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English in Context: "Let's Go to Mars"

FLTRP Instructor-Paced Module

Learning Module

Abstract

Students explore "Let's Go to Mars" by Janice Marriott and Mark Ruffle, using digital tools to develop their English speaking, reading, research, and writing skills. They learn how to write a persuasive/informative text, and then draft, give peer feedback, and revise their own texts.

Keywords

Reading, Writing, English Language Learners, Literacy, Learning by Design, Vocabulary, Persuasive Informative Text, Point of View, Analysis, Digital Tools.

1. What do you know about space, the Solar System, and space travel?

For the Student 写给学生的话

Humans have always been interested in exploring new places. Humans have travelled to the moon, while robots have been to the planet Mars. In the future, who knows what is possible.

人类一直以来都喜欢探索新的领域。人类登陆地球，将机器人送上火星。明天人类又将做到什么，没人知道。

In this learning module (学习模板（课程）), we will learn about travel to new places. We will read and discuss (讨论) a book, "Let's Go to Mars", research (研究), evaluate (评估) space travel, and write about travel to a favorite destination. In each activity, you will see your learning goal, some activities, and a comment where you can share your ideas with others and your teacher. Let's get started:

在这个课程里，我们将学习探索新的领域。我们会阅读，讨论“让我们登上火星”这本书，研究和探讨太空旅行，并且写下你最喜欢的旅行。每一个小节里，你会看到你的学习目标，你可以做的题目，你还可以和你的同伴和老师分享你的想法和意见。让我们开始吧。

Learning Goal (学习目标): To share your knowledge about space, the Solar System, and space travel.

学习目标：分享你对太空，太阳系，和太空旅行的了解。

Find a partner and share what you know about space, the planets in the Solar System, and space travel. You could talk about:

找一个小伙伴，然后和他分享你对太空，太阳系，和太空旅行的了解，你可以分享

  • names of planets, stars, constellations, and comets
  • 星球，星星，星群，和彗星的名称
  • the order of the planets from the sun
  • 各个星球离太阳的顺序
  • space travel
  • 太空旅行
  • astronauts
  • 宇航员
  • anything else you know about the planets, sun, and moon
  • 任何关于太阳，月亮和其他星球的信息

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 1: Understanding Language in Updates.

请完成这个问卷，让我们去火星吧：解读Updates专用术语

Comment (评论): After your discussion, post (发表) some of your ideas. You can post single words, phrases, or sentences. Read others' comments and try not to repeat what they have written. When you have no more ideas, search online such as Space Exploration Pictures, videos, and websites about space travel. Then, add more facts and links to websites that you find.

评论： 和小伙伴讨论后，请发表和分享你的想法。你可以发表几个词，或短句，或完整的句子。请你也阅读一下其他人写的评论，以免重复。如果你没有什么思路，你可以在网上搜索，比如太空探索的图片，录像，和网站。然后你可以整理一下你找到的信息和网站。

You can also comment on others' comments, especially if they add a fact that you did not know. When you comment, let them know you are commenting on them by starting with @Name (and insert their name). You could start your comments with @Name, I did not know that...... or @Name That is interesting because………..

你还可以点评其他人的评论，特别是当他们提供了一个你不知道的信息的时候。当你评论的时候，你可以@他们的名字，这样可以让他们知道你在回他们的评论。你还可以以“@名字，我不知道。。。”或是“@名字 这个好有趣因为。。。”来开头。

Fig. 1: Explore New Worlds!

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

Scholar is a web writing space for learners of the social media generation. Scholar engages learners through its focus on peer interaction and formative feedback.

学者为在信息时代长大的这一代提供了一个网上写作的空间。学者鼓励每个学生通过与同伴的交流和评估来学习。

This first activity aims to engage students in the topic by valuing their prior knowledge. It introduces some of the underlying principles of working in the Scholar Community space. These include:

