Brief Description

This lesson is designed for kindergarten students to create a story about an insect using Microsoft Paint, after two weeks of a four week insect unit.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-R1.  Use technology drawing tools for communicating and illustrating.

• 4SC-R3. Recognize and distinguish similarities and differences in diverse species

Academic

Students will create a picture of an insect that illustrates three characteristics of an insect:  6 legs, three body parts, 0, 2 or 4 wings.  They will also include a sentence that states one fact they learned about that insect.

Technological

Students will use Microsoft Paint to create a picture of an insect of their choosing.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

Students should have had several opportunities to explore the features of Microsoft Paint.  I gave my class three thirty minute lab times to explore this program.  Students should also know how to save a file to disk and retrieve it.  Students should also know how to print.

Materials

Computer Lab

• computers equipped with Microsoft Paint or similar program
• Printer
• Floppy disks

ESL students will work with bilingual students to assist them.  Gifted students will be asked to include two bugs in their pictures and predict how these two bugs would interact with each other.  Special needs students will be expected to create the picture, but will be assisted with the sentence by the teacher.

Procedures

Day 1 in the Classroom (20 minutes)

1. After having three thirty minute lab times to explore the Microsoft Paint program, students will be instructed on their assignment.
2. The teacher will ask the students to recall the different insects they have been learning about.  The teacher will generate a list of insects with the help of the children.
3. Then the teacher will ask students to recall what three characteristics a bug must have to make it an insect.  They should state that an insect must have 6 legs, three body parts-a head, an abdomen and a thorax, and an insect has either 0, 2 or 4 wings.
4. Then the teacher will ask the students to choose an insect they would like to draw.  The teacher will record the insect that each student chooses.
5. Then the teacher will tell the students that they are going to go to the computer lab and use MS Paint to draw a picture of the insect they chose.

1. Students will be given one thirty minute lab time to complete their insect pictures.
2. The teacher will bring books to the lab that have pictures of all of the insects if students feel they need support.
3. When students are finished with their picture they will save it to their floppy disk.

1. The teacher will ask the students to recall the insect picture they created on the computer the day before.
2. The teacher will ask the students to think about one thing they have learned about that insect during their 4 week insect unit.
3. The teacher will then ask the students to “buddy buzz” what they have learned with a partner.  The teacher will encourage the students to share their answers in complete sentences.
4. The teacher and the students will create a chart to record these facts.  Each insect fact will be recorded on the chart.  This will give all students a chance to share and recall facts before going to the lab.
5. The teacher will ask each student to choose a fact they are going to write on their insect picture.  She will ask several students to share these sentences with the class.  She will emphasize creating complete sentences.

1. Students will go the lab and open their picture from their disks.
2. Students will create a text box on their pictures.
3. Students will use phonetic spelling to write a factual sentence about their insect.
4. The teacher will circulate to give assistance.
5. At the end of the lab time, the students will save their pictures and print them.

Students will be assessed on their pictures and their sentences using the checklist below.  Each student will be asked to share their picture with the teacher and read their sentence.
 
 

Teacher Name: Karen Gutierrez
Site: Keeling
Date Submitted: May 2, 2003