Learning with Technology & Literature Lesson Plan by Whitney Fulp

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Date

Learning With Technology & Literature Lesson Plan

General Information
Name: Whitney Fulp
School/Mentor Teacher: Cook County Primary School/Mrs. Allison Davis
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject Areas: Technology Integration, Language Arts, & Fine Arts
Date Taught:
Total Duration of Lesson: About 45 minutes

Title of Lesson
Learning With Technology & Literature

Primary Learning Outcomes (PLO)
The primary learning outcomes to be achieved with this lesson include:
A. Student will be able to use the mouse while operating the computer
B. Student will be able to develop a picture using a drawing program on the computer.

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

B. Grade: Kindergarten
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: Pfister, M. (1992). The rainbow fish. New York: North-South Books.
   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 drawing program to draw a picture related to the story. Copy of my Paint website included with this lesson plan.
Website Title: Paint Picture and Story of The Rainbow Fish and URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~wlfulp/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 beautiful fish who learns the benefits of sharing. After reading the book, The Rainbow Fish, have students draw a picture on the computer using a drawing program about the part of the book that they liked best.

Introduction questions: (Introduce lesson topic/subject & find out students' previous knowledge with four or more questions)
1. Have you ever read any books in the Rainbow Fish series?
2. Have you ever seen a fish that you thought was very beautiful?
3. What is something about yourself that is very special?
4. Have you ever shared something of yours with a classmate?

Relate lesson to students' lives today and/or future: The Rainbow Fish book will give us an example of how sharing is a wonderful way to make friends. Explain to students that while reading this book, they should try to think of various ways or items they have shared with their classmates and the way the experience made them feel. In addition, learning about the wonderful aspects of sharing will allow the students to develop a healthy perspective on sharing as they grow older.

Students control the computer and go to your Paint picture website. Explain how picture was developed on the computer. Tell students they will draw a picture on the computer about their favorite part of the book that you are going to read to them. (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 story summary. Ask students one or more critical thinking questions about the ending of the story.

Critical thinking questions about ending of story (one or more critical thinking questions):
1. What do you think the wise octopus told the Rainbow Fish to do?

Estimated Time:
About 10 minutes

Step Two: Teaching the Primary Learning Outcomes
Read selected book, The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister, to students. After reading the book to the students, have students draw a picture using a drawing program on the computer of their favorite part of the story.

Use oral reading strategies, such as picture walk, to introduce the book to students. While reading the book to students, discuss story with students and ask questions to check for understanding of story.

Check for understanding before going on: (List four or more questions to ask students while reading the book.)
1. What color are the Rainbow Fish's scales?
2. Why did the other fish want one of the Rainbow Fish's scales?
3. Would the Rainbow Fish play with the other fish in the ocean?
4. Who did the Rainbow Fish ask for advice?

Provide practice and feedback related to the primary learning outcomes: Teacher will ask at least two critical thinking questions and take notes of students' answers for lesson assessment.
1. Why do you think the Rainbow Fish was not friends with the other fish?
2. Why do you think the Rainbow Fish finally decided to give his scales away?

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

Independent Practice: Students will draw a picture of their favorite part of the book, The Rainbow Fish, using a computer drawing program. 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:)]. If possible save students' pictures on computers, just in case something happens to the pictures on the disks.

Estimated Time:
About 25 minutes

Step Three: Closure

Students will discuss their pictures and explain how they made their pictures in the drawing program to you. Have students discuss some of the interesting facts about the ocean that they found in the story. Ask students if they were going to draw another picture in the drawing program, 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 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 10 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 use the mouse to control the computer to view the Paint Web page and to explore the drawing program.
Needs Improvement: Student is not able to use the mouse to control the computer to view the Paint Web page and to explore the drawing program.

B. 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.
Needs Improvement: Student is not able to develop a picture through the use of the drawing program.

