Third grade students will read fairy or folktales from a variety of countries and then create an electronic passport using MS Publisher to keep track of the countries that they "visit" while "reading around the world" and research three facts about each country to add to their passport. This particular lesson includes the introduction of the unit and the initial creation of the passports.

Instructional Goals:
Students will-
-Make connections between texts
-Recognize the importance of documenting their activities by keeping track of what they read in their digital passports
-Learn a new media format for presenting information

Learning Objectives:
Students will
-Read 5 fairy or folk tales from 5 different countries
-Create an electronic passport using MS Publisher
-Locate and evaluate the relevance of 3 facts for each country they visit
-Cut and paste an image of each country's flag into their passport.

Motivational Goals:
-Learning to use a new medium to establish the importance of creatively displaying information
-Allow students the opportunity to self-select their reading material according to their personal interests
-Promote the value of technology for research, organization, and presentation of information

Evaluation Rubric

Introduction:
1. As students enter the library, they will hear some Latin-American music playing and I will be dressed in a colorful Mexican skirt and a sombrero welcoming them in Spanish and inviting them to the reading corner. This will catch their attention and interest.

2. When the students sit down I will explain that we will be doing a fun project that includes reading fairy and/or folktales from many different countries and creating a passport to help them keep track of the countries that they visit while reading around the world. (We have previously explored the genres of fairy and folktales, so I will quickly review the characteristics of the genre).

3. I will then read The Runaway Tortilla (a Mexican version of The Gingerbread Man) and we lead a discussion on comparing and contrasting the stories.

4. After the discussion, I will show the students a printed version of my ¡§electronic passport and point out the elements included in the passport. Turning to the section where I added The Runaway Tortilla, I will explain that I have included the title, author, and illustrator of the book. I will then show them the flag of Mexico and read them the facts that I found about Mexico.

5. I will then hand out the rubric that will be used to evaluate the learning outcomes of the project. We will review the rubric together. (Rubric is attached at the end of this planning guide). I will then turn the music back on and will form a Conga line and dance over to the class bank of computers for the rest of the lesson. (Getting the kids up to move in a fun but controlled way allows them to get the wiggles out and helps them transition for the rest of the lesson!)

(methods, media, materials)
-Whole group instruction using discussion, read aloud, lecture combined with demonstration.
-Texts (fairytales and folktales), CD player, Smartboard for demonstration, computer workstations for students, MS Publisher.



Body:
This is the students' first experience with MS Publisher, but they have previously done other projects on the computer and have basic computer skills such as word processing. They also have learned how to cut and paste text and know how to insert images, so they are ready to learn how to create their passports using Publisher. The TA who works in the computer lab will be providing assistance by monitoring and helping the students to stay on track.

1. I will instruct students to log-on to the computers using their private usernames and passwords. When all are logged on we will continue.

2. I will be utilizing the Smartboard to demonstrate how to use Publisher. I will first demonstrate how to pull up the programs menu and show the students where to find the Publisher icon and instruct them to click on it to open Publisher.

3. When all have opened Publisher, I will explain and demonstrate how to choose a design template for a brochure where it says "By Publication Type."

4. I will then show how they can choose their own font and color scheme. As the student experiment with a few, I will walk around and make sure that everyone is on track and keeping up without difficulties.

5. I will then explain that they will be inserting an image for the front of their passport from clip art. I have previously check to make sure that appropriate travel pictures are available such as globes, airplanes, trains, maps, etc. Students can choose the image that they want to add so their passport will be individualized by their choice.

6. Now, I will explain (and they've heard it before) the importance of saving your work OFTEN during the process in case of a power outage, computer glitch, etc. I will demonstrate how to ¡§save as¡¨ using the name Mrs. Bergman's passport. Students will then do the same using their first and last names. After the TA and I walk around and make sure they are saving correctly, students will be instructed to close out of Publisher.

7. Students will then be instructed to re-open their passports to make sure that they have been saved.

8. I will then demonstrate how to add the content (title, author, and illustrator) as well as where the flag and country facts will be located when we continue the lesson at our next meeting after they have read their 5 tales and researched the facts on each country.

9. Students will again be instructed to close out.


Conclusion:
I will then wheel in the cart with all the fairy/folktale books for the students to peruse and choose from. After each has chosen their first book, I will ask for a volunteer to echo what they will be doing in the next week to prepare for our next lesson (read 5 tales) so that we can continue creating our passports by finding the facts and the flags for each country.

The body of this lesson is the technology integration part of a mini-unit, Reading around the World.The continuation will be to introduce the students to the online resource CIA World Factbook to locate a flag of each country and three facts about the country that interests them to add to their passports. Students will then complete their electronic passports and print a hard copy that I will laminate and display in the front library display case.

Students will be assessed using the attached rubric. Students will be scored on a scale of 1-3.