Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Building Schoolwide Literacy With Free Web 2.0 Tools
A Grade by Grade Elementary Model

Curriculum varies widely from school district to school district and state to state. These project ideas will help teachers envision ways that a focused set of web 2.0 tools can help students build skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening as they master concepts and skills across the curriculum.

Grade 3

Tools: Wordle, Bookemon, Voicethread (from PowerPoint templates as needed**), Mapskip

Grade 3 Ideas for Building Literacy with web 2.0 tools:

Wordle: Wants/needs (on separate or same wordle for st. to decide), consumers/producers, light/energy/machines terms, things that are cylinders or cubes, things you would find in a pioneer home, holiday customs in different cultures

Mapskip individual/small group on single class account: A whole-class explorers map of the world, including “story” markers at locations discovered by explorers. St can write one or more “stories” to go on markers. Basic maps of the U.S. regions with “story” markers created by class members. Local community “story” markers (with digital pictures?) with written explanations by students

Bookemon indvidual/small group or whole class, depending on scope -- use digital pictures or clip art to illustrate:Wants and Needs book, Shelters/homes book, Consumers/producers book, Holiday Customs of the world book. Student books on magnets, gravity, light/color, or other science concepts. A weather diary. Healthy Me! book (with sections on nutrition, fitness, safety, dental health).

Voicethread: Book talks on independent reading selections (digital picture or book)—done by teacher, then by students. St. can comment after reading the same book! Life cycle pictures and stories explained orally (create in PowerPoint** and upload to add narration). Narrated personal stories based on digital pictures or student drawings.

** differentiation opportunity