WORD PROCESSING
The software listed here are just a few of many word processing programs
Software |
Description |
License |
Platform |
| Microsoft Word | Make and share documents in print, email, and the web. | Commercial | Mac/Win |
| Word Perfect | Create and share documents | Commercial | Mac/Win |
| Open/Neo Office | Writer is Open Office's word processor | Free | Mac/Win |
| Notetaker | Personal note and idea organizer | Commercial/Trial | Mac/Win |
The varied capabilities of a word processing tool include, but are not limited to the following: editing tools such as grammar check, spell check, thesaurus, dictionary and track changes, other features are word count, word art, inserting clip art or pictures to the text, ability to change the color, style and size of fonts, add footers, headers, page numbers, tables, columns and bulleted outline, save as a web page, mail mergers and envelopes. This word processor tool can be used across the curriculum and in varied grade levels.
- Applied Technology: The multimedia tool in applied technology helps students to create a digital portfolio, presentation, or CD-ROM that they can use in the real world to present themselves to possible employers or to industry and community members.
- Art: Word processing in the arts helps the students express their reaction to dance performances and art works. It is also a tool for students to communicate scripts for plays and lyrics for music.
- Foreign Language: Word processing in foreign language is a tool for students to write in the target language. They can type on an international keyboard for the target language. The editing features and language tools such as spell check, grammar check, and thesaurus can help them increase their vocabulary, writing fluency and efficacy. The highlight and color features of fonts can also be used to teach vocabulary.
- Health and Physical Education: Word processing in health and physical education is a tool students can use to communicate and advocated issues regarding community health and fitness.
- Language Arts: Word processing in language arts is a tool for the student to communicate ideas in writing. The editing features and language tools such as spell check, grammar check and thesaurus can help the student to write and edit ideas effectively. Students can create outlines using bullets and numbering and add hyperlinks to link words to their definitions.
- Mathematics: Word processing in math helps a student describe and analyze data, space and shapes through writing.
- Science: Word processing in science is a tool for students to describe their observations in writing and record predictions, changes and effects of the environment.
- Social Studies: Word processing in social studies is a tool for students to express their reflections and understanding of history related to present day society.
Sample Lesson Plans
The following sample lesson plans provide a general idea on how the word processing tool can be integrated in a content area and grade level. Although there may not be an example for every content area or at every grade level, the lessons from one content area or grade level can often be adapted to another due to its open-ended approach.
GRADE LEVELS K-2
Arts: Theatre
- Habitat Movies: Students will produce a piece of writing that describes an animal and its habitat.
Arts: Visual Arts
- Creating Plants: Students will communicate ideas and information about plants effectively.
- Family Culture: Students will tell about their family heritage by writing a story and illustrating it with a picture of a family item.
- Habitat Movies: Students will produce a piece of writing that describes an animal and its habitat.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Shapely People: Students will identify shapes and colors by creating a shape person.
Language Arts
- Color Story: Students will identify the names of colors by changing the words in a word processing document to the appropriate color.
- Creating Plants: Students will communicate ideas and information about plants effectively.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Making Words: Student will be able to identify and generate words using the strategies of phonics by using the computer in conjunction with their current word work program.
Mathematics
- Patterns: Students use a word processing program to make patterns.
Grade Levels 3-5
Arts: Theatre
- AppleWorks: Students will create a movie on how to open word processing in AppleWorks.
Arts: Visual Arts
- A Day in the Life: Students will use knowledge and experience to tell about events.
- Autograph Story: Students will write a narrative essay.
- Geometric Figures: Students will create an expository response in which ideas and details follow an organizational pattern and are relevant to the purpose by explaining why the item from their environment forms the requested geometric figure and creating a book to share their pictures and information.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Summary Movie: Students will summarize a reading selection by creating an iMovie.
Language Arts
- Autograph Story: Students will write a narrative essay.
- Florida the Best WebQuest: Students will demonstrate that Florida is the Best State by creating a PowerPoint Presentation.
- Sea World Fieldtrip Follow-up: Students will use the Internet to reflect on their experiences on their field trip to Sea World.
Grade Levels 6-8
Arts: Theatre
- European Newscast: Students will work collaboratively to learn about other cultures through internet research and then produce a newscast.
Arts: Visual Arts
- Mark Twain: Students will learn about Mark Twain through the creation of an informative website.
- Publishing a Magazine: Students will learn to use iPages for publishing a magazine.
Language Arts
- Compare and Contrast Zoo Animals: Students will explore similarities and differences between zoo animals through research on the Internet.
- European Newscast: Students will work collaboratively to learn about other cultures through internet research and then produce a newscast.
- Publishing a Magazine: Students will learn to use iPages for publishing a magazine.
- Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt: Students will use online references to define vocabulary words.
Grade Levels 9-12
Arts: Visual Arts
- Store Design: Students will design their own stores through the use of multiple programs.
Language Arts
- Graphing Linear Equations and Slopes: Students will use Grapher software to graph linear equations and slopes.
- Store Design: Students will design their own stores through the use of multiple programs.
- Urban Problems and Politics in 19th Century America: Students will learn about Urbanization and urban politics through a guided reading activity on their laptops.
- Veterans of Past American Wars Project: Students will understand the impact of war by interviewing a war veteran.
- Visualizing Vocabulary: Students demonstrate their understanding of vocabulary terms through the use of a graphic organizer.
- You Are What You Eat!: Students will learn about healthy dieting by evaluating information on a website.
Mathematics
- Graphing Linear Equations and Slopes: Students will explore the relationship between the slopes of perpendicular lines and parallel lines.
- Marketing Research Projects: Students will learn various marketing concepts through the use of wireless laptops.
- You Are What You Eat!: Students will learn about healthy dieting by evaluating information on a website.