Beacon Lesson Plan Library
Newsmakers
Candace Parker
Bay District Schools
Description
This lesson gives students an opportunity to write about themselves and their families and enables them to share this information with others in a newsletter format. (Nets for Students: 3.2 and 4.2)
Standards
Florida Sunshine State Standards
LA.B.2.2.4
The student uses electronic technology, including word-processing software and electronic encyclopedias, to create, revise, retrieve, and verify information.
HE.B.3.2.4
The student knows various ways to communicate care, consideration, and acceptance of self and others (eg., by cooperating).
Florida Process Standards
Information Managers
01 Florida students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, the arts, symbols, recordings, video and other graphic displays, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment.
Effective Communicators
02 Florida students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays, and computer-based programs.
Critical and Creative Thinkers
04 Florida students use creative thinking skills to generate new ideas, make the best decision, recognize and solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong learning.
NETS for Students
3.2
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
4.2
Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
Materials
1. Interest inventory developed by the teacher
2. Paper and pencil
3. Copies of the local community newspaper
4. Publishing software like Microsoft Publisher
5. Computer(s)
6. Digital camera
7. Printer
Preparations
1. Create an interest inventory for students.
2. Collect local community newspapers.
3. Set up multimedia workstations with the publishing software pre-loaded at each station.
4. Set up multimedia workstation with Internet access. (optional)
Procedures
1. Students fill out an interest inventory developed by the teacher.
2. Students interview their parents to find out information about their births and at least one important preschool event in their life.
3. Teacher distributes the local community newspaper to students.
4. Students and teacher discuss the purpose and organization of a newspaper using the newspapers distributed and the website of the newspaper if available.
5. Students create a title for their own newspaper about themselves.
6. Students write a news article introducing themselves with information about where and when they were born and events in their preschool life. This article should also include some of their interests from the interest inventory filled out earlier. A title for the article should be included.
7. Students proofread and edit the articles in groups.
8. Students write a news article about one important memory from the early years of their lives and include titles for the articles.
9. Students proofread and edit their articles in groups.
10. Students write a news article about their school years including where they've gone to school and include some of their school favorites from their interest inventory. This article should also include a person the student admires with reason for his/her choice. A title should be included for the article.
11. Students proofread and edit articles in groups.
12. Students use the digital camera to take pictures of each other for their newspaper.
13. Students use the newsletter feature of the publishing software to create their own newsletter using the articles they have written about themselves.
14. Students place their pictures into their newspaper.
15. Students share their newspapers with other students in the class.
Assessments
Use the Newsmaker Newsletter Rubric to assess the student product.
Note: Circulate and formatively assess students as they use the technology tools. Provide assistance for students who are experiencing difficulty and monitor accordingly.
Extensions
One modification for ESE students would be to lower the requirements for the newspaper.
Web Links
Web supplement for Newsmakers Panama City News Herald
Attached Files
Newsmakers Newsletter Rubric File Extension: pdf
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