Course: Google Docs

Lesson Plans and Resources

Grades K-3______________________________________________________ Lesson Plan: Name Parts of a Computer and Terms for Interface Elements Familiarize your young learners with the parts of a computer and some basic key terms relating to technology. As the teacher demonstrates using an LCD projector, class members practice moving a mouse, opening the Internet, typing in a web address, and using an online interactive game.

App: Scribble My Story--A Fingerprint Networking App Access an easy-to-navigate library of early reader books, ready for reading or editing. Or, choose to use the app as a scaffolded writing experience for easy entry into narrative composition with ample room for illustration.

Lesson Plan: Keys on a Keyboard Begin developing basic computer skills early on with your youngsters and introduce them to the keys on a keyboard with this simple lesson! Learners begin by identifying the appropriate key (i.e. enter, shift, space bar, etc.) on a handout, discussing what it is used for, and then shading in that key on the worksheet with a specific color. Tip: Use a projector to show what happens when each key is pressed!

Article: I Learn, You Learn…We All Learn with iPads! “Mine won’t charge!” “I can’t get to that screen!” “What does it mean if I lost my connection?” and the ever dreaded, “Uh oh, I dropped it,” are all words no teacher wants to hear in his classroom when using tablets. With more and more school districts and administrators opting to purchase tablets over desktops, laptops, or other types of technology, teachers are going to have to make a plan to utilize these tools effectively and safely in order to maximize student learning. Whether you are head-over-heels-excited to be using them in your classroom, or you prefer the kind of apple you can actually eat, here are some tried and true management tricks I learned from my first year with iPads in a first grade classroom.

Lesson Plan: All Together Now: Collaborations in Poetry Writing Have your elementary learners listen to poems for rhythm and rhyming, and then work together to each write one line of a poem that you can compile using a Google Doc. They will complete a practice worksheet for rhythm and rhyming before writing their original poem. This is a great way to promote poetry appreciation in your pupils.

Grades 3-5_______________________________________________________ Lesson Plan: Computer Lessons for Kids and Small Adults Here is a series of easy-to-understand, and well-designed, computer lessons for pupils. In them, learners learn about the parts of a computer and what they do, the DOS operating system, the variety of files that are used, and how to keep files organized. These interactive lessons are quite good, and should lead to a greater understanding about computers for learners of many ages.

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Course: Google Docs

Lesson Plans and Resources

Article: Let's Write a Collaborative Novel Check out this detailed overview of a collaborative novel project designed by a fifth grade GATE teacher. Every student in the class is responsible for writing one chapter, and learners can compile these entries into resource using the Google Documents App. The completed novel is illustrated by the class, prepared for publication by the teacher, professionally published, sold to the public, and placed in local schools and public libraries.

App: Write About This Looking for an easy way to encourage youngsters to write about a variety of different topics? Users simply choose an image to write about from a large selection of beautiful photographs and then compose original opinion pieces and narratives. Have them compose their writing onto a Google Doc and then share it with you using Google Drive.

Lesson Plan: A Class or Company Newsletter: A Collaborative Writing Lesson A class newsletter? The possible extensions for this activity are endless, especially with the introduction of Google Docs. After examining examples of news print-outs from hotels or workplaces, class members develop their own articles and produce a newsletter. A great way to keep parents informed, to spotlight individuals, and encourage writing for an audience.

Article: Teaching Writing: Is There a Right Way? Delve into CCSS by implementing a writer's workshop model complete with mini-lessons, shared writing experiences, and author celebrations. Using the Google Documents App will also afford your young writers a wide range of possibilities for expressing themselves creatively, receiving feedback, and sharing their work.

Grades 5-8_______________________________________________________ Teacher Reference: Mastering Online Discussion Board Facilitation Build class community, allow time for in-depth reflection and research, and facilitate the learning and writing process of your class with online discussion boards! This resource delves into the benefits and purposes of discussion boards, as well as ways to teach netiquette and strategies to facilitate online discussions. After your learners get used to this style of online collaboration, have them apply those skills as they add and respond to comments in Google docs.

Lesson Plan: Collaborative Lab Experiments Life science teams experiment by placing sprigs of Elodea into a sodium bicarbonate solution and counting the oxygen bubbles produced. Data is recorded and graphed on a Google spreadsheet, making this not just a lesson in photosynthesis, but also an ideal practice in using this technology-based form of collaboration and sharing information. Though the author designated this as a 7th-9th grade lesson, most upper-elementary learners can certainly handle the technology and the content.

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Course: Google Docs

Lesson Plans and Resources

Article: Strategies for Successful Grade Level Cross-Content Collaboration A well-structured team may automatically share instructional practices and required curriculum for the grade level. Planning cross-curricular projects and assignments using the Google Documents App is a great way to create grade-level continuity and affords individual learners the opportunity to enhance and extend their learning. Communicating curriculum plans with colleagues can help in developing cross-curricular projects and class work.

Lesson Plan: Digital Smiles Explore metric measurement, record data, and create a table in a Google Doc to display results with your math class. Scholars will measure the length of their smiles, record the measurements, and represent the results on an electronic table or spreadsheet, and finish by writing an account of the activity with digital pictures.

Lesson Plan: Discovering Japan Through Cooperative Research Learners use the independent investigation method to plan and conduct research about Japan, and use the information they discover to create a computer book or a multimedia project for an oral presentation. A Google Doc would be a great space for your learners to collaborate on this project.

Grades 9-12______________________________________________________ Article: Speeding Up Grading with Online Resources Educational technology can be overwhelming and often very frustrating. Technology requires equipment, training, and remembering passwords. We all have had administration throw complicated technology at us, which often creates more work than it saves. But fear not—there are some programs out there that are user-friendly, and help reduces the amount of time spent grading.

Handout: Beginning Google Drive Since technology skills are becoming vital to school and career success, the ability to navigate a computer and various programs is one of the most useful qualities you can teach your pupils. Lead your class through creating and sharing documents with Google Drive with a step-by-step activity. The document illustrates each step with screenshots and includes clear and effective instructions that prompt active engagement.

Lesson Plan: The Paperless Classroom with Google Docs This is a fantastic resource for teachers to have in their tool belts upon entering into the world of using Google Docs in the classroom! It is a reference sheet with step-by-step instructions and graphics for everything from basic actions like sharing and using folders, to teacher-specific activities like using comments in the grading process and utilizing folders as learners submit assignments.

Video: gClassFoldersScript Set up class and student folders in Google Drive with gClassFolders and start saving time and resources in

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Course: Google Docs

Lesson Plans and Resources

your class! This video tutorial will walk you through a detailed process for setting up this script in your Drive, which will allow you to then easily organize documents for your classes, create shared folders, control editing rights, and establish individual student folders for assignments they will submit to you.

Video: The New Doctopus If you're starting to reap the benefits of what Google Drive can do for your learners in their online drafting and submission of work, then you should definitely check out Doctopus. This video will walk you through the app script and how to create templates to share with all of your class members at once!

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