McREL Technology Solutions (MTS) Lesson Plan Template

Name: LeAnn Miller

Subject area: Language Arts/Library/

Grade level: 3rd

-4th

Lesson title: Simple Things are Beautiful

Brief lesson description After listening to Wabi Sabi, students will create Haiku poems and collage art to describe one of their

favorite things. Students will then add their pictures and read their Haikus to create a class Voicethread

called “Simple Things are Beautiful”, the theme of the book. The VoiceThread can then be embedded on the

blog to share with a wide audience and students can comment on others’ work.

District/State content standard/benchmark addressed EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

http://www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/techstandards.aspx

• 1.1.1 Generate ideas and create original works for personal and group expression using a variety of

digital tools.

• 1.2.1 Communicate and collaborate to learn with others.

READING

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Reading/default.aspx

• 1.3.2 Understand and apply new vocabulary.

• 2.3.3 Understand literary/narrative devices.

• 3.4.3 Understand/Analyze a variety of literature representing different cultures and traditions.

WRITING (All 4 EALR’s are met)

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Writing/default.aspx

• EALR 2. The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.

• EALR 4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.

VISUAL ARTS

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Arts/GLEs.aspx

• 1.1.1 Understands, applies and creates the visual arts elements of line, shape, form, color, value,

texture and space in the production of a work of art. (texture, space, color)

• 1.1.2 Understands, applies and creates repetition/pattern, contrast, variety, balance,

movement/rhythm, and proportion in a work of art. (contrast)

COMMUNICATION

http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Communications/default.aspx

• EALR 3. The student uses communication skills and strategies to present ideas and one’s self in a

variety of situations.

• EALR 4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of communication.

ISTE/NETS for Students

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/NETS_for_Students.htm

• Creativity and Innovation (creating their story)

• Technology Operations and Concepts

• Digital Citizenship

AASL

http://www.aasl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards.cfm

• 2.1.6 – use the writing process, media, visual literacy and technology skills to create products that

express new understanding.

Instructional Strategy (Marzano’s) • Reinforcing effort and providing recognition

• Nonlinguistic representation

• Setting objectives and providing feedback

Technology resources needed (hardware and software) Computer (s)

VoiceThread (start from the education site. http://ed.voicethread.com)

*Depending on what you decide, students can work with different identities under your login or you

can pay for an upgrade and create student accounts (no emails necessary).

*Example Wabi Sabi VoiceThread.

Camera to take pictures of student work

Microphone or telephone to record poems

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein

Chart paper or way to record and display brainstorm list from computer.

Various patterned paper, 3D items (string), etc… available to create collage

Camera/Document Camera to take pictures of student art work

Procedure 1. Read aloud the book U, and talk about what it means. Discover the theme: “simple things are

beautiful”. How is this the same or different from what you believe? The next steps of Haiku or

Collage study could be swapped, so the picture is created first.

Haiku Study

2. Go back to the story and read the haikus separately, ask the students what they notice about these

parts of the book. How do the haikus add to the story? The back of the book gives a short definition

of Haikus and two famous writers of haiku verse. It also translates the Japanese haikus written on

various pages.

3. Discuss the form of Haiku. 5-7-5. If students have a hard time figuring out syllables, have them hum

the words as they count on their fingers the number of syllables. Sometimes this works better if they

are humming a poem they already know.

4. Have the students tell their neighbors 5 things that they love. (If doing this with younger students

could have them describe a season instead) It could be swimming, their dog, etc… Have them pick

one and brainstorm words that describe what they love. Record the brainstorms by number of

syllables in the words, so that the class will have a bank of words to choose from.

5. Have students prewrite by brainstorming more words about what they love on a piece of paper. Then

have them create a haiku in the 5,7,5 format on another piece of paper. Have them double-check the

syllables a couple times and practice reading it aloud for the VoiceThread.

Collage Study

6. Go back to the book, focus on pictures and discuss what they notice about the pictures. Does it

remind you of any other illustration or pictures you have seen before? (You could have an Eric Carle

or Lois Ehlert book handy also to compare them to.)

7. Discuss space, texture, and contrast. You could show the example VoiceThread so students can see

how the animal in the picture takes up the most space and is a different color than the background.

8. Have students begin creating a collage that describes what they love using various materials/paper

provided.

