Introduction to Australia

Component: Writing

Competency: Participates in various prewriting techniques such as reading, brainstorming, charting, listing, observing, drawing, imaging, and webbing to generate ideas for individual and/or shared writing.

Objective: To gather prior knowledge and determine the level of knowledge students have about Australia.

Materials: Chart paper, word processing program, Internet access, printer.

*chart paper will be hung up somewhere the students can add new things they learned or other things they might want to learn. Students can also use word processing to type and later print out their findings to attach to chart paper.

Procedures:
1-The teacher needs to research facts about Australia. Teacher can access information at National Geographic Australia and Yahooligans Fact Book
2-Use large chart paper to record a discussion about Australia.
3-The discussion will include a record of everything the student knows about the country.
4-From their brainstorm and record any questions that the students want to learn about Australia.  The poster can look like this:

What we know about Australia:
· 1-
· 2-
· 3-

What we would like to learn about Australia
· 1-
· 2-
· 3-

At the end of the unit, students will add a section called

What I learned about Australia
· 1-
· 2-
· 3-

Evaluation: Students will participate in an Australian Facts Pre and Post Test (beginning and end of unit).

Extension Activity: Write a friendly letter to a pen pal or key pal

• Students visit the EPals Web site to locate and write to  Epals that live in Australia. 
• Students use ClarisWorks, Microsoft Works or Word to write and publish letters
• Students write a friendly letter to pal
• Review the format of a friendly letter: paragraphs and date are indented (press tab one time). The salutation is indented over the 2 1/2 or 3 inch mark on the tool bar ruler. 
• After typing, change font and style
• Proof and use spell check
• Print out work and send to pen pal and/or send letter to key pal
• Demonstrate to students how to address an envelope

Homework: Write a friendly letter to a friend or family member.

                                  
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