Lesson Plan Template

Name: Jamie Ray Date: 3/17/2011 Cohort: A

Topic/Grade Level: Fourth graders will blog about fantasy adventures.

Big Ideas/Learning Goals/Driving/Questions: This lesson focuses on students using technology to

create fantasies. In fourth grade the students will be writing fantasies, this lesson gets the students
started on thinking about fantasies and methods on writing them.
Context: The class is reading David and the Phoenix, in this book the lead character, David, meets a
Phoenix and they go on adventures together and meet fantasy creatures. In this lesson the students are
going to research various fantasy and mythological creatures and places. The students will pick one
ISTE NETs Objectives/Assessment
technology
student
standards

1. Creativity and Students will be able : Teacher will:

Innovation
Students demonstrate
creative thinking,
construct knowledge,
and develop innovative
products and processes
using technology.
2. Communication
and Collaboration
Students use digital
media and
environments to
communicate and work
collaboratively,
including at a distance,
to support individual
learning and contribute
to the learning of
others
• Create a username, password,
and avatar on Edmodo
• Research on the computer a
fantasy or mythological creature
and place that they would like to
visit with the Phoenix
• Use technology to communicate
their adventures to their
classmates through blogging
• Follow the safety rules set forth
by Ms. Ray regarding blogging
• Walk students through account set
up, walk around the computer lab
and make sure everyone is
successful
• Give students ample time to
research creatures in the classroom
and the lab
• Give explicit guidelines on writing
their adventures blog
• Assess the students’ listening and
following directions, researching,
and blogging
• Give the students a final grade on
their blog assignment

3. Research and
Information Fluency
Students apply digital
tools to gather,
evaluate, and use
information.
creature and place to visit with the Phoenix. The students will blog about their adventures.

Duration: two weeks, or four computer lab sessions

Materials: Computer lab, Edmodo, David and the Phoenix, a variety of fantasy and mythological texts

Time/Task Instructional Moves Teacher Considerations

After reading some of David and the Phoenix
Opening ask the students if they could go someplace
10 minutes with David where would they want to go? Call
on several students to share their ideas.
10 minutes Tell the students that we are going to be
creating a blog and they will be blogging about
adventures with themselves and the Phoenix.
Tell the students that in the computer lab
today we will be creating user names,
passwords, and selecting avatars.
25 minutes Once in the computer lab, go step by step with
the students on how to create student
accounts, make sure that students stay at the
same pace with the teacher. Once user name
and passwords are chosen, show students how
to select an avatar.
25 minutes Explain to the students that we will be going to
the computer lab to research a creature that
they will visit. Give the students some time
Define the term blog.
Explain project and expectations before
going to the computer lab.
May need to define avatar
Teacher will already have created the
teacher account.
Teacher will be on administrator computer
so that the students are able to watch on
the large screen the step by step of
creating an account.
This step will be on their next computer
lab session, before they go down.
 (approximately 15 minutes) to leaf through the
fantasy and mythological books that are in the
classroom for some ideas on creatures. Give
the students a selection of helpful websites
that may help them once in the computer lab.
Allow the students time to decide on a creature
that they will visit. The students need to take
notes as they research.
25 minutes Give the students 25 minutes in computer lab
to look up creatures and places for their blogs.
20 minutes Tell the students that they will be telling their
stories in the blog during two computer lab
times. Give the students a rubric for how
teacher will assess their blog. Read the rubric
together as a class, answer any questions that
may arise from it.
1 hour Give students two computer lab sessions in
which to blog.
Closing Have students who wish to share their blog out
loud do so in class.