Assessment
Section 1 - Reading
The class will have a discussion on what occurred during the story. All answers will be documented on the SMART Board in SMART Notebook (when available). The teacher will informally observe every student's participation to determine if they read and understood the story. The students will hand in the 10 vocabulary words they wrote down from the story. The teacher will check to see if there are 10 vocabulary words listed. Teachers should view the list under "Related Resource" for appropriate vocabulary words.
Section 2 - Word Knowledge
The students will hand in their completed crossword puzzle with 80% accuracy of the definitions.
Section 3 - Graphic Organization
The students will hand in their completed Kidspiration organizer. This will be graded with the Kidspiration Rubric.
Section 4 - Writing
The students will print a copy of their June the Prune summary. This will be graded with the Paragraph Rubric.
Learning Context/ Introduction
In this unit, students will enjoy reading the online story June the Prune by Thomas Tosi. During the course of the story, June (the main character) goes on quite an adventure and learns an important life lesson.
Throughout this unit, the students will focus on the following ELA skills while infusing technology:
- Reading
- Word Knowledge
- Graphic Organization
- Writing
Duration
Depending on the grade level, this unit may take 10 days at 45 minutes each.
- Section 1 Reading - 2 days
- Section 2 Word Knowledge - 3 days
- Section 3 Graphic Organization - 2 days
- Section 4 Writing - 3 days
Objectives
- As the students read June the Prune they will gather and define, from Yahooligans! Reference, at least 10 vocabulary words from the story to create an online crossword puzzle.
- The students will read and analyze an online story by mapping the story elements (characters, setting, plot, and point of view) into Kidspiration software.
- The students will use their Kidspiration outlines to write a summary of the story June the Prune .
Instructional/Environment Modifications
This lesson uses a SMART Board set up. This set up includes a SMART Board (interactive white board), projector, and laptop with Internet access. If a SMART Board is not available, the teacher may use a projector only. It is best when students are working on computers to have a 1:1 ratio (student: computer).
On the day the students create their crossword on puzzlemaker.com, make sure all students have written out their words and definitions before they use the website. Once you create the crossword, unless you have an account, it cannot be saved and therefore must be printed the same day it is started. In the title portion make sure the student types their name. As a class you may want to demonstrate how to create a crossword puzzle with a few words and definitions. It is very quick and easy.
Students should have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Kidspiration software. Extra time may be needed to instruct students on how to use Yahooligans! Reference.
Procedure
Section 1 – Reading (Days 1 and 2)
Goal: The students will read a short entertaining story online with a moral attached. As the students read, they will keep track of any new vocabulary.
- Go to the site, June the Prune story and Click ENTER
- Click Adventures, move the magnifying glass by the handle over stories, and pick June the Prune by Thomas Tosi.
- The students may read the story on their own or have the story read to them (click on the sound button on top). There is a pause and stop button. To get to the next page, click on “Next Page” at the top right hand of the screen.
- The story is 21 pages.
- As the students read, instruct them to write down at least 10 words they do not know the meaning of in the story and hand it in for the teacher to review.
- Extra Activity – as students are finishing their story, they may go back to the home page, click activities, and pick the Art Studio to color drawings from the story.
- As a class, we will discuss the parts of the story. The parts will include: characters, setting, plot, and author’s point of view. These answers will be written on the SMART Board using SMART Notebook (you may use chart paper if you do not have a SMART Board). Note: Keep this SMART Notebook file (or chart paper) for Section 3, when the students create a story map on Kidspiration software.
Section 2 – Word Knowledge (Days 3, 4, & 5)
Goal: The students will use the Yahooligans student dictionary to find the meaning of all the vocabulary words they wrote during Section 1 and create a crossword (Criss-Cross) puzzle using Criss-Cross Puzzle.
- The students will look up the meaning of the 10 vocabulary words they wrote from the story, June the Prune. Teacher should have returned the list of vocabulary words handed in from Section 1.
- The students will obtain the meaning.
- Once they have written down the meaning of each word, they will create a crossword puzzle (using Criss-Cross Puzzle.)
- Criss-Cross directions:
Step 1 - Student should type their name and "June the Prune Vocabulary."
Steps 2 and 3 leave alone.
Step 4 - Type the vocabulary word, leave a space and type the definition. Press enter after each definition. There should be 10 words and definitions when the student has finished.
- Once they have completed their puzzles, students should print two copies. One copy should be handed in to the teacher and be assessed for 80% accuracy. The other copy will be used to trade with another student in the class to complete. Once students have exchanged crosswords, they may use the Yahooligans! dictionary reference site if they do not know the correct definition. Once they have completed a crossword puzzle, the author of the puzzle will correct the crossword and give it back to the student with whom they switched papers.
Section 3 – Graphic Organizer (Days 6 & 7)
Goal: The students will create a story web of June the Prune using Kidspiration software (a free trial version of the "Kidspiration" software can be downloaded here: Kidspiration).
- Students will create a graphic organizer using Kidspiration software to illustrate a story web of June the Prune.
- Students will open Kidspiration software, click on Reading & Writing, then scroll down to choose Story Web.
- Once the students have read the directions in the Kidspiration screen, they will delete the two green boxes containing the directions. The students should fill in the boxes for all of the sub-groups. Have the SMART Notebook file open (or chart paper available) from Section 1 for reference.
- Once they have completed all of their typing, the students should go through the clip art and add pictures where it is appropriate. They should make sure they use Spell Check found on the toolbar under Goodies.
- Once the students complete their story map, they will print a copy to hand into the teacher for evaluation, and save a copy onto the network. Please refer to the Kidspiration rubric for assessment.
Section 4 – Writing (Days 8, 9, & 10)
Goal: The students will write a summary of June the Prune on Microsoft Word.
- As a class the teacher will use the "Paragraph-Sandwich" (see attachment in #3) Mini-Lesson. This mini lesson includes a brainstorming page on "What makes a good paragraph?" The next phase is to use the responses from the brainstorming session to solicit good qualities of a paragraph (opening sentence, 3 detailed supporting sentences, and a closing/conclusion sentence). Lastly, the sandwich model will be used to explain how to create a quality paragraph with a state standard of a 4.
- The students will open their completed Kidspiration story map and pick outline view. From the outline view they will print a copy and use this outline to create a summary of June the Prune. It is possible to export the outline into MS Word to get a head start, but it would depend on your individual class. Students would need a very strong grasp of copy and paste.
- As a class we will review the parts of a paragraph using the “Sandwich Chart.” Click here for sheet: Sandwich Chart
- Each student will complete the sandwich chart and incorporate items from the Kidspiration outline sheet.
- Once they have completed their sandwich chart, they will type their paragraph into Microsoft Word. The students will place the title and author of the book (may use WordArt), along with their name, and date at the top of the page. Each student should use a size 16 font, any style that is readable, and double space their paragraph. At least one piece of clip art should be added. Students are encouraged to use their new vocabulary words when it is appropriate.
- Upon completion of their paragraph, they should use the thesaurus and spell check.
- Students will save and print one copy to hand into the teacher for evaluation. The teacher will be assessing the paragraph using the Paragraph Rubric.
Materials
Student Work
Click below for a sample of a criss-cross (crossword) puzzle and Kidspiration organizer (June the Prune).
Related Resource
Here are the list of vocabulary words a teacher may see a student list from the story: enemies, lame, humungous, fatal, flaw, spunky, idle, practical, grubby, aroma, therapy, inflatable, afghan, cartilage, mound, brute, perceptive, shirking, constitutes, condemned, flustered, vegetarian, flitted, crammed, schemes, catapult, transformed, and remedied.