第一个小节主要以帮助学生回想一下他们所掌握的知识为目的。同时介绍一下学者社区的一些基本元素，包括以下：

  • collaboration - connecting language users with different levels of expertise
  • 合作： 把学生和专家联系在一起
  • students as knowledge creators, sharing their prior knowledge and new knowledge
  • 学生作为创作知识的主体，要分享他们所知和所学。
  • creating and sharing multimodal texts - modern communication involves visual, audio, gestural, spatial, and language modes
  • 创造和分享多媒体的文字, 以视频，声音，手势，空间和文字的形式来沟通。
  • recursive feedback through comments on other students' comments, learning from and with each other
  • 通过点评其他人的评论来学习和交流，递回式的反馈
  • differentiation - all students are able to participate, regardless of their starting points
  • 包容性：所有学生，无论任何水平，都可以参与
  • metacognition - reflection about their developing use of language
  • 后设认知：反思学生的语言发展和使用
  • using language for real purposes and audiences - real world contexts
  • 用语言来表达真实的世界，和真实的人沟通，探讨真实的事件
  • agency - students become autonomous learners
  • 主体：学生是独立自主的学习者。

Teaching Tips （教学窍门）

Update 1 is in Chinese with some English words included. This will develop students' confidence to work in Scholar. Throughout the module, to provide further support to the learners as more English is used, the teacher could read English instructions aloud, modelling fluent speaking. Also, if necessary, the teacher could record the students' ideas in the Comment box, modelling writing in English for the students.

U是以中文为主，包含一些英文单词，这样可以帮助学生建立在学者里学习的信心。通过这个课程，老师可以帮助学生使用更多的英文，老师自己可以在教学中逐渐增加英文的使用，还可以示范学生如何使用流利的英文。老师还可以在评论栏里纪录学生的想法，并且示范如何用英文表达。

Where appropriate, sentence starters are provided for comments.

并在合适的时机适当的提供如何写评论句开头的提示

The partner activity is used so students discuss ideas before posting them to the Comments. This scaffolds their thinking and writing, and enables them to practice their English language speaking skills. This discussion could be a cooperative learning activity of Think-Pair-Share.

相应的题目也会帮助学生进一步讨论他们的想法，这样不但帮助学生一步一步发展他们的思考能力和写作能力，并且可以帮助他们提高英语的表达能力。 Think-Pair-Share 就是一个合作学习的例子。

There are many sites available on space travel:

以下是关于太空探索的相关的网站

  • 中国第一次太空登陆
  • 太空科学和研究中心
  • 太空旅行
  • 中国相应的网站

By searching for information, students find sites that are suited to their abilities and interests. By exploring the sites, they are immersed in vocabulary to expand their own language skills. Posting links to sites they find also increases their agency and engagement in their learning.

通过搜索相关信息，学生可以发现符合他们兴趣和能力的网站。通过探索这些网站，学生可以扩大词汇量，还有提高他们对学习的主动性。

Survey （问卷）

Surveys are included throughout the module to explicitly teach vocabulary, grammar and language skills. They may also scaffold the activities, particularly through sentence starters and models of sentences that students may use in their own comments.

在老师教授词汇，语法和语言的每一步都会有问卷。问卷可以通过提示和范例来帮助学生进一步撰写他们的评论。

When you start the survey, it will be delivered into the activity stream of the Community.

当你开始问卷时，问卷会自动传送到社区的信息。

 

This initial survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 1: Words and Sentences, focuses on the vocabulary and sentences that typically occur in Updates. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

第一个问卷是“让我们去火星 Update1: 词语和句子，主要是Update里出现的词汇和语句。请在发布Update后，开始问卷。

2. Predict the Text

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To read and predict (预测) what will happen in "Let's Go to Mars".

Fig. 2: Let's Go to Mars

First, look at the pictures in "Let's Go to Mars".

Find a partner, and predict what you think the text will be about.

To start your sentences in your discussion, you could say:

I predict that ...................

I think this because................................

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 2: Vocabulary and Sentence Starters.

Next, listen to a reading/recording of the text. You can choose an American or English voice. Look at the images and the words during the reading.

Let's Go to Mars (American Reading)
Let's Go to Mars (English Reading)

Record Yourself: You can use your phone, iPod, iPad, computer or another audio/video recording device to record yourself speaking English in the discussions with a partner. You can also record yourself reading "Let's Go to Mars".

