Study of the United States/State Fair Travel Brochure
Margo White
5th grade/ Social Studies
Content Area Objectives Addressed:
1. Identify the nickname of assigned state.
2. Gain knowledge of places to visit and/or annual events in assigned state.
3. Design travel brochure showcasing acquired information on assigned state.
Technology Objectives Addressed:
1. Create travel brochure in Press Writer 2.0
2. Use digital camera and insert image into brochure.
3. Copy images from Internet and insert into brochure
What was the process that your students went through to complete this lesson?
Within the framework of our United States State Fair Project, the students participated in a discussion about vacationing in different states of the United States and how they would choose where to go and what to see. Information used in the discussion was obtained from previous research. Students participated in a teacher- guided mini-lesson on how to create a travel brochure on assigned state using Press Writer 2.0. The Smart Board was used in this presentation. Students designed rough drafts on forms provided by teacher. Students took pictures of each other to insert in the “created by” section. Brochures were completed during individually scheduled times on the computer with the assistance of teacher and student experts. They were showcased as part of their State Fair display.
How did you monitor student progress?
Teacher observation, individual conference reviewing rough draft, and assessment using assessment rubric.
Was there a template or an example that students were expected to follow?
Students were shown actual travel brochure samples during discussion. They were given a simple form to use for rough draft, and they were to use the template provided in Press Writer 2.0 for actual completion of brochure
How much time did you dedicate to this project?
Total – 8 hours minimum
Daily (approximate) – 45 minutes to 1 hour
How was the final product presented?
The final brochure was displayed as part of their State Fair project. They were expected to orally present the information in the brochure to each visitor at their State Fair booth.
Who was the audience for the final product?
The audience consisted of 7 classes of third graders, 5 classes of fourth graders, and all invited parents, relatives, and other adults in attendance at the evening open house for the 144 fifth grader’s presentations.
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)
The students had to
have a general knowledge of places to visit and annual events in their assigned
states.
research using encyclopedias, other resource books, and the Internet.
be able to navigate the Internet using book-marked web sites.
have a general knowledge of the use of technology (computers, printers, digital
cameras, and scanners.
be able to save information to the C drive and a floppy disk.
be able to use Press Writer 2.0.
be able to format and insert pictures from Internet to Press Writer 2.0 project.
have basic word processing skills.
What was the student to computer ratio?
We have one computer to four students.
How did you schedule your students’ computer time?
Students were assigned to groups of 5 rotating onto computers at 20 -minute intervals to complete brochures.
What was the location of the computers and other technology equipment used by students?
The computers, the scanner, and the digital camera were in the classroom.
Although there were printers in the classroom, the Tectronix printer in the library was used to print final copies of brochures.
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.)
Write grants. Participate in any technology program available that could provide resources. Volunteer for any special programs and committees that would reward you with technology for your participation. Associate with colleagues that can offer guidance and will share their expertise and technology.
Rate the level of access for students to use computers/other technologies as they needed --high, medium, low
The level was high.
Rate the level of supervision required for students during the project, specifically for computer and other technology use –high, medium, low
The level of supervision was medium.
What hardware was required for your project?
Computers, printers, digital camera, and scanner.
What software was required for your project?
Internet, word processor, Press Writer 2.0
Anything else?
What kind of assessment did you use for this project? (Include a copy if you can.)
I used an assessment rubric in addition to teacher observation.
What categories did you assess? (I.e.: content, screen design, depth/breadth, etc.)
I assessed content, using technological skills, following directions, and design elements as illustrated by the completion of the brochure.
How does the product that you submitted compare with other students’ products for this same project?
The brochures submitted were some of the best. Most of the brochures
integrated word processing skills well, however, some did not follow the design directions.
What did you like best about this project?
The use of technology in the presentation of material they had researched heightened the student’s retention of the information. It also increased their pride in themselves and their work motivating them to eagerly embark in other learning projects using technology.
What did the students like best about this project?
The students said they liked using the Internet to find pictures to insert in their brochures and presenting their information in a creative way. They also said they enjoy sharing the brochures with others and the positive feedback they received
Rank the level of student involvement in this project –high, medium, low
The level of student involvement was high.
Rank the level of student interest in this project –high, medium, low
The level of student interest was high.
Would you teach this lesson again?
Yes, I am going to use this lesson next year.