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Classroom Electronic Yearbook
Description: Students create
a classroom yearbook by entering their own autobiographical information
into a presentation program.
Hardware and Software: computer,
presentation program, digital camera or scanner, LCD projector (optional--sound,
clip art, video equipment, etc.)
Time Required: Two 50 minute
lessons followed by input on the computer as time allows; the lesson may
evolve into unit or yearlong project.
Objectives:
- To get students thinking about how to make their writing
interesting by thinking beyond the "I've got two more lines to write
because the teacher says I need one page" mentality
- To create a product in the form of a "class yearbook"
- To give students a reason for writing
Procedures:
Show the students some yearbooks. Ask the students, "What
information do you think needs to go in a yearbook? If I gave you one yearbook
page to describe yourself, what would you put on that page?
Use a projection screen to show the class a blank page
from a presentation program such as Digital Chisel, HyperStudio or Special
Delivery. Ask the students if this could possibly be made into a yearbook.
Find out what they think of the idea of electronic yearbooks instead of
traditional book-type yearbooks. Ask them what they might include on the
screen pages of the presentation program if each student were given one
or two pages.
Bring out a picture of one of the students and have that
student assist with scanning the picture or take a digital picture of a
student and put it in the computer. Help a student place the digitized
picture on the page. Create a scrolling text panel and write a boring statement
about this student. For example, type, "My name is Bill Simmons. I
am 12 years old, and I like baseball. I can't think of anything else to
write." Ask Bill if he likes his write-up. Ask the students and Bill
how the writing could be made much more interesting. Give guidelines for
the yearbook entries and have the students think about what they will enter
in the yearbook about themselves. Ask the students how clip art, other
graphics, and labels might enhance their write-ups in the electronic yearbook.
Set up the guidelines/rules for the entries into the yearbook.
Make the guidelines positive, making it clear what is appropriate.
Give the students time to plan their entries, scan their
photographs, and enter their autobiographies into the presentation program.
If there is enough space on the computer, let them put in short sound bites
and very short video. Some may want to include animation; others may wish
to link to web sites on the Internet. Ask them to get others to read their
entries and to assist with proofreading.
When complete, the yearbook should be made available to
the class and to parents both on computer and in print form.
Note: As in all school activities,
teachers should supervise carefully to make sure only appropriate content
goes into the classroom yearbook. Although most middle school students
will follow the teacher's guidelines and on their own use appropriate content,
some may want to include content that may hurt others' feelings and/or
may not be acceptable for school publication.
Follow-up/Extensions:
The project may be expanded to include group work which
will feature different aspects of the school program. Students, for example,
might want to include information about sports, choral groups, plays, faculty
members, etc. in their electronic yearbook.
Lesson Plan Disclaimer
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