Brief Description

Students will spend about three weeks using a variety of resources to learn about spiders.  They will use different organizational tools to record what they learn: note cards, charts, and diagrams.  Students will then create an individual Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to share with others.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-F3. Use prescribed technology tools for publishing and presenting information.
• 4T-F2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative communication activities to share products with audiences inside and outside the classroom.
• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources.

• R-F2. Use word recognition and decoding strategies such as phonetic skills, context clues, picture clues, word order, prefixes and suffixes to comprehend written selections.
• R-F5. Analyze selections of fiction, non-fiction, poetry for their literary elements such as character, setting, plot, sequence of events and organization of text.
• W-F1. Use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas, and editing, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks.
• W-F2. Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and word usage, and good penmanship to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks.
• W-F5. Locate, acknowledge, and use several sources to write an informational report in their own words.
• 4SC-F3. Identify the basic structures and functions of plants and animals.
• 4SC-F4. Identify characteristics of plants and animals that allow them to live in specific environments.

Academic

• As part of guided reading, students will read Spiders by Jane Dallinger as an introduction to spiders.
• Students will derive meaning from non-fiction selections using text structure: table of contents, index, pictures, bolded words, and diagrams to learn information about spiders.
• Students will identify relevant facts about spiders by using reading/decoding strategies, context clues, picture clues, word order, and word recognition.
• Students will summarize their spider research by using a variety of organizational tools: graphic organizers (spider web), charts, and diagrams.
• Students will determine the importance of the information they gather and decide what will be shared, and classify it into major categories to be used in their PowerPoint presentation (examples: what spiders look like, what they eat, how they capture their prey, where they live, etc.).

• Using teacher made PowerPoint storyboards; students will plan, design, create, and present a PowerPoint presentation to share with others.

• Students must be able to use the mouse and keyboard.
• Students must know how to save their presentation to a specific location.
• Students must understand technological terms like menu, tool bar, scroll bar, right/left click, and clip art.
• Students must have experience accessing Internet websites.

• Pencils
• Multiple copies of the book Spiders by Jane Dallinger
• Additional spider resources: library books, Ranger Rick, National Geographic World, Weekly Reader and newspaper articles, and fact cards
• Computers with Microsoft PowerPoint for each student
• Graphic organizers (spider “web” and spider diagram) to record research gathered
• Computers with Microsoft PowerPoint for each student
• Microsoft PowerPoint storyboard planners (Planner 1, Planner 2, Planner 3)
• Microsoft PowerPoint rubric for evaluation

Gifted Students:  This lesson is open-ended.  Students will have opportunities to research at various depths according to their academic abilities, therefore, increasing the challenge.  Some gifted students may want to research more than one spider.  When creating their PowerPoint presentation, gifted students will use their expertise while assisting their classmates. These students will have the freedom to experiment with customizing their presentation.

Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) and Learning Disabilities:  Students will complete their research with the support of their SEI/LD teachers. Modifications will be made in the amount of research required. When preparing to make the storyboards, students will work with a peer to receive help in understanding the task and to receive help with spelling and overall editing. In the computer lab, SEI students will receive assistance from the peer tutor they sit next to. Teacher modeling will be on going throughout the project.  Parent volunteers will be used for further assistance if needed.

Procedures

• Teacher will read aloud from several spider books.
• Teacher will introduce the book Spiders by Jane Dallinger to be used for one week during guided reading.  At this time, text structure and the organization of non-fiction materials will be introduced: Table of Contents, Index, boldfaced words (vocabulary), Glossary, picture captions, and diagrams.
• After reading Spiders, teacher will introduce the research project and upcoming PowerPoint presentation.

Teacher Prompt:  “Now that we have had a chance to learn about many different spiders, I want you to pick one spider that you want to learn more about.  Your goal is to become an expert and learn everything you can about your spider.  You will be taking notes about your chosen spider using the “Spider Web” organizer and spider diagram.  You will use the Spiders book we just read, additional library books, magazines, and the Internet to find your information.  Upon completing your research, you will create a PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate your knowledge and to share what you’ve learned with another third grade class.”

• Students will spend approximately four to five days during guided reading (45 minute time segments) taking notes about their individual spider on their “Spider Web Organizer”.  In addition they will have three to four computer lab sessions to read about their spider on the Internet using the teacher created TrackStar: http://trackstar.hprtec.org/main/display.php3?track_id=130772
• After students have exhausted all their resources and have become “experts” on their topic, they are ready to plan their PowerPoint presentation.
• Teacher distributes the PowerPoint storyboard planners (Planner 1, Planner 2, Planner 3). At this point students will need to make some decisions on how they would like to organize their information into main ideas.  As a class, brainstorm some possible main ideas:  what their spider looks like, what it eats, where it lives, how it catches its prey, unique characteristics, why their spider is important, etc. Teacher will model how to organize their storyboard planners into main ideas.  Students classify and organize their individual research by writing it onto their planners.  Students will need two to three days to complete this process.
• Teacher will introduce the PowerPoint rubric.
• Show sample quality PowerPoint presentations and rate one as a class using the PowerPoint rubric.
• Students will use Microsoft PowerPoint to create their presentation. Use this link if you need information on how to use Microsoft PowerPoint: http://www.amphi.com/~technology/techclass/index.html
• Student spider presentations will be evaluated three times using the PowerPoint Rubric. The same rubric will be used for a self, peer, and teacher evaluation.
• Students will have an opportunity to make changes on their presentations.
• Students will share their spider presentations with other third grade classes and with their parents during a Net Buddy Night.

• PowerPoint Rubric for students and teacher.
• Completed student research notes/diagrams, and PowerPoint storyboard planners.
• Teacher observation throughout the process and during the presentations.