Name: Antonina Mitchell
School District: Linwood Public Schools
Category: 1 Pre K-2
Title: Conecting Kids with Classroom Computers Potcards Across the World
Duration of Lesson:  This lesson may be completed in part or a thematic unit.  This lesson can be easily adapted to any grade level.  Depending on grade level and computer experience these lessons may take 10-12 periods.

Goals and Objectives of Lesson:

Goals:

·   To create an awareness of diversity, lifestyles and multiculturalism
·   To communicate through the use of the Internet, word processing, email correspondences, and Interactive Television resources.
·   To connect students from state to state and country to country by way of the Internet.

Objectives:

·   To develop an understanding of diversities, lifestyles and multiculturalism.
·   To be able to locate and identify various cities, states and countries on a web page map and on a wall map.
·   To develop basic mapping skills.
·   To learn interesting facts, history and landmarks of other cities, states and countries.
·   To be able to research an assigned state.
·   To be able to use public speaking skills to present an oral report on a city, state or country.
·   To be able to type a web address to locate Internet sites.
·   To be able to navigate through a website.
·   To be able to copy and paste information.
·   To be able to save a file.
·   To be able to send a file.
·   To be able to relocate a file.
·   To be able to print a page.
·   To be able to create a new document.
·   To be able to type a short paragraph using a word processor.
·   To be able to use shift key to make capital letters.
·   To be able to use the tab key to indent.
·   To be able to use fonts and sizing.
·   To be able to use spell check and grammar check.
·   To be able to properly use keyboard, printer and other computer components.
·   To actively participate in a virtual trip to another school or classroom via an Interactive       Television System.
·   To create school-wide awareness and involvement.

Cross Content Workplace Readiness: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 2.8,
Language Arts: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5
Mathematics: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8, 4.10, 4.11
Social Studies: 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9
Visual Arts: 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6

Materials:
State handouts, state fact form, resource books, paper, coloring supplies, disks, large state and world maps

(I made these on flannel-back tablecloths using an overhead projector)

Equipment:
Computers with Internet Connections, one computer with an all-in-wonder card for TV display, color printers, digital camera, overhead projector, and an ITV Studio

Summary of Lesson:
The primary objective of this lesson is to give students guided practice in conducting research on the Internet, as well as to communicate with other children from different parts of the world.  The students will achieve this goal by using the Internet, email correspondence, word processing, and several other computer components.

Student Feedback and Assessment:
·   Teacher Evaluation
·   Completed Web Search
·   Completed Map Models of USA and World
·   Completed Written and Oral Presentations
·   Student Participation
·   Student and Parental Comments
·   Continued Pen Pals and Friendships

Technology and Workplace Readiness:
This lesson addresses the Cross-Content Workplace Standards as they are outlined in The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.  In this lesson, students are taught to use the Internet as a research tool.  Students will also present a huge map of the United States of America and the World filled with postcards that were sent from other students by way of email and postal service in a central location in their school.  This was also a successful way for students to demonstrate their public speaking skills by reporting on the states that contacted us when answering our email requests.  Both of these applications have the potential to be very helpful in a school setting as well as in the future workplace. 

This lesson covered a wide array of curriculum topics, including but not limited to the following; Social Studies- mapping skills, discussing communities, cultures, lifestyles and history; Technology- Internet research, word processing skills and activities; and Enrichment- to enhance and enrich student knowledge and understanding of multiculturalism and differences in communities, cities, states and countries; Math- locating states and determining how many we have or have not contacted; Library- research skills and dictionary and encyclopedia skills.

Details of Lessons:
Lesson 1:
·   A general overview of project was given to the students.
·   Students are given guided practice to search and navigate using the Internet as their primary resource tool.
·   Students are assigned as an individual or group a state and/or country to research.
·   Students will locate several United State of America sites and research interesting facts to complete a United States Fact Form (see attached). 
·   Students are directed and taught to bookmark, save, and print information.

Lesson 2:
·   Students will be taught proper use of keyboard components.
·   Student will relocate and retrieve files that were saved.
·   Students will learn to copy, paste, and use a variety of other computer options.

Lesson 3:
·   Students will use Web 66 to contact several schools from each state and country registered. (see attached)
·   Students will use word processing techniques to compose a letter to be sent to selected schools.
·   Students will learn to contact selected schools via email correspondences.

Lesson 4:
·   Students will use the Internet to locate states and countries on prospective maps.
·   Students may use a variety of websites to research a state and/or country for facts and information. 

Lesson 5:
·   Students will use word processor to type and print report using information and materials previously found on the Internet.
·   Students will through guided practice be taught how to format and edit their final report.
·   Students will print final report.
·   Students will illustrate final report.

Lesson 6:
·   Students will display United States and World maps in central school location.
·   Students will display postcards that are received via email or postal service on huge United States and World Maps.
·   As postcards are received, students will prepare for oral presentations.
·   Locations that contacted us will be recognized by postcard display.

Lesson 7:
·   Students will present report and illustrations orally, utilizing public speaking skills previously taught.
·   Other classmates will grade presenter using modified rubrics scoring.

Lesson 8:
·   Reports will be hung on wall surrounding maps.

Lesson 9:
·   Students may visit several contacts utilizing the Long-Distance Learning Interactive Television System.
·   Students may keep in contact will other students from different states and/or countries via pen pal writing or email correspondences.

Summary:
Students were pleased and proud of their great accomplishments.  This was made evident by the eagerness and interest they displayed in their presentations.  The Interactive Television visit to a classroom is an excellent culminating activity.  Once again students were fascinated by modern technology and being able to interact with children through the television.  In addition, students worked cooperatively in small groups to anxiously wait for their assigned state’s postcards to arrive.  We were checking email accounts on a daily basis to see if a school from another state and/or country contacted us.  We also received several gifts, such as a book, “Postcards From America” written by R. Nelson and D. Kelly from a woman in New York, bookmarks from a school in Nevada and a countless number of colorful postcards from all over the world.  We were able to track and locate these states and countries on our maps.  This project soon became a school-wide event peeking the interest of students from all grade levels.  The enlightened knowledge and understanding of diversity, awareness and locality that my students gained will impact on them throughout their lifetime.  In the future, I may add to this project by asking students to bring in a snack, dress in native clothing or share an object from the state and/or country that they researched.  I found that this project has been an exciting and rewarding way for my students to learn about the United States of America and the world around us.