Title: My Life: An Autobiographical Timeline

Content Area: Technological LiteracyGrade Level: 6-8

Author Information: Name: Rosalind S. LynchSchool: Mountain View SchoolDistrict: Mendham BoroughCounty: Morris

Student Learning Objectives:Students will be able to:

1. Interview a caregiver to discover more about their childhood, and relate the information in a word- processing document.

2. Use a word-processing document to visually, orally, and auditorally depict, display, and relate significant developmental stages of their lives.

3. Express oneself by describing life events in a language other than English.

4. Differentiate between events that happened once and those which were habitual.

5. Enhance and self-motivate their usage and necessity of knowing a world language in an educational environment, workplace, and global society.

NJ Core Curriculum Content StandardsContent Area

Standard Grade Strand CPI

WorldLanguage

7.17.17.17.2

Intermediate-low range--8

ABCB

1,3,4,54,51,31

TechnologyLiteracy

8.18.1

812

AB

1-5, 8, 8

Technology Literacy-Uses of Word/Word processing skills - Landscape orientation/view - View “Outline” mode - Insert images - Insert sound - Saving - WordArt -Insert symbols and ALT commands -Set margins -Change font size and font color - Insert and center text - Insert “Autoshapes” World Language- Grammatical structures- Linguistic elements- Use of target language-Translate- Comprehend verbal and written etiquette

Framework for Technological Literacy

Classroom Activity by New Jersey Educator

Purpose and Overview:

How can World Language teachers keep students interested and motivated? Using project-based technology learning in a middle school world language setting can motivate students. Technology can be used as a viable vehicle to achieve many of the goals that are set forth in the NJCCCS for world language. This project provides a natural nexus between technology and learning a foreign language. Using a word processing document, students can practice and perfect their language skills, while at the same time practice utilizing different features of a word-processing document.

In this project, students will be incorporating the grammatical structures of the imperfect and preterit or past tenses with new vocabulary phrases in a content-based setting. Teachers can modify this assignment by changing the topic and/or utilizing a variety of verb tenses in the target language. Students will be creating a timeline of their lives that will visually and auditorally represent what events took place in their lives, as opposed to those events that continue in a continuum. See insert #1.

Students often feel that there are no significant events in their lives that are worthy of recording, especially at the middle school age level. This project will make them reflect on their past and may force them to engage in conversation with their caregivers. Together, the students and caregivers can look through photos, scrapbooks, and yearbooks to discover important facts about their childhood. (Accommodations may need to be made for specific students’ personal home situations.) By seeing events in their lives visually represented, students may better visualize and understand events that took place in their lives, as opposed to others that went on as a continuum.

The essential questions being asked in this lesson are:

What do you consider to be the most significant events in your lifetime so far? These events may be a national or world event that has touched your life in a personal way or an event such as a confirmation or birth that has impacted your life.

After having had a discussion with your caregiver, what does your caregiver consider to be the most significant events in your life?

What events in your life were habitual or customary and which ones took place only once? Having your annual Thanksgiving dinner at your grandparent’s house would be customary and getting eyeglasses for the first time or having braces put on your teeth might happen only once.

Are you able to express your thoughts in a second language so that you will be able to communicate with others from a different cultural and linguistical background?

Are you able to set up a word-processing document so that you can utilize a variety of functions (such as inserting Auto shapes, text and recording your voice and inserting WordArt) that will assist you in your language-learning/cultural awareness educational journey?

Instructional Activity:

1. Before beginning this activity, go to the attached link to view a sample of the finished product. Insert #1: Mi Vida Entera. After the world language instructor presents the simple past tense

concepts of the imperfect and preterite tenses, students will interview their caregivers to discover more about their childhood. They will ask their caregivers to think about events that were quite significant in nature. They will be differentiating between those events that happened once and the ones that were habitual (e.g., holiday celebrations, etc.).

2. Students will outline (or storyboard) in English their findings in a word processing document, using the Outline View format. For students with advanced proficiency, they may list their information immediately in the target language (e.g., Spanish, French, etc.). Less proficient students may be able to enter their information partly in Spanish and English. Writing immediately in the target language should be encouraged. Students may use an electronic resource for the translation, such as www.wordreference.com or http://dictionary.cambridge.org. See the webliography for more information.

3. Students will open a word processing document in the Landscape Orientation, set margins to the maximum width and length allowed, and save their work.

