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Extension Project- Literature Circle Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Patterson Submitted by: Marie Bernard For our extension project, we have developed two character webs and a comparison web to highlight the similarities and differences of Jess and Leslie. Character webs represent one of the ways in which visual learning can support comprehension in the reading process. Using character webs can help students justify their impressions of literary characters by citing specific evidence given in the story. These graphic organizers can also enhance student’s fiction writing as they use specific detail to create richer characters. Character webs can also be amended to use in social studies curriculum for an analysis of historical figures. One of the most basic and powerful forms of analysis in any discipline is comparison. The comparison template can be used for simple comparisons: hero/villain, primary/secondary character, vertebrate/invertebrate, democracy/dictatorship and so on. The comparison web supports higher order thinking processes. It can be amended to support greater sophisticated comparisons such as similarities and differences between life cycles, literary styles, subcultures etc. We hope that our colleagues will utilize these graphic organizers to facilitate students learning process.
Name: Marie Hall-Nesbitt Course: Language Arts & Technology Instructor: Professor Silverman Date Submitted: August 15, 2005 Extension Project Reflection My group focused on the novel Bridge To Terabithia. A concept map was used to give readers an understanding of the two major characters- Jess and Leslie. This concept map helped me to have a deeper understanding of the text as it is focused on the two main characters on which the story is based. I found this concept map to be visually appealing, informative and clearly outlined. As a group we divided the task and so I found myself learning a lot from the analysis of my group members and I know that they learned a lot from me. Firstly, the pictures of Jess and Leslie and the colors of the concept map grabbed my attention immediately. Secondly, the description of the characters was very clear and even went further to include the chapters where these characteristics were drawn. This was very useful to me because I found myself going back to these chapters to check if our conclusions were valid. The fact that the chapters were mentioned saved me from wasting time. Instead, I was able to go right ahead and read the chapters. This could have otherwise been a very time consuming task. It is also by doing this concept map that I fully understand the differences and similarities between Jess and Leslie and hence, why they are so drawn to each other. The concept map although very easy to understand is also very comprehensive in content. It left me wanting to read the text again as I gained more insight about Jess and Leslie. In conclusion, this extension project helped me to better understand the characters, their actions and the overall text.
Extension Project-Reflection Marie Bernard The extension project has allowed me to reach a deeper level of understanding of the two main characters in the book, Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson. Our group decided to use concept maps to show readers the strengths and weaknesses, differences and similarities of Jess and Leslie. It also shows how their friendship blossomed despite the setting and their different backgrounds and personalities. The concept map also seek to show how Jess and Leslie’s character overlapped and each one allowing the other to mature and build on his or her weaknesses. This maturity has allowed Jess to move forward after suffering such a tragedy in the story. I enjoyed doing this project because it helped me become more analytical of the characters and has given me a depth of understanding of the themes brought forth in the story. I will definitely use this activity in my classroom and share it with other teachers. Extension Project-Reflection Denise Gary The activities that my group submitted helped me to gain adeeper understanding of the book Bridge to Terabithia because in order to list the individual characteristics of the primary and secondary characters and sie examples from the book, it was necessary to go back to the book and reread sections of it. I think this is a great way to make sure that students grasped the essence of each characters role in the book. If students understnad the character's role, the theme or motif is easier to understand.
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