VoiceThread

9. Pictures of the collages should be taken, downloaded to the computer and put on the server where

students have access. (If using more than one computer)

• The following the directions will be as if you haven’t paid for a VoiceThread account that allows

for student accounts to be created. If you did do upgrade, login and in the upper right next to

your email address click the drop-down arrow. Then select Manage Class. Click the Add

Members link and start adding members. There is an option to upload a .csv file.

10. After creating an account and logging in to VoiceThread, in the upper right click the drop-down

arrow next to your email address and select My Identities. Click Add an Identity to add a student to

your account. You can select a different name, picture, etc… The biggest issue with identities (or

the non-paid VoiceThread account) instead of the paid version is that comments aren’t moderated.

No matter the identity, it is your account, and the comments will display automatically. Since all of

the identities are found by logging in as you, any student can pick any identity. i.e. Johnny can write

something negative about Sally, but it was actually Joe using Johnny’s identity.

11. After creating identities, click the create tab in the upper left. It should walk you through the steps of

uploading pictures. You can upload all of the students’ pictures at once to have them ready for them.

If you do that and they login as you and want to edit it, it can be found under the MyVoice tab. It

will start playing the VoiceThread, so in the upper left, click the gear and select Edit.

12. After uploading, arrange the pictures by dragging them. Select the picture you want to narrate, then

click number 2 Comment. There are many ways to comment, by phone (pretty nifty), webcam,

recording with a microphone, typing and uploading and audio file from the computer. You will see

these options in a menu with icons below the picture. To the left of that menu is one of your identity

pictures. You must select the correct identity before recording, so click on that picture to the left to

switch identities to the correct student. Then select the correct icon for how the student will narrate,

start speaking and click save. You can preview the narration by clicking on the identity picture that

appears around the collage picture. There is a trash can there if the recording needs to be deleted and

done again. You can click the right arrow in the lower right to get to the next picture and record for

that one also.

13. Once the VoiceThread is finished, you can share your project. You can also share just the link or

with others in your Contacts by clicking Share, number 3. If you click get a link and select Anyone

Can View this will make your VoiceThread public. Making it public is necessary for embedding and

the publishing viewing options mentioned next. Go through the various options in the lower left.

You will see Playback Options, Export (fee associated), Embed (must be public) to get code to put in

webpage, and Publishing Options (if make VoiceThread public).

14. Students can go back and add positive comments to others’ haikus or to reflect. Provide guidelines.

What do you enjoy about their picture? Can you identify with what they love? How does their haiku

make you feel?

15. Here are other resources to help with VoiceThread.

a. http://voicethread.pbworks.com

b. http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com

c. http://voicethread-workshop.wikispaces.com

d. http://voicethread.ning.com (takes a little more searching on this site to find good content, at

least today)

Assessment Method

GLE (EALR) 4

Excellent

3

Proficient

2

Partial

1

Minimal

Score

Writing 2 : Student writes

in a variety of forms for

different audiences and

purposes.

Visual Arts: 1.1. applies

and creates contrast and

shape, texture and space.

Communication 3: Uses

communication skills and

strategies to present ideas

and oneself in a variety of

situations

Ed Tech 1.1: Generate

ideas and create original

works for personal and

group expression using a

variety of digital tools.

-Student

writes haiku

in 5-7-5 form

accurately

and creates

picture for

the reader.

-Student’s

collage

depicts haiku

vividly, object

fills up space,

various

textures are

used and

contrast is

evident.

-Student read

his/her haiku

accurately

with

expression

and

commented

positively and

appropriately

in the

VoiceThread.

Comments

related

others’

choices (what

they love) to

own life.

-Student

writes haiku

in 5-7-5 form

accurately.

-Student’s

collage

depicts haiku,

object fills up

space,

various

textures are

used and

contrast is

evident.

-Student read

his/her haiku

accurately

and

commented

positively and

appropriately

in the

VoiceThread.

-Student is

missing 2

syllables in 5-

7-5 form.

-Student’s

collage

depicts haiku

but is missing

one of the

following

elements:

object fills up

space,

various

textures are

used and

contrast is

evident.

-Student read

his/her haiku

with a one

mistake and

commented

positively and

appropriately

in the

VoiceThread

most of the

time.

-Student is

missing more

than 2

syllables in 5-

7-5 form.

-Student’s

collage

depicts haiku

but is missing

two or more

of the

following

elements:

object fills up

space,

various

textures are

used and

contrast is

evident.

-Student read

his/her haiku

with a few

mistakes

and/pr no

fluency and

commented

positively and

appropriately

in the

VoiceThread

sometimes.