  Again, the teacher will use examples from the novel to help guide the construction of the web.
14. Students will rotate to their next regularly scheduled classroom. Steps eight and nine will be repeated until every class has had a chance at all three survival areas.

1. The students will be assessed on participation. The teacher will carefully observe this participation  (Criteria for success = determined via observation rubrics, attached to lesson).
2. The students will behave in a beneficial manner with their fellow classmates. There will be no disruptions, and everyone is expected to contribute (Criteria for success =  observation rubric).
3. The students will demonstrate an integration of previous knowledge in a creative manner with one's fellow group members. (Criteria for success = Clear explanation of all aspects of a group's collage. Also, the following group rubric will be used to evaluate.).
4. The student will have clear examples from the novel in their collage (Criteria for success = "X" # of clear and concise examples from the story will be included on a group's diagram).
5. The student will clearly demonstrate an effort towards accomplishing the intended objectives (Criteria for success = The student will be able to clearly explain why they chose each respective item that is present in their collage).

1. The students can be asked to look for examples of survival, or any topic that they put on their web, in the newspaper or on the television. Students could bring in those examples to share with the rest of the class.

• Language Arts - The students will be drawing on their comprehension of things and events in the novel to contribute to the rest of the class.
• Science - Students see the connections that exist among so many scientific areas through the webs they make.
• Personal Development - Students learn to interact cooperatively with their peers.
• Art - Students practice visual arrangements on posterboard.

Go To "Survival on a Ship" Part 1: Understanding Survival on a Ship

Go To Table of Contents