Generalization: Technology enhances productivity.

Essential Question: How do computers change the work we do?

Unit Questions:

Why is it important to know the correct terms when talking to someone about technology?
If I no longer need a file in my user folder, how do I remove it?
How can I switch between two software applications when working in them both?
Why is it important to proofread your work? (to find and correct errors)
What are some ways can I get help if I don't know how to do something? (check with a classmate; ask the teacher; use help in the software program)
What projects would be best to create in a spreadsheet program?
What is the first thing we must consider when we choose font, color, or style? (readability)
How can changing font color or style help us to communicate better? (draw attention to important items)
How do charts and graphs enhance the communication between you and your audience?
What are the ways that we can share a document? (Monitor, email, printed copy, publish to Internet, save to user folder)
If I want to look at a project that I created in a previous year, how do I do that? (look in my user folder in that year's portfolio)
Why is it important to keep a timeline or checklist when completing my assignment? (to make sure that that my assignment include everything that my teacher asked me to do)

TEKS:

1(A) use technology terminology appropriate to the task;
1(B) save and delete files, uses menu options and commands, and work with more than one software application;
2(D) produce documents at the keyboard, proofread, and correct errors;
2(E) use language skills including capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word division, and use of numbers and symbols as grade-level appropriate; and
5(B) use on-line help and documentation.
7(B) use appropriate software to express ideas and solve problems including the use of word processing, graphics, databases, spreadsheets, simulations, and multimedia; and
9(A) use software features, such as on-line help, to evaluate work progress; and
10(A) use font attributes, color, white space, and graphics to ensure that products are appropriate for the defined audience;
10(B) use font attributes, color, white space, and graphics to ensure that products are appropriate for the communication media including multimedia screen displays, Internet documents, and printed materials; and
10(C) use appropriate applications including, but not limited to, spreadsheets and databases to develop charts and graphs by using data from various sources.
11(A) publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, printed copy, monitor display, Internet documents, and video; and
12(A) select representative products to be collected and stored in an electronic evaluation tool;
12(B) evaluate the product for relevance to the assignment or task; and
12(C) create technology assessment tools to monitor progress of project such as checklists, timelines, or rubrics.

Subject Integration:  Math

Lesson Topic: Students will learn how to open up Excel and find cell addresses on a spreadsheet.  Students will also learn how to click on worksheet tabs

Terminology: Excel, spreadsheet, cell, row, column, tabs

Materials/Equipment: None

Instructional Activities:

1.      Key boarding warm-up for 5 minutes

2.      Have students go to Websites folder and click on spreadsheets

3.      Inside that will be a folder called third grade, click on that

4.      Inside the third grade folder, click on “Lesson 3 Student Questions”

5.      Show students where the tab buttons are at the bottom of the worksheet and model how clicking on them changes what they see.  Students may only see questions 1 -5 but they will have to click on the arrows on the far left hand side of the lower screen to see the remaining questions (there are a total of 10).

6.      Model how they will read the question and figure out the answer using mental strategies.  When they have figured out the answer, they click on the answer choice letter.

7.      To mark this answer they will go to the fill color bucket in the bottom tool bar and choose a color and click.  This should mark the answer.  Be sure to have students choose a color that can easily be seen.

8.      If there is not a fill color bucket at the bottom, students can go to view, toolbars, drawing and it will automatically be put at the bottom.

9.      Instruct students to work through the remaining question tabs choosing the correct answers in the same manner. 

10.  At this point teachers have the choice to check the answers together as a whole class using the projector or the students can save their work to their user folder and it can be checked by the teacher later 

Modifications:  Teachers need to facilitate to be sure students are correctly using math skills in order to answer these question.  Students who finish quickly can think of other questions to ask using the same data in one of the questions.  They would have to open a word document to write these questions out.

Assessment:  Teacher observation of answer choices.

Page last updated: 04/27/2007