Conclusion

In this Reader's Theater (McCaslin, 1990; Martinez, Roser, & Strecker, 1998/1999) WebQuest, students work cooperatively in small groups throughout the learning experience. The Reader's Theater WebQuest promotes creative thinking, creative writing, and creative production, as well as teamwork and the use of technology.

Specifically, students learn about the "fable" genre by listening to, reading, and discussing fables (NJCCCS 3.1.6.G.2.4.12.) (NJCCCS 3.4.6.A.1.5.6;B.1.2.); compare one form of writing (story) to another form (play/script) (NJCCCS 3.5.6.B.6.); use Internet resources to learn about and explore Reader's Theater (NJCCCS 8.1.8.B.6.), (NJCCCS 3.5.6.B.7.); use word processing software to draft and edit a Reader's Theater script in a pre-defined format based on a fable (NJCCCS 8.1.8.A.3.4.5.) (NJCCCS 3.2.6.A.5.8.9.11.12;B.10;C.1.3.8;D.1.6.); interpret and present a Reader's Theater script orally with staging and props (NJCCCS 3.3.6.D.2.5.6.7.8.), and actively listen to peers' Reader's Theater presentations (NJCCCS 3.4.6.A.2.7.). This WebQuest is based on the approach used by Aaron Shepard, a proponent of the Reader's Theater concept, and Bernie Dodge, creator of the WebQuest concept.

This WebQuest is designed for a Reading and Language Arts Unit on Reader's Theater. A curriculum integration experience may extend into Computers and Library/Media, as desired. The WebQuest can easily be adapted for other elementary grades, particularly grades 4-8 from the middle-to-upper elementary levels through middle school. This WebQuest provides a foundation in Reader's Theater and can serve as students' initial experience. No prior knowledge is needed. It is ideal for working in small groups.

NJCCCS 3.1.6.G.2.4.12.
STANDARD 3.1 (Reading) All students will understand and apply the knowledge of sounds, letters, and words in written English to become independent and fluent readers, and will read a variety of materials and texts with fluency and comprehension.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

G. Comprehension Skills and Response to Text

4. Construct meaning from text by making conscious connections to self, an author, and others.

12. Recognize characterization, setting, plot, theme, and point of view in fiction.

NJCCCS 3.2.6.A.5.8.9.11.12;B.10;C.1.2.3.8;D.1.6.
STANDARD 3.2 (Writing) All students will write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

A. Writing as a Process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, postwriting)

5. Draft writing in a selected genre with supporting structure and appropriate voice according to the intended message, audience, and purpose for writing.

8. Review own writing with others to understand the reader’s perspective and to consider and incorporate ideas for revision.

9. Review and edit work for spelling, usage, clarity, organization, and fluency.

12. Understand and apply the elements of a scoring rubric to improve and evaluate writing.

B. Writing as a Product (resulting in a formal product or publication)

10. Engage the reader from beginning to end with an interesting opening, logical sequence, and satisfying conclusion.

C. Mechanics, Spelling, and Handwriting

1. Use Standard English conventions in all writing, such as sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, handwriting.

8. Edit writing for correct grammar usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

D. Writing Forms, Audiences, and Purposes (exploring a variety of forms)

1. Write for different purposes (e.g., to express ideas, inform, entertain, respond to literature, persuade, question, reflect, clarify, share) and a variety of audiences (e.g., self, peers, community)

6. Use narrative techniques (e.g., dialogue, specific actions of characters, sensory description, and expression of thoughts and feelings of characters).

NJCCCS 3.3.6.D.2.5.6.7.8.
STANDARD 3.3 (Speaking) All students will speak in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

2. Prepare, rehearse, and deliver a formal presentation in logical or sequential order, including an opening, supportive, details, and a closing statement.

