Website URL: http://www.sachem.edu/site/terranova/wq.html
Developed by Steph and Bill MacIntosh. This page last updated on July 17, 2004.
Grade Level: 3-6
Note for Teachers: The goal of this internet-based activity is for students to work in six small groups to create test items parallel to the tasks and skills assessed on the TerraNova reading examination. The six topics for these teams are: basic understanding, analyzing text, evaluating and understanding meaning, identifying reading strategies, writing strategies, and sentence structure editing skills. These TerraNova objectives are aligned to related New York State Language Arts Standards on the elementary level, TerraNova questions, and instructional practices on this three-page chart. This webquest requires a basic knowledge of navigating the Internet. It may be necessary to prepare for this activity with introductory World Wide Web lessons. Before beginning this activity, please print one copy of the test question handout for each student.
Technical Notes: Some of the websites the students will view require the following free internet plug-ins: QuickTime Player, Flash Player, Shockwave Player, and a Java enabled web browser. If you do not have the free Adobe Acrobat reader, click the button below to download and install it (you will need this for the handout and three page chart).
Welcome to Spring Training for the TerraNova Exam!!! When baseball players prepare for the new season they practice hitting, pitching, and fielding together to develop their skills and become better players. They work with their coaches and learn to support everyone on the team.
All of the students on your grade level will be taking the TerraNova test next spring and we are starting our own Spring training. Throughout this webquest, the class will break into six teams. Each team will be responsible for completing their reading training activities and writing their test questions to help everyone else in the class to practice for taking the test.
Let's Play Ball!!!
Your teacher has divided your class into six teams. It is your job to complete the Internet activities listed under your team number below. Each of these reading activities have questions you must answer using the handout your teacher has given you. After you finish these reading activities, each member of your team will write their own test question. All of the test questions will be added to our class playbook. As you work on your test question using the test question handout, look at the class rubric to make sure your question is a home run.
To begin Spring Training, you must first practice the reading skills you will need on the TerraNova.
1. Click on the link for your team below.
2. Since your team will be an expert on your assigned reading skills, be sure to visit all of the sites in your grouping.
3. Complete the activity assigned to your group. Write a test question similiar to those on your website using this handout. (Or get it from your teacher).
Click on your Team
This site is for practice reading and answering questions about short stories.
Test Tutor
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/test_tutor/build19/grade3/skill14/index_pre.htm
Choose one of the stories under the "It's Fun to Read" sign and complete it. This site is practice for working with words and the way words sound.
It's fun to Read
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-b/index/load.htm?f
A fun way to learn what new words mean. Click the "Play Now" to start, and after you finish all the words, click the "more words" to see new ones.
Between the Lions: Word Play
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/wordplay.html
You can watch the video to see how to play this matching game. You will click on the tooth that means almost the same as the word asked for.
Squanky the Tooth Taker (Synonyms)
http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/games/squanky2/squanky2.html
Read the question and then pick the answer that word part means.
Rooting out Words
http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/root.cgi?A1=s&A2=1&A3=1
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
Click on a year, then the "Q" to be asked a question. Find the answer to the question by clicking the icon with an "A" on it.
Football Frenzy
http://www.gridclub.com/games/english/football_frenzy/index.shtml
Read the story and do the activities to see how well you understand the story.
The Warrior and the Storyteller
http://www.gridclub.com/games/english/owl6/book4/index.html
Read the story and do the activities at the end of each one.
Ice King, Lava Kings, and the King of Pests
http://www.gridclub.com/games/english/owl5/book4/index.html
Pick one of the stories and read it. Then click on the main idea of the sentence.
What's the Big Idea?
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/book_buddy/rosie/skill_pre.html
Type a new sentence by using the transition words with the sentence given to you.
Using Cause and Effect Transitions
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/causeconnect.html
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
Team 3: Evaluate and Extend Meaning
Listen to the story and then tell if it is real or if it is make believe.
Tina's World: Real or Make Believe
http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/games/tina/tinalo.html
Read the sentences. Write what you think they mean on the web site.
Dosiety: Proverbs
http://www.dositey.com/language/cts/proverbs34.htm
Describe what a roller coaster ride feels like.
