Susan Cooper’s
The Boggart
&
CALL
By Barbara Dall &
Jana Pedemonte
Fall 1998
GSL 520
Description of Class
 Language Proficiency: High Intermediate
to Advanced
 Previous Computer Work: Proficiency in
word processing, e-mail, web site
production
 Class Make-up: 20 middle school students
of mixed language backgrounds
 Class Goal: Final class project to
synthesize year-long language and
computer skills
Materials
 Computer Needs:




Computer for each group of students
Web production program--Front Page
Internet access
Word Processing program
 Other Classroom Materials:
 Books on Scotland, castles, Scottish folk tales
 Scottish music on tapes, CD
 Pictures, posters, food, clothing of Scotland
Objectives
 Language
 Practice creative and factual report writing
 Synthesize writing, listening, research and
discussion skills
 Produce process and edited written work
through e-mail and web page
 Use process writing (e-mails) to create class
book of stories (edited writing)
 Computer
 Reinforce all skills taught throughout the year
Procedures for Writing
Activities I-III
 Review e-mail tandem story writing
procedures
 Read directions for the writing activities
 Use the buttons to complete the task
 Use e-mail to complete the activity
Procedure for Web Page
Creation
 Review computer research and web
creation skills
 Explore castle sites in small groups
 Divide tasks within groups
 Note information and sites for web pages
 Build web page
Activity I
 Read pages 62-64 (the scene where the
Boggart enters the house and eats the
chocolate sauce). With your e-mail partner,
write the next chapter of the story.
 To listen to the story, click
 To listen
and read
the story, click here.
 To read the story by yourself, click here.
 For help with vocabulary, click here
Click on the loudspeaker to hear the story.
Back to Activity I
Activity I continued
 Write a paragraph and send it to your partner
 Read what your partner has written and add
the next paragraph to continue the story
 Continue back and forth writing the paired
story until done
Activity II
 Listen to an excerpt from Mendelssohn’s
“Fingal’s Cave”
 The music store salesman tells Emily, “See
if you can find the words inside it. They
say ‘How lovely the sea is!’” (p. 81)
 Do you agree? Write your e-mail partner
with your opinion.
Activity III
 Emily writes to Tommy to tell him of the
Boggart’s antics in Toronto. Tommy
makes some suggestions about how to
make the Boggart want to come home.
(p. 142)
 To see what a Boggart’s home could look
like, visit Torosay Castle or Duart Castle,
both on the Isle of Mull.
Activity III continued
 How would you get the Boggart home?
 Write your e-mail partner with your idea.
 Will your partner’s idea work? Why or
why not?
 Respond to your partner
Activity IV
 Create a castle web page
 In small groups of 3-4, research information
about castles.
 Use the information to create a web site that
highlights a part of Scottish castle life or
history.
 Your web page should contain factual
information in paragraphs and graphics.
Some Places to Start…




Ian’s Land of Castles
Castles for Kids
Castles of Scotland
Encyclopedia.com
Potential Problems
 Difficulties in reading the text. Will need
to support students in reading the original
text.
 Computer glitches (have books available
for back up)
 Finding appropriate research sites for
age/language proficiency of students
 Monitor small groups for cooperation and
production of all students.
Evaluation of Student
Learning
 Written texts evaluated for Vermont
Writing Portfolio criteria
 Web pages evaluated for appropriate
content and graphics
 Group work evaluated for cooperation,
input of each student, and production of
final project
Bibliography
 Cooper, Susan. The Boggart. New York:
McElderry Books, 1993.
 Gravatt, Christopher. Castle. New York:
Knopf, 1994.
 Macaulay, David. Castle. New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 1977.
 ----. Castle. PBS Video, 1983.
Bibliography cont.
 Mendelssohn, Felix. The Hebrides-Overture (Fingal’s Cave) Op. 26. Chandos
Records LTD, CHAN 8379.
 Platt, Richard. Stephen Biesty’s Incredible
Cross-Sections. New York: Knopf, 1992.
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