6. Use verbal and non verbal elements of deliver (e.g., eye contact, stance) to maintain audience focus.

NJCCCS 3.4.6.A.1.2.5.6.7;B.1.2.
STANDARD 3.4 (Listening) All students will listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

1. Listen actively for a variety of purposes such as enjoyment and obtaining information.

5. Recognize the rich and varied language of literature (listen to a recording of poetry or classic literature).

7. Use, when appropriate, criteria/rubric to evaluate oral presentations, such as purpose, delivery techniques, content, visual aids, body language, and facial expressions.

1. Demonstrate competence in active listening through responding to a story, interview, or oral report (e.g., summarizing, reacting, retelling).

2. Demonstrate competence in active listening by interpreting and applying received information to new situations and in solving problems.

NJCCCS 3.5.6.B.6.7.
STANDARD 3.5 (Viewing and media literacy) All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, nonprint, and electronic texts and resources.

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:

B. Visual and Verbal Messages

6. Compare and contrast media sources, such as film and book versions of a story.

NJCCCS 8.1.8.A.3.4.5;B.6.
STANDARD 8.1 (Computer and information literacy ) All students will use computer applications to gather and organize information and to solve problems

Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:

A. Basic Computer Skills and Tools

3. Demonstrate effective input of text and data, using touch keyboarding with proper technique.

4. Input and access data and text efficiently and accurately through proficient use of other input devices, such as the mouse.

5. Create documents with advanced text-formatting and graphics using word processing.

B. Application of Productivity Tools

6. Information Access and Research – Choose appropriate tools and information resources to support research and solve real world problems, including but not limited to on-line resources and databases.

The Reader's Theater WebQuest is designed for cooperative learning, where students will work together in small groups to undertake the tasks involved. When planning the groups, a strategy that can be used is to group higher-ability students with students who may need assistance to better accommodate the diverse needs of learners in the class. If there are students in the class who have visual challenges, the screen's font size may be enlarged through the Internet Browser (e.g., in Internet Explorer, click View on the menu bar and change the Text Size).

Total Projected Time for the WebQuest: (10) 40-minute periods with a combination of Computer Lab and Classroom experience. These periods may be combined into double-periods, as feasible.

Notes for teaching the "Process" component: The "Introduction, Task, and Process/Step 1" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Ideally, this would be conducted in a Computer Lab where each student would have access to a computer; however if this is not possible, students could work together (twosome or threesome) at computers in a classroom or library media center if enough computers are available to accommodate students. The Computer Teacher or Media Specialist could introduce the WebQuest, cooperatively with the Language Arts/Reading Teacher.

The "Process/Step 2" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Ideally, this would be conducted in a Computer Lab where each student would have access to a computer; however if this is not possible, students could work together (twosome or threesome) at computers in a classroom or library media center if enough computers are available to accommodate students. This step can be facilitated by the Computer Teacher or Media Specialist, working with the Language Arts/Reading Teacher. In addition, the teacher will need The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. This book can be obtained through the school library/media center, town library, or county library. Tip! Have each student take a turn reading aloud a line in The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Reader's Theater script. For the follow-up class discussion, create a Venn diagram on the board to discuss the similarities and differences between the story version and the script.

The "Process/Step 3" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Step 3 can be conducted in the classroom during the Reading class by the Reading/Language Arts Teacher. Computers are not needed for this activity. The teacher will read to the class Arnold Lobel's book entitled Fables. This book can be obtained through the school library/media center, town library, or county library.

The "Process/Step 4" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Ideally, this would be conducted in a Computer Lab where each student would have access to a computer and can print the Evaluation Rubric; however if this is not possible, students could work together (twosome or threesome) at computers in a classroom or library media center if enough computers are available to accommodate students. The Language Arts/Reading Teacher could lead this discussion with the Computer Teacher or Media Specialist faciliating the WebQuest portion.

The "Process/Step 5" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately two 40-minute periods for students to complete. Ideally, this would be conducted in a Computer Lab; however if this is not possible, students could work together at computers in a classroom or library media center if enough computers are available to accommodate students. One student from each group could be typing at a computer while other members sit nearby brainstorming and referring to the model script. Students could take turns typing. The Computer Teacher could facilitate this portion of the WebQuest in conjunction with the Language Arts/Reading Teacher.

