2nd 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 2nd Grade Technology Website.
Programs 2nd Graders Use:
Internet, 
Microsoft Word, 
PowerPoint, 
Paint
Tux Paint, 
Tux Math, 
The Math Journey (CD-ROM)
****Internet Websites for 2nd Graders: Check out the 2nd Grade Technology 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. ****
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 challengs, 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
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.
**Microsoft Word Skill Lessons #1 (1 Session) Download LessonIntroduce 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.
Leon's Math Movies (1 Session) 1. Choose a Movie
2. Choose a Math Skill
3. When it asks you to register click MAYBE Later
**WARNING** When you have all students trying to watch movies at the same time, the Internet slows down quite a bit. Just tell students to be patient, their movie will start soon!
Introduction to the Internet (1 Session) What is it? Watch "Internet" Movie (on Student computers in the My Documents Folder - Internet Folder) Discuss: browser – Internet Explorer: close, minimize, maximize, home, back and forward. Have students practice this skill.
Fact Monster Hunts Part 1(Research Skills) (1 Session) Print out a Fact Monster Hunt (from Monthly Activities) and copy one for each student BEFORE going into the lab.
Tell students they will practice looking for information by answering the questions on the fact monster hunt.
DEMONSTRATE: Fact Monster - how to use Fact Monster to find information, type in a key word from the question, spelling correctly and using spaces between words. We went through the 5 questions together as a class.
Fact Monster Hunts Part 2(Research Skills) (1 Session) PARTNER WORK: Students work with a partner to complete a Fact Monster Hunt.
Fact Monster Hunts Part 3(Research Skills) (1 Session) INDIVIDUAL WORK: Students are to complete a Fact Monster hunt on their own without help from me or their peers. (I help them with reading only)
**Once this was introduced, I tried to do a Fact Monster Hunt once every other month to continue this practice.**
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.
Valentine's Day TUX Paint Activity (1 Session) Using TUX Paint have students create a valentine for someone. 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 2nd Grade Technology Website click on Willy the Watchdog) before sending students to their computers.
Leon's Math Dojo Math Internet Activity (1 Session) This is a great Math activity for practice. Demonstrate how to get to this activity (Start the Internet, Click on 2nd Grade, Click on Leon's Math Dojo) Demonstrate how to play the game and specify a math topic that you want your students to work on. When the registration box pops up, click MAYBE LATER. Students have 1 minute to anwer as many math problems as possible.
Paint Lesson - Dot - To - Dot Lesson (1-2 Sessions)
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.
The West Indies Booklet using PowerPoint (1-2 Sessions) 
Open up PowerPoint and demonstrate how to make the slides.
Slide 1: Title, Picture from Clip Art, Name.
Slide 2: Picture of Map from file (found in My Pictures Folder on Student computers)
Slide 3: Facts and picture of Christopher Columbus from Clip Art.
Slide 4: Puerto Rico and a picture of Puerto Rico flag from clip art.
Print as Handouts- 4 per page.
Facts about India, China, and Japan using PowerPoint (1 Session) 
Working in Partners, pass out the information sheet and have students work together to create this four slide booklet, print out 2 copies (Print as Handouts - 4 per page), cut out and staple together.
Create a PowerPoint Presentation about a State (2-3 Sessions) Download and pass out planning sheet to each student. Gather information BEFORE you take your students into the lab or have them do research with Fact Monster to find information about their state.
Have them create a PowerPoint presentation over their State, adding pictures from clip art.