Teacher Page
 

 

     
  • Introduction
     

    The Stray Dog

                                                                                                                                                  

This WebQuest features Marc Simont's Caldecott honor book (2001), The Stray Dog.  Trade books offer teachers and parents many opportunities to improve reading comprehension skills.  


 
The primary purpose of using quality children's literature in the classroom is to instill a love of reading.  As with any book, The Stray Dog should be first read for pleasure before embarking on activities based on the book.  Students should be allowed opportunities to ask questions, make comments, and simply enjoy this delightful story.  
 

 
The Tasks provided for students in this WebQuest facilitate reading comprehension skills.  Students will be asked to perform tasks which include vocabulary worksheets, a contrast chart, a literature map or literature log, and a polar opposites worksheet.  

 

 

     
  • Content areas  
This multidisciplinary WebQuest includes the following content areas:  reading, social studies,  and practical living.  It is directed toward early elementary.  First and possibly second grade students will require extra assistance performing the tasks in this WebQuest.   

 

 

 

     
  • Objectives (Kentucky Curriculum Standards):
    Reading
    RD-E-2.0.6 Use text features (e.g., pictures, lists, tables, charts, graphs, tables of contents, indexes, glossaries, headings.)

    RD-E-1.0.8 Describe characters, plot, setting, and problem/solution of a passage.

    RD-E-2.0.8 Identify main ideas and details that support them.

    Social Studies

    SS-E-2.3.1 Various human needs are met through interaction in and among social groups (e.g., family, schools, teams, and clubs).

    Practical Living

    PL-E-1.1.1 Individual behaviors (e.g., etiquette, fairness, politeness, sharing, listening) show responsibility and respect to others (e.g., families, peers, teams).

     

     

     

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  • Implementation Overview

    Students will work in groups of 3 or 4 (dependent upon computer access and physical classroom structure). Students will decide on their own how to divide the various tasks required to complete the project, although teachers may find it better to assign tasks based on each child's needs to be successful. Students will need time to prepare presentations for their teacher or  classmates. This unit can be extended by examining other topics of interest to students using Willy as a springboard.

    Young students (grades 1, 2) will need extra support in doing this WebQuest.  Teachers will need to prepare students for following the format of a WebQuest and for working together cooperatively. A nice modeling technique might be to take one of the options on the student page and do it together as a whole group activity.  

    Many of the lessons include activity pages that need to be printed out. I would recommend printing these out ahead of time, and making enough copies for your students. You will find a list of the pages in the student evaluation section.

     

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  • Special Resources Needed:
  • Computers with Internet access
  • Multiple copies of The Stray Dog (preferred - one copy per group) 
  • On-Line Teacher Resources

 

     

  • Entry Level Skills and Knowledge
    Students will need to be able to read and write, however there are alternative materials built into this WebQuest that allow for ability levels.  For very young students, an adult will need to be assigned to each group to facilitate reading and writing. 

 

     

  • Evaluation

    A RUBRIC will be used to allow students to self-assess and for the teacher assessment.  Teachers may also want to use the Scoring Guide specifically designed to evaluate student performance in group work associated with doing a WebQuest.  The final product of this WebQuest is group presentation sharing information found by each group on the selected topic.  Individual student scores will be based on participation in the group project and on independent writing samples.

    Student Activity Sheets for each Task:

    Task 1:  Stoplight Vocabulary, Word Find, Fill in the Blank
    Task 2:  Contrast Chart
    Task 3:  Literature Map or Literature Log
    Task 4:  Polar Opposites


      

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  • Conclusion

    This unit is an interdisciplinary (reading, social studies, practical living) constructionist approach to learning. Students participate in group work, experience navigating the web, learn to read critically and synthesize information, and write to communicate. This WebQuest could easily be adjusted for older students, and teachers can adapt the activities to students' individual needs. 

     Author Information:  Click Here

    Credits:

    Yopp & Yopp, H. (2006).  Literature-Based Reading Activities.  Boston: Pearson Education

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