Teaching Kindergartners about the Internet

Teaching Kindergartners about the Internet may be a challenging task, or one that comes more naturally, depending if they are allowed to use the computer at home. In a typical class you may find that it is usually a mixed pot of pro's and newbies. This lesson will give your novice Internet users a chance to explore while you giving you a chance to help the beginners practice. This is also great for their fine-motor skills.

Objective: Internet
Classes: 2-3

NETS Standards:

5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Materials:

• Projector
• Electronic Whiteboard
• Computer
• Internet
• ABCya! Kindergarten Elementary Pages

Preparation:

• It may be easier to have the Website http://www.abcya.com/kindergarten_computers.htm  on each of your Kindergartner's computers.

Motivation:

• Have the ABCya! Website presented at the front of the computer room. ***Tip*** I usually keep the monitor off until they are ready to work!

Activity:

1. Discuss with your class the parts of the Internet. Demonstrate as you explain. They may look a little different depending on your Internet Browser.
Cover the following:

• Address Bar- Where you put the URL of the Web site you want to visit. Everyplace on the Internet has an address, just like each of you have a house address.
• Refresh Button: Makes a page reload.
• Stop Button: Stops a page from loading.

• Forward and Back button allows you to navigate between Web pages.
• Also show them how to scroll using the scroll bar.

• Minimum, Maximum and the Close Button (the Red X as it is typically called).

2. Lesson #1-Have your students turn on their monitors to the ABCYa Web site. Instruct them to scroll down and click onto the Counting Fish  Demonstrate if needed- instructions are provided.

http://www.abcya.com/counting_fish.htm

 This is a great intro lesson which is basic points and clicks of the mouse.

3. Lesson #2  Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching Game. Demonstrate if needed- instructions are provided.

http://www.abcya.com/uppercase_lowercase_letter_matching.htm

This lesson is great to teach them how to click - hold - and drag the letters into place. Allow them to play until the lesson is complete. If a few finish quickly, have them move onto to lesson #3.

4. Lesson #3- Kid's Coloring and Drawing Activity Have them explore all the different functions of this digital drawing tool, which has more bells and whistles than the Microsoft Paint Program.

http://www.abcya.com/abcya_paint.htm

This app is great to help with their fine motor skills as well as their creativity!

If they do not all finish within the class, allow them to explore the next class as well. This will help you assess which students will need more help, who can be the helpers, and what areas your class will need to practice more.

Learning the Internet for Second Grade with worksheets

Major Topic: URL’s and search engines

Week/Weeks: 2-3 classes

NETS for Students:

3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

a.	Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b.	Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c.	Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
d.	Process data and report results.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts   Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:  

a.	Understand and use technology systems.

Materials:

• Whiteboard and projector
• Computer with Microsoft PowerPoint or a .ppt reader on it
• Basic Internet for 2^nd Grade PowerPoint
• URL Checklist Worksheet
• Internet Search Engine Worksheet

 

Motivation:

• Have the PowerPoint, Basic Internet for 2^nd Grade, open on the electronic Whiteboard at the front of the room.

Activity Day 1:

• Discuss PowerPoint Basic Internet for 2^nd Grade together as a class.
• Discuss with the students how to open a Web Browser (such as Internet Explorer).
• Allow them to return to the computers and have them practice opening and closing the Internet Web Browser.
• Regroup after a few moments. Demonstrate how to type a URL into the Web address bar.

• Distribute URL Checklist Worksheet and have them work independently at their computers. Once they have reached the Web site, have them raise their hands and check off, stamp, etc. the appropriate area on the worksheet.

Activity Day 2:

• Finish URL Checklist Worksheet if needed.
• After URL Checklist Worksheet is completed, show the second grade class how to get to and use www.factmonster.com
• Distribute Internet Search Engine Worksheet- work on answer #1 together.
• Allow the remainder of the class for the students to find the answers to questions 2 and 3. Use the beginning of another class if needed.

