BioBags: Linking Literature and Life

Materials and Technology

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Computers with Internet access
  
  
• Overhead projector
  
  
• Several small tables (or desks) for displaying students' BioBags

back to top

 

PRINTOUTS

• BioBag Assignment sheet
  
  
• BioBag Interview
  
  
• Video Interviews Booklist
  
  
• Video Interviews Worksheet
  
  
• BioBag Rubric
  
  

back to top

 

WEBSITES

• Reading Rockets: Video Interviews

back to top

 

PREPARATION

1.	Using the BioBag Assignment sheet as a guide, prepare your own BioBag to share with your students. Include a variety of literature, such as a book you loved as a child, a letter from someone important, a special recipe, songs or poems, travel brochures, or a diary or journal. The idea is to assemble a collection of texts that have significance for your life.
2.	Make a copy for each student of the BioBag Assignment sheet and BioBag Rubric for use in Session 1.
3.	Access and become familiar with the Reading Rockets: Video Interviews. Bookmark the site on the computers students will use in Session 2. Note: To see the video interviews you will need RealOne Player or Windows Media Player installed on your computer. Most computers already have one of these installed, but if not, you can download RealOne Player or Windows Media Player free of charge.
4.	Assemble a collection of books written by the authors featured in the video interviews using the Video Interviews Booklist (or other titles by these authors available in your school or public library).
5.	Make a copy for each student of the Video Interviews Worksheet. Also make an overhead transparency of the worksheet for use in Session 2.
6.	Reserve a 30- to 40-minute computer lab session for Session 2. In the computer lab, students can work independently to navigate through the Reading Rockets website and listen to all seven interviews. To cut down on noise, it may be helpful for students to use headphones while listening to the interviews. Note: If you do not have a lab with a computer for each student, you can use several classroom computers for the Reading Rockets activity. Assign times during the day for all students to listen to all seven interviews (they can work independently or in pairs). In this case it may take you longer to finish Session 2. If you have only one computer in your classroom, you can conduct Session 2 as a whole-class activity using a data projector.

back to top