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More Class Lessons for Technology in the Elementary Classroom - 2001
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My Journal (based on Captain Bill Pinkney's Journey , found in the Open Court reading series).
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Summary:
The students will use journals/travel logs to answer WH questions for each of the four continents: What is this continent? Where is this continent located? When is the best time to visit this continent? Why would you visit this continent? Who/what lives on this continent? A timeline will be included. Their answers will be based on extending the information found in the Pinkney story through study and research.
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Grade Level: 1
Curricular Area:
Language Arts/Social Studies
Class Time Required:
About 4 hours over a 3 week period. ek period. (Estimated)
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| Standards: |
| Our 1st grade teaching team has found that ournew reading series, although strong in many areas, lacks an adequate writing component. My goal is to address this in conjunction with cross curricula focus on Social Studies:
2.0. WRITING APPLICATIONS (GENRES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS): Students write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard English and the drafting, research, and organizational strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.
Using the Grade 1 writing strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1. write brief narratives describing an experience (e.g., fictional, autobiographical)
2.2. write brief expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event using sensory details.
Using the Social Studies Standards:
1.2 Students compare and contrast the absolute and relative locations of places and people and describe the physical and/or human characteristics of places.
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| Learning and Teaching Activities: |
The students are developing skills in applying research in two curricula areas incorporating 1st grade standards. This new content begins to prepare them for 2nd grade writing activities. There will be difficulties in transferring the research information into their writing. In order to facilitate this, the teacher should prepare magazines and appropriate web sites before the students begin. The final product will be a journal or travel log answering the WH- questions for each of the four continents, with appropriate illustrations (both drawn and taken from magazines), and a time line. Writing skills reflect current abilities in mechanics and spelling, and should be assessed according to the individual skills of each student.
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| Outcomes and Assessment: |
| The students will organize their research in order to write brief fictional autobiographical narratives which provide factual information about the places they are visiting on their journey.
Their understanding will be assessed using teacher observation and questioning during the research and writing activities.
Their completed journal will be assessed using a rubric* incorporating basic writing mechanics and research accuracy. Teacher expectations should reflect an understanding of the varying levels of ability within the class.
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| Materials Needed: |
Open Court reading series, notebooks or paper made into booklets, Internet access and computer to TV connector, reference books, magazines, drawing materials.
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| Opening: | 1. Read and discuss the section of the story which covers Captain Pinkney's journey from Boston to South America.
2. Explain that the students will create their own journal of experiences as they follow the same route as Captain Pinkney. |
| Development: | 1. Review the use of the WH- questions used throughout this reading program.
2. Direct students' discussion to the characteristics of this continent charting their ideas on a web which is patterned to facilitate accessing answers to the WH- questions.*
3. Use the computer to TV connector to demonstrate web sites to visit for additional information. Post the web sites for the students to use.* (To simplify, only use one site for each continent.)
4. Demonstrate making very brief notes for transferring information from the web site to the report.
5. Demonstrate putting the information together in the journal/log.
6. Team students to work on the computers. Provide support; if parent volunteers or older students are available, this would be an excellent time to use them.
7. Repeat this procedure for the other three continents Captain Pinkney visits.
8. Review the time line in the story.
9. Discuss how to create a similar time line on a teacher prepared outline.*
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| Closing: | 1. Combine the time line and reports.
2. Children share their reports. |
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| Ideas for extending the lesson: |
| Group the students so teams work on only one or two continents (in greater depth), and then combine their work in one class journal.
Art: Make a journal cover which is "aged".
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