Accommodation
Links for Accommodations for Special Students
1. Select one of your students that has special needs from the conceptual factor information of your practicum class. Describe the student in your class with special needs in two or more sentences.. (Do not use the student's real name. You could refer to the student as "the special student.") The student in my class has a speech problem. He requires certain words to be enunciated so that he is able to correctly understand the given word. He attends speech class twice a week.

2. Explain what you would add or change in this lesson plan to accommodate your special student?
Provide peer or adult assistance with unfamiliar words and concepts.

Reflections: (For Electronic Portfolio Standard #4 Multiple Instructional Strategies )
1. a. Describe and give examples of how your Paint lesson created learning experiences and activities that implemented a variety of instructional strategies.
For my Paint lesson, I was able to introduce the students to the Paint program. I allowed time for the students to explore this program and answered any questions they had about the procedure. I was able to show the students an example of how the Paint program could be implemented to explore the realms of children's literature through my completed Paint picture. I also took the students on a "picture-walk" before reading the assigned book and was able to grab their full attention with two (2) critical thinking questions.

b. Describe and give examples of how your Paint lesson encouraged students' development of critical thinking and problem solving.
The students were encouraged to develop answers to the critical thinking questions. Also, students were able to discover new ways to use their problem solving skills in overcoming a malfunction with the disk drive on the computer.

c. Describe and give examples of how students were engaged in learning and responded during your lesson. Give specific examples of what the students did to show they were engaged in learning during your lesson.
The students were actively involved in answering the check for understanding questions as well as the critical thinking questions. Both students were able to grasp the concept of the book and draw a picture using the Paint program explaining their viewpoint of the book.

2. Describe and give examples that illustrate how the students achieved each assessment of your lesson.
Give the achievement level (satisfactory or unsatisfactory)
List specific examples (as evidence) that illustrate how your students on each part of the lesson's assessment.
    A. Technology Integration:
Student assessed through observation while using the mouse to control the computer and using the drawing program.
        Student One: Satisfactory. This student was able to explore the various aspects of the Paint program by controlling the mouse.
        Student Two: Satisfactory. This student was also able to control the mouse to "click" on the appropriate icons and tabs on the computer.

    B. Fine Arts:
Student assessed by the development of a picture using the drawing program.
        Student One: Satisfactory. This student was able to successfully complete a picture of a scene from the book. She was also able to explain her choice.
        Student Two: Satisfactory. This student drew a picture using the Paint program. However, it took this student a little extra time to complete his drawing                   because he was attuned to detail and decided to erase his drawing several times.

3. Describe what you would change or do differently if you taught this lesson again. (Give specific examples)
I taught this lesson on an older-model computer and some of the images were distorted. Before I teach this lesson again, I would ensure that the computer I am teaching the lesson on is equipped with the correct programs and versions to ensure that the students are able to fully see the planned lesson. I would also limit the amount of time the students had to draw their picture on the Paint program. One of my students decided to erase his picture and start over twice. Nevertheless, this is an activity that the students thoroughly enjoyed.

Paint Pictures by Elementary Students
Paint Lesson developed by Whitney Fulp for Kindergarten students at Cook County Primary School

Book Title & Author for Paint Project	The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Cover of Book
Critical Thinking Questions from Paint Lesson	1. Why do you think the Rainbow Fish was not friends with the other fish? 2. Why do you think the Rainbow Fish finally decided to give his scales away?

Answers & Comments to the Critical Thinking Questions by Student 1	1. He was mad at the other fish because they wanted his scales. 2. He wanted to be friends with the other fish.
Picture from the Paint Lesson
Description of Picture & Comments by Student 1 about the Picture	This is the Rainbow Fish playing with all his new friends.

Answers & Comments to the Critical Thinking Questions by Student 2	1. They weren't like the Rainbow Fish, they didn't have pretty scales. 2. The octopus told him to give his scales away.
Picture form the Paint Lesson
Description of Picture & Comments by Student 2 about the Picture	This is the Rainbow Fish swimming by himself in the deep ocean.