This term you will work in a small team to design and create a website about a World Explorer. You will use a range of software to research your explorer, to plan collaboratively, and to build and publish a website that would be useful for other Year 4 students learning about world explorers. You will learn how to research by taking notes and then constructing your own original text, and how to acknowledge the source of your information.
We are learning to:
Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways
Collect, access and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems
Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols
What I'm looking for:
I can create a website that includes different types of data including text, images and audio
I can select appropriate formats or layout styles to present data as information such as titles, paragraphs, images, maps, timelines, and videos
I can collect data to use in my work and acknowledge the source of the information
I can create information that is my own original work and acknowledge the contributions of others
I can use software to collaborate (work with) others to plan and create a website
Spend some time exploring these websites about world explorers. Many of these websites have been made by school students just like you! (Password required for some sites: 4B2015) What features make the websites easy to navigate? What features make them easy to understand? What features make them pleasing to view? How have the designers of these websites shared important information about where they found their information? What makes the information on the website seem credible (or not)?
Over the next few weeks, you will work with a small group to build a website about a world explorer. You will:
Create a collaborative Keynote document to organise your notes and draft
Decide who will complete each section of the website
Read about your World Explorer to learn more about them and their accomplishments
Write information about the explorer in your own words, based on what you have learnt through reading and research.
Find and create images to be used to illustrate your work
Build a website using the Weebly platform
Publish your website and reflect on your learning.
Planning the content
As you read and research, you will collate your ideas into a collaborative planning document.
Set up a collaborative Keynote file with a separate slide for each section/page of your website.
Decide which person will be responsible for each section.
Share the link to your planning file with your teachers
Suggested pages:
Title Page (including name of explorer and group)
Biography - brief overview of life
Early life
Voyages or journeys
Ship or Transportation
Impacts
Timeline
Bibliography (keep a record of any resources used during research)
Research and reading
Stage 1: Reading (homework) Read about your explorer to become familiar with their story. Make note of any websites that might be useful for your research. Stage 2: Research Use the paragraph guidelines to guide your writing. Read a question and search the sources for the answer. Write your answer to the question in a sentence without copying directly from the source. Read over your paragraph and edit and revise. Have another member of your group proofread your work.