Teacher Process
This project should commence when students have read enough of the novel Lord of the Flies to form a base knowledge of the situation. Coupled with assigned reading, in-class discussions, fish-bowl discussions, and reading comprehension activities, the process is expected to take between three and four weeks.
Students will benefit from several visits to a computer lab. Ideally the first visit will introduce them to the task. They will then finish reading the novel with an imposed loyalty to one character. They will identify significant events in the novel and link them to their assigned subject's personality traits. Several group meetings with their team will serve to supplement this initial introduction to the task.
Once the students have completed the reading of the novel, they are ready to actively begin the research process. Visits to the computer lab, perhaps one each week if possible, will give them an opportunity to research the provided links. Students should be encouraged to supplement the activity with additional research at home or school.
Students should meet with their teams using teacher-delineated goals. Suggestions might include the following:
- At the end of today's team meeting, be prepared to identify the roles each team member will play.
- At the end of today's team meeting, have a defendable hypothesis about your subject which you can then work to prove or disprove.
- At the end of today's team meeting, be prepared to identify characters that significantly impact your subject's development on the island and explain how.
A team questionnaire can be used to help each team get started in their investigative process. A sample is included below:
Lord of the Flies: Group Study Questions
Using your assigned subject from the Lord of the Flies webquest as your focus, answer the following questions. All group members should contribute and encourage others to contribute.
1. What are three – five places on the island that are important to your subject? Include page numbers to set up your observations.
2. What are three - five physical descriptions of your subject? Use direct quotes and include page numbers to set up your observations.
3. What are three - five behavioral descriptions or character-revealing actions of your subject? Use direct quotes and include page numbers to set up your observations.
4. What are five – seven significant events that occur to your subject? Use direct quotes and include page numbers to set up your observations.
5. What is true of your subject referring to his behavior on the island? Now write this evaluation into a hypothesis.
Additionally, team members should have at least one opportunity to meet with common team members from other teams. "Psychologists" will benefit from the experiences of other "psychologists," topologists will learn from other topologists' activities, and so on.
The activity culminates with an in-class presentation in which the rest of the class plays the role of investigative committee appointed by the government. Depending upon the maturity and involvement of the large group, class members may ask questions for clarity following the team's presentation. They will then vote as to how well the team proved or disproved their hypothesis.