Lesson Plan: There’s a Nightmare in My Closet

Subject: Language Arts: Monster Exchange

Grade Level: Grades 3-12

Overview: Next
In this lesson, students create a description and drawing of their monster, exchange their description with another student, recreate the other student's description in a drawing, and upload descriptions and drawings to the Internet.

Background: Next
Monster Exchange is designed to encourage the development of reading and writing skills while integrating Internet technology into the classroom curriculum. Classrooms from a variety of schools worldwide are paired together. and then the students design an original picture of a monster. The students must then write a description of the monster, which they exchange with the other group of students. The goal is to then draft a monster that resembles the original monster, relying only on the written description.

Learning Objectives: Next
At the completion of this lesson, students will have learned:

·         Elements of the writing process
·         Elements of the reading process
·         How to use the Internet for production work
·         How to use computer software programs

Concepts/Skills learned: Next

·         Reading
·         Writing
·         Use of the Internet
·         Use of computer software programs

Suggested Activity Time: Next
3 - 5 hours/classes

Materials Needed:

·         PC/Mac computer(s) with Internet access and an Internet browser
·         Scanner or digital camera
·         Book to read
·         Pencils, pens, markers, and paper

Procedure: Next
This lesson is in two parts:  Part One – Literature-Based, and Part Two – Writing Process. 

There is a variety of books you may choose from for this lesson. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Where the Wild Things Are
  • Junie B. Jones Has A Monster Under Her Bed
  • Monster Cake
  • Monster’s Lunch Box
  • There’s a Nightmare in My Closet
  • Monster Party
  • Monster Manners
  • 10 Little Monsters
  • Crypto Zoology A to Z
  • My Monster Mom Loves Me So
  • The Field Guide to North American Monsters
  • We Are Monsters

The students can choose their own books from the library or you can read a particular story to them.

You will need to decide how you would like your students to work - with buddies or alone. One suggestion is to pair up buddies and have each buddy assigned a task. It is suggested that there be a balance of talents and abilities within each group. 

Below you will find the recommended steps for the lesson (as an example we have used "There's a Nightmare in My Closet" as the selected book):

1.      Facilitate a class meeting where it is decided who will be responsible for certain information, the format of the information, how it will be displayed, and the gathering of supplies.

2.      Read aloud “There’s A Nightmare in My Closet” by Mercer Mayer.

3.      Discuss the kind of “Nightmares” that might be in the students' closets. One suggestion to facilitate a “Nightmare” creation is for the class to create a “Nightmare” as a group.  The teacher or a student draws the picture on the chalkboard while the class brainstorms their creation.  Another student can be writing down the description as the class creates their own “Nightmare.”  This allows you to model the writing process.

4.      Arrange the students either alone or with their buddy.  Make sure they take their supplies of paper and markers.  If you have access to computers, the students can create their pictures using a computer software program.

5.       The students do the following:

A. Create an illustration of their own “Nightmare."  (The illustrations can be created using the computer or drawn by hand. If drawn by hand, you will need a scanner or a digital camera.  If you have neither, you can get a regular roll of film digitized when you get it developed.)
B.  Create a description of the “Nightmare."  (The word processor will create a digital version of their text.)
C. Digitize the illustration and the description.
D. Upload the digitized illustration and description to the Monster Exchange site utilizing the Monster Exchange Gallery: www.monsterexchange.org

NOTE: Monster Exchange does not allow pictures depicting blood, gore, or violence to be uploaded to the Monster Exchange Gallery.


Resource Links Next
Monster Exchange Resources
www.monsterexchange.org

Below are suggested titles that you can use in your class to introduce your Monster Exchange lesson. Click on a title below to learn more about these books and how to order them.

Product Description and Assessment:Next
The students' final project is the Gallery of the Monster Exchange project. As an additional supplement, you may also have the students’ final project be in the form of a multimedia presentation - let your imagination run wild!  A rubric will need to be completed and shared with your students prior to the start of the project. Remember to post it in an accessible place in the classroom for easy reference when needed.

Have fun facilitating the exploration of the Internet. By having access to the Internet, your classroom can be an even greater cooperative learning environment where you, the teacher, provide focus, guidance and inspiration. Good luck!

Student Evaluation: Top

·         20% - Active class participation
·         30% - Illustration Assignment
·         30% - Written assignment
·         20% - Multimedia/final project

Click here to close...

Copyright © MonsterExchange.org All rights reserved.