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- Learning to Use Computers
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- Introducing the Word Processor
- Author: Judith Kerns and Deborah Semler
-
- Grade Level: grade-1; primary
- Time Required: varies
-
- Required Materials:
- *One or multiple computers; printer
- *Software: keyboarding; word processing
- *Teacher-developed activities, worksheets, bulletin
- board, and word processing files
-
- Major Objectives:
- *To learn to keyboard on the computer
- *To use the word processor as an alternative to pencil
- and paper tasks
-
- ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
- *Use a variety of activities to acquaint the students with the keyboard.
-
- Suggestions include:
- (1) Keyboard Bingo: use keyboard playing cards;
- (2) Sticky Fingers: students toss a velcro ball at a designated key on
- a large replica of a computer keyboard;
-
- (3) Cut and Paste Keyboard: students complete a worksheet requiring
- them to supply missing letters and numerals on a keyboard.
-
- *To teach keyboarding, word processing and related vocabulary, display a
- menu, shift key, space bar, and other related terms on a bulletin board
- display.
- *Have students practice keyboarding using the keyboarding software.
- *Have the students use the word processing software and teacher-developed
- word processing files to learn editing functions:
-
- (1) Space bar - present them with a series of numbers, letters, or words
- and have them use the arrow keys and space bar to move the cursor
- around and insert spaces as needed;
-
- (2) Delete key - present them with a series of numbers, letters or words
- and have them use the delete key to remove the item that doesn't
- belong; and
-
- (3) Insert key - present them with a sequence of numbers or letters with
- one missing and replaced by an asterisk; have students delete the
- asterisk and insert the missing item in the correct position.
-
-
- *Have them use word processing files to complete skill work exercises in
- reading, such as sentence completion or vocabulary review exercises; in
- spelling, such as unscrambling scrambled words; and in writing, such as
- completing sentence starters.
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-
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- Santa's Elf Spreadsheet
- Author: Patricia K. Asher
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- Grade Level: grade-4; secondary
- Time Required: one class period
- Required Materials:
- *One or multiple computers
- *Software: spreadsheet and teacher-developed template
- *A variety of Christmas advertisements and catalogs
-
- Major Objectives:
- *To learn how to estimate prices of items
- *To use catalogs and/or advertisements to research costs of items
- *To use problem solving strategies and a spreadsheet template to
- determine what can be bought within a budget
-
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- ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
-
- *Ask the students whether they have been Christmas shopping yet. Ask
- them what they would like to get for Christmas. Have the students write
- a Christmas list for themselves and/or their families.
-
- *Explain how to use the database template. Tell the students that their
- jobs as Santa's elves are to help him find the items on the Christmas
- lists. They have $200 to spend and should get as close to that amount
- as possible without going over it. Have them:
-
- (1) Write the price they think items will cost;
- (2) Put a star next to the items they think they can buy without
- going over budget;
- (3) Use the template to enter the starred items from the list and
- determine their total;
- (4) Take some items off the list if the total exceeds $200;
- (5) Look up the cost of the items in a catalog or advertisement
- and enter the actual costs; and
- (6) Determine if they can buy additional items, if they are over
- budget, or if they have done a good job of estimating and planning.
-
- FOLLOW-UP/EXTENSION:
- Have students attempt to get a promotion to "Head Elf" by checking a
- number of advertisements and catalogs to identify the best price for the
- things on their lists. Have them determine how much they can save Santa.
- Have them enter the amounts from three different sources on a second
- template. Have them use a word processor to write to Santa about
- additional money-saving ideas.
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- Nifty Fifty Database
- AUTHOR: Betsy Montgomery
- Saint Denis School
- Havertown, PA
-
- MAJOR OBJECTIVES:
- *To become familiar with the function and operation of a database
- *To draw conclusions from patterns in existing state or
- country data, integrating personal knowledge of those
- states or countries
-
- GRADE LEVEL: 5
-
- MATERIALS CHECKLIST:
-
- *One or multiple computers; printer (optional)
- *Software: word processing, database
- *Teacher-prepared database template and student worksheets
-
- TIME REQUIRED: 10-15 class periods
-
- ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
- *Introduce the concept of a database by having the students
- bring labels from different types of food products to class.
- Create a database from these labels and have the students
- sort the data on their own criteria.
-
- *Have the students select a state or country and use the word
- processor to write to a government office for data. Students
- should explain in their letter that the information they
- receive will be entered into their class' database.
-
- *When the information is received, have the students write the
- information on their printed copies of the database template
- and then enter the information into the database on the
- computer.
-
- *Have the students fill in the blanks of their worksheets with
- information obtained from the database.
-
- FOLLOW-UP/EXTENSION:
- Expand this set of activities to the geography of other
- regions.
-
- ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- The teacher-prepared template can include fields for capital,
- area, area rank, largest cities, major rivers, major farm
- products, climate, rainfall, geographic location, natural
- resources, symbols (bird, flower, nickname, abbreviation),
- historic sites, sports centers, and cultural exhibits.