Technology Bits and Bytes 2001

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Native American stories can easily be woven into the curriculum using Inspiration, the concept mapping software. Inspiration is a great tool to engage students and provide teachers the framework to develop quality work in their classroom. Here are a few simple activities to help teachers and students learn the basics of Inspiration while enjoying Native American legends. The first two activities are simple ways to use Inspiration in your classroom the first time. They can easily be modified. The remaining activity shows how easy it is to customize an activity and create a template with Inspiration. Please visit the links below for many more lesson ideas to weave into your curriculum to inspire young minds.

Getting Started with Inspiration
Brainstorming Activity

Here is a simple activity that requires just a little preparation and is a great way to share with your students the basics of brainstorming with Inspiration. Using the TV connection or projector with a notebook this is a great tool to review or introduce vocabulary at all levels.

Learn to:

Change Main Idea Symbol
Create New Look
RapidFire Option
Change Background Color

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The Directions

Counting Vocabulary
A Prereading Activity

Knots on a Counting Rope
by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

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Using a graphic organizer prior to reading is a great way to introduce vocabulary. This activity, Counting Vocabulary, could easily be a brainstorming activity like above. Quite often students will encounter new vocabulary that they will be reading in a story. This activity focuses on -ing words but could be adapted in many ways. Use the template or learn how to use Inspiration by following the directions. Let students use the template as a game board.

The Template

Inspiration Directions

Knots on a Counting Rope Game
Print out the template to use as a game board. In pairs let students take turns rolling two dice.
If a student rolls a seven, they read the word at 7 o'clock and use it in a sentence. This is strictly an exercise to recall vocabulary and learn more about inspiration.

Cause and Effect
Post Reading Activity

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
By Tomie dePaola

After reading The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, students could work on the computer to complete this activity or at their desk as a written exercise. This is a lesson on how to create a template with Inspiration.

Directions

Template

Graphic organizers benefit literacy by improving comprehension skills and strategies. It is a great tool to connect prior knowledge and new knowledge. It also provides the student direction in the writing process. Using graphic organizers in many ways provides students the framework to produce quality work.

Native Americans - A huge resource created by Jerri Cheek and Traci Redish

Native Americans in North Georgia - This is an easy reading site for young students to gain information.

Native American Graphics - Graphics as well as small icons to use in documents can be found here.

Inspiration - A great resource with many other ideas to incorporate Inspiration into your daily curriculum.

A Kid Pix Lesson- After reading Annie and the Old One students create a Native American rug. See extensions.

Kathy Adkins
The Technology Loop
Instructional Technology Specialist
Forsyth County Schools
Midway Elementary

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