My Bio-Poem-A Lesson of Self-Discovery and Peer Introduction

Subject Area: Language Arts

Grade Level(s): 5-8

Duration of Activity:

3-5 days (depending on the number of computers available for student use)

Description of Activity:

Students will create a bio-poem. This creative writing activity is designed to be an extension activity to the unit "A Lesson of Self-Discovery and Peer Introduction." The lesson may also be used in isolation as an activity to build community in the classroom. The lesson is a wonderful way for students to introduce themselves to each other. The lesson involves the use of a digital camera, scanner, and Microsoft Publisher.

Objectives:

• Use a digital camera to take pictures of other students.
• Download and name pictures to a file on the computer.
• Use a scanner to import pictures if a digital camera is not available.
• Write a bio-poem that describes important aspects of the student's character.
• Use Microsoft Publisher or other word-processing program such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or HyperStudio to create final product, a bio-poem with student's picture.

  Note: This lesson was piloted using Microsoft Publisher. The program is very easy for students and teachers to use. It requires no previous training on the student's part in order for him/her to use it successfully in creating this project.

Materials/Equipment:

• Digital camera
• Digital camera software such as Kodak Picture Easy
• Kodak Twain/Acquire software—allows user to open pictures from the camera or scanner directly into Twain-compliant software such as Adobe PhotoShop
• Adobe Photoshop software or PhotoDeluxe software. This lesson was piloted using Adobe Photoshop, but either one of the photo software programs will work for this lesson.
• Flatbed scanner
• Three types of formula poems
• Computer(s)
• Microsoft Publisher or other word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or HyperStudio that allow pictures to be imported into a document
• Handout 1: Instructions for the Digital Camera

• Handout 2: Guide for Scanning Photos Using Flatbed Scanner

• Handout 3: Steps for Creating Project Using Publisher

• Handout 4: My Name Poem

• Handout 5: A Poem about You

• Handout 6: I Am

Prerequisites (skills or background needed):

• It is helpful for students to have some keyboarding skill, but it is not necessary. The activity will take longer for those students who lack keyboarding skills, but they can be as successful in producing the required product as those who can type well.

Procedure

Teacher Component:

1. The teacher needs to be familiar with the digital camera. He/She will need to model the use of the camera before the students use it. Also, the teacher needs to write out a step-by-step procedure list that instructs students how to download pictures to the computer, name the picture, and save the picture to a file. Handout 1: Instructions for the Digital Camera.
2. The teacher needs to be familiar with using the scanner to create image files. The teacher will also need to create a procedure sheet that takes students step-by-step through the process of using the scanner, naming the picture, and saving it to a file. Handout 2: Guide for Scanning Photos Using Flatbed Scanner is a suggested procedure sheet.
3. The teacher needs to be familiar with using Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or HyperStudio to create a product. It helps for the teacher to create the product first so that he/she can better instruct the students in the process. See Handout 3: Steps for Creating Project Using Publisher for the steps in this process.
4. The teacher needs to have copies of the three formula poems for each child. These formula poems include:

   Handout 4: My Name Poem

   Handout 5: A Poem about You

   Handout 6: I Am

   Stress that students need to use the format that will enable them to describe themselves successfully to other class members. (Many students choose the acrostic poem simply because they think it requires the least amount of work. The teacher may want to set guidelines that would require not only single words but also phrases.)

5. The teacher needs to have access to a printer in order to print out final product. Color is optional, but it really enhances the student's work.
6. The teacher will display the final product for all students to see. Mount poems on colorful construction paper and create a display in the hallway. Bio-poems may also be laminated and framed. They make great gifts to parents.

Student Activities:

1. Students will use a digital camera to take pictures of other classmates. Students will push the POWER button to begin operating the camera. Once the camera is on, students need to be sure the setting is on CAPTURE. Students need to get good, close-up face shots of other students.
2. Students will connect the digital camera to the computer to download pictures following the teacher's Handout 1: Instructions for the Digital Camera
3. Students will name picture and save picture as JPEG file to a diskette, CD, Zip disk, or hard drive.
4. Students and teacher will discuss the definition of a bio-poem, a poem written about self. The poem emphasizes personal character traits, feelings, goals, etc. The poem will be the means by which the student will introduce himself/herself to the class.
5. Students will follow one of the three formula poems in creating their own personal bio-poem.
6. Students will write a rough draft of poem.
7. Students will conference briefly with the teacher concerning poem and will edit work.
8. Students will create the final product on the computer by using Handout 3: Steps for Creating Project Using Publisher.
9. Students will save the final product to the file designated by the teacher.
10. Students will print their poems.

Accommodations:

• The lesson activities may easily be modified to accommodate special needs students. Students help each other use the digital camera. Students who are proficient in downloading and naming pictures can easily guide those students who need one-on-one help with the process. Peers can also help guide special needs students in the use of the computer.
• In some cases, special needs students may need to dictate poem ideas to another student who acts as a recorder, or they may dictate the poem using a tape recorder. The student recorder may then help the special needs child type the poem. The classroom teacher will decide on the final product expectations based on the specific needs of the individual student.

Extension Activities:

• Students will create a bio-collage. Using the bio-poem as the focus of the collage, students will collect pictures that represent their likes, dislikes, family, hobbies, goals, achievements, etc. These pictures may be gathered from personal home pictures, magazines, and the Internet. Students will mount the bio-poem on a large piece of poster board and will surround it with their collection of pictures. Students will present projects to the class.

Integration:

• In social studies, students may choose a particular country to research. Students will write a short report or create a poem based on what they learned through researching their topic. Students may collect pictures of the country from several sources: the Internet, travel brochures, postcards. Students may scan or download these pictures into a picture file. Using a word processing program such as Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or HyperStudio that allows students to import and manipulate pictures and text, students will create a travel brochure about their country.
• For science, the student will create a brochure about local wildflowers. The student will take pictures of the flowers using a digital camera and will research the specific flower. The student will then create an informative brochure using Publisher or another word processing program that will include text and pictures concerning topic.

Assessments:

1. Teacher observation and questioning techniques will be used throughout the project to assess the student's understanding of the lesson objectives and progress. The formal assessment of the project may be a rubric designed to assess the use of technology and creative writing. The following sites offer information about creating rubrics.

• TeAch-nology.com
  http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics

• DiscoverySchool.com
  http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html

• Rubric Construction Set
  http://landmark-project.com/classweb/rubrics/rubric3_build.php3

• Rubrics
  http://www.techtrekers.com/rubrics.html

  The following site discusses how students can take part in developing rubrics for projects.

• Creating Rubrics Through Negotiable Contracting and Assessment 
  http://www.interactiveclassroom.com/neg-cont.html