4. Students will go to “View” and insert a header or footer with their name and date (in the target language).

5. Students will insert the title “Mi Vida” (My Life) or “Mi Vida Entera (My Entire Life) under the header by using WordArt. Students may experiment with applying different font sizes, font styles, and colors.

6. To create the timeline, students will insert a ray (using Autoshapes) that will extend horizontally across the center of the page. At the beginning of the line, students should insert their date of birth, followed by D.C. (i.e. después Cristo, A.D.).

7. Auto shapes will be inserted on timeline and text is to be inserted in the Autoshapes. The text in the second language that was translated in the Outline View format may be copied and pasted into the Autoshapes. All information included in the timeline should be laid out following the chronology of the students’ lives.

8. To insert images, students may use: Personal photos, drawings, clipart, images from a search engine and/or video clips. Students should learn the following two ways to insert images:a) Right mouse click, copy, paste, remove hyperlink.b) Save image as jpeg in their folders: Go to the word processing document. Insert picture

from: file.Students need to keep a reference page for this project to give proper credit to sites where images originated (e.g., www. google.com/images is not sufficient). Students must list where images originated as a requirement.

9. Students insert sound using a microphone and the “Insert: sound option” or “Insert: object: wave sound”.

10. Upon completion of project, students will self-assess, correct, and present to their peers and caregivers. Students may correct errors before submitting for teacher grading.

11. Projects will become part of individual student’s digital portfolios.

Assessment Strategies:

Self: Students are “active participants” in the assessment process. They will record their voices at the beginning of the project and self-correct as the year progresses. Alternate approach: Students may keep the original sound bytes and compare/contrast their voices as the year progresses.

Teacher: See attached teacher-created rubric called Document #2. Use assessments for various portions of this project taken from the different content areas in the NJCCCS. (See the following pages of the framework assistance in assessments)

See New Jersey World Languages Curriculum Framework, Appendix B, pages 234-260

Teacher Helpers: Assessment and Rubric Information: http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html.

Document #2: Word (Imperfect/preterite)Assessment

World Language

(Auto) Biograph-cal Info

Content Information

4Minimum of 10 Autoshapes contain Spanish text with perfect biographicalinformation.

3Contains 9 Autoshapeswith 1 to 2 inaccuraciesabout biographicalinformation.

2Contains 7-8Autoshapes with 3-4 inaccuracies about biographicalinformation.

1Contains less than 6 Autoshapes & more than4 inaccuracies aboutbiographicalinformation.

VocabularyAll Autoshapes contain extended use ofvocabulary.

Autoshapes contain 1 to 2 errors in vocabulary usage.

Autoshapes contain 3-4 errors in vocabularyusage.

Autoshapes contain more than 4 errors in vocabulary usage.

GrammarAll Autoshapes contain: proper verb tenses, proper subject-verb agree-ment, and proper adjective-nounagreement. There are no spelling errors, no punctuation errors, & no missingaccents.

9 Autoshapes contain: proper verb tenses, proper subject-verb agree-ment, and proper adjective-nounagreement. There are no spelling errors, no punctuation errors, & no missingaccents.

8-7 Autoshapes contain: proper verb tenses, proper subject-verb agree-ment, and proper adjective-nounagreement. There are no spelling errors, no punctuation errors, & no missingaccents.

Less than 7 Autoshapes contain: proper verb tenses, proper subject-verb agree-ment, and proper adjective-nounagreement. There are no spelling errors, no punctuation errors, & no missingaccents.

Graphics/Photos

Every Autoshape contains graphicsand /or photos that match the content of the text.

9 Autoshapes contain graphics and /or photos that match the content of the text.

8-7 Autoshapes contain graphics and/or photos that match the content of the autoshape.

Less than 7 Autoshapes contain graphics and/or photos that match the content of the autoshape.

SpokenLanguage/Audio

Language is spoken smoothly, accurately, is easily understood, and proper intonation and expression are used.

In 8-9 of the Autoshapes, language is spoken smoothly, accurately, is easily understood, and proper intonation and expression are used.

In 6-7 of the Autoshapes, language is spoken smoothly, accurately, is easily understood, and proper intonation and expression are used.

Very poor pronunciation is used with many halts and hesitancies. Very anglicized.

TechnicalRequirements/Screen Design

Project runs perfectly with no technical problems.Multimedia elements andcontent are

Project runs almost perfectly with 1-2 technical problems.Multimedia elements and content are

Project contains3-4 technical problems. Multimedia and content are semi- balanced.

Project contains more than 4 technical problems. Multimedia and content are not equally balanced.

properly balanced.

properly balanced.

