About the Author
Welcome to my site! My name is Miss Whitmiller, and I am a 6th grade Language Arts teacher at Bloomsburg Area Middle School. Currently, my students are conducting a novel study on Pearl Harbor. In order to give my students the greatest insight to this historical event, I decided to have each of them create their own website. Through the websites, not only can they honor the fallen heroes, but they can also learn the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in a technology-driven society. Undoubtedly, this project is something the students can remember and be proud of for years to come.
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The Project itself
A Brief Outline
Students will use my website in order to create/setup their own site. Each of their sites will have a total of 5 pages. The pages with descriptions are outlined below. At the end of this project, students will present their websites to their classmates. They will upload their links to my page, which can be found on this website. Mrs. Morris's class will upload their links to her page, which can also found on this website.
Students will use my website in order to create/setup their own site. Each of their sites will have a total of 5 pages. The pages with descriptions are outlined below. At the end of this project, students will present their websites to their classmates. They will upload their links to my page, which can be found on this website. Mrs. Morris's class will upload their links to her page, which can also found on this website.
Page Descriptions
Page 1 -- "About"
For this page, students will summarize the events of Pearl Harbor using their own research, their knowledge from World Cultures, and the book itself. This description should be two paragraphs, with each paragraph containing 5-8 sentences. The Pearl Harbor summary should have a separate title, text, and 2 pictures. In addition to the summary of Pearl Harbor, students will also give a summary of the book. The summary of the book should contain two paragraphs, 5-8 sentences each. This description should also contain its own title, text, and 1 image. Both summaries should utilize proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. In order to connect the summaries to classroom learning, students will be required to use all four types of sentences within their summaries: declarative, imperative, interrogative, & expository. Each type of sentence must only be used once, and students should place a * before each type of sentence is used within their summaries for grading purposes. Upon presentation day, students will identify and discuss each type of sentence used. Both summaries should explain the 5 W's: who, what, when, where, and why.
Page 2 -- "Timeline"
For this page, students will use knowledge gained in World Cultures, their own research, and the back of the novel in order to create a timeline for Pearl Harbor. The timeline should include a total of six major events. The first two events should mark events just prior to Pearl Harbor, the next two events should be about the bombing of Pearl Harbor itself, and the final two events should be about the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Each event should have a title of the student's choosing with a date, text underneath the title with a 1-3 sentence description, and a picture underneath each event.
Page 3 -- "Survival Letter"
For this page, students will write a letter as if they are a survivor of Pearl Harbor. They will use 11-year-old Danny's experiences to draw inspiration from, as well as their knowledge from World Cultures and personal research. The letter should be written by hand first. The requirements for the hand-written portion are as follows:
Requirements for Periods 1-4: 1 side of 1 piece of composition paper
Requirements for Honors: Both sides of 1 piece of composition paper
Once students have hand-written the letter, they should type the letter in a Word Document first. Once the letter has been typed, they should save the letter on their "U" drive or in their documents. Then, students should copy and paste their text on their website under the "Survival Letter" page.
The audience for the letter will be the family of the speaker. The speaker should let his or her family know he or she is coming home. The letter should describe the feelings and emotions of the speaker after witnessing and surviving the horrific events of Pearl Harbor. Students may choose to shed light on a event he or she witnessed in his or her letter.
Requirements for Periods 1-4: 1 side of 1 piece of composition paper
Requirements for Honors: Both sides of 1 piece of composition paper
Once students have hand-written the letter, they should type the letter in a Word Document first. Once the letter has been typed, they should save the letter on their "U" drive or in their documents. Then, students should copy and paste their text on their website under the "Survival Letter" page.
The audience for the letter will be the family of the speaker. The speaker should let his or her family know he or she is coming home. The letter should describe the feelings and emotions of the speaker after witnessing and surviving the horrific events of Pearl Harbor. Students may choose to shed light on a event he or she witnessed in his or her letter.
Page 4 -- "Character Analysis"
For this page, students will compare and contrast 11-year-old Danny to a character of their choosing from a book, movie, or TV show to show how Danny progressed throughout the novel as a character. Students should write this character analysis in a journal format and include two paragraphs, 5-8 sentences each. The first paragraph should show how Danny began as a character, and the student should compare and contrast Danny to the character of their choosing. The second paragraph should focus on where Danny ended up as a character, and the student should , again, compare and contrast Danny to the character of their choosing. Students should include a picture of the character of their choosing. Students should refer to their characterization notes, including their SALT notes, as well as their novel in order to complete this page.
Page 5 -- "Playlist"
For this page, students will create a Pearl Harbor playlist with 10 school-appropriate songs of their choosing. Students should research the songs, create a title for each song on their website, and write up a 1-3 sentence description as to why they chose each song. The songs may represent the emotions felt by those who survived, the emotions of the family members who lost their loved ones, the emotions felt by those who went into action and attempted to save others, etc. There is no right or wrong way to approach this page. This page is 100 percent the students' chance to freely express themselves and their knowledge of the novel through music.