Seasons book

This work is aligned to QCA Scheme of Work - Unit 2a Communicating Information using Text

In this unit children learn the rudiments of Word Processing, and adding pictures to a text in the context of making a class book with the program Textease.

Subject links - ICT, Literacy and Maths
With thanks to Enstone Primary School

Overview

Introduction
Context
Planning
Preparatory work
Session 1 - Familiarising the group with Textease and planning the book
Session 2 - Making the pages
Assessment - Measured against QCA learning objectives and the NC level descriptors

Introduction

The project was carried out by Class 1 which consists of five year1 and fifteen Reception pupils. The book was made by the year 1 pupils with their teacher acting as a facilitator.

Context

The Literacy context was provided by using the big book "The Seasons", Discovery World series, Heinemann non-fiction.

We were doing year1, term 2 text objectives.

Reading Composition

17. To use the terms fiction and nonfiction, noting some of their differing features e.g. layout, titles, contents page, use of pictures, labelled diagrams.
18. To read nonfiction books and understand that the reader doesn't need to go from start to finish but selects according to what is needed.
19. To predict what a given book might be about from a brief look at both the front and back covers, including blurb, title, illustration; to discuss what it might tell in advance of reading and check to see if it does.
21. To understand the purpose of contents pages and indexes and to begin to locate information by page numbers and words by initial letter.

Writing Composition

23. To produce extended captions.
25. To assemble information from own experience, based on examples from reading, to write simple non-chronological reports and to organise in lists, separate pages, charts.

Also Numeracy

To recognise that there are 4 seasons in a year and to order them.

Medium Term Plan for ICT

NC ref

Learning Objective

Activities

Assessment Opportunities

2 a, b

3 a, b

4 a, b, c

5 a, b

To create a book about Seasons allowing the pupils to :

enter text using 2 fingers, use shift for capital letters and backspace to delete
to select pictures and drag into document
to drag text and pictures to resize and reposition them
to begin to review work, suggesting amendments

Work with the teacher to make a non fiction book

Observe to see that pupils use ICT to work with text, images and sound to share their ideas. - level 1, Exchanging and Sharing Information

Preparatory work

The work done in advance of writing the book was: 3 days literacy time spent developing the reading text objectives, making a communal list of facts about each season, discussing the common layout of each page, how to use the contents page and index etc..

Session 1 Familiarising the group with textease and planning the book

Time was spent practising using Textease:

opening the picture files, selecting a picture, dragging it onto the page, resizing, repositioning
typing some text, surrounding it with a box, changing it's size, moving it around the screen
using the lips to speak the text

As a group, with the teacher, year1s planned the layout of the page - experimenting at the computer, moving things around before settling for the final version.

Session 2 Making the pages

The pupils typed headings, selected pictures (Clicker 4 graphics), resized and positioned them.

They took turns to give a fact about the season. Their teacher typed some, the pupils typed some. Initially they wanted to type but soon suggested that their teacher did most of the typing. They positioned the mouse and clicked on the lips to listen to the text.

The facts were typed in the order they were given, so there was an opportunity to edit the text - they decided which order the facts should be listed and dragged the facts to re-order then until the order was agreed.

As each page was written and saved, they checked back that they had got the pictures and headings in the same position, the text was approximately the same size, etc.

There was another opportunity to review their work. They made the decisions and their teacher helped them to make amendments.

Once they were finished the pupils decided that they needed a front cover, contents page and index. Again there was more group discussion and their teacher facilitated their ideas.

The links were added later by their teacher.

To view the book you need Textease. Download (right click and Save As) these files into the same folder and open the book by clicking on the cover page.

Cover

Contents

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Index

Assessment - measure against the QCA learning outcomes and NC level descriptors

most children have:

used a Word Processor to make sentences that communicate meaning

NC Level 2
They use ICT to help them generate, amend and record their work and share their ideas in different forms, including text, tables, images and sound. They use ICT to explore what happens in real and imaginary situations.

some children have not made so much progress and have:

entered words into a word processor

NC Level 1
They use ICT to work with text, images and sound to help them share their ideas. . They talk about their use of ICT.

some children have progressed further and have:

used a word processor to produce sentences that communicate meaning; refine sentences by adding words and making corrections; alter sentences in the light of comments

This work is aligned to QCA Scheme of Work - Unit 2a Communicating Information using Text In this unit children learn the rudiments of Word Processing, and adding pictures to a text in the context of making a class book with the program Textease.

Subject links - ICT, Literacy and Maths With thanks to Enstone Primary School