Additional Information:

Extensions: Students may go to the following sites for assistance in grammatical guidelines, practice, reference sites, and translations: www.studyspanish.com, www.wordreference.com, http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/, and http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/.

These sites will provide additional practice in the target language. (See webliography below).

This project may also be modified to cover information in a student’s life that is related to his/her cultural heritage. The text boxes could include autobiographical information that are solely related to activities that take place in each student’s home during holiday times and relate activities that are connected to his/her own cultural background and/or diversity. These activities could be compared with actual holiday/cultural activities that take place in countries of origin/ancestry. Photos and video clips of cultural holidays or events could be inserted. Teachers must repeatedly remind students that any information, images, etc. that are used in projects must be given credit to in the bibliography, webliography, and/or reference section of each individual project.

Webliography and References:Name of site: Spanish Grammar ExercisesURL: http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/exercises/Content: Spanish language learning activities that encompass the areas of listening, reading writing and speaking. Most importantly, all grammatical lessons are taught in a cultural context. Highlight: La fiesta de San Fermín: Celebrate the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona in a four-part story and practice the preterite and the imperfect.Description: Barbara Kuczun Nelson, a professor from Colby College is the author of site.Spanish Grammar Exercises is an online tutorial of interactive learning activities and study modules. The site is a comprehensive compilation of activities that reflect the themes in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st century. Thus, in addition to activities that have a particular grammar focus, communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities are fully integrated into the material. The site is rich in cultural materials including videos, music, sound files, and pictures that are coordinated with the specific grammatical focus. Students also work on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills as they explore the material. Many of the activities include individualized feedback for right and wrong answers; the ability to self- correct; and ample opportunities for reflection and writing. The depth and breath of the site makes it possible for the material to be used independently of a text or to complement text material.

Name of site: Colby College, LRC Tech HelpURL: http://www.colby.edu/lrc/help/diacritics.html, http://www.starr.net/is/type/altnum.htmContent: Typing diacritics, alt commandsDescription: International Accent Marks and Diacriticals: ALT Key Codes & Charts A comprehensive site that assists language learnings in inserting proper accents and

punctuation.

Name of site: Aula diez/español onlineURL: http://www.auladiez.com/Content: Online courses to learn and teach Spanish as a second language over the Internet. Description: Aula diez is a great site to learn Spanish on all levels. However, all directions are given in Spanish and entry level learners will need assistance from a speaker of Spanish. For more detailed courses, you must sign up and a fee is required. There are numerous hyperlinks to other online resources such as: Online dictionaries, verb conjugates, games, geography and cultural exercises.

Name of site: BBC: Learn Spanish OnlineURL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/ Content: Online Spanish courses for all levels of students.

Description: The British Broadcasting Co. devotes an entire section of their Education section to learning languages, not only Spanish. It offers fantastic free courses for all levels of second language learners. Proper “plug-ins” must be in place for site to work.

Name of site: Más arriba: Spanish Language ExercisesURL: http://www.trentu.ca/spanish/masarriba/Content: Hispanic studies, Trent UniversityDescription: Más arriba is a full color, interactive workbook of introductory Spanish language exercises, based on the pictorial contextualization of basic vocabulary and language points. There are audio clips, instant feed-back, and vocabulary help.

Juana Garcia la clase de españolSección 7C Martes, el 6 de enero 2005

En mil novecientos noventa y uno, cuando yo tenia uno, me caí de una mesa y me rompí el brazo.

En mil novecientos noventa y cinco, cuando tenía cinco, jugué al fútbol por la primera vez..

En mil novecientos noventa y cinco, cuando tenía cinco, visité Ecuador con mi familia.

En mil novecientos noventa y nueve, cuando tenía nueve, celebré mi cumpleaños a un hotel.

Todas las fiestas cuando era pequeña, mi papá llevaba a mis amigos en el tractor y nosotros buscábamos los dulces

En dos mil dos, yo gané el campeanoto de baloncesto con mi equipo.

Todas las Acciones de Gracias, nosotros íbamos a Nueva Hampshire donde mi tío vivía y celebrábamos con él.

Todas las mañanas de mi cumpleaños, mis padres escondían mis regalos en la casa.

Todas las noches de viernes, es el Sabbath y iluminábamos las velas y cantábamos y rezábamos.

Todos los veranos mi familia y yo íbamos a un pais extranjero, usualmente una vacación de caminatas y hablábamos una lengua diferente.

1990 d.C.

Insert #1