The "Process/Step 6" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Ideally, this would be conducted in a Computer Lab where students would have access to computers; however if this is not possible, students could work together at computers in a classroom or library media center if enough computers are available to accommodate students. The Computer Teacher or Media Specialist could facilitate this portion of the WebQuest.

The "Process/Steps 7 & 8" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one 40-minute period for students to complete. Steps 7 & 8 can be conducted in the classroom during a Language Arts/Reading class by the Reading/Language Arts Teacher. Computers are not needed for this activity.

The "Process/Step 9" portion of the WebQuest will take approximately one-two 40-minute periods for students to complete, depending on the size of the class (i.e., number of groups). Step 9 can be conducted in the classroom during a Language Arts/Reading class by the Reading/Language Arts Teacher. Computers are not needed for this activity.

Notes for the Evaluation Rubric: Print the Students' Evaluation Form and make enough copies for teachers and paraprofessionals who will be participating in the evaluation (e.g., Reading/Language Arts Teacher, Computer Teacher, Library Media Specialist). You may also want the students in the class to participate in evaluating the "Reader's Theater Oral Presentation" portion of the project. If so, you can make copies for your students as well.

Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theater Page
Aaron Shepard is an award-winning children's author. His specialty is retelling folktales and other traditional and classic literature from around the world. His website has an entire section devoted to information and resources on Reader's Theater, including tips and scripts. (Note: This site is used in this WebQuest.)

Herb and Lois Walker's Scripts for Schools Site
Lois Walker's Free Sample Scripts and Teacher's Guide
Over the years, Lois Walker has been a College Teacher, TV Producer, and Educational Publisher. She and her husband, Herb Walker, started a publishing company called SCRIPTS FOR SCHOOLS, where they began writing and publishing Readers Theater and Choral Speaking scripts. The scripts are intended to assist teachers in promoting an interest in stories and reading in the classroom. This site provides a rich online-source about Reader's Theater and ready-made scripts for purchase. The site also offers free sample scripts and a Teacher's Guide.

Indiana University's Website on Reader's Theater
This site offers materials that are intended to provide an introduction to Reader's Theater in Elementary and Secondary Schools. They were assembled from the World Wide Web, ERIC Database, and a variety of other bibliographic resources.

"Teaching is a Work of Heart" Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays
The "Teaching is a Work of Heart" site is a place for teachers, parents, and homeschoolers to get ideas. The purpose of the site is to help all people who work with children. The site provides numerous ready-made Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays for the Classroom based on popular stories.

Bedford School's Website on Reader's Theater
Bedford School is in Westport, CT. The information about Reader's Theater is excerpted from "Readers Theatre in Elementary Classroom" and "Strategies for Reading: Readers Theatre in the Middle School" by Lois Walker, a well-known writer and publisher of Reader's Theater and Choral Speaking scripts. (Note: This site is used in this WebQuest.)

Rick Swallow's Readers Theater/Language Arts Home Page for Teachers
Rick Swallow has been a 6th grade Language Arts Teacher for over 25 years. His webpage includes a list of Reader's Theater ready-made scripts appropriate for Elementary School children. (Note: This site is used in this WebQuest.)

ProTeacher's Reader's Theater Portal
This site provides an information portal to a comprehensive list of resources on Reader's Theater in elementary schools.

The WebQuest Page at San Diego University
This site offers a rich resource of WebQuest examples and materials to those who want to know about WebQuests and are interested in using the WebQuest model to teach with the web.

Scieszka, Jon (As Told By) (1989). The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! New York: Viking.

(Note: These two books may be obtained through the school library media center, town library, or county library.)

Storage capabilities on Computers to save work (e.g., floppy disks, hard drive, or server) and store WebQuest lesson (e.g., server)

One Computer hooked up to a large monitor for large group viewing of selected WebQuest pages

Computer Teacher and/or Library/Media Specialist through selected WebQuest activities