My Favorite Teddy

A Multidisciplinary WebQuest for Kindergarten

Introduction:

Hi!!! My name is Co-Co. I belong to Pat. Pat has other toys, but I am special because I am the only teddy bear. I have heard that there are other teddy bears out there in the world. I am going to school with other teddy bears to see what goes on there. Come along with me!!!

The Tasks:

(Some of these tasks may require parental help.)

You will bring your favorite teddy bear to school.
Explain to the class why it is your favorite.
Look on the Internet to find pictures of other people's favorite teddy bears.
Read the story of the history of the teddy bear.
Perform a bear "check-up" on your teddy bear.
Read two teddy bear stories and draw pictures of the main characters.
Send a teddy postcard to a friend.
Make a teddy graph to compare and contrast each other's bears.

The Process:

No matter what age you are, teddy bears have a way about them that always seem to put a smile on your face. They spread warmth and good cheer where ever they go! You may need help from your teacher or parents to complete this process. Have fun with your bears!!!

1. You will look on the Internet to find pictures of other people's favorite teddy bears. Select your favorite teddy bear. Explain to the class what makes your teddy bear special and why it is your favorite. Tell the class which bear you selected as your favorite on the Internet, and explain how it is similar to or different from your bear.

2. Visit The Bear Museum and read the story of the history of the teddy bear. Ask your parents about the history of your teddy bear. Find out where it came from, how much it cost, who named it, and why its name was chosen. During "Show and Tell" share this information with the class.

3. You want to make sure that your bear is healthy and in good condition. Your bear is very special and deserves extra care and attention. Perform a health check-up on your bear and fill out a health certificate.

4. There are several true stories about teddy bears on the Internet. Four special stories are "Ded Ted," "Horatio," "The Haunted Bear," "Fritz and Buddy," and "Forby." Select any two of these and draw pictures of what you think the bears looked like.

5. Send a teddy bear postcard to a friend or someone in your family. Send them a personal message to let them know about the teddy bears we have learned about. Let them know that they are extra special and that you are thinking about them!!!

6. Make a teddy bear graph with your classmates by comparing and contrasting each other's teddy bears. Categories will include size, condition, color, and those wearing bows. You will use Teddy Grahams on the graph. Afterwards, you can eat the left-overs!!!

The Evaluation:

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Evaluate teddy bears on the Internet and compare with own.	Is not aware that there are teddy bears on the Internet.	Selected a favorite bear from Internet but did not compare and contrast to their own. Did not give reasons as to why it was their favorite.	Selected a favorite bear from Internet and gave two comparisons and differences to their own bear. Gave a reason why it is their favorite.	Selected a favorite bear from Internet and gave several comparisons and differences to their own bear. Gave three reasons it is their favorite bear.
Read the history of the teddy bear and tell the history of their personal bear.	Read the history of teddy bears, but did not share their own teddy bear's history.	Read the history of teddy bears and told where their bear came from.	Read the history of teddy bears and told where their bear came from and who named it.	Read the history of teddy bears and gave the history of their teddy bear by telling where it came from, the cost, where it got its name, and who named it.
Complete health certificate.	Did not complete health certificate.	Partially filled out health certificate.	Completely filled out health certificate.	Completely filled out health certificate and provided extra information on their bear.
Read two bear stories and drew pictures of the main characters.	Read one bear story, but did not draw a picture.	Read one bear story and drew a picture.	Read two bear stories and drew two pictures.	Read four stories and drew four pictures.
Send a postcard to someone and make a teddy graph to compare classmates' bears.	Did not send a postcard or make a teddy graph.	Sent a postcard but did not send a personal message. Made a teddy graph comparing size and color of bears.	Sent a postcard with a personal message. Made a teddy graph comparing size, condition, color of bears, and those wearing bows.	Sent a postcard with a personal message that included why the postcard was sent and a nice hello. Made a teddy graph comparing size, condition, color of bears, and those wearing bows.

Conclusion:

By now you should know that teddy bears are very special to each of us. Every person has a unique teddy bear that is special for many reasons. You have hopefully learned that, although we are different from each other in many ways, we do share many similarities. Now that you have read the story of the teddy bear's history and true stories of teddy bears, you can share this information with others!!!

Credits & References:

A special thanks to Clip Art and BellsNWhistles for use of their graphics.

Teacher Advice:

This lesson incorporates kindergarten language arts, social studies, and math. Learners will need assistance from parents or teachers to complete this activity. This multidisciplinary WebQuest may take a couple of days to complete. The teacher will need some knowledge of the Internet to successfully teach this lesson. Students may work together in small groups on this assignment. Teachers should encourage group discussion.

Created for EDU 506 @ FHU School of Education by Julie M. Walton on July 24, 2001.