Title:    Advertising Your Biome

Grade Level:     Fifth Grade

Subjects:    Technology/Science/Language Arts

Learner Outcomes:

• The students will use the concept of an advertising brochure to demonstrate their knowledge of different aspects of a particular biome (plant life, animal life, weather, climate).
• The students will use MS Publisher to create a brochure.
• The students will import pictures into a publishing document
• The students well create text and headline boxes and edit and move them around the document as necessary.

Materials:    brochure paper, pencils, scrap paper, floppy disks

Technology Tools:    Print application with brochure such as MS Publisher, Computer Lab, Internet, laptop hooked to a projection device, laser pointer, multi-media encyclopedia

Teacher Notes:

• Schedule Lab ahead to insure its availability for time of lesson.  Make sure publishing software is available to access to all students in lab either through the school network or on each computer's hard drive in the lab.
• Have students do preliminary searches for graphics on their biomes.  These can be done in multimedia encyclopedias or on the internet.  Have students copy and paste into a folder created on a personal floppy disk.

• Day 1
• Divide students into groups with 4 or 5 in each group.  Have each group pick which biome they wish to "advertise" in their brochure.
• Have the students brainstorm for a catchy "logo" to print on the front of the brochure.
• Students should then find pictures to represent these different aspects of their biome.  They can do internet searches, or reference multimedia encyclopedias.  Pictures should include representations of plant life, animal life, weather, land forms, and human activity found in their biomes.
• Each group will take a piece of scrap paper and fold it in three parts representing their brochure.
• Each group will then do a rough sketch of their brochure, deciding basic layout.  They will determine where they will put headlines, text and pictures.  They will also organize what information will go where.  Teacher will monitor and offer assistance when needed.
• Day 2
• Take students to the computer lab.
• Assign one student to a computer.
• Execute publishing software on laptop hooked to a projection device and have students do the same on their individual computers.
• Demonstrate drawing a "headline" box.  Have the students type in a title for a brochure and demonstrate to them how to change the effects and fonts of the headline.  Also demonstrate how to size the headline box and move it around on the page.  Have the students do the same on their individual computers.  Instruct that this function is to be used for their "logo".
• Demonstrate how to Import an image from a file.  Have the students place the disks that contain saved pictures they found from their research that represent their biomes.  Then have them import a picture into the brochure.  Demonstrate how to size and move the picture around on the page.  Have the students do the same on their individual computers.
• Demonstrate drawing a "text" box.  Have the students type in text.  Demonstrate how to change font size, style and orientation.  Demonstrate how to size and move the text box around the page just as you did the headline box. Have the students do the same on their individual computers.  Instruct that text boxes could be used to label pictures or to describe different aspects of their biomes.  Relate that such text should be written in such a way as to entice someone to visit their biome.  Go over certain discripting words that would be appealing as examples.  (ex:  "Warm and Breezy!" "Green Grassy Blankets Covering the Hillside", "Beautiful Rolling Hills")
• Day 3
• Take students to the computer lab
• Have the students divide up into their groups to work.  Have the student create their brochures using pictures they have found in research and saved on their disks and according to their sketches.  Instruct the children to start with headline and move to importing pictures and then adding text where needed.
• Teacher should monitor and offer assistance when needed.

• Slow mouse settings down in control panel and/or use track ball mouse for those students with poor motor abilities or poor eye hand coordination.
• Enlarge display in "Accessibility Options" in control panel for those children with visual

impairments.
• Have those students who demonstrate proficient computer skills help those children who are

having difficulty.

• Have students with advanced computer skills prepare a Power Point Presentation that coincides with their brochure.  The headlines, logos, pictures and text should be used.

• Successful completion of one brochure per group.  Each brochure must contain the following
• Headline with logo
• Imported pictures and text representing at least three of the following
• plant life
• animal life
• weather
• climate
• human activity

Technology
5.179, 5.186, 5.183, 5.65

Language Arts
5.3, 5.5, 5.7, 5.60

National Standards
Science
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment.
Understands the nature of scientific knowledge.
Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.

Technology
Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and operating systems.
Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs.

Language Arts
Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts.

References:
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Publisher

Authors:
 
 

Donna Dennis
Bernadette Rush
Jo Ellen Snider

 
 

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 6