Teaching Demo/Lesson Plan

Title for the lesson: A View from the Top

Adapted from: 1. Microsoft Innovative Teachers Program 2. The Adventures of Amelia the Pigeon
Illustrator: N/A Publishing Information:
1.Microsoft Partners in Learning, January 21, 2007. http://www.microsoft.com/education/aviewfromthetop.mspx?pf=true
2.NASA, April 16, 2007.
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/amelia/

Title of the Book: The Armadillo from Amarillo
Written and Illustrated by: Lynne Cherry
Publishing Information: A Gulliver Green Book Hacourt Brace and Company
ISBN: 0-15-200359-2
School Level: Elementary school (5-11 years)

Goal: To write from a different point of view. Being able to see the picture from the TerraServer Web site should help inspire some creative writing.

Objectives:
The learner will:
•Be introduced to the idea of aerial photography through the story of Sasparillo the Armadillo.
•View an actual aerial photograph of their school or home.
•Explore and illustrate places around their home. They build view of their neighborhood by pulling together drawings from the class/group.
•Students then write a story about what Sasparillo the armadillo would see if he flew over their school or home.
•Illustrate what they will see from a bird’s-eye view
Write a story on a computer describing what Sasparillo the Armadillo would see if he flew over their school or house.

Prerequisite skills:
•Basic skills using Microsoft Internet Explorer
•Basic experience with Microsoft Office Word

TEKS:
§110.4. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2.
(1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of oral language experiences. The student is expected to:
(A) determine the purpose(s) for listening such as to get information, to solve problems, and to enjoy and appreciate (K-3);
(E) listen responsively to stories and other texts read aloud, including selections from classic and contemporary works (K-3);
(3) Listening/speaking/audiences/oral grammar. The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions.
(C) ask and answer relevant questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions (K-3)
(10) Reading/literary response. The student responds to various texts. The student is expected to:
(A) respond to stories and poems in ways that reflect understanding and interpretation in discussion (speculating, questioning) in writing, and through movement, music, art, and drama (2-3);
(B) demonstrate understanding of informational text in various ways such as through writing, illustrating, developing demonstrations, and using available technology
(2-3);
(14) Writing/purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes, and in various forms. The student is expected to:
(A) write to record ideas and reflections (K-3);
(18) Writing/writing processes. The student selects and uses writing processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is expected to:
E) use available technology for aspects of writing, including word processing, spell checking, and printing (2-3);
(19) Writing/evaluation. The student evaluates his/her own writing and the writing of others. The student is expected to:
(B) respond constructively to others' writing (1-3);
§113.4. Social Studies, Grade 2.
(5) Geography. The student uses simple geographic tools such as maps, globes, and photographs. The student is expected to:
(A) use symbols, find locations, and determine directions on maps and globes; and (6) Geography. The student understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions. The student is expected to:
(A) identify major landforms and bodies of water, including continents and oceans, on maps and globes;
(B) locate the community, Texas, the United States, and selected countries on maps and globes;
§126.2. Technology Applications, Kindergarten-Grade 2.
(1) Foundations. The student demonstrates knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. The student is expected to:
(A) use technology terminology appropriate to the task;
(B) start and exit programs as well as create, name, and save files;
(2) Foundations. The student uses data input skills appropriate to the task. The student is expected to:
(A) use a variety of input devices such as mouse, keyboard, disk drive, modem, voice/sound recorder, scanner, digital video, CD-ROM, or touch screen;
(C) demonstrate touch keyboarding techniques for operating the alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, and symbol keys as grade-level appropriate;
(D) produce documents at the keyboard, proofread, and correct errors; and
(E) use language skills including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word division, and use of numbers and symbols as grade-level appropriate.
(4) Information acquisition. The student uses a variety of strategies to acquire information from electronic resources, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:
(A) apply keyword searches to acquire information;
(5) Information acquisition. The student acquires electronic information in a variety of formats, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:
(A) acquire information including text, audio, video, and graphics;

Research Supporting this Lesson:

1. “Two types of students were identified with respect to the ways they used information obtained from the Web: "Compilers" usually copied text from web sources into their own essays. They lacked adequate cognitive processing of the collected information. "Authors" created original text and scored significantly higher in posttests. A follow-up study with 133 students verified parts of the hypothesis that writing with external sources of information has epistemic effects. However, students with basic writing skills and little prior knowledge benefited most from writing tasks.”
Priemer, Burkhard; Ploog, Maria. (2007). The Influence of Text Production on Learning with the Internet. British Journal of Education Technology.

