Category Archives: Communication

ISTE > Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

ISTE > Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Movie Making Tips

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When filming, it is critical to use lighting to set the mood and tone of the film. The “Rule of Thirds” for subject placement on the screen is another critical factor in managing the message and mood of a film. To learn more about lighting and rule of thirds, see Background Information in the links below.

  1. Open a new text document in OpenOffice Document.
  2. Enter your name at the top.
  3. View the movie BMX movie. Describe how light is used to set the tone (mood) for the film.
  4. View 156 Turns. The “rule of thirds” means the most important elements (people or equipment action) are placed on the most important areas of the screen. However, varying the placement on the “thirds”, allows the photographer to create and maintain interest and focus. Describe at least two scenes where the “rule of thirds” is followed but the important visual elements are not always located in the same position.
  5. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.
  6. Place in the Movie Critic dropbox by the end of class.
Background Information
Lighting can be used to set the mood and control the message. Always be aware of and plan to use the light. Think about: Where is the light in relation to the camera? What shadows are formed? How do the shadows impact the image?
The location of the important elements in the frame controls the impact of the overall image. Know the definition of “Rule of Thirds” and how to apply it to filming and to photography.
  1. Digital Photography school
  2. Kodak Rule of Thirds

View the following and evaluate for lighting and subject placement using the “rule of thirds”.

Alternative Energy Company

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Grade 5 Research

  1. Open a new presentation document in OpenOffice. Select “Introducing a New Product” template.
  2. You will create a presentation for a company that you might create some day. Enter the name of the product and the name of the company. Choose a color scheme to compliment the source of energy.
  3. You will complete information on the following slides
    1. Long-term Goal
    2. Customer wishes
    3. Fulfilling Customer Needs
    4. Cost Analysis
    5. Strengths and Advantages
    6. Next Step of Action
    7. Bibliography
  4. Add images where appropriate. Images may come from Google images.
  5. View the following advertisements. Do they provide information about long-term goals, customer wishes, etc.
    1. Exxon Mobile Algae Advertisement (We’ll talk about algae as a biofuel later. For now, listen to how they present their long-term goals, etc.)

Alternative Energy Research

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Grade 5 Research

  1. Open a new text document in OpenOffice.
  2. At the top place the alternative energy source you are investigating.
  3. Enter the how, which, or why question you will investigate. (This is from your cluster map.)
  4. Enter the following sentence, “Energy is not created or destroyed. It is only changed from one form to another“.
  5. In a bullet list or numbered list write everything you already know about the topic and the question.
  6. Go to Fact Monster – Science – Environment, Energy, and Nature.  Follow the links to find information that might answer your question. Make notes on the text document. Include the URL for the source of the information.
  7. Go to BrainPOP Jr. science. Follow the links to find information to answer your question. Take notes after each video clip that you watch. Include the URL for the source of the information.
  8. Write a paragraph summary with the answer to your question.

Planning a Book Report

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Students create a book report. The planning is done in a word-processing program. The final version is in a presentation program (PowerPoint). Each of the cells in the table below represents a slide in PowerPoint in the final version.

The following information should be included in the report.

Book Title

Author’s Name

Your Name
Theme or “Big Idea”

  • What is the main idea? (Friendship? Courage?)
Characters (describe the main character)

  • What does she/he look like?
  • How does she/he act?
  • How do others react to him?
Setting

  • Where?
  • When?
The Plot or Conflict

  • What is it?
  • Why did it happen?
  • How can it be resolved?
Resolution

  • What is the resolution
  • What happens then?
  • How does it affect the characters?
Opinion

  • Why did you like it?
  • What was the best part?
  • How did it make you feel?
  • What did you learn?

WebQuest Food Pyramid

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pyramid

  1. Open a Microsoft Word document. Enter your first and last name at the top of the documents.
  2. Go to File and Save As. Name the document Food lastname 6 1 or 6 2 Save the document in the My Documents folder.
  3. Create a table in Word with 4 columns and 7 rows.
  4. In column 1, row 1 cell, enter the text “Food Groups“. Label the top of the next column, Examples. Column 3 should have How much/day. Column 4 should have What counts.
  5. Click on each of the colors on the US government Food Pyramid to view information about each food group. Enter the name of each food group in a new cell in column 1 in your Word document.
  6. View Inside the Pyramid page. Start with Grains. Click on What’s in the Grain Group? Enter at least 4 types of grain in the column beside the Grain food group in your Word document.
  7. Go back to Inside the Pyramid. Click on How much is needed? Enter the amount you need on the table in Word.
  8. Go back to Inside the Pyramid.. Click on What counts as an ounce?  Find the answer and add it to the table.
  9. Find the information for the rest of the food groups to complete the table. Work in pairs to find the answers on the website, then share the answers with each other. Each of you must complete your own table of information in Word.
  10. Be sure to go to File and Save before you quit Word, so your information for today is saved.

image and information from MyPyramid.gov

Why Format?

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  • Word processing software, such as Microsoft Office Word, is used to create, edit, and format documents.
  • Formatting organizes information to improve communication.

Look at the following examples. Describe the formatting techniques in example 2 that make it easier to read than example 1.

Example 1

Some Famous Scientists
Archimedes (about 287 B.C.-212 B.C.), Greek mathematician and inventor who discovered that heavy objects could be moved using pulleys and levers. He was one of the first to test his ideas with experiments. He also is said to have shouted “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”).
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a self-taught clockmaker and astronomer, who was the grandson of a slave. He is also known for his work as an architect and a designer of Washington, D.C.
Tim Berners-Lee (1955- ), a British computer whiz who radically changed the history of computing and communication when he invented the World Wide Web in 1989. Since then he has worked to make the web grow as a source of information about everything under the sun. He works at a laboratory in Massachusetts.

Example 2

Some Famous Scientists

  • Archimedes (about 287 B.C.-212 B.C.), Greek mathematician and inventor who discovered that heavy objects could be moved using pulleys and levers. He was one of the first to test his ideas with experiments. He also is said to have shouted “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”).
  • Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806), a self-taught clockmaker and astronomer, who was the grandson of a slave. He is also known for his work as an architect and a designer of Washington, D.C.
  • Tim Berners-Lee (1955- ), a British computer whiz who radically changed the history of computing and communication when he invented the World Wide Web in 1989. Since then he has worked to make the web grow as a source of information about everything under the sun. He works at a laboratory in Massachusetts.

(Text is from Famous Scientists – the World Almanac for Kids)