Brief Description

The frozen turkeys have been purchased.  The decorations are underway.  We are learning that living in a community is more than having an address within the city limits.  The plan is to have a Thanksgiving Pot Luck.  Parents will be invited to celebrate Thanksgiving.  They must bring a dish to share.  The excitement is stirring – the invitations need to be created!!!

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 3T-F1. Use prescribed technology writing or drawing tools for communicating and illustrating.
• 3T-F3. Use prescribed technology tools for publishing and presenting information.

• W-F6. Write well-organized communications - like an invitation to our Annual Thanksgiving Pot Luck Feast!!!

Academic

• Students will create an invitation for their parents using Microsoft Publisher.
• Students will organize and arrange content, including necessary components of an invitation for their parents.
• Students will use proper conventions in the components of their invitation including correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and word usage.
• Students will compare information included in their invitation to commercial invitations.
• Students will revise their invitation based on this comparison.

• Students will design and create an invitation using Microsoft Publisher.
• Students will insert a graphic onto their card.
• Students will publish a greeting card.
• Students will edit and evaluate their card.
• Students will use editing tool to make changes to their card where necessary.

• Be comfortable with the mouse and its functions.

Computer – Computer lab if possible

Accommodations for Special Needs

General

• Technology projects are routine in our class so all students feel more comfortable with technology activities.
• Activity will be introduced in the classroom on a projection device and students grouped at a center so that their first experience with this activity and using Microsoft Publisher will be a shared project-group effort.
• A direction sheet is placed at the center.  When individual work is to be completed in the lab, direction sheets are available for each student.
• This lesson allows students to be creative in their thinking as they design their own invitation.
• A rubric is used to assess which enables all students to progress toward higher-level production
• Students will complete a self-assessment sheet of their final product.

 

• A projection device is also used in the lab to demonstrate project and help lead the students that need the extra instruction
• Students are seated in an arrangement in the lab for individual projects so that students needing some help are placed by students that are familiar with the program

• Students will be asked if anyone is familiar with Publisher  and if there are, they will be set up as the experts for other students to go to for help.
• More advanced students will insert pictures as well as use their own creative layout rather than follow the template design.
• Students that complete their invitation early, may help another student
• Students will be allowed to investigate the meaning of the first Thanksgiving and then relate it to our community gathering.  They will discuss their findings with the class.  They can create a presentation for the class if time permits.

1. We have to invite our parents to our Annual Thanksgiving Feast.  The teacher decided to use Microsoft Publishing to create the invitation.
2. Students will investigate many different invitations and talk about the information included on each of the cards.
3. Teacher will go through a thorough demonstration of Microsoft Publisher in class and demonstrate to the students what each function of the program will do.  See direction sheet.
4. Students will be grouped at a center activity with the task of creating one card of their choice using the procedures demonstrated.
5. An instruction sheet will be posted at the computer center.
6. Each student will complete part of the card.  Using a timer helps with the rotation.
7. The class will brainstorm information that they feel is important to include on our Invitation.  (i.e. time, date, place, what to bring etc.)
8. Teacher will include this information on an instruction sheet for students to use during their computer time.
9. During Computer Lab time (or designated student computer in class time) students will create their invitation for our Thanksgiving Feast.
10. Students will organize the brainstormed information using the sample cards for ideas.
11. Students should save their card to the desktop or other designated area the teacher has chosen.
12. Each student will compare their card to the sample cards to assess their card.
13. Students will edit their card.
14. Students will print their finished product.
15. The students will complete an assessment sheet.

• A rubric will be used for the end result project.
• Anecdotal records will be kept while the students are working to document procedures completed and on task behavior.
• Each student will fill out a self-assessment sheet as well.