Comment: Listen to the recordings. Comment on things you did well, things you would like to improve, and new words you have learned. Comment on other students' comments, giving them praise and encouragement. Start with @Name.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

Learning Focus: English in Context: "Let's Go to Mars"

While students may learn new information about Mars and space travel, this is not the main focus of this Learning Module. Rather, the focus is to develop students' skills in:

  • speaking and listening to English
  • reading and writing English
  • researching information texts such as books and websites
  • creating persuasive multimodal texts
  • thinking such as understanding different points of view

Scholar Updates

Each activity in a Learning Module is called an Update. Updates are delivered from the Learning Module in the Scholar Bookstore to the activity stream of the Community. Students who are members of that community can then access it. For more information on using Scholar, see Scholar Tutorials.

In this Update, students listen to the first reading of the text. Throughout the Learning Module, students re-read the text, becoming more confident as the module progresses.

Before the first reading, the teacher may also show the images in the text, using vocabulary from the text to describe what is happening. This foregrounds language in the text and supports independent reading.

Possible words to use as you show the text:

  1. Contents
  2. The red planet
  3. The solar system
  4. It's cold!
  5. Lots of sand
  6. Lots of room!
  7. Polar ice caps
  8. Sand dunes
  9. No air
  10. Let's go!
  11. Spaceship
  12. Fun
  13. Floating
  14. Parachutes
  15. Airbags
  16. Time is different
  17. What to wear
  18. What to do
  19. Take a photo
  20. Come to Mars
  21. The price
  22. Glossary

Discussions and readings enable students to rehearse and experiment with language before writing their comments.

Recording with Digital Devices

Mobile technologies and working in an online environment enable students to record themselves as they use English, analysing their own skills and development as learners. Encourage students to use digital devices such as phones, iPods, iPads, and their computers to record themselves as much as possible. Recording also supports students to rehearse and experiment with language.

Developing a habit of reflection will help them to improve their knowledge of English and their fluency as speakers. As well as recording their conversations, students can also record readings of the text. They can then reflect on their successes and things that they would like to improve. This reflection on their developing language skills will help them to identify areas to focus on and help them to improve further.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update: Vocabulary and Sentence Starters, is designed to scaffold students' comments in the comment box. It will help them to say and write sentences about predictions, comments, and reflections. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

3. What did you think of Let's Go to Mars?

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To understand and connect to the text.

Read the audio-recording again. Listen to the recording as many times as you like.

Record Yourself: You can also record yourself reading the text and discussions you have with a partner.

With a partner, discuss:

  • Did you like the book?
  • Did it remind you of other things you have read or seen or heard of?
  • What was the most interesting part?
  • Why was it interesting?

Complete the survey: Let's Go to Mars Update 3: Vocabulary 1

Comment: Share one idea from your discussion. Then, comment on other people's comments, explaining why you agree or disagree with them. If you recorded your discussion and/or a reading of the book, comment on things you did well and things you would like to improve.

Fig. 3: Have you ever build sandcastles?

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

Background to Learning Module

Connecting to the text emphasizes how students are making meaning of the text. It is also important as it engages students by valuing their prior knowledge. Valuing prior knowledge and connecting to the text are part of experiential learning in the Learning by Design framework which has been used to design this learning module.

Student Reflection

Encourage discussion so that students develop their language skills through purposeful talk about the text.

Students can listen to the audio recording of the text as often as they would like in order to develop their confidence to read the text aloud. They should also record themselves reading the text so that they can listen and reflect on their strengths in speaking English, plus areas to focus on.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 3: Vocabulary 1, scaffolds comprehension of the text. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

4. Multimedia Dictionary Project

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To start my English Multimedia Dictionary Project and to use the rubric to identify what is important to include.

Description: Create a Multimedia Dictionary that includes English sentences, phrases, words, meanings, and pronunciation you have been learning. Keep adding to it each day until you have at least 20 entries.

You can copy and paste this table, and keep adding to it each day until the end of this Learning Module.

Multimedia Dictionary
Word/Phrase/ Sentence Definition Picture (optional) Link to Pronunciation
Satellite: The moon is a satellite of Earth. A natural or artificial body that moves around a planet
sat/ell/ite
Predict: Predict the story will be about ............ To describe something that will happen in the future
pre/dict
       
       

Check the Work Request in your Notifications. Click on this link to open the “Untitled Work” in Creator. Then, change the title, and begin a first draft. Go to About This Work => Project => Description for further project information.

