Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan

Lesson plan title:  Create Your Own State

Found at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson071.shtml

The Three Technologies to Use in this Classroom are: 

ü  World Wide Web

ü  Map Boutique software

ü  Digital camcorder

Objectives of the Technologies: 

o   Map Boutique- software that allows you to create your own state.  The students will get on the computer and use their imagination to create a state of their own.  The state should include a compass rose, a state flower, a state bird, a state tree, and at least 5 different kinds of landforms.

o   World Wide Web-students will use the World Wide Web to research various landforms, trees, and birds that they would like to add to their state.

o   Digital Camcorder- the students will be able to present their state to the entire class while the teacher records it to show to parents at a later date. 

Software and Hardware Requirements:

Ø  Access to the internet

Ø  Map Boutique Software

Ø  Color Printer

Ø  Digital Camcorder  

Ø  Projector and/or Elmo

Ø  Microsoft Word software

Skills Required:

Teacher:  Teacher should be knowledgeable of the computer software, should know how to access the World Wide Web, and where to find information on the internet for birds, flowers, landforms, etc. 

Students:  Students should have prior experience with computers.  Students should also know how to use a search engine, have previous knowledge of maps, state features, and what landforms are.

Reflection on the Technology: 

The Internet will enable students to find a variety of information to use for their state.  The students will research various topics on the internet to discover an assortment of birds, flowers, and landforms.  The Map Boutique software will allow students to create a 3-D image of their state and allow them to put in various landforms.  The Digital Camcorder will allow the teacher to tape each student’s presentations so that on parent-teacher conference night it can be presented.  Microsoft word will allow the students to write up their state information and answer various questions given by the teacher as part of the assignment.

Lesson Plan Title: Taking a Trip/Travel Brochure

Found at:  http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Geography/GGR0057.html

Three Technologies to Use in this Classroom are:

ü  World Wide Web

ü  Microsoft Word

ü  Podcast

Objectives of the Technologies:

o   World Wide Web- the students will gather information about the state they are “traveling” to such as tourist attractions, places to stay, cost of travel, etc.

o   Microsoft Word- the students will be allowed to create a travel brochure using Microsoft Word. 

o   Podcast- the students will be able to podcast their travel brochure on the podcast discussing the state they were assigned, the brief history of the state, the attractions, famous people that came from there, etc. 

Software and Hardware Requirements:

Ø  Access to the Internet

Ø  Microsoft Word

Ø  Podcasting software

Ø  Microphone and software

Skills Required:

Teacher:  Teacher should know where and how to access the information via the web.  The teacher should also know how to use the Microsoft Word template and have an example for the students to observe.  The teacher will also have to know about Podcasting and be able to instruct the students on how to use it.

Students:  Students should know how to use a search engine and be able to find the appropriate information to use for his or her travel brochure.  Students should also know computer etiquette and their way around Microsoft Word.

Reflection of the Technology:

This would be a great way to integrate technology into the classroom.  Using the World Wide Web, the students can go much farther with the normal assignment and figure out cost round trip, how many miles it is to get there, and even directions.  Microsoft Word has lots of templates a person can download and a tutorial to get students through the brochure.  Podcasting would be so much fun to do with the assignment.  Having people everywhere listen in and find out information, they may have never known if the students had not done Podcast.