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Lesson plans: writing stories: communicating information using text (Year 2)

ICT at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 2)
This series of lesson plans are based on the Unit 2A: Writing stories: communicating information using text.

 Our version uses Weblog posts and web pages instead of word processor documents.

Supporting the National Curriculum
 Developing ideas and making things happen (KS1 ICT/2)
 Pupils should be taught:
 2a: to use text, tables, images and sound to develop their ideas.
 Exchanging and sharing information (KS1 ICT/3)
 Pupils should be taught:
 3a: how to share their ideas by presenting information in a variety of forms [for example, text, images, tables, sounds].
 Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses (KS1 ICT/4)
 Pupils should be taught to:
 4a: review what they have done to help them develop their ideas.

About this unit
 The unit breaks down into roughly 8 lessons as follows:
 A 'Setting the scene' lesson to outline the purpose of the unit.
 A series of 'short focused tasks' specifically for learning the necessary ICT skills.
 An 'Integrated task' that draws upon these skills and integrates them within a context.
 Often the product of the 'integrated task' is seen as the purpose of the unit. It is not. The 'integrated task' serves only to orchestrate the previously taught skills and develop cabability through more open ended challenges.
 In this unit children learn to use words to communicate messages and recognise that ICT lets them correct and improve their work, as they are working or at a later date. Children will also have opportunities to discuss their experiences of using ICT.
 Children will be able to apply what they have learnt in this unit when: writing stories with a clear sequence of events in a sustained style; using and punctuating a range of sentence types; commenting on the features which distinguish texts such as narrative, information and poetry.
 They will also be able to use these skills when: producing creative writing in English; producing accounts of their work in science and geography; describing sequences of events in history.

Pre-requisite knowledge
 Can operate a mouse,
 know the alphabet and its relation to QWERTY keyboards.


The sections
 Setting the scene
 Short focused tasks
 Text can be entered and corrected
 Spaces between words
 Insert line breaks
 Rearranging text
 Type capital letters
 Delete and insert text
 Integrated task

Setting the scene 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: that there are differences between handwritten and computer generated text.
 Activities
 Show the children examples of work created by older children using a computer. This can be produced with a graphics programme or a word processor or web pages or weblog postings from their school site.
 Ask the class to discuss how the work is different from handwritten work, e.g. it is easy to read, there are no spelling mistakes, the corrections cannot be seen, the author can't be identified just by looking at it.
 Discuss which is easier to read.
 Discuss who reads their work, e.g. teachers, peers, parents.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 recognise some of the features of word-processed text.
 Points to note
 Children could list the people that they write for, and the audiences that read different texts, such as posters and cinema advertisements.
 
Text can be entered and corrected 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: that text can be entered and corrected,
 technique: to use the backspace key to make corrections.
 Activities
 Discuss how weblog posts can say a lot or just "hello," and that one of the first things computer scientist write is 'hello world.'
 Ask the class to brainstorm what they would like to say to the whole world.
 Ask the children to take it in turns to type a weblog post.
 Ask them to correct any mistakes as they type, using the backspace key.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 enter and correct text.
 Points to note
 This activity is not necessary if children have entered text earlier.
 
Spaces between words 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: the importance of spaces between words,
 technique: to type in text, including spaces between words, and to use the shift key.
 Activities
 Read out sentences to the children but leave out the pauses between words. Discuss with the children if they understood what was read and if it sounded odd.
 Demonstrate to the class how to use the spacebar to create a space and how to use the shift key to make a capital letter. Give the children an opportunity to write a simple sentence into a weblog post.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 understand that spaces need to be placed between words,
 press the spacebar once to create spaces and do not hold it down.
 Points to note
 This activity is not necessary if children have entered text earlier.
 Remind children that they use their fingers to create spaces between words in their handwritten work.
 
Insert line breaks 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: the difference between running text (text wrap) and text with line breaks,
 technique: to use the return/enter key to insert line breaks.
 Activities
 Enter a poem with repeated rhyme as a piece of prose with no line breaks.
 Discuss the difference between the way poetry and prose are presented and demonstrate how to use the return/enter key to make line breaks.
 Divide the class into pairs and ask them to insert line breaks in the poem.
 Publish the children's work and compare it with the original version.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 identify where the return/enter key has been used in text and why,
 use the return/enter key where appropriate.
 Points to note
 Children should work on a copy of the teacher's pre-prepared weblog post or web page.
 Children who find the work difficult could be given a copy of the original poem for support.
 Once they are familiar with the return/enter key, children tend to use it when it is not needed.
 Suggested Homework
 Ask the children to show their work to their parents at home.
 
Rearranging text 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: that ICT can be used to rearrange text to make it easier to read
 technique: to use the return/enter key to insert line breaks
 Activities
 Demonstrate how to turn a string of ten items from a shopping list into a horizontal list by using the return/enter key.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 understand that words can be moved down the editing window.
 Points to note
 Explain to the class that if text disappears off, out of the editing window, it is not lost forever.
Type capital letters 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 technique: to enter text with spaces and use the shift key to type capital letters.
 Activities
 Create a series of web pages with pictures which have people doing actions.
 Discuss how captions can be used to illustrate direct speech. Remind the class how to enter text and demonstrate the use of the shift key.
 Divide the children into pairs and give each pair a web page.
 Ask the children to discuss what might be being said, and use the text editor in the browser to type the speech.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 create sentences using a WYSIWYG editor in a web browser.
Delete and insert text 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 key idea: that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer
 technique: to delete and insert text to improve readability
 Activities
 Enter an extract into a web page from a familiar children's book but replace the full stops with the word 'and'.
 Discuss the extract with the class and explain that the repeated use of 'and' makes it repetitive and difficult to read.
 Demonstrate how to delete an 'and', insert a full stop and change the following letter to upper case.
 Divide the class into pairs and ask them to edit the prepared text.
 Ask them to print out their work and compare it with the original version.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 recognise that text can be edited to improve it
 recognise that changes can be made at a later stage
 Points to note
 Children should work on a copy of the teacher's pre-prepared web page.
 Children who find the work difficult could be given a copy of the original extract for support.
 Children who are confident using full stops and capital letters could be encouraged to use connectives, such as 'then' and 'meanwhile'.
Integrated task 

 Objectives
 Children should learn:
 to use ICT appropriately to communicate ideas through text.
 Activities
 Explain to the class that they will be using the techniques they have learnt to produce their web pages.
 Ask the class to recall what they have learnt so far.
 Show the class a series of web pages containing only the pictures from a familiar story.
 Ask the children to produce the text for a page of the story.
 Remind them about: the importance of readability; when to and when not to use the return/enter key; checking and correcting spelling; using full stops and capital letters.
 Ask the children to prepare their text in the editing box.
 Outcomes
 Children:
 develop their text on screen,
 use appropriate techniques to ensure that their writing is clear, well presented and error-free.
 Points to note
 Encourage children to get their ideas on screen quickly and to make corrections later; they shouldn't type from a handwritten draft. This will help them appreciate that ICT can help them develop their writing and is not just a presentation tool.
 This activity could be extended by preparing a set of web pages, or a multimedia presentation, and asking the children to prepare the text. This provides opportunities for children to share their work with those in other schools.

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