Using Inquiry
Projects to
Teach Language Arts
4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.,
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Palmer House/Chicago Room, Fifth Floor
Session K.22
Rob King
Cindy Smith
Chris Erickson
Using Project-Based
Lessons to Teach
Language Arts
10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Friday, November 11, 2011 Room 110
Program Book Number 2115
Rob King, Writer in Residence
Karcher Middle School
Rob King
PBL Writer in Residence
Karcher Middle School
Burlington, Wisconsin
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Cindy Smith
PBL Teacher
Karcher Middle School
Burlington, Wisconsin
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Police Sketch Artists
Descriptive Writing Inquiry
Experience
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Photojournalism
Project
How does a picture capture
the history of your
community?
Photojournalism Project
Background:
 Working with the public library and historical
society, choose an aspect of your community to
research (building, event, club, etc.).
 Capture photographs of your subject today to
discuss the impact and significance that it has
upon citizens.
 Use any past photos provided to you by the
historical society or public library on a photo page
to illustrate any research that you have written
about.
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Photojournalism Project
Requirements:
 Think about the Burlington community. How can a
photograph illustrate how people think, feel, act,
etc.?
 Choose a topic to photograph. Example topics:
Liar’s Club, Underground Railroad, Schools,
Buildings, etc.
 Take at least five photographs of your topic. For
each photograph, provide the following
information:
– Date photograph was taken
– What does this photograph tell communities about the history of
Burlington?
– What can this photograph tell people about the city of Burlington?
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Photojournalism Project
Write a five-paragraph essay about your topic.
Focus on the history of your topic and how it plays a
current role in our community.
I. Introduction
II. 1st Body Paragraph (1st Main Idea)
III. 2nd Body Paragraph (2nd Main Idea)
IV. 3rd Body Paragraph (3rd Main Idea)
V. Conclusion
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Pirates of the
Caribbean
Narrative Writing Inquiry
Experience
Pirates of the Caribbean
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Fairy Tale
Characters on Trial
How do fiction elements
relate to real world
experiences?
Fairy Tale
Characters on
Trial
Unit One Project
The Task
 You will choose to take on the role of
a lawyer or a witness in one of the
following high profile cases.
 Be sure to review your client’s case
and any charges brought against
them carefully.
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Vocabulary
 Plaintiff- A person who brings a civil action
to a court of law.
 Defendant- A person against whom an
action or claim is brought in a court of law.
 Prosecution Lawyer- the attorney who
represents a plaintiff (the suing party) in a
lawsuit.
 Defense Lawyer- The attorney
representing the defendant in a lawsuit or
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criminal prosecution.
Case No. 10021
 Snow White vs. Queen Grimhilde
 The plaintiff, Snow White, is suing the
defendant, Queen Grimhilde, for:
 Illegal Substance Trafficking and
Distribution (Poison Apple)
 Fraud
 Attempt of Murder in the First Degree
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Step One:
Read your assigned fairy tale.
Step Two:
As a large group, create a PowerPoint presentation
to share the following information.
 What is the plot of your story? You may
summarize or bullet-point this information.
 Where is the setting (use a picture too)?
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Step Two:
 What is the conflict of your story?
 Describe the mood and why you selected that
emotion/feeling.
 What is the theme of the story?
You will present this PowerPoint before your trial
occurs.
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Step Three:
 Use the computers to create evidence for your
team. The prosecution lawyer should work with
the prosecution witness and the defense lawyer
should work with the defense witness.
 Your evidence should work to prove the
innocence of your client or the guilt of the other
character. Then answer the following question:
How does your evidence symbolize the
innocence or guilt of a character?
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Step Four:
Complete this packet for your assigned role.
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Opening of the Trial (Script during the trial):
Bailiff: “Please rise, the court is now in session. The Honorable
______________ presiding.”
Everyone should remain standing until the judge is seated.
Judge: (Bailiff’s Name)________________, What is today’s case?
Bailiff: Your Honor, today’s case is ___________________.
Judge: Is the prosecution team ready? Is the defense team ready?
Attorneys: Yes, your Honor. (Always use your Honor when addressing the
judge.)
