SUBJECT: Language Arts

GRADE: Kindergarten

TECHNOLOGY: Kid Pix Studio

BY: Susan Gilliam, Tracy Leahy, Kara Pincoffs

Target Grade/Subject

According to Piaget, students of this age (2-7 years old) are in the operational stage, meaning a child has not mastered operation (actions that are carried out and reversed mentally rather than physically. This first step to internalizing action is developing semiotic function, the ability to use symbols (language and pictures) to represent actions or objects mentally.This lesson contributes toward development of this function by requiring students to visualize the action of the story as it is read to them They must then represent that action in both picture and words.

Objectives

Virginia Standards of Learning:

• Standard K.1 The student will demonstrate growth in the use of oral language.
  • Listen to a variety of literary forms, including stories and poems.
  • Participate in choral speaking and recite short poems, rhymes, songs, and stories with repeated patterns.
  • Participate in creative dramatics.
  • Begin to discriminate between spoken words and sentences.
  • Substitute words in a rhyming pattern.
•  
• Standard K.11 - The student will draw pictures and/or use letters and phonetically spelled words to write about experiences, stories, people, objects, or events.

1. During the reading of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, the student will use listening skills by maintaining eye contact with teacher and keeping quiet.

2. Given a page of the text of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, the student will illustrate a picture representing the action of the assigned page.

3. Given a microphone and Kid Pix and teacher assistance, the student will create a recording that accurately retells the action of their assigned page.

4. The student will demonstrate appropriate social behavior while viewing the collaborative slide show by keeping eyes and ears on slideshow, keeping hands to self, and not talking.

Materials

Cronin, Doreen. (2000). Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Story Description

Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows find a typewriter in the barn and start making demands. Their first demand is they would like an electric blanket. Farmer Brown said, No way. The cows then go on strike and decide not to provide any milk. The next day the cows sent Farmer Brown another letter. This letter stated that the hens were also cold and they too would like electric blankets. The cows then posted another note, No eggs! Farmer Brown then decides to write back. The Farmer writes there will be no electric blankets. The duck was a neutral party and takes the Farmer's note to the cows. The cows respond by saying they will exchange the typewriter for electric blankets. The Farmer agrees to this deal. The cows decided to leave the blanket outside the barn door and have the duck take the typewriter to the Farmer. The next morning the Farmer receives a note from the ducks. The ducks say they would like a diving board. The last picture shows a duck diving off a board.

• Kid Pix Studio, A Paint Program

  This program combines a variety of graphic tools and is specifically designed for younger users. It uses icons that clearly suggest what can be done with each tool, and therefore the user does not have to remember complicated procedures.

• Kid Pix Slideshow

  This program was specifically designed to create slide shows. It is included as part of Kid Pix Studio and is also designed for the younger child. This program allows students to place pictures in a slide show, include text with the pictures, and record sound.

• 17 Microphones and computers with sound and recording capabilities
• (One computer for teacher, and an individual computer for each student)
• LCD Projector
  • This projector reproduces the images on the teacher's computer for all in the classroom to see.

   

• Projector Screen
• A copy of the assigned text from the book for each student

Lesson Description: The teacher will:

1. Tell the students that today they will hear a story about some farm animals. Instruct the students to listen extra carefully to the events and actions of the story because you will not show them the pictures for this activity and that later they will be illustrating the story.

2. Read the book, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type without showing the cover or the pictures of the book to the students.

3. Introduce the children to the computer and Kid Pix Studio, A Paint Program by modeling drawing on the computer. Allow each student to explore the paint program on their own.

4. Give each student a copy of one page of text from the book, while students are exploring the paint program. Explain to each student that they will be responsible for illustrating their assigned text.

5. Circulate among students to insure students understand the action of their page.

6. Have the students draw their portion of the story on the paint program of Kid Pix Studio. One student will illustrate the cover; the rest of the students will illustrate the text.

7. Save the drawings.

8. Place the saved drawings in the Kid Pix Slideshow.

9. Have each student recite the story in his own words that accompanies his or her picture into the computer's microphone.

10. Place the transitions between each of the slides. At this time the teacher will also create the credits of the production listing all the children's names that participated as the last slide.

11. Emphasize appropriate social behavior before showing slide show such as keeping silent, keeping eyes and ears on slide show, and keeping hands to yourself.

12. Play the slide show on the LCD projector for all to see on the projector screen.

Evaluation Procedure

• Check whether student is exhibiting listening behaviors and following directions.
• Check to see that student's picture and words reflect the action of the assigned text.
• See attached checklist.

*Woolfolk, A.E. (1998). Educational Psychology, (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.