Name: CoSandra Haynes
School/Mentor Teacher: Valdosta Community Day Care Center, Mrs. Force
Grade Level: Pre-K
Subject Areas: Language Arts/Technology/Arts
Date Taught:
Total Duration of Lesson: 45 Minutes

Title of Lesson:
Learning With Paint And Literature

Primary Learning Outcomes:
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. With teacher guidance, student will be able to use the mouse while operating the computer
B.  Student will be able to discuss questions about the literature story.
C. With teacher guidance, student will be able to develop a picture using a drawing program on the computer.

Questions students should be able to answer after completing this lesson.
A. Show me and tell me about how you used the mouse when you worked the computer.
B.  Critical Thinking Questions related to the literature book: 1. Which one of Anansi's sons do you think deserves the prize? 2. Why should we work together as a team?  (This should be the critical thinking questions in Step 2 of your lesson plan.)
C. Describe how you made your picture on the computer.
 

Related QCC Standards:
A. Grade: K
Technology Integration
Strand: Basic Skills
5 Topic: Basic Skills
Standard: Operates basic technology tools and applications.

B. Grade: K
Language Arts
Strand: Written Communication
39 Topic: Literature
Standard: Responds to literal, inferential, and evaluative questions about literature.

C. Grade: K
Fine Arts
Strand: Visual Arts
3 Topic: Artistic Skills and Knowledge: Creating, Performing, Producing
Standard: Uses a variety of art materials and techniques to model, construct, and compose original artworks.  
 
Materials and Equipment:
   1. Book: Mc Dermott, G. (1972). Anansi the Spider. New York: Henry Holt & Co. Inc.
   2. Computer with Internet connection
   3. Computer drawing program
   4. Printer
   5. Disks (one for each student’s picture)
   6. Pencil and paper (to make notes for lesson plan assessment and reflections)
   7. Modification of  lesson developed by Dr. Diane L. Judd
       URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~djudd/paintlesson.html

Technology Connection:
Technologies that will be used in this lesson include: computer with Internet connection, printer, computer drawing program, and website of Paint Picture & Story.  Students will use computers to view examples of pictures developed with a paint program.  Students will use a computer paint program to draw a picture related to the story.   Copy of my Paint website included with this lesson plan. 
Website Title: Paint Picture & Story of Listen Buddy  and  URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~cowright/paint.html.

Procedures:
Step One: Introduction
Have a small group of students go to a computer.  Tell students that today you are going to read a special book to them and they will get to draw a picture on the computer.  Explain that the book you are going to read is about a spider, Anansi, who has six sons, and each son has special talents.  After we read the book, Anansi the Spider, then you will get to draw a picture on the computer about the part of the book that you liked best.

Introduction questions:  Anansi is a spider who has six sons. Does anyone have five brothers?  Have you ever been rescued from trouble by a family member?  What are your special talents? Have you ever got lost in a strange place? How would you distribute a prize if everyone deserves it?

Relate lesson to students' lives today and/or future: Anansi the Spider book will tell us  how it  takes the talents of everyone in cooperation to gain a victory.  While we are reading this book, maybe we can think about how we could  use our various talents to help others. This information will help improve our self-worth throughout our daily lives. Your talents, whether they are great or small are important and should be used wisely.

Have students go to your Paint picture website and explain that you have made a picture on the computer as an example of one of your favorite books, Listen Buddy by Helen Lester.  (Have students sit at the computer where they can control the mouse and computer.  Assist students, if needed, to scroll up and down on Paint picture Web page.)  Share your Paint picture and read the summary of your book to the students.  

Estimated Time:
About 10 minutes

Step Two: Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes
Explain to the students that you have selected a special book that you are going to read to them.  After we read our book then you will get to draw a picture on the computer of your favorite part of the story.  Teacher will read book, Anansi the Spider, by Gerald McDermott, to students.  Teacher will use oral reading strategies, such as picture walk, to introduce the book to students. 

Check for understanding before going on: Teacher will discuss story and ask questions while reading to students.  (What swallowed Anansi? Can a fish swim without water? What did the globe become?)
Provide practice and feedback related to the primary learning outcomes:  Teacher will ask at least two critical thinking questions: 1. Which one of Anansi's sons deserves the prize? 2. Why should we work together as a team? Do you think Nyame, the God of All Things should have given the prize to one of the sons, or did he make the right decision?

Assist students to open the drawing program and demonstrate how to use some of the drawing tools.  Students will have some exploration time with the drawing program and teacher will assist when needed.

Students will draw a picture of their favorite part of the book, Anansi the Spider, using the computer drawing program.  During this drawing process teacher will observe students using the computer and give assistance when needed.  If possible print two copies of each student’s paint picture (one for student and one for your technology notebook).  Also save students’ pictures on disks [File--->Save As--->File name (give name with no spaces)--->Save as type (jpg or gif)--->Save in (A:)].

Estimated Time:
About 20 minutes

Closure:
Have students discuss their pictures and explain how they made their pictures in the Paint program to their teacher and peers.  Have students discuss some of the interesting facts about Anansi's six sons that you found in the story.  Ask students if they were going to draw another picture, what would they draw?   Explain to students that most computers have drawing programs and maybe they could draw another picture at home or school.  (Teacher will review how to find the drawing program on most computers:  Start --> Programs --> Accessories --> Paint)

Tell students that you are going to put their picture on the Internet and they will be able to go on the Internet and share their pictures with their friends and family.  (If possible teacher should take brief notes during the lesson and concluding discussions for the lesson plan's assessment and reflections to be added later.)