Dosiety: Roller Coaster Ride
http://www.dositey.com/language/readwrite/roller.htm?pgrade=k2
Read the paragraph. Decide which sentences are fact or fiction.
Fact or Opinion?
http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/rcfo1.htm
Read the paragraph and pick what you think happened in the story.
Inference Questions
http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/rcinf1.htm
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
Team 4: Identify Reading Strategies
Pick a book. Click to read the stories. If you do not know a word, this website will help you figure it out.
Starfall
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/index/play.htm?f
Pick an "Audio Clip" by clicking on the "QuickTime" word under the theme you want to hear.
Between the Lions: Songs
http://pbskids.org/lions/songs/
Choose a story to read and read it. Then answer the questions and click next exercise to move on.
330 Reading Exercises
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/reading/index.htm
Choose a story theme and then any activity. Complete it as the website says to.
Reading Workshop: Comprehension 3-5
http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/readcompindexa.htm
Drag the words to the images they describe.
Lost Treasure
http://games.funschool.com/game.php?g=1110&category=60&level=0
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
Click on the Van to start. Watch the video. Type your first name in the box. Read the instructions on the screen. Click your grade folder, pick a story and press play. Read the instructions carefully.
Power Proofreading
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/
Read the instructions on the screen. Add adjectives to the sentences. Keep a dictionary nearby in case you do not know what some of the words mean.
Revise Wise
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/spelling/18_act.shtml
Pick one of the poems on the screen. Fill in each type of word. If you do not know what a word means, click on it to see what it means and to see examples. After all your words are filled in, click "Compose the Verse" to make the poem.
Verse Composer
http://www.wordcentral.com/mus/rhyme.html
Read about the Imaginator, then click on the "Launch" button to start. Pick "Create Story". Choose one of the stories and then if you want to finish a story or start a whole new one. Use the numbers to make more pages, put in backgrounds, characters and more, then write about your page. Make 3 to 5 pages.
The Imaginator
http://www.gridclub.com/games/english/imaginator/index.html
Read the instructions on the screen and then click "Launch" to start the movie and watch it. Click the green check when you find story parts you want and then the "up" elevator. Think in the elevator. After you have your story, tell it to the big boss. You can write it down.
What is you had 60 seconds to tell a story?
http://www.gridclub.com/games/general/what_if/tell_story/index.shtml
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
Team 6: Sentence Structure / Editing Skills
Read the instructions on the screen. Spin the spinner and answer the questions.
Sentence Sort
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/sensort/index.html
Click the answer to best fill in the blank. Click "Are you right?" to find out.
Grammar Blast
http://www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/hme-quiz-start.cgi?Grade=2&Unit=1&Topic=The+Sentence&x=39&y=12
Click on the Van to start. Watch the video. Type your first name in the box. Read the instructions on the screen. Click your grade folder, pick a story and press play. Read the instructions carefully.
Power Proofreading
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/
Choose a topic. Click "Start". Choose an activity and pay attention to the instructions, each game is different.
Rats
http://www.learningplanet.com/act/rats/ratslist3.asp
Practice spelling words. Click the spelling patterns or topic words to change the list. See the word and then practice spelling it after it is covered up.
Look and Cover
http://ambleweb.digitalbrain.com/ambleweb/ambleweb/ambleweb/lookcover/lookcover.html
Select a clubhouse style. Build it by selecting parts for it, answering questions and fixing mistakes in the sentences.
Sentence Clubhouse
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/clubhouse/index_pre.html
Remember to fill in your worksheet.
This section contains additional materials that can be used to assist with this web quest. Ask your teacher about these books:
New York: TerraNova Coach Strategic Reading by Stuart Margulies, Ph. D. & Maria Goudiss EDI 924
TerraNova Coach The Second Edition (CAT/6) Reading and Language Arts 2 by Maria Goudiss. 42NA
New York Reading Coach: TerraNova Edition, Introduction by Stuart Margulies, Ph. D. and Maria Goudiss. Educational Design EDI 991.
Classroom Connections to TerraNova. CTB McGraw-Hill
Your question will be graded based on this scoring rubric
Congratulations!!! You have completed our TerraNova Spring Training WebQuest. The more that your class practices and trains for the TerraNova test, the better you will do when the game time comes. Remember to use your class test questions to practice from and to read as many books as you can.