Brief Description

This lesson will be a culmination of our study of the solar system.  Students will use print and electronic resources to gather information to create an alphabet book about the solar system.  Students will create the book using an electronic publishing tool such as a word processor, multimedia presentation software, or publishing software.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

Academic Standards Objectives

Academic

Students will create an alphabet book describing the different features of the solar system.

Technological

Students will use a presentation application to display an alphabet book.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

Materials Accommodations for Special Needs

Special Education Students and English Language Learners:

Gifted Students: Procedures

Before the lesson:

  1. Set the classroom up in at least four stations.

    2. a. Station #1 with a computer with access to a CD-ROM resource such as an encyclopedia.
    b. Station #2 with a computer or computers with Internet access.
    c. Several stations with print resources, such as the science text and other books.
  2. Gather several examples of print or electronic alphabet books to share with the students as examples.

    3.  
Step One:
  1. Explain the task to the students: working as a group, they are to create an alphabet book about the solar system.  Share the examples of alphabet books with the students.  Point out the layout of these books: one page for each letter, some information about the word for each letter, etc.
  2. Hand out a sheet detailing the assignment: each group will create one “book” using either Microsoft Word, Publisher, or PowerPoint.  Each “page” of the book will represent a letter of the alphabet.  Each letter must be represented.  Each page should have a capital and lower case example of the letter, the word or phrase for the letter, and a description in complete sentences of the word or phrase.  Each page should also have a graphic or picture if possible. Click here for an example.
  3. Place the students into groups of five or six students.
  4. Before the students begin working on gathering information, have them brainstorm some ideas for each letter. You might suggest that groups divide the alphabet up and have one student work on only a few letters, with the rest of the group as a resource.
  5. Send the groups to the stations to begin collecting information.  Give groups adequate time to gather information.  Groups only need to rotate through the computer stations.  Groups can stay for multiple rotations at the print resources stations.
  6. As groups are gathering information, they should be writing rough drafts of the contents of each page.
  7. This process may take more than one day, depending on the length of the class periods.
Step Two:
  1. Once students have gathered all the information they need and groups have written rough drafts, they will need to create the electronic version of their books.
  2. A computer lab or set of laptops will be helpful for this portion.
  3. Groups will work together to create the books.  Students within groups could work in pairs to create some of the pages, to be “assembled” when the project is complete.  If a pair finishes their pages, they can help another pair from their group.
  4. Final products will need to be saved on disks or to a server so that they can be put together at one computer.  The teacher may need to facilitate this for each group.
  5. Once the books are finished, they can be presented in class using a projection device.
Web resources: Assessment

Students will be assessed based the rubric found in the project description.  Students will be presented with the rubric at the start of the project so they know the expectations.

Teacher Name: Liesl Mitchell
Site: Coronado K-8
Date Submitted: March 9, 2004