For what you need to do in order to create a good Multimedia Dictionary, go to Feedback => Reviews => Rubric. Keep the Rubric open and refer to it as you write.

When you have at least 12 entries in your dictionary, click “Submit Draft” below the work. This is the version of your work that will be sent to others for review.

Record Yourself: Record yourself using the new words, phrases and sentences. Listen to the recordings. This will help you to notice your own mistakes in pronunciation.

Complete the survey: Let's Go to Mars Update 4: Vocabulary and Sentences.

Comment: Share some interesting sentences, phrases, and words. Comment on other students'. Add any that interest you to your Multimedia Dictionary.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

In this Update students start their first project in Creator in Scholar. This project enables them to identify new vocabulary and to reflect on meaning and pronunciation.

Encourage students to go to Creator at any time and continue to add words throughout the module. Selecting their own words will give them agency and will support differentiation of learners. Selecting words that other students have commented on will also promote collaboration.

The surveys will also provide new vocabulary, grammar, sentences, and phrases that students can add to their Multimedia Dictionary.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 4: Vocabulary and Sentences, suggests language that students may use in their Multimedia Dictionary. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

Project Rubric

 

 

5. Information Texts and Facts

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To understand how information texts are organized and how to navigate (导航) through them.

Look at "Let's Go to Mars" again and identify the sections that you see, for example, the contents and index pages. Then find a website that you like. Notice how it is organized.

Complete the survey: Let's Go to Mars Update 5: Books and Websites. It will help you to  complete this Update. You can also choose words to add to your Multimedia Dictionary.

Books and websites can be information texts.

Complete a Venn Diagram (Attachment 1) where you record what is the same (crossover of the two circles) and what is different (left circle for books; right circle for websites) for the two types of information texts. Discuss it with a partner so you can practice your English speaking skills.

Record Yourself: Record your discussion.

Fig. 5: Venn Diagram - Books and Websites
Attachment 1: Venn Diagram Template

When you have completed your Venn Diagram, submit it through "Submissions" in Community.

Add words to your Multimedia Dictionary.

Comment: Which one do you prefer - books or websites? Explain (解释) your reasons. Where can you check whether a source is reliable and up-to-date? Why is it important to check that a book or a website is reliable and up-to-date? Comment on the comments of others, explaining why you agree or disagree with them.

If you recorded your discussion, comment on things you did well and things you would like to improve.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

Knowing how to navigate books and online sources for information is an important research skill. This activity enables students to identify similarities and differences in informational texts. Understanding the structure of a book (contents, index, reading path, etc.) compared to a website (navigation bar, weblinks, reading path, etc.) will support students to understand how to access and navigate different sources. It will also enable students to identify the features of different information texts in different modes - book (language, visual and spatial modes), and a website (visual, audio, language and spatial).

A Venn Diagram is a useful tool to identify similarities and differences. Students can download the template of the Venn Diagram, complete it, and then submit it to the teacher through "Submissions" in Community. To scaffold this task, the survey focuses on defining the features of books and websites. So do the survey before completing the Venn Diagram.

The reflection in the Comment also prompts discussion on reliability of information sources. A dictionary definition of "reliable" is provided through a weblink: able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed: able to be relied on, able to be believed, likely to be true or correct.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 5: Books and Websites, includes some of the features of books and websites. It will be a useful reference as students complete the Venn Diagram. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

Submissions

Go to Community and in the pull down menu above your avatar/profile photo, select Submissions. Then select a Community.

Submissions

6. Researching a Destination

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To research information, and make connections between facts and tourist opportunities.

Read "Let's Go to Mars" again. You can record your reading. As you read, note how the author links facts about Mars to what you could do there as a tourist. Here are some examples:

  • It takes 3 months to travel to Mars: You can take the Mars express.
  • You are weightless on Mars: You could play weightless football.
  • Mars has strong winds and sand dunes: See Mars' famous sand dunes on the move or enter the dune buggy races.
  • Mars' sky is red: Watch red sunsets in a pink sky.
  • Mars has lots of sand and deserts: Build sand castles.

"Let's Go to Mars" is an information text, to inform (获悉) you about Mars. It is also like a travel advertising brochure, to persuade (说服) you to travel to Mars. It can be described as a persuasive/informative text. Note how the writer tries to persuade you by using "You can" or "You could" or "See" or Build".

