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Lesson Plans
Women are Popping up in Technology
Overview Procedures for Teachers Organizers for Students


Procedures for Teachers is divided into four sections:
Prep -- Preparing for the Lesson.
Steps -- Conducting the Lesson.
Extensions -- Additional Activities.
Tips -- Managing Resources and Student Activities.


Prep

Materials:
  • Construction paper.
  • Scissors.
  • Glue.
  • Colored pencils/markers.
  • Computer access.
    Computer Resources:
    You will need at least one computer with Internet access to complete this lesson. While many computer configurations work, we recommend:

    -- Modem: 28.8 Kbps or faster.
    -- Browser: Netscape Navigator 3.0 or above or Internet Explorer 3.0 or above.
    -- Macintosh computer: System 7.0 or above and at least 16 MB of RAM.
    -- IBM-compatible computer: 386 or higher processor with at least 16 MB of RAM, running Windows 3.1. Or, a 486/66 or Pentium with at least 16 MB of RAM, running Windows 95, or higher.

    Additional Software:

    The Flash plug-in needed to view animated demonstrations can be downloaded for free at http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download.

    For more information, visit What You Need to Get Connected in wNetSchool's Internet Primer.

    Bookmarks:
    The following sites should be bookmarked:

  • The National Women's Hall of Fame
    http://www.greatwomen.org

    This interactive site gives detailed biographical information about famous women.

  • Women Pioneers Past and Present
    http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0211523

    This site is a wealth of biographies of women as well as links to other related sites.

  • Aunt Annie's Crafts
    Http://www.auntannie.com

    Learn the basics of paper engineering on this interactive site.

  • How to Make a Pop-Up
    http://www.makersgallery.com/joanirvine/howto.html

    This author shares step-by-step instructions on how to design and make pop-ups.

    Steps

    Time Allotment:
    This lesson requires approximately 10 class periods.




  • Divide students into groups and hand out the Design Brief, in Organizers for Students. Go through the introduction, design statement, resources, and other criteria with the groups.




  • While working in groups, students should begin to research famous women in science and technology by visiting and exploring the following sites:


    Hand out the Research Log, in Organizers for Students, for students to describe at least three famous women who have contributed to science/technology.




  • Lead a discussion about what makes a good children's book. Focus on: the cover, title page, language, etc. Have students brainstorm ideas for characters, setting, plot, conflicts, and solutions. They can take notes in the Research Log, in Organizers for Students. After allowing time for brainstorming, ask students to describe in detail the ideas they plan to include in their stories.




  • Go over rules for writing dialogue and other basic grammatical concepts. Allow students to begin writing the first draft of their stories.




  • Have students separate their first draft into sections or pages so that they may work on illustrations and pop-ups. Be sure to set a limit on the number of pages in the book.




  • Allow students to visit the following Web sites to discover the wonderful world of paper engineering. Remind them to search for ideas they wish to include in their books.





  • Instruct students to begin designing a pop-up page using the Step-by-step Instruction Sheet, in Organizers for Students, and the Animated Pop-up book as guides. This animation requires the Flash plug-in for viewing, which can be downloaded for free.




  • Have students work on rough draft illustrations and paper engineering for each page.




  • Meet with the individual groups to discuss ideas, successes, and failures of the pop-ups they have tried. You may want to have students critique each other's books or critique the stories yourself. Allow students to work on revisions.




  • After the pop-up books are completed, share them with the class. Organize a "Storytelling Day." Invite a younger class into your class and have students read their creations. Finally, display the pop-up books in the library.


    Extensions

    Social Studies: Students can create a similar project on law, the Constitution, presidents, places, or any other topic of study.

    Science: Students can illustrate and demonstrate a scientific principal or discovery in a pop-up book.

    Language Arts: Students can create a book about a famous author, or a story about their own families. You can set specific guidelines as to the style and point of view of the story they write.

    Tips



    One Computer in the Classroom
    If you have access to one computer in your classroom, you can organize your class in several ways. Divide your class into two groups. Instruct one of the groups to do paper research while the second group is working on the computer. Bring in books, encyclopedias, etc., from the library for the group doing paper research. Lead the group working at the computer through an Internet search or allow the students in the class to take turns. (Always have a set of bookmarks ready for the students before they start working on the computer, in order to show them examples of what type of information to research.) When the groups are finished working, have them switch places.

    If you have a big monitor or projection facilities, you can do Internet research together as a class. Make sure that every student in your class can see the screen, go to the relevant Web site(s), and review the information presented there. You can also select a search engine page and allow your students to suggest the search criteria. Bookmark and/or print the pages that you think are helpful for reference later.

    Several Computers in the Classroom
    Divide your class into small groups. Groups can do Internet research using pages you have bookmarked. Group members should take turns navigating the bookmarked sites.

    You can also set the class up so that each computer is dedicated to certain sites. Students will then move around the classroom, getting different information from each station.

    Using a Computer Lab
    A computer center or lab space, with a computer-to-student ratio of one to three, is ideal for doing Web-based projects. Generally, when doing Web-based research, it is helpful to put students in groups of three. This way, students can help each other if problems or questions arise. It is often beneficial to bookmark sites for students ahead of time.



    Submit a Comment: We invite your comments and suggestions based on how you used the lesson in your classroom.



    Overview | Procedures for Teachers | Organizers for Students