TeachersFirst: Wiki Walk-Through

Wiki ideas for language arts:

A continuing story in which your class adds sentence using new vocabulary words and writes and adventure story in collaboration with the entire class. They will NEVER forget the meaning of the words as they read and re-read their story each time they visit to add. The story can be a single version or branch off into multiple versions and endings.
A collection of mythological allusions found in “real life” while studying Greek/Roman mythology: Ex. Mercury cars- why are they so named?
An online writer’s workshop or poetry workshop with suggested revisions from classmates. Start with drafts and collaborate. Make sure students use the notes tab to explain why they make changes.
Summary and discussion of a scene of a play, a poem, or even chapter by chapter of a novel, with groups taking responsibility for different portions
Literary analysis of actual text on the wiki- with links to explanations of literary devices, a glossary to explain vocabulary, etc. Try it with a scene from Shakespeare or a sonnet! Each student or group could be responsible for a portion, then ALL can edit and revise to improve the collaborative project. You will be amazed how much they will find and argue.
Collaborative book reviews or author studies
Creative projects, such as a script for a Shakespeare scene reset in the 21st century
A travel brochure wiki- use wikis to “advertise” for different literary, historical, or cultural locations and time periods: Dickens’ London, fourteenth century in Italy in Verona and Mantua ( Romeo and Juliet), The Oklahoma Territory, The Yukon during the Gold Rush, Ex-patriot Paris in the Twenties, etc.
Character resume wiki: have literature classes create a resume wikis for characters in a novel or play you are reading. Both creativity and documented evidence from the literature are required (use notes to indicate the evidence from the text).

Wiki ideas for other subjects:

A virtual art gallery with ongoing criticism and responses regarding artwork found online or originals from your art classroom (a cwitiqwiki).
A catalog of musical styles or musical instruments.
Collections of recipes for a family and consumer science or world language class.
A collaborative project with speakers of a foreign language and in another location: A day in the life of an American/Japanese/French/German/Mexican family. (This one would require finding contacts in other locations, of course).
A movie review wiki for teens hoping to find the best date flick? (a Flickr?).
A humor study wiki for gifted students trying to learn the fine art of spoof and satire, including visual as well as verbal.
Collections/montages of examples of an abstract concept, such as “surrealism”- why do you can this surrealist?- explain/refute.
An orientation wiki for the next students to come to your middle or high school (Everything you Need to Knowiki).
Make a nutrition wiki with ideas for ways to eat healthy at local restaurants (a nutwition wiki?).
A careers wiki. Have students interview people about their jobs and write up descriptions of different career paths. Invite the workers to add their own input and pictures, as well. Keep this wiki as part of an alumni project for your high school students investigating school-to-work options.
Buy a Car wiki- interest, financing, car dealer info, car model reviews, etc (in driver ed, math, or business class).
Consumer wiki- student articles on consumer issues and warnings, including the local mall, area businesses, even cell phone plans. This is great for middle schoolers learning about consumer rights.
Get a Job wiki- share info on good/bad places to work and why.
Let students create a “study hall” wiki for their assignments and prep for upcoming tests in your class and others(credit to the students of Vicki A. Davis-- Cool Cat Teacher --Westwood for this one).
Wonderstudent Wiki: As preparation for college or job applications, have groups of students create a fictitious student-resume wiki, demonstrating good skills at “selling” one’s talents and accomplishments. Invite potential employers or college admissions officers to respond to the wikis, if possible.
A space for ESL/ELL students to tell stories of their experiences learning a new culture. Their writing skills will be the winners, and they can edit and help each other to improve. One possibility: write it like an Amelia Bedelia story (the character to takes every idiom literally, cutting up sponges to make sponge cake, etc.