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Key Pals
Author:
Kasey
Sliva
Introduction:
-Can be
adjusted for any grade-especially 3rd-5th graders.
-English/writing/geography/technology classes
Grade Level/Subject
3rd-5th
Grade
English/writing/technology/geography classes
Content Area(s) and Grade
Standards:
4.2.1 By the end of the fourth grade, students
will write using standard English (conventions) for sentence structure,
usage, punctuation, capitalization and spelling.
4.2.4 By the end of the fourth grade, students
will demonstrate the use of multiple forms to write for different
audiences and purposes.
http://www.lessonplans.au/keypal.htm
Objectives:
1. To
learn to write a letter using proper sentence structure and proper letter
format.
2. To
use email with proper rules of netiquette.
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3. To explore and learn
more about another country while interacting with a student from that
country. |
Assessment:
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When the students send
their emails to the student from the other country they will be
expected to also send the email to the teacher. The will also be given
a worksheet they have to fill about the country they are interested in
learning more about. |
Materials/Technologies:
Teacher: Computer
with connection, email, and browser software.
Handouts of proper netiquette.
Student: Computer
with connection, email, and browser software.
English book (source for proper letter format)
Handout with proper netiquette.
Procedures:
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Springboard: |
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Pass our maps to the students and let them pick the one country that
seems most interesting to them (besides the US). Give them a worksheet
of questions to answer and have them being looking up information on
the internet. Then, ask them if they could ask the people that live in
that country one question what would it be. |
Teachers do:
Teachers will give them a map and tell them to pick out one country
(besides the US) and find information on that country. Then, the teacher
could ask the students the question: If you had the chance to talk to
someone from the country and could ask them only one question what would
you ask?
Then, the teacher will give the students the email address and rules of
proper netiquette. The teacher will then help the students write an email
to the "keypal" of their choice from the country they chose.
Students do:
Students will look up information on the internet about a country of their
choice in order to fill out a worksheet about the country. Students will
also get the chance to write letters to a student in that country using
http://www.epals.com. The students
will send the letter not only to the other student, but also to the
teacher. If the lesson is adapted for older students a
project/presentation about the country can also be included.
Closure:
The
students will carry on the emails with the students in the other countries
for a period of time-depending on what the teacher wants. At the end of
the year, students can write a reflection stating what they learned by
doing this lesson.
Explanation:
I
chose this activity because it seemed like it would be the most
interesting for both student and teacher. I thought it was a fun and
interesting lesson plan. The lesson plan also could integrate a number of
subjects and content areas depending on what the teacher wants. Some of
these subjects could include: geography, English, and technology. I also
think it is great because it can be altered to for almost any grade
level. For example: older students could include a presentation/project
about the subject they chose.
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