Creating an Educational Game in Microsoft PowerPoint Unit Plan for 8th Grade

When I was a Educational Computing Grad Student, I created a PowerPoint game for a class I that was about utilizing Microsoft Office in the classroom. It was my cumulative learning experience about the program. My game was simple-“Adventures in American Art” for grades 5 and 6 where a detective tries to recover all of the missing American artwork. You got the right answer by clicking on the correct corresponding American art- you moved onto to the next question (slide) and was one step closer to saving the American artwork from being stolen. But answer wrong and you had a chance of having your cover blown and all the artwork would be lost- forever!

I would love to show you this as an example, however I am sure that it violates every copyright law known to man! For educational purposes it was fine for me to show my classes, just not for thousands of viewers! Therefore, here is an example of a very simple game sample and how it functions:

I learned a lot about PowerPoint creating this game on my own as a cumulative project. More importantly, I learned how to use Microsoft PowerPoint for more than a presentation tool. My students in 8th grade truly loved creating their own educational PowerPoint game and marketing it to the rest of the school. Here is my Unit Plan-

The Lesson-

Grade:  8

Major Topic: PowerPoint

Week/Weeks: Varies

NETS for Students:

1. Creativity and Innovation   Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

3. Research and Information Fluency   Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making   Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

5. Digital Citizenship   Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts   Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

Materials:

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• PowerPoint Game Info for Students Handout
• PowerPoint Game Story Board
• PowerPoint Game Tips and Tricks
• Peer-Evaluation
• Very simple game sample

• References/Resources: RubiStar

Motivation:

• Show Teacher and previous student PowerPoint Game examples

Activity:

 Introduction:

Pass out the following handouts:

• PowerPoint Game Info for Students Handout
• PowerPoint Game Story Board
• PowerPoint Game Tips and Tricks

Sample of the Microsoft Tips and Tricks Tutorial

Introduction to the Lesson:
Show an example of the PowerPoint game using the Very simple game sample and go over each of the handouts. Have the students brainstorm ideas and complete the PowerPoint Game Info for Students Handout (where they need to answer the following questions about what their Educational PowerPoint Game will be).  This may be all that you accomplish this class.

Planning:

In this phase of the lesson, your students will now complete the PowerPoint Game Story Board. The box to the right is a quick sketch as to what will be on the slide. They must at least include 15 original slides including:

1. The Title Slide.
2. The second slide should describe the who, what and why of the game.
3. The third slide should be the directions on how to play.
4. The fourth slide should begin the game or another set of additional instructions.
5. Slides 4 (5) through 14 (or more) are all dedicated to the educational questions.
6. One slide is dedicated as the wrong page at the end.
7. The last page is dedicated as the Resources Page.

Have them start coming up with the questions to ask on each slide for their user to answer. After 15 slides have been created, they may be duplicated.

Research:

If research is needed for the questions, depending on the topic of the game, I suggest assigning this as homework due to time constraints.

Demonstration:

After the lesson has been introduced and planned, take the time to demonstrate how PowerPoint works.  Use the PowerPoint Game Tips and Tricks as your guide as you go through each function of Microsoft PowerPoint. Show them basics, such as; inserting Word Art, Text Boxes, Shapes, Clip Art, changing text colors and so on.

The Working Class:

It is now time for the students to work! Start with the Title Page and have this due at the end of the first full working class. Continue to work from there. Do not allow them to link until the all of their slides are complete. Allow them to work together and ask questions as they create their games. Allow plenty of time to create for your students to work.

Evaluations:

You will use the rubric that is a part of the PowerPoint Game Info for Students Handout. Have your students keep this in a safe place. You may chose to have them evaluate their own game using the same rubric.

When all the Educational PowerPoint Games are complete, have them on each computer in the lab. Have many copies of  the Peer Student Evaluation at each station. Spend one class period having the students go around to as many games as they can and fill out the evaluation form.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Tech Talk: The Internet vs. The World Wide Web

Do your students continuously interchange the terms "Internet" and "World Wide Web"? They are not synonymous! Teach your students the difference between the two! Great informational sites include:

1. Webopedia
2. How Stuff Works
3. Diffen

Quick project ideas:

• Use Inspiration or Kidspiration Software to visually map out the differences between the two.
• Use PowerPoint to create a slideshow. Divide the class into two- one half will create facts about the Internet and the other about the World Wide Web.
• Create a Spreadsheet or Word Document listing the differences between the Internet and World Wide Web.