Lesson #1 Title:  Writing Spider Stories

Grade Level:  4-5

National Science Education Standards

Content Standard A: As a result of activities in grades K-5, all students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understand about scientific inquiry.

Michigan Curriculum Framework Standards/Benchmarks

Science:

  • Strand I; Content Standard 1, Benchmark 4

  • Strand I; Content Standard 2, Benchmarks 1, 2, 3, 4

  • Strand I; Content Standard 3, Benchmark 8

Michigan Technology Education Standards

Technology Standard 1:  Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems and are proficient in the use of technology.
Technology Standard 2:  Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology. Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software. Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
Technology Standard 3:  Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Lesson Objectives:

Materials Needed:  

Resources Used:
National Science Education Standards - http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/6c.html
Michigan Curriculum Standards/Benchmarks - www.michigan.gov

Procedure:

Purpose:  The students will enhance skills necessary for the writing process by composing a rough draft and then using technology to edit and       finalize.

Anticipatory Set:  This lesson was intended to be the anticipatory set for the unit plan titled "A Spider's Web".

Modeling Activity:  The teacher will write a topic sentence for a story about a spider using descriptive words provided on the worksheet.

Input:  The teacher reads the directions and clarifies expectations; the students understand that their story must have a spider as the main character.  The worksheet is simply a palette with guidelines; the students have creative control over the plot, setting and length of the story.  The teacher informs the students that the rough drafts will be word processed, edited, and finalized in the computer lab.

Checking for Understanding:  The teacher asks for questions and monitors the students as they compose first and final copies.

Guided Practice:  The teacher will monitor student progress and assist those in need.  If some students finish before others, they will work as peer tutors for others.

Independent Practice:  The students will complete the first and final copy of their spider story with an image of a spider that represents the main character.

Closure Activity:  The students will print their stories, paste them to construction paper, and bind them into a book.

Technology Link:  The finished products will be scanned into a Power Point slide show; an "e-book".

Assessment of Objectives/Evaluation:

Assessed Objectives:

Objectives Score
Did the student compose a rough draft using the worksheet provided?
 5 4 3 2 1
Did the student successfully word process the first copy into an edited final copy? 5 4 3 2 1
Did the student select an image to illustrate the main character of the story? 5 4 3 2 1

These objectives will be rated on a 5 point scale; final project worth 15 points.