Language Arts
Grades K-3
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Google Docs |
Contributor:
Lucie deLaBruere, Jackie Richardson, and Joy Walsh
Table of Contents
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Using sketching as a writing prompt was a strategy used by our first grade teachers. By adding a digital arts program to produce digital sketches, students practiced their technology skills while developing literacy skills. With a little help, the students stories and artwork can be assembled using Google Presentation to create digital books to print or view online
Materials
- Free Open Source Software (Tux Paint) or other drawing or paint programs your school may have can be used. (i.e. Kidspiration)
- Google Docs
Instructions
(The following instructions assume a partnership between first graders and a book buddy from and older grade level. The instructions can be modified where partnering is not possible using a parent volunteer or classroom aide).
A. Practice Sketching and Writing
- First grade students practice sketching a drawing that is the setting for a story. The story would have a stage/background that becomes the setting, along with some characters and/or props that will become part of the story.
- Students write stories about their sketches and share the stories with class.
- Teacher asks class to answer questions as they listen.
- Where does the story take place?
- Who are the characters in the story?
- What happens in the story?
- Was there a problem in this story? How did the problem get solved?
B. Introduction to Tux Paint
- Younger students are introduced to Tux Paint (either by:
- Older student (Book Buddy)
- Classroom Teacher
- Art Teacher (great collaborative project)
- Practice the following tools/skills in Tux Paint
- Drawing with different brushes, styles, size, colors
- Adding and resizing stamps
- Undo and Erase
- Combining shapes to draw
- Magic Tools (Fill is an important one)
- Save and Print
Give students some direction but plenty of explore time.
- Older students create a drawing prompt for younger students using Tux Paint and print them. They give these to their Book Buddies and ask the younger students to tell them a story about their drawing.
C. Creating a Digital Sketch or Book Illustration
- Younger students use digital arts program (i.e. Tux Paint) to create a digital sketch for their new story. The drawing should have 1 or more characters, some clues about the setting, and some props (optional)
- These illustrations are all saved in a “COMMON” folder and printed.
D. Writing the Story
- Younger students take them back to their classroom to finish writing a story about their sketch.
- As students finish writing, teacher pairs students up to “conference” with each other. The listener makes a suggestion to the author about something else s/he can add to the story.
- Author goes back and adds suggestion if desired.
E. Analyzing Parts of a Story
- Using Chart Paper, teacher scribes as each students answers the following prompt. (one prompt per chart paper)
- Our stories take place …..
- Some characters in our stories are
- Somethings that happen in our story are
or “The problems in our story…”
(when students are ready in the writing process, try turning what happens in the story to “what problem happened in the story” asking students to describe the problem without telling the end of the story or how the problem was solved.
F. Assembling the Book
(Sample project: http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ajb8zckp5j87_13cncjtsgt )
- Teacher starts a Google Presentation and shares it with each Older Book Buddy. The presentation should have 2 slides (Title slide) and a blank slide (or other slide with information about the author). It’s important for there to be two slides prior to the next step. (Login in to the Google Presentation can also be done with each computer station being logged into the same username and password, such as a classroom login).
- Younger students return to computer lab to meet their Book Buddies.
- Older students insert 2 slides for each story. On Slide 1 they insert digital picture/sketch drawn by younger students from the COMMON folder. On the next slide they type their younger buddies story as the younger student reads it to them.
- The results will be a book where each story in the book is illustrated on the “odd” slide and the story is typed on the “even slide”.
G. Printing the Book
http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=69069
- The book is then printed by changing the print settings for 2 slides per page
- Books can be printed and displayed on bulletin boards.
- Optional: With a little planning the slides can be arranged to print back to back and be stapled into a top folding book. Assemble the book in the proper order, then save another copy of the book and move the slides into a format that will print correctly. (Just drag the slides to rearrange them) Here is the pattern for a book with 5 stories, printed on 3 pieces of paper with 2 slides per page.
Printed Back to Back (Front Top side up: Back Top Side Down
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slide 1 = Back Cover / Blank Slide 2 = Front Cover
Slide 3 = Story 1 (Picture) Slide 4 = Story 5 (Text)
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Slide 5 = Story 5 (Picture) Slide 6 = Story 1 (Text)
Slide 7 – Story 2 (Picture) Slide 8 – Story 4 (Text)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slide 9 = Story 4 (Picture) Slide 10 = Story 2 (Text)
Slide 11= Story 3 (Picture) Slide 12= Story 3 (Text)
Staple in middle and you end up with a book.
H. The presentation can be ‘published” and embedded in a school website, wiki, or linked within other web pages.
(Hint: follow safety guidelines to make sure there are no images of the students or personal information shared)
Related Links
For more great ways to use the Internet to teach reading and writing to younger students:
Create a Writing Rubric that measures the parts of this lesson that were a focus for you during this lesson activity. Here is one possibility.
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Does not meet Standard |
Approaching Standard |
Meets the Standard |
Exceeds the Standard |
| Writing Process |
Setting of the story matches background of drawing |
Story includes characters and setting. |
Story includes and event, characters, and setting. |
Story includes a problem, solution, character and settings. |
| Writing Mechanics |
The beginnings of a story includes words related to the picture. |
Create phonetically-spelled written work that can usually be read by the writer. Print legibly and space letters, words and sentences appropriately.
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Spell unfamiliar words using strategies such as segmenting,
sounding out and matching familiar words and word parts. Written work can usually be read by writer and others. Print legibly and space letters, words and sentences appropriately.
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Written work can be read by writer and others. Legible print. Appropriately spaced letters, words and sentences. Most words are spelled correctly. Punctuation is used correctly.
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| Information Technology |
Needs assistance to log in and out of computer, launch program, or create, open, save and print document. (pictures) |
Can perform the following with minimal assistance: log in and out of computer; launch program; create, open, save, and print document (pictures)
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Can perform the following independly: log in and out of computer; launch program; create, open, save, and print document (pictures)
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Can perform the following independly to complete tasks and applies skills to other tasks: log in and out of computer; launch program; create, open, save, and print document (pictures)
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Modify rubric to match the skills you are working with by adding your own elements from rubrics such as:
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