4th 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 4th Grade Technology Website.
****Internet Websites for 4th Graders: Check out the 4th 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. ****
***Start with typing instruction at the beginning of the year. Make sure students get in 20 minutes typing practice at least once a week!*** The Goal for 4th Graders is 20 WMP by the end of the year.
Computer Lab Rules/Setting up a folder (1 Session)
Explain computer lab rules, assign students to a computer. Click on Student to Log in. Tell students they are going to make a folder where they can save their work for the year.
Here are the step to creating a new folder
1. Double click on My Documents (folder) 
2. Double click on 4th Grade (folder) 
3. On the left sidebar click on Make a New Folder 
4. A folder will appear 
5. Rename the folder your first and last name and you are done! (You can always click on a folder and choose "Rename" from the left sidebar)
Typing Log and Typing Pre-Test (1 Session) -Have students go to the 4th Grade Technology Website. and download the Typing Log (under Technology Activities). Save this document to their new folder, then click OPEN. -Ask them to fill in the information at the top (name, grade, teacher), and save it.
***To save (3 ways)***
1. Click on the Office Button 
then click SAVE 2. Click the Save Button at the top 
3. On the Keyboard press and hold Control (Ctrl) then push S.
-Time to take the Typing Pretest. Have students click on the Typing Links, and scroll to the bottom to click on 
. Click on Start. They have to type the entire paragraph (which will take them a while). When they have finished, have them record their WPM score on their typing log.
Those who finish early can go to one of the websites under Educational Websites.
Typing Lessons (on going)Discuss proper typing posture
1. Sit up tall
2. Arms slightly bent at elbows (no "chicken elbows" or "Zombie Arms")
3. Wrists straight
4. Finders Curved over home keys
5. Eyes straight ahead
Home Keys - practice finding home keys by searching for the little bumps on F and J. Practice using the correct posture they just learned. **Hint** the edges of the table get pretty sharp, to avoid students complaining at this, have them push their keyboard up to their monitor, this will straigthen their arms thus avoiding the edge of the table digging into their arms.
Pracice finding Home Keys without looking.
Demonstrate PAWS Lesson 1.
-Click on Lessons
-Click on Lesson 1
-Watch the Video Lesson
-Click on Review Skills and begin!
-When it says Do you want to go on to Lesson 2? Push N for No
-Click on Lesson Report
-Record the Average Line Speed score on Typing Log
-Push the Windows Key on the keyboard, click on My Documents, Double click on 3rd grade folder, double click on their folder, double click to open their typing log. Record score, save, then click on PAWS at the bottom of their screen and go on to Lesson 2. This is the process for typing for the rest of the year.
Have student complete Lesson 1 with their hands covered.
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.
Internet Safety (1 Session)
Internet Research/CitationsDiscuss how to create citations using the citation maker under Research. Have students download Citation Assignment and practice creating citations for each question.
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.
This is an independent activity
Animal Picture Activity (How to cite pictures) (2 Sessions) Discuss how important it is when you are doing a report or project and you include a picture that is not your own, that you give credit to the person who made/took the picture. This is called a Citation. Today the students will learn how to copy and paste pictures from the Internet into a Microsoft Word document, and create a citation for that picture.
Demonstrate:
-Go to Google - type in first animal then the word picture (ex. Ant pictures, or Ant pic)
-Find a picture of an ant you like and right click on the picture
-Choose copy
-Go to your word document, right click anywhere on the page, and choose paste
-Format the image by double clicking on the picture and choosing from the menu text wrapping - behing text (this allows your to move the picture around the page) 
Have students try finding a picture and adding it to Microsoft Office
Demonstrate:
-Now we have to add a citation, but we need a place to put the citation... in a text box.
-Click on insert- text box and move the text box underneath the picture.
Have students go to their computers and add a text box
Demonstrate:
-What a picture citation is: "Website URL". Date accessed.
-Go back to website where you got your picture and right click on the URL and choose copy
-Go to Microsoft Word and click INSIDE the text box, then right click and choose paste. Then type today's date.
Have students go to their computers and try this.
Now have students continue this with the other animals for practice.
A- Ant
B- Bat
C - Cat
D - Dog
E - Elephant
F- Fox
I - Iguana
Example:
President Research (1-2 Sessions) George Bush Richard Nixon
George Washington Ronald Reagan
John Quincy Adams Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas Jefferson William H. Taft
James Madison Harry S. Truman
James Monroe Wilson Woodrow
Andrew Jackson Abraham Lincoln
James A. Garfield Gerald Ford
Ulysses S. Grant Dwight Eisenhower
Jimmy Carter Calvin Coolidge
Bill Clinton Lydon Johson
Have students choose from the list above.
1. Have the students research (using research links) 3-5 facts about their president and write it out on a microsoft word document. Create a citation for the website they used (using the online citation maker)
2. Find, copy, and paste a picture of their president into their document. Create a citation for their picture.
3. Print
Example:
Recipe Assignment (1-2 Session) This assignment helps me to see what students know how to do on Microsoft Word. Pass the handout to each student and have them open up Microsoft Word and type exactly what they see.
Example:
Facts about Winter (Citing Sources Activity) (1-2 Sessions) Activity: Facts about Winter (see example) – students will search for 3 quotes about Winter from 3 different Winter Informational Websites, copy and paste information, from that website and place inside quotation marks, then they will cite that website.
Demonstrate:
1. Start a new word document – In the styles menu, click No Spacing
2. Title it Facts about Winter – Font needs to be Arial, size 18, and centered.
3. Save the document to “My Documents – 4th Grade – your folder”
4. Open up the Internet – in the Google Search Bar – Type in Winter
5. Click on a Winter Website – Highlight and Copy a quote about Thanksgiving, then paste it in your document
6. Explain since we are copying exact wording from a website, we need to show it by placing it inside quotation marks.
7. Cite the source by copying the website address, then typing in today’s date right after.
Example
My Winter Break Newspaper (1-2 Sessions) Using textboxes, create a newspaper about your winter break.
Formatting Pictures in Microsoft Word Activity (1 Session)
Formatting Activity (Martin Luther King Jr) (1 Session) Pass out this handout to students. Have them type and format the article about Martin Luther King Jr.
Creating a Venn Diagram with PowerPoint (1-2 sessions)Discuss what a Venn Diagram is and inform students they will be making their own Venn Diagram with PowerPoint.
Demonstrate:
-Open up PowerPoint
-Under the Home Tab, find Layout - Click on Layout then choose BLANK
-Under the Insert Tab choose Shapes and click on the circle. Click and drag a circle on your page.
-Right click on the shape and choose Format Shape - Change Transparency to 100%
-Right click, copy the shape, then paste it on the page. Move the two shapes so they are overlapping.
-Insert text boxes to write in the circles
-Create your venn diagram!
Example:
Valentine's Day Activity (1 session) Have students download and fill in the valentine's day card.
ValCardAdvanced.doc Print out to take home.
Venn Diagram for Black History Month (1 Session) Using instructions on Venn Diagram from above, have students create a venn diagram over two famous African American people from this website.
Example:
PowerPoint Introduction: All About Me! (3-4 Sessions)
Important People in the American Revolution (1-2 Sessions) Pass out the handout, explain they are to pick 5 people from the handout and create a slide for each. Their pictures are on the student computers in the Pictures folder.
Before they print, make sure students print as handouts and print 6 per page.
Not Too Late TalkShow Assignment (5-6 Sessions)