Estimated Time:
About 5 minutes

Assessment the Primary Learning Outcomes:
A. Technology Integration
Student will be assessed through observation while using the mouse to control the computer and using the drawing program.
Satisfactory: Student is able to control the computer and use the mouse to view the Paint Web page and explore the drawing program.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to control the computer or use the mouse when viewing the Paint Web page and exploring the drawing program.

B. Language Arts
Student will be assessed for answers to the questions.
Satisfactory: Student is able to write or dictate answers that make sense to the presented questions in reference to the story.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to write or dictate answers that make sense to the presented questions in reference to the story.

C. Fine Arts
Student will be assessed by the development of a picture using the drawing program.
Satisfactory: Student is able to develop a picture through the use of the drawing program.
Unsatisfactory: Student is not able to develop a picture through the use of the drawing program.

Accommodation:
 
1. There is a special student in my class who has a specific learning disability. This diagnosis is not conclusive, but accommodation can still be implemented. My special student sometimes stands in one place and stares when he does not remember what to do during daily school routines. This special child comes to me daily and asks what is scheduled nest. This students has difficulty understanding and using spoken language..

2.  Links for Accommodations for Special Students
The Child Psychologist: Learning Disability
http://www.childpsychologist.com/ld/learning.htm

3. To help this student with this lesson, the teacher will ask this child questions about the story while reading the story. The teacher will also review and assess frequently. The teacher will make sure that this special student is sitting near her during the lesson..

Reflections:
1. Describe and give examples of how the students were engaged in learning and responded during your lesson. This lesson was designed to help students realize that everyone has different talent. This lesson also expressed the importance of working together as  team to achieve a desired task or goal. The students appeared to be engaged in the lesson when they were asked how many sons did Anansi have and asked how would Anansi get out of the fish that swallowed him. The students were amazed to know that the prize (globe) that Anansi found was later placed in the sky and  that it shines as the moon every night so that everyone can enjoy it. The students also discussed how they would rescue Anansi from trouble. The students seemed to realize that sometimes it takes the effort of an entire group to accomplish a set goal.

2. Describe and give examples that illustrate how the students achieved each assessment of your lesson.  Give the achievement level (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) for each assessment for each of your students.  
   
a. Technology Integration:
        Student One: Satisfactory. After student one was given instructions and minimal prompting on how to use the mouse she executed this task with ease. The          student was given time to practice using the mouse and the paint program and then her final product was saved. She enjoyed using the spray paint and the paint brush on her picture.
        Student Two: Satisfactory. After student two was given brief instructions on how to use the mouse and the features on the paint program he painted a picture about the story.  This student seemed to love adventure and was most engaged in the lesson when the sons of Anansi used their talents to rescue him. He drew his favorite part of the book.

    b. Language Arts:
        Student One: Satisfactory. This student reviewed the names of the spiders as they appeared throughout the book  The student described the talent of  each of the spiders as the appeared throughout story.  For the majority of the lesson, this student spoke in complete sentences.
        Student Two: Satisfactory  Student two seemed to like adventures. This student spoke in complete sentences. The student repeated the names of the spiders in the story after the teacher. The book selected for this lesson caputured the interest of may student avenger.

    c. Fine Arts:
        Student One: Satisfactory. This student enjoyed using the computer to draw a picture. This student stated that most of the spiders that she had saw were black in color, therefore she drew a black spider. Student one displayed limited knowledge about computers but when given the opportunity to explore the tools on the paint program, the student quickly realized that each stroke that she made was captured on her picture.
        Student Two: Satisfactory. Student one enjoyed changing the backgrounds on his picture. This student stated that fish need water to swim in, therefore he drew water and painted it blue at the bottom of his picture. This student enjoyed using the spray can tool on the paint program and drew a black spider with red eyes using the spray can. This student enjoyed using the paint program to make a picture about the story, Anansi the Spider.
 

3. Describe what you would change or do different if you taught this lesson again.  If I taught this lesson again, I would encourage the students to use shapes in their pictures. These students were currently learning the basic shapes and by using the shapes on the paint program the teacher could assess  their intact knowledge about shapes while they were creating pictures. This would require giving the students more time to complete their pictures. Students like props, and if I were to teach this lesson again, I would bring six small spiders figures and one large spider figure to enhance the story.

Book Title & Author for Paint Project	Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
Critical Thinking Questions from Paint Lesson	1. Which one of Anansi's sons deserves the prize?  2. Why do you think we should work together as a team?

Answers & Comments to the Critical Thinking Questions by Students	1. All of Anansi's sons deserves a portion of the prize. Dominique stated that everyone must share if everyone wants a piece of one thing (object). 2. If everyone works together, everyone wins.  Dominique likes to be apart of teams.
Picture from the Paint Lesson
Description of Picture & Comments by Student about their Picture	This is Anansi, the daddy spider. He has six little boy spiders. He wants to give them a  prize for rescuing him.

Answers & Comments to the Critical Thinking Questions by Students	1. Anansi should give the prize to Game Skinner, the spider who cut open the fish.  2. You can have more fun if you work together as a team.
Picture form the Paint Lesson
Description of Picture & Comments by Student about their Picture	This picture is a Anansi and the fish that swallowed him. This was Malcolm's favorite part of the book.