Choose a favorite place or tourist destination (city, town, forest, park) on earth or perhaps on another planet.

Research (研究) 5 - 10 facts from websites and books.

What tourist activities could you do there?

For each fact, write a sentence that connects the fact to a "tourist" activity. For example:

  • Mars has lots of sand and deserts: Build sand castles.

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 6: Key Facts.

Add words to your Multimedia Dictionary.

Comment: Share one fact you discovered and the activity that connects to it. Read and comment on other people's facts and activities.

Record Yourself: If you recorded your discussion, comment on things you did well and things you would like to improve.

Fig. 6: Explore Mars on a car-sized robotic rover.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

The first part of this fact focuses on identifying facts in "Let's Go to Mars" and the tourist activities that are linked to them. This also introduces the concept of an informative/persuasive text.

The focus of this activity is on researching information about a favorite tourist destination either on Earth or another planet. Students are required to research facts and identify possible tourist opportunities. This will support them to complete their writing project in Update 9. It will also enable them to be very purposeful as they explore real world texts such as websites, and practice their reading skills.

The comment also supports differentiation as students can post information according to their level of English skills. Some students will post long comments, modelling writing for other students.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 6: Key Facts, focuses on facts about Earth and Mars. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

7. The Powers of Persuasion

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To analyse the multimodal elements of "Let's Go to Mars".

Fig.7: Come to the Forbidden City where you can see paintings from the Ming Dynasty.

Read "Let's Go to Mars" again. This time, as you read, see how the writer and illustrator are trying to persuade (说服) you to come to Mars.

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 7: Multimodal Elements. This survey focuses on page 2 of the text. It will help you to look closely at the multimodal (language, visual, spatial and gestural) features of "Let's Go to Mars".

Add words to your Multimedia Dictionary.

Comment: Search for travel websites. Post a link to one that you find. Do they provide information? Do they persuade? Post examples of informative and persuasive language from the website. Comment on the websites that others find. Do they provide information? Are they persuasive?

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

In this Update, students are knowledge creators, finding and commenting on websites that are both informative and persuasive.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 7: Multimodal Elements, scaffolds thinking about the multimodal (visual, gestural, spatial and language) elements of the text.

In the survey, students do a close analysis of page 2 of "Let's Go to Mars". This will increase their understanding of how a text can be both an informative and a persuasive text.

It will also support them to make choices when they create their own text in their writing project. This level of scaffolding ensures that students use "Let's Go to Mars" as a model/mentor text in their writing project.

Start the survey immediately after posting this Update.

8. Give Feedback: Multimedia Dictionary Project

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To give feedback on other students’ Multimedia Dictionaries.

Check your Notifications for Feedback Requests: You have received a Feedback Request. Click on this link to take you to the work you have been assigned to review.

Go to Feedback => Reviews => Review Work. Rate the work on each criterion and explain why you gave the work that rating. Make in-text comments at Feedback => Annotations.

Submit your feedback once it is finished at About This Work => Project => Status. You will not be able to submit your review until you have completed the review and annotations. For more information, see Reviewing a Work and Submitting a Review and Annotations.

Use the feedback you receive to improve your Multimedia Dictionary. Then keep adding more words to it each day. Do not submit your revision until the end of the Learning Module, in Update 12.

Comment: Do you have any more questions about Scholar at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it. Start with @Name.

Fig. 8: Cruise along the Li River in Guilin

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

This Update covers the review phase of the writing process in Scholar where students receive peer feedback from their peers on their Multimedia Dictionaries.

Once students receive their feedback, they can make some revisions. They should continue to add more entries each day until the end of the Learning Module. They can submit it for publication at the same time as they submit their writing projects. So when you set up the dates in the project wizard in Publisher, set the same date for submitting revisions for both projects.

Refer to Analytics to monitor how students are progressing with their writing and their reviews.

Survey: No survey is attached to this Update.

9. Points of View

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of space travel from different points of view.

Discuss what people would think about space travel. You could consider the viewpoints of an:

  • Environmentalist
  • Scientist
  • Astronaut
  • Ordinary person
  • School student
  • Retired person

Find a partner, and compare (比较) different points of view. Add your ideas to a Comparison Chart. You can also search the Internet to find out more information. A few examples are shown for you.

