SUBJECT: Language Arts

GRADE: First and Second

TECHNOLOGY: Word-processing

BY: Melissa Ganley, Melissa Riddlemoser, Jennifer Vermillion

Target Grade/Subject: Combined first and second grade classroom; sixteen students, range of abilities, no special needs students. All students have mastered the alphabet and are developing language and sentence structure; assume familiarity with computer and word processing, including the shift function to create capital letters.

Consistent with Piaget's theory, children at this age are developing language and planning skills. According to Erikson, children in first and second grade are at the stage of industry vs. inferiority; where they must learn skills or risk feeling inadequate. Ensure that students have the opportunity to set and work toward realistic goals; provide students an opportunity to show independence and responsibility, provide support to students who seem discouraged.

Objective

• Virginia English Standard (1.12) Writing. The student will write to communicate ideas.
  • Generate ideas.
  • Focus on one topic.
  • Use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, and events.
  • Use complete sentences in final copies.
  • Begin each sentence with a capital letter and use ending punctuation in final copies.
  • Use correct spelling for frequently used words and phonetically regular words in final copies.
  • Share writing with others.
  • Use available technology.

• Virginia English Standard (2.9) Writing. The student will write stories, letters and simple explanations.
  • Generate ideas before writing.
  • Organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end.
  • Revise writing for clarity.
  • Use available technology.

1. Students will brainstorm wacky fun ideas relevant to the Halloween theme (e.g. poems, stories, recipes, jokes, trick-or-treating safety tips, costume ideas) to be included in the Halloween newsletter.

2. Students will select, research, or create, ideas for inclusion in the Halloween newsletter.

3. Students will use classroom computers to type the articles for submission.

4. Students will begin each sentence with a capital letter and end each sentence with appropriate punctuation.

Materials/Time: Four computers with word processing software; one printer with standard 8.5x11 paper; classroom library of Halloween books for students to use as a resource. This activity should begin in early October for completion by October 31st.

The Lesson Proper

• Inform students that they will produce a Halloween newsletter to send home to their families and to share with other classes in the school.

• Brainstorm wacky fun ideas relevant to the Halloween theme. Student ideas should include poems, stories, recipes, jokes, trick-or-treating safety tips, costume ideas or other ideas.

• Instruct and guide each student to select an option based on interest; ensure that there is a variety of selection with distribution across all options.

• Support and encourage students as they research and create ideas for inclusion in the newsletter. Utilize classroom library of Halloween resources.

• Instruct students to word-process their articles.

• Prompt students for correct capitalization and punctuation. Reinforce word processing skills and strategies, as they are needed.

• Teacher will take student work and format into newsletter, adding wacky fun clip art and making copies for general distribution prior to Halloween.

Summative Assessment. Students are engaged in brainstorming session, as evidenced by participation and attentiveness. Students select, research and/or create theme-related items to be included in the newsletter. Item is independently word-processed using appropriate capitalization and punctuation.

	Exceeds Expectation	Meets Expectation	Does Not Meet Expectations
Participation in class discussion	Generates at least one idea. (4-5 points)	Attentive (2-3 points)	Inattentive, not attending. (0-1 points)
Selects appropriate Halloween activity for inclusion in newsletter.	Individually selects item based on interest and ability. (4-5 points)	Selects item with guidance from teacher. (2-3 points)	Item is selected for the student. (0-1 points)
Conducts research or other pre-planning needed.	All information is gathered using individual initiative. (18-20 points)	Information is gathered with teacher prompting. (13-17 points)	Information not collected. (0-12 points)
Word processes item.	All sentences begin with capital letters and have correct punctuation. (18-20 points)	One ö three errors in capitalization and punctuation. (13-17 points)	More than three errors or failure to submit. (0-12 points)