Brief Description

This lesson allows the students to be creative during the Halloween season while learning how to use Microsoft Publisher and a few business concepts.  Students have a Rent a Ghost business that isn’t doing well.  They have to create a brochure with a few key items to help make the business a success.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 1T-E2. Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated operation of technology components
• 3T-E3. Publish and present information using technology tools

• W-E1. Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure and paragraph organization, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks

Academic

By the end of this lesson students will be able to create a brochure using correct spelling, punctuation and various sentence structure to complete their brochure effectively.

Technological

By the end of this lesson student will be able to create a brochure using Microsoft Publisher.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

Basic computer skills – Typing, saving to a disk, opening a program, and saving to the network.

Materials

• One computer per group (two members)
• Microsoft Publisher – this can be done on other programs, I just think Publisher is the easiest.
• Worksheet with directions
• Averkey
• TV

1. Gifted – Students could make up a new business idea to make a brochure about.  The students could also present the concepts in a new form like a commercial, iMovie, picture book, or a nonlinear Power point presentation.
2. SEI – Pair with a student that speaks native language.  Let the students draw or insert pictures to represent ghosts.  Allow student to create it on Student Writing Center.
3. Resource students – Write descriptions in bulleted form instead of paragraph.  Allow only two ghosts instead of four.  The students could be less descriptive for each ghost or extended time on project.

Day 1

• It is helpful to 1st go through Microsoft Publisher on the AverKey to show the students the general idea of Publisher.  A few components to show them are the brochure template, how to move and resize objects, how to use the color scheme wizard, and how to insert text boxes and clipart.  With these basic skills students can create a fantastic brochure.
• Allow the students to work with Microsoft Publisher using the brochure template for 15 – 30 minutes, experimenting with the items you taught.  The students will discover through experimenting other features of the program.
• Hand out the worksheet describing the Rent a Ghost activity.  Read through the worksheet with the students.
• I picked the groups for the students (2), but you could have each students create a brochure on their own too.

• Have each group come up with some business ideas that should be in the brochure.  We talked about a business having a catchy slogan, a business mission statement, a telephone number, address, and a web site address.
• I had the students come up with a brochure design and ghost ideas on paper before going to the computer lab.  This allows the group to develop ideas without the interference of the design elements of the brochure.

• When each group has a paper copy it is time to go tot the computer lab.  It will take varying length of time for each group to complete the brochure, but on average it will take two, 50 minute lab sessions to come up with a final draft.
• Each group can either have the teacher, or a peer, edit their brochure before printing in color, making sure they have followed the criteria.

A rubric is included in the student worksheet.

Teacher Name: Susie Gilbertson
Site: Harelson Elementary
Date Submitted: October 28, 2003