1st Grade Lessons
Activities for the Lab!
By: Diane Lowery
These lessons are generally in order from beginning of the year to the end of the year, but lessons can be mixed up to fit your class needs. All the links for games and activities can also be found on the 1st Grade Website
Programs 1st Graders Use:
Internet, 
Microsoft Word, 
PowerPoint,
Tux Paint, 
Tux Math, 
The Math Journey (CD-ROM)
****Internet Websites for 1st Graders: Check out the 1st Grade Website. Spend some time exploring these websites, you can alway pick and choose what games/activities they do during the lab. I mix in educational websites/games once in a while. ****
Following Computer Rules (1 Session) Discuss the computer lab rules, talk about how to sit in the chairs, practice sitting in chairs, Assign each student a computer. Practice walking back and forth from Computers to Chairs , pass out Following Rules Activity Page, have students circle what is the correct behavior. Then on the back have them draw a picture of a good behavior. Handout Front Handout back.
Internet Safety (1 Session)– Read Faux Paw’s Adventures in the Internet, discuss Internet issues, teach movements for the three rules of Internet Safety. I keep safe, I keep away, and I keep telling (see chart below), Watch the movie "Faux Paw the Techno Cat" as a class, go to www.ikeepsafe.org and play games. Discussion Sheet
Internet Safety (1 Session) Review Three Keeps rules of Internet Safety. Introduce the Webville Outlaws (on wall), go to netsmartzkids.org and click on Activities, then watch Webville Outlaws, then try Clicky’s challenge, back to carpet and discuss outlaws
Parts of a Computer (1 Session)
Computer Parts – CPU, keyboard, monitor, mouse (go over how to hold a mouse and what "click" means), printer, scanner, power button, cd drive, headphones, input and output devices. Discuss what these items are around the room. Student go back to their computers and play the Computer Parts PowerPoint Game. They need to click on Start - My Documents - Computer Parts - then Double click on Computer parts - See picture below
Introduce the Internet (1 Session) -Demonstrate the Cursor VS the Hand. "When you see the hand! It means CLICK!" Show them how to start and close the Internet. Have students practice 2 -3 times.
-Show students when the cursor turns into a hand that means it is a link and to click. Show how to click the blue back arrow to go back to the previous page. Have students practice clicking on the Jumping Kindergarten and then clicking back 2-3 times.
-Practice navigating back and forth between websites by going to the
1st Grade Technology Website and click on ABCya, click on Make a Face, this will help them click and drag. When done click back and choose one of the connect the dot activities.
Introduce TUX Paint (1 Session) Demonstrate how to open and close TUX Paint, have students practice 2-3 times, demonstrate how to use the paintbrush, stamps, undo, redo, ABC, eraser, how to get a blank page. Give students 10 minutes of exploration time. Have students start a blank page, then give them a noun to draw a picture of. Don't print, this is just practice, then give them a verb to draw a picture of (this will be more difficult).
The Math Journey (CD-ROM) (This can be an ongoing activity or an activity they can do when finished with a technology assignment)
Show students how to hold CD-ROM, how to push button on computer to open up CD-ROM Drive, place CD-ROM into drive carefully, then press the button to close. When the Intro box pops up, click Start. Add student's name and click Begin. Go through each activity.
*First Graders can probably get through the first three levels of the Math Journey before it gets tough!*
Verb activity with TUX Paint (1 session) Have students sing the Verb song, discussed the verbs in the song and make a list on the board. Choose a verb from the list. Discuss ideas on how to illustrate this verb, use TUX Paint to draw a picture of the word and type name at the bottom and print.
Math Problem with TUX Paint (1 session) Give each student a math problem (whatever they need work on) to illustrate using TUX Paint. For example if I were given 2 +9 = 11 I would type the problem, then under the 2 I would place two green squares (under Shapes) and under the 9 I would place 9 red circles, then type my name and print. (You will need to show how to type a + (plus) sign on the keyboard)
Mayan Civilization with TUX Paint (1 Session) Have students pick on thing they learned about the Mayan Civilization and illustrate it in TUX Paint
The Grumpy Bug (1 Session) Watch the Grumpy Bug as a class. Handout chart (print and copy before you go to the Computer lab) http://computerlabkids.com/Quizzes/grumpybug.pdf and review how to fill out chart. Students go to their computer and watch the Grumpy Bug again and fill in the chart. When done, they may go to ABCya! and choose an activity.
Introduce TUX Math (1 Session) (this can be something they do after they finish an assignment) Show students a keyboard and point out that today they will need to use the Number Pad to play a math game. Explain that their number lock needs to be on before they play the game. Have them practice turning on and off the NUM lock. Show students how to start and close TUX Math, have them practice this 2-3 times. Show students how to play TUX Math, go to Math Command Training Academy and click on the top "Numbers" to start, then go through each level. The will need to type in the number (or answer) then push ENTER. Have students go to their seats and practice TUX Math.
Introduce Microsoft Word and why we need to know how to use it.
