Book Review

Rene Hasbargen
2nd grade/Language Arts
Twin Falls School District

Links to Files Associated with This Lesson

Content Area Objectives Addressed:
1. Students demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
2. Students write with a command of the grammatical and mechanical conventions of composition.
3. Students effectively gather and use information for research purposes.
4. Students demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
5. Students demonstrate competence in general skills and strategies for reading literature.

Technology Objectives Addressed:
1. Students understand the characteristics and uses of operating systems and file management.
2. Students demonstrate competence in the general skills and uses of word processing.
3. Students know how to use presentation software to create reports and presentations.

Activity Description

What was the process that your students went through to complete this lesson?

Students worked in pairs. They picked out a book and read it together. Students worked together to create a storyboard for their first slide. The students had to follow a template that I had on the chalkboard. Once all the storyboards were completed we spent one hour in the computer lab putting our first slide together. The adults scanned the covers of the books on to the PowerPoint slide and the students typed in the title, author, publisher, copyright, and reading level. The next step was for the students to storyboard the second slide. The students worked together to write a review of their story. The teacher edited the stories and then the students spent one hour in the computer lab typing their reviews onto a second slide. The students who did not finish in the hour were able to finish in the classroom. Adults edited the review. The last step for the PowerPoint presentation was for the students to record their voices reading the book review on the second slide. The students then did a self and peer evaluation of the project.

How did you monitor student progress?

While the students were working in the computer lab on the PowerPoint slides, I had two to four adults helping. We only had nine pairs of students so the ratio was good. While the students worked in the classroom finishing up or editing, I had them working with a parent volunteer.

Was there a template or an example that students were expected to follow?

The students followed a template drawn by me for the first slide and they had to choose the same template when they created their first slide. The students all used the same blank template for the second slide.

How much time did you dedicate to this project?

Total of four hours a week.

How was the final product presented?

The project was presented as a PowerPoint presentation to the entire second grade. It was also put onto our school web site so that all the students and parents could have a look at it.
Who was the audience for the final product?

The main audience that the project was geared for was the primary students at Lincoln. Since this project was sent to the Lincoln web site, it could be viewed by anyone.

Learning Issues

What prior knowledge was required on the part of the students in order for them to be successful in this project? (include curriculum and technology Knowledge.)

Students had to have been exposed to book reviews. We watched several book reviews from the Reading Rainbow video series and the students did several oral book reviews. Students needed beginning keyboarding skills and beginning PowerPoint skills. Students need to know how to write a story with a beginning, middle and an end. Students needed to know what a storyboard was.

Resource Management

What was the student to computer ratio?
For most of the project the students worked in the computer lab, so there was a computer for every child. In the classroom the ratio was one computer to every five students.

How did you schedule your students’ computer time?
Our computer lab is open on Tuesdays so I scheduled two lab times so we could get the bulk of our project done. The make up work the students had to do was completed in the classroom with two students working on one computer with an adult helper. The rest of the students were doing Accelerated Reader.

How would you suggest beginning teachers obtain computer resources for their students? (Knowing some of your strategies would be valuable for our pre-service teachers.)
Money can be obtained for technology through grants. There are many out there specifically for technology. It just takes time and a strong commitment to write for them.

Rate the level of access for students to use computers/other technologies as they needed –High

Rate the level of supervision required for students during the project, specifically for computer and other technology use –High

Materials

What hardware was required for your project?
Computers, printer, scanner, zip disc and zip drive

What software was required for your project?
Microsoft PowerPoint, Imaging software

Other

What did you like best about this project?
I liked this project because it integrated technology with reading and writing.

What did the students like best about this project?
The students liked recording their voices and sharing their book review PowerPoint project with their peers and families.

Rank the level of student involvement in this project:
High

Rank the level of student interest in this project:
Medium

Would teach this lesson again?
I will do this lesson every year because it was such a successful integration project.

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