Sunday, April 11, 2010

What Would Romeo's Facebook Page Look Like?

Facebook Template for Class Projects - Suzanne Whitlow's Great blog 

This is such a  great template that can be used in any subject out there.  I would use this in my Lit Classes and have student create a Facebook page for characters in a story. Imagine what Romeo and Juliet would post on their pages after a wonderful evening on the balcony. What might Tybalt post on Mercutio's wall after a exchange of harsh words in town? I love being an English teachers because it really allows me to do almost anything I can think of when it comes to projects. English is not the only class that you could use Facebook templates for though.

You could create Facebook profiles for famous men and women in history. What might Winston Churchill place on FDR's wall? What does Cleopatra do with here constant relationship status changes? The possibilities are endless and could lead to some great projects as students research the type of music that these men and women might have listened to or they type of plays the preferred to watch. I created one for Romeo using a template. It took me 35 minutes to complete this and post it to slide share. It was fun and required a little research to make sure I had the time-line correct. I think that my students will love this when I ask them to do it for Holden in The Catcher in the Rye.

You need to download the SlideShare to see the pictures for some reason. I assure you, it is worth the download! Sorry.


This is such a great way to present information for the first time to students or give the information in class and ask the students to create the profile using primary sources of information. They could stretch their research legs while flexing their creativity muscles. I think this would be a blast to use in Social Studies if I have to teach History again. What would Douglass put on Lincoln's wall after their famous debate? How crazy would a Northerner's and Southerner's Wall look after war broke out? What if they were brothers? The ongoing debate of the Constitution would be very cool to see through Facebook Wall posts. Use of the template doesn't stop at Social Studies, it can be used in Science Class as well.

Science Class could be a blast as students create profiles for animals or even elements on the periodic table. Oxygen is in a relationship with Hydrogen. :-) Other bonds could be created and broken and students could find pictures that represent the elements they have chosen. Allowing students to explore different connections with the elements might help them remember these concepts for an exam. It might take a bit more creativity to come up with different profiles, but kids are great at projects like these. The harder they think about the profile, the longer the information will be stuck in their mind.

There are many different ways that this template can be used in the classroom to allow students to explore a different way of learning. Students can have a better experience with the material if their are allowed to "play" with it. Let them create with the information you provide in class and they will have an easier time recalling it later in class.

I hope you enjoyed the different sites I pulled together over break. I want to give a shout out to my PLN for sharing these great resources with me and the world. You make all of us better teachers by sharing. Please feel free to leave me a comment or suggest a helpful site you want others to see.

- @TheNerdyTeacher

20 comments:

  1. So glad you like this idea. I can't wait to see how you use this. My students did an outstanding job with this for Social Studies. Their teacher didn't get it at all, she said she didn't understand and wouldn't know how to grade this, which lead to a discussion on grading vs evalutating.
    Thanks for the mention in your post.
    SuzanneITRT

    ReplyDelete
  2. A colleague at my school teaching European history had students write Facebook pages for Bismarck or Cavour during German/Italian reunification--it worked really well.

    I do think, though, that Suzanne's comment is a reminder to have clear evaluation standards for any sort of project like this. I think, after years of teaching writing, teachers have a pretty clear idea of what their standards are for a standard essay. Since tech projects are newer, I think the standards are still fuzzy, so good evaluation and feedback takes some serious reflection in advance. You can also get the students to think though that with you, which I've done with one class this semester.

    David

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great idea as it brings Shakespeare alive for students and in a format they are familiar with. They can still demonstrate excellent understanding of the text, while thinking about how they would portray the characters in a Facebook setting. Nice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a brilliant idea. My students could do one of these for the Australian explorers we are looking at next term.
    Thanks for the ideas and for your terrific blogs. I always learn something each and every time I read it.
    @2sparkley

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've been wanting to have my students create Facebook-style pages for various historical figures, but I never thought about creating one to introduce people or topics to them. That's brilliant!!

    I bet the 7th graders would love it if I created one for the Great Wall of China!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is such an awesome idea. I love using it for literature and history because it gives students the opportunity to do a character sketch (profile and info), a timeline of events (status updates) and connect the character with other characters (friends). Such a very neat way to get students excited about what they are learning.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a great idea... I think I could use this for famous Spanish speakers or artists... Not sure yet, but I have forwarded the idea to the business teacher and the social studies teacher... I might suggest it to the science teachers too... It is an awesome idea... Very creative... Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, this is a great idea! I wish I had Facebook when I was in school =)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved this on Suzanne's Blog! Thanks for making an in depth example to share. Passing it along to our Middle School ITS.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Many institutions limit access to their online information. Making this information available will be an asset to all.

    ReplyDelete
  11. If R&J had Facebook. a private message would be all it would take to prevent the ending.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  14. nice blog keep sharing;). At the same time, i love it. Thanks for this.

    Doubletree hotel Sacramento

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very creative .. such a great idea... Thankz for this kind ov blog..

    essay help

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your website is great. Your thoughts are also very good and i am very inspired from your post. That is why I visit again and again and will come back in future too.
    sell ebooks online

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Please post your thoughts here. Thanks!