Computer Skills Curriculum

Word Processing Lesson Plan

Title: Home Row Rhymer

Other Curriculum Objectives that can be addressed by this lesson plan
English Language Arts: 1.1, 2.1, 2.3; Computer Skills: 2.5; Information Skills 1.4, 1.5

Grade: 2

Competency 2.5: Demonstrate beginning word processing techniques of entering selected home row words, saving, printing, and retrieving text.

Measure 2.5.1: With a word processing program loaded on your computer, type the following words: sad, dad, had, glad, fad, fall, hall. Print your work and save it. Retrieve your work to be sure that your work was saved.

Materials Needed: Wall chart of computer keyboard and paper keyboard charts for students; access to computer lab or computer in classroom with word processing software; Home Row Rhymer template (included); big book software (optional).

Time: Four, fifteen minute sessions; provide additional time as necessary to become familiar with home row keys.

Terms

word processing, home row keys, save, print, retrieve, load, file

Glossary

Activities

Pre-Activity:

    Teacher Preparation

  • Plan to let the students work in pairs at the computers.
  • Prepare data diskettes with words made of letters from the home row keys. (A data file is provided with "home row" words.)

    With the Students

  1. Tell students that they are going to work on a language activity using rhyming words and practice their computer skills.
  2. Give students a word made of letters from the home row keys (e.g., lad, fall, gag) and elicit rhymes from them.
  3. Divide students into pairs.
  4. Have them brainstorm for five to ten minutes to list as many rhyming words as they can. Rule: All letters must be from the home row keys.
  5. Using individual paper keyboard charts, have students practice "typing" their word list.
  6. Have students share some of their rhyming words with another team.

Activity:

(in the computer lab)

  • In pairs, review the home row keys with students by having the students find the letters as you call them out. After a specified time period, have partners switch. (The partner, not typing, should watch the screen as the other partner types.)
  • In pairs, have students enter as many words as they can that rhyme using home row keys. After a specified time period, have partners switch.
  • Have students save their work.
  • Have students load and print a list of their rhyming words to use in the class room as a follow-up activity.

Follow-up:

  • In the classroom, have the teams choose one or two words from their list and make sentences with them. Have students illustrate their sentences.
  • Use paper keyboards in the classroom to practice home row key rhyming words.
  • Make a class book of rhyming words using a word processor. Illustrate the booklet.
  • Using one of the big book programs, prepare and illustrate a rhyming book for kindergarten students.

Measure

Using a word processing program, have students type a given set of home row words: sad, dad, had, glad, fad, fall, hall as the teacher calls out each word. Teachers should monitor students and provide additional practice as necessary. (Teachers may wish to have words on a data diskette instead of saying them aloud. This allows each student to view the word on the screen and work at his/her own pace.)

Extension:

Ask the students to describe whether any of the words have something in common (e.g., word families such as had, dad, mad). Have students make a new list, grouping words that have something in common. Have them highlight or underline the part of the word (in each group) that the words have in common.

Example: had, dad, mad, sad, glad.