2. “Many picture books allow young children to explore important ideas and to stretch their minds far beyond rote memorization. Young children absorb knowledge at a very rapid pace. In an age of information overload, it is essential that children are taught those important thinking skills that are needed in dealing with the multitude of information they meet everyday. What better way to help children gain important thinking skills than exposure to quality literature.”
Polette, Nancy (2007). Teaching Thinking Skills with picture books. Teacher Ideas Press.

Introduction to author and/or story:
In this activity you will see your world from a new point of view—a birds-eye view from up above in the sky.

Previewing the Text:
Read the title of the book to them. Show them the pictures on the front and title pages. Review the parts of the book.

Procedures:
Engage (5 minutes)
In the story, Sasparillo wonders where on earth he is. What if Sasparillo flew around the students' neighborhood. Brainstorm: Ask the students to think about where they live and what is around their house? (Stores, schools, parks, etc.) As students individually give their answers, record them on chart paper or the board for students to see.

Explore (20 - 30 minutes)
Ask the children to imagine they are a bird flying HIGH above a place near their home/school or in their neighborhood.
1. If Sasparillo could fly above us, what do you imagine he would see? What does the top of the school look like? What does the top of your house look like?
2. There are cameras in the sky that take pictures, the name of this special cameras is a satellite. You can see the pictures online. Visit the TerraServerUSA Web site.
3. Type your home address or the school's address, and then click the Go button. Is the picture you receive what you imagined your home or school would look like from the air?
4. Think back to Sasparillo flying on the eagle’s back. What do you imagine Amelia would see if she flew over your house or school?

Reading/Writing/Drawing Connection:
Ask them to draw a picture of what they would see looking DOWN at this place. (They may draw objects from the side. Just repeat and be encouraging about drawing what they think the bird would see without giving too much information.)
Have students label and/or write a brief description of what their picture illustrates.
Write a story describing what Sasparillo would see if he flew over your house or school.

Discussion Protocol:
Have students share their pictures telling what they have drawn. Begin to tie each of the pictures together to create a neighborhood or community. You may want to take each child’s picture and place it on a bulletin board. Children can offer input on where to put each picture. The school is beside the park. The store is a near the fire station. The houses form two lines as if they were on a street. Discuss as a class where Sasparillo might go. In what order? Who would he meet?

Extension/Service Projects:
•Look at some pictures of Texas (post cards, magazine pictures, etc.) What places do the students see in the pictures? What places do they think Sasparillo would go on his next journey? Have them write about their predictions.
•With the students' input, post the pictues of Texas in the order Sasparillo might visit to create a sequel to the book.
•Students will use PowerPoint to compose a postcard featuring a Texas landmark, that includes a short letter, name, address, and postcard design and send it to a relative, friend, etc. and encourage them to visit.

Resources & Materials:
•Chart paper/chalk board/dry erase board
•Pencil and crayons/markers
•Manila Paper
•Available bulletin board or equivalent display area
•Computers
Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Word

Assessment/Evaluation:
What the students choose to draw of their own neighborhood will provide assessment of their grasp of neighborhood features. What the students choose to include on the mural will provide a clearer understanding of a higher level of thinking by being able to connect their neighborhood to one of someone else’s (Sasparillo’s hometown of San Antonio) and recognizing similar features in the story.
Students can be assessed on the story they write describing what Sasparillo would see if he flew over their house or school.