Pair students with suitable reading partners and schedule on-line reading time. Students read stories online, record their survey choices in a Clarisworks template, and then send their completed survey file as an attachment to teacher partner's class. Partner class students open attachment file, and then graph survey results using Clarisworks, or Clarisworks for Kids graphing function. Collaboratively combine all comments onto a single Clarisworks page for distribution to both classes. As a closure activity to the project, bring both classes together for a shared reading of George MacDonald's fairytales.
Final graph reflects accurate compilation of raw data gathered from partner class.
During the next writer's conference, teacher and student will look at the newest piece of writing and see if there has been improvement in story starting technique. Making the graph involved all students in meaningful interpretation of data and analysis of that data. Students gained new technology-use skills in creating their graphs using Clarisworks Paint. This was a new use of this publishing software for Steitz's students. This project has generated student interest in fairytales.