-Open up Microsoft Word - click on the Office Button - Click Save - double click on 1st grade folder - name the file "name1" (meaning their name)
-Show students the Skill Card #1 and tell them they will be typing excatly what they see
-Demonstrate
*how to save
*how to change font size
*how to use the CAPS lock key
*how the ENTER key moves the cursor down
*how the BACKSPACE key is the "eraser key"
-Handout the Skill Lesson 1 Cards and have students type. Consistently saving when they type. Do not print this is just practice.
**Microsoft Word Skill Lessons #2 (1 Session) -Open up Microsoft Word - click on the Office Button - Click Save - double click on 1st grade folder - name the file "name2" (meaning their name)
-Show students the Skill Card #2 and tell them they will be typing excatly what they see
-Demonstrate
*how to save
*how to change font size
*how to use the SHIFT key to capitolize letters (1. hold down the shift key 2. type the letter 3. Let them go together!)
*how the ENTER key moves the cursor down
*how the BACKSPACE key is the "eraser key"
-Handout the Skill Lesson 2 Cards and have students type. Consistently saving when they type. Do not print this is just practice.
**Microsoft Word Skill Lessons #3 (2 Sessions) -Open up Microsoft Word - click on the Office Button - Click Save - double click on 1st grade folder - name the file "name3" (meaning their name)
-Show students the Skill Card #3 and tell them they will be typing excatly what they see
-Demonstrate
*how to save
*how to change font size
*how to use the SHIFT key to capitolize letters (1. hold down the shift key 2. type the letter 3. Let them go together!)
*how the ENTER key moves the cursor down
*how the BACKSPACE key is the "eraser key"
*how to change the font color
-Handout the Skill Lesson 3 Cards and have students type. Consistently saving when they type. Do not print this is just practice.
When they come back to the lab to finish this assignment, show them WHERE they have saved their work and to double click on the file to open it.
**Microsoft Word Skill Lessons #3 (1-2 Sessions) Test students by giving them Skill Card #4 and see how well they can copy what the card says.
100th Day of School TUX Paint Activity (1 Session) Ask students to draw a picture of what they will look like when they are 100 years old, type their name at the bottom and print.
Typing Website URL's (3 sessions) Math Websites (in file folder)
Discuss what the address bar is in Internet Explorer, show how to type the first address, then press enter, show where backslash is on the keyboard.
Have students go to each website on the Math websites sheet.
Language Arts Websites (in file folder)
Discuss that you don't have to type the http:// when you are typing in a website
Have students go to each website on the Language Arts Websites websites sheet.
Reading Websites (in file folder)
Discuss the underscore and where it is on the keyboard.
Have students go to each website on the Reading websites sheet.
Valentine's Day TUX Paint Activity (1 Session) Using TUX Paint have students create a valentine for someone. Print.
Blue Cow Goes to the Olympics Activity (2-3 Sessions) Students will listen to Blue Cow Goes to the Olympics online and then using Microsoft word will type their own story about Blue Cow. They will learn how to insert Word Art, and clip art.
Procedures:
Whole Class: Go to the 1st Grade Website, Click on "Blue Cow Goes to the Olympics". (8 Minutes) Watch.
Demonstrate to whole class:
How to insert Word Art. Click on Insert, word art, type in title, click OK.
Individually:
Each student opens up a Microsoft Word Document and starts typing their own Blue Cow story. Don't forget to save to the 1st grade folder.
If time: Add a picture at the bottom of their story.
Presidential Letters (1-2 Sessions) Have students type their letters to the president on Microsoft Word. Demonstrate how to right align for the date. Print.
Willy the Watchdog Math Internet Activity (1 session) Students play in partners this activity. Have students in the odd computers sit while the students in the even computers rotate. Give 3 minutes per partner to play the game, then have them switch to the next partner.
Demonstrate how to play Willy the Watchdog (go to the 1st Grade Website, click on Willy the Watchdog) before sending students to their computers.
Planet Accordian Book using Microsoft PowerPoint (2 Sessions) 
-Choose Title Slide (Under "Home" tab choose "Layout" - then title)
-Enter Title for book
-Create additional slides for each page
-Add pictures (Planet Pictures are in the My Pictures folder on each student computer) They just need to insert-Picture and navigate to the My Pictures Folder.
-Print as handouts - 9 slides to a page (Go to Office Button - Print - in the box change Print What: Handouts and change Slides per_page: 9. Then click OK.
-Cut out pages and tape slides together to form an accordian
Life Cycle of a Frog PowerPoint Activity (1 Session)
-Open up PowerPoint
-Type in the title/name
-Move the text boxes up and down to create space for the pictures
-Insert Pictures (the frog pictures are on each student computer in "My Pictures" folder
-Arrange them into a circle
-Insert -shapes - arrow and draw arrows in between each picture to show the flow of the cycle.
-Print
PowerPoint: All About Me! (1-3 Sessions)
After using PowerPoint for the past few weeks, have students create a 4 slide PowerPoint about themselves:
Slide 1: Name - Grade - Teacher - 4 Pictures (Click on Insert - Clip Art)
Example:
Slide 2: My Family - at least 2 facts about their family - 1 Picture
Example:
Slide 3: Things I Like to Do! - at least 2 things they like to do - 1 Picture
Example:
Slide 4: My Favorites - at least two favorites (book, subject, movie, food....) - 1 Picture
Example:
