Formatting Fun

Subjects

• Arts & Humanities
  --Language Arts
  --Literature
• Educational Technology
• Vocational Education
  --Computers

Grade

• K-2
• 3-5

Brief Description

Students practice formatting basics for use in classroom writing activities.

Objectives

Students will

• highlight text.
• select font color.
• align text left, right, and center.
• identify and correct words with too much or too little spacing between them.

Keywords

Computer skills, formatting, word processing, typing, paragraphs

Materials Needed

• Formatting Fun Worksheet (provided)
• Computer access
• Microsoft Word or Works (Note: This activity can be adapted for AppleWorks, WordPerfect, StarOffice, more.)

Lesson Plan

Paragraph writing is a skill emphasized in grades 1-3, and students in those grades often enjoy typing and printing their work for others to see. At that level, however, computer skills can vary widely. How do you quickly polish students' skills so they can type with confidence and competence? The following activity will help students quickly acquire the skills they need.

This activity can be completed as a whole group, in small groups, or individually at a single classroom computer.

• Save the Formatting Fun template on student computers; consider the Desktop or My Documents to make the worksheet easy for them to find.
• Open the template file in Microsoft Word as students watch, and then walk through the instructions with them. Show them how to add their names to the top of the worksheet.
• Highlight the word "red," and then click the color red next to the paint can in the Formatting toolbar. Note: if you don't see the paint can, go to View>Toolbars>Formatting to open the correct toolbar.
• Highlight the word "Center," and then click the center align icon in the Formatting toolbar.
• Correct some of the spacing on the worksheet. (Note: Word processing requires only one space -- not two -- between sentences.)
• Have each student open and complete a formatting fun worksheet.
• Remind students to print their work and turn it in to you when they're finished.

Assessment

• Evaluate each student's worksheet for correct coloring, alignment, and spacing.
• Observe student frustration/confidence level while completing the assignment.
• Evaluate formatting accuracy as evident in future writing lessons,

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Lorrie Jackson

National Standards

LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills

TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
NT.K-12.3 Technology Productivity tools