Note: "Viewpoints" and "Points of View" can be used to mean the same thing.

Comparison Chart
Viewpoint Advantages: Mars Disadvantages: Mars Advantages: My Destination Choice Disadvantages: My Destination Choice
Environmentalist        
Scientist Many new inventions come from space travel: solar energy panels, computer microchip, CAT scanners, and more.      
Inventor        
Astronaut   Space missions are dangerous. Safety and survival cannot be guaranteed.    
Young Child Space adventures might enable me to live on another planet in the future.      
Teenager        
Middle-aged Person        
Older Person        
Poor Person   Space programs are very costly and the money could be better spent on helping the poor.    
Wealthy Person        
Politician        
Business Owner        
Farmer        
         
         
         

Now think about a place you would like to go.Your destination could be another planet, or somewhere on earth or your favorite place for vacation. Complete the 4th and 5th columns to consider other viewpoints as you did for travel to Mars.

Attachment 3: Comparison Chart

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 8: Vocabulary 2.

Add words to your Multimedia Dictionary.

Comment: After considering many points of view, do you think that space travel is good or bad? Provide reasons for your opinion. Comment on the comments of other students, explaining why you agree or disagree with them.

Record Yourself: If you recorded your discussion, also comment on things you did well and things you would like to improve.

Fig. 9: See solar panels on the International Space Station.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

This Update focuses on critical thinking skills.

Through exploring the advantages and disadvantages of space travel from a range of perspectives, students develop their understanding of safety, cost, and environmental issues related to space travel. Using a Comparison Chart, students are prompted to challenge their thinking about Mars and another place that they select. This will also enable them to expand on some of their ideas in their writing project in Update 9.

For accountability, students may submit the completed Comparison Chart to "Submissions" in Community.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 8: Vocabulary 2, scaffolds language that students can use as they complete the Comparison Chart. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

10. Writing Project

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To start my writing project and to use the rubric to identify what is important to include.

Project

Let's Go to.........

Where would you like to visit? It could be another planet, or a place you have never been to on Earth, or your favorite place to go on vacation. Write an informative/persuasive text encouraging others to visit that place. Use "Let's Go to Mars" as a model and include facts that you have researched about your place, interesting activities you could do on the visit, persuasive language, multimedia (images, videoclips, weblinks), and a glossary.

Starting your Work

Check the Work Request in your Notifications. Click on the Work Request link to open the “Untitled Work” in Creator. Then, change the title, and begin a first draft. Go to About This Work => Project => Description for further project information.

Use the Structure Tool to create sections in your work like the chapter headings in "Let's Go to Mars". Some headings could be:

  • Contents
  • ............... - It's Different
  • ............... - The Facts
  • Your Journey to ................
  • What to Wear
  • What can you do on/at ...............?
  • How Much?
  • Glossary

For what you need to do in order to write a good informative/persuasive text, go to Feedback => Reviews => Rubric. Keep the Rubric open and refer to it as you write.

Complete the survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 9: Now and the Future.

Add words to your Multimedia Dictionary.

When you are ready to submit, click “Submit Draft” below the work. This is the version of your work that will be sent to others for review.

Comment: Do you have any questions about how Scholar works? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it - start with @Name.

Fig.10: You could visit the Great Wall of China

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

Starting the Project

Below you will see a button "Start Project". This will copy the project and take you into Publisher where you can follow the project wizard to set dates for when drafts, reviews, and revisions are due. You can also decide the number of reviewers, whether reviewers are anonymous, and whether you would like students to add annotations or a publication recommendation.

Starting the project also copies the rubric to the Publisher that you select. Before finalizing the project, you can edit the rubric in Tools => Rubrics.

When you press the "Finalize" button, the project will start. Notifications will be sent out to students to start their work, provide feedback, and revise on the dates you have set in the project.

Students Starting Drafts

Students click on the Work Requests in their Notifications. This will take them into Creator and ensures that the work that they do is connected to the project in Publisher.

Students should also refer to the rubric as a guide as they write in Creator. If students are unfamiliar with Scholar and peer review, look through the rubric with them.

