Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: All About [insert favorite animal]!

Content Area/Grade Level(s): Writing/2nd grade
Content Standard Addressed: ELAGSE2W2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a
topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Technology Standard Addressed: Creative Communicators: Students communicate clearly and express
themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats, and digital media
appropriate to their goals.

Selected Technology Tool: Office 365 PowerPoint

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration:

☐ Infusion Level: Students may work at a higher Bloom’s Level, but they do not have any “Voice or Choice”
during the activity and most of the decisions are made by the teacher.

☒ Integration Level: We would like to see ALL lessons/activities reach this level. The project is student-
driven. Students have “Voice and Choice” in the activities, selecting the topic of study and determining the
technology tool to demonstrate mastery of the standard. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator.
☐ Expansion Level: The projects created are shared outside of the classroom, publishing student work and
promoting authorship. This could be reached by showcasing the project on the school’s morning
newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, or publishing via an outside source.

Goal:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to write an informative book using PowerPoint or Sway. They
will use facts and definitions to create a story.
Lesson idea and implementation:
In the beginning of the lesson, the teacher will read his/her own book he/she created about his/her favorite
animal with facts. Before students go to find their book, the teacher will show students how to begin their
book. The teacher will show how to make a book using Office 365 PowerPoint. After the class learns how to
make a book, the students will be able to pick out a book from the teacher’s collection of non-fiction animal
books. Once they pick out the animal/book, students will need to create a page-by-page book on paper to
design what their digital book will look like when it is done (teacher will provide a planning page with required
information). Once they finish their draft, students can move onto Office 365 PowerPoint to make it into a
book. The teacher will walk around the class and help students who need help with the book. Once the
students are all done making their book, they can show it off to the class. This will be how the lesson is
concluded.

Student learning will be assessed by students writing an informational book that makes sense and has
complete, factual sentences. The teacher will talk to students after they view their presentation about what
went well and if there were some mistakes, how to fix them. Depending on how morning announcements
work, this could be a fun activity to include on the announcements. Every morning/week a new student book
is read to the school. Students will be able to show their parents and family.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

TFrazier, 2021
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Not only can students use Office 365 PowerPoint, but they can also use Sway or the desktop PowerPoint. This
allows for them to use whatever they feel most comfortable with. In terms of Universal Design for Learning
(UDL), this lesson enhances students learning by using all three principles. This activity is engaging because it
uses the students’ knowledge of their favorite animals and of their understanding of how to complete
sentences. This lesson involves representation because the teacher is not just asking the students to write a
paragraph on paper. Students are being asked to write a book with pictures. The great thing about this lesson
is each student (hopefully, depending on supply and favorite animals) will have a different book they created.
Action and expression are shown in this lesson by allowing students to pick what they want their topic to be,
and they can also pick how their project is presented (Sway, PowerPoint, etc.).
Reflective Practice:
These activities can help students learn about their favorite animal as well as other peers’ favorite animals. It
can also help students become better planners and writers. By planning out their book, they can learn that
planning is what makes writing much easier. The part of the lesson that is most interesting is being able to see
what students come up with in their book. They can be very creative and show the teacher things that the
teacher might not know how to do or are unexpected. There also could be some challenges. This could take a
long time with the planning and then putting it into a book online. It could be turned into a fun at-home
project in which students come back to class the next day with it completed. Another logistical challenge
could be there are not enough devices for students to use. This could be solved by having students take turns.
The students who have finished their draft could work online first, then the next students done could write
out everything they want to include, etc.

TFrazier, 2021