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Opening of the Trial (Script during the trial):
Prosecution Opening Statement
Defense Opening Statement
Direct Examination: The prosecution lawyer calls the prosecution witness to
the stand and asks clear and simple questions that allow the prosecution
witness to explain his/her side of the story.
Cross Examination: The defense lawyer questions the prosecution witness to
try to prove that the witness is lying or can’t remember the details. Defense
lawyer may share evidence after questioning.
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Fairy Tale Characters on Trial
Opening of the Trial (Script during the trial):
Direct Examination: The defense lawyer calls the defense witness and
questions them to explain his/her side of the story.
Cross Examination: The prosecution lawyer questions the defense witness to
try to prove that the witness is lying or can’t remember the details. Prosecution
lawyer may share evidence after questioning.
Prosecution Closing Argument
Defense Closing Argument
Jury Deliberation
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Commercial Critics
Persuasive Writing Inquiry
Experience
Commercial Critics
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Persuasive Style
Podcasts
How do authors use
persuasive techniques to
capture their audience?
Persuasive Style Podcasts
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Persuasive Style Podcasts
What do I have to do for this project?
In this project, you will create a Public
Service Announcement (PSA) or Podcast
for any nonfiction topic that you think it is
important to bring awareness to. When you
topic is teacher-approved, follow the
directions to complete this project.
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Persuasive Style Podcasts
Podcast/PSA Directions:
1. Create an outline on a separate piece of paper.
What are you going to talk about and when?
2. Show your outline to the teacher and
conference on the strengths and areas for
improvement.
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Persuasive Style Podcasts
Podcast/PSA Directions:
3. After your teacher conference, begin to use the
Garage Band to create your podcast or iMovie to
create your PSA. You may check out a Flip video
camera, record footage, and then download your
video to the iMovie program.
4. When you think your podcast/PSA is complete,
check over the rubric to make sure you have met
all of the requirements.
5. Using three paragraphs, answer the following
question: “How do authors use persuasive
techniques to capture their audience?”
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Table Builders
Essay Inquiry Experience
Table Builders
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Documentary Film
Making
What social problems exist in
our global community, and how do
people influence society?
Documentary Film Making
Background
Your role for this project is to create a I-Movie which
documents present or past issues in our world and
how they were or could be resolved.
To locate a topic that interests you, research current
events and read about what is discussed in books,
magazines, or in newspapers when selecting your
topic. Don’t forget to also consider topics you have
learned about in social studies (world history and
U.S. history) or science (physical science or
biology) class during seventh and eighth grade.
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Documentary Film Making
Instructions and Things You’ll Need:
Books on historical period, newspapers or online
resources. This is a great resource for current
events:
http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/cevents.html
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Documentary Film Making
Craft the Driving Question:
Think of the guiding or driving question for our
project: What social problems exist in our global
community, and how do people influence society?
 How will you integrate your topic to make your
question specific to your project?
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Documentary Film Making
 Step 1, Research, Research, Research….
Complete your research! During this phase you will
not only be taking notes on major events or ideas,
but you will also begin to narrow your focus.
 Step 2, Make an Outline
Create an outline for your project. This is not a timeline! Use the outline to record your story/facts and
start organizing your research into scenes.
 Step 3, Teacher Conference
Meet with the teacher to run through your ideas,
questions or concerns.
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Documentary Film Making
 Step 4, Create the Movie
Start putting your information from the outline into
the iMovie program. Make sure that you have your
facts and any details that are necessary to
introduce your guiding question, ask your
guiding question and then answer your guiding
question.
 Step 5, Look for Pictures
Look for art. This can help enhance your ideas or
emotions for your documentary. You can even use
the digital camera to take your own pictures if you
need to.
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Documentary Film Making
 Step 6, Give Credit Where it is Due
When you are finished with your documentary make
sure you cite any sources you used. Use MLA
format.
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Planning and
Assessing Projects
Aids for Project-Based
Classrooms
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Using Inquiry Projects to
Teach Language Arts
Session K.22
Rob King
Writer in
Residence
Cindy Smith
PBL Teacher
Chris Erickson
President
Visit Thoughtful Learning at Booth 1213
For this PowerPoint and for Word templates of the handouts,
go to www.thoughtfullearning.com/NCTE2011