Project Rubric

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 9: Now and the Future, explores the factual and imaginative/futuristic aspects of the text. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

11. Give Feedback and Revise

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To give feedback on other students’ works and then revise my own.

Check your Notifications for Feedback Requests: You have received a Feedback Request. Click on this link to take you to the work you have been assigned to review.

Go to Feedback => Reviews => Review Work. Rate the work on each criterion and explain why you gave the work that rating. Make in-text comments at Feedback => Annotations. Make an overall recommendation at Feedback => Recommendation.

Submit your feedback once it is finished at About This Work => Project => Status. You will not be able to submit your review until all requirements set by you teacher have been met. These may include a Review, Annotations, and/or a Publication Recommendation.

For more information, see Reviewing a Work and Submitting a Review and Annotations.

Revision Phase

The next stage of the writing process is to revise your own work.

Note: you will have two Revision Requests - for your Multimedia Dictionary Project and your Writing Project.

Check your Notifications for a Revision Request: You have received a Revision Request. Click on this link to take you to the most recent version of your work. Then go to Feedback => Reviews => Results to see the reviews and Feedback => Annotations to see in-text comments. Once you have incorporated all of the feedback (Reviews/Annotations) from your peers, click “Submit Revision” below the work.

You can also write a self-review, explaining how you have taken on board the feedback you received.

For more information, see The Revision Phase.

Comment: Do you have any more questions about Scholar at this stage? Make a comment in this update. If you think you have an answer to another student's question, please answer it. Start with @Name.

Fig.11: See a seven month old panda cub in the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

This Update covers two phases of the writing process in Scholar - Review and Revision. It is included here so that you can post it directly into a Community when students are up to this phase of their writing projects.

Refer to Analytics to monitor how students are progressing with their writing and their reviews.

Survey

The survey, Let's Go to Mars Update 10: Sentences 2, offers the opportunity for students to explore conjunctions and sentence order. This will help them write their sentences in the writing project. Start the survey immediately after posting the Update.

12: Publish and Reflect

For the Student 写给学生的话

Learning Goal: To identify what is successful writing.

Check Notifications to see if your Writing Project and your Multimedia Dictionary have been published and whether works that you provided feedback on have been selected for publication. You can see the published works on your Profile Page in Community.

Comment: Read two - three other people’s published persuasive, informative texts. Write a comment about the most interesting thing you learned from reading them. This might be ideas you hadn’t thought of, interesting facts, and persuasive language. Also, comment on things you did well and things you would like to improve in your English writing and speaking skills. Comment on other students' comment by starting with @Name.

Fig. 12: Come to The Forbidden City to see a World Heritage Site.

For the Teacher 写给老师的话

This Update focuses on the publication and reflection phases of a writing project. It is included here so that you can post it directly into a Community when students are up to this phase of their writing projects.

Notifications of publication are provided to the creator and all reviewers.

This reflection activity promotes student metacognition about what makes quality writing by reading and reflecting on other students’ writing. Ask students to look over other people’s published works - have them read at least two or three works. Ask them to comment on something interesting they learned from reading other students’ work.

13. Acknowledgements

Title: (Source); Fig. 1: CC0 Public Domain (Source); Fig.2: (Source); Fig.3: From "Let's Go to Mars" (Source); Fig.4: Satellite (Source) and Crystal Ball (Source);  Fig.5: Venn Diagram created by Rita van Haren; Fig.6: "Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover" by NASA (Source). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig.7: "Verbotene-Stadt1500". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig. 8: Tourist Boat Ride on Li River, Guilin (Source); Fig.9: "ROSSA" by NASA. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig.10: "GreatWall6" by Craig Nagy (Frayed), Vancouver, Canada - flickr.com. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig.11: "Panda Cub from Wolong, Sichuan, China" by Original uploader -Sheilalau. Originally from en.wikipedia. Licensed under सार्वजनिक अधिक्षेत्र via Wikimedia Commons (Source); Fig.12: "Sunset of the Forbidden City 2006" by User:kallgan - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Source).

Images in Surveys: Orbit: (Source); Volcano: (Source); Spaceship: (Source); Planet: (Source); Bucket and Spade: (Source); Parachutes: (Source); Red Sky: (Source); Spacesuit: (Source); Planet Earth Surface: (Source).