Kidspiration 3 - Lesson on animal classfication

Kidspiration has a very visual tool for kids to learn about classification is biology.  Here is an examples how how to use the tool to help students learn about the characteristics of different group and find animals belong to each group.

The instruction is very easy to follow.  Once they find the animals belong to each group, they can select the writing tab on the top to go to the next view as follows:

Create Chronology of Ancient Rome using Kidspiration 3

In study Ancient Rome, Kidspiration 3 is an excellent tool to create a chronology of all the events for the history of Ancient Rome.  Teacher can create a graphic organizer as showed (see below ) and have the 6th grade students complete the activities as follows:

1. Search about the Ancient Rome and add important events in chronological order

2. Add or draw symbols for the events.

3. Go to Writing View and add details.

Name:_____________

Use Popplet.com to learn Ancient Greek Architecture in social studies

Popplet.com is a free online tool that allows users to visualize ideas. Teacher and students can create graphic organizers and many other forms of visual organization.

Some of the advantage of using Popplet.com are:

               

·         Graphical organizer help students to visualize and organize all the information.

·         In each Popplet created (within the graphic organizer), students have the options to write, draw, or simply insert an images to depict the design characteristics of the three schools of architecture.

·         ELL learners will benefit from the additional options other than writing the descriptions of each architectural design characteristics.

·         Popple.com is a fun way to engage students and it is very easy to learn.

In my lesson, I created an activity using Popplet.com as follows:

Name:__________________

Use Popplet.com (or paper and pencil) to fill in the below graphic organizer as follows:

For each Greek architecture design (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian )

a)  In the Popple labeled a, describe (in complete sentences), or draw , or find image (using Google or other search engine) which has all the characteristics of the design

b)  Find an image of the design column

c) Find a building or architecture with the design columns, provide name of the building

Figure 1.  Ancient Greek Architecture Graphic Organizer

A sample of what student produce:

Kidspiration for Science

Kidspiration is a great tool for the second graders to develop understanding in science using graphic  images library and the graphic organizer.  As a reinforcement after the  discussion on the properties of the three states of matter, the students will sort objects into the proper categories, solid, liquid, or gas.

The lesson idea using Kidspiration is taken from the lesson plan retrieved from:

http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~elem/kidspiration/tamargo/landwater.html

Below is the Kidspiration activity on "matter".

Use Kidspiration to learn Landforms and Bodies of Water in Social Studies

Kidspiration is a great tool for the second graders to develop understanding in social studies in a fun and colorful way.  The use of graphic  images and the graphic organizer will benefit every second grader, not just the visual learners.

The lesson idea using Kidspiration is taken from the lesson plan retrieved from:

http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~elem/kidspiration/tamargo/landwater.html

As part of a class study of landforms and bodies of water in the United States, the students will move items from the custom picture libraries to the appropriate super sorter.

The Kidspiration class activity:

Use Excel to solve math word problem on inventory tracking

Excel  is great tool for solving math problems related to inventory tracking.  Sixth grader should be taught to use Excel to help them understand and solve  inventory problems.  First demonstrate how to manually track and maintain Classroom furniture and art supply inventory.  Next, manually determines the total cost to restock  items that are below required inventory limit.

Next, use a laptop computer, Microsoft Excel, and the Smart Board to demonstrate how the same problems are solved using Excel spread sheet.

Advantage of using Microsoft Excel:

Using Spread sheet to track inventory, what items and how many to order, and  calculate total cost of the purchase order.  Once the formulas and charts are set up properly in the spread sheet, any changes to the furniture, art supplies, and item unit prices, all the dependent data such as the quantity to order, the total purchase costs,  and all the bar charts and pie charts are automatically updated to reflect the change.  Spread sheet user don't have to belabor themselves with the calculations or updates to the pie charts and bars charts.

The most costly items can be readily identified visually by examining pie chart and percentages which are automatically calculate when pie chart is added for select group of data cells.

TechPACK components	What is known	What must be learned
Technology	Laptop personal computer basic, spread sheet basics, Microsoft Word basics.	Spread sheet, insert math function, insert bar graphs, pie charts.  Research online for Excel tutorial software.
Pedagogy	Model how to solve a small inventory tracking and reorder problem by applying addition, subtraction and multiplication of decimal numbers and whole numbers.	Model a small inventory tracking and reorder problem using Excel spread sheet
Content	Decimal Number Addition, Percentage.  Solve word problem in everyday situation by applying whole number and decimal addition / subtraction.	Using Microsoft spread sheet to solve the inventory problem

Using Microsoft Word to illustrate elements of a good Narrative

You don't need a different fancy software to enhance children's understanding by using some simple visual high lighting tool in MS Word.  For example in a lesson on narrative writing, I can color code the different elements using different high light colors as follows.

Example of Sensory details, Action, Internal thoughts and feelings, and Dialogue

Then I can high light the actual examples in the narrative writing using this color code scheme.

See the color coded elements in the excerpt below.   This technology integration trick was illustrated by Professor Kelser using MSWord, his laptop and the Smartboard during one of his classes.

--------------------Excerpt of " The Screaming Mean Machine" by Joy Cowley -----------------------------

                                                          ...

“Sit with me in the front seat,” my brother Ricky says.

We’re in the car and a bar comes down. The bar is sticky with cotton candy. And I think I’m too young, after all. Next summer would be dandy. I think I’ve changed my mind and now I wonder how I get out of here.

I say to Rick, “What happens if the wheels come off the track?”

He says, “They can’t.”

“But suppose they did?”

“They’d just put them back,” he says.

Then he looks at me real close and says, “Hey, don’t you freak on me!”

“Who’s going to freak?” I want to know.

“You’re scared!” he says. “I can see!”

“You can’t see anything!” I laugh. “Ricky, you’re out of your tree!”

The car jerks. There is a long rattling sound like chains in a dungeon. We are being pulled up high off the ground, high up the Screaming Mean Machine, so high up a mountain of track that all I can see is sky. Then I lean over and look back a long way down at Mom and Dad who are like little dots of confetti on the ground. The car stops at the top and my stomach flips. But I’m not going to freak. I’m not! Then the car begins to move. Oh-oh!

So fast I can’t breath. Race, race, straight down. Wind in hair. Wind in face. My brother yelling, “Yay-eeee!” I hold onto the bar. Faster, faster. Can’t feel. Can’t see. Blur of speed.

--------------------------------- End of Excerpt---------------------------------