Keypals - Communicating Across the Information Superhighway, Author: Melissa Morris, Grade Level: Any, Subject Area: English Language Arts And Technology, - Distribute the magazine MaMaMedia: A Kid’s Guide to the Net to each student. Give them time to look it over. As a class, go through the magazine and read/discuss each article. During the discussions, focus on comparing what kids know about the Internet and what they have questions about.

Planning Guide

KEYPALS
Communicating across the information superhighway!

Creating Learner-Focused

Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

LU Title: Keypals-Communicating Across the Information SuperhighwayAuthor: Melissa Morris

Grade Level: ANY (originally taught at 5^th) School Address: 5179 Route 233 Westmoreland, NY

Subject Area: English Language Arts And Technology School Phone/Fax: (315) 853-6191

KEYPALS:

Communicating Across the Information Superhighway!

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

How is information technology used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning? (MST 2-1)
Why are the impacts and limitations of information systems essential to its effective and ethical use? (MST 2-2)
How do we write to acquire and transmit information and present our interpretations of the information clearly, concisely, and comprehensibly? (ELA 1-2)
How can written communication be used for social interaction to enhance understanding of people and their views? (ELA 4-2)

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE:

Procedural

Telecommunicate a message to a distant location with teacher help. (MST 2-1.2)
Demonstrate ability to evaluate information. (MST 2-2.3)
Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, stories, posters, and charts. (ELA 1-2.1)
Use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising and proofreading (the "writing process") to produce well-constructed informational texts. (ELA 1-2.6)

Declarative

Exchange friendly notes, cards, and letters with friends, relatives, and pen pals to keep in touch end to commemorate special occasions. (ELA 4-2.1)
Adjust vocabulary and style to take into account the nature of the relationship and the knowledge and interests of the person receiving the message. (ELA 4-2.2)
Observe basic writing conventions, such as correct spelling punctuation, and capitalization, as well as sentence and paragraph structures appropriate to written form. (ELA 1-2.7)

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

Initially, this unit should take 4-5 class periods. After the first lessons, students will occasionally need time (no more than 20 minutes) to spontaneously respond to their keypal and add to the keypal profiles. Occasionally, the teacher may also choose to teach a mini-lesson or review previously taught information.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Distribute the magazine MaMaMedia: A Kid’s Guide to the Net to each student. Give them time to look it over. As a class, go through the magazine and read/discuss each article. During the discussions, focus on comparing what kids know about the Internet and what they have questions about. At the end of the magazine and reasonable discussion, ask the students what they have learned about the Internet and what questions they still have. List those things on a K-W-L or similar chart. Springboard this discussion into an explanation of the unit on keypals. (Optional Virtual field Trip: Visit www.mamamedia.com)

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Declarative Knowledge

3 minute pause

reciprocal teaching

Charts and graphs

1)Students will go on three virtual field trips at CYBERNETIQUETTE.DISNEY.COM

This site will help students learn about and investigate the possible dangers and pitfalls of the information superhighway. (**See the Learning Experience at this site called Cybernetiquette) Students will complete a Venn diagram about one of the cartoons and the safety topic it represents. This Learning Experience also goes over some basic cyberspace vocabulary.

Declarative Knowledge

Think-Pair-Share

K-W-L

2) As a class (this can be completed without class input) locate keypals. There are many possible places to find them but the three recommended are:

http://users.aol.com/holubj/pp-htm,

http://www.epals.com, http://www.reedbook.com.au/heinmann/global/keypalt.htm

Once a class of keypals is located, have the class complete a K-W-L about the class that has been found. What do they Know about the class based on the information we found and what do they want to Learn? Each child should then make their own individual K-W-L about their own keypal. This chart should be stored in a teacher or student made folder for this unit.

Procedural Knowledge

Before-During-After

Think Aloud

3) By using the print screen command, print out hard copies of the various email screens the students will encounter when utilizing the email program.

Beforeà Have pairs identify information they know and questions they have about email. Then have the students share this information with the class.

Duringà Come back to partners occasionally to summarize and review.

Utilize the email program available and demonstrate to the class (use computer presenter) what the email program looks like. Use the Think Aloud technique to show an example of what steps are involved in composing and sending an email. Discuss with the students what kinds of things to include in the email messages, and the format of email messages (To:, Subject:, brief greeting, brief body, and brief closing). Afterà Have the students come back to their pairs and state how they can use the email program.

Procedural Knowledge

Think Aloud

4) Introduce the concept of how to express emotion in email. Use the Basic Smiley dictionary from http://www.eff.org/…eeg_287.html#SEC288. It is recommended that students receive edited hard copies of the dictionary or another dictionary. Sometimes they need to be modified for content and the students will want to refer to them when writing their rough drafts. Talk with the students about how to use emoticons or smileys. Show students what keys make each symbol and have them give some ideas to create new smileys. Briefly remind them that their keypals may not be aware of this technique and they may need to explain it to them.

Procedural Knowledge

Think Aloud

Written Set of Steps

5) Give each student a set of steps and review the process of composing and sending an email message. As each student composes and sends their first message the teacher sits near them to assist in technical troubleshooting. At this time the rest of the class can be composing their rough drafts on the hard copy of the email screen. They should remember the format of email messages and also to include emoticons when appropriate.

Procedural Knowledge

Variations of the skill/process

6) Throughout the duration of the unit give students time to respond to their email messages as they come in. Remind students that they should print out a copy of each email they receive to place in their keypal folder.

**If you are using your account make sure it is set to save a copy of everything you send. In this way it will be easy to monitor students and grade them when you feel appropriate.

EXTENDING AND REFINING

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…	Electronic mail versus Paper/Snail mail
What reasoning process will they be using?	Comparing
Describe what will be done	Students will describe the similarities and differences between electronic mail and paper/snail mail. Included in the comparison students must discuss; purpose, format, content, mechanics, and netiquette.

MEANINGFUL USE TASK

What knowledge will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to…	Communicate appropriately and effectively through electronic mail and in turn learn about and describe a peer.
What reasoning process will they be using?	Other: Personal Investigation
Describe the student’s products, performances, and the criteria for evaluation	Students will build and develop a relationship with a peer from another place by e-mailing them. The students will print hard copies of the e-mail and keep them in a file. The file information will be used to create a profile of their e-mail peer. At the end of the project the students will present their peer to the class utilizing the profile. After all profiles have been presented, make copies of student products and compose class book of "Our Keypals". (Optional: Send a copy of the book to keypals)

RUBRIC TO ASSESS EMAIL MESSAGES

Task Component	4 Points Each	3 Points Each	2 Points Each	1 Point Each
Format	Correctly completed 6 components of email	Correctly completed 4 or 5 components of email	Correctly completed 2 or 3 components of email	Correctly completed 1 component of email
Content	Creative and interesting. Includes statements and 3 questions	Well written and adequate Includes statements and 2 questions	Adequately written but lacks some interest Includes statements and 1 question	Not well written and uninteresting Includes statements and 0 questions
Mechanics	Accurate caps, punctuation, and grammar throughout	After revision no errors in caps, punctuation, and grammar	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have some errors	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have most of the errors
Netiquette	Safe, Appropriate, and uses 3-5 smileys in context	Safe, Appropriate, and uses 1-2 smileys in context	After one prompting, student has a safe, appropriate email with 1 smiley	After repeated prompting, student has a safe, appropriate email with 1 smiley

**NOTE: If student does not cooperate with safe email or netiquette he/she may not continue to participate electronically.

RUBRIC TO ASSESS COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY

Task Component	4 Points Each	3 Points Each	2 Points Each	1 Point Each
Identifies items	2 things being compared are clearly named	2 things being compared are included but not named	1 thing in the comparison is named	Cannot tell what either of the 2 things being compared are
Identifies characteristics	Explain 5 things about each item being compared	Explain 4 things about each item being compared	Explains 3 things about each item being compared	Explains 1 or 2 things about each item being compared
Identifies similarities and differences	Explains 2 similarities and 2 differences	Explains 2 similarities and 1 difference or vice versa	Explains 1 similarity and 1 difference	Explain 1 similarity or difference
Mechanics	Accurate caps, punctuation, and grammar throughout	After revision no errors in caps, punctuation, and grammar	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have some errors	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have most of the errors

RUBRIC TO ASSESS MEANINGFUL USE TASK

Task Component	4 Points Each	3 Points Each	2 Points Each	1 Point Each
Format	Creates profile containing 10 slides that use picture and text	Creates profile containing 5 to 9 slides that use picture and text	Creates profile containing 2 to 4 slides that use picture and text	Creates profile containing 1 slide that uses picture and text
Identifies Know information	Correctly identifies all information known about keypal	Correctly identifies some information known about keypal	Identifies information known about keypal with some inaccuracies	Identifies few known pieces of information with many inaccuracies
Identifies Want to know information	Identifies the answers to all questions	Identifies the answers to some questions	Identifies the answers to few questions	Identifies little or no answers to questions
Identifies Learned information	Correctly identifies all information learned about keypal	Correctly identifies some information learned about keypal	Identifies information learned about keypal with some inaccuracies	Identifies few learned pieces of information with many inaccuracies
Mechanics	Accurate caps, punctuation, and grammar throughout	After revision no errors in caps, punctuation, and grammar	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have some errors	After revision caps, punctuation, and grammar still have most of the errors

Reflection:

Some pieces of this unit have already changed since I taught this unit. My first notation here is that most teachers will be using their own accounts for this unit. They will be safe. Students readily follow the rules and are actively engaged in the transfer of information with a peer. Let students rotate through and they will get faster as time goes by. If a class is not available for keypals you may be able to find individual keypals or a couple of classes. Try not to get discouraged if the first class does not respond….discuss that with students and try another class. They need to realize that not everyone out there will be responsible and how we should handle that.

The other piece I hope to add is a simultaneous reading unit about penpals/friendship. Some books that could be used for that are:

Penpals	Joan Holub	Karen’s Pen Pal	Ann M.Martin
Arthur’s Pen Pal	Lillian Hoban	Letters to Lesley	Janice Marriot
Harry’s Smile	Kathy Caple	Dear Mr.Sprouts	Errol Broome
The Mysterious	Eli Cantillon	The Pen